Logeia

Learning from NASCAR?

2007-04-09T14:06:00.000-04:00

A new experience for me is the world of NASCAR. My son's enthusiasm has captured me and I am finding myself researching and buying items from the latest and greatest NASCAR drivers.

The last NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Martinsville (4/1/07) ended very dramatically. Two teammates fought for the checkered flag--Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Johnson crossed the finish line while not budging for his teammate (and co-owner) to pass him by. This end generated some tasty gossip on Gordon and Johnson's relationship, emphasizing Gordon's anger. I couldn't help but get caught up. I found a quote from ESPN.com on NASCAR driver ethics:

"If helping you doesn't hurt me, I'm happy to do it. If helping you might hinder my chances of winning, sorry pal, you're on your own."

Reading that quote made me think that this sort of thinking is very typical of competitors of all sorts, including individuals in society and church.

Now, think about this quote after Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Most people think about their spirituality in terms of the NASCAR driver. They/we think that helping others must both benefit another and myself simultaneously. Do you think about giving, sharing, helping in terms of a NASCAR driver? Jesus, and the church at its best, seeks to give and love for the sake of the other's need and benefit. If we have a cup of cold water, we should give it to the one who is thirsty. If that is our last then we have something to think about--should I love my neighbor or love myself?

I hope the racing ethics remain on the track and stay out of my church and spirituality.

merit and faith

2006-10-23T21:02:00.000-04:00

In Galatians 2:15-21 I hear desperation. I understand the difficulty of trying to reconcile our moral life with the scandal of the cross of Christ. It seems to be a continuing temptation to show to others one’s positional standing before God—for one reason or another. However, Galatians speaks to the fact that to be righteous or just before God is beyond our ability to demonstrate. Our attempt to live like people who are thought to be upright (law observers or law workers) are empty and vain, especially if we think that will make us more acceptable before God. Our attempts to avoid sin for the sake of leading a moral life keeps us from God just as much as our flagrant sinning. In other words, Paul’s words seem to imply this as common sense, “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law” (Gal 2:16). If living a life according to a principle or life system of law cannot guarantee God’s favor for you, is it better to live an immoral life?

It would seem that Jesus’ death for sinners and security apart from earning acceptance is a license to live without care for others. But that is not the case at all—“Certainly not!” proclaims Galatians 2:17. Each individual is incapable of giving to God what is even acceptable. The cross of Christ comes truly as grace. It comes as pure mercy. God gives and accepts Christ. Our acceptance with God will never come apart from Jesus and his merits.

The life of faith begins and ends with God. God created this world and despite our misuse of it and the law he gave to teach humanity about himself and our relation to the world, God sent his son to complete the law. Jesus never stopped being God, nor was he a super-human. Christ, the God-man, was fully God and fully man pleasing God for the whole of humanity. Whoever recognizes the futility of their own merits and wants this too-good-to-be-true story to be their story—whoever wants to be found faithful to God—must believe and do nothing but trust in the incomparable merits of the savior, Jesus.

The desperation of the message of Galatians is one for faith. Elsewhere in the New Testament faith is understood as unseen. Faith is the opposite of works. Faith is the gift of God and the means by which we trust God and the truthfulness of the gospel proclamation.

Today, I hope to revive a sense of faith. With the elections coming up around the corner and the continual reminder of people’s failures, it is faith that enables belief. We don’t believe in a cause, not even a good cause. We believe in Jesus Christ and him crucified for us, and us with him for God’s glory and our ultimate good. May the Spirit of God stir faith up in us to believe God and find comfort where it CAN be found, in the gospel of Jesus.

Calvin on "the truth of the gospel"

2006-10-17T21:03:00.000-04:00

In keeping with the tone of being shaped by the gospel, I noticed how Paul's rebuke of Peter and Barnabas and those with them was a correction over the kind of life that the gospel produces. Peter and those with them were behaving in ways that did not align with "the truth of the gospel" (Galatians 2:14). In fact, the Greek word utilized in this section is the one we ultimately in English derive the term 'hypocrite.' I take from this that it is really a challenge to allow the gospel to define and transform our lives. Gospel transformation is not natural. And Galatians 2:11-14 reveals how even the one whom Jesus said he would build his church upon, upon his confession of the truth of who Jesus was and the purpose for his coming. This man, Peter--Cephas, was vulnerable in the same way we all are, susceptible to the temptation of fitting in at the expense of the truth of the gospel. In some ways, we all want to act in a 'seeker sensitive' kind of way. We don't want to offend. It is funny that sometimes the offense is not in the fact that we are different or believe differently, but in the way we seek to be like others--this may not only be a sin, but also condescending toward those whom we want to accept us. In either or any case, we ought to live in ways the gospel leads because it is the truth. Calvin has some great words on verse 14. I have decided to include his comment on this phrase for all of us to think about and learn from:

"The truth of the gospel is here used, by Paul, in the same sense as before, and is contrasted with those disguises by which Peter and others concealed its beauty. In such a case, the struggle which Paul had to maintain must unquestionably have been serious. They were perfectly agreed about doctrine; but since, laying doctrine out of view, Peter yielded too submissively to the Jews, he is accused of halting. There are some who apologize for Peter on another ground, because, being the apostle of the circumcision, he was bound to take a particular concern in the salvation of the Jews; while they at the same time admit that Paul did right in pleading the cause of the Gentiles. But it is foolish to defend what the Holy Spirit by the mouth of Paul has condemned. This was no affair of men, but involved the purity of the gospel, which was in danger of being contaminated by Jewish leaven"--John Calvin, Commentary on Galatians

Defined by the gospel

2006-10-16T21:19:00.000-04:00

In Galatians 2:1-10, Paul continues his autobiography, which serves more to authenticate his own apostleship than to teach the church about their individual vocations. It is, accordingly, not a how-to section of Scripture. It doesn't help us connect the dots on our personal callings. Rather, it presents a life separated for the sake of the church to know God better, God in Christ for the world.

Paul's life reveals how the gospel shapes lives. We will not be apostles, but we will be impacted and transformed by the same gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul experienced. With that in mind, I see in the 10 verses that the message is extremely important. I feel a bias against theology a lot, which undermines what God reveals to us in Paul's life. The people who spied on Paul to see if he was teaching the "right" gospel thought his teaching and actions produced by such teaching were important. Isn't funny that critics of the faith are more mindful of what we think and teach than we are a lot of the time? Verse 5 communicates the fact that preserving the message of the gospel for the church was more important than wooing the enemies of the faith (in this situation):

"Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in--who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery--to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you" (Gal. 2:4-5,).

This message, and its defense, is what distinguished Paul from the other apostles as well as made him worthy (in their eyes) to be included as one of them. His lifestyle, described as "freedom," was a consequence, a necessary consequence, of the teaching of the gospel. To get the gospel, then, means to get free. To become free means that you are not obligated or under the authority of that which controls you. This is sort of obvious and revolutionary at the same time. If we understand the message of the gospel, we understand that God is King. Christ is the head of the church and our relation to others is one of voluntary service, a movement of love, a movement characterized by eagerness to help another because we have been helped so much. And this is why verse 10 reads the way it does, sort of matter-of-fact or what we as we might say, "duh": "they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."

Think about the gospel. Take it in in all its fullness. For, in the message of the gospel there is freedom for you and for you to serve others. The movement of the kingdom is not one of slavery or compulsion or manipulation, but one of liberty and love. Being defined by the gospel involves understanding it first because as you understand you will be transformed to embody the theology it communicates (Romans 12:1-2).

