GroshLink

The below reflections On the Possibility of Miracles from my friend Miller corresponds with some of my thoughts regarding the loss of wonder in the modern era, even in the making of films, such as The Chronicles of Narnia:  Prince Caspian which should open the eyes of faith.

An openness to miracles depends on how we define "miracle" and also on the starting point for our thinking...if we start with a belief that the universe is a closed impersonal machine operating on built-in fixed and unchanging laws, then any talk of miracles is irrelevant...if we define a miracle as an event that violates these natural laws, then we eliminate  the possibility at the outset...an unbiased definition would be that a miracle is an unexpected instance, something out of the ordinary...starting with a belief that we are in an open universe, created and sustained by God, a miracle will surprise us, but not violate reason since God is behind the regularities we see. ...

The fact that we live in an open universe under the sovereign control of God makes prayer significant, and  provides for us His promise in Ephesians 3:20 that He is able to do far beyond all that we can ask, or think, or normally expect.

in D.A. Carson's wonderful book How Long O Lord (reflections on suffering and evil), he says:

I would never deny that God has created an ordered universe.  But the biblical view is that even now, at every second, he sustains that universe.  Indeed, he now mediates every scrap of the infinite reaches of his sovereignty through his Son (I Cor 15:25), who even now is "sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Heb 1:3).  A miracle is not an instance of God doing something for a change; it is an instance of God doing something out of the ordinary.  That God normally operates the universe consistently makes science possible; that he does not always do so ought to keep science humble.  pp 242-243.

Thank-you for these thoughts.  Anyone have additional thoughts to add to the mix?