Family,
I am not a fan of musicals, typically, but i do think that some musicals have a story to tell that can speak to us, today. If you have spent any time with me, you might hear me state that the only musical i like or can stand to sit through is, "Fiddler on the Roof." But. There are many others that have something to teach, if we let them. One of those, for me, happens to be "Oklahoma." Why? Because i feel it speaks to how damaging conflict can be.
It is a love story, as any and all Rodgers and Hammerstein are, but it centers in on a historical reality: the conflict of farmers and ranchers in the great plains. Before ranchers owned vast amount of land, they would drive their cattle from Texas to Kansas or other plains states, and as Oklahoma became more and more populated, and people began to settle there, issues arose.
Farming played and still played an integral role in Oklahoma's development, but if there are cattle crossing, often, fresh crops, well the trampling alone could destroy the life blood for a farming, not including if the cows got hungry. So the farmers began to think of ways to stop the tresspassing on their land, because, in their view, the land couldn't handle both. What did they come up with? Barbed wire. Many a cow and cattle driver found themselves wrapped up in barbed wire, and quite a few lost their lives to the metal barbs acting as a deterrent. What happens?
The cattle drivers fight back, and we have an all out fued over land, land rights, water rights, and many other issues. A fued, which seemingly had no chance at reconciliation. Perhaps this is what Abram and Lot's crew dealt with. One crew, Abram's, was more successful. They were the veterans, the ones with seniority, and im sure, as people are prone to do, they reminded Lot's crew, often, of where Lot's crew stood. And perhaps Lot's crew wanted to make a name for themselves, or they simply wanted to survive, but whatever increased the feud, one issue started it: lack of land that could inhabit both large groups.
There was simply not enough water, land, or resources to care for the flocks, so one would have to go on, while the other got the pristine land. But who? Abram was the natural choice, and i imagine his crew felt a sense of right to the land, so they would fight to protect that right. But the young and zealous crew of Lot probably felt they had to stand out, separate from Abram, so they fought with the energy of being young, to get what they wanted. Reconciliation seemed impossible. Until Abram proves wiser than all.
He gives Lot a choice. But why? Why would Abram give Lot a choice? Why would Abram give Lot a chance to take the promised land/blessing? Why would Abram, willingly, sacrifice his own chance at status and wealth, so that Lot could get first choice?
Our group suggested Abram viewed Lot as a son, more than a son, and Abram wanted to preserve the relationship and face, so he did so by giving Lot the chance to succeed or fail. If Lot succeeded, Lot did it on his own. If he failed, Lot was solely responsible. And Lot would find trouble, very soon. But when Lot finds trouble, or trouble finds Lot, does Abram abandon him? No. He rescues Lot. Love seems to be the foundation for Abram's choice. But could it be more?
What did Abram do when he left Egypt? He returned to the site of the blessing, a site where Abram had built an altar to God and listened to God. What was Abram's first duty? Listen to God. Glorify God. Be patient on God. Abram's wisdom, quite possibly, came because he did what so few of us do, waited on God and let God lead. But there is more to Abram's story.
His whole well being was established by finding good land, good water, and a good place to care for his flocks. He had been a nomad his entire life, and now he settled. Pitched his tent. Set up a permanent base to be his home. He made a radical change, because God made it clear it was time, and because of his faith, God blessed Abram. What does this have to do with us? Everything.
If we need to know how to reconcile, it begins with listening to God's voice. If we need direction, wait on God, ask God. And if we want to honor God and each other, it begins with loving each other so much that we, honestly, put the needs of each other ahead of our own needs. When this happens God is glorified and our relationships remain strong. We dont have to be like the farmers and ranchers in "Oklahoma." We can and have the ability and faith to mirror Abram, when we do, mountains move. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Great thought
A wise woman posted an incredible comment to the blog this week. In my understanding of Genesis 12, i had a revelation brought to me. In the text itself, Sarah goes from being known by Sarah, to being unnamed. She is not longer Sarah, she is simply "her." So i added that thought to my blog, with the intention of highlighting, what i thought, was a serious injustice to Sarah. She loses her identity, for a brief moment, because her husband wants to "trick" Pharoah. Sarah, whether she chose to be part and parcel of the deception, or if she simply does what is expected, she goes along with Abe's plan. And without her sacrifice of self, Abe doesn't get nearly as wealthy. Sarah, in losing her identity, even for a brief moment, becomes a model for how self-sacrifice can lead to greater blessings.
But why do i think she lost her identity? Because in Jewish culture a name is everything. When we call someone by name, we are recognizing their importance to us, but when we simply relegate them to a pronoun--he, she, him, or her, we have taken away what makes them unique, makes them who they are. This happened to Sarah for a brief moment in chapter 12.
