I recently started reading a book that I have had forever, but never started! The book is The Organic God, by Margaret Feinberg. From what I understand, is that this book is written to not necessarily simplify our relationship with God, but to take away all of the polluted ideas of what our relationship should/is like with God. I will be honest, after reading just the first chapter, I know for sure that my relationship is just like Feinberg's. Here is a little nugget from the book!
"Why describe God as organic? More and more I realize that my own understanding of God is largely polluted. I have preconceived notions, thoughts, and biases when it comes to God. I have a tendency to favor certain portions of Scripture over others. I have a bad habit of reading some stories with a been-there-done-that attitude, knowing the end of the story before it begins, and in the process denying God's ability to speak to me through it once again.
If that weren't enough, more often than not, I find myself compartmentalizing God. He is more welcome in some areas of my life than others. Prayer, Bible study, Scripture memorizing, journaling, and other spiritual disciplines become like items to check off a to-do list that is eventually crumpled up and thrown away rather than savored and reflected upon. The result is that my understanding and perception of God is clouded, much like the dingy haze of pollution that hangs over most major cities. The person in the middle of a city looking up at the sky doesn't always realize just how much their view and perceptions are altered by the smog. Without symptoms such as burning eyes or an official warning of scientists or media, no one may even notice just how bad the pollution has become.
That's why I describe God as organic. While its a word usually associated with food grown without chemical-based fertilizers or pesticides, organic is also used to describe a lifestyle: simple, healthful, and close to nature. Those are all things I desire in my relationship with God. I hunger for the simplicity. I want to approach God in childlike faith, wonder, and awe. I long for more than just spiritual life but spiritual health- whereby my soul is not just renewed and restored but becomes a source of refreshment for others... I want to discover God again, anew, in a fresh way. I want my live for him to come alive again so that my heart dances at the very thought of him. I want a real relationship with him- a relationship that isn't altered by perfumes, additives, chemicals, or artificial flavors that promise to make it sweeter, sourer, or tastier than it really is. I want to know a God who in all his fullness would allow me to know him. I want a relationship that is real, authentic, and life-giving even when it hurts. I want to know God stripped of as many false perceptions as possible.
I want to know the Organic God."
1 Kings 8:23
"O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way."
