A Gospel of Awakening

we thank God constantly that in receiving his message from us you took it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God at work within you who believe 1 Thes 2:13

The word of God at work within us.  God at work within us.  Paul says that is what he preached.  And that his message was not the word of men. 

Staring at this, I am beginning to see some truth.  How right it is to awake in others what they already have.  God working within them.  This is what we preach.  Awake.  Become aware of God.  God who is creator and redeemer is at work in you.  You need only open your eyes and see it.  The day of salvation is here.  This is the acceptable time.  The kingdom of God is at hand. 

I can imagine preaching this.  This sits well.  I come to preach to you, but not to convey any information.  Only to help you connect with God.  God who is already at work within you.  I come to help you wake up to this.  To learn how to connect with this God.  To learn to listen.  I cannot tell you what God will say.  I cannot walk in your shoes.  I only say this: That God is creating and redeeming you in ways I do not know.  What God will say to you will likely be creative and redemptive.  What God wants of you will likely be first to figure out how to rest in God and second, that if you want to move toward God, to participate in God’s work, what you do it will likely have some character of creation and redemption.

Oh you will not hear a voice.  Or rather you will, but it won’t be God’s.  The voice will be your own.  God will use your own voice.  The content of the message will be God’s.  God prefers to remain hidden.  God does not compel.  Rather God invites.  God is the cause of all the goodness in your life.  God brings the love and the self esteem.  God is the force that enables you to bear all the rough patches, the loneliness, the sadness, the sense of incompleteness.  God is there around the edges.  God is there just under the appearances. 

That is what I preach.  It doesn’t make me a savior.  God is the savior.  God is the redeemer and the creator.  I just point that out.