When i wrote about it, i hoped to highlight that better, but after reading the comment, i realized i made it sound like it was something to celebrate, or that Sarah had done something ungodly. That was not my intent, and it proves that words alone can never define what we want or mean to say. That's why it is vital that we have a conversation, a dialogue over the text, so that the message can emerge from our midst, as a body. Thanks again, to that wise woman who shared her thoughts. You taught me a lot this day.
blessings,
jerry
But why do i think she lost her identity? Because in Jewish culture a name is everything. When we call someone by name, we are recognizing their importance to us, but when we simply relegate them to a pronoun--he, she, him, or her, we have taken away what makes them unique, makes them who they are. This happened to Sarah for a brief moment in chapter 12.
When i wrote about it, i hoped to highlight that better, but after reading the comment, i realized i made it sound like it was something to celebrate, or that Sarah had done something ungodly. That was not my intent, and it proves that words alone can never define what we want or mean to say. That's why it is vital that we have a conversation, a dialogue over the text, so that the message can emerge from our midst, as a body. Thanks again, to that wise woman who shared her thoughts. You taught me a lot this day.
blessings,
jerry
Thursday, July 23, 2009
From barrenness to blessing
Dear family,
A couple, whom i am really close with, has a powerful story about the journey from barrenness to blessing. They wanted children. They were loving. Kind. Gracious. Amazing people. They could and would make awesome parents. But they weren't having any luck. Nothing worked. They went to specialists, nothing. They tried every possible angle, and yet nothing seemed to work. They began the conversation about adopting, when the church they attended had a guest speaker, and that speaker brought them something they needed: a blessing from God.
This speaker told them they could be expecting a child, and that child would be a son. No. They weren't told to name him Abram, John, or even Jesus, but they were told this child would be the blessing they sought. Did they doubt? Of course, who wouldn't. Did they have many days/nights, where they worried if it were to happen? Yes. Then a month after the "message," my friend's wife went to the doctor, and they had good news. No. They had miraculous news. They were going to have a child.
And that child is a beautiful boy, who is healthy and loving. And this couple gets to shower this young miracle with all the love they have in them, and that boy is one lucky kid. He will be loved without end, but more than that, he will be evidence of how God blesses. More than that, how awesome those blessings truly are.
When we think of blessing, we have to rehearse the Abraham--Sarah narrative. Theirs is a story rooted in blessing, and it is a blessing that doesn't necessarily happen during their life time. It is a blessing of the "not yet" variety. And it is a blessing attached to an instruction from God: GO!
God tells Abram, Sarai, and Lot to go. Go into this foreign land. Go where you have no idea what to expect. Leave your family. Leave what you know. And start a new life, in a new area, with new people, and when you do this, God says, "I will bless you." They go. We assume they left because of their great faith and trust in God, but the text doesn't illuminate that. We read that into it. It could be. Or. It could be, like the rest of us, they had reservations. They wrestled with the charge to go. They argued, amongst themselves, about the 'practicality' of going to an area and starting over. Whatever they struggled with or did not struggle with, they went. And what was their immediate reward?
Famine. Not a huge area lush with green grass for their flocks. Not an area dripping with water that would enable them to live long, healthy, happy lives. Not even an area ideal for doing anything, so what is their first reality? They have to venture further, into a land that is known to be, at best, unsafe for people like Abraham and Sarah. But to survive, they have to go.
It is a powerful story, isn't it? God instructing Abraham and Sarah, and they obey. God promises blessings, beyond imaginations, and they hold onto it. This would be a great way to end this chapter, an ending not unlike my friends, but this is not how 12 ends. Is it?
No. They make their way to Egypy, and because Sarah is beautiful, Abraham tells her to deceive Pharoah. "Tell this powerful king that you are my sister, and not my wife, because if he finds out you are my wife, he will let me die. But if he thinks you are my sister, well he will let me live. More than that, he will bless me." In essence, Abraham tells Sarah, i am going to survive and thrive at your expense.
How many of you, after reading this part of 12, get a little nauseous? Or. Do you find yourself in the camp with many from our small group, who suggested that God gave Abraham this idea, so that Abraham and Sarah would survive and thrive? Martin Luther shares this view. But the text makes no mention of this, but it does hint that Abraham wanted to deceive Pharoah, and that because of the deception, God punished Pharoah. If God created the deception, does that mean God intended to punish Pharoah all along?
Or could it be, as others have argued, that Abraham, like most of us, was human. In his fear of death, in his fear of loss, and in his fear of being left to fend for himself, he thought of a way to beat the odds. It would only cost Sarah her identity for a brief moment, and in the end, they would probably be better off anyway. If this is the case, then it illustrates that Abraham was truly human, with all the frailities and unfaith that many of us, when facing life/death situations also become overwhelmed with. And yet, even in his unfaith, God blesses Abraham.
It should be noted that old Abe didnt' get off scot free. He was banished, deported from the lush land of Egypt, sent back to the Negev, which was the site of the famine and drought. So. In reality, Abraham, though richer, still faced the struggle to survive a drought that could have killed him and the blessing. But Abraham survives the drought as well, doesn't he. Not only does he survive, but Abraham becomes the foundation for which the blessings of God become real for all generations. Abraham and Sarah, still barren, were continuing their journey from barrenness to blessing.
