We had someone ask (after the class) about the place where we read that Elijah would return, and I made mention that it was John the Baptist the prophesy was talking about and moved on. Let me explain a little better.
It is an interesting prophesy. The reason we see John the Baptist as Elijah is because Jesus implied it to the disciples. Look @ Matthew 11:7-15:
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’[a]
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[b] and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Also in Mat 17 at the transfiguration we also see Elijah with Moses and Jesus. It is also widely believed that Elijah is one of the two witnesses in the book of Revelation, (with Moses). All of this is still within the prophesy, either at the first or second coming of Christ. One way to look at the instance of John being Elijah is that Jesus is saying this figuratively. He came "like" Elijah, calling out from the wilderness, as you said. Others believe He is the embodiment of Elijah himself. Either way it is a mystery that cannot be fully grasped. You will notice in Mat 17 that Jesus says again that Elijah presented himself as John (verse 12). The same scripture is described in Mark 9.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Questions from Week#3 of the School of Theology
We only had one question this week, Here it is:
"My husband is wondering why we don't discuss what is going on in the rest of the world in our discussions?"
Good question! Our discussions really don't have many boundaries. The only thing I would like to see as the teacher and facilitator is that the conversation stay on topic. The theme of this class, "A Scarlet Thread" is designed to demonstrate for us where we see the story of Jesus in the Old Testament. I know there will be times when we are discussing a certain portion of scripture or topic and it will remind us of something we see in modern times. When that happens I invite anyone to chime in. In this particular course we are talking about prophetic events or utterances in the Old Testament pointing to the coming Messiah in Jesus. Sometimes they may have dual meanings. For instance when Israel is talked about in the Old Testament we can sometimes see the similarities between their actions and the actions of the modern church. It is very appropriate to bring that up in class.
My main goal is to teach the things in the Old Testament that point to Jesus. I do this not only that you might learn, or gain an excitement for scripture. I want to see us all become "Missional Theologians". If we never take what we learn out into the world than we are like that lamp Jesus talks about that is under a bushel, it has no real use!
Because the Holy Spirit is our true guide as we study together at the School of Theology, we can expect that the Spirit might speak to any one of us during the class. Don't hesitate to speak up and ask the question or share what you think is relevant! We will all benefit from the shared conversation.
"My husband is wondering why we don't discuss what is going on in the rest of the world in our discussions?"
Good question! Our discussions really don't have many boundaries. The only thing I would like to see as the teacher and facilitator is that the conversation stay on topic. The theme of this class, "A Scarlet Thread" is designed to demonstrate for us where we see the story of Jesus in the Old Testament. I know there will be times when we are discussing a certain portion of scripture or topic and it will remind us of something we see in modern times. When that happens I invite anyone to chime in. In this particular course we are talking about prophetic events or utterances in the Old Testament pointing to the coming Messiah in Jesus. Sometimes they may have dual meanings. For instance when Israel is talked about in the Old Testament we can sometimes see the similarities between their actions and the actions of the modern church. It is very appropriate to bring that up in class.
My main goal is to teach the things in the Old Testament that point to Jesus. I do this not only that you might learn, or gain an excitement for scripture. I want to see us all become "Missional Theologians". If we never take what we learn out into the world than we are like that lamp Jesus talks about that is under a bushel, it has no real use!
Because the Holy Spirit is our true guide as we study together at the School of Theology, we can expect that the Spirit might speak to any one of us during the class. Don't hesitate to speak up and ask the question or share what you think is relevant! We will all benefit from the shared conversation.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Answert o Questions from QST (9/16/11)
Hello everyone,
We got two questions this week. Here they are:
Do you think that the idea that Adam blames God more so that Eve in his statement "it was the woman YOU gave me (my emphasis), is why we blame God for "wrong" answers to our prayers? Is it just in our nature?