The Last Apostle

2006-10-12T21:13:00.000-04:00

In our Christian subculture we have been trained to try and make the Bible applicable to our own lives. After I read Galatians 1:11-24, it occurred to me that to apply the words of Paul's biography to myself would minimize Paul's life, and the significance of him being an Apostle after the 12 from the Gospels.

Paul says this: "But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone" (Gal 1:15-16).

I can see how the idea of God knowing us and setting us apart before we were born relates to this passage (see Ephesians 1). But Paul is not trying to teach the church about their election here, even though he believes those who follow Christ to have been elected from eternity (Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 1:3-14). Rather, the Apostle is proving his authority and divine mission, quite apart from our more ordinary missionary callings to share the gospel. Paul the Apostle is proclaiming for the whole world that he received the one/same gospel preached to the 12 other apostles. In addition, he is situating himself in the company of the Old Testament prophets, who were, likewise, called for a special purpose before their birth. Think about Jeremiah or how God prophesies about the Servant of the Lord who will bring back Jacob (Jesus). Paul is thinking on the huge theological level here. And he doesn't want us to try to apply his calling to our lives. God wants us to know that there were special means of revelation and messengers who were on God's radar before there even was the idea of Paul.

And, yet, this non-applicable story is for us who believe. Paul's calling, while not a universal revelation on how we all are called to preach to the Gentiles, is part of our story on how we were called out of darkness and brought into the marvelous light of the gospel. Without Paul we would know very little about God and his love for us, sinners, redeemed and being molded by this life and world God has created and is recreating for his glory.

Once again, it is a challenge to get our attention off of ourselves and to think about God's plan and gospel, and the means by which that gospel comes to us. Maybe it was the Last Apostle, Paul, who drew attention to the rest of the Bible (think about all the quotations and illusions to the Old Testament in Paul's letters).

One gospel

2006-10-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

Think about reading Galatians with me. I began reading it a couple nights ago, rather slowly, for a couple personal reasons (which I will not bore you with). So, just read Galatians with me or listen to my reflections as I seek once again to regularly post some comments--promises, promises ;-)

Two points hit me while reading Galatians 1:6-10. The first is that, according to Paul, there is only one gospel. I know there is nothing new or novel about my first observation, but it is true. If we believe in the God of the Bible, we believe that his gospel is singularly about his plan that never tires of focusing on Jesus, the prophesies of his coming, the advent of his incarnation, the scandalous life and death Christ experienced to fulfill the law for people other than himself, the resurrection, his present (and continual) reign at the Father's right hand, and the return of our savior for those whom he called to be sons and daughters from eternity. Secondly, because the gospel is one thing and not another, what it is conditions the way Paul lived. For Paul, this meant he was a slave of Christ (Gal 1:10), opposed to seeking the admiration of various people or people groups.

Now, neither of these concepts are difficult to understand. They are difficult to fully believe and live out, however. For we would not need the regular preaching of the gospel, nor the power of the Holy Spirit, which mediates between the actual historical events of Christ's life, passion, and resurrection and our present day lives. Being a servant of Christ may mean different things for various people in our world, but the gospel is one thing and challenges us to re-evaluate everything in its light.

In this sense, I invite you to think about the singularity of the gospel and how that makes you a servant of Christ, rather than something else. God's kingdom is active, but looks different because of iPods and bipartisan politics and a bunch of other things. I also ask you to meditate on the fact that the gospel is one and makes its way to us through the church. The gospel came to Paul in a supernatural way, which is one of the reasons for the letter to the Galatians. We receive this gospel through the God ordained tradition and it makes its way to us through that archaic institution, the church.

A book review of ORTHODOXY

2006-08-20T23:25:00.000-04:00

Reading ORTHODOXY by G. K. Chesterton is like an intellectual experience. A former professor of mine told a small group of us to think of our term papers as conversations, conversations that anticipate questions, conversations cognizant of objections; and conversations that not only understand but also engage the questions and objections in thoughtful ways. ORTHODOXY is such a discourse.

If Madonna’s world is a “material world” then Chesterton’s was an intellectual world...[READ MORE]

Evangelism and Accesorizing Your Faith

2006-07-28T11:17:00.000-04:00

Well, if you thought it was beyond Christianity to accessorize the faith, you might be old fashioned. One of the new products offered under the label "Christian" is perfume. A recent, must read, article from the LA Times will fill you in on all the new products the ever-expanding Christian retail market is re-creating from the parallel secular universe. And all of the new creations are under the guise of evangelism. This is taking St. Paul's idea of remaining in the world, but not becoming part of it a bit too far. I would like to remind us all how Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 10 that although we live in this world we do not challenge the world in a worldly manner. The Christian is born of the Spirit and the tools of our trade for evangelism should not be perfume or golf balls, but prayer, acts of mercy, preaching, worship, love. Go read the article and discover why one Christian thinker quoted said:

"The effect of such products, according to political scientist Alan Wolfe, is to create almost a parallel universe, one that allows Christians to withdraw from the world instead of engaging it as Christ commanded.

'It's as if they're saying the task of bringing people to Jesus is too hard, so let's retreat into a fortress,' said Wolfe, who directs the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College.

'Evangelism is about reaching out and converting the unsaved,' Wolfe said. 'This is about putting a fence around people who are already saved. It strikes me as if they're giving up.'"

That is a pretty powerful critique. Those concerned about promoting the kingdom of God in our culture ought to read and think about this because in the current environment when it is OK to be religious it does not seem OK to disguise the Christian faith for the purpose of evangelism. The faith is subversive enough and God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are creatively at work bringing new members into the kingdom through the foolish and non-sensical message of Christ crucified.

Classics Revisted

2006-06-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

I am not a huge fan of Relevant Magazine, but I am quite taken by their marketing of some spiritual classics. Today, I decided to redeem a gift certificate I have had since Christmas and discovered two books I wanted. Check out what Relevant did to the covers that got my attention...

You can check for the details on this Augustine book by clicking on this link.

Here is another modern classic presented in a really attractive manner, G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy."

I hope to have more to say about the content of these soon. In the mean time, however, take a look at Relevantbooks.com for their "Foundations of Faith" series. You won't be disappointed.

Pentecost

2006-06-09T05:40:00.000-04:00

This past week we celebrated the Ascension of Christ and Pentecost in our church. Once again, I was reminded how the flow of the church, the life of the church, ebbs and flows, drawing my attention to the significant events of God's acting upon his people. We celebrated the end of the 40 days Jesus spent with the disciples before returning to the Father. And we celebrated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon ordinary Galileans, speaking and praising God in the unknown languages of their national neighbors.

Pentecost is unique because it is particularly special for liturgical churches, but often overlooked by the masses of evangelicals who typically celebrate only two events of the church calendar--Christmas and Easter--in their worship. Since I come from the evangelical pool of Christian worship, it struck me on a deep level how significant it is to celebrate Pentecost. Besides the emphasis placed upon it by Pentecostals and Charismatics, and the reception of supernatural power (see Acts 1:8), Pentecost is the movement of the God's power through his people that reached out and found us in our OWN country to bring us into union with himself through uniting us together with the other members of Christ's body.

