I dont know how to respond to a specific post or response, so i have to do a blog as a response. I have tried to figure out to simply do a response, but i keep getting "failure" notices. It's like College Biology all over again. No matter how hard i tried, i couldnt figure it out.
Anyway. Here is my response to the comment made about politics from the pulpit.
I agree that choosing a side, politically, is wrong, and if/when i have done that, i am wrong. I apologize to any and all that hear me endorse one candidate or another. I do my best not to do that. I know that i have spoken highly of the historical significance of electing Barack Obama, because of our history as a country mired in racism and oppression, but if that has ever been understood or appeared as an endorsement, i am very wrong. And i apologize. However, i do think we need to talk about what is happening in the world, and politics are part and parcel of our world. We need to talk about how our elected officials are making choices that may or may not honor the kingdom of God. I only desire to create a space where the discussion can be had.
I am a passionate person who has spent my entire academic career studying politics and social justice issues. They are part of my story and my identity. I have found biblical support for what i have felt is "right," and i do my best to anchor all of my views, biblically. If any can illumine where my views diverge from Scripture, i invite and encourage the correction. But just as i welcome all opposing views; it should also be granted to me as well. I have not attacked any personal ideologies, as far as i know, and i pray i never will. I welcome a healthy debate, where we can share our ideas and thoughts without the fear of exclusion or ostracism. The true sign of a healthy relationship is being together, not because of our similiarities, but because even in our differences, we choose love. The higher law!
Thank you for commenting, and again if i have pushed an ideology, i apologize. I do ask this, though, if i have, please point out when, how, and where, so i can, if it is on DVD, replay the sermon and check my words. I have a short memory, and i need to be held accountable, just like everyone else..
have a blessed day..
jerry
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Birthday Party
Dear Family,
I realize that this is my second post, in one week, well on the same day really. But that is intentional. The first post wasn't connected to our journey through Genesis, but it dealt with some thoughts and feelings i have had for a while, so i wanted to share those thoughts with all of you. This post, now, is for Genesis 21, our chapter for Sunday.
It is a glorious chapter, but it is also a sad one. We read about the joys of childbirth, and Sarah finally gets to laugh. Whether she is laughing at the irrationality of having Isaac at her age, or if she is laughing with joy at having an heir, or if she is laughing at the mockers who must have reminded her, daily, that she had failed to provide an heir for Abraham. Whatever the cause, and perhaps it all of these and more, Sarah finally gets to laugh. More than that, she gets the last laugh.
But with the birth of Isaac, Ishmael quickly finds himself on the margins. Abraham has an heir, a son, who will inherit Abraham's household. Ishmael is no longer needed. Sadly, as Sarah illustrates with her demands that Ishmael and Hagar be dismissed from the household, it's not that he is no longer needed. He, and his mother, are no longer wanted. They are forced to leave, again, and fend for themselves, or so they thought. And here, as Abe struggles with forcing them to leave, we can get the sense of Abe's fatherly love for Ishmael.
Abe doesn't seem to want to make them leave, but Sarah pushed and God made sure Abe knew it would be ok. God promised Abe that even though Ishmael wasn't in the household, anymore, the blessing, the promise of a nation was still on Ishmael. God would make Ishmael a powerful nation, one that would earn respect. Though Abe was booting them, God was not.
There is something profoundly Divine about this reality. Often times i get the sense that we want to kick people out who don't believe like we do, think like we do, live like we do, or share our faith. So in response to our differences, we shut doors on them. In some severe cases, i know of churches and church leaders who have condemned those who were different. But if we can gain anything from Hagar and Ishmael's experience, it is this. God will bless who God wants to bless, regardless of our limited, human understanding. More than that, God's love, God's mercy, God's kindness, and God's wisdom stretches to those beyond our margins of faith. And i sense that is a good thing. NO. It is a God thing.
So Ishmael does almost die in the desert, but God rescues him and Hagar. God makes this outcast, this 'mistake' into a powerful nation. God keeps His promise to Abe to bless all of Abe's offspring, even those outside the Hebrew "household." But the chapter doesn't end there. Does it? Sure we don't hear much of Ishmael or his mother, but we beleive he is the father of the Muslim religion. Other than that, he all but disappears into the realm of stories told but quickly passed over for the chosen son: Isaac.