This is a good question. Of course it is one we cannot really know, but I think it has a lot of truth in it. Blaming God is something that I see from believers and non-believers alike. I think all too often, we see the answers to our prayers as being wrong or right, based mostly on what we want. Last week John mentioned that we sometimes see Jesus in our life like a genie. We ask him for another wish each time we thing we need something. Like any young child that doesn't really know what is best for her or him, we want things from God that aren't in our best interest, and it is easy for us to blame Him. Great question!
Next Question:
Why is it that God performs such obvious miracles in the Old Testament, but not today?
Another great question. I think that God still does perform great miracles. I think that our generation, sees so many fabricated "miracles" in media, movies, TV, etc, that we are not easily amazed. I also believe that any miracle, or any response from God takes faith to see. I wonder if our faith has been hurt because of the instant gratification that the world seems to provide. I believe that where there is grief, poverty, places where great faith is a part of every day life, the miracles that God performs are more easily seen. Also, remember this course is about how God reveals to us in the Old Testament that Jesus is coming. Jesus is God's greatest miracle, and look how we have trivialized that! The miracles in the Old Testament point to the coming Messiah. Jesus' miracles point us to the fact He is the Messiah. Miracles he said we will experience and even perform (mountain moving, etc) are provided by God to demonstrate to an unbelieving world that Jesus is the Messiah and will come again. What do you all think?
We got two questions this week. Here they are:
Do you think that the idea that Adam blames God more so that Eve in his statement "it was the woman YOU gave me (my emphasis), is why we blame God for "wrong" answers to our prayers? Is it just in our nature?
This is a good question. Of course it is one we cannot really know, but I think it has a lot of truth in it. Blaming God is something that I see from believers and non-believers alike. I think all too often, we see the answers to our prayers as being wrong or right, based mostly on what we want. Last week John mentioned that we sometimes see Jesus in our life like a genie. We ask him for another wish each time we thing we need something. Like any young child that doesn't really know what is best for her or him, we want things from God that aren't in our best interest, and it is easy for us to blame Him. Great question!
Next Question:
Why is it that God performs such obvious miracles in the Old Testament, but not today?
Another great question. I think that God still does perform great miracles. I think that our generation, sees so many fabricated "miracles" in media, movies, TV, etc, that we are not easily amazed. I also believe that any miracle, or any response from God takes faith to see. I wonder if our faith has been hurt because of the instant gratification that the world seems to provide. I believe that where there is grief, poverty, places where great faith is a part of every day life, the miracles that God performs are more easily seen. Also, remember this course is about how God reveals to us in the Old Testament that Jesus is coming. Jesus is God's greatest miracle, and look how we have trivialized that! The miracles in the Old Testament point to the coming Messiah. Jesus' miracles point us to the fact He is the Messiah. Miracles he said we will experience and even perform (mountain moving, etc) are provided by God to demonstrate to an unbelieving world that Jesus is the Messiah and will come again. What do you all think?
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Questions from School of Theology This week
First of all, let me thank everyone who attended and especially those who helped set up and tear down, it is wonderful to have so many eager theologians in our community. Thanks also to John for coming out to kick off our first class of the first course.
I said I would Blog the answers to the questions that were texted in to me during the class. So, here they are.
First some administrative comments: Someone asked that we ask you to turn off your phones in the class. Since we have offered texting as a way to ask questions we really can't ask that you turn them off. One thing we can do is to remind everyone to put the phones on silent, that way they are not a distraction.
Someone also asked that when we introduce new theological terms or the Hebrew/Greek words we put them on the screen. I intend to use the screens in all the upcoming classes. We need to get some software issues managed, and I will get that done this week.
Now some of the non-admin questions.
