I think that everything having to do with incarnational orthopraxy is reactionary. By that, I mean that our actions, our lives, our prayers, our being itself is meant to a reaction to the creating, saving work of our God.
I first starting thinking this when professor Grenz talked to my class about Sabbath and got me thinking that Sabbath time gets us prepared for the rest of the week, and the week is a reaction to Sabbath. In a similar fashion, Eugene Peterson argues that all prayer is secondary, because God speaks first. As such, our prayers are our verbal reaction, or response, to the vocal God.
I would imagine that this could profoundly change the way we live out our faith, though I'm still not entirely sure how... My thought is that this can better balance the often opposing views of works versus sovereignty, in which we typically think that we need to do all the work for God, or that we don't have to do anything because God is in control. Instead, we can realize that we are joining in with God, reacting to the work he has done and continues to do. It is in reaction to grace that we then join in the Kingdom-building project.
Does this make sense? Is it as profound as I feel like it could be? Any thoughts on the implications? If not, I'll try to think up some more on my own this week.
Peace,
Matt
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2 comments:
I don't fully understand where you're coming from, Matt. Do you mean that nothing we do is of our own initiative, but it is all in response to something else divine? Certainly an intriguing concept and not one that I've heard before.
Again this puts me in a Calvinist pose of thinking perhaps it's true that our faith is simply a response to an irresistible call from God. It's not like he sits around waiting for us; he speaks our name and we answer. But that raises all sorts of difficulties which may not be on topic to address here.
I'm eager to hear you develop this thought further. Looks like we both have a grand idea floating around in our respective heads lately. But where is the Brown Kid's?
That's just it...We are responding to a call from God, but I don't know if I would go so far as to say it is an irresistible one. I see it as something that is less resistable as we become more tuned-in to the voice of God, but I wouldn't go so far as to say we are pre-programmed or predestined to act a certain way. I know that can stir up a hornets nest, but that's kinda where my head is going these days.
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