Once again, keeping up on the blog has gotten the best of me. The last few posts related to my attempt to read the Bible in 90 days. Considering it took me 385 days to read the Bible in 90 days, it could take me a considerable time to completely blog about the experience, so I may abandon it; or maybe not.
Anyway, I preached last Sunday at Chestnut Grove, and the sermon is posted online at our church's site. The title of the sermon is "Justice and Mercy"; if you're interested in listening, click the title and it will stream, or right click to download.
I blogged about this topic previously here. Anyway, if you listen, feel free to comment.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, July 05, 2010
Captive
It seemed I’d just begun my 90 day experience when I found myself in the midst of the story of Moses. The Egyptian captivity of God’s “chosen people” had been one of those lingering questions in my mind that I’d never taken the time to contemplate. I thought I was missing something about why the Hebrews had ended up in captivity. Abraham had obeyed, Isaac was faithful, Jacob messed up but seemed to be on good terms with God, and his sons had sold Joseph into slavery, but within that whole story, I find no good reason why the entire nation of Abraham would find itself in such bondage.
I’m not sure the reason is important. Perhaps sometimes in life things happen. Jesus himself did not take any “free passes” or have a divine hand to protect him from the suffering of this world. I wonder if that is what we need to understand. God’s blessing, God’s choosing, is not some special dispensation or ticket to a trouble free life. God’s blessing, first handed down to Abraham was intended to begin redemption of the world. So we don’t get a free pass from suffering.
Jesus said in the gospel of John that “in this world we will have trouble.” The Hebrews found themselves in trouble, and God provided.
The lesson of Moses that is most important to me is the lesson that no matter who I am or where I find myself, my identity is rooted in God. When called by God, Moses asks “Who am I” to lead my people out of Egypt. God’s response—“I am with you.” Moses’ tragedy was this, he did not enter the Promised Land. The reason? He failed to recognize that God was with him and he took matters into his own hands, trusting his own wisdom and experience. This was the failure of the Hebrews he had led from captivity as well. Rather than entering the Promised Land as commanded, they relied on their own experience and understanding of the world, they forgot that they have no identity apart from God and because of this they found themselves wandering.
When I find myself lost and wandering in this life, that is usually the reason. I’ve placed too much faith in myself, and when life gets tough, or the road ahead seems too long or rough for me to travel. So I set out on my own course with no direction, lost and alone. Until I turn and realize—“I am with you.”
I’m not sure the reason is important. Perhaps sometimes in life things happen. Jesus himself did not take any “free passes” or have a divine hand to protect him from the suffering of this world. I wonder if that is what we need to understand. God’s blessing, God’s choosing, is not some special dispensation or ticket to a trouble free life. God’s blessing, first handed down to Abraham was intended to begin redemption of the world. So we don’t get a free pass from suffering.
Jesus said in the gospel of John that “in this world we will have trouble.” The Hebrews found themselves in trouble, and God provided.
The lesson of Moses that is most important to me is the lesson that no matter who I am or where I find myself, my identity is rooted in God. When called by God, Moses asks “Who am I” to lead my people out of Egypt. God’s response—“I am with you.” Moses’ tragedy was this, he did not enter the Promised Land. The reason? He failed to recognize that God was with him and he took matters into his own hands, trusting his own wisdom and experience. This was the failure of the Hebrews he had led from captivity as well. Rather than entering the Promised Land as commanded, they relied on their own experience and understanding of the world, they forgot that they have no identity apart from God and because of this they found themselves wandering.
When I find myself lost and wandering in this life, that is usually the reason. I’ve placed too much faith in myself, and when life gets tough, or the road ahead seems too long or rough for me to travel. So I set out on my own course with no direction, lost and alone. Until I turn and realize—“I am with you.”