"Is it possible that Noah's nakedness being covered, resulting in Ham's being cursed, was somehow related to Adam and Eve being ashamed of theirs?" That is a great question, and one I had not thought of. First of all I know there was a physical nakedness of Adam and Eve in the garden, and they were ashamed when they knew their nakedness after the sin. I also think there is a spiritual nakedness present here. I think when they sinned they lost the glory covering of God. You will notice in the story that they tried to cover up their nakedness, but they weren't physically clothed until God provided animal skins for them, thus creating the first sacrifice for sin. It is very important to note that God provided the sacrifice. This points us to Jesus, who was the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin, and again was provided to us by God. Noah and his family, at the time of the arks landing were God's chosen, and at least symbolically they were righteous. Sin crept into the scene very quickly and again, there is a feeble attempt to cover up nakedness. I like how the member in the community who asked this question made the connection to Adam and Eve, because it also demonstrates for us that something more had to happen in order to remove the stain of sin, more than a flood. We were waiting for God to cover us again, and this time with the clothing of Christ.(Romans 13:14)
"The Old Testament seems very symbolic, (the ark, Moses, the garden). Have we manipulated these stories, or are they undeniable evidence of Christ?"
Again, another fantastic question. I believe them to be the undeniable evidence of Christ. As I said in the class, there are textual criticisms in the bible. These are places where the bible doesn't seem to square up. A good book to understand these better is F.F. Bruce's, The Canon of Scripture. The criticisms are minor and do not detract from the meta-story being told in the Bible. A good example is the discovery of the book of Isaiah and other scriptures in the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. This is the oldest known manuscript of biblical books and passages. There are no original writings of any scriptures to date, that would be called an autograph. A manuscript is a copy of the original texts. The fascinating thing about the discovery is the incredible accuracy when this 2000 year old manuscript is held up to the modern day versions of scripture. Every time a person puts pen to paper there is the danger of missing a word of scripture, and yet the story is told over and over in so many ways that, for me it is impossible to miss the message of Jesus in the Old Testament.
Thanks again to everyone who was there at the school. I am looking forward to more conversation. Feel free to leave comments here, we can continue the conversation throughout the week.
I said I would Blog the answers to the questions that were texted in to me during the class. So, here they are.
First some administrative comments: Someone asked that we ask you to turn off your phones in the class. Since we have offered texting as a way to ask questions we really can't ask that you turn them off. One thing we can do is to remind everyone to put the phones on silent, that way they are not a distraction.
Someone also asked that when we introduce new theological terms or the Hebrew/Greek words we put them on the screen. I intend to use the screens in all the upcoming classes. We need to get some software issues managed, and I will get that done this week.
Now some of the non-admin questions.
"Is it possible that Noah's nakedness being covered, resulting in Ham's being cursed, was somehow related to Adam and Eve being ashamed of theirs?" That is a great question, and one I had not thought of. First of all I know there was a physical nakedness of Adam and Eve in the garden, and they were ashamed when they knew their nakedness after the sin. I also think there is a spiritual nakedness present here. I think when they sinned they lost the glory covering of God. You will notice in the story that they tried to cover up their nakedness, but they weren't physically clothed until God provided animal skins for them, thus creating the first sacrifice for sin. It is very important to note that God provided the sacrifice. This points us to Jesus, who was the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin, and again was provided to us by God. Noah and his family, at the time of the arks landing were God's chosen, and at least symbolically they were righteous. Sin crept into the scene very quickly and again, there is a feeble attempt to cover up nakedness. I like how the member in the community who asked this question made the connection to Adam and Eve, because it also demonstrates for us that something more had to happen in order to remove the stain of sin, more than a flood. We were waiting for God to cover us again, and this time with the clothing of Christ.(Romans 13:14)
"The Old Testament seems very symbolic, (the ark, Moses, the garden). Have we manipulated these stories, or are they undeniable evidence of Christ?"
