Miracles

I keep a notebook in Evernote called "Blog Ideas." In it are little kernels of thought that may or may not become actual posts.  I was looking through them today and found this:

Buechner: Faith in God is less apt to proceed from miracles than miracles from faith in God.

I'm assuming that is a quote from Frederick Buechner.  What do you think about it?

As I consider how I see the acts of God, I think it all begins with the faith that God can act.  When I think about that, then the idea that miracles can be seen when we have faith in God makes sense.  I contrast that with what Jesus said - that certain things happened so that others would have faith.

Maybe it all comes down to prevenient grace. We can see a miracle - an act of God - because grace has opened our hearts to the belief that God does act.  We can have faith when we see God at act because grace has opened our hearts to the belief that God does act. 

It is all from grace - we see God at work because God is at work.

 

Miracle Reminders

I wrote earlier that our bible study had challenged its own members and the congregation to FILL the harvest altar, as a mission miracle.  This is the harvest altar on the Sunday we collected food.

The whole project served to remind me of a few things:

1. That people are willing to give.  They are generous.  They want to give.  They (and I) just need to be asked, and need to understand the good that will come of their giving.  Otherwise, we forget.
2. That miracles can be ordinary actions of ordinary people, moved by God (hence the miracle) to change the world.  We should never forget that.
3. That this is church. This is what we are to be about.  

It's not what you bring...

Next in the story of Nahaam, beginning with verse 9, Nahaam goes to see Elisha. He goes to what I picture as a small, unassuming home with horses and chariots and all of his accompanying paraphernalia.  Can't you just picture it?  He is bringing all that he considers wealth, all that he sees as status, and he appears at Elisha's doorstep, expecting a cure.

Many years ago, my grandmother was ill.  I remember my grandfather telling us that he had made a bargain with God.  He would quit smoking if God would heal my grandfather.  She did get better, and he did stop smoking, but I never really thought that God was part of the deal.  Grace is free, and I believe God wanted my grandmother to be whole and healthy, EVEN MORE than my grandfather did, which is unimaginable.  I'm glad he gave up smoking, and God probably was, too, but it wasn't a bargaining chip.

As silly as Nahaam looked coming to Elisha's house with his riches is how we look, coming to God, expecting to bargain for grace - expecting to make a trade for healing.  Grace has already been given to us, and healing will come - be it physical or not - if we will allow it.  I just don't believe that God picks and choose who will receive a miracle based on what we bring.  Do you?

Manna

I read an email this morning that quoted Mark Batterson's book, The Circle Maker.  Batterson is talking about the Israelites in the wilderness, complaining about the manna.  They want meat!  He says,"The Israelites longingly remember the free fish they ate in Egypt, and forget the little fact that the food was free because they weren't."

They were asking for a miracle while ignoring that manna was arriving from heaven.

Do we complain because we miss the miracles right in front of us?  Perhaps today I'll watch for the miracles, instead of complaining. 

Where are the miracles in your life?  What manna has God sent your way?

Miracles

I was reading a post at Reflectionary. A mother is grateful that her son survived the roll over of a car. She wonders about miracles.

I still cannot understand how he happened to survive, how all three of the boys involved managed to live through it. As a good theological liberal, I can't give God the credit without wondering why that same God would not intervene on behalf of other young people, or old people, for that matter. I only know I'm thankful. I only know I'm breathing deeply again.

I have the same tight rope to walk in my faith. I cringe when someone says, "God saved me from a car accident because he has a purpose for my life," because I'm sure God has a purpose for all of our lives. Why would he elevate one person's life over another? Does making a statement like that infer that God has no purpose for the one he did not save?

A pastor of mine, many years ago, taught me that when I didn't understand a theological issue, to place it "on the shelf." Set it aside, and move on, rather than letting it be a stumbling block. Eventually, perhaps not until the other side of heaven, an answer will be provided.

So, I'll stand in gratitude. Miracles, by nature, defy explanation.

