These pages are where Neil Rees dialogs – with himself (yes, it is worrying!) and others – on living out Christian commitment in all of our life. Sold out on incarnation as a foundation for Christ-like life and ministry, Neil works to help other Christians engage with the world around us in culturally relevant and transparent ways.
Do you know Neil? Sat in on any of his teaching ever? Do feel free to leave a comment below :)
Neil’s teaching focuses on cultural aspects of biblical interpretation as well as cross-cultural skills for all walks of life. He loves languages and gives time each year to teach essential linguistics and language learning skills for charity and development workers.
Neil lived in Spain from 1985 till 2012, church planting, leading teams and then in his role as International Director for World Horizons. He moved back to the UK in September 2012 to take on the position of minister at CLM church, Ormskirk.
He has one published book, “Not Everything In Our Bibles Is Inspired“, – also available direct from me for £3 including postage, or £5 for two copies. A second book, “Floorsweepers and Astronauts”, on mission support from the local church, co-authored with his brother Ian, is due to be published spring 2013.
Ah, and in case anyone is wondering about the title of this blog, have a look at Luke chapter fifteen, second verse. More on that another day perhaps.
eating.with.sinners 
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Hi Neil,
I have a question which is also a possible suggestion for a new “Eat”, if you accept the challenge. I’m guessing you are pretty busy during this time of pandemic as it looks like you haven’t written any new articles for a little while. So I’m not expecting a quick response, although I do think the topic is relevant to the current crisis.
When ever life gets a bit hairy, I often get christian friends and fellow workers giving me the following comforting words: “God’s in control”. But I just feel that that can’t actually be true. It doesn’t seem logic and doesn’t match up with my personal experience with God. If we all have free will, then He can’t be controlling what we do or what others do to us so it’s hard to understand how he could possible be “in control” of everything that happens to us. I also find that saying God is in control, makes Him responsible for all the suffering and hurt in the world and I just can’t work that idea into my understanding of Him as our good and loving God. In addition, my experience has shown God to be far from controlling. He doesn’t ever try to control me, even when blatently it would have been better if he had!
I worry, however that christians might think I lack in faith if I dared to say that I don’t actually think God is in control. But I do nevertheless deeply believe in God’s active participation in our lives and in his ability to intervene in the most amazing, miraculous ways. I also believe that He can work good, into even the most diffcult situations, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is controlling those situations.
But before I run away with my ideas, I need to know if there is in fact anything in the bible that actually does suggest God is in control of everything that happens in our lives. Or if He is in control in some ways, then what is he actually meant to be in control of? Where are all these christians getting that idea from? Why are they so sure of that idea? Am I mistaken? (wouldn’t be the first time!)
If, in actual fact the idea of God in control of our lives is erroneous, we can be tempted to think that the world is just spinning out of control (which it does rather feel like at the moment) and that there’s nothing to stop bad things from happening to us. It’s a scary thought but then He never promised all would go well for those who follow him and rather suggested the reverse!
When I think about it, I don’t need to know that He is “in control” and it’s enough for me to know that He is there for me, loving me though all the uncertainty and pain (especially since His supposedly being “in control” has never made life more predictable or less hurtful). But what am I supposed to say to those who keep telling me that “God’s in control”?
I’d love to hear (or rather read) your ideas on the subject.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. :-)
Rachida
Sorry – indeed, too much other stuff going on to even notice what’s going on here. I don’t know if 6 months on you’re still after an answer to this, but my brief response would be that any concept of God being “in control” has to take a long range view of what that looks like. In other words, God may be “in control” of history, in the sense that history is moving in one direction towards fulfilment of God’s desires for his creation. But that does not mean that he is micromanaging all the events that make up that history. To say that God is in control of everything effectively removes the concept of evil from the world and makes him responsible for everything. Part of Jesus’s ministry was resisting evil, and the kingdom of God is a direct assault on that which does not reflect God in the world. When we say that God is in control of “everything”, as a church we lose the desire, drive and obligation to actively pursue justice and be people who follow Jesus’s example and “destroy the works of the devil”.
So yes, God is in control of ultimate destiny. But how we get there is very much a patchwork of individual choices and decisions.
Thank you for taking the time to respond (six months late is definately better than never!). Very helpful. The “long range view” fits better for me.
I’m glad you haven’t completely abandoned your blog. :-)