Is Our God a "Risk Taking God?"

The recent ranting of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright,

for 20 years Barack Obama’s pastor, suddenly thrust

their church – Trinity United Church of Christ, a UCC

affiliate -- into the national news. Out of his lengthy

rants the "punch line," so to speak, was Mr. Wright’s

directing his congregation not to say "God Bless

America," but rather "God Damn America."

Feeling it necessary to respond, the UCC went

to the extreme measure of buying a full page ad in –

where else? – the New York Times. They tried to assert

their legitimacy as one of America’s "Main Line" church

denominations, although one of the smallest at just 1.2

million members. UCC was formed in 1957 as the result

of a merger between the Congregational Christian

Church and the Evangelical Reformed Church.

The text of the ad tries to emphasize their history,

tracing their roots to the early American colonists. Among

the "firsts" they brag about are the first foreign missionary

efforts, but that claim is a bit ambiguous since the first

foreign missionary work by American churches was carried

on by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign

Missions. That organization grew out of the famous

"Haystack Prayer Meeting" by students at Williams College

in 1806. Historians refer to the ABCFM as being

"Congregationalist oriented," but the group’s mission

work involved several denominations, beginning with
thefirst missionaries sent overseas in 1812.

Among other "firsts" which they claim are the

first ordained Afro-American pastor, the first ordained

woman pastor, and the first ordained openly-gay pastor.

It is certainly true that among the Founding Fathers there

were several Congregationalists, but it is a bit of a stretch

to equate the extremely liberal views of the UCC of today

with the doctrinal beliefs of those early Americans.

The closing lines of the ad are worth considering:

"Ours is a risk-taking church, because ours is a risk-

taking God." And then the final words are their current

slogan, "God is still speaking."

"A risk-taking church ... a risk-taking God."

Clever words, perhaps originated by some advertising

agency, but certainly by someone out of touch with the

theological facts concerning our God. "Risk" is defined

in our dictionaries as "the possibility of suffering harm

or loss involving uncertain danger." How - by what

stretch of the mind – can such a concept be attributed

to our God who is omnipotent (all-powerful), and

omniscient (all-wise, all-knowing)? Or to His Church,

the Body and Bride of Christ, the second person of the

Godhead? An all-powerful and all-knowing God cannot

be subject to any risk, nor could He subject His Church

to any risk. The words "risk-taking" cannot in any way

be applied to God or to His Church.

And as for the other clever, advertising agency

phrase, "God is still speaking," yes, of course,
Hespeaks to His own in prayer, and through the

leading of His Holy Spirit, but a deeper meaning of

God’s current speaking is set forth in Hebrews 1:1-2

(NIV), "In the past God spoke to our forefathers

through the prophets at many times and in various

ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by

His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and

through whom He made the universe."

It is spiritually obscene when a misguided man,

embittered by his personal perception of racism in this

country, can command so much attention by the news

media to vent his hatred of this nation. . . and when the

religious denomination which he represents unwittingly

admits to having drifted so far from the doctrinal beliefs

held by those whom they claim to be their historical

antecedents in our nation’s earliest days. Those Founding

Fathers, in their written and spoken expressions of their

faith, made it clear that they were establishing this new

nation on historic Judeo-Christian principles. Those

principles have never changed, but America’s reliance

upon them and adherence to them has deteriorated in

the futile pursuit of "progress" and "diversity."

A far more accurate description of our God than

the UCC’s "risk-taking God" are the words of one of

today’s popular worship hymns, "Our God is an awesome

God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power

and love, our God is an awesome God." (Lyrics: Michael

W. Smith)

More about the author

The Evangelical Viewpoint is pleased to present this

new series of essays by Dr. Jerry Beavan, in which he

offers mature discussions of important elements of

the Christian faith, with the goal of helping Christian

believers to live the Christian life more effectively.

At age 89, he already has a lifetime of experiences in

Christian ministry, as a graduate theologian, as a

professor in college and seminary, and as a world

traveler involved in government relations at high

levels, here in America and around the world. The

late Dr. Jerry Falwell referred to him as "one of

God's giants and modern patriarchs." Dr. Billy

Graham said of him, "Jerry Beavan is the architect

of world evangelism as we know it today." Now

living in "active retirement" on America's Pacific

coast, although physically impaired, he is using his

writing skills, via the internet, to help other believers

gain a better understanding of their Christian faith.

He is the author of several works, including his recent

volume, ""A Handbook of Applied Christianity."