And their house was increasing, illustrating that God was indeed blessing them, but there was still one piece missing from this, and that would have been the final illustration of God's blessing. It would be nice to end the story of Abe and Sarah on a positive note, but as all too often, even God's most amazing heroes fall, often. And they will too. It is not their fallen nature that we should focus in on, but in their ability to regain their composure and return to the blessing, over and over. Heroes aren't faith filled giants that move mountains, as we see in Abraham and Sarah, they are simple folks, like all of us, who face mountains of challenges and somehow find the strength and the faith to continue on our own journeys from barrenness to blessing.
Amen..
Shalom,
jerry
A couple, whom i am really close with, has a powerful story about the journey from barrenness to blessing. They wanted children. They were loving. Kind. Gracious. Amazing people. They could and would make awesome parents. But they weren't having any luck. Nothing worked. They went to specialists, nothing. They tried every possible angle, and yet nothing seemed to work. They began the conversation about adopting, when the church they attended had a guest speaker, and that speaker brought them something they needed: a blessing from God.
This speaker told them they could be expecting a child, and that child would be a son. No. They weren't told to name him Abram, John, or even Jesus, but they were told this child would be the blessing they sought. Did they doubt? Of course, who wouldn't. Did they have many days/nights, where they worried if it were to happen? Yes. Then a month after the "message," my friend's wife went to the doctor, and they had good news. No. They had miraculous news. They were going to have a child.
And that child is a beautiful boy, who is healthy and loving. And this couple gets to shower this young miracle with all the love they have in them, and that boy is one lucky kid. He will be loved without end, but more than that, he will be evidence of how God blesses. More than that, how awesome those blessings truly are.
When we think of blessing, we have to rehearse the Abraham--Sarah narrative. Theirs is a story rooted in blessing, and it is a blessing that doesn't necessarily happen during their life time. It is a blessing of the "not yet" variety. And it is a blessing attached to an instruction from God: GO!
God tells Abram, Sarai, and Lot to go. Go into this foreign land. Go where you have no idea what to expect. Leave your family. Leave what you know. And start a new life, in a new area, with new people, and when you do this, God says, "I will bless you." They go. We assume they left because of their great faith and trust in God, but the text doesn't illuminate that. We read that into it. It could be. Or. It could be, like the rest of us, they had reservations. They wrestled with the charge to go. They argued, amongst themselves, about the 'practicality' of going to an area and starting over. Whatever they struggled with or did not struggle with, they went. And what was their immediate reward?
Famine. Not a huge area lush with green grass for their flocks. Not an area dripping with water that would enable them to live long, healthy, happy lives. Not even an area ideal for doing anything, so what is their first reality? They have to venture further, into a land that is known to be, at best, unsafe for people like Abraham and Sarah. But to survive, they have to go.
It is a powerful story, isn't it? God instructing Abraham and Sarah, and they obey. God promises blessings, beyond imaginations, and they hold onto it. This would be a great way to end this chapter, an ending not unlike my friends, but this is not how 12 ends. Is it?
No. They make their way to Egypy, and because Sarah is beautiful, Abraham tells her to deceive Pharoah. "Tell this powerful king that you are my sister, and not my wife, because if he finds out you are my wife, he will let me die. But if he thinks you are my sister, well he will let me live. More than that, he will bless me." In essence, Abraham tells Sarah, i am going to survive and thrive at your expense.
How many of you, after reading this part of 12, get a little nauseous? Or. Do you find yourself in the camp with many from our small group, who suggested that God gave Abraham this idea, so that Abraham and Sarah would survive and thrive? Martin Luther shares this view. But the text makes no mention of this, but it does hint that Abraham wanted to deceive Pharoah, and that because of the deception, God punished Pharoah. If God created the deception, does that mean God intended to punish Pharoah all along?
Or could it be, as others have argued, that Abraham, like most of us, was human. In his fear of death, in his fear of loss, and in his fear of being left to fend for himself, he thought of a way to beat the odds. It would only cost Sarah her identity for a brief moment, and in the end, they would probably be better off anyway. If this is the case, then it illustrates that Abraham was truly human, with all the frailities and unfaith that many of us, when facing life/death situations also become overwhelmed with. And yet, even in his unfaith, God blesses Abraham.
It should be noted that old Abe didnt' get off scot free. He was banished, deported from the lush land of Egypt, sent back to the Negev, which was the site of the famine and drought. So. In reality, Abraham, though richer, still faced the struggle to survive a drought that could have killed him and the blessing. But Abraham survives the drought as well, doesn't he. Not only does he survive, but Abraham becomes the foundation for which the blessings of God become real for all generations. Abraham and Sarah, still barren, were continuing their journey from barrenness to blessing.
And their house was increasing, illustrating that God was indeed blessing them, but there was still one piece missing from this, and that would have been the final illustration of God's blessing. It would be nice to end the story of Abe and Sarah on a positive note, but as all too often, even God's most amazing heroes fall, often. And they will too. It is not their fallen nature that we should focus in on, but in their ability to regain their composure and return to the blessing, over and over. Heroes aren't faith filled giants that move mountains, as we see in Abraham and Sarah, they are simple folks, like all of us, who face mountains of challenges and somehow find the strength and the faith to continue on our own journeys from barrenness to blessing.
Amen..
Shalom,
jerry
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Danger of Comfort...
Family,
We continue our journey through Genesis, and we find ourselves diving into a familiar chapter--11. This is the infamous "Tower of Babel" text. It is a chapter that most of us know and could tell, without rehearsing or rereading the text. And so i found myself wondering what God could add to make this story new, revealing, and life-changing for all of us.
I mean, we are all familiar with the general consensus that the people built an altar to God, and it was an act of pride. They joined together, as one voice, in one language, and built this monstrocity to the heavens. The Bible even tells us that the LORD said, "If as one people they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan will be impossible for them..." According to God's own perception, as one voice, as one people, as one mind, we can accomplish anything. So what does God do? He separates the people. He gives them different languages. He makes them strangers to each other. And then he spreads them out all over the earth. This is the story we know, right? And we attribute God's anger to their building the tower, right?
But wait. Why did they build the tower? They have to come together. They have become sedementary. They can't "be fruitful and multiply," if they are going to work together to build a tower. So. Could it be that part of God's issue with the people is that they disobeyed God's command to go and be fruitful? Instead of repopulating the earth, proving God's blessings to be true, they stopped, built a city where they were comfortable, and they forgot God would bless them, if they were obedient.
Is it plausible that the tower represents their refusal to accept the fullness of God's blessings? Our group on Sunday night struggled with this. In the text, they were unified. Is that such a bad thing? In the text, God suggested that if they were able to build a tower, in the little time they worked together, what more could they possibly accomplish, if they were able to work together? But isn't communicating, getting along, and working side by side a Godly thing? Our group said yes.
If it is, then why does God tear them a part? Is the tower that much of an abomination? Or. Was it that they denied God's blessing and instruction to go? We wrestled with this, and we sense it is both. And then we remembered Matthew 28, which Jesus tells His disciples, "Go and make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all the things i have taught you. And surely i am with you, even to the end of the age."
It seems to me that the command to go brings a promise from God. If we go, as commanded, God walks with us. If we go, as commanded, God produces fruit. And if we go, as commanded, God unites us. How do i know? Because in Acts we have the power of the Holy Spirit unleashed on a crowd of people, from different countries, and though they spoke different languages, God helped them understand each other. In my own understanding of Pentecost, i get the sense that if God's people unite to honor God, obey God, and put their faith in God, then not even lingualistic difference can keep us a part.
And yet, if we, on the other hand, speak the same language, but we remain safe and comfortable, then we really won't know the fullness of God's blessings. This is the tower for me. This is the dilemma for me. How do we go? How do we live lives of radical faith? And how do we throw caution to the wind and trust God, completely? I am anxious to read your responses and insights to this difficult text. I know God will illuminate your minds and spirits and bring out a truth that inspires us all. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
We continue our journey through Genesis, and we find ourselves diving into a familiar chapter--11. This is the infamous "Tower of Babel" text. It is a chapter that most of us know and could tell, without rehearsing or rereading the text. And so i found myself wondering what God could add to make this story new, revealing, and life-changing for all of us.
I mean, we are all familiar with the general consensus that the people built an altar to God, and it was an act of pride. They joined together, as one voice, in one language, and built this monstrocity to the heavens. The Bible even tells us that the LORD said, "If as one people they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan will be impossible for them..." According to God's own perception, as one voice, as one people, as one mind, we can accomplish anything. So what does God do? He separates the people. He gives them different languages. He makes them strangers to each other. And then he spreads them out all over the earth. This is the story we know, right? And we attribute God's anger to their building the tower, right?
But wait. Why did they build the tower? They have to come together. They have become sedementary. They can't "be fruitful and multiply," if they are going to work together to build a tower. So. Could it be that part of God's issue with the people is that they disobeyed God's command to go and be fruitful? Instead of repopulating the earth, proving God's blessings to be true, they stopped, built a city where they were comfortable, and they forgot God would bless them, if they were obedient.
Is it plausible that the tower represents their refusal to accept the fullness of God's blessings? Our group on Sunday night struggled with this. In the text, they were unified. Is that such a bad thing? In the text, God suggested that if they were able to build a tower, in the little time they worked together, what more could they possibly accomplish, if they were able to work together? But isn't communicating, getting along, and working side by side a Godly thing? Our group said yes.
If it is, then why does God tear them a part? Is the tower that much of an abomination? Or. Was it that they denied God's blessing and instruction to go? We wrestled with this, and we sense it is both. And then we remembered Matthew 28, which Jesus tells His disciples, "Go and make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all the things i have taught you. And surely i am with you, even to the end of the age."
It seems to me that the command to go brings a promise from God. If we go, as commanded, God walks with us. If we go, as commanded, God produces fruit. And if we go, as commanded, God unites us. How do i know? Because in Acts we have the power of the Holy Spirit unleashed on a crowd of people, from different countries, and though they spoke different languages, God helped them understand each other. In my own understanding of Pentecost, i get the sense that if God's people unite to honor God, obey God, and put their faith in God, then not even lingualistic difference can keep us a part.
And yet, if we, on the other hand, speak the same language, but we remain safe and comfortable, then we really won't know the fullness of God's blessings. This is the tower for me. This is the dilemma for me. How do we go? How do we live lives of radical faith? And how do we throw caution to the wind and trust God, completely? I am anxious to read your responses and insights to this difficult text. I know God will illuminate your minds and spirits and bring out a truth that inspires us all. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Friday, July 10, 2009
Which Dog Will We Feed?
Family,
First of all, i have already posted this blog once, only to find that it didn't work. Somehow i over edited it, or something. Anyway. I will try again.
This is a unique week. Not only have i posted the normal blog, i have been inspired, by a book, to post another one. I felt it was time to share some of my thoughts and feelings about this book, which has illuminated truths in ways i never even thought possible. I picked up the book, "Fieldy," thinking it was the story about ex KORN guitarist Brian Welch, who had converted to Christianity and left the band. I was wrong.
It was a different member of KORN. This was the story of the bassists journey into music, rock and roll fame, and a life of drugs, sex, and alcohol abuse. Most biographies of this sort stand as salacious bragging memoirs for ego maniacs, but this was different. Fieldy wrote about life as a rock star, and he shares some difficult moments, but woven into the stories of the abuse, are threads about the trappings of this life. In fact, throughout the entire biography, Fieldy makes it clear that this life is not life at all, it is, in truth, a road to death, darkness, and destruction.
That's why i felt called to post another blog. Throughout the book, Fieldy refers to a story he heard as a kid. It was a conversation between a grandfather and grandson about the duality of life and people. The grandfather, (In Bowen's translation), told the grandson that every person has two dogs that he/she will serve. A good dog, which leads to a full life, peace, success, healthy relationships, and overall a good life. A bad dog, which is the opposite in all areas.
The grandson, wanting a life that is good, full, and successful asks, "Which dog will we serve?" The grandfather answers, without missing a beat, "Which ever dog you feed."
This opened my eyes. I have, in my past fed that bad dog, all too much. Even now, when i pray for God to take away my anger, temper, judgmental attitude, or so many more sins i carry, i realize how much i still feed that dog. If i want to be free, i have to feed the good dog. I have to do, as Fieldy did, pray, study God's word, forgive, ask for forgiveness, do good, be good, love, and just live truly, as Jesus lived. If i could do this, daily, i would feed that good dog and feel the joy of being closer to God.
And it is something that has begun to happen. I have begun to realize that i must feed the good dog, daily, hourly, even by the second, if i am to be who I want to be and who God wants me to be. All of us must feed this dog every second of our lives, because the bad dog waits to prounce on us with zeal and destruction in mind. It brings to mind the teaching Jesus gave about the man who was freed from demons, but that man didn't fill the new emptiness with anything, so the demons returned, in force, and destroyed the man.
We must fill that void with Godly things, and when we do, we become that good disciple who honors Jesus every day of our lives. I had to read about a tattooed bass player's life in order to fully get it. I hope my learning can become a teaching tool so others can begin feeding the good dog. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
First of all, i have already posted this blog once, only to find that it didn't work. Somehow i over edited it, or something. Anyway. I will try again.
This is a unique week. Not only have i posted the normal blog, i have been inspired, by a book, to post another one. I felt it was time to share some of my thoughts and feelings about this book, which has illuminated truths in ways i never even thought possible. I picked up the book, "Fieldy," thinking it was the story about ex KORN guitarist Brian Welch, who had converted to Christianity and left the band. I was wrong.
It was a different member of KORN. This was the story of the bassists journey into music, rock and roll fame, and a life of drugs, sex, and alcohol abuse. Most biographies of this sort stand as salacious bragging memoirs for ego maniacs, but this was different. Fieldy wrote about life as a rock star, and he shares some difficult moments, but woven into the stories of the abuse, are threads about the trappings of this life. In fact, throughout the entire biography, Fieldy makes it clear that this life is not life at all, it is, in truth, a road to death, darkness, and destruction.
That's why i felt called to post another blog. Throughout the book, Fieldy refers to a story he heard as a kid. It was a conversation between a grandfather and grandson about the duality of life and people. The grandfather, (In Bowen's translation), told the grandson that every person has two dogs that he/she will serve. A good dog, which leads to a full life, peace, success, healthy relationships, and overall a good life. A bad dog, which is the opposite in all areas.
The grandson, wanting a life that is good, full, and successful asks, "Which dog will we serve?" The grandfather answers, without missing a beat, "Which ever dog you feed."
This opened my eyes. I have, in my past fed that bad dog, all too much. Even now, when i pray for God to take away my anger, temper, judgmental attitude, or so many more sins i carry, i realize how much i still feed that dog. If i want to be free, i have to feed the good dog. I have to do, as Fieldy did, pray, study God's word, forgive, ask for forgiveness, do good, be good, love, and just live truly, as Jesus lived. If i could do this, daily, i would feed that good dog and feel the joy of being closer to God.
And it is something that has begun to happen. I have begun to realize that i must feed the good dog, daily, hourly, even by the second, if i am to be who I want to be and who God wants me to be. All of us must feed this dog every second of our lives, because the bad dog waits to prounce on us with zeal and destruction in mind. It brings to mind the teaching Jesus gave about the man who was freed from demons, but that man didn't fill the new emptiness with anything, so the demons returned, in force, and destroyed the man.
We must fill that void with Godly things, and when we do, we become that good disciple who honors Jesus every day of our lives. I had to read about a tattooed bass player's life in order to fully get it. I hope my learning can become a teaching tool so others can begin feeding the good dog. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A solution to racism
Family,
I was struggling with this text all week. I havent found it easy to find inspiration and guidance in preaching about "geneology," but that was before God opened my eyes. Ironically, the inspiration came from my dad, who has no biblical knowledge or foundation, and yet, he was able to illumine the text in a way i had overlooked.
Often times i want to get into the meat, academically, of the text and exegete the text, discover the Hebrew/Greek meaning of words, and i should, because this honors the text as it was intended. But. If i in my desire for an intellectual approach to the Scripture, i miss an obvious, easy message, i have done no justice to God or our church. And it took my dad, a non-believer, to help me see. God works in mysterious ways.
Genesis 10 is a chapter about the sons of Noah and their families. It is a story about how humanity spreads out and begins to repopulate the earth after the tragic, yet necessary, events of the flood. And it is a story about how God's blessings overflowed for Noah and his boys. But it is also a story about our common ground, our common lineage, and our common ancestry. At the core of all of this, is the truth that each of us, whether one is from North America, Africa, Asia, or Europe, come from the same family tree. In essence, we are all family, and the narrative of Noah's sons and their sons illustrates how truly connected we are.
Each son represents the populace of a different section of ground, whether that be near Egypt, Greece, or Israel herself, Noah's sons prove God's intention to unite us all, through Him. It is a commonality we share with each other. If we could trust in that, wouldn't that resolve or at least begin to resolve many of our racial conflicts? If we could ground ourselves in the reality, the truth, that each of us come from the same beginnings, couldn't we work for justice together, fight against oppression together, and stand before water hoses together? I believe so.
If can lean on our common history, we could create, together, an amazing future. And i know we can do it. The geneology of Noah's sons isnt just a historical record of one family, it is THE historical record of humanity. All peoples, everywhere, can trace their lineage and beginnings to this part of our story as a people, and that should give each of us hope that peace is possible, racial reconcilation is possible, diversity that is welcomed and embraced is possible, and that God's Kingdom can and will break upon our world once again.
This is about Noah's family, but it says so much more. It is about the founding of our world's political and social systems, which inevitably, as we read in chapter 11, begins to separate and dominate each other, instead of connecting to one another. And we can continue down this path of disunity and discord, but if we can learn a lot from chapter ten, including that we all come from the same family tree, and we are all sisters and brothers. Recognizing each other as family will go along way to determining our future. It is a future i have a lot of hope for, because i sense the possibilities, for us as children of God, are endless. I hope you feel that hope too. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
I was struggling with this text all week. I havent found it easy to find inspiration and guidance in preaching about "geneology," but that was before God opened my eyes. Ironically, the inspiration came from my dad, who has no biblical knowledge or foundation, and yet, he was able to illumine the text in a way i had overlooked.
Often times i want to get into the meat, academically, of the text and exegete the text, discover the Hebrew/Greek meaning of words, and i should, because this honors the text as it was intended. But. If i in my desire for an intellectual approach to the Scripture, i miss an obvious, easy message, i have done no justice to God or our church. And it took my dad, a non-believer, to help me see. God works in mysterious ways.
Genesis 10 is a chapter about the sons of Noah and their families. It is a story about how humanity spreads out and begins to repopulate the earth after the tragic, yet necessary, events of the flood. And it is a story about how God's blessings overflowed for Noah and his boys. But it is also a story about our common ground, our common lineage, and our common ancestry. At the core of all of this, is the truth that each of us, whether one is from North America, Africa, Asia, or Europe, come from the same family tree. In essence, we are all family, and the narrative of Noah's sons and their sons illustrates how truly connected we are.
Each son represents the populace of a different section of ground, whether that be near Egypt, Greece, or Israel herself, Noah's sons prove God's intention to unite us all, through Him. It is a commonality we share with each other. If we could trust in that, wouldn't that resolve or at least begin to resolve many of our racial conflicts? If we could ground ourselves in the reality, the truth, that each of us come from the same beginnings, couldn't we work for justice together, fight against oppression together, and stand before water hoses together? I believe so.
If can lean on our common history, we could create, together, an amazing future. And i know we can do it. The geneology of Noah's sons isnt just a historical record of one family, it is THE historical record of humanity. All peoples, everywhere, can trace their lineage and beginnings to this part of our story as a people, and that should give each of us hope that peace is possible, racial reconcilation is possible, diversity that is welcomed and embraced is possible, and that God's Kingdom can and will break upon our world once again.
This is about Noah's family, but it says so much more. It is about the founding of our world's political and social systems, which inevitably, as we read in chapter 11, begins to separate and dominate each other, instead of connecting to one another. And we can continue down this path of disunity and discord, but if we can learn a lot from chapter ten, including that we all come from the same family tree, and we are all sisters and brothers. Recognizing each other as family will go along way to determining our future. It is a future i have a lot of hope for, because i sense the possibilities, for us as children of God, are endless. I hope you feel that hope too. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Thursday, July 2, 2009
A new promise
Folks,
One of the trips i took, after college, was one forever etched into my memory. Three of my friends and I, over Thanksgiving, wanted to chase each other down the slopes of Crested Butte, CO. You buy one ski pass, and you get another free. We found some coupons and deals, and we actually skied three days for the price of one. We made our van into our apartment/ room for the trip, and we purchased most of our food ahead of time. We were going to ski as cheaply as possible. I owned my own skis, so all i had to do was find some extra coin for the boots, and i could ski, almost free. It was the ideal situation.
The only drawback was driving the van. It was ok if you were in second or third gear, you could find those gears alright and shift. (It was a manual transmission) But if you had to stop and start in first gear, well that was an adventure that was impossible to go through. I got lucky going out, i never had to drive, but i knew, as was our rules, i would have to drive home. It was only fair.
I started off, letting everyone know, that i was ready to drive, when they needed me. They said ok. My friend Sean started the trip, got us out of the mountains, and then turned to me and said, "I'm too tired. I can't go on." It was the time of the night, around eleven, when one gets tired after skiing all day. I was up.
The trip started ok, and i handled the van well. Sean had promised to stay awake, as long as he could, but that was short lived. Before the clock struck twelve, it was me, the van, and the open road that is Eastern Colorado/ Western Kansas. We weren't even on the interstate, it was highway 56 all the way. A desolate, deserted stretch of road, especially early in the morning that can play tricks on one's mind.
As i headed east, as the hours floated into early morning, the sun began to break into the horizon, and nothing could have been more beautful to me, except the reality that just as the sun was coming up, we entered my hometown: Lyons, KS--a small farming community west of McPherson, about 30 miles. I knew this town, and it was like a deep sigh of relief as i pulled into the filling station to get gas. I was close to home.
And now every time i see that gas station, the memory of that long drive, through the night, in that old van, with some of my closest friends, springs back into my memory, and i have to smile.
I wonder if that's how it was for Noah and everytime he saw a rainbow. For Noah, as far as i can tell, a rainbow meant more than prisms of light breaking into what has become ROYGBIV. For Noah, a rainbow was a journey of a year, a failed humanity, and an endless trip. But above all, for Noah, it was a beautiful reminder that God had saved him. The rainbow, for Noah, and all of us that are heirs to the covenant God made with Noah, a rainbow should remind us that God's word, God's promise, is eternal. God never goes back on His promise.
But what do we think about when we see a rainbow? Do our minds creep back to the flood and remember the story of how God desires faithfulness and honors faithfulness? Or do our minds disect the science and physics of the colors, alleviating any "mystery?" Or. When we see sands on the beach do we consider the promise God made to Abraham? Or do we think about how hot sand becomes tomorrow's windows? When we stare into the sky at night, and we marvel at the stars, (as long as we have distance between us and the light pollution of dayton) do we think about God's promise to Abraham? Or are we simply in awe of the gases that create the stars and the distance each star truly is from earth?
And when we take of the bread and cup, or eat any bread and drink from any cup, do we stop and contemplate about the aweness of Jesus' promise and new covenant? Or, which i hope is not the case, has it become so rote, we just consume, as we do so much in our lives, and forget to be in awe of what communion represent? When we see a cross, do we find ourselves back in history to that painful day when Christ suffered? And do we acknowledge His call to raise our crosses and follow? Or. Are we immune to its beauty and ugliness?
How about every time we pass a graveyard and stare at the ground decorated with memories and stories, do we find ourselves running to the empty tomb? Or. Do we stop and lament, forgetting that death has no sting. Death was and is defeated.
Why all these questions? Because our lives should mirror our faith. If we trust and believe that God keeps His promises, then any and all promises hold true. And every time we pass something that takes our thoughts back to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, i hope that our minds, our hears, our bodies, and our souls are filled with a new sense of awe, reverence, and thankfulness. Because God keeps His promises. That's why each rainbow brought a smile to Noah's face, and why Paul speaks about communion with reverence, because they are holy reminders of God's promises.