Intervention

I was reading a blog post on Enter the Rainbow about Faith and Doubt.

Consider the situation of a person who is ill who prays for healing. If the person is healed, he give praise to God. Faith. If he is not healed, what happens? Is there doubt?

To me this is a nagging question. On 9/11, when there were some who survived, there were comments that people were saved because God had a purpose for their lives. He didn't have a purpose for the ones who died? That doesn't make sense to me.

I think we have to be careful with what we say.

I believe in miracles, but I think the dramatic kind are much more rare than we think they are. I think God is active in our lives more than we think, but the big things -- perhaps less often in the dramatic way we envision. More than that, though, I think we have to be very careful assuming that we understand the motivation of God, and sometimes we need to accept that the laws of nature are at work, without divine intervention.

Miracles

We were talking about miracles in Sunday school yesterday. The scripture for the lesson was from Acts -- Peter telling the man at the Beautiful Gate to get up and walk.

The questions asked had to do with the idea of how the stories of miracles increase our faith or how do they challenge our faith. Someone told a story of how she had been asked, "How can you believe? The miracles seem unbelievable."

We talked about day to day miracles -- how we see God in daily life.

A member of the class, who has been battling cancer, told a story. She has been at Cleveland Clinic. On her lowest day there -- when she had hoped to go home, but had found out that she had to stay, on the day when she has a slight conflict with the nursing staff, on the (same) day when her husband had to leave and come home -- on this very lowest day, she got an email. It was a prayer from another member of the class. She received it on this day when she needed it the most.

If I can believe (and I do) that the creator of the universe cares so much about her and the day of recovery that she is having to work through someone else to touch her, then I can believe in miracles. Water into wine - that's nothing.

If I can believe that God forgives my horrible sins and welcomes me into his presence, then I can believe in miracles. Healing a woman from bleeding? I can believe that.

I wonder if we take for granted the unbelievable idea that God dwells in our lives. We wonder about faith in miracles, and yet, when you think about it, the miracles of the bible may be "small potatoes" compared to the idea that the creator of the universe whispers in my ear.

The Pool and a Miracle

If you’ve read this blog (you three people) very often you may remember that last fall and into the early winter, JtM and I taught a class based on the book The Jesus I Never Knew. One of the most difficult chapters for me to “get comfortable” with was the one about Miracles. I had a lot of questions about that chapter and about the class discussion.

I was browsing the internet the other day, and ran across a blog post, which asked, among things, if miracles still happen today. That was one of the questions that the lesson asked. My answer to that question is yes, but it leads to so many other questions:

Why do miracles happen to some people and not to others?

Read this scripture from John 5: 1-9.

Think about the scene for a minute. Jesus walks into the area around the pool and finds a man there. He knows that this man has been there for a long time – 38 years. He’s not the only person there. “In these (porticoes) lay many invalids – blind, lame and paralyzed.” (verse 3a)

Why did Jesus chose this man to heal? Was it the length of his illness? That seems too simple. Was it that this man was “extra good?” No, because later he advises him to stop sinning. Is this the first person Jesus encountered at the pool? No idea.

The same questions occur to us. If a miracle doesn’t happen, then is it because we didn’t pray enough? Not enough people were praying? We aren’t good enough? Maybe there is a purpose in our suffering?

I just don’t think any of these reasons sound like God. I also hesitate to believe that God is haphazard, so I am left with the idea that God is God, and I am not.

I do think that Jesus performed certain miracles for certain purposes – it gave “proof” of his claims and it gave us examples of what God wants for us – wholeness. It gives us a glimpse of what the future kingdom will be like, and it shows us that God cares about our suffering. Jesus, however, did not come to earth to heal every physical illness, but instead to heal all of our spiritual illnesses.

Does he still do miracles. Yes. When? Whenever, wherever, whatever he chooses. Is it a sign of love? Yes, but not a sign that he loves one more than another.

Then how do I answer these questions? I can’t, but God can.