Michelangelo's Romans 9

It is Thursday, so there is not a lot I can write without simply posting the manuscript for my sermon. On Monday I plan to post a portion of it, but not all of it. I would covet your prayers as I finalize things this weekend. For today, let me offer something strangely odd that came to my mind as I studied Romans 9. Most will not see the parallel, but if you really study it, you will see the irony of the situation.

My favorite painting is the Creation of Adam scene by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. I could not help but think of this painting as I studied Romans 9. I acknowledge that it is a long way around the world to connect the dots in my mind sometimes, but trust me there is a beautiful irony in this picture and how it corresponds to Romans 9. I will use the illustration of this picture as the hinge on which I hang my sermon on Sunday. At the very least it will help for you (if you will be with us on Sunday or hear the sermon online) to spend some time with this marvelous work of art in one hand and Romans 9 in the other.

Here are some questions to get you going:

1) What is the common theological debate surrounding Romans 9?
2) How do people usually react to the truths of Romans 9?
3) What is the general attitude of people toward "God" in our culture?
4) In the painting what just happened? Are you sure?
5) Compare God's hand to Adam's.
6) Just for fun, do you see the human brain in the picture? (Not Brian, but brain!)

Link to The Creation of Man by Michelangelo