And yet our chapter has another significant event, doesn't it? Yes the birth of Isaach happens, praise God. Yes Ishmael and Hagar get booted, and Ishmael becomes a powerful nation, to God's glory, but something else occurs. Abe finds himself at odds with Abimelech. Over what? Water. The most precious commodity in the desert, and Abe feels like Abimelech stole a well and water from Abe. Abe was furious. He had a right to be.
Without water how would Abe care for his family, his flock, his future? He wouldn't. So Abe goes to Abimelech, instead of complaining about him, Abe goes to him to deal with this situation. They talk, like adults, and they realize they can work this out. But here's the kicker. Abe gives up seven ewes to reconcile with Abimelech. What does this tell us about reconciling with our sisters and brothers? For me, at least, it demonstrates to what extent we should go to in order to restore the relationship. Even if it means i have to give up something meaningful to me, i should be willing to do so, in order to honor the relationship.
I wonder, family, what would happen to our relationships if we approached them, like Abe, willing to do whatever it took to restore that relationship? I wonder what trust we would build, with each other, if we went to each other and were that honest, instead of backstabbing or gossipping. And i wonder how God would be glorified by our authentic desires to have healthy, life giving companionship/community, so much so that we give what we can to make sure the community is cared for. I wonder what could be. What about you? Amen...
Shalom,
jerry
I realize that this is my second post, in one week, well on the same day really. But that is intentional. The first post wasn't connected to our journey through Genesis, but it dealt with some thoughts and feelings i have had for a while, so i wanted to share those thoughts with all of you. This post, now, is for Genesis 21, our chapter for Sunday.
It is a glorious chapter, but it is also a sad one. We read about the joys of childbirth, and Sarah finally gets to laugh. Whether she is laughing at the irrationality of having Isaac at her age, or if she is laughing with joy at having an heir, or if she is laughing at the mockers who must have reminded her, daily, that she had failed to provide an heir for Abraham. Whatever the cause, and perhaps it all of these and more, Sarah finally gets to laugh. More than that, she gets the last laugh.
But with the birth of Isaac, Ishmael quickly finds himself on the margins. Abraham has an heir, a son, who will inherit Abraham's household. Ishmael is no longer needed. Sadly, as Sarah illustrates with her demands that Ishmael and Hagar be dismissed from the household, it's not that he is no longer needed. He, and his mother, are no longer wanted. They are forced to leave, again, and fend for themselves, or so they thought. And here, as Abe struggles with forcing them to leave, we can get the sense of Abe's fatherly love for Ishmael.
Abe doesn't seem to want to make them leave, but Sarah pushed and God made sure Abe knew it would be ok. God promised Abe that even though Ishmael wasn't in the household, anymore, the blessing, the promise of a nation was still on Ishmael. God would make Ishmael a powerful nation, one that would earn respect. Though Abe was booting them, God was not.
There is something profoundly Divine about this reality. Often times i get the sense that we want to kick people out who don't believe like we do, think like we do, live like we do, or share our faith. So in response to our differences, we shut doors on them. In some severe cases, i know of churches and church leaders who have condemned those who were different. But if we can gain anything from Hagar and Ishmael's experience, it is this. God will bless who God wants to bless, regardless of our limited, human understanding. More than that, God's love, God's mercy, God's kindness, and God's wisdom stretches to those beyond our margins of faith. And i sense that is a good thing. NO. It is a God thing.
So Ishmael does almost die in the desert, but God rescues him and Hagar. God makes this outcast, this 'mistake' into a powerful nation. God keeps His promise to Abe to bless all of Abe's offspring, even those outside the Hebrew "household." But the chapter doesn't end there. Does it? Sure we don't hear much of Ishmael or his mother, but we beleive he is the father of the Muslim religion. Other than that, he all but disappears into the realm of stories told but quickly passed over for the chosen son: Isaac.
And yet our chapter has another significant event, doesn't it? Yes the birth of Isaach happens, praise God. Yes Ishmael and Hagar get booted, and Ishmael becomes a powerful nation, to God's glory, but something else occurs. Abe finds himself at odds with Abimelech. Over what? Water. The most precious commodity in the desert, and Abe feels like Abimelech stole a well and water from Abe. Abe was furious. He had a right to be.
Without water how would Abe care for his family, his flock, his future? He wouldn't. So Abe goes to Abimelech, instead of complaining about him, Abe goes to him to deal with this situation. They talk, like adults, and they realize they can work this out. But here's the kicker. Abe gives up seven ewes to reconcile with Abimelech. What does this tell us about reconciling with our sisters and brothers? For me, at least, it demonstrates to what extent we should go to in order to restore the relationship. Even if it means i have to give up something meaningful to me, i should be willing to do so, in order to honor the relationship.
I wonder, family, what would happen to our relationships if we approached them, like Abe, willing to do whatever it took to restore that relationship? I wonder what trust we would build, with each other, if we went to each other and were that honest, instead of backstabbing or gossipping. And i wonder how God would be glorified by our authentic desires to have healthy, life giving companionship/community, so much so that we give what we can to make sure the community is cared for. I wonder what could be. What about you? Amen...
Shalom,
jerry
Politics
Dear family,
The great Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, said that every theologian, (or every Christian for that matter) should read the Bible and the newspaper, together. So that every Christian would know what was happening in the world, and for today the source of information, regarding the world's affairs, well its beyond comprehension. We can know what's going on in Palestine/Israel with the click of a mouse, and we see pictures of whats happening, live. We turn our televisions to our favorite news source, and we hear reports of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, just to name a few. We, today more than ever, are bombarded with information, daily, and that's a good thing, because we are in the world.
And we should be. We should educate ourselves with the lives of others in our current context. We need to learn how they live. What they face. Why they think the way they do. And How their story affects ours. We need to do these things, and we need to have honest conversations about what we see, hear, and experience. It is what helps define us as a community of faith.
You see, sisters and brothers, the other part of Barth's quote is, "But interpret newspapers, (all media outlets), from your Bibles." Or in other words, make sure, when you read the papers, that you do so with the lens of faith on. We should never interpret the world, and what is happening in the world, with our lens of nationalism or militarism or even democracy, but through the lens of faith. It is essential for us, as followers of Jesus, to see the world and interpret the world through the eyes of Christ. Period.
Why do i bring this up? Well it has been brought to my attention, on more than one occassion, that i speak too often about politics. That i should leave that topic alone, all together. Why? What good does it do us, as a community of faith, to ignore something so elemental to our identity as citizens of this global world. We must talk about politics. We must talk about economics. We must talk about war. We must talk about poverty. We must talk about universal healthcare. And we must do all of these things with the integrity of faith. We must come to the table, regardless of where our opinions lie, and have honest conversations about our thoughts and feelings on all that is happening in our world. If we don't. We are not allowing the Spirit of God to invade and inform our choices.
When we, as a church family, relegate political and social conversations to the world, we deny God's power and place in our daily existence. We dont need to pray over who to vote for, because we have already, more times than nought, aligned ourselves with one politician or another. We dont have to pray over healthcare or rising military budgets, because we already have all the answers, right? We live, more than ever, at a time when the people of the world and the United States find themselves polarized by "issues." And if the church doesn't have a voice in this, we are a lame duck social gathering. But that is not why God created the church.
God didn't create the church or call believers into a passive, "lame-duck" existence. No. He created both for the purpose of fulfilling HIS will in this world. How do we know what is HIS will? How do we know how to honor GOD'S desires? We have to have honest conversations, as a community, about where we are and where our world is. And through the collective voice, collective gathering, the Spirit reveals God's purposes.
But more important to coming to a consensus, as a body, we must read the world's news through the lens of the Bible. We have to let the Bible inform and conform our understanding to God's. It is a dangerous thing to approach the world, and the politics, economics, ecologies, and wars without the wisdom of God guiding us. If we negate God's wisdom, we fall victim to a narcissism that demands what we want, even if it means we deny what God wants.
Or we can do what God desires: Seek first His Kingdom, and the rest shall be given to us as well. Stay informed on what's happening, we are in the world. But remember to do so through the eyes of Christ, so that we don't become of the world.
Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
The great Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, said that every theologian, (or every Christian for that matter) should read the Bible and the newspaper, together. So that every Christian would know what was happening in the world, and for today the source of information, regarding the world's affairs, well its beyond comprehension. We can know what's going on in Palestine/Israel with the click of a mouse, and we see pictures of whats happening, live. We turn our televisions to our favorite news source, and we hear reports of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, just to name a few. We, today more than ever, are bombarded with information, daily, and that's a good thing, because we are in the world.
And we should be. We should educate ourselves with the lives of others in our current context. We need to learn how they live. What they face. Why they think the way they do. And How their story affects ours. We need to do these things, and we need to have honest conversations about what we see, hear, and experience. It is what helps define us as a community of faith.
You see, sisters and brothers, the other part of Barth's quote is, "But interpret newspapers, (all media outlets), from your Bibles." Or in other words, make sure, when you read the papers, that you do so with the lens of faith on. We should never interpret the world, and what is happening in the world, with our lens of nationalism or militarism or even democracy, but through the lens of faith. It is essential for us, as followers of Jesus, to see the world and interpret the world through the eyes of Christ. Period.
Why do i bring this up? Well it has been brought to my attention, on more than one occassion, that i speak too often about politics. That i should leave that topic alone, all together. Why? What good does it do us, as a community of faith, to ignore something so elemental to our identity as citizens of this global world. We must talk about politics. We must talk about economics. We must talk about war. We must talk about poverty. We must talk about universal healthcare. And we must do all of these things with the integrity of faith. We must come to the table, regardless of where our opinions lie, and have honest conversations about our thoughts and feelings on all that is happening in our world. If we don't. We are not allowing the Spirit of God to invade and inform our choices.
When we, as a church family, relegate political and social conversations to the world, we deny God's power and place in our daily existence. We dont need to pray over who to vote for, because we have already, more times than nought, aligned ourselves with one politician or another. We dont have to pray over healthcare or rising military budgets, because we already have all the answers, right? We live, more than ever, at a time when the people of the world and the United States find themselves polarized by "issues." And if the church doesn't have a voice in this, we are a lame duck social gathering. But that is not why God created the church.
God didn't create the church or call believers into a passive, "lame-duck" existence. No. He created both for the purpose of fulfilling HIS will in this world. How do we know what is HIS will? How do we know how to honor GOD'S desires? We have to have honest conversations, as a community, about where we are and where our world is. And through the collective voice, collective gathering, the Spirit reveals God's purposes.
But more important to coming to a consensus, as a body, we must read the world's news through the lens of the Bible. We have to let the Bible inform and conform our understanding to God's. It is a dangerous thing to approach the world, and the politics, economics, ecologies, and wars without the wisdom of God guiding us. If we negate God's wisdom, we fall victim to a narcissism that demands what we want, even if it means we deny what God wants.
Or we can do what God desires: Seek first His Kingdom, and the rest shall be given to us as well. Stay informed on what's happening, we are in the world. But remember to do so through the eyes of Christ, so that we don't become of the world.
Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Thursday, September 17, 2009
What happens?
Family,
Fear cripples us. Doesn't it? Fear makes us act irrationally. Fear makes us lock our car doors when we drive in certain neighborhoods. Fear makes us lash out at people who look different, act different, and think different. Fear has many shapes and sizes, doesn't it? We can be afraid of the other in our midst. It shows its face when someone of a different race or creed enters our community, and we begin to wonder what will happen. But it's not the only fear that shows up in our lives.
We can fear death. And this one, for most of western culture, seems to be the most relevant. Perhaps at the root of all other fears, is this almost innate fear of death. We lock our doors, because we dont want someone to hurt us. We dont let our kids go to certain parts of Dayton, because we dont want them to get hurt. We dont travel to certain parts of the world, because we fear it could cause us harm. Fear crippples us.
And there are other fears as well. Can you name some? Add your own list of fears to the bottom of this blog, hopefully it will create a conversation, a dialogue about how fear does us no good, but it only keeps us from living. More than that, when it comes to faith matters, fear infringes upon our ability to live out what God created us. This, my friends, can be the most damaging truth about fear. Fear interferes with God and God's plan for us.
Abraham lived in fear. Sure, as Genesis teaches, Abe was faithful. He did a lot of great things, in God's Name and to the glory of God, but Abe also felt the real pain of fear. Fear pushed Abe to tell Sarah to lie about their relationship to Pharoah, inviting the king of Egypt to take Sarah as his bride, violating God's covenant. God rescued Sarah and Abe from that dysfunction, and it would be nice if we read about how that proved God's ability to keep his word to Abe. But Abe, like you and I, like all of us, like each and every person who has ever walked this earth or breathed earth's air, was human.
He, once again, found himself in a foreign land, because he still didnt have a home, and he feared what would happen to him and Sarah if they didn't lie. Once again Sarah told her usual half-truth, and in response to this, the king of Gerar takes Sarah into his household to be his wife. But this time, God quickly intervenes, directly addressing Abimelech in a dream. Letting Abimelech know what would happen if he continued to keep Sarah in his household. Death would be his future. Not only his own death, but Abimelech would lose his entire kingdom.
Abimelech pleads for understanding. Abe lied to me, God. I didn't know she was his wife. Abimelech screams for justice, for some sense of right to come from this. He was innocent, right? And God knows it. God makes it clear that this is why God visited in Abimelech's dream, to stop Abimelech from corrupting Sarah. Abimelech obeys. But this time there is a twist.
When Pharoah confronts Abe, Pharoah kicks Abe and Sarah out of Egypt. He blesses them with an increase in livestock and servants, but he exiles them too. He sends them back to the dessert, the dried earth that they had fled for hopes of greener pastures. But Abimelech doesn't do that. Instead, per God's orders, he asks Abe to pray for him, and he grants Abe land in Abimelech's kingdom. Abe is finally going to have a final resting stop, if he wants. Abe prays over Abimelech, and all is back in order.
But again, here is irony. The women of Gerar were barren, because of Sarah's place in Abimelech's household, but after Abe's prayer, the women could conceive. Here's the irony. Sarah was still barren. Granted not for long, but she still had no child. The promised heir still absent. The women of this kingdom were going to have children, but Sarah still didn't know whe she would get to laugh. God's promises are assured, but when God's timing doesn't mesh with ours, which is often the case, fear becomes our natural crutch.
But what we dont understand is that fear cripples. Fear interferes. Fear limits. Fear robs. And fear keeps us from feeling the fullness of God's blessing in our lives. But what else is there when we face danger, difficult seasons, unfulfilled promises, or even death? What else can we feel, but fear? Sure there are stories of saints who stood firm, until the end, but most of us aren't superheroes. We face the realities of this life, with all the hardships and pain, and i sense it is natural we feel fear. Fear is natural. It robs us of life. But it is natural.
I sense it isn't that fear is wrong, but living an entire life in fear saddens God. Why? Because there is no hope, no faith, no sense of anything stopping the darkness, and God didn't create us to live in darkness. He created us to live in light, in hope, and in truth. We will have moments of fear, Abe did, but it's how we respond to those moments of fear that truly define us. Abe acted poorly, but at other times Abe moved mountains. The beautiful thing of God, and i hope for us eventually, is that we celebrate those mountains, while letting the pockets of fear to disappear like the changing seasons.
It is time, folks, for us to live in faith. We, like Abe, have been wandering around for a long time, trying to discern where our "home" would be. We suffer from an identity crisis, but it is time for us to do the hard, faith-filled work of listening to God and trusting in God. It is time for us to take up our crosses, to deny ourselves, and to know that by letting go of the things of this world, God will give us a new creation, and a new earth to grab a hold of. Greater than that, as Abe and Sarah will soon discover, when God calls, and we respond, God provides. And yes, God also opens our eyes to experience what a full life, in God, truly feels like. For Abe and Sarah it will come quickly in the birth of the one who creates laughter: Isaac.
For you and me, it will be how we find our identity in the midst of this journey. I sense we are in a desert, as a body, but a desert is only temporary, and it can be full of incredible revelation, if we trust God is waiting on the other side. I believe He is. Do you? If so, join me in living new, full lives of faith, leaving fear at the footstool of the evil one. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Fear cripples us. Doesn't it? Fear makes us act irrationally. Fear makes us lock our car doors when we drive in certain neighborhoods. Fear makes us lash out at people who look different, act different, and think different. Fear has many shapes and sizes, doesn't it? We can be afraid of the other in our midst. It shows its face when someone of a different race or creed enters our community, and we begin to wonder what will happen. But it's not the only fear that shows up in our lives.
