Holy Ho-Hum

May 13th 2010

In Mark 6, Jesus comes home — and Jesus was amazed. Home was one of the few places — maybe the only place — where Jesus wasn’t much of a teacher, where Jesus wasn’t much of a wonder-worker. Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. They had grown up with Jesus. They had grown familiar with Jesus — holy ho-hum, majestic mundane. I wonder if american evangelicals have grown up with Jesus? Have we reduced holy wonder to supernatural pictures on toast? HOLYTOAST_prod3_LR_medium

E.V Hill spoke at one of the early Promise Keeper Conferences in Colorado years ago…the day before the conference, he was interviewed by a local television reporter, the guy said, “Tell me, why are 70,000 men coming to Mile High Stadium and meeting for 2 days? E.V. Hill said, “Well were going to talk about Jesus.”

And the baffled reporter said, “Is that all?” E.V. Hill later said, “He doesn’t know how much that is.”

Do we?

Paul exclaims about Christ in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” Has the indescribable become holy ho-hum describable?

I want to be a person who is continually in awe, a man who lives in dumb-founded wonder of the power, love and holiness of God. Instead sometimes I take Jesus for granted. I grew up with Jesus. I know the stories. Familiar. In order to be filled with awe I need to come into contact with glory. Here’s the problem… when my heart as-is comes into contact with glory.. sometimes our hearts have to get undone before we can be made new. Sometimes God has to mess us up to open the door to glory.

And don’t forget this… God’s power is not for show. If He strengthens us…if He heals your heart and gives you encouraging power. If He fills you with wonder, it will be for a purpose. With that kind of power, love and wonder, He may expect you to fearlessly follow Him, even into dangerous places. If God answers your prayer, He may ask you to do something that requires great inner strength, like take a step of integrity at work that could lead to losing your job. Or maybe it will lead to an act of courageous generosity.

I’m just saying…if we aren’t willing to go to the edge of wonder, and take a step of faith…we may never leave the slums of holy ho-hum.