This is a day to celebrate diversity and God's redemption of all peoples who call on the name of Jesus Christ. One article I found put the significance of Pentecost this way:

"Pentecost Sunday is a day to celebrate hope, a hope evoked by the knowledge that God through His Holy Spirit is at work among His people. It is a celebration of newness, of recreation, of renewal of purpose, mission, and calling as God’s people. It is a celebration of God’s ongoing work in the world. Yet, it is also a recognition that His work is done through His people as He pours out His presence upon them."

Again, we see in the movement of the gospel God moves toward us in a sovereign and gracious manner so we will hope in him and be filled with hope for our world. That filling of hope leads us into mission as we participate in the great work God is already working (and been working at)--renewal and recreation of the earth that has been plagued by sin, death, and individualism. As we remember and celebrate Pentecost we refocus our eyes to discern the efforts of Christ's church to extend God's love as his presence in the world, not leaving us as orphans, continually working to save and heal sinners, the poor, those suffering illness and desease, and peoples of every tribe, tongue, and nation.

"Christian" Fiction?

2006-05-15T10:07:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were chatting about the buz surrounding "The Da Vinci Code." There are tons of books about it, especially against it from Christian publishers. In our local paper there was even an article by a proponent of the Jesus Seminar critiquing Brown's book. For all parties involved this project seems to be more a money-making venture than anything else. The heretical/otherness of Brown's Jesus is obvious and obviously fictional and obviously making him a lot of dough! Yet, what is interesting is how this one gets singled out as "bad" by conservative Christians and the otherness of the "Left Behind" gospel presents little problems!

The Christian Century magazine (May 16, 2006 issue) opens with a great snap-shop comparison between "The Da Vinci Code" and the "Left Behind" series. The critique is that both are gnostic in character, "their respective 'secrets' still have the sexy smell of novelty and of being a threat to established ecclesial and political views...All they have done is lay a fictional story over the truth, they claim--as they smile all the way to the bank" (Novel faiths, The Christian Century, 5).

The reason for the success of Brown as well as LaHaye and Jenkin's books' lies not in their creativity and accuracy on the gospel, but the controversy that they generate, intended or not. We, the Christian community, ought to be aware and offer critiques of these cultural issues, but it seems we have fueled the fire and made these things larger than life. The only general difference I see between the two stories is that "Left Behind" appeals to the politically-religious Right.

Let us offer our culture--both ecclesial and societal--an alternative to these cheap caricatures of the biblical story. From creation to fall to redemption to new creation, we hear, meditate, sing, and proclaim the Story of stories about the Lord of lords. This message does more than sell Bibles. It creates communities, sustains the hurting, unites enemies, loves the unloveable, overthrows kingdoms with peace, and will renew the earth. Buy and promote His story!

Why a cross?

2006-04-26T21:16:00.000-04:00

As long as there has been a Christianity there has been difficulty with the cross. In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul distinguishes between those who reject the cross because of its senslessness and shamefulness. Many of us do not encounter death or the penalties for sin with regularity. Accordingly, the reason for a cross, a substitute, atonement, for the shedding of the blood of an innocent human being does not fully register. Please read "Nothing But the Blood" by Mark Dever in Christianity Today and reflect on the cross, its necessity, its reception throughout church history, and most of all see that mysterious dying savior, the person who willing took upon himself the penalty of human sin, extending all the way back to the Garden of Eden. See in Christ crucified the victory, the satisfaction for God's justice, and Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Good Doctrine for the Soul

2006-04-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

Some cringe at the presence or mention of doctrine, even more with the word "catechism." However, early on in my Christian journey I discovered The Heidelberg Catechism, which I now know provides a summary of the Christian faith according to the heirs of the reformation--Reformed Theology. I found this catechism tucked a way in a closet at the church I worked for. After scanning some of the pages I asked a pastor if I could keep the copy. Along with reading the Bible I read the catechism and found it to be a rich meal for my soul, opening up the way for thinking theologically and practically. Doctrine/teaching, first and foremost, is practical. It is a summary of what the Scriptures teach. We all think doctrinally, whether or not we wish to admit it. And I am pleased to share some good doctrine for the soul that is truly relevant to our season--Easter. If you are not familiar with this document, it will be helpful to know that it is a commentary on the Apostles' Creed.

Lord's Day 16
Question 40, Why did Christ have to go all the way to death?
Answer: Because God's justice and truth demand it:
only the death of God's Son could pay for our sin.

Question 41, Why was he "buried"?
Answer: His burial testifies that he really died.

Question 42, Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?
Answer: Our death does not pay the debt of our sins.
Rather, it puts an end to our sinning
and is our entrance into eternal life.

Question 43, What further advantage do we receive from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?
Answer: Through Christ's death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him,
so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us,
but instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to him.

Question 44, Why does the creed add, "He descended to hell"?
Answer: To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ is my Lord,
by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul,
especially on the cross but also earlier,
has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.

Lord's Day 17
Question 45, How does Christ's resurrection benefit us?
Answer: First, by his resurrection he has overcome death,
so that he might make us share in the righteousness he won for us by his death.
Second, by his power we too are already resurrected to a new life.
Third, Christ's resurrection is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection.

My hope and prayer is that we all understand the significance and life changing power the gospel accomplishes. The Heidelberg Catechism helps all people--lay person, pastor, and theologian alike--understand the gospel. It also invites us to unify with the church historic, the apostolic church, the church of all ages that confesses the once-for-all faith delivered to the saints. This Easter, believe the good news of the gospel and be saved, confess this faith together with the whole church and love God because he first loved you.

Christ is Risen!

"The hour has come..."

2006-04-14T20:40:00.000-04:00

It is Good Friday. This is the moment on the church calendar when we remember, embrace, and exult in the God who did not consider abusing the power he had as the God-man. He willing became incarnate through a virgin, lived an impeccable life of love for others and total obedience to God in order to present himself as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sin of the cosmos, expreienced death, and the absence of God the Father. All this was done first and foremost for the glory of God. As the world pined away from God as far back as the Garden of Eden, Good Friday reveals one man who remained with God and followed God, even unto to death as a law-breaker. By dying the death of a criminal Jesus reverses the break in communion with humanity and God and, more importantly, gives God the Father his rightful glory--perfect, perpetual, personal obedience, and the love no human relative of Adam could give, selfless love. The second reason Jesus died was for us who believe. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3:16). There was no other way for God to save humankind. Contrary to some who think God could have done things a different way, the Scriptures and even Jesus shutter at the hint of another possibility for saving the world and giving God glory. Today we remember and embrace and exult in the fact that God did not have a plan B. He followed through every aspect of his plan with attention to detail. And that makes Good Friday a particularly unique time, a time to feel odd, a time to feel loved and sorry for sin at the same time. We can rejoice and repent. But we must not think that the cross could have been just one of many routes for God to have taken. I leave two verses for our contemplation on Good Friday:

"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (Jn 12:23-24)

"For while we were still week, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:6-8)

Our God IS an awesome God, who reigns and lives and loves! Praise him with me this Easter!

Normal

2006-04-09T21:15:00.000-04:00

Today (Sunday, April 9) is Palm Sunday. It rarely appeared on my theological radar before seminary, and even snuck up on me afterwards, while serving as a pastor in the two Vineyards of my history. Because of the continual presence of the liturgy of Lent I was very much aware that Palm Sunday would come today. Yet, with this expectation it was a welcomed surprise to see the church children, mine included, and no flashes. I must admit, I would have loved to snap a couple Kodak memories of my boy waving that green branch and swaying as all the kids lead us through a couple hymns to the praise of our God and King! But there were none. This seemed so refreshingly normal for the worshiping community we find ourselves in.

