Spiritual Hiccups - What Pleases God

Both of this morning's psalms are songs of praise, and the second has verses that speak of God taking no delight in the strength of the horse or the speed of the runner (perhaps in our day it should say the power of our tanks and aircraft or the prowess of our soldiers), "but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,in those who hope in his steadfast love."

If you've ever spend much time with a Bible, you've surely seen it recommend "the fear of the Lord." Sometimes people try to say that this doesn't speak of being frightened of God but rather of awe. That is true to a point, But the Bible does think that God's presence is genuinely terrifying. All those places where God or God's emissary says, "Fear not," to someone who has just hit the deck are not telling the person she shouldn't have bowed down in fear. Instead it's more of a "Don't worry, I come in peace," sort of statement.

Of course Jesus does seem to soften God's image a bit.  But Jesus didn't get executed because he was so sweet and nice.  He terrified people enough that they had to get rid of him.

I wonder sometimes if we haven't so domesticated God that awe, much less fear, is nearly impossible for us.  Some Christians seem to have made God such a BFF (an online term meaning best friends forever) that the relationship sounds like something between a couple of 12 year old girls.  Some of these folks are so downright perky about God that it leaves me feeling a bit ill, but that's my personal problem.  And while there are plenty of Christians who envision a God who is more than happy to send millions of folks off to hell for eternity, this God is only dangerous to other people, never to them.

I'm not wishing for any sort of fire and brimstone God here, but surely any God who can create galaxies and black holes, whose vastness is beyond our understanding, yet wins victory via a cross, has to be a little intimidating.

Perhaps it's just me and my Presbyterian upbringing, but I worry sometimes about having rationalized and theologized God into a concept or an idea.  And such things exist only in the abstract.  Ideas and concepts can certainly be powerful.  They can lead to great good or great evil.  But ultimately, they are under the control of those who come up with them.  I doubt that can be said of a real God.

Sometimes I wish that God would be a bit more obvious with me, maybe even scare me a bit.  Sometimes I think it might help my faith immeasurably to tremble in the presence of a the Eternal Almighty.  And according to the psalm, God might enjoy it, too.

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