I have not left the Rublev… I find the person of The Holy Spirit difficult. I am also finding that I don’t want to close out my discussion of The Trinity and so I am just postponing it. I like thinking about it. I have the seeds of an idea I got from something I read of Moultmann the other day. I just want to let it simmer for awhile because it‘s not quite done yet.

Been thinking about other things:

“All things come of thee O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee…”

We say these words every Sunday as the offering and elements are brought forward and the saying is very much associated with those things. It’s as if in our minds we are saying, “All good things come of thee O Lord, and we’ve brought some of them here today.” And that is true. All good things DO come from the Lord. But, that’s not what we say is it? No, it is not. What we say is “All things… come of thee…” All things is a little different than all good things.

I know this family who are in a very bad situation. They have enjoyed a middle-class life and careers that they enjoyed and felt validated by. But, because of illness and a death it is pretty much falling apart. I mean comparable to Job. Really falling apart. So one of them said to me the other day that they know this is not from God because God just wouldn’t let things get like this.

And I’ve been thinking about that.

Obviously there are things going on that we do not know about. It is possible that this calamity is not from God. Job’s wasn’t... You know, entirely. So, I am open to that possibility. But, I am more in favor of the idea that it IS from God. And, I’ll tell you why. Two reasons:

• I believe that God is deliberate. God doesn’t just let things slip through the cracks and then, uh-oh the devil got through… No, it’s not like that. You are sealed as Christ’s own forever and the devil doesn’t get through. The end. Even in the case of Job, God was on the ball with it. God set the parameters. God had an objective.

• “…of Thine own have we given thee” can’t be just about the good things. If you think God desires your wealth you might want to think again. Nor is God overly impressed with bread and wine. God has plenty of both. We bring these things to God not because of what they are but as a symbol of offering our whole selves to God, our broken hearts and contrite spirits. That is the real offering.

God says we can keep all the other stuff as long as He can have our brokenness. Apparently that is the matter with which God works.

All things come of Thee O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.

As we accept God’s good gifts and blessings let us also accept and be thankful for those gifts which produce brokenness and contrition because they come from God too. And the good news is that God wants them back!

Give God your little dab of gold and wine if it makes you feel better. But, run, run to God with your offerings of pain and deep sorrow. Run to God in contrition and despairing. Run to God with the daily wounds of being human. Run to God and be healed… of everything.

Been thinking about that.