GodReflection: Has God Noticed? The World Is In Chaos.
My wife and I are blessed with seven wonderful nieces and nephews. The first-born nephew, like any first-born child came with extraordinary anticipation. The entire family took turns to gain his attention. A fun remembrance from his toddler years was his special friend who none of us could see. Only my little nephew could communicate with his friend the tiger.
Story books fill pages and families share memories made from imaginary friends of little ones. The Holy Creator hardwired us with circuitry for companion relationship. The ultimate expression of our preset is we are wired for community with Father, Son, and Spirit, who cannot be seen by human eyes. As adults they are “tiger friends” who are ultimate reality.
I think of the abundant Scripture presentations, on almost every page of stories about Father, Son, and Spirit, in pursuit of those in need; only to receive rejection from folks who made no effort to engage faith and allow relationship with the invisible love-reality.
We like they live in the middle of Satanic chaos. Chaos on the international scene. Chaos in our home nation. Chaos in our state and in our city. Chaos in government, Chaos over Covid-19, and 
vaccinations. Chaos from death, division, and pain. Chaos that plagues our schools, teachers, and the education of our children. Chaos that divides friends, families, and communities. Chaos in the body of Jesus—his church.
Surely, from time to time we wonder if God has notice our world is in chaos. In face of my chaotic world, I must place the question on the table, will I trust God who I cannot see to solve upending evil now?
And a related question, pertinent to chaos and my Invisible God. Can a human who confirms reality through taste, touch, and sight, trust an unseen God to deal with the life’s chaos?
A decade-plus ago, Michelle Ree was a daily feature in national news as the controversial chancellor of Washington D.C. Public Schools. Shortly thereafter, in an interview as former school chancellor, when
asked about her faith, her response as I remember was something to the effect of, “I am seriously considering a commitment to Jesus as Lord of my life. But frankly as an action-oriented person faced with concrete issues of the moment, that I can solve, I struggle with the idea of turning my life and the chaos over to an invisible someone I cannot touch or see”. Her hesitancy is faced at some level by we who follow Jesus.
May I share where I am on this one? Trust in Invisible God is somewhat like entrance into the ocean. When living in Brazil our favorite activity on our day-off was a drive to the nearby Atlantic Ocean for relaxation at the beach.
The glow of the sun was warm and brilliant. The sand was soft, the smell of the ocean breeze invigorating, and the water called with the irresistible sound of the waves. The first cautious toe-touch of the water temperature was greatly anticipated. It was then a move to deeper water to enjoy the powerful arrival of wave after wave.
It is fair to say my faith walk started as a child. I was taught to talk to Invisible God. At the time the lessons were rooted in Bible stories of God who came through in tough situations and declared himself to be present even though unseen.
With age and obstacles, I felt the need to toe-test the water at critical moments across the past decades. I am not talking about prayer for parking spaces and the unlimited selfish requests I’ve address to the Holy. Rather, these were times when all doors closed, and all rays of light disappeared 
from the window. It was those occasions with no hope in sight, my only resort was a conversation with The Invisible God.
Obvious Holy answers to audacious request are not frequent experiences. They are more like meaningful monuments erected at critical places across the decades of my walk across life. But they are indeed monuments. Not plentiful, yet there they stand scattered across my life’s walk. In hard times I can refer to them and know they are sufficient to remind me once again I can know and trust The Invisible God to always be present and at work on the Satanic chaos placed along my path. 
Where do you find yourself on this one? The challenge is ever before us to decide WILL I TRUST an Invisible God? Let’s affirm to each other a STRONG POSITIVE YES.
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection on Can (Will) I Trust an Invisible God?
God Reflection 
YES, oh my, YES. How else could we live?
LikeLike
Jesus left his visible body on Earth, #EkklesiaIsGlobalBelovedCommunity to answer the “invisible God”
objection. He can certainly act independent of it (the Spirit goes where he will) as can the Father in judging nations temporally, but If Jesus is lifted up he draws all humans to himself.
Joel’s promise to Israel that God’s Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh (for our discussions, let’s just focus on humanity). My current conviction (subject to growth) is that many of the divisions in the global family of God are demonic pretexts that paid clergy (who do, in fact, peddle “the gospel”) either willingly or deceptively fall prey to. Bivocational ministers and laity are subject to them, too.#CriticalClergyPerkTheory
The mission is to proclaim (message and model) the Lordship Reign of Messiah to every nation, geography, people, nation, tongue. Luke 4 and Matthew 25 helps me see the general manner in which Jesus expects this to look. Our “strategic level spiritual warfare’ involves individual disciples being #SojourneyingShekinahShrines being transformed in a process of #PneumaticKintsugi
Psalm 2 and Psalm 22 explain the Bulls of Bashan (the Princes in the “Book of Daniel” sense stand in opposition, as do their political toadies; recall how “Pharaoh” was the “Son of Ra”. Same as it ever was.
The Stone Campbell Movement rarely focuses on this #BackStoryOfTheGoodNews
We live in a #henotheistic topocosm (Theodor Gaster) with many spiritual entities vying for the claim of Lordship. The Spirit is given to inform disciples to work in collaboration. Congregational leadership is given to help identify spiritual gifting and commission specific ministries and help them to coordinate. From time to time “Jerusalem Councils” occur.
Two recent podcasts:
World Convention (Part One and Two) with Tina Bruner, Newel Williams, and Douglas A. Foster
Tina Bruner, Newel Williams, and Douglas A. Foster
https://www.commongroundsunity.org/podcast
Disciples History Podcast Episode #1 – Terri Hord Owens and Rick Lowery
LikeLike