Sunday, July 04, 2010
An Independence Day Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for freedom, and on this day especially, we give thanks for the freedom we enjoy as Americans. We are reminded that we are Christians first, followers of Jesus above all else, and while we are thankful for the ways that being American make it easy to be a Christian, we are mindful to not fall prey to the ways it is more difficult.
We thank you for men and women of good intent who have built this nation and defended her freedom. May we take this freedom as a blessing from You and share it with the world. We also lift up our many errors and mistakes from the past God, and humbly ask your forgiveness for the wrongs committed under the banner of our land under which we celebrate today. We do not hide from these transgression nor do we ignore them, because we fully trust that in Christ, all wrongs can be turned for the right when your people pray and humbly turn from their ways.
We give you great thanks for the mighty witness of Christian brothers and sisters who continue to claim your name without the benefit of the political, social, or economic freedoms that we enjoy. We pray for the persecuted Lord and ask that you teach us how to serve them in their struggles.
We celebrate our history and look ahead in hope on this day God. We pray for our leaders as we move into the future. President, Congress, courts, and local assemblies--God give them wisdom to do their jobs well. Give us also the wisdom to do our and to exercise a true freedom.
We come to this day with great joy around the awesome fruits that can grow through the freedom of man. Give us even greater joy in understanding the even greater fruit that can grow through the freedom of Christ. We know God that the best of any nation lies beyond the power of any other but you, either to give or take away. Because of this we pledge our allegiance first to you--
Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us of our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
Forever!
We thank you for freedom, and on this day especially, we give thanks for the freedom we enjoy as Americans. We are reminded that we are Christians first, followers of Jesus above all else, and while we are thankful for the ways that being American make it easy to be a Christian, we are mindful to not fall prey to the ways it is more difficult.
We thank you for men and women of good intent who have built this nation and defended her freedom. May we take this freedom as a blessing from You and share it with the world. We also lift up our many errors and mistakes from the past God, and humbly ask your forgiveness for the wrongs committed under the banner of our land under which we celebrate today. We do not hide from these transgression nor do we ignore them, because we fully trust that in Christ, all wrongs can be turned for the right when your people pray and humbly turn from their ways.
We give you great thanks for the mighty witness of Christian brothers and sisters who continue to claim your name without the benefit of the political, social, or economic freedoms that we enjoy. We pray for the persecuted Lord and ask that you teach us how to serve them in their struggles.
We celebrate our history and look ahead in hope on this day God. We pray for our leaders as we move into the future. President, Congress, courts, and local assemblies--God give them wisdom to do their jobs well. Give us also the wisdom to do our and to exercise a true freedom.
We come to this day with great joy around the awesome fruits that can grow through the freedom of man. Give us even greater joy in understanding the even greater fruit that can grow through the freedom of Christ. We know God that the best of any nation lies beyond the power of any other but you, either to give or take away. Because of this we pledge our allegiance first to you--
Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us of our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
Forever!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Introductions
When I began my attempt at reading the Bible in 90 days, I managed to stay on schedule for the first six or seven weeks. So it was only a matter of a few days getting from the beginning to the story of Abraham. For me, the story of Abraham marks the real beginning of the narrative of God’s work on Earth. That sounds a bit sacrilegious, and I certainly do not mean to dismiss what has preceded. Nevertheless, it is like with any book, you reach a point where you feel like you have really begun. You’re all in, you get what’s going on, and you’re ready to enjoy the experience.
I also relate to the story of Abraham because I remember the first time that I really began to question my faith. It was in high school, and not in science, but in history. We learned about early humans and pre-history. It all contradicted what I had been taught as a child, and even worse, it all made sense. I consider this a milestone in my faith, as we learned stories of creation myths and legends from other traditions, the teacher responded to a laughing student—“as crazy as this sounds, is it any more unbelievable than saying one man built a huge boat to escape a flood that covered the entire earth, and along the way managed to house every species of animal on this boat for the duration?”