Again, another fantastic question. I believe them to be the undeniable evidence of Christ. As I said in the class, there are textual criticisms in the bible. These are places where the bible doesn't seem to square up. A good book to understand these better is F.F. Bruce's, The Canon of Scripture. The criticisms are minor and do not detract from the meta-story being told in the Bible. A good example is the discovery of the book of Isaiah and other scriptures in the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. This is the oldest known manuscript of biblical books and passages. There are no original writings of any scriptures to date, that would be called an autograph. A manuscript is a copy of the original texts. The fascinating thing about the discovery is the incredible accuracy when this 2000 year old manuscript is held up to the modern day versions of scripture. Every time a person puts pen to paper there is the danger of missing a word of scripture, and yet the story is told over and over in so many ways that, for me it is impossible to miss the message of Jesus in the Old Testament.
Thanks again to everyone who was there at the school. I am looking forward to more conversation. Feel free to leave comments here, we can continue the conversation throughout the week.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Relevant Faith
If our faith is not relevant to our daily life in the world, then it is no use; and if we cannot be Christians in our work, in the neighborhood, in our political decisions, then we had better stop being Christians. A piety reserved for Sundays is no message for this age. ... Douglas Rhymes
This week's Theology Cafe discussion is going to be on prayer. I know, prayer seems like "inside-baseball" talk to those who follow Jesus, but may be foreign for those who don't. When I really started digging in for the discussion I began to wonder if our own thoughts on prayer might be wrong too. Do we see prayer as a list of things to ask God? Do we see prayer as a kind of get-out-of-trouble card? What if we taught our children to pray by being silent and listening rather than opening up with a litany of things. Do we begin our prayers by thinking God for what we have only to end them by asking for more? This made me think of the old Keith Green Song "Make my Life a Prayer to You." Is prayer something that is a part of our life, or is our life a prayer? Do we have a relevant faith?
I have, over the years often asked non-believers why they never embraced Christianity, many of them answered that they did not want to be like the Christians they knew. Some of them said they didn’t know any Christians, even though I knew several Christians that they were acquainted with. I have often wondered, that if we are a people with the hope of eternal life, if we are the recipients of the inheritance of the King, why aren’t we a joyful and satisfied people? If Christianity is the best thing going, then why aren’t we infectious with our presence and our spirit? Why aren’t people grabbing us by the shirt sleeves and asking us what it is that we have and how do they get it?
How can we live a relevant faith? How can we begin to make our lives a prayer?
This week's Theology Cafe discussion is going to be on prayer. I know, prayer seems like "inside-baseball" talk to those who follow Jesus, but may be foreign for those who don't. When I really started digging in for the discussion I began to wonder if our own thoughts on prayer might be wrong too. Do we see prayer as a list of things to ask God? Do we see prayer as a kind of get-out-of-trouble card? What if we taught our children to pray by being silent and listening rather than opening up with a litany of things. Do we begin our prayers by thinking God for what we have only to end them by asking for more? This made me think of the old Keith Green Song "Make my Life a Prayer to You." Is prayer something that is a part of our life, or is our life a prayer? Do we have a relevant faith?
I have, over the years often asked non-believers why they never embraced Christianity, many of them answered that they did not want to be like the Christians they knew. Some of them said they didn’t know any Christians, even though I knew several Christians that they were acquainted with. I have often wondered, that if we are a people with the hope of eternal life, if we are the recipients of the inheritance of the King, why aren’t we a joyful and satisfied people? If Christianity is the best thing going, then why aren’t we infectious with our presence and our spirit? Why aren’t people grabbing us by the shirt sleeves and asking us what it is that we have and how do they get it?
How can we live a relevant faith? How can we begin to make our lives a prayer?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Train Ticket Theology...
"Our own personal death is the hard, harsh, square peg that refuses to fit into all the round holes we plan for our future; it is the sand in our oyster that irritates us and makes our spirits protest against it. Why should we learn all these great lessons of life and, just when we have learned them we must give them all up and there is no opportunity to exercise them? Something about that makes us protest. – Ray C. Steadman
If we get down to it, our fascination with Heaven and Hell is really like everything else; all about us!
We want to know where we are going, we want to be sure it is the right place, and we want to use it as a hook to draw people to a life following Jesus or a warning to those who would not. The problem is, the afterlife becomes the central tenet in our faith walk rather than the life here and now, and how we can live in the place Jesus called the “Kingdom”.
