On Wanting More - Home

Why He Came

2008-11-10T12:12:00Z

John 3:16 is such a great, but, well, used verse. I mean, it makes me feel a little odd trying to discuss it, because, seriously, hasn’t it all been said by now? Oh, well; play it again, Sam.

Reading through this passage this morning, I’m struck by the way that this idea – that God’s love prompted him to act on our behalf in this particular way – fits into the context of the conversation Jesus was having. I guess I just wasn’t paying attention before, because I didn’t realize that Jesus says this to Nicodemus, when Nicodemus approaches him privately in John 3:1-21:

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

There are several things that stand out to me about this passage. First, of course, Nicodemus goes to see Jesus “by night” – perhaps because of the enmity between the Pharisees and Jesus? Or maybe they’re just overworking him and it’s his only time off duty? – so this conversation might be, say, more private than exchanges in the temple with scads of people standing about (v. 2). Second, Nicodemus says ”we know” that Jesus is “a teacher [who] come[s] from God” – suggesting at least a faction of the Pharisees who have discussed the Jesus of Nazareth phenomenon from a perspective other than ‘how can we use this to our political advantage?’ (v. 2 again, emphasis mine). Then, of course, Jesus doesn’t actually respond to that statement at all; instead, he launches straight into what seems to me to be a very challenging and intimate discussion of spiritual truth that relates to Nicodemus directly and this situation specifically.

Jesus seems to respond as though Nicodemus has asked, “How can one understand and participate in the things of God?” And Jesus answers with imagery that is deliberately difficult to comprehend. (As an aside, this makes me wonder why “being born again” is the – or at least a – dominant metaphor for becoming a follower of Christ.) He takes an extremely undignified, messy, and possibly painful process – at least as far as the infant is concerned – and elevates it far above the solemn and sophisticated practices that mark spiritual success in the traditions of a religious institution. He then compares the workings of the Spirit, and those who are born of and led by it, to the wind, which is unseen (and uncontainable). It seems to me that the first half of Jesus’ discussion centers around the idea that the truths of God are incomprehensible unless revealed by the Spirit of God.

Jesus then shifts the conversational focus from comprehension vs. confusion to life vs. death, taking their philosophical or theological discussion to a much more urgent place. The connection between eternal life and being born of the Spirit is not made explicit. Instead, Jesus says that the way to achieve eternal life is to believe in the Son of God – the only one who “came down from heaven” and therefore the only true authority when it comes to the kingdom of God (v. 13). It strikes me as ironic that Jesus is in fact talking about his own death – when he will be “lifted up” for execution on a cross – even as he explains to Nicodemus how to attain life (v. 14). It seems to me that this is why Jesus emphasizes that God’s motive in providing people with an avenue to eternal life is love. Without love for us, why would he bother?

Finally, if Nicodemus is indeed meeting Jesus at night in order to avoid the disapprobation of other Pharisees, it seems possible to me that Jesus concludes the conversation with a discussion of condemnation in part to draw attention to the hypocrisy in Nicodemus’ community. Rather than condemning “deeds that [are] evil”, it seems that they may simply condemn those who challenge their religious authority. That, however, is just conjecture.

What I Said when I was Freezing my #$*%! Off

2008-09-22T12:53:00Z

Last March, the faith-based organization I volunteer with held an event called Night in a Box to raise awareness about homelessness in our community. We got a bunch of boxes and the youth made makeshift shelters in which to spend the night, and we also invited representatives from several agencies who deal directly with the homeless population to speak. I gave the ‘religious viewpoint’ presentation – discussing charity or philanthropy from the perspective of the Bible. All in all, it was a successful event, but it was also bitterly, miserably cold. One of the coldest nights of the year, if I remember right. SEVENTEEN DEGREES. Seriously.

I’ve never been good at writing opening statements/attention-getting hooks, though, so I wrote and memorized (ish) the rest of the speech and kind of winged it when it came to the introduction. I think it was something about how we read the Bible to find principles to apply to our lives in order to live in a way that pleases God and blesses us, and actively addressing the needs of the socially powerless is one of those principles. I think I also mentioned something about how there are things in the Bible that can be interpreted different ways, but, well, this isn’t one of them. Anyway, I thought I’d share it today, since nothing in my morning reading really stood out and grabbed me, and I want to work on another project but it’s not quite ready for a public debut.

Night in a Box Lesson

The entire Bible – not a single part in isolation, but the entire Word of God – says repeatedly and explicitly that we must be concerned with and willing to appropriately address the needs and suffering of others. It is commanded in the Old Testament, modeled by Jesus Christ throughout his earthly ministry, and urged by the leaders of the growing church that we use our energy, resources, and authority to assist those who are in need.

From the beginning of Israel’s identification as a nation, caring for – and not just about – the poor, widows, aliens, and orphans has been one of the fundamental principles on which their society was based. In the twenty-second chapter of Exodus, as God tells Moses how He wants His chosen people to behave, God gives specific laws regarding the way widows, foreigners, and orphans are to be treated. In a patriarchal society, where a community’s power is concentrated in the hands of adult men, often of a certain race and class, these three groups represent those who have no power and no standing within the society. They have no one to intercede for them, no one to stand up for them, and no one to protect them – they are, in other words, at other people’s mercy. That’s why I use the term “socially powerless.”

Exodus 22:21-27 ” Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt. Do not mistreat widows or orphans. If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children. Don’t charge excessive interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need. Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan, because that is the only cover the poor have when they sleep at night. I am a merciful God, and when they call out to me, I will come to help them. ”

these laws are a foundational part of who God wanted his chosen people to be
In this passage, God also gives specific reasons for his commands:
in part, willingly assisting the powerless and lonely serves as a continued reminder of the slavery and misery from which God has delivered them as a people
also, by connecting these widows’, orphans’, and foreigners’ situation with that of the Israelites’ experiences in Egypt, this passage emphasizes that, just as God’s people have a past, these people have a future – God has plans for their lives just as he had plans for the Israelites
and most importantly, these individual orphans, widows, foreigners, and debtors matter to God. He listens when they call for help, and he comes to their aide. While society may see them as the unimportant or undesirable, God sees them as important enough to take direct action on their behalf.

Moses actually tells this story twice in the books he wrote – first, in the previous passage as a narrative describing his experience, and then again in Deuteronomy, when he re-tells the story to the next generation of Israelites before they cross the Jordan and enter into the Promised Land. During that address, Moses emphasizes the connection between who God is and what God commands.

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”

In this passage, God is the one who cares for the powerless
he commands that his people do the same

So we can see that caring for the disenfranchised is an important part of both who God is to the Israelites and who He wants them to be – from the very beginning of their identification as a nation. This aspect of God’s character continues to be central to the Israelites’ relationship to Him as a people throughout their history.

Many hundreds of years later, King David writes about this very idea.

Psalm 68:4-5 ” Our God, you are the one / who rides on the clouds, / and we praise you. / Your name is the LORD, / and we celebrate / as we worship you. / Our God, from your sacred home / you take care of orphans / and protect widows. / You find families / for those who are lonely. / You set prisoners free / and let them prosper…”

David’s reign was in some ways the high point in Israelite history. The Israelites are no longer nomads, but have taken possession of the land God promised them and are now living prosperously in it.
Some aspects of Israelite society and especially worship have changed over the many years since they crossed the river Jordan. However, God’s particular love and compassion for, and protection of, the powerless remains central to God’s relationship with his people, both in this time, throughout the rest of the Old Testament, and into the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

In fact, it is this very trait that secures our salvation, because “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, and culminating in his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus modeled the kind of kindness, compassion, and above all active assistance that God both identifies with himself and calls his people to emulate.

How many instances of Jesus helping, delivering, healing, and encouraging the poor, lame, blind, sick, and wretched can you think of off the top of your head?

There are tons. And they all provide us with a phenomenal example of the way we ought to behave. These acts of service also demonstrate that caring for the powerless is just as important under the New Covenant as it was under the Old:

Jesus cares about the same things Jehovah cared about – both the same people and the same principles
Jesus, in a sense, literally acted out the promise Jehovah had made to be aware of the suffering of the poor, widowed, alone, and disenfranchised, and to come to their aide
this is yet another way in which Jesus proves himself to be the embodiment or incarnation of the word of God; he actually, physically does what God said in His Word that he would do.

Not only does Jesus set an example for us by actively addressing the needs of the socially powerless, he also explicitly instructs his followers to do the same.

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Two things I’d like to highlight about this passage’s context:
first, this story is told to illustrate and expand the focus of a well-known, action-focused commandment in order to emphasize the personal, interior attitude without which the commandment is impossible to fully obey. It is impossible to follow the command to love your neighbor without being aware of and willing to appropriately address his or her outstanding needs.
second, the specific command this story illustrates is what Jesus elsewhere called the second greatest commandment in the law. This standard of compassion, this active effort to care for those who are powerless, is therefore proven to be central to the standards of attitude and behavior that Jesus calls his followers to uphold.

This principle is illustrated even more strikingly in Matthew 25, where Jesus describes the scene at the final judgment, when the saved, represented as sheep, have been separated from the unsaved, who are represented by goats. In this passage, Jesus describes a future time – after the visible coming of the Son of Man – as verse 31 says, “When the Son of Man comes in his shining-greatness.”

Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Jesus in this passage links treating the powerless with compassion not only with their obedience to God, but also with their love and reverence for himself. (Egotist.) As he says in John 14:23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey what I command.”
This does not mean that the way to get to heaven is to be charitable. It means, rather, that those who are going to heaven – those who have a relationship with Jesus Christ – make serving others a priority in their lives.

James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

If you’ve spent much time with Jerry and Donna,[the leaders of CAM, the group that organized the event] you know that they are all about developing a meaningful relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ, rather than spending all our spiritual energy following, defending, and conforming to the often arbitrary rules of a religious system. However, just because a “religion” can be stifling, frustrating, or even meaningless, that doesn’t mean that doing things “religiously” necessarily has to be.
In fact, we should be as dogmatic and unyielding about treating other people well as religious fanatics are about proclaiming and enforcing the tenants of their faith.
Once again we see God requiring his people to demonstrate their devotion to him by deliberately caring for those who are less powerful than they are.

So we see actively addressing the needs of the socially powerless has been a continuous theme throughout the Bible, from the beginnings of the nation of Israel, through its golden age, to the ministry of Jesus Christ, and then through the development of the early church.

Since it’s so important, then, how do we build lives dedicated to serving others? Some people, of course, do experience a specific and life-long calling or divine direction to minister to the particular needs of a particular community – such as Mother Theresa’s specific call to minister to the impoverished in India. Most of us, however, will probably not have a “this is the way you should serve for the rest of your life” moment. Also, there is no way to minister to every need. There are just too many. There are too many in the world, in our state, our city. There are too many needs in my neighborhood for me to meet them all. There’s no way we can even care about them all – there just isn’t room in our minds.

However, don’t we serve a great God? Don’t we serve a God who makes impossible things happen? Don’t we serve a God whose grace is sufficient for us, and whose power is shown most effective in our weakness? Don’t we serve a God who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine?

The question for us to answer isn’t, how can I do it all? The question should be instead, what can I do now, what can I do here? How do I make serving others a priority during each season of my life?

I would like to suggest that building a life dedicated to service starts within our Christian family – with how we treat and minister to other members of the Body of Christ, first in our own church, then in our community and beyond. It doesn’t end there, but it’s a great start.

1 John 3:16-18 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ”

First, this verse is not specifically “about” the poor, homeless, or disenfranchised. It applies more to our fellow Christians than to those in the world, as it says, “brothers” – your brothers in Christ. Another translation says, “one of our own people”.
This verse describes the character of Jesus Christ as continually, deliberately, and sacrificially giving – and challenges us to imitate him.

This idea of being committed to serving other Christians brings up a crucial and immediately accessible way to address the many needs of our community and world: one-step-away ministry. This is where you help and support those who are actively ministering to the needs of the powerless. Whether or not you embrace a specific calling to minister to the needs of a certain community, as a member of the same Body, you owe those who have made that commitment your support. Not only is support from their brothers and sisters in Christ important to the success of existing ministries, but helping people involved in those existing ministries helps you to find areas of service that suit your talents, personality, and passions during each season of your life.

You support other Christians in their ministries either by selectively and without feeling coerced giving your financial support, partnering with them in prayer, speaking words of encouragement to and about them – what you say about them is as important as what you say to them – or working with or for them as they labor for others.
I do not mean that you should automatically give money, time, effort, or things to everyone you feel sorry for, or every ministry you hear about that stirs your emotions.
Rather, you should be willing to see the needs around you – that in itself takes a lot of courage and commitment – and address them in an appropriate manner as you have – or make – opportunities. Here again, you can’t do it all (believe me on this; I’ve tried. It doesn’t work out nearly as well as you think) so you have to choose who to help. Don’t be afraid of the choice! Just decide, of the ministries you know of, which one (or two, but try to keep it down) you think is the most relevant – which one lights your fire. And then give them a call and see what you can do to help.
And finally, don’t assume that great and glaring needs are the only needs. You have opportunities every single day to help others. Take them!

Mother Theresa said, What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love.

That’s what I challenge you to do: seize opportunities immediately to do “small things with great love”. Pray this week that God would open your eyes to all the chances you have to minister to someone’s needs. Set a time to meet with your pastor or youth leader about an area in the church where you can help. Talk to one of the adults here about CAM’s mission camps and volunteer days. If you’re already actively involved in ministry, be encouraged; as Galations 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Remember that you serve a great God who cares about you and about the work you’re doing. Thank you guys, and have a great night!

Practical Application

2008-09-19T12:46:00Z

Growth Group has finally started up again (yay!). This year we’re planning to spend most of our time discussing practical, this-is-how-you-actually-do-this-in-the-real-world application of central principles in the commonly-discussed teachings of Jesus. As opposed to theoretical understanding only, and also as opposed to studying a curriculum of obscure or difficult passages, which we partly did last year. (Not that last year was unrewarding, but …)

In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus tells and explains the parable of the sower, where a farmer sows seed in different types of soil, and the soil determines the effectiveness of the seed. When he describes the story to his disciples, Jesus compares the seed to the “message about the Kingdom”, and the soils to the situations in people’s lives that cause them to receive that message in certain ways.

What struck me this morning was the reason the “evil one” is able to steal seeds that are sown on the path – because, when they hear the word, those people “do not understand it” (v. 19).

So, as someone who wishes to both hear and speak words of truth about God’s spiritual kingdom how can I make those words as comprehensible as possible?

Notes on Love

2008-08-27T15:24:00Z

Before I dive into the New Testament tomorrow (yes, I read through Malachi yesterday, because I’m ready), I wanted to share some musings I’ve been … musing over … about love. I like definitions, and have never really found one I like for love, a definition comprehensive enough to encompass the broad range of attitudes, emotions, and actions associated with the various uses of the term.

So here’s what I’m thinking. I (for now) define love as a passionate, sustained, and acted upon desire regarding another. Now the type of love is determined by the details of that desire. I see affection as the desire to be close and important to, to share an intimate experience or season (physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, etc.) with. I define lust as the desire to sexually possess – the desire to own and use another’s sexuality in a non-reciprocal way. I’d say worship is the desire to follow, emulate, and serve. (I finally, through this train of thought, realized what bothers me so much about crushes – they are, essentially, worship … of someone besides God.) I don’t have a word for the last one, the kind of love parents try to cultivate toward their children, and the love that God has for us – the desire to protect, give to, help, and see another prosper (stronger than goodwill or solicitude … maybe devotion?).

I will ...

2008-08-26T14:27:00Z

Zechariah 9:8 says,

“But I will defend my house
against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.”

(This is right before the “[s]ee, your king comes to you,/ righteous and having salvation,/ gentle and riding on a donkey,/ on a colt, the foal of a donkey” passage quoted in the New Testament.)

I’ve never really been afraid of a large-scale invasion. I mean, first of all, I’m in Oklahoma. Whoever wanted to invade would have to come a long freakin’ way to do so (and get through either Texas – motto: “Get the ** out of my country or I’ll shoot you in the head, then run over you in my Silverado” – or Kansas – “We will drain the life from you with our neverending corn fields and flatness”, Arkansas – “Pretty, but freaky, and ultimately not worth it” or, um, more Texas. Any of the corner bit states are too much work.) I have, however, for about as long as I can remember, been scared of a more small-scale invasion: someone breaking into our house. I grew up close to a prison, and occasionally inmates would escape, and … anyway. So people breaking into my house has always been high on my ‘things to worry about’ list. And it’s usually at the back of my mind when I’m trying to fall asleep, especially if Jared’s not there.

So I like the idea that, after coming to the end of our ‘exile’ – our alienation from God when we follow the desires of our sinful, selfish nature and not the desires of the Spirit of Truth – once we have been restored to God, he watches over and defends us as though we were in his own house.

Quick Note

2008-08-15T12:57:00Z

Zechariah 8:12-13

“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”

My husband and I went to the first ultrasound with this pregnancy – we’re calling the baby Biscuit until we know whether it’s a girl or boy – yesterday. And there was a baby! With a heartbeat! And little kicking arms and legs! Hooray!!!!!

I know the parallel isn’t perfect – or even, well, there – but it’s just good to be reminded that God plans good things for me, even after bad things have happened.

And very good to remember that I don’t have to be afraid.

Running to Stay in the Same Place

2008-07-10T13:09:00Z

Haggai 1:5-9 says:

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.

Seriously. The Israelites are back from exile and working to repair their houses, and leaving the temple for later. Of course, they don’t live in the temple. But to me it reads like the returnees’ focus on their own houses – and the things that go in them – has assumed an almost sacred significance in their work of rebuilding, and this significance has provided the justification for continuing to put off the immense task of rebuilding the Temple of God.

So then the people’s unwillingness to restore the temple causes their work to be unfruitful.

So, are there areas in my life where I’m focusing a disproportionate amount of time on my own projects rather than those that build the Kingdom of God? I feel a lot of the time that my work is unfruitful. Is it because of this, because of some great task being put off, some glaring instance of neglect?

Is that even the right question? I mean, in the situation in Haggai, there is a huge undertaking that is being put off. I know there are many things in the current church that “need to be done” – we need to do this, we need to do that, we need to get up and do something about fill-in-the-blank – but … is the “temple of God” in actual (or even metaphorical) ruins?

I don’t think so. I mean, yeah, I complain a lot, and there are a lot – a lot of things I think need to change. But, under the new covenant of grace, where Christ is the head of the church and that church is capable of (whether most of us are willing to is another question) remaining in constant communication with him through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we’re – or at least I’m – not trying to rebuild or re-attain something that I had and then lost. Instead, I’m “forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).

And so, what does “lie ahead”? Is there a big project that needs doing? Isn’t it the Great Commission to preach the Good News – that God loves us and has made a way for us to be his friends? I mean, isn’t that the real project now?

Nahum 3:16

2008-07-08T12:21:00Z

You have increased the number of your merchants
till they are more than the stars of the sky,
but like locusts they strip the land
and then fly away.

Nahum is very … visual. And violent. It would make a great movie.

A Ruler from Bethlehem

2008-06-27T11:45:00Z

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times. ”

Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor gives birth
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be their peace.
Micah 5:2-5

This passage follows just one chapter after the swords-into-ploughshares passage, prophesying an end to national conflict, saying even that the people will not “train for war anymore”, and – my personal favorite aspect – “no one will make them afraid” (4:3-4). I tend to read verse five, “he will be their peace,” personally or metaphorically; he will be their interior peace, the peace that they can have in the midst of conflict or trouble.

The placement of this particular passage, however, seems to suggest that while such a reading is applicable, so is a more literal one. The leader sent from God will bring actual, quantifiable peace, allowing his “flock” to “live securely” (v. 4). At least, that’s what it looks like to me.

How can I live more fully in the peace of God? How can I promote peace?

Another Dream

2008-05-08T12:30:00Z

Feel free to skip this post; I’m just musing. I could have done without this one too. (Though it did feature a rare appearance by my husband, who generally remains solidly in the real world and avoids my dreams like the confusing and often frightening phantasms they generally are).

I dreamed last night that some random creepy guy invaded my house. I guess in the dream my husband and I were living with my parents (or more likely vice versa) and the RCG made it quite clear to all of us that he was there. And then we all left for work (which also is not really in character – for my folks or me). And he waved goodbye. Bastard. I think we convinced my parents to leave and stay gone until we got this all sorted out. Anyway, I was thinking we should go to my aunt’s because she has a lot of connections with city government people and whatnot, but for some reason Jared talked me into going to the museum. The art museum. (I don’t remember what we did there, except I broke a large mirror and slid down the stairway, both of which caused an equal amount of consternation among the staff.) But by the time we left, Jared had found out all about the RCG – he had worked with Dad and took offense at something Dad said, so he decided to invade our house as an “I’ll show him” measure. And Jared figured it all out, how we would handle getting rid of him, what we’d say or do or whatever. And I woke up (it was around six) to let the cats out before we got a chance to follow through with it – still stark terrified, but relieved because there Jared was, sleeping right next to me, able to handle it. (Then I became more properly awake and wondered why we didn’t just shoot the intruder to begin with. In the dream, I actually did try to call 911, but I guess I misdialed because I ended up on the phone with some telemarketer. And I’m like, “I’m trying to call 911! This is an emergency! I don’t care how great a deal it is! Now is NOT THE TIME!”) Anyway, then I went back to sleep and for whatever reason it was still the same situation, but I guess the time I wasn’t paying attention hadn’t been good to our Random Creepy Guy, and he was now a little bit more around the twist. And then there were the problems with the Martian Mafia who were primarily after him, but wouldn’t begrudge the opportunity to hack and slice their way through the rest of us if it was presented. And somehow the house – which was quite cool, as dream houses go, lots of flowers and whatnot – was now in the desert. And I had a sister who lived with us. A sister? Yeah. Anyway, the RCG ended up pushing my sister off a cliff. And she was rescued by Superman. (Superman?) Who then wrote her a nice if mostly incomprehensible letter – with most of the words out of order, especially at the beginning – that strongly implied that she was his daughter. What? But we were all so glad she was alive. Unfortunately, I woke up before finding out what happened to the Random Creepy Guy. I just hope he finds something else to do by the time I go back to sleep tonight.

Have You any Right to be Angry?

2008-05-06T12:13:00Z

In Jonah 3, the Ninevites get it right; they respond to Jonah’s message the first day he’s there, across the board. Off the top of my head, this is the best example in the Bible I can think of where a people respond immediately and whole-heartedly to God’s warnings.

But of course, come chapter 4, Jonah is not satisfied. He says this is exactly why he went the other direction in the first place; kind of an odd position for a prophet to take, in my opinion. Or maybe not. Maybe it takes a certain antagonism, a certain resistance to feel fulfilled as a prophet; maybe, since they are so usually scorned and ignored, they have no models for handling successful ministry – only tenacious.

Or maybe Jonah is just so invested in the “otherness” of Nineveh that he covers up his chagrin at discovering a more challenging aspect of God that he lays hold of his most accessible emotion – anger – and rants about how he knew this would happen, and so sulks for the next two days (during which he should, according to the plan discussed earlier in chapter 3, have been ministering).

And God asks him, about various matters, does he really have any right to be angry?

Mm. Rights …

Another translation says, “good reason” – he basically answers, “Yes – because I am angry!” Um, thanks for that lucid explanation of your position, there, champ.

God also does not say “Stop being angry.” I wonder why?

To His Own God

2008-05-06T12:09:00Z

Jonah 1. Where God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, and Jonah says, “Tarshish? Go to Tarshish? Sure.” No, not exactly, but whatever.

What strikes me most about this chapter is this: Even though the sailors and other passengers knew that Jonah was the cause of their calamity, they still tried to get him (and each other) safely to shore. Only when they could not did they agree to put him out of the ship – and not before praying that God would absolve them of his blood.

Hm.

And of course I love how at the beginning of the storm each was praying “to his own god” – whereas after they saw the sea “cease from her raging” they feared God, sacrificed to him (what, by the way, did they sacrifice? what did they have left?), and “made vows” (KJV). I guess I like the idea that God used even Jonah’s rebellion and idiocy (maybe too harsh a term? nah.) to cause others to believe in him.

This is also Jonah’s reaction while in the stomach of the sea creature – to fear and call upon the Lord, and offer sacrifices and fulfilled vows (ch. 2). I actually quite like his prayer; it’s very beautiful and hopeful, very … confident-sounding. I guess I usually think of Jonah as kind of \weak and impotent, a little dumb, you know? I mean, yes, he makes some really dumb decisions (but then, show me someone who hasn’t, at some point) and puts other people at risk because of them, but …

But I’ve done stupid things, too. I’ve disobeyed God, too. Do I also, when I’m faced with the consequences of my own mistakes, call upon the Lord with such faith and reverence? Am I confident enough in his unfailing grace to say, “out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice” – praising God for his deliverance (2:2)? I think so. But then, I’ve never been swallowed by a fish.

Blinding Flashes of the Obvious

2008-04-21T15:05:00Z

This verse struck me particularly this morning:

Amos 5:14

Seek good, not evil,/ that you may live./ Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,/ just as you say he is.

It seems to apply. Apply, I mean, to places or communities where the favor of God seems an assumption rather than a goal to be pursued. Where sentences begin with “since we are so blessed,” “since we are so favored,” rather than “if we wish to bless” (or be blessed), “if we wish to please God…” I like the implication that communities seek either good or evil. That, perhaps, even contented societies (though I’ve yet to meet or hear of one) are moving, in some direction or other? Anyway, of course the desires and goals of a group of people affect where they stand with the Lord. Whereas whether they say they are in God’s favor does not necessarily mean they are.

And one other nugget from church yesterday – a guest speaker – we gained more through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ than we lost when exiled from the Garden of Eden. Um. Sorry; a semi just drove down our street. Our residential street. Our narrow, residential street.

Anyway.

It makes sense to me; in the garden, God walked and visited with Adam and Eve once a day; after Jesus sent his Spirit to earth, it became possible to maintain constant communication with him, “praying without ceasing”. Yee.

What shall I do with you?

2008-04-14T13:52:00Z

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud And like the dew which goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the (M)words of My mouth; And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth. For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:4-6

Strangers devour his strength, Yet he does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it. Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet they have not returned to the LORD their God, Nor have they sought Him, for all this. Hosea 7:9-10

I cared for you in the wilderness, In the land of drought. As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me. Hosea 13:5-6

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them. Hosea 14:9

For Lack of Knowledge

2008-03-31T12:22:00Z

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge./ Because you have rejected knowledge,/ I also will reject you from being priest for Me;/ Because you have forgotten the law of your God,/ I also will forget your children.

–Hosea 4.6

Ouch.