Therefore, stand in awe of the Lord, and serve him faithfully and loyally... However, if you find it obnoxious to serve the lord, choose today whom you will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

(Joshua 24:14-15)

Once, when the Israelites

tired of

the blazing spirituality of God,

they sought to represent him

in a material way.

More than likely

that is what

the statue of the golden calf portrayed;

not an alien god but

Yahweh himself

in material form.

Are we, in the same way

trying to experience God

on our own terms?

Are we tired of

his cool transcendence?

Do we want a

more manageable God?

One more easily

and more satisfyingly encountered?

In short,

A more understandable God,

one that falls wholly

within the compass of our experience

as bulls and calves did

within the experience

of the ancient Israelites.