My Worldview: A Work In Progress (ICEWS, e*b 08)

For: The Institute of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen's University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt.

In the beginning, God Was Three-in-One. He still Is, and He Always Will Be. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created the earth together. They also created human beings in their image; male and female. We were created to look after all of God’s creation - to multiply more ImageBearers(1) and have dominion over all living things. We were created to be His stewards on earth(2) and to bring glory to His name(3) by being in right-relationship with Him and the rest of creation.  

Only, we decided that we wanted more power than what God had given us (which was already authority over all the earth!) When Eve and Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil everything changed.(4) As Donald Miller says, the most obvious thing that changed was that they started to wear clothes.(5) All of a sudden they were all self-conscious. 

“Man is wired so he gets his glory (his security, his understanding of value, his feeling of purpose, his feeling of rightness with his Maker, his security for eternity) from God, and this relationship is so strong, and God’s love is so pure, that Adam and Even felt no insecurity at all, so much so that they walked around naked and didn’t even realize they were naked. But when that relationship was broken, they knew it instantly... Adam and Eve were naked and weren’t ashamed when God was around, but the second that relationship was broken, they realized in and were ashamed.”(5) 

The rest of the story has all been about God making redemptive acts, trying to restore our relationship with Him. The ultimate act was in Jesus’ life, death, and life again. Jesus (100% man, 100% God) lived to show us what it looked like to be fully in right-relationship with God. He died in our place, taking on the sins of the world. He lived again to defeat death and Satan, winning the battle of sin and death. 

The Kingdom of God is at hand.(7) The Kingdom exists wherever things are happening for God’s glory - writing a song, fighting poverty, reconciling a broken relationship, or admiring a sunrise. Being the new temples of the Holy Spirit, we are the points of intersection for heaven and earth. As Kingdom people, our job is to point out where the Kingdom of God is active in the world. As human beings, we are to multiply more SubCreators, ImageBearers, CommunityBuilders, and SalvificStorytellers.(8) As the Church, we need to break out of our buildings and start celebrating in the streets. We need to “bring good news to the poor... to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives... to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor... to comfort all who mourn... to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”(9) 

And then Jesus will come again. And He will establish His Kingdom forever on earth. And there will be a new earth and new heavens. And there won’t be any crying, or mourning, or dying, but only eternal life. Finally, our relationship with God will be completely right again, and we won’t be ashamed, or insecure, or scared. Instead, we will be so caught up and involved in His glory that we won’t be able to do anything but worship Him. Forever and ever. 

(1) Wilt, Dan. Essentials in Worship Theology - The Nature of Worship. p.5.
(2) Genesis 1:26-30.
(3) Isaiah 43:7
(4) An aside: Sometimes I think that we’re too hard on Adam and Eve. They had never experienced deceit before. They didn’t even know lies existed! So the fact that the snake was lying to Eve wouldn’t even have been on her radar. The important thing, though, is that she did something that God had expressly told them not to do beforehand. And who am I to say that I wouldn’t have done the same thing in her situation?...anyways....
(5) Miller, Donald. Searching for God Knows What. p.69.
(6) Miller, Donald. Searching for God Knows What. p.70-71.
(7) Matthew 3:2.
(8) Wilt, Dan. Essentials in Worship Theology - The Nature of Worship. p.5
(9) Isaiah 61:1-3. ESV. emphasis added.