We can fear death. And this one, for most of western culture, seems to be the most relevant. Perhaps at the root of all other fears, is this almost innate fear of death. We lock our doors, because we dont want someone to hurt us. We dont let our kids go to certain parts of Dayton, because we dont want them to get hurt. We dont travel to certain parts of the world, because we fear it could cause us harm. Fear crippples us.
And there are other fears as well. Can you name some? Add your own list of fears to the bottom of this blog, hopefully it will create a conversation, a dialogue about how fear does us no good, but it only keeps us from living. More than that, when it comes to faith matters, fear infringes upon our ability to live out what God created us. This, my friends, can be the most damaging truth about fear. Fear interferes with God and God's plan for us.
Abraham lived in fear. Sure, as Genesis teaches, Abe was faithful. He did a lot of great things, in God's Name and to the glory of God, but Abe also felt the real pain of fear. Fear pushed Abe to tell Sarah to lie about their relationship to Pharoah, inviting the king of Egypt to take Sarah as his bride, violating God's covenant. God rescued Sarah and Abe from that dysfunction, and it would be nice if we read about how that proved God's ability to keep his word to Abe. But Abe, like you and I, like all of us, like each and every person who has ever walked this earth or breathed earth's air, was human.
He, once again, found himself in a foreign land, because he still didnt have a home, and he feared what would happen to him and Sarah if they didn't lie. Once again Sarah told her usual half-truth, and in response to this, the king of Gerar takes Sarah into his household to be his wife. But this time, God quickly intervenes, directly addressing Abimelech in a dream. Letting Abimelech know what would happen if he continued to keep Sarah in his household. Death would be his future. Not only his own death, but Abimelech would lose his entire kingdom.
Abimelech pleads for understanding. Abe lied to me, God. I didn't know she was his wife. Abimelech screams for justice, for some sense of right to come from this. He was innocent, right? And God knows it. God makes it clear that this is why God visited in Abimelech's dream, to stop Abimelech from corrupting Sarah. Abimelech obeys. But this time there is a twist.
When Pharoah confronts Abe, Pharoah kicks Abe and Sarah out of Egypt. He blesses them with an increase in livestock and servants, but he exiles them too. He sends them back to the dessert, the dried earth that they had fled for hopes of greener pastures. But Abimelech doesn't do that. Instead, per God's orders, he asks Abe to pray for him, and he grants Abe land in Abimelech's kingdom. Abe is finally going to have a final resting stop, if he wants. Abe prays over Abimelech, and all is back in order.
But again, here is irony. The women of Gerar were barren, because of Sarah's place in Abimelech's household, but after Abe's prayer, the women could conceive. Here's the irony. Sarah was still barren. Granted not for long, but she still had no child. The promised heir still absent. The women of this kingdom were going to have children, but Sarah still didn't know whe she would get to laugh. God's promises are assured, but when God's timing doesn't mesh with ours, which is often the case, fear becomes our natural crutch.
But what we dont understand is that fear cripples. Fear interferes. Fear limits. Fear robs. And fear keeps us from feeling the fullness of God's blessing in our lives. But what else is there when we face danger, difficult seasons, unfulfilled promises, or even death? What else can we feel, but fear? Sure there are stories of saints who stood firm, until the end, but most of us aren't superheroes. We face the realities of this life, with all the hardships and pain, and i sense it is natural we feel fear. Fear is natural. It robs us of life. But it is natural.
I sense it isn't that fear is wrong, but living an entire life in fear saddens God. Why? Because there is no hope, no faith, no sense of anything stopping the darkness, and God didn't create us to live in darkness. He created us to live in light, in hope, and in truth. We will have moments of fear, Abe did, but it's how we respond to those moments of fear that truly define us. Abe acted poorly, but at other times Abe moved mountains. The beautiful thing of God, and i hope for us eventually, is that we celebrate those mountains, while letting the pockets of fear to disappear like the changing seasons.
