Does God Change His Mind?

 A church recently asked me to share with them my thoughts on the question, "Does God change His mind?"  After writing my response, I thought I would share it here as well in case anyone is interested.  I'd love to hear your thoughts in response!  Please disagree with me if you like! :)
 1. If we take the narratives of Scripture "literally," then the answer is yes. God is said to have "repented" or "changed His mind" in several places in Scripture. For example... when Abraham "bargains" with God about whether or not He will destroy Sodom, He makes it clear that He would change His mind based on Abraham's stipulations; when the Ninevites repent after Jonah's message, God relents from destroying their city as He had proclaimed that He would do.

2. God's foreknowledge makes this tricky... If we believe God knows everything, even the future (though without determining the future since He has given mankind free will), then God changing His mind becomes a bit problematic. If God already knew, for example, that the Ninevites would repent and He would then "change His mind," is this really God changing His mind??? Some Christians have dealt with this by saying that God actually chooses to limit His own future knowledge by giving us free will, that He chooses not to know what we will decide and therefore is actually able to change His own mind based on what we decide. (This is part of a belief system called "open theism"--it is a very new idea, however, and most of orthodox Christianity has denied its possibility). Most of us, however, choose to live in the tension that, yes, God knows what will happen and yet has given us totally free will. Thus, God is "practically" changing His mind in response to human decision, but He is "technically" not changing His mind since He already knew what we would do and how He would respond. (Does your brain hurt yet? lol)

3. God's promises are trustworthy. God does not flippantly change His mind in that He does not revoke His promises. Thus, Numbers 23:9 reads, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" In this sense, no, God does not "change His mind."

4. I believe the best way to approach this whole topic is that (a) God is truly and personally relational, meaning that He actually responds to us (our prayers, our decisions, etc.) in a perfect yet relational way. (b) The Scriptures about God changing His mind highlight this real interaction in a way our human minds can comprehend. They are meant "pedagogically," meaning they intend to teach us about the reality of our interactions with God, rather than "scientifically," meaning they are a technical representation of how God works in His inner mind--His psychology. (c) The mystery of God's perfect knowledge makes it hard for us to systematize what it means for God to "change His mind," and that's ok. The point, again, is that how we live and interact with God actually affects the way He works in the world.

Hope that helps rather than confuses!

Some Fun Moments

1.  I have just started eating a meal with a church family when I realize I don't hear anyone's forks but my own.  I look up and see that everyone else is eating with their hands.  I hear the Holy Spirit, loud and clear in my head, say, "Drop the fork, Amber!" :)

2.  The leaders of a Tongan-speaking church and I are gathering to pray before a service.  The pastor tells me, "Your English has improved since you first got here.  We can understand you much more clearly now."  :)  A few minutes later, they tell me that I'm basically Tongan now, I just need to learn to speak the language.  I say, "I have a bit of identity confusion.  One of the Fijian churches told me I have been adopted into the Nawaka village of Nadi in Fiji, but one of the Tongan churches recently gave me a full traditional Tongan dress."  The Tongan pastor responds, "The Fijians love in words, but we love in action!"  I didn't have the heart to tell him that I had three Fijian sulus in my closet that had been given to me as gifts. :)

3.  I'm playing games with a multicultural youth group one night, and one of the students comments on my necklace.  I explain to her how it symbolised the fact that my identity is found in Jesus.  She then says, "You really love Jesus a lot!  You should marry him!"  :)  I then have to explain a bit about what it means to love Jesus, who He is, and why I can't marry Him. :)

High to Low to Love

"High to Low to Love" is the best way I  know to describe the past week.  First a bit of background... about a week ago, a friend I deeply respect spoke into my life that I need to come to a place of being ok with missing the mark on things.  I am not perfect, I can't be perfect, and I can't be driven by fear of failure or of messing up.  God is not interested in perfect performance--He wants me to be assured of His love for me no matter what.

