Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service asked my opinion of Christianity Today’s article “Rob Bell’s ‘Ginormous’ Mirror” by Mark Galli. In which, Galli uses Rob Bell’s new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God and Wonderstruck to point out shift in the evangelical world.
Read Jonathan’s article, below:
Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to an article in Christianity Today by Mark Galli titled, “Rob Bell’s ‘Ginormous’ Mirror.”* In it, he criticized Bell for “our knowledge of God is grounded not in doctrine, the Bible, the preached Word, the sacraments, our institutions, or even what Jesus revealed…but in our experiences and our intuitions.” This theological system is what Mark calls “the religion of experience” that “tempts on to make feeling an idol” and “leads nowhere except the barren desert of the self.”
As proof that this dangerous emphasis on experience has spread father than Rob’s reaches, he points to Margaret Feinberg and her new book Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God. This immediately caused confusion, because I’ve read both Margaret and Rob’s most recent work. Anyone who infers that these two authors are cut from the same theological cloth or believes that Margaret is promoting an experience-based faith simply isn’t paying attention. Her books and sermons are always grounded deeply in scripture as the ultimate source of knowledge about God, though she believes as most Christians do, that knowing God should lead us to experience God on something of a regular basis.
Since this forum is a place of civil dialogue on matters of faith and culture, I asked Margaret to offer her responses to Galli’s piece. She graciously agreed:
When I first heard that my book Wonderstruck was mentioned in the May issue of Christianity Today, I was thrilled. That is, until I saw it had been thrown into a review of Rob Bell’s new book.
Over the past few years, Rob has become a lightning rod of controversy. Wherever his name is mentioned the Internet snipers come out to play, and I’m allergic to haterade. That’s why whenever I tackle controversial topics on my blog, I try to do so with gentleness, grace, and respect—attempting to ask the questions people aren’t asking, reflect on the irony, and offer a different perspective on the matter. (Though admittedly, I don’t always do these things as well as I’d like. Insert sad emoticon).
But most of all, I always make sure that I’m returning again and again to the Bible to mine the rich wisdom and truth we find there as the foundation and filter for our lives. I’m an author and a Bible teacher, not a mystic. In fact, I haven’t even been able to read Rob’s book yet because I just finished leading people to read through the entire Bible in 40 days for Lent. The stacks of unread books at my house are out of control.
So how did Wonderstruck get lumped into this article?
Mark Galli, who acknowledges he endorsed Wonderstruck, writes, “God’s seeming absence is what so often characterizes the life of the saints from John of the Cross to Mother Teresa. But evangelical readers are most fascinated with the practices that will awaken us more deeply to God’s daily, hourly presence. One recent example is Margaret Feinberg’s latest book, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God.”
Galli, is concerned that Christian teachers oversell God placing God in a position where he will under deliver. He writes that there is “no way anyone can ‘live each day in wild amazement of God” quoting from Wonderstruck. But the partial sentence fragment is pulled out of context. The full sentence reads,
“As followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity to live each day in wild amazement of God. If we pay attention, we can begin discovering the wonders all around us” (p. 173).
Galli is concerned that in living with such expectations and strong desire to experience God that we’ll begin “manufactur(ing) something very similar to a genuine spiritual experience,” that those who don’t experience God will feel “there must be something wrong with me,” and that the real issue is “boredom with the life God has given us.”
I think all of the dangers Galli mentions are real, but to be honest, I fear a greater danger.
Namely, missing out on the opportunity to become more like Christ each and every day—and yes, even in the seemingly mundane.
Galli is concerned that our generation is trying to encounter God too often, in too many places. I wish that were the case. All to often, it feels like our generation is too caught up with busyness and materialism to look for God at all.
I believe that God calls us to live with a sense of divine expectation and spiritual alertness that He will meet us today.
The divine expectation that today when we open the Bible and begin reading that God is going to speak (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The divine expectation that we don’t live by accident, but by divine orchestration (Psalm 37:23).
The divine expectation that today God has laced this world with moments of spiritual awakening that make us long to know Him more. That our God will use everything from burning bushes to talking donkeys to doubting Thomases to little kiddos getting our attention and drawing our hearts back to Himself.
The divine expectation that when we crunch on a wafer and sip on juice, we are partaking of the body Christ.
The divine expectation that when we gather together with the saints during a weekend church service, we’re celebrating as Christ’s bride. And that perhaps this weekend, once again, the pastor will deliver a teaching of Christ in such a way that we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds.
The divine expectation that today God wants to work in and through our neighborhood—right where we live.
The divine expectation that today when we choose to forgive through the power of God’s grace, Christ’s clemency flows through us (Matthew 18:21-22).
The divine expectation that today the heavens are declaring the glory of the Lord and we are all invited to join in the chorus (Psalm 19:1).
The divine expectation that today just may be the day of Christ’s return (Revelation 22:20).
And if someone wants to throw me under the bus as someone who is seeking, praying, hoping, longing to encounter and experience God today and every day, then go ahead and pop that bus in reverse and back up over me again.
I receive it as a huge compliment.
And to Mark, I say, our home is always open to you, my friend. Leif makes some awesome barbeque. Let me know when you’d like to come over.
If you’d like to explore this topic more, I encourage you to read Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God for yourself.
*You must have a subscription to Christianity Today to read the entire article.
Margaret, I don’t even know you (unless having a mutual friend in Mark Batterson counts), but your response here was BOTH brilliant and gracious! Thank you for saying what needed to be said SO well.
Thank you,Margaret. I agree completely with you. Although I haven’t done the Wonderstruck Bible study yet, I do plan to do & have been fascinated by the title since I first heard it mentioned on Life Today. As a very busy grandmother, I know that my own busyness & yes even materialism, although I don’t like to admit that, that I forget to look for or experience God. I forget that I can experience God in even the simplest things–wind blowing through the leaves, a beautiful spring flower, the brilliant “spring green” of the foliage, my dog greeting me at the door. I want to experience God in every crevice of my like.
Preach it sista!!!
I deeply appreciated this, Margaret.
Thank you for seeking Christ in all things, sister…
Praying with you today and the body of Christ and the glory of God — the whole earth is *full* of His glory. Lord, give us eyes to see.
Grateful for Mark and his endorsement of Wonderstruck and this thoughtful, Scripture-saturated conversation. It’s a grace to humbly listen and honestly learn from each other. Indebted…
I’m appalled how anyone could make that connection after reading your book, Margaret. It was awesome in its simplicity in calling us to see God at work around us. Mark couldn’t be more wrong.
Finished reading this and finally popped over to amazon to purchase your book. Can’t wait to start reading it! Love to you!
Becky, can’t wait to hear what you think of Wonderstruck!
Thank you, Jerry!
Flo, so glad it resonated with you!
Thank you, Jason!
Sweet Ann, so humbled and blessed to navigate this grace-stained world with you. Hug to you today, friend.
As a person who gravitates toward the analytical, I can say that this propositionally-based means of relating to God is completely unsatisfying. At some point, it’s just not enough. I value my question-based means of seeking God and a methodical approach to studying scripture, but I crave more. God is not a God of reason, at least as we understand reason. Paul says, “We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works!” (Romans 11).
Seeking a God who is AWE-some, asking God to fill us with wonder, that’s a logical way of responding to God’s infinite greatness. Those moments of wonder carry us through the difficulties of life, when platitudes leave us feeling empty.
Thank you for writing about this. I need frequent reminders to do this.
Margaret…what an absolutely wonderful response! I found my self nodding my head like a fool as I read it. And by the way, I just want to say, why can’t we “…live each day in wild amazement of God.” Somedays living in wild amazement of God may be something we need to do “by faith” but isn’t there something absolutely, miraculously amazing in the fact that we have a God who sees the “mundane” and that He can take the simplest act offered up to Him and transform it into an act of worship, of joy, of thankfulness and significance? Isn’t it absolutely logic defying and mind blowing to think that this Great God sees and cares and counts what is insignificant and significant and delights in it when we are seeking to live before Him, in Him and letting Him live through us??? WOW…we do have a wonderous God — even when we don’t FEEL much wonder!
Bless you!!!!
Debbie
“…and counts what is insignificant *and significant…” That “*and” should be an “as”… I need to hire me a new proof reader 😉
Amen, sister Margaret. I have followed you since the Tulsa E-Women’s Conference and am blessed by the 5-day Wonderstruck. My must read waiting list includes the full-version. In the mean time I want to stand up and shout with you for people to open their eyes to all the wonders around us each and every day. I have been so guilty of busyness blinding me to what is right in front of my face. Thank you, thank you, for reminding me of divine expectation and I’ll gladly stand in front of the bus with you. Keep on preaching it! No apologies.
I left a post on fb….Just catching up on some blogs….well….I would just say to the writer of this article to tune into chris fabry and listen to your interview…your grounded heart that is full of love and truth comes through your words today….I was so blessed….lifted up and encouraged by you today….thanks for your gracious response….and may we daily encounter the Creator of all things more deeply in our lives. And thanks for encouraging us to open our eyes…and hearts to all His beauty.
Well said, Erin. So glad it resonated with you!
Amen, Debbie!
Andrea, so thrilled you enjoyed it! And can’t wait to hear what you think of Wonderstruck.
Ro, so glad you enjoyed it!