I don't mean to sound like a relativist, but I couldn't help noticing the absence of cameras to memorialize the cute kids waving those branches and singing their songs, which the whole congregation joined with one voice at the pastor's lead. Normal, back in CA, would have been rehersals for a couple weeks (or at least the week before), kids dressed up, and plenty of parents ready to snap/video their special person. As I mentioned above, I would have taken at least one picture of our boy, but I felt really thankful that none of us did. To me, the lack of cameras seemed to elevate the spiritual significance of the day. That does not mean it is wrong to take pictures, but there was something normal and spiritual and freeing for me and I hope for the children who assisted us in our worship, rather than merely interrupt our normal liturgy to draw our attention away from God to them. We did get distracted, but the lack of film helped us (I think) to fix our eyes quickly back to Christ, maybe even remaining on him since the kids were taught to wave those branches because this was Palm Sunday, not a performance. On Palm Sunday, we all worshiped through sight, sound, and observing--I loved it!

AGAIN Interrupted

2006-04-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I posted a discussion on interruptions and reminded myself that interruptions can be embraced as moments to see in new ways. The past few days have presented me with more opportunities to embrace interruption. Our home has been rushing around to school, work, and spring break stuff--mostly fun stuff. Accordingly, scheduling needs to take place and when scheduling happens it is nice when things follow the plan. Our plans have received their share of interruptions and I am once "again" reminded me of the life of Jesus revealed in the Gospel of Mark.

As for Jesus' ministry in Mark's Gospel, Jesus proceeds rapidly performing miracles, casting out demons, teaching through parables, forgiving sins, and restoring life where death had dominion. Mark uses a most common word to signify Jesus' movement, the word "again." "Again" signifies the repeated action of Jesus either coming to a place like Capernaum in Mark 2:1 or going into the synagogues (Mark 3:1) or teaching the crowds (cf. 2:13; 4:1; 7:14, etc.). I see this repetition of actions as a living theology for us to understand, a theology that perceives Jesus entering our experience in his timing for his purposes. Thus, from our position, Jesus interrupts.

One could say, Jesus' presence causes our attention to turn away from certain actions like checking basketball scores, for example, to follow him in other directions, maybe parenting (a concrete example!). Such an example from my life does not do full justice to Mark's proclamation, but the Spirit directs through our conscience and thinking about the presence of God who abides with the believer is very applicable. This repetition in Mark teaches me that Jesus routinely shapes the rhythm of our lives to harmonize with the life of the age to come, that is both now and future. Now we are being sanctified by the Spirit, conforming to the image of God in Christ--"He is the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15). Our awareness of his presence is illumined through the interruptions of worship in church each Sunday, where we as individuals unite as the body of Christ (the whole) to meet with the Triune God in a special way, hearing his Word, praising his name instead of our own, and sharing life with others. Then, throughout the week we discern and judge our experiences and actions based on what we heard and know to be true through that communion with Christ in worship.

There is some food for thought...

Remembering...

2006-03-28T06:39:00.000-05:00

The other day I heard a broadcast of "This American Life" on National Public Radio. I usually like the stories they tell, but this day was different. This was a story of a woman leaving a video journal/memoir for her family, especially focusing on her daughter. The reason for this memoir was because the mother had cancer and would soon die. I don't think the daughter had any handicaps, but the narrator made a big deal about her abilities to grasp the truth of the mother's actions and words, which were descriptive of how to keep up the appearances of their home. Accordingly, the narrator, who was the brother, prepares us listeners for the last entry that was the most vulnerable, "Don't forget to clean your room and take care of your daddy because I don't want him to be lonely" (or something to that effect. The very last words were framed so that a young girl could understand. Moreover, this was the mother's way of saying she was going to die.

The broadcast progressed on to a brief commentary on memory. It was important that we understand the ordinariness of memior because eventually our ordinary capacity to remember is so small that it cannot even retain those memories of our closest loved ones. It was expressed after the mother's death that the daughter never watched the whole video, placing it behind the "other" old videos she doesn't watch anymore. This signified the daughter's detachment from the painful memory of her mother and the ordinary way in which things and people we care about and are no longer in our immediate experience slip away. The conclusion asserted this as good--isn't it good that the daughter cannot remember what her deceased mother looks like, sounds like, etc. This is good because it ends the pain and enables the daughter (all of us) to move on with life!

This is wrong! I was so dissappointed to listen to this broadcast and it dampered the rest of my afternoon. Why is it a good thing to forget? Why is it a good thing to put pain behind us? In what ways do we "need" to remember to maintain our humanity? Doesn't God want us to remember things? We cannot know the future and our experience of the present (and immediate future) seems so contingent upon what happened in the past that the idea of it being good to forget someone sounds like the stupidest thing I have ever heard!

The height of arrogance (in my opinion) was that the narrator thought that was what the mom would have wanted for her daughter, to not remember her--what she was like, smelled like, sounded like, looked like...

God has given us a lot to remember. Each Lord's Day, each time we join with the church for worship, God descends to our weak memories to remind us of his abiding presence and of the mighty acts of redemption for God's people throughout time. Those memories, stories, and teachings form our present and open up the future for us in ways that forgetting will not. After all, don't we accept the well-known phrase, Those who forget history are destined to repeat it? In culture, more generally, that is why we build monuments for horrible events like 9/11 and Hiroshima and Veitnam and the like. We want to remember the tragedy and pain so that we do not permit ourselves to recommit those horrible events. On the other hand, we remember because of the sacrifice, love, and humanity that believed in something, even loved us.

Remember with me today the love of God in Christ. He left us more than a memoir. He left us many things to remember him by and call us each communion to remember that his death means his return. Also, we must remember that he reigns now, and we too spirituall, at the right hand of God, says Ephesisans 1. Remember the words and acts of God that reverberate into the present so we won't forget and will remember the goodness and greatness of God. Our futures might be bright, but they will never be brilliant without the memory and presence of God in Christ empowered by the Spirit who reigns with God forever and ever. Amen.

Inclusive Language and Worship

2006-03-13T18:38:00.000-05:00

I will try to make this one brief because the topic of inclusive language is a big-debateable issue. The inclusive language debate is most common in theories on Bible translation. In a nut-shell, the big idea is that since God is genderless, God is neither male nor female in being, then the pronouns used in describing God should be non-gendered. When it comes to personal pronouns for the people of God these have traditionally been translated with masculine pronouns (i.e., he, him, his, king, etc.).

Today, I encountered an article specifically about the new version of the Catholic hymnal and was surprised by the alterations to its text in favor of gender nuetrality. The article is very instructive. It portrays both texts, the old and the new, to reveal just what was altered in favor of inclusive langauge. My thought on this matter is more spring-boardy to the slippery slope we as Evangelicals slide down theologically to envision church and worship to match our particular demographics. A lot of our literature is inclusive to be "culturally relevant." We want the church and music and message to be very similar to us and our friends' lifestyles. Accordingly, we don't want anyone to feel left out or marginalized for one reason or another. For this reason I want to encourage reading this article, "No More Hims of Praise" by Anthony Esolen from Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Sunday, John 14

2006-03-12T20:56:00.000-05:00

Today I want to invite you to reflect on an aspect of the sermon I heard in church today on John 14. This morning I left church grumpy. I cannot explain too much of this phenomena, only to say to my shame that after hearing good sermons and having mostly positive church experiences I often feel grumpy as we get into the car to grab lunch or something. One optimistic thought is my soul becomes acquainted with its opposite, the holiness of God, and in comparison there is nothing to be happy about (my soul being far from pure and focused exclusively on the God who seems so much concerned about me). This provides for a good intro into John 14 and what I discovered this morning at church.