On Friday night, I experienced my greatest "high" since arriving in New Zealand.  At our Reconnect Concert for the WMCNZ Youth, over 300 people attended representing 15 local churches.  The turn-out was incredible--but more than that, the power and unifying presence of the Holy Spirit was amazing.  I came home after the rally so encouraged and so lifted up that I couldn't even sleep that night.  HIGH.

The next few days continued the high, being with several of our congregations, participating in planning for the IWU Sports Blitz next year, and attending 24/7 Youth Worker Training at the beginning of the week.

Then Wednesday morning happened.  I was in a car accident that caused my vehicle to be written off and my insurance premium to be raised.  LOW.  Praise God, no one was hurt.  Praise God for car insurance that will cover the expense of repairing the other vehicle and part of the cost of replacing my own.  However, I came home feeling so embarrassed and frustrated with myself, replaying the accident over and over again in my mind, wondering what I could have done differently.  How could I have been more focused?  How could I have avoided the wreck?  I just felt shamed... like this was a sign of not adjusting properly to life in New Zealand.  I found myself thinking, "Oh man...  I'm the dumb American who got in a wreck at a roundabout...  How do I face people here?  What about my support team in the States?  What will they think about the fact that I have to find another car?  Will they think I wasn't a good steward?"  All this negative self-talk surfaced that accused me of being not good enough for others to "approve" of me--over an accident!  I found myself not wanting my friends to even know about the wreck because I was just embarrassed, but of course, people had to find out. 

And then today I was reading a book some friends loaned me about the implications of the Trinitarian life and love on ministry and the Christian life.  While reading, the phone and computer continued to alert me of both Kiwi and American friends who are concerned about me, wanting to make sure I am doing ok.  And I'm reading about how through the love of the Trinity, we are meant to live and minister out of a sense of surety of God's love for us that is not earned or based on our performance.  Somehow all these cross-hairs lined up to teach me something on a personal level about love.  I realize more than ever how much I tend to base my perception of God's love and others love for me on performance.  And suddenly a wave just washed over me that people love me, not because of what I do or don't do, whether or not I make a seamless transition into Kiwi culture and life,... but just because of the love of God in them.  And then that same wave washed over me from above... a sense of God's love for me that is not based on what I do or how hard I work or whether or not I am "productive."  And now I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face, overwhelmed by this LOVE. 

From HIGH to LOW to LOVE.  Praise God, who promises to work all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  He can even use a car accident to reveal more to us about the depths of His love for us and the love that saturates His community.

Lots Going Down!

EMMAUS WALK:
Life in Aotearoa New Zealand has been full-on lately!  After battling sickness for a few days, I got back in the rhythm of life just in time to attend an Emmaus Walk.  This was a great weekend of connecting with some awesome women in the wider Church body as well as God ministering to me in a personal way.  After Emmaus, I came home to my flat which has been a bit more full lately. :)

AMERICAN VISITORS:
My flatmate's sister has been here visiting for three weeks.  Sadly, she heads back to the U.S. tomorrow.  Last Monday, the three of us went to the Auckland Zoo together.  It was super fun!  The zoo here is fantastic!  It's been great to have a visitor staying with us, and she is not the only American who has arrived lately, either!  Two representatives from the study abroad programme at I.W.U. have been here as well--we were able to meet up a couple of times to discuss opportunities for I.W.U. students here in Auckland.  The Bowlins, great friends of mine and fellow GP tribe members in the South Pacific, arrived on Wednesday morning to Auckland.  I was able to greet them "dark and early" at the airport.  This family served in New Zealand for two years, and they are currently touching base here for a month before going on to Papua New Guinea for a term of service.  It has been great to reconnect with them.
 
MINISTRY:
I have been able to connect with several youth leaders over the past week.  That's always a highlight for me.  Wednesday night, a group of us played laser tag with teenagers from Redoubt North.  I love laser tag. :) Thursday night, some leaders from our Central Auckland churches gathered to discuss the I.W.U. Sports Blitz outreach scheduled to take place in Auckland one year from now.

