Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Mystery & Wonder, pt. 3 (audio/video): Wonder is our reaction to Mystery

Mystery & Wonder, pt. 3 (audio/video): Wonder is our reaction to Mystery

Last updated on: July 12, 2018 at 4:26 pm by Rev. Jared V. Ingle

Mystery & Wonder, pt. 3 (audio/video): Wonder is our reaction to Mystery 2018-07-12T16:26:45-04:00 Rev. Jared V. Ingle

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“In the end, we cannot explain . . . Our theological statements set a fence around the mystery, but they don’t exhaustively describe it.”[1] We “set a fence,” we approach an understanding of God, but we never master our understanding of God. For instance, the more we learn, the more we want to learn.

There’s a mystery in the way God operates, and wonder is a result.

VIDEO: Mystery & Wonder, pt. 3: Wonder is our reaction to Mystery

i. Let’s look at mysterious moves of God in Acts 1-5 (KJV)

Acts 2.18-19: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

Acts 2.22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Acts 2.43: And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Acts 4.29-30: And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Acts 5.12: And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.

When we think about the idea of mystery, we’re thinking of examples like a sign. The signs would be the miraculous demonstration of God’s power. In our day an age we refer to the Gifts of the Spirit, the wonderful ways that the Holy Spirit moves among us. When He does, those are mysteries.

They aren’t mysteries in the way we think of mystery in Western society, like some sort of mystery or thriller movie. They are mysterious moves of God.

ii. We are amazed at what He does because it’s mysterious . . . powerful . . . otherworldy . . . beyond comprehension.

Wonder is our reaction to Mystery

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware declares: “To a lot of theology we could apply the criticism, ‘Your God is too small.’ Without a sense of amazement, a willingness to be surprised, without astonishment, there can’t be real teaching or study of theology . . . We need to have in our study of theology some sense of beauty and mystery . . . So there can be no authentic theology, no authentic personhood without a sense of wonder.”[2]

Wonder typically describes the reaction within us to the mystery of God.

iii. Cruz understands that God smiles upon us

Jesus said, “Suffer little children to come unto me,” and without faith like theirs we’re just not going to enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 18.16-17; see also Matthew 19.14; Mark 10.14).

I think of a time when we were doing a Fall Family Festival. Cruz and Mateo were young. It was before Eliseo came along. We were getting ready at the church, putting in long hours during the week leading up to it. There were about a hundred volunteers from the church that were helping us, but it was all about ready to go south because there was a rain storm predicted.

We were heading back to the car from the church and everybody had been talking about this.

“Oh no, what’s going to happen!”

“Are we going to have a rainstorm?”

I got to the car with Mateo, looked around, and Cruz was still standing by the fountain of the church. He was looking up, so I started wondering what’s going on? All of a sudden he just yelled out:

“GOD, MAKE IT NOT RAIN . . .OKAY!?”

Guess whose prayers God heard that day.

It evoked such a sense of wonder in me, because I realized we can just speak out the name of Christ. We can call out on Him in faith. He cares enough about us to bless us, even when we’re just having fun! He smiles upon us. My son understood it. He understood the mystery that God could do what he could not do.

JVI, West Bay looking toward town, 07.12.18

iv. Talking Points

I took a moment to share a story with you, something that I would consider mystery and wonder, something that evoked a sense of awe in me.

I’m just wondering if you’ve had moments like that as well . . . if you’ve shared them with others . . . and if you recognize God’s hand at work among us.

He definitely moves, and there are multiple ways that He does.

Sometimes it’s a matter of tuning in.

[1] Kallistos Ware, “How Should We Study Theology,” Seattle Pacific University Palmer Lectures in Theology, iTunes/iTunesU, March 17, 2008.

[2] Ibid.

Previous Post

July 6, 2018

Mystery & Wonder, pt. 2: Setting a fence around the mystery

Next Post

July 14, 2018 Ethics & the G.T. Bay Area Region: 1. Development & Holding to Our Values

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Communion Cruz Ingle Crystal Ingle Early Church Engaging Culture Ethics & Society Family Formation History In Dialogue Jared & Crystal Kingdom of God Majority World Church Mateo Ingle Messenger College Mission Narrative Pentecostal Church of God Prayer Shepherding The Sermon The Writings Theology Theology & Psychology Traverse City Uncategorized Vernell Ingle Word Study

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 May 2017 March 2017 March 2014 February 2013 January 2013 October 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 August 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did God create on the first day?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Plants Land Animals Light