The Gathering \ Theme

In Psalm 139 verse14 we read, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made.”
And what does that mean?
It means that made in the image of God we are WIRED differently.
Made in the image of God it means that our vision and radar are WIRED differently.
Made in the image of God means that our world view is WIRED differently.
Made in the image of God means that our relational connections are WIRED differently.

In Exodus 20 we read “I am a jealous God.” This is not a normal jealousy, this is a jealousy based on what God already owns and God is greedy enough to want all that is Gods. In fact God is so greedy that God sends Jesus to ‘take away’ the sin of the world; to win salvation for us; to die for us; to rise for us; that we would be God’s alone. God deems us worthy, and so God goes to great lengths that we never be far from the grasp of God.

In Proverbs 3:5-6 we read of a God who creates a clear path, a way to walk, and a manner in which to put one foot in front of the other. In this way we realize that God is leading, guiding, clearing the path, and ultimately carving the path of righteousness.

We have a God who has WIRED us differently.

Think about all the different people you know.

• Do they look like you?
• Do they act like you?
• Are their ear lobes attached or dangling?
• Is their nose wrinkled, turned to the left or right, broken or surgically restored?

In fact, every other person is very different from you.

Inside that person is a complex mass of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which is the nucleic acid that contains genetic instructions for the development and functioning of living organisms.

Inside that person are a set of codes and traits which make them unique.

Inside that person are a set of learned behaviors, a set of social filters, and a battery of coping mechanisms.

And theirs are very different from yours.

We read way back in the book of Genesis, when God breathed life into Adam and Eve, that in that moment humanity would be forever different. Our code and connection to God would be irrevocably sealed.

You see God created us for a set of relationships. A relationship with God, and relationships with all God created. The relationship we have with God is born out of God’s deep love for us. This love is everlasting, powerful, and purposeful.

We are WIRED differently; we are unique images of God

We are WIRED differently; we are connected to God.

The relationship we have with God, while it appears complicated is really not.

In it’s purest form, it its simplest shape, we can turn to the classic scripture John 3:16. God so loved, that God gave, sending Jesus to save us from sin…believe in this.

How complicated is this? Not very.

There is a main character – GOD. And that main character loves us so much that the main characters Son was sent to love us in the flesh – JESUS. Jesus went so far as to die for us to seal the relationship with us forever. 

Of course the church makes this relationship complicated with theologies and teachings, but in its easiest form, God loves us and will stop at nothing to insure that we know this.

In this way God is connected to us.

We are WIRED differently; we are connected to family and friends.

Remember the first time you heard someone talking about how they celebrated Christmas in their family? Did it seem odd, different, unique? Yeah. It sounded different because it was different.

You are a unique expression of your family. While you may bear the same name and some of the family looks, you are a unique expression of your family.

And this goes beyond just your immediate family, it also extends all the way out to the family of God.

Today’s culture is a wonderful blending of family systems. The Church is one of the places where unique family holidays and special occasions are celebrated and honored. The Church is also the place where family takes on a larger definition.

The church as family is a powerful gift from God, to be nurtured and valued by all.

We are WIRED differently; we are connected to the world.

One need only type in ‘map of the internet’ on Google to see the billions of strands of linear information traveling from station to station. One need only shut off the supply of support dollars to a wounded South African village before that community dries up, becoming dust in the wind.

Years ago when the transmission of information was laborious the human community was insular and isolated. But in these days we globe trot by the touch of a button. We can establish virtual communities of caring simply by chatting with friends in Tanzania to Turkey.

We live in a day where you have to work pretty hard to be disconnected from the world. We acknowledge that as Christians we are connected to the world, and this is the desire of God.

Being connected to the world means that your simple act of picking up another’s trash will save the world from a mountain of trash being inappropriately deposited.

Being connected to the world means that while the world may need shoes, it may be just as important to buy the world socks.

Being connected to the world means that someone else, on some other continent, in some other country, in a small village near the sands of the Kalahari desert are praying for you and for your relationship with Jesus.

We are WIRED….and we live connected!