Framing the Kingdom

About 15 years ago my wife Kathy asked me "Hey!  I'm thinking about re-framing the picture we have in our entryway."  I said “Sure, no problem.”

So now it’s been about a week and half and still no picture.  When I asked Kathy about it she said “Oh, I had to custom order the frame.”  Uh-oh.  First sign of trouble.  I said, “I’m not sure if I really want to know the answer – but how much is this re-frame going to cost?”  “Not too bad”, she said, “about $550.”  Note to self – ask more questions when your wife starts a question with "I've been thinking…!"

So I come in from a long road trip, exhausted and so ready to be home.  I don’t really remember why I came in through the front door instead of the garage, but I did.  The new frame, with the same picture, was hanging in the entryway.  It was unbelievable.  The entire entryway had been transformed by this new frame.  In fact; our entire home was transformed yet the only change was how the picture in the entrance to our home was framed.

Kudos to my lovely wife, but surely you my real point is now becoming more obvious.

So - what is the Frame you have around God?  Here are some popular ones:

  • Really old concept; bunch of rules; written as a 'buzz-kill' by Captain of the fun police.
  • Outdated and possibly even a fairy tale
  • A Loving God offering Christian principles
  • A Loving Father who teaches tolerance for all

We could list tons more but you get the idea.  Framing is important; actually it is critical.  What if you Frame the entire concept of God with the Frame of Kingdom, it changes everything!  The 11th, 12th and 13th Words from what is commonly called "The Lord's Prayer", arguably one of the best known passages in the Bible,  - Thy Kingdom Come.

What if the most loving, good and kind King; who was and still is The King of Kings, was our concept of the Frame around God?  How would this change the Frame around the Bible - God's Word?  How would this change your desire to even read a book if you even suspected there was the slightest chance it was written by The King?

Quickly - what are some common Frames around the Bible:

  • Old and confusing book - the chapters aren't even in order!
  • Rule book - outdated and confusing
  • Fairy tales

What if we re-frame the Bible - God's written Word - and strip the lens most have as a "book about Religion".  A collection of writings written by a King.  Various stories and testimonies of what it meant as people walked through thousands of episodes of their lives not alone, but with The King.  The King as friend.  The King with you in love; in betrayal; in defeat; under attack.  The King with you when you have screwed up; when you felt all alone; when you felt afraid; when you reach a goal; when you needed an answer; when you lost a loved one; when you are having conflict; and on and on.

My favorite author - John Eldredge - gives clarity to this point:

You must understand an important distinction-there is Christianity, and then  there is church culture. They are not the same. Often they are far from the same.

The personality conveyed through much of Christian culture is not the personality of Jesus but of the people in charge of that particular franchise. Tragically, the world looks at funny hats or big hair, gold thrones and purple curtains, stained glass or fog machines and assumes this is what Jesus  must be like.

When you are confronted with something from Christian culture, ask yourself, Is this true of the personality of the God of the wind and the desert, the God of sunshine and the open sea?  This will dispel Truckloads of religions nonsense!

This would be a better Frame. A better Word.  This does change everything!

I'm flying as I write this and listening to music.  Broken beautifully as I listen to a fantastic song by Elevation Worship - Better Word.  My King and my Father, timing the playback of a Worship song about "…a Better Word.." even as I was writing about a better Frame.  Amazing - and a much more joyful way to live - that the King of Kings cares enough to help order my steps.

So I'll ask again - what is your Frame around God?  And now going forward, let's dialogue about this:  How do you Frame the world - more commonly known as your Worldview?

Most worldviews these days bedrock themselves in Religion; Economics; or Politics.  But there is a cost to pay in any worldview based on anything other than the very specific Kingdom I am writing about.  Let me make clear the Cost of Kingdom Frame versus any other worldview.

The pieces of the puzzle are there but how you "frame" your picture of God's Kingdom completely alters everything.