That statement hit me like a brick. But later in the semester, the section heading in the chapter was “A Wandering Aramean…” Among the stories of river valley civilizations and empires, I found the story of the Hebrews and their monotheistic religion traced back to Abraham. I began to learn from that experience that to be open-minded toward other beliefs and skeptical of one’s own does not have to delegitimize or minimize our faith. I learned that somehow I have to figure out how to live in this world and not against it, at least not in the traditional, antagonistic sense. I felt like through this experience I moved from know about God to getting to know God.
I think this is part of the struggle that the story from Abraham to Moses speaks of. God calls Abraham out of his comfort to experience something new. By joining in God’s covenant, Abraham is called to be different. He is not called home to God and taken out of this world, he is asked to live a different life within this world so that through him he can be a blessing. He is not called to conquer, persuade, or rule, he is simply called to receive God’s blessing so that through him the world might be so blessed. And we learn about the growth of his nation through the blessing of God, and watch God’s people struggle to understand what it means to be chosen, and why they are it.
I also relate to the story of Abraham because I remember the first time that I really began to question my faith. It was in high school, and not in science, but in history. We learned about early humans and pre-history. It all contradicted what I had been taught as a child, and even worse, it all made sense. I consider this a milestone in my faith, as we learned stories of creation myths and legends from other traditions, the teacher responded to a laughing student—“as crazy as this sounds, is it any more unbelievable than saying one man built a huge boat to escape a flood that covered the entire earth, and along the way managed to house every species of animal on this boat for the duration?”
That statement hit me like a brick. But later in the semester, the section heading in the chapter was “A Wandering Aramean…” Among the stories of river valley civilizations and empires, I found the story of the Hebrews and their monotheistic religion traced back to Abraham. I began to learn from that experience that to be open-minded toward other beliefs and skeptical of one’s own does not have to delegitimize or minimize our faith. I learned that somehow I have to figure out how to live in this world and not against it, at least not in the traditional, antagonistic sense. I felt like through this experience I moved from know about God to getting to know God.
I think this is part of the struggle that the story from Abraham to Moses speaks of. God calls Abraham out of his comfort to experience something new. By joining in God’s covenant, Abraham is called to be different. He is not called home to God and taken out of this world, he is asked to live a different life within this world so that through him he can be a blessing. He is not called to conquer, persuade, or rule, he is simply called to receive God’s blessing so that through him the world might be so blessed. And we learn about the growth of his nation through the blessing of God, and watch God’s people struggle to understand what it means to be chosen, and why they are it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Adam to Abraham
So in reading through the Bible, my first reaction was to be caught up in the scale of this story. I realized that I was in the midst of something not only bigger than myself, but bigger than humanity. All that within a chapter. And then, the story of us begins.
From Adam to Abraham I see a story about how humanity advances in many ways, but continues to fall short in the important ways. I’ve often wondered about the fall. Perhaps it can be as simple as a fruit from a tree, but I find myself creating complexity and trying to understand metaphor in interpreting what happened to us and God so many years ago. I still don’t know. I could ramble on about ideas and theories, but I certainly wouldn’t want any of my thoughts in writing because the fact is that I still don’t know.
But it is clearly something. The evidence is all around us. The longing for meaning, the injustice of the world, my personal failures; something isn’t right, but something is working to make it right. The story of humans as we know them really seems to begin sometime after the garden. We work the soil, care for each other, populate the Earth. It seems that humanity did a pretty good job of it. They built, they created, they procreated, they loved, they laughed, the spread out, they cooperated. But they also destroyed, abused, cursed, and murdered.
They clearly kept a glimpse of God, but they seemed to let themselves get the best of themselves and lose sight of the fact that they were simply the beginning of little story of people fitting into a bigger story of divinity. And then God spoke to Abraham.
