Friday, August 26, 2016

Jonah 4:10-11

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

From Background Notes [BN] for Aug 27th & 28th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In Jonah’s case, control limited his view of the world seen through the eyes of God whom he claimed to serve.


 
The prophet was far more than willing to deliver a message that he imagined would lead to the end of Nineveh. What his imagination failed to grasp was the possibility that Nineveh would begin again, start over, having embraced the truth about Yahweh. At times we also refuse the new viewpoint, particularly as it affects other people who are different than us. All of the old stereotypes flood our imaginations and push aside the redemptive love of the God who loves the world. Just because we are part of the Christian Church does not mean that we are innocent of the old paradigm. When the politics of the prevailing culture appeals to our fears and resentments, to our sense of loss about the way things used to be, to our offended pride that we are losing control, to our bruised egos — then the inner forces of our imagination turn away from God’s viewpoint and embrace an alien one. [BN,9]

Join us this week in Worship, Praise and Celebration at C1:
* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 9am & 10:30am

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