The Bungee Cord. 11-10-25

Hello,

How big is God?

In my mind, Christians often tell the world that God is quite small. They tell folks that the God who sent his Son, Jesus, into this world is only big enough to be understood through one lens of thought. Ever since the beginning of Christianity, Christians have argued out loud as to who is right and who is wrong, and God is only big enough to love those who are “right”. That seems to make God pretty small.

When the Bible took its shape, there were lots of writings that claimed to speak the truth of God’s revelation to us, but just like witnesses to an accident or crime in our day, some of those writings were deemed not as reliable as others. Faithful people sought to provide a clearer picture of the truth. So, they “canonized” Scripture into a yardstick….not a point. “Canon’s” etymology lies in the meaning of “yardstick”. For a variety of reasons, certain things fell outside of the yardstick, and so they were left out of the Bible. But that which was “used by everyone everywhere” (at least as far as the New Testament is concerned) was included. It doesn’t take a very careful reading of the Bible to see that the contents of the Bible speak its message through a variety of perspectives. It is, after all, a yardstick, and not a point.

Keeping this in mind, we begin to see how big God really is. God is big enough to embrace a whole variety of people whose life experiences have given them different lenses through which to see God. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Anglicans and many more find their spots within the yardstick length of the Bible. As God has embraced this grand variety of temperaments, of personalities, and of talents, God has brought together an orchestra of praise to fill the world with the unmatched beauty of the music of God’s love. Trumpeters, violinists, clarinetists, drummers, players of the trombone, flutists, tuba players, and all the rest of the unique instrumentalists have a place in God’s orchestra. And as with any orchestra, its music is most beautiful when each musician plays their instrument with maximum accuracy and quality of tone. And because God is big enough to conduct an orchestra full of instruments, there is a place for you and me in God’s concert of mercy, whatever instrument we find ourselves gifted to play.

Because of how big God is and the fact that Scripture is a yardstick, it doesn’t surprise me that as different people read their music, they find themselves playing different notes when it comes to addressing some of the most complex issues of our time. It just may be that the score calls us to play different notes at the same time.

So, as you add to the concert of God’s grace in Jesus Christ this week, do so with gusto and delight, keeping you eyes affixed both on the music and the conductor in front of you. The sound we will make together is a tune that can transform the world onto the symphony that God intends it to be. It’s a BIG SOUND!

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger