Wednesday, August 31

one hit wonder

If you were to write one song (or poem), what would it be like? What message would you want to leave the world? What if you knew that your work would be preserved in the national annals and be read by religious scholars, seekers, pastors and the like for centuries to come?

These thoughts come to mind when I consider Psalm 88. On close reading we find that it was composed by Heman the Ezrahite. I love Heman the Ezrahite - I find that I can't quite get enough of him. Actually, this is the only writing that we have which is attributed to him. Fortunately for us, it is not the only piece of information we know about him. 1 Kings 4:31 tells us that Heman (or He-Man, as referred to by those of the female persuasion) was famed for his musical leadership and his wisdom (even though Ethan the Ezrahite seemed to be just a bit wiser).

And the one piece that we have from him is often considered to be the saddest prayer in Psalms.* Throughout it speaks of his sleepless nights, the encroaching shadows, the apparent victory of death, and the fact that his cry has gone on unanswered. Perhaps this is why they didn't ask him to write another psalm! In fact, there isn't even an ending of assurance or praise or "everything's-gonna-be-alright." Even so it does not appear that our hero has given up. For the suffering he endures is not because his life is worthless. He recognizes that God has a place for him and this provides his drive to struggle with his face rather than abandon it.

Such an openness and honesty allows He-Man to grow and struggle. He does not take the opportunity to tell his god where to stuff this life, but looks to him for answers to his situation. And he does not back down from asking hard or 'embarrasing' questions (i.e., "Where are you, God, in the middle of all of this?") for he realizes that these matters cannot be swept under the rug. The lesson we gain from this individual is that recognition and "right-religion" do not account for the totality of this life. And perhaps we should be working to make our song not so much a perfect and majestic hymn for the ages, but live our life to cry the name of the one who loves us most.





*cf. Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150 (Downers Grove: IVP, 1973), 316.

Sunday, August 28

this is the slam

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples. . ."
John 13:35

Jesus could have ended this phrase with so many things: nice church buildings, political savvy, theological insight, biblical wisdom and understanding, powerful preaching, great Christian gatherings, etc. . . Yet he chose to be consistent with his own worldview and said that it was our love for one another. Notice also that he did not say that the world would recognize us as Christians when or if we have love for another but by the love that we already display for each other. It is almost a sign of what kind of disciples we are showing ourselves to be through the love that is exhibited from one disciple to another. And perhaps Jesus is also referring to the Jewish notion of a disciple being a direct reflection on their leader - the type of love that you show for each other will demonstrate to the world what type of love I have come to show.

Having said that, why do we find it so difficult to refrain from slamming each other and going for the jugular whenever we disagree or are "embarassed" by other church members? In our latest controversy I have found myself running to the aid of a stupid statement just because it is so nauseating to hear more and more Christians aim and fire on one of their own. Again. In fact, it seems that the ecclesiastical community has surpassed even the mainstream media in its amount of biting and malicious rhetoric of the current Christians-in-culture flavor of the month.

As a brief side note: I find it interesting that many are calling on this particular individual to be denounced by other well-known evangelicals who were (and will soon be again) just being denounced for their interaction in the political realm.

It is becoming apparent that the Christian community can be easily manipulated to inward division and fighting. Those who oppose our worldview and message have figured this out. Too bad most of us have not. And our lack of love has not only reflected poorly upon our leader, but has become so non-existent that it is now a tactical tool to be used against us rather than a demonstration of the gospel. Let the church aspire to be weak, and the world will stand in awe.

I have also paroused some interesting sites regarding this situation and have found certain sources attacking this comment and apology from very unique perspectives. I cannot help but be troubled that many of these sources find little to no time to speak out against the raging heresies that do exist in the church, via the many television personalities who preach a gospel contrary to that of Christ. These individuals will never make a political statement, for they are too intelligent for that - they know that they will find themselves in the midst of a controversy such as this, they will realize they might actually make a lasting difference, and they see the lost income earning potential. And yet so many find ways to defend these individuals for, "At least they are doing some good for some people. We need to re-evaluate where we fight our battles.

On a personal note, I do not endorse the message but stand by the messenger as one of my family. Although the words were found to be irrational and unthoughtful, the messenger remains a child of the king. And I cannot endorse the dysfunction of this family through such vile rhetoric about one of my brothers.

Fortunately for all of us, the world will not recognize Jesus' disciples by our blogs. . .

Thursday, August 25

recovering pharisees

Sometimes we're closer to certain people groups than we allow ourselves to realize. Take for example, our good friends from the Gospels: the Phanatical, Phantastic Pharisees! Now, I know they don't typically garner such enthusiasm, especially because they haven't been painted in a good light for quite some time. But if we take a minute and examine their beliefs and ideals we might find they weren't so bad at all.