It is time, folks, for us to live in faith. We, like Abe, have been wandering around for a long time, trying to discern where our "home" would be. We suffer from an identity crisis, but it is time for us to do the hard, faith-filled work of listening to God and trusting in God. It is time for us to take up our crosses, to deny ourselves, and to know that by letting go of the things of this world, God will give us a new creation, and a new earth to grab a hold of. Greater than that, as Abe and Sarah will soon discover, when God calls, and we respond, God provides. And yes, God also opens our eyes to experience what a full life, in God, truly feels like. For Abe and Sarah it will come quickly in the birth of the one who creates laughter: Isaac.
For you and me, it will be how we find our identity in the midst of this journey. I sense we are in a desert, as a body, but a desert is only temporary, and it can be full of incredible revelation, if we trust God is waiting on the other side. I believe He is. Do you? If so, join me in living new, full lives of faith, leaving fear at the footstool of the evil one. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wrestling Match
Family,
I have often talked about my good friend, Manny Diaz, because he was so influential to my finding my path into the ministry. But more than that, he was the first evangelical, that i had met, who made it quite clear that it is ok to ask questions of the Bible. He taught me, right away, that the answer, "The Bible says so," simply does not work, all the time. And in other cases, the Bible has stories or incidences that make us question.
Genesis 19 is one of those stories, at least for me, that often raise my eyebrows. It is full of the threat of violence, or more specifically rape, and it ends in incest. But it also has a father offering up his only daughters, as bait to spare strangers. And it, of course, has the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a chapter full of darkness, rash decisions, pain, and for me at least, confusion.
What do we do with a text so full of darkness? How do we, with authenticity, have an open and honest conversation about a text that many just pass over, because of what it involves. I dont think i have found Genesis 19 on the lectionary, and i am pretty sure most of my pastor friends avoid it like the plague. But is that the answer? Is avoiding difficult text or difficult situations really helpful, healthy? No. It isn't.
I think we have the freedom, as was shared in small group, to be angry at this text. Any father of daughters, or any children, would be angered at the audacity of Lot to offer his pure daughters as a ransom for complete strangers. I think its ok to talk about our feelings of this text. How we find it repulsive and unacceptable. How it violates everything we know about what it means to be human and a parent. Its ok.
Its ok to suggest that Lot is not a godly man, if that is how we read the text. But it is also ok to read it and sense that Lot might be doing what he feels is best. Even if it doesn't make sense to us. At the core of Lot's issues is the reality of welcoming two strangers/ angels into his household. Lot's desire to be hospitable ranks higher than the well being of his daughters. Lot knew that those strangers came under his roof, expecting to be safe, expecting to be cared for, and expecting to have an experience that is positve. Lot doesn't want to break their trust.
But what does this say about Lot's parenting skills, as my friend Melissa raised? What about the role of women in that culture? Could it be that women were really seen as property and not at all human? So that enabled Lot to treat his daughters differently? He went after his son in laws, who laughed at him, but he was ready to throw his daughters to the wolves. But what does this say about God?
Kendra offered a great question. If God promised to save Sodom, if He found ten people, why didn't God look harder? Or was Sodom really that corrupt, that evil? What made them evil? Was it their desire to rape, and yes the Hebrew points towards a violent act, them two strangers? Or was it that their violent intentions proves their failure to be hospitable? I dont have many answers, but i do have a lot of questions. More than that, i have listening ears, because i need to hear how you read this text.
Finally, the daughters of Lot get him drunk and sleep with him. They do this out of desperation. But what is your reaction? What are your thoughts? And does it make the whole situation ok when we realize that two great peoples: Moabites and Ammonites come from this time of desperation? Or do the ends not justify the means? I invite, no i encourage your responses, your thoughts, and your anger or whatever feelings come from Genesis 19. Lets craft, together, a message that truly comes from us, as the Body of Christ. It is a joy to journey with you all, and may God's Spirit illumine His word and His purpose in each of us, so that we might continue walking in the Light. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
I have often talked about my good friend, Manny Diaz, because he was so influential to my finding my path into the ministry. But more than that, he was the first evangelical, that i had met, who made it quite clear that it is ok to ask questions of the Bible. He taught me, right away, that the answer, "The Bible says so," simply does not work, all the time. And in other cases, the Bible has stories or incidences that make us question.
Genesis 19 is one of those stories, at least for me, that