In church, we were exhorted by these words of Jesus: "Let not your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1). Thankfully, the pastor mindful to our exposure to cliches unpacked the significance of this sentence. To be troubled is not the same thing as being a little worried or frazzled by the challenges of the day. When Jesus spoke these words, and as they resound to us contemporary disciples, we ought to receive comfort for our deepest fears, the fears of death or the feeling of God's absence or the depression that never lifts. Contextually, Christ speaks these words the night before his death. He will leave his closest friends and he wants them to be hopeful. Although he knows they will despair and forget his words at the critical moment they need to be encouraged before and afterwards. They/we/I need to hear these words, not from one of the apostles or a close friend, but from God: "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms.... And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also."

This is where it gets good. The words of comfort, to not let our hearts be troubled, is expanded for us with a hopeful future of being with Jesus and the Father. It was striking for me to shift in my thinking from the idea that God has a big old house where each of us will have a room. I typically picture a massive house filled with happy people, who get whatever they want in heaven. The problem with that picture is the absence of God. Where is Christ? Where is the Father? Where is the Spirit? Where is anything besides me and the people I imagine? Does this reflect the message Jesus conveys? The point is not that God has the biggest estate on the streets of gold, but that he has a room for you. He has a room for me. Moreover, it is the case that Christ is preparing a home for his disciples, not just any old home or place to stay, but an environment filled with God's familial presence. This place casts out all fears because it is the place where God is. This place is my hope, my divine-given expectation. It is especially for me.

Jesus continues in John 14 to say one of his most familiar phrases: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Our entrance into this place is a gift. Contrary to many of our expectations being with God is not the result of a life of a kind of disciplined life. Possessing the hope and securing the hope of being with the Triune God happens through the way of Jesus. Jesus went the way for us. We do not simply imitate Jesus in dying so that we will go where he went. He lived and died and rose again and will return for you and me. Doing things Jesus' way, accordingly, is very passive on the surface. We BELIEVE, as he stated, God and Jesus. This should provide us with great comfort because even on our best days, when we manage to shine throughout, those moments when we delight in ourselves in contrast with the others who struggle so much more than me or when we secretly experience our thoughts drift down roads we never will actually go, but shamefully entertain the journey. The way of Jesus is one of total dependance on his own way of going to death and rising, his own truthfulness, his own life that is a sufficient "propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). It is on this one person, this one God, this one hope and love I lay all my hopes and dreams. As I end this post, I am ashamed at my grumpiness, but overwhelmed by the love of God that was even shed for me. My mediocrity is no match to the love of God in Christ Jesus. And I can be at peace with God because of his love that is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to me as a consequence of the Jesus way, truth, and full life (Romans 5). Thanks be to God.

Boasting and Humility

2006-03-06T20:27:00.000-05:00

I learned something very cool last quarter about boasting from a different angle than I have been accustomed to. The great Medieval theologian, Bernard of Clairvaux, who is broadly known for his mystical theology on love, taught me to think about boasting in a (to me) nuanced way. Bernard instructs his readers in the importance for boasting, as well as its dangers. A proper view of oneself leads to humility and enables one to boast in the giver of life and redemption, both gifts of love to undeserving creatures like you and me. Being created in the image of God is a reason for great boasting. It is fitting to understand one's humanity/creation as a beautiful thing, a magnificent work of another. As creatures we can delight in this createdness, and we ought to! However, there is a fine line and our minds darkened by sin continually blurs the line that separates our boasting in God and boasting in ourselves, which leads to pride and a flood of arrogant living.

Taking Bernard's lead and the Scripture readings from the Lectionary for today, we need to acknowledge the reasons for boasting and be lead into humility. In Psalm 44 we read of Israel delivered, but presently (in the context of the psalm) oppressed and mocked because of their God. The psalmist cries out for God's deliverance, but simultaneously opens our eyes to the reason for boasting while under oppression, the mighty deliverance of God--"Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You delighted in them [the Israelites]" (Ps 44.3). There are complaints by the psalmist throughout, but in the end the prayer for rescue is a bold boasting in God's faithfulness, "Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of Your steadfast love!" (Ps 44.26). This is a boasting in God, not oneself. The psalmist understand his relation to God as specially loved, and, therefore it is fitting for him rest his hope in the God of love. As we read and pray this psalm, we too ought to claim our God as our own, not because we deserve his love, rather because he has lavished his love for us in Jesus Christ. The way that leads to humility is a boast in the Lord who delivers me (and you) because I cannot drive out my enemies or put my conscience to rest by my own power and discipline. I need the help of my great God, who will deliver because he has delivered me!

Another reading from the Lectionary was from Genesis 37. This is the Joseph narrative and it begins with the question of boasting and humility. Joseph has dreams and they put him in an awkward position. Everyone in verses 1-11, including his father, thinks he is presumptuous. But these dreams were not of his own making or imagining. In addition to the redemptive role Joseph will play for his family and the future redemption of all God's people, we are brought into the story through both Joseph and his family. For God has given each of us a vision of the future, where we will be with God, and even now in part, we are seated with Christ (Eph 1). How does that reality shape the way we live and interact with our friends who do not know Christ? Is there room to boast in our position in Christ? How does that make us humble?

I believe the reality of our deliverance and, therefore, future does shape our lives presently and is something to boast about. Understanding why this is our hope and continues to be so is the path of humility. Both John the Baptist and Paul illumine our minds to see Christ and him crucified as the path of humility. John the Baptist in Mark 1 must baptize Jesus, but knows that he is not worthy to even unstrap the Lord's sandle. Paul, the apostle, sought to win influence through the message of the cross and its power. Through the humility of Jesus redemption came to us. By trusting in his work we gain a proper view of ourselves and may truly boast in the Lord. Let us boast in the gospel of Jesus, which lures us down the path of humility.

Our Stories

2006-03-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

I have a funny story to tell that has a theological point, surprise! Today, I returned some videos to the video store and was instructed by our little one to get the Sponge Bob Square Pants "Lost in Time" movie. I go searching for this video and discover there were none. So I choose something that looks funny and animated. I chose "The Pond." I am very guilty for judging videos by their covers and grabbed this one because the cover looked cute for my son. It wasn't till we got home that I read this from the description:

"THE POND There’s something funny in the water… 'I’m Dr. Holstein, a frequent visitor to The Pond. I’ve been asked to tell moms why this is the most important video they’ll ever buy. Hogwash! But by golly, your kids will laugh as they learn Bible-based lessons with my delightful friends. It’s like chocolate-covered broccoli, except they won’t need to brush afterward. Oh, quit reading and try it!'"

I must let the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. I think stories with morals are great. I even, on occasion, like dramatizations of biblical stories. But when biblical values comes up I loose all excitement. The Pond did that to me and after watching the two episodes I am more saddened. In the next couple paragraphs I will tell you why.

