I'm not quite sure what I am going to title this chapter yet. Here are a few options I've been throwing around in my head. "Church Box", "Boxes, Cookies And Puppies", "Church Or Box, Cookies And Puppies", "Is God Your Dog?" and "Making God Your Dog". I'm open to suggestions and wlcome your input. Nonetheless, regardless of it's name, here is an excerpt from said chapter. Do notethat this is still in rough draft mode, so please be kind. ;-)
Writing from one of my favorite writing spots today. Ristretto's Coffee in Maple Valley WA. Come check them out. I'll keep an eye out for you.
Putting God In A Box
At this point of the chapter we have been talking about putting God in a box.
This (putting God in a box) is nothing new however. It’s been happening for thousands of years. When God used Moses to set his people free from over 400 years of slavery in Egypt, they put God in a box called The Ark of the Covenant. Now it was an elaborate box covered in gold mind you, but it was a 2 by 2 by 4 foot box nonetheless. I’ve wrapped Christmas presents that are bigger…Around half a millennium later King David started thinking and came to the realization that he was living in a gorgeous palace, while God was living in a tent. So he gets this idea to build a nice place for God to dwell in too. How nice of King David to build another box for the King of the Universe to live in…So, on his own, King David decides to build God another fancy gold plated box, called a temple to live in…
Moses saw God living in a tent. King David saw God living in a temple. His son Solomon saw God’s home in heaven. Jesus, the Son of God Himself, says that God’s home, if He has His way is…wait for it…His home in us. He didn’t say “with”. He didn’t say “for”. He didn’t say “about”. He didn’t say “around”. He didn’t even say “near”. The preposition God decided to use here is “in”. God wants to make His home in us. In you. The same “you” who is reading this right now. You. You are the one God wants to live in. Not a box. Not a Temple. Not a church. No…YOU. You are where God wants to live…
To me it’s as if God is saying “Make boxes for me if you want. Gold plate them all if you so desire. Spend till your hearts content on temples, cathedrals and churches, but I prefer to live in you and have you do the same in me.”…if God had to choose between you and the Grand Canyon…He wouldn’t hesitate a second. God spoke the Grand Canyon into existence, but you he formed by hand while you were still in your mother’s belly. He would pick you any day, all day, every day. You are His home. At least that’s His desire.
I do most of my writing in coffee shops and at Happy Hours because I get too sidetracked in my home office. If you’d like to invest in this project and buy me a coffee or maybe an appetizer and help fuel the writing, chapter, and me, as I keep putting this crazy book together. Come along for the ride, I've got a spot for you!