This past Saturday as I was driving through a rural Georgia town I saw a “street preacher”. He was waving a bible in his hand and yelling at the top of his lungs as we drove by. In a situation like that you can only get a few words as you pass by. I heard, “Hell” and “Death” and “Sin” and “Repent” and a few other words like that. Is that the message we want to convey? Is fear really the way to Jesus?
This has lead to what I call “train ticket theology”. It is the message many believers of Jesus put out there, especially in the 20th century. If you get your “Jesus ticket” you will be in heaven, if you don’t… well, you know, it’s Hell for you! I also liken this to monster under the bed theology. You are scared as long as it is dark, but when the light breaks through the monster is quickly forgotten.
Heaven and Hell must be real, they are in the bible. But what are they? Should they be used as a lure and a warning? Is this the Good News Jesus talked about? This month, (June 25th) we will take up the issue of heaven and hell in Theology Café. I hope you can join us; we would really love to hear your thoughts…
If we get down to it, our fascination with Heaven and Hell is really like everything else; all about us!
We want to know where we are going, we want to be sure it is the right place, and we want to use it as a hook to draw people to a life following Jesus or a warning to those who would not. The problem is, the afterlife becomes the central tenet in our faith walk rather than the life here and now, and how we can live in the place Jesus called the “Kingdom”.
This past Saturday as I was driving through a rural Georgia town I saw a “street preacher”. He was waving a bible in his hand and yelling at the top of his lungs as we drove by. In a situation like that you can only get a few words as you pass by. I heard, “Hell” and “Death” and “Sin” and “Repent” and a few other words like that. Is that the message we want to convey? Is fear really the way to Jesus?
This has lead to what I call “train ticket theology”. It is the message many believers of Jesus put out there, especially in the 20th century. If you get your “Jesus ticket” you will be in heaven, if you don’t… well, you know, it’s Hell for you! I also liken this to monster under the bed theology. You are scared as long as it is dark, but when the light breaks through the monster is quickly forgotten.
Heaven and Hell must be real, they are in the bible. But what are they? Should they be used as a lure and a warning? Is this the Good News Jesus talked about? This month, (June 25th) we will take up the issue of heaven and hell in Theology Café. I hope you can join us; we would really love to hear your thoughts…
Friday, June 3, 2011
When we all get to heaven...
The old hymn "When we all get to heaven says: "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!"
Revelation 22:15 says: "Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."
But... Revelation 21:25a says: "On no day will its gates ever be shut..."
Does that mean there is a chance for people to proclaim Christ after death? Is the God of redemption really going to stop at this world and this life in His pursuit of His children? Is that what the Father of the lost son would do in the parable Jesus taught in Luke 15:11-32?
Come to the Theology Cafe on June 25th @ 7 pm to have a conversation about this.
Revelation 22:15 says: "Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."
But... Revelation 21:25a says: "On no day will its gates ever be shut..."
Does that mean there is a chance for people to proclaim Christ after death? Is the God of redemption really going to stop at this world and this life in His pursuit of His children? Is that what the Father of the lost son would do in the parable Jesus taught in Luke 15:11-32?
Come to the Theology Cafe on June 25th @ 7 pm to have a conversation about this.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Houses and locked doors...
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
Lewis is, of course talking about the “preparing” God does in us making us more and more holy; in theological terms it is sanctification. As we prepare this month for the next Theology Café, (June 25) and our discussion on Heaven and Hell this is something we should consider. Is the God of creation, the one who made us in his image, the one who went through all the trouble to send his own son to die on the cross to save humanity, also going to let some go in to eternal damnation?