Our stories, as Christians I mean our biblical stories, are great. They challenge. They inspire and convict the heart. They are filled with mystery and adventure. Sometimes they are subversive as is the nature of parables, which invites the hearers to interact with the story and their own lives. Ultimately, our biblical stories are true and focus our to the main drama of God's redeeming work in Christ, the drama of cosmic restoration. Sure, there are lessons to be learned, but the goal of Special Revelation (God's word handed to us from centuries past of retelling the stories) is to lead us to God, not just good behavior.

The phrase "biblical values" is a green light for most of us parents because we want our children to be both moral and Christian. We often say the two are inseparable, but our experience reveals that Christians make terrible moral decisions, even Christian kids--bless their hearts;-) So, how great a help is the video that tells our stories in such a way as to cause our children to "be better." We should all seek to "be better," but how we do that is what I am concerned with. The excerpt from the video, quoted above, suggests this video is like eating chocolate-covered broccoli. My question with this is what is the story--the biblical story? Is it chocolate or broccoli? Are the Spirit-empowered biblical stories something to cover up so that our children will listen to them or are they sweet to the taste?

My bias is probably crystal clear. According to the description on the back of the DVD case, our stories are concealed by something. In this case, a cute cartoon with a cheesy script. At some point, I suspect the biblical stories might become "The Pond" or the various other moralistic animations that draw no explicit connecting line to Jesus, but rather our individual growing goodness. This is not just a problem with children's videos, however, it is something to be avoided in Evangelicalism as a whole. We seek to hide the Easter message in a pageant of lilies and brunch, expecting our naive neighbor to return with us back to church, as if this is the way church always is. We have "special" services we call "evangelistic," where the gospel can subversively squeak underneath the radar of our atheistic culture.

Great revivals began with special attention to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, him crucified, us as sinners in need, God from eternity past and future willing us to trust his Story by the illuminating personal power of the Holy Spirit. The narrative of that story comes through preachers pulling the stories from the pages of the Holy Bible. Jesus came preaching, confirming, and teaching all who would listen how the script of the Old Testament, meandering as it does from people to people, covenant to covenant, war to war, kingdom to kingdom, joy to tragedy, and promise to faith in the promise, the promise of one who will once and for all crush the head of the serpent with his heel. This story, all the individual stories and sub-plots that make up our great story, needs to be re-told to our children and every generation.

While we are in Lent, let us not try to sugar coat the fact that our sins became the occasion for Christ's Incarnation. Apart from the coming of Jesus and his beautiful agony of atonement on the cross we would still be immoble in our sins and forever helpless at "being better." Christ came for sinners like you, me, and our children. We should embrace this part of the story, our weakness and God's power to better us through Jesus who strengthens us by the Spirit. Let us confess our sins and faults and find the comfort we need in Jesus. God's stories, which were given to us, will communicate this to our children and point them to Jesus. They are powerful enough to get their attention and change their hearts. God help us.

Focus is a Process and Discipline

2006-03-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

One of the advantages of not following the church calendar is that you are free to focus on whatever you wish. You may spend your time on the daily devotional track of your choice -- Bible reading and prayer, a spiritual book, singing and praying, or what ever. Accordingly, "focus" is not necessarily extended attention to a particular subject, but a decision that can change at any moment. You may have a disciplined program, but the bottum line is that it is something of your chosing, it is entirely up to you, the indvidual. Chosing to follow the church calendar is a different kind of choice, however. This choice unites you with a band of others that determine to orient their devotion to Christ with each other, both presently and historically. Most lectionary readings have been used for many years to orient the church to the past, the present, and the future--to creation, fall, redemption, and consumation. Submitting yourself to this flow is a discipline and a process. It is focus.

Since this is the season of Lent, it becomes the goal of the believer meditating on Christ's preparation for his ministry that culminates in the Cross (Easter) to focus her attention on Christ within the world she lives. The Gospels reveal the Spirit forcing Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days and nights to resist temptation and show himself the True Son of God, contra Israel who went circles in the wilderness with grumbling and the losing the exodus generation. As followers of Christ, we too live in the wilderness. We live between the time of our redemption and the fullfillment of the promise of the new heavens and earth. This period of time, this in-between times, is important and in it Lent reminds us that there are periods of reflection on our way in this wilderness as we relate to our world and our God. Have we been faithful to Christ? Do we listen to the Spirit-inspired Word in our wilderness?

It is a discipline to read the lectionary readings. It requires time and reflective energy to make connections with your life and the flow of redemptive history. Reading through the lectionary is also a process. One could quickly read through all the readings for Lent in one night, I suppose, but that is not its purpose. The purpose of Lent is to reflect and this reflection occurs throughout the whole time, not just on a few days. The 40 days of Lent are symbolic, but they are also actual and serve the purpose of a progressive meditation on ourselves as sinners in need of the great Savior who never leaves us or forsakes us, whom we anticipate and receive with great joy on the Resurrection Sunday. We struggle in this world, even as Christians, and Lent reminds us of the reality that we follow God by faith and not by sight. The guiding light of the Word orients us. Therefore, as we go through the process of Lent we discipline ourselves to read and meditate, to repent and believe, to draw our attention on God and his involvement in the world--this is our focus.

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:19-23)

Focusing on God

2006-03-02T22:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. As some of you know, I am adapting to the liturgical church calendar. I have been privately adapting for some time. The basic idea to the liturgical church year is a Kingdom orientation. The year begins with Advent and Christmas, moves to Epiphany, then shifts to Lent (beginning on Ash Wednesday), which orients Christians to Holy Week and Easter. Following Easter comes Pentecost. Accordingly, the whole year is a time for understanding the involvement of God with his creatures redemptively. Each season of the calendar provides opportunity for reflection on God in a particular way. During Lent I invite you to focus on God with me through the lectionary readings.

The Old Testament reading for today particularly focuses on God. Habakkuk 3 is a prayer for God's mercy to return. What caught my attention were these words:

"His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden." (Habakkuk 3:3-4)

It hardly needs to be said that God is all powerful. Everything about this description of God is great. God's glory covers the heavens, everything above the terrain we walk on. The heavens, as far as they extend, are sheltered by God's majesty and beauty. Whether it is his praise for the earth he created or the response of creation's rightful gratitude for being created it matters not. Creation is filled with praise for God and God's praise for his creation echoes the first pronouncement of goodness in Genesis 1. The sunrise, which extends from one end of the earth to the other radiates God's light more and more, testifying to the fact that God is Light and there is no darkness in God. Even the power of God, which is concealed, is nonetheless imaged through lightning, intersecting heaven and earth. This is the God who comes. This is the God who we worship. This is the God who is unapproachable light and bids us welcome through the veiling of his wrath in the Incarnate Jesus Christ.

"Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2)

With the prophet I join my prayer and ask for God's ever present mercy for myself and our world that attempts to distance herself from the all-powerful God whom we cannot flee. The deeds of the Lord in creation were great, but that one performed on the tree of Calvary captivates me. Let us be both mindful of God's holiness and mercy, which came and comes to the poor in spirit of every age, even our own. Lord, renew our image of you inhabiting creation and redeaming it. For you are the one who was, who is, and is to come, unlike any other.

Interruptions

2006-02-23T22:41:00.000-05:00

Definition of “Interruption”
1. To break the continuity or uniformity of: Rain interrupted our baseball game.
2. To hinder or stop the action or discourse of (someone) by breaking in on: The baby interrupted me while I was on the phone.

