Paul speaks to a group in Athens, at a place called Mars Hill, and describes God in a way that intrigues the people. He uses apophatic theology, which examines what God is NOT, rather than describing what God IS. By highlighting what and who God is not, Paul further illuminates what and who God is.

God cannot be contained in a building or an community. We can encounter God in spaces that are outside church walls, outside any construct of humanity. We are just as likely to find God in a moment on the street or out in a field as we are while sitting in a sanctuary.

God is not served by human hands as if God needs anything from us. We have found ourselves so consistently in the mindset that God needs us to accomplish things in the world, but the reality is that God is completely capable of doing all of it without us. However, God WANTS us involved, and so calls us to be active in doing God's work in the world. We were created for the purpose of modeling God in our actions and words.

God is not formed by human beings; we did not make God in our image, God made us in God's image. We see through Jesus' example that God is a God of justice, love, grace, inclusion, and forgiveness. So when we seek to be like God in our daily lives, are we seeking to model justice, love, grace, inclusion, and forgiveness?

ReNew Community Worship Service

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34

http://bible.com/events/48871029