"Noise......................."

I listened on the internet to a sermon preached the night before. Second night. Another packed-out revival crowd. The visiting “evangelist” took his theme from the Book of Genesis, comparing the story of Joseph to Christ in our present-day circumstances. In many ways, the events recorded are similar to what Jesus endured. No actual crucifixion; but certainly rejection; and the coat of many colors signifying authority unto the one assigned it and then equating to hope lost when its blood-stained fabric was shown as proof of its owner’s demise. Easy to understand the congregation’s enthusiastic applause and shouts of “Glory!”, “Amen!” when Jacob, sitting on Egypt’s throne was likened unto the Lord’s resurrection. It was a great message. No mention, however, was given to the more than four hundred years of bondage God’s people would know before His deliverance would part the Red Sea, nor the four more decades required in the wilderness trying to purge them of what life in Goshen had stamped into their identity. Just saying. While there’s often, no doubt, a good meal placed before us in the sanctuary, the pastor anointed and speaking from his heart, it doesn’t mean the whole enchilada has been served. You don’t get the entire Book in thirty minutes. Manna found on Sunday needs to be renewed on Monday. The journey demands returning to the well, digging in the depths, an anchor-line that holds you when nothing makes much sense. This isn’t like learning Algebra. You don’t graduate from Bible class with a diploma to prove how well you have solved the enigma and can explain it unto others. In truth, the gulf between Heaven and Earth was spanned through a connection in our “belly”, not our head. Too much room for error up there………