I experienced two interruptions this week. My first interruption happened the night before my final exam. Our three-year-old typically goes to bed easily, relatively speaking of course, and at the reasonable hour of 7:30. But, the night before my exam was different and I felt the anxiety of an interruption. I wanted to study and prepare and demonstrate that I knew everything from my Medieval Theology course. Study time was delayed and prolonged into the wee hours of the night and the thought of appearing average haunted me. The second interruption occurred driving. I only had an hour to run an errand and it had been snowing for an hour. Snow slows everything down, yet it wasn’t the snow that interrupted me. My second interruption slowly drove in front of me on the quaint-tree-tunneled road I had to zip through to accomplish my task. This interruption hit me. I felt the stress building, my teeth clinching, hands gripping the wheel tightly, and at that moment the proverbial light bulb illumined my mind to see what was all around me. Moreover, I remembered the “interruption” of my son and thought about how great it is that he wants me around him.

It is interesting to me, in light of my experiences, how often God interrupts people in the Bible. Nearly all the Old Testament heros were interrupted by God. God interrupted Abraham and Joseph’s sleep with dreams. Moses was stopped by the burning bush to deliver God’s people from evil Pharaoh. David’s normal tasks of tending sheep were diverted to battle the great enemy Goliath. In the New Testament, the disciples were called away from what they were doing to follow and recognize God’s present activity in the world. I could go on and on, but it suffices to say that interruptions are not usually bad things in the Bible.

Before returning to my moment of eureka, I want to go where my mind went when thinking about time and God’s interruptions. I went to Romans 3:21-26. That passage reads:

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

What this passage shows me is the fact that time and interruptions are important to God. What God wants us to know and see are the relevance of the present and our position on the redemptive timeline. Romans 3:21 states the fact that “now” God’s righteousness is plain to the person who can see by faith. The substance of God’s righteousness is Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death. God chose to reveal his own justice through the same person who loves us beyond our sins and shortcomings. This revelation interrupted the world and the world has yet to recover from the power of the cross.

Now, back to my meager interruptions. I did not receive a fresh revelation of the gospel, but I did come to realize the importance of the gifts and experiences in life the gospel has afforded me. I usually think of interruptions negatively. According to the definitions above this is right. Interruptions break or hinder actions with intended goals. Anything that gets in the way of my life hopes and dreams becomes an interruption, accordingly. But, the people in our lives have to be thought of on a different level or way. They get in our way, for sure, but their interruptions may sometimes serve to get our attention, to get us to focus on them. In Christ, God got us to focus on him, on his justice, on the great divide that exists between humanity and God, on the fact that our complacency blinds us to the significance of time. In derivative ways, God gives us gifts to love and serve and, most of all, enjoy.

A big part of the kingdom life, then, is a life that embraces interruption. In the case of my son, I am blessed to be with him so much during his early years. He is a joy. My wife and I were changed when he entered our lives and his presence beckons our attention, often in really good ways. My exam was important, but becoming cognizant of my son’s desire to be with me till he falls asleep is one sweet gift to be embraced. In fact, the exam could be understood as an interruption to being with my son. Interestingly, the moment that centered me on Christ, my family, and the world God located me in was so average an experience, so typical, and so irritating—traffic! I am not suggesting God speaks nebulously through our experiences, but rather God puts rhythm into our lives and interruptions might be melodies, those things we love to listen to and save and share, rather than things to try and prevent at all costs.

Becoming Our Friend

2006-02-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

I ran across something I could not resist sharing with as many people as desire to listen. It is a quote from a sermon on the Song of Songs by one of the great Medieval Theologians, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. I am studying St. Bernard and am interested in his understanding of how we are to love God and God’s love for us. With this in mind I present you with a verbal treasure:

“In saving us he had to endure men who contradicted his words, criticized his actions, ridiculed his sufferings, and mocked his death. See how much he loved us. Add to this the fact that he was not returning love but freely offering it. For who had given him anything first, that it should be returned to him? As St. John said: ‘Not that we had loved him, but that he first loved us.’ He loved us even before we existed, and in addition he loved us when we resisted him. According to the witness of St. Paul: ‘Even when we were still his enemies we were reconciled to God through the blood of his Son.’ If he had not loved his enemies, he could not have had any friends, just as he would have had no one to love if he had not loved those who were not” (St. Bernard, “Sermon 20,” I.2).

I have always taken a lot of comfort in knowing that God loved us when we did not love him, when we were his enemies (Romans 5:10). That even comforts me as a believer because I still do not love God as I should, as he ought to be loved. And, yet, that does not stop God from pouring out his love for me and all others who are in Christ. It is not our love or feeling of intimacy with God that assures me of his favor towards me. It is not the fact that I am chosen in Christ in eternity past, though I am in awe of this too, that helps me in my pilgrimage of faith toward the celestial promised land. Rather, it is the fact that God befriends and wins over his enemies through love. God freely loved us and continues to freely love us.

St. Bernard says: “If he had not loved his enemies, he could not have had any friends.” Jesus tells the disciples before his crucifixion that he, Christ, calls them his “friends” (John 15). God has never been limited in experiencing communion within the Trinity and for what reason would God see fit to befriend those who did not desire friendship from him? What a mystery! The one who needed no friendship pursued friendship at such extreme cost.

Friendship with God was and is completely up to God. We cannot approach God apart from Christ’s atoning sacrifice. There is a valley of sin that keeps us distant from God. There are fears of God’s wrath and holiness that prevent us from approaching God freely. We are finite and God is infinite. The cares of our individual lives typically take priority over communing with God through church, prayer, study, and prudent living. But such people God sought friendship with. He is the friend of sinners, close to the broken hearted, compassionate toward those suffering physically. God is the great physician, the Holy One of Israel, the head of the church, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But he is also the one who, “If he had not loved his enemies…could not have had any friends.” God in Christ extends his loving friendship to you this day.

Relating to the Incarnation

2006-01-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about the Incarnation lately. Christmas, but more specifically the four Advent messages I heard, led me through Christ’s first coming and how we relate to this wonder. But my thoughts on the Incarnation did not end after Christmas. The church we attend preaches through the church calendar/lectionary, and what naturally follows Christmas is Epiphany—the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, specifically the wise men from the east (Matt 2). In addition to church, the Incarnation is the topic of my current studies in medieval theology. All that to say, whether in church or at school, I have been surrounded by thoughts of the Son of God’s human birth and its mystery.

Before moving to Grand Rapids I did not think about the Incarnation too much. I can think of three reasons why this might have been. First, I did not grow up in a Christian home. So my thoughts on the Incarnation from my early years were few. Christ was a historical figure, but his theological significance did not surface in our conversations at Christmas. Second, after becoming a Christian I seasonally thought about the Incarnation. Evangelicals, of which I am one, tend to think about the Incarnation as Jesus’ birthday—‘Jesus is reason for the season.’ And, thirdly, in seminary I studied the Incarnation as a proof of orthodoxy—as a proof of orthodoxy, then, the doctrine of the Incarnation was detached from my Evangelical church experience that limited this profundity to the gift-giving season.

I can remember my first Christmas as Christian and how profoundly connected I felt to Jesus and his mystical body, the church. The messages preached leading to Christmas were awe-inspiring. And though I had entered a new life with God I did not truly embrace the Incarnation as much as I embraced being incorporated into his mystical body.