This past weekend was intense.  Friday night, I preached at a youth group, Saturday, at a youth rally, and Sunday, at a youth-focused Sunday service.  God is faithful, even to the point of helping me through leading a children's lesson on Sunday!  (Those of you who know me well know that when kids' ages can be expressed in one number, I get a little out of my comfort zone!)

Upcoming, I will be sharing at a youth group tomorrow and we are having a large combined youth rally on Friday night called "Reconnect."  (Our past IGNITE Camp was themed around getting connected, so this is an opportunity to reconnect with everyone from camp).

PERSONAL SPIRITUAL JOURNEY:
Lately, God has been speaking to me a LOT about grace and unconditional love.  I am realizing more and more how prone I am to living like I need to somehow earn God's approval--a task that proves more than depressing.  Living like I need to earn something from God just brings a constant sense of guilt and condemnation.  Yet God is slowly teaching me about His grace and the nature of His love for me.  We do not have to perform for God--in fact, He is not interested in our "performance."  He's interested in our hearts.  Anything that we do should flow out of response to His love.  Perhaps you, like me, struggle to understand grace and love in a personal way.  We can spout off intellectual doctrines about them, but the question is whether or not we allow ourselves to experience them.  I want to encourage you to press in with me that we, "may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." -Ephesians 3:18.  Russ Gunsalus recently made a statement in a speech that has really resonated with me.  "God loves you, minister, more than He loves your ministry."  It's easy to get caught up in trying to work for God and forget what it means to be loved by God in personal relationship.  I believe I'm on a journey right now with this, one that will probably continue for a while.  I'll try to post personal insights as they come.

Transition Continues

After being in NZ for over 4 months, I'm realizing that transition is a long word. :)  Here are a few examples!

1.  I reached into my jeans pocket to make sure there wasn't any money it before putting the jeans in the wash.  I felt paper and thought, "oh, that must just be a receipt, not money," and was about to throw it away--when I realized it was definitely money.  The texture of Kiwi money is different from that of US money, and even after four months, I associate the US texture with cash.  SO glad I looked at it before throwing it away!

2.  I'm recovering from being sick with a flu-ish bug.  While I was sick, I realized that one of the only medications that helps me when I'm sick is not available here.  Not only that, but I can't find just good old, regular, salty, very-little-chicken, Campbell's chicken noodle soup!  The only kinds are the hearty ones with big chunks of chicken and veggies!  Top all that off, when I was driving while not feeling well, I kept questioning, "Am I on the right side of the road?"  I was--but just not feeling well was enough to make me very uncertain!

3.  At a 21st birthday party where I was asked to share the devotion, I was talking with the pastor beforehand about how things would be structured for the evening.  After explaining it to me, he asked, "So Bob's your uncle?"  I was blown away... I had never told him that I had an uncle named Bob!  He saw the confusion in my expression and explained that this is just a saying in the British Commonwealth that means, "Is everything all good?  Everything sweet?"  Then he had a laugh when I told him I had an uncle named Bob. :)

Transition is a long word.  Definitely longer than four months.  Some things that are long are really good!  Like an extra long coney dog from Sonic.  Mmmm... Sonic... I miss that.  Focus.  Anyway, some things about the length of transition are really exciting.  I love learning new things, experiencing new things, on a regular basis!  Other things that are long aren't so fun... Like long lines at the DMV.  There are aspects of long transition that are frustrating, like not having your usual comfort items when you're sick.  :)  Even in times when transition seems hard, I am reminded of God's faithfulness, the beauty of His Body, and the consistency of Who He is. 

I am thrilled by God's faithfulness.  I am amazed by His grace.  I am so thankful for His peace.  And I am encouraged by the ways He has answered prayer and moved among us here in Aotearoa New Zealand.  I am privileged to experience this transition with Him and in the midst of His Church here.  I have the gift of working with an amazing team of youth leaders and young people.  I am stoked about what God has planned for the future here!