I chose Lewis because he had some interesting thoughts on Heaven and Hell He believed that Hell was not a permanent place of damnation for individuals, and that people in Heaven could actually “lure” people out of Hell. Hell is supposed to be a total absence of the glory and presence of God and therefore the people there do not realize that heaven awaits! (for interesting reading on Lewis’ thoughts in this area I suggest the Screwtape Letters, Pilgrim’s Regress, and The Great Divorce)
Was the “work” on the cross done in such a way that it doesn’t allow for all to enter into the Kingdom? Or is God glorified no matter how many people enter (or do not enter) Heaven? When John 3:16 says –“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “ What exactly is meant by “believe”?
Should we be more astonished that anyone gets into heaven more so than we are that some might be sent to hell? Why is it that we all feel that heaven is something that should be within everyone’s grasp but cannot believe a loving God would send anyone to the pit?
Lewis also said. “…The Damned are, in one sense, successful rebels to the end;… The doors of Hell are locked on the inside…” These are the things we will wrestle with in our next conversation, I hope you will ponder them and bring your thoughts to the gathering.
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
Lewis is, of course talking about the “preparing” God does in us making us more and more holy; in theological terms it is sanctification. As we prepare this month for the next Theology Café, (June 25) and our discussion on Heaven and Hell this is something we should consider. Is the God of creation, the one who made us in his image, the one who went through all the trouble to send his own son to die on the cross to save humanity, also going to let some go in to eternal damnation?
I chose Lewis because he had some interesting thoughts on Heaven and Hell He believed that Hell was not a permanent place of damnation for individuals, and that people in Heaven could actually “lure” people out of Hell. Hell is supposed to be a total absence of the glory and presence of God and therefore the people there do not realize that heaven awaits! (for interesting reading on Lewis’ thoughts in this area I suggest the Screwtape Letters, Pilgrim’s Regress, and The Great Divorce)
Was the “work” on the cross done in such a way that it doesn’t allow for all to enter into the Kingdom? Or is God glorified no matter how many people enter (or do not enter) Heaven? When John 3:16 says –“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “ What exactly is meant by “believe”?
Should we be more astonished that anyone gets into heaven more so than we are that some might be sent to hell? Why is it that we all feel that heaven is something that should be within everyone’s grasp but cannot believe a loving God would send anyone to the pit?
Lewis also said. “…The Damned are, in one sense, successful rebels to the end;… The doors of Hell are locked on the inside…” These are the things we will wrestle with in our next conversation, I hope you will ponder them and bring your thoughts to the gathering.
Friday, May 27, 2011
In Community
In a Christian community, everything depends upon whether each individual is an indispensable link in a chain. Only when even the smallest link is securely interlocked is the chain unbreakable. A community which allows unemployed members to exist within it will perish because of them. It will be well, therefore, if every member receives a definite task to perform for the community, that he may know in hours of doubt that he, too, is not useless and unusable. Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of the fellowship. ... Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
This Saturday we will gather for our first (in a long line hopefully) Theology Cafe. It may seem different than any other "religious" experience you have had in the past, mainly because it isn't a religious experience, it is an experience of spiritual community... Here is why it will be different, and why everyone has an equal voice:
A chain unconnected is a collection of links, useless for the work it was intended, and likewise people who are unconnected are somehow not complete.
A link connected in a chain is indispensable, no chain can work to its purpose without each individual link firmly in place, likewise each member of the community is indispensable when connected in their place.
From the early beginnings of the Church the community of believers was indistinguishable from its leaders when it met in common. Each person ate from a common table, lived in a common house, and worked toward a common goal. From the very beginning we were intended to be like that community of believers so many years ago. We were charged by Jesus to be different than any other group of people today, we were to come together in common, share worship in common, care for each other through the week and lift each other up. We were to have a love for God that overtook all other loves, and we were to love each other as we love ourselves. We were to be transparent, open, caring, merciful and all things good.
Each person, from the person sitting in the last row in the last seat, to the teacher was to be equal in their standing in the community. We are to live and breathe in community, no matter when we gather. Each person is important, and each person has equal importance. Our community is made up of people at different levels of their spiritual journey. We must ask ourselves; are we being faithful to each of these people, or are we being faithful to our needs and desires for how things should go? Like good ole Dietrich says above, “Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of the fellowship”.