From Adam to Abraham I see a story about how humanity advances in many ways, but continues to fall short in the important ways. I’ve often wondered about the fall. Perhaps it can be as simple as a fruit from a tree, but I find myself creating complexity and trying to understand metaphor in interpreting what happened to us and God so many years ago. I still don’t know. I could ramble on about ideas and theories, but I certainly wouldn’t want any of my thoughts in writing because the fact is that I still don’t know.
But it is clearly something. The evidence is all around us. The longing for meaning, the injustice of the world, my personal failures; something isn’t right, but something is working to make it right. The story of humans as we know them really seems to begin sometime after the garden. We work the soil, care for each other, populate the Earth. It seems that humanity did a pretty good job of it. They built, they created, they procreated, they loved, they laughed, the spread out, they cooperated. But they also destroyed, abused, cursed, and murdered.
They clearly kept a glimpse of God, but they seemed to let themselves get the best of themselves and lose sight of the fact that they were simply the beginning of little story of people fitting into a bigger story of divinity. And then God spoke to Abraham.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Beginning
I didn’t make the 90-day deadline, but I have finished the Bible, cover to cover. This is the first time that I’ve attempted a straight through reading of the Bible and I am very glad that I did. Over the next few weeks, I’d like to share some of the things that I think I learned through this experience. Some of them from the text, others from the effort.
I began at the beginning. An intentional effort to read through the Bible is a pretty big task. It doesn’t read quite like other books, and it is certainly a lengthy tome. Reading from the beginning, one gets a sense of the scope as the beginning is… well, the beginning. In the beginning, God created. That alone gives quite a perspective on life. I remember reading several years ago the book “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson. I expected a great history of human development on Earth. Instead I found nothing close to humans covered until chapter 29… out of 30. But I was hooked by the second page:
This story in Genesis at the so called beginning encompasses a story that may be billions of years old. Eons of history developing before this place would be close to ready for inhabitants of our kind to dwell. And here, in Genesis, over just a few verses, we are given but a glimpse of this story. Like a master storyteller, we’re left with thousands of years to fill in the gaps, to speculate on our origins, to wonder how and why we are finally here. But the real importance is that we are, and now that we understand that, what comes next.
That is how I understand the Bible. So many of us place so much value on the literal insight of this beginning, but ultimately, I was created for relationship with God. That’s all I need to know to begin the journey.
But, “in the beginning, God created.” “And so, from nothing, our universe begins.” Folks, this is big. We get to join the story at the beginning, but I have a feeling this “beginning” is just where it starts to matter for us. How much more before or after, what grand thing have we found ourselves in the middle of. This isn’t a life to be dismissed, there’s something bigger going on here, and I want to find myself in it.
I began at the beginning. An intentional effort to read through the Bible is a pretty big task. It doesn’t read quite like other books, and it is certainly a lengthy tome. Reading from the beginning, one gets a sense of the scope as the beginning is… well, the beginning. In the beginning, God created. That alone gives quite a perspective on life. I remember reading several years ago the book “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson. I expected a great history of human development on Earth. Instead I found nothing close to humans covered until chapter 29… out of 30. But I was hooked by the second page:
This story in Genesis at the so called beginning encompasses a story that may be billions of years old. Eons of history developing before this place would be close to ready for inhabitants of our kind to dwell. And here, in Genesis, over just a few verses, we are given but a glimpse of this story. Like a master storyteller, we’re left with thousands of years to fill in the gaps, to speculate on our origins, to wonder how and why we are finally here. But the real importance is that we are, and now that we understand that, what comes next.
That is how I understand the Bible. So many of us place so much value on the literal insight of this beginning, but ultimately, I was created for relationship with God. That’s all I need to know to begin the journey.
But, “in the beginning, God created.” “And so, from nothing, our universe begins.” Folks, this is big. We get to join the story at the beginning, but I have a feeling this “beginning” is just where it starts to matter for us. How much more before or after, what grand thing have we found ourselves in the middle of. This isn’t a life to be dismissed, there’s something bigger going on here, and I want to find myself in it.
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