First, it was the objective of the Pharisaic community to combat the mounting political and social upheaval that surrounded them by living lives dedicated to purity and holiness. For them, purity of self was the foundation to combat the impurity of one's surroundings. This makes sense - for if you were unable to control the holiness of the world which surrounded you, at least you were at work to control the holiness of yourself. And yet while all of this is important, it was not their primary objective in and of itself. Their aim was not to achieve piety for its own sake, but to honor Israel's king and see the redemption of the nation (and through it, the world). In other words, they were about the work of bringing God's covenant to its completion.

Second, in a world of shifting sand and uncertain futures the Pharisees stood to preserve the ancient traditions of Israel so that this nation might remember its heritage. To remember the godliness of the past and have the nation's history serve as a cry to return back to their god. Included in this particular wing of the Pharisaic movement were certain individuals who spoke as modern day prophets, often engaging the hot political and social issues of the day. Others sought to achieve pockets of influence in order to sway the decisions of the military and governing officials - all in the name of Israel's true king.

Third, of the most fundamental beliefs was that held by the nation as a whole - the coming of a messiah. This would be the individual ordained to purify the land by removing all of the ungodly powers which permeated the nation (i.e., kicking out the Romans). This lead to a common belief that the messiah would be a military figure ordained by Israel's god.

Fourth, there was a movement to foster these beliefs through the daily practices of first century commoners. That is to say that since there was not a clear opportunity to take over the governing bodies of the day, it became more important to build a 'coalition' of purity throughout the nation of Israel by working through the local religious centers (synagogues) in educating, guiding, and calling the people of Israel to a higher holiness so that they might be prepared for the arrival of their redeemer.

I must say, this is not a bad course of action.

In fact, it is so 'not bad' that it is still in use by modern evangelicals.

How many times do we stress the need for personal piety in the face of mounting opposition? (Although this is not a bad agenda to have, it does bring us one step closer to understanding this group) How often do evangelical leaders get caught up in the opportunity to achieve power and influence and sacrifice the true nature of working in the kingdom? How many times has the church allowed itself to place its hopes within a certain military or government official who comes with the expectation of removing all of the ungodliness from the land? How much have we sought to build our own coalition in the name of godliness but have face (in reality) a group seeking to achieve power of influence?

Are we so far removed?



Matthew 23: But woe to you who. . .
. . .shut people out of your churches (13)
. . .seek converts out of motive instead of love (15)
. . .display yourselves as hypoctrites by your words (16-22)
. . .try to tilt the odds to your favor (23)
. . .miss out on what's really important because of meaningless rants (24)
. . .try to make everything appear clean while the inside is corrupt (25)
. . .act out works of righteousness while allow sin to rule yourself (26)
. . .for erecting monuments to your religion and missing the living god (27)




*Pharisaic facts influenced throughout by N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), 167-203.

ntwrightpage

Saturday, August 20

do the dew

"Dew is the term for small droplets of water that appear on thin objects in the morning or evening. This is a form of condensation. Dew results from atmospheric moisture that condenses after a warm day and appears during the night on cooled surfaces as small drops. The cool surfaces cool the nearby air, decreasing the amount of humidity (dissolved moisture) the local air can hold. The extra vapor condenses (precipitates out of solution in the air). When temperatures are low enough, dew will take the form of ice; this form is called frost. . .Culturally, dew is often associated with purity and freshness." *W*

Let me 'splain; no time, let me sum up. . . As a response to the environment which is around it, dew appears on an object through the transitional world in which it exists. It is important to note that the moisture (the dew) was always present in the atmosphere to begin with. . .

Think about it.

How God Comes to the Soul
I descend on my love
As dew on a flower.

~Mechthild of Magdeburg (c. 1212-1297)



As a public service, see also: DEW

Monday, August 15

let all creation cry. . .or something

(Note: I don't think this is quite what Stopford had in mind)


All throughout my daily errands I found myself to be plagued by whiny children. From doctors offices to department stores, I could not escape the scene of little children pushing their parents - and everyone else - to the brink. And while I sat in the waiting room it occurred to me that this kid wasn't even trying. I mean, come on!!! If you're going to have a fit, you really need to have a fit! The little shot-gun bursts don't really convince anyone and make your case look quite pathetic. At least the parents weren't fooled either.

But I suppose this is why it is called a 'fit.' Otherwise it is a 'cry.' And as we grow older we tend to view the difference between the two as a superficial want and a sign of a true need. Or perhaps we figure that whining is just some annoying technique (which it is) to achieve some shallow self-gratification and reserve the act of crying out for deeply desired passion and need. Yet from the obtuse perspective of a child there might not be that great of a difference between the two (and if whining works, go with it).