We must above all else, above the delivery of the message, above the development of the songs, above the preparation of the room, remember that what we were called to do was to come together in community to love God and each other, everything else is a residual effect of that call from God. I hope to see you this Saturday, or any 4th Saturday of the month @ Theology Cafe.
This Saturday we will gather for our first (in a long line hopefully) Theology Cafe. It may seem different than any other "religious" experience you have had in the past, mainly because it isn't a religious experience, it is an experience of spiritual community... Here is why it will be different, and why everyone has an equal voice:
A chain unconnected is a collection of links, useless for the work it was intended, and likewise people who are unconnected are somehow not complete.
A link connected in a chain is indispensable, no chain can work to its purpose without each individual link firmly in place, likewise each member of the community is indispensable when connected in their place.
From the early beginnings of the Church the community of believers was indistinguishable from its leaders when it met in common. Each person ate from a common table, lived in a common house, and worked toward a common goal. From the very beginning we were intended to be like that community of believers so many years ago. We were charged by Jesus to be different than any other group of people today, we were to come together in common, share worship in common, care for each other through the week and lift each other up. We were to have a love for God that overtook all other loves, and we were to love each other as we love ourselves. We were to be transparent, open, caring, merciful and all things good.
Each person, from the person sitting in the last row in the last seat, to the teacher was to be equal in their standing in the community. We are to live and breathe in community, no matter when we gather. Each person is important, and each person has equal importance. Our community is made up of people at different levels of their spiritual journey. We must ask ourselves; are we being faithful to each of these people, or are we being faithful to our needs and desires for how things should go? Like good ole Dietrich says above, “Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of the fellowship”.
We must above all else, above the delivery of the message, above the development of the songs, above the preparation of the room, remember that what we were called to do was to come together in community to love God and each other, everything else is a residual effect of that call from God. I hope to see you this Saturday, or any 4th Saturday of the month @ Theology Cafe.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Evil in this world..
Theodicy,(from Greek theos, “god”; dikē, “justice”), explanation of why a perfectly good, almighty, and all-knowing God permits evil. The term literally means “justifying God.” (From Encyclopedia Britannica)
Our discussion this upcoming Saturday will be an attempt to understand why there is evil and suffering in this world. I am hoping for an open and exciting conversation.
There is no denying that there is evil, and all of us certianly understand suffering. The questions that are often asked are:
Why would a loving God allow suffering and evil?
Did God create evil?
Does the existence of evil and suffering in the world point to an inability of God to fix the problem?
Is God just an over-lording task master that drives us toward his will through suffering and fear?
If you have ever wondered about this, or if, like many people, this topic is blocking any kind of relationship you might want to have with God, we welcome your thoughts. This is a major topic of discussion, and for many people I have known, a real impediment to belief in a loving God.
Hope to see you at the Gathering Place, in Columbia Square, Martinez GA on Saturday May 28th from 7-9 pm. If anyone needs directions, let me know and I will get them to you offline.
Our discussion this upcoming Saturday will be an attempt to understand why there is evil and suffering in this world. I am hoping for an open and exciting conversation.
There is no denying that there is evil, and all of us certianly understand suffering. The questions that are often asked are:
Why would a loving God allow suffering and evil?
Did God create evil?
Does the existence of evil and suffering in the world point to an inability of God to fix the problem?
Is God just an over-lording task master that drives us toward his will through suffering and fear?
If you have ever wondered about this, or if, like many people, this topic is blocking any kind of relationship you might want to have with God, we welcome your thoughts. This is a major topic of discussion, and for many people I have known, a real impediment to belief in a loving God.
