Last Sunday in Chapel we had another young worship leader (we have seen many over the last couple of years). After the first song during ‘worship time’, he paused and asked hypothetically (and VERY sincerely): “Isn’t God cool?”, after which we joined in the second song of the day, the lyrics of which told us that because of His love, in His Name we find comfort, shelter, healing, safely, peace, and happiness.

Right off the bat I need to say that I am not criticizing this young worship leader or commenting on the state of much of today’s popular “worship” music. I am wondering about the “God is cool!” mentality that pervades much of postmodern Christianity. Also, I am not saying that God is NOT “cool”. It depends on what “cool” means to the speaker/hearer.

When I heard the question asked it just didn’t ‘compute’. You see, I have started listening through the Bible (mostly while driving anywhere and everywhere) again this year and I’m in the Old Testament. On my way in to Chapel I had been listening to the wilderness journey of the Israelites, with all the instances of rebellion and disobedience, followed by God’s judgment and severe consequences. God was definitely NOT being cool!

Where am I going with this? I’m so glad you asked!

After service, while driving home I realized that there are thousands if not millions of young believers (and many not so young) who have never met or known the God who isn’t “cool”. While they know something of God’s love, a bit about grace, they know little or nothing about His other attributes. Such “weighty” doctrinal issues are no longer in fashion in much of today’s church. As for those other attributes – it’s quite a list. Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952) defined, from Scripture, seventeen attributes of God. “Love” and “Grace” are but two.

While I agree that “two out of three ain’t bad” (so the song goes), ‘two out of seventeen ain’t good!”. It is in knowing ALL of God’s attributes that we can come close to apprehending the meaning of Jesus’ words to His Father in John 17:3; “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” We can’t even know very much about God’s love and grace, about which we know something, WITHOUT knowing something of the other 15!~! We are limited to our human concepts of both, and strictly human concepts are far short of God’s reality.

So the heart of this old soldier goes out to this young worship leader (and all believers),who in only knowing a little, are missing out on so much of God!

And by the way, if you are reading this only knowing something, I encourage you to visit Pink’s Archive for “the rest of the story”. Not exactly light reading, but well worth it!