24

January

A flannelgraph god we micromanage

“For many, the God of the Bible never escapes the pages of the Bible.  We end up with a flannelgraph god who can never amaze us, never overwhelm us, and never transcend us. . . .  Part of us wants a god we can manage.  Better yet, micromanage.  But when you attempt to let God in, you actually box God out.”- Mark Batterson

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts your thoughts.”- Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)

Mark Batterson concludes his Prologue to A Million Little Miracles with his description of a flannelgraph god.  Created in our image, it’s a god who looks, thinks, and even votes like us.  However, when we filter our theology through our history, personality, or politics, it’s called idolatry.

Furthermore, our attempt to box God in leaves no room for mystery, no room for miracles.  Hence, we end up with a downsized version of God — a flannelgraph god.  A god, Mark quips, unable to graduate high school science.  And, precisely at this point, many people lose faith.

Certainly, Pastor Batterson notes, at some point many of us experience a crisis of faith.  Because we outgrow our elementary understanding of God.  A scary, yet necessary stage to spiritual growth.  The chrysalis whereby a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.

Consequently, when we curate a holy curiosity toward God, we add dimensionality to our theology.  Through this process, called progressive revelation, we discover a bigger than big, closer than close, gooder than good God.

As a result, we need to deconstruct our small view of God.  A. W. Tozer wrote in The Knowledge of the Holy that:

“The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils.”

Thus, Mark stresses, the smaller your God, the bigger your problems.  However, a high view of God solves many temporal problems.

Today’s question: What Bible verses counter a flannelgraph god that you micromanage?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “False dichotomy? – sacred and secular”

About the author 

Dave Henning

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