Hope to see you at the Gathering Place, in Columbia Square, Martinez GA on Saturday May 28th from 7-9 pm. If anyone needs directions, let me know and I will get them to you offline.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Law
I am preparing a talk/study/conversation this week about the Redemptive Nature of God. I cannot help but be drawn to the Law when I study about God's desire to redeem the lost. We are a people who abide by the law. We like the law, it keeps us all safe, it gives the world order, and it puts down lanes and lines that we are to stay within. But the Apostle Paul tells us that the law condemns us, that it is only there to show us our own sin. He says that if it were not for the Law, we wouldn’t know what sin was, for the law clearly points our sin out. Let’s look at what Paul tells us. In Romans 3:20 it says: For no one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it. You see, it seems that the Law was established just so we could see how far form the mark we are.
It is very true, the law shows us our sins. Let me show you, have you ever flown to Canada? When you fly to Canada the flight attendants hands out a piece of paper that allows you to claim your goods and also to make some required statements, it asks you three questions before you are allowed to enter. One, “Are you carrying any weapons?” Well that seems like a no-brainer, of course the answer is going to be no; who in their right mind would carry weapons into a foreign country (unless you are going hunting). The second question that is asked is, “Are you carrying any illegal drugs?” Even if you were a drug dealer would you answer this question with a yes? The third question is the one that gets you thinking. They ask, “Are you planning to visit a farm?” Now the wheels are turning, this is the question where everyone hesitates for a moment. Of course the answer must be no, since all the other questions are obviously no, so your hand is heading for the “no” checkbox, but in your mind you know something sinfully wonderful must be happening at the farm. So as you lean over the paper ready to check “no” just like you did for the other questions, but your mind is saying YES YES! You are hardly able to hold it in, the plane barely lands and you race to the rental car as fast as you can, and you are immediately on your way to the farm.
The Law says no, but we say yes. The law points out what we would rather be doing. It tells us “no,” prior to our asking. But if we are condemned so quickly, if our lives are so wrongfully bent toward sinning, what are we to do? As always the answer belongs to God, you see, He wrote a new Law for us, a law written in blood. We only have to go to the next verses Paul writes in Romans (3:21-27) to see it.
But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Paul wasn’t a deliberate law breaker, and God knows that we aren’t either. Paul understood that God doesn’t require strict adherence to the Law, He requires faith. Jesus paid the fine for our broken laws. The law points out our sin, and also points us inevitably to the cross where they were taken away…
It is very true, the law shows us our sins. Let me show you, have you ever flown to Canada? When you fly to Canada the flight attendants hands out a piece of paper that allows you to claim your goods and also to make some required statements, it asks you three questions before you are allowed to enter. One, “Are you carrying any weapons?” Well that seems like a no-brainer, of course the answer is going to be no; who in their right mind would carry weapons into a foreign country (unless you are going hunting). The second question that is asked is, “Are you carrying any illegal drugs?” Even if you were a drug dealer would you answer this question with a yes? The third question is the one that gets you thinking. They ask, “Are you planning to visit a farm?” Now the wheels are turning, this is the question where everyone hesitates for a moment. Of course the answer must be no, since all the other questions are obviously no, so your hand is heading for the “no” checkbox, but in your mind you know something sinfully wonderful must be happening at the farm. So as you lean over the paper ready to check “no” just like you did for the other questions, but your mind is saying YES YES! You are hardly able to hold it in, the plane barely lands and you race to the rental car as fast as you can, and you are immediately on your way to the farm.
The Law says no, but we say yes. The law points out what we would rather be doing. It tells us “no,” prior to our asking. But if we are condemned so quickly, if our lives are so wrongfully bent toward sinning, what are we to do? As always the answer belongs to God, you see, He wrote a new Law for us, a law written in blood. We only have to go to the next verses Paul writes in Romans (3:21-27) to see it.
But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Paul wasn’t a deliberate law breaker, and God knows that we aren’t either. Paul understood that God doesn’t require strict adherence to the Law, He requires faith. Jesus paid the fine for our broken laws. The law points out our sin, and also points us inevitably to the cross where they were taken away…
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)