At this point in my life, I take comfort in the Incarnation for three reasons. First, I take comfort because it was in the Incarnation of the second person of the Trinity, Jesus became God with us, Immanuel, in a whole new way (Matt 1:23). The first chapter of John’s Gospel proclaims this blessing when it reads, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Some of you may already know this, but the “made his dwelling among us” refers to an Old Testament theme, namely that of the tabernacle that would figuratively follow (or lead) the Israelites through their journeys in the wilderness. God revealed to Moses both himself and the means by which he would make his presence known for the people. Jesus, in the Incarnation, entered human existence in order to dwell with his people. As Philippians 2:6 reminds us, Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.”
I am reminded that God desired more to condescend to my weakness by his physical presence than to remain solely transcendent. And even in the present time, today as I write, Jesus is with me by his Spirit because of the Incarnation that progressed to both the cross and resurrection. At the conclusion to Matthew’s Gospel, the very last words bookend the whole Gospel with “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Apart from the Incarnation we/I would not have that special revelation of God’s constant presence with me.

The second reason I take comfort in the Incarnation is because of the priestly role of Jesus. In John 17, Jesus intercedes on behalf of believers as the great high priest. He prays not only that we might know God, whom Jesus has revealed in his flesh and the Father, but that his followers be protected so that we might be united with God as Jesus is united. And this union cannot occur without the priestly sacrifice of the Incarnate Jesus. Jesus prays. He offers himself as the sacrifice that God alone accepts for the world’s sin. And he comforts his flock with the hope of being united with God the Father as he is united with the Father.

In addition, this priestly role shows us that Jesus entered the most holy place for us as an Old Testament priest would have for the people. Hebrews 4:14 says, “we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” Jesus is the great high priest because there was no one greater in terms of his becoming flesh, sinless life, perfect sacrifice, and continual intercession in heaven. Without the Incarnation we would know nothing of these realities in God. And it is this aspect that inspires the writer of Hebrews to encourage us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need” (Heb 4:16). The priestly role of Jesus, as we understand it from the Bible, requires the Incarnation. We are only encouraged by it because in the Son of God’s humanity he experientially comprehends our weaknesses. Jesus looses nothing of his divinity as he is very God of very God. But he knows truly what it is like to be human, to be in pain, to struggle against foes, to wrestle in anguish.

Finally, the Incarnation shows us that all hope is not lost, even through suffering. The phrase, ‘No pain, no gain’ was not intended to be true. From the very beginning, from the creation of man and woman, suffering was not the intention for humanity. If Adam had obeyed God in the garden life would be extremely different. But, for the last Adam, the Adam whose name is Jesus, his life required suffering. His Incarnation meant being birthed. It meant living under the requirements of the law to such a degree that he became a curse, even sin, so that all who believe in him and his work alone will be declared righteous in God’s sight.

When we suffer in this life we may take comfort in the Incarnation because it is there that the humanity of Jesus relates to us so well. His life was a life of suffering for us. Our lives are not the same for our friends, but when we suffer we are united to the sufferings of Jesus as a human being who suffered and endured to the very end so that he might bring us into union with God. Suffering, therefore, is not totally negative, but an avenue by which we understand Christ working in our lives. Rather than through the great achievements we think we should be noticed for, Jesus identifies with us in our pain and reminds us in our worst times that that is when were justified, declared righteous. Romans 5 says that we may have hope through suffering because that leads to endurance and character and finally hope. But this hope is not some kind of formula, but a gift that is given by the Son through the Holy Spirit because we are in need. It reads, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). This is one of my favorite verses because it tells me that Christ needed to be human and to suffer and that there is nothing that excludes me from God’s favor. It was Christ who suffered and whatever suffering I endure I may know that Christ will be with me, he will intercede for me, and he will lead me on to persevere because suffering eventually orients me to receiving the Spirit that gives me hope, hope founded on the life, death, and resurrection of the Incarnate one (Rom 5:5).

In conclusion, the Incarnation leads us into a world of wonder. It is a world that is close to our own because Jesus became human. He knows what it is like to experience life to its full and its emptiness. Jesus was a man of sorrows and is an exalted king. The Incarnation fills me with joy as I am taken by his presence with me/us now and forever more. I trust him all the more because he is my high priest who encourages me into his royal presence, rather than hindering me, a mere mortal, to ask for his intercession. And I love the fact that my sufferings are not lost causes, though they are not good in and of themselves, God leads us through them to united us in a mystical way to the sufferings of Jesus that fills our hearts with hope to endure and trust God for all things in this life and the life to come.

It' About Time!

2005-09-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

A long time has passed since my last (and only post), but I did a lot in between now and then. First of all, http://logeia.org/ is up and running. So go check that out. Second, our family moved across the country, from San Clemente, California to Grand Rapids, Michigan. That has to count for something! And lastly, Jenny, Nathan, and I began school this week.

Grand Rapids has a lot to blog about, as I see it. And I think my church hunt will be one of them. We are visiting churches to find a home for our souls. And here that shouldn't be too difficult because of the mass of churches. Grand Rapids has every kind of church you could imagine. One friend told me that Grand Rapids is sometimes referred to as the New Jerusalem. I wouldn't call it that, but I think the presence of so many churches gives that expression some validity. The funniest thing I have run across are the "numbered" churches. So far, I have found the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 8th Christian Reformed Church. I want to find all of them, especially #s 2,4,6, etc. I plan to document this and post it on the blog. Stay in touch to see the fun.

Why "logeia"?

2005-07-05T16:07:00.000-04:00

I encountered this word in 1 Corinthians 16 and it inspired the vision for the website: www.logeia.org and this blog. Logeia is a Greek noun meaning “collection” or “contribution.” In the Greek of the New Testament, "logeia" referred to a “collection” for sacred purposes, deriving from the verbal use of collecting contributions or even taxes. The apostle Paul used the noun "logeia" to refer to a special collection of monies for the poor in Jerusalem. This was a thoughtful contribution, one that asked for commitment to others as well as a contribution from the resources a person already possessed. The directions given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 are worth noting and commenting on:

“Now about the collection (logeia) for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections (logeia) will have to be made.”

First, notice the collection had a particular target. The focus was not on the poor in general, but rather this weekly collection was for “God’s people.” Second, the thoughtfulness of the collection manifests itself in the words of instruction: “Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.” From these words there is direction on how one should plan and prepare their offering. The simple directions involve deciding an amount of money from a person’s regular income, setting such income aside till the logeia-plate comes around at the beginning of the week. Lastly, this collection had an end – Paul did not want a collection to be made when he arrived.

Our “collection” is metaphorical of the above passage. Logeia.org is a collection of discourses, not a collection of monies. It is a collection of words in the form of essays, reviews, commentaries, and songs from the gifts and talents that teachers and thoughtful Christians possess already. Logeia.org is a collection with a particular focus, on writings/discourses on life in the kingdom of God, which is broad since the kingdom of God includes all things under God’s authority, but also narrow in the sense of experience. This more particular aspect of the kingdom refers to those who identify themselves as recipients of the gracious favor extended to all through Jesus Christ. As all analogies and metaphors fall short of the original, www.logeia.org is no exception. The difference is that www.logeia.org will continue to extend the collection plate and publish its offerings for those desiring theological donations on a quarterly basis, via www.logeia.org.