And so we cry out to God. Or do we whine?

Or have we yet grown enough to see through his eyes and know the difference?


more on God's perspective

Monday, August 8

if there are seven wonders

i've been thinking about me
wondering who I am
trying to be somebody
wondering if i can
i look into the mirror
have this silent fear
there is no one really there. . .
*

It is quite remarkable to see how little we regard ourselves and understand just who we are meant to be. Rather than face-up to our own futility and mortality, we insist on hiding behind various facades that mask our true being. This past week I pointed out to my congregation just how important this openness to God and to each other really is to our spiritual growth and development. If we are not able to see ourselves through God's eyes then we will not be able to properly put away our old nature in hopes of taking up our newness in Christ.

Still having these thoughts jogging through my mind, I ran across this in today's reading:

"God has an incredibly high view of people. God believes that people are capable of amazing things. I have been told that I need to believe in Jesus. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that Jesus believes in me. I have been told that I need to have faith in God. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that God has faith in me.
The rabbi thinks we can be like him."**

How interesting it is that the paradox of the Christian faith brings us to the place where we readily see our weakness in order for us to readily accept our strength that comes from God. We must learn to lose in order to find (or something like that).

And when we come to the place where we can get beyond ourselves and embrace the truth found in Jesus' words, "I chose you. . ." we will find a closeness to the Father of which we've never before imagined. The key is found only through the letting go of all that we try so hard to grab hold of in this life. But the strength for this cannot be summoned from within ourselves, but through the change in perspective that God does indeed believe in us.

The Father's belief in us is readily evident: he has entrusted the work of the church to us.

And the scary thing about God is that he never established a Plan B.

Lord, i feel the wonder of this world
when i understand
through your loving eyes you see
the wonder of who i am
*




*Eighth Wonder : written by White Heart (Freedom, 1989.
**Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 134.

Friday, August 5

news snooze lose clues

Living in a twenty-four hour news culture is interesting, to say the least.
It can be rather annoying, to say the most.

I have just heard another unsolicited opinion regarding Natalee Holloway and her plight in Aruba. Although I might clarify that I do indeed feel for her and her family, I will also understand that some might think otherwise. So be it. What I especially did not care for in this particular point of view is that it was wildly inaccurate and too easily glossed over other important and major issues which are also involved in this situation. All of this brings me to the central thesis of this particular posting: a society of twenty four hour news has dumbed down our culture, created a false perception of individual expertise, and stretched our limit to care. Allow me to expound. . .

First, such a news-oriented culture has taken the limits of what makes for good reporting and journalism and have denegrated them into lifeless, overdrawn, beat-a-dead-horse approach to the happenings of our world. Further, the endless debates of journalistic integrity and unbiased reporting have been fueled by how much time the talking heads have to review the same two or three points of any given story. And with all of this information, we have not grown smarter or wiser because we take little to no time internalizing the data and quickly follow our emotions to the next big thing.

All the while (and this is my second point), we find ourselves believing that we are a more insightful and discerning lot as we have all of these televised experts providing us with so much information and commentary. This leads to what I consider to be a falsified sense of individual expertise - each person believing that they are some sort of knoweldgable entity on just about every topic that has crossed cable news in the past week. This is one of the primary faults found in the example cited above, in which the holes in said argument were considerably large. We think we know when we do not and miss out in actual wisdom.

Third (and I have noticed this much within myself), this attitude toward the world's events has stretched our limits to care. With so much being reported (it is not as though more is actually happening. . .) one finds the necessity to get away from hearing any more lest the cranial cavity explode. To follow all of these stories ad nauseum is to actually feel less concerned about them, not more. The tendency to make insensitive or shallow/crude remarks and jokes about very serious situations increases because we just have no more tears to shed. As humans we are limited in the amount we can stretch ourselves. There is only one omnipotent and omnipresent who does not tire nor grow weary. Limiteless beings are like that, limited beings are not. Further, those who push all of this information on us often make us feel uncaring and insensitive if we do not care along with every story that taps across the wire. Even when we've got no more to give.

In order to break this cycle we must remove ourselves from the media. Regularly. Often. This will restore our ability to think and grow wise, understand our place in the world, and care about those who need to be cared about. I wonder how many tears are wasted on people and situations which are televised but beyond our control when there are individuals who surround us that just need someone to hurt with them. We must know that those who are not God should not attempt to perform his job.


But, then again, the ratings are up. . .

Thursday, August 4

of shopping carts and moral theology

Moments we spend quickly
that we might come and go;
to share with those we see
all that we do and know.

Shopping carts with bad wheels
and restaurants with lousy food;
are tales of what we feel
- the ugly, bad and good.

Tiny heavens and hells
found in every day;
do we find time to tell
of him who is the way?

:mic