Acculturation Moments--Celebrating Small Victories

On our way to do some shopping, a Kiwi teenage girl and I were talking in the car.  Our conversation somehow drifted to someone going to Dunedin, NZ.  I then made a comment about the South Island, and the girl looked at me and asked, "Wait, is Dunedin in the South Island?"

"Yes, it is!"  I exclaimed.  "Mark it on the calendar, for once, I knew where something was in New Zealand when a Kiwi didn't!"  (It was May 2nd, in case you were wondering.)

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I was sitting in a good friend's lounge, hanging out with a few people, when one of them looked at me and said, "You're losing your accent." Huge, internal YES! :)

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I couldn't believe it as I looked over the two and a half pages full of notes in my journal.   I had just sat through an entire sermon in a language I do not know, and somehow I had taken over two pages of notes!  Between body language, expression, looking at the Scriptures in English, and glancing at the notes a young lady was taking next to me in English, not to mention the incredible power of the Holy Spirit, I had absorbed a great sermon!

Almost 3 Months: Life Update!

It is hard to believe that in less than a week, I will have lived in New Zealand for three months!  I am amazed by God's faithfulness and still in awe of the opportunity to be here and be part of His work.  I want to apologize for MY lack of faithfulness to keep my blog updated!  So much has been happening that I just have neglected it!  Here's a solid update on life and ministry lately.

EASTER CAMP

(Pictured Above:  Group shot at the end of Easter Camp outside the marae)

This Easter was the most remarkable of my life!  Easter Camp is a tradition in New Zealand, and I had the privilege of attending a small Easter Camp at a marae with three of our church youth ministries.  The majority of the camp was Fijian, and I was the only palagi (white person) there.  However, by the end of the camp I had been given sulus (Fijian wrap skirts) to wear, participated in action chorus dances, and even told I was now "from" Nawaka, Nadi in Fiji. :)  It was a beautiful cultural experience, but more than that, it was a beautiful Jesus experience!  Two young people made first-time commitments to Christ, and many found victory through the Holy Spirit over areas of struggle in their lives! We heard reports of, "I've never really understood what Easter was about until now!"  I've also heard of parents expressing that the young people who came back home after camp were not the same young people who went to camp.  How good is our God?

CONNECTING WITH CHURCHES

(Pictured Above:  With new friends after a garage youth prayer meeting on Sun. night)

Over this past month, I've been able to connect with nine of our churches/youth ministries.  I am still amazed by the diversity of the Body and the ways God is moving.  Just this week, I heard the testimony of another young man in one of our churches who had just given his life to Christ!  I am so excited about what God is doing and greatly anticipating what might be next!  By the end of June, the plan (by God's grace) is that I will have connected in some way with all of our churches on the North Island. 

REST, FUN, & NEW EXPERIENCES

(Pictured Above:  At the beach to go jet skiing with friends!)

 (Pictured Above:  With some mates having a picnic at Hunua Falls)

(Pictured Above:  Placing poppies on the monument at the Anzac Day ceremony)

One of my favorite quotes for a long time has been by Jim Elliot, "Wherever you are, be all there; live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."  It's my aim to do just that, both in terms of diving into ministry and diving into new experiences.  Sometimes I can be a pretty major chicken, especially in situations that require me to have any sort of coordination... haha.... But there is so much to explore and experience in this beautiful country!  I went jet skiing for the first time in my life, had a picnic with friends in front of a beautiful waterfall, and went with a youth group to the Waiwera Thermal Hot Pools!  The thermal hot pools were quite the experience... it's like Splashing Safari at Holiday World meets a hot tub and a movie cinema... Pretty sweet!  Finally, on Anzac Day I attended the dawn ceremony in downtown Auckland.  Anzac Day is the day of remembrance for those who died in war as well as those who have served in the military.  It was incredible to be part of this event.

All in all, life and ministry are exciting!  I still have lots of learning to do, emotional ups and downs are still part of transitioning into a new culture, and I recognize ways God wants to refine and shape me--but I am thankful and stoked for the journey!!!