So. I challenge us to no longer take rainbows and stars for granted, but stand, sit, and be in awe of the mystery behind them, but also thank God while we enjoy them. I challenge us to walk on the beaches and let the sands fall between our toes, but also pick some up and as the sand falls back to the earth, praise God that we are one of those grains. And i challenge each of us to take up our crosses, break bread, and remember that with Jesus, all the promises of God came together in the form of one person. And that, above all other promises, should send us to our knees in awe. Amen.
Shalom...
One of the trips i took, after college, was one forever etched into my memory. Three of my friends and I, over Thanksgiving, wanted to chase each other down the slopes of Crested Butte, CO. You buy one ski pass, and you get another free. We found some coupons and deals, and we actually skied three days for the price of one. We made our van into our apartment/ room for the trip, and we purchased most of our food ahead of time. We were going to ski as cheaply as possible. I owned my own skis, so all i had to do was find some extra coin for the boots, and i could ski, almost free. It was the ideal situation.
The only drawback was driving the van. It was ok if you were in second or third gear, you could find those gears alright and shift. (It was a manual transmission) But if you had to stop and start in first gear, well that was an adventure that was impossible to go through. I got lucky going out, i never had to drive, but i knew, as was our rules, i would have to drive home. It was only fair.
I started off, letting everyone know, that i was ready to drive, when they needed me. They said ok. My friend Sean started the trip, got us out of the mountains, and then turned to me and said, "I'm too tired. I can't go on." It was the time of the night, around eleven, when one gets tired after skiing all day. I was up.
The trip started ok, and i handled the van well. Sean had promised to stay awake, as long as he could, but that was short lived. Before the clock struck twelve, it was me, the van, and the open road that is Eastern Colorado/ Western Kansas. We weren't even on the interstate, it was highway 56 all the way. A desolate, deserted stretch of road, especially early in the morning that can play tricks on one's mind.
As i headed east, as the hours floated into early morning, the sun began to break into the horizon, and nothing could have been more beautful to me, except the reality that just as the sun was coming up, we entered my hometown: Lyons, KS--a small farming community west of McPherson, about 30 miles. I knew this town, and it was like a deep sigh of relief as i pulled into the filling station to get gas. I was close to home.
And now every time i see that gas station, the memory of that long drive, through the night, in that old van, with some of my closest friends, springs back into my memory, and i have to smile.
I wonder if that's how it was for Noah and everytime he saw a rainbow. For Noah, as far as i can tell, a rainbow meant more than prisms of light breaking into what has become ROYGBIV. For Noah, a rainbow was a journey of a year, a failed humanity, and an endless trip. But above all, for Noah, it was a beautiful reminder that God had saved him. The rainbow, for Noah, and all of us that are heirs to the covenant God made with Noah, a rainbow should remind us that God's word, God's promise, is eternal. God never goes back on His promise.
But what do we think about when we see a rainbow? Do our minds creep back to the flood and remember the story of how God desires faithfulness and honors faithfulness? Or do our minds disect the science and physics of the colors, alleviating any "mystery?" Or. When we see sands on the beach do we consider the promise God made to Abraham? Or do we think about how hot sand becomes tomorrow's windows? When we stare into the sky at night, and we marvel at the stars, (as long as we have distance between us and the light pollution of dayton) do we think about God's promise to Abraham? Or are we simply in awe of the gases that create the stars and the distance each star truly is from earth?
And when we take of the bread and cup, or eat any bread and drink from any cup, do we stop and contemplate about the aweness of Jesus' promise and new covenant? Or, which i hope is not the case, has it become so rote, we just consume, as we do so much in our lives, and forget to be in awe of what communion represent? When we see a cross, do we find ourselves back in history to that painful day when Christ suffered? And do we acknowledge His call to raise our crosses and follow? Or. Are we immune to its beauty and ugliness?
How about every time we pass a graveyard and stare at the ground decorated with memories and stories, do we find ourselves running to the empty tomb? Or. Do we stop and lament, forgetting that death has no sting. Death was and is defeated.
Why all these questions? Because our lives should mirror our faith. If we trust and believe that God keeps His promises, then any and all promises hold true. And every time we pass something that takes our thoughts back to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, i hope that our minds, our hears, our bodies, and our souls are filled with a new sense of awe, reverence, and thankfulness. Because God keeps His promises. That's why each rainbow brought a smile to Noah's face, and why Paul speaks about communion with reverence, because they are holy reminders of God's promises.
So. I challenge us to no longer take rainbows and stars for granted, but stand, sit, and be in awe of the mystery behind them, but also thank God while we enjoy them. I challenge us to walk on the beaches and let the sands fall between our toes, but also pick some up and as the sand falls back to the earth, praise God that we are one of those grains. And i challenge each of us to take up our crosses, break bread, and remember that with Jesus, all the promises of God came together in the form of one person. And that, above all other promises, should send us to our knees in awe. Amen.
Shalom...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)