Think Magnificently About God

I love learning.

I could be in a classroom for the rest of my life.

Especially with cohorts in a real classroom (compared to online) with a professor-in-the-flesh who enjoys hanging around after class to process what he/she has just taught with the students.

There is nothing like it!

As a result of this love of mine I have amazing memories of professors who have had a huge impact in my life in the classroom, as well as some, who I consider friends, who are willing to dialogue with me on puzzling passages of Scripture to this day.

I will forever be grateful to Dr. Stanley Horton, who humbly and quietly traced the person and work of the Holy Spirit for me, from the eyes of Dr. Luke in the Gospel by his name, and the Book of Acts, relying only on his Greek New Testament on the lectern. That course changed pastoral ministry for me from principles of church growth, programming and marketing to a deep reliance on the One without whom ministry is just so much hopeless drudgery.

Then, there was Dr. Stanley Grenz. I almost quit the program when my first doctoral course bordered on universalism, but fortunately my second course was with Dr. Grenz. He carried his guitar into class with him every day and insisted on beginning any discussion about theology with worship. The worship and the course content was ministry-shaping for me, even though I had already been a lead pastor for 20 years.

Dr. Gordon Fee, in a course on Pastoral Theology, would passionately quote from his favorite book in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians, leaning over the lectern with tears running down his cheeks. You could feel the presence of God in the classroom.

My classroom learning was over in 2001, but thankfully some of the conversations with scholars, like the ones mentioned above, did not come to an end at that time. Dr. Rickie Moore still fields on questions for me on the Old Testament. Dr. Steve Land, on the purpose of the Church. Drs. Jackie and Cheryl Johns, on the Holy Spirit’s role in learning and discipleship. Dr. Stephen Seamands, on ministry in the image of God.

I owe these and other scholars a huge debt of gratitude.

But I am not just name dropping in this blog to impress.

The one thing I learned from them all is the continued wonder with which they explore the unexplainable vastness and wonder of God. THAT is the only reason I am still able to learn from them and be genuinely moved in most conversations with them.

Too many of the Bible scholars I read on social media seemed to have been trapped by the snare of analyzing, arguing and debating the majesty right out of who God is, and the wonder of that majesty contained in Scripture.

Without the wonder, theology and ministry is a dry wasteland.

Just this morning I read in Psalm 68, “Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots, the Lord came from Mt. Sinai into His sanctuary…Your procession has come into view, O God-the procession of my God and King as He goes into the sanctuary…tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; His strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in His sanctuary…”

That is what keeps me going!

I am reminded of the story of Dr. Land’s daughter, in public school in Atlanta, being asked what her father did for a living. She told the teacher, “My daddy studies God.” At a subsequent parent teacher conference the teacher relayed the incident to Dr. and Mrs. Land and said with some measure of disdain, “Exactly how do you study God?”

Dr. Land answered, “Very carefully!”

I am indebted to these Bible scholars in my life who have not lost the wonder or the fear of the Lord! May their tribe always increase so that subsequent generations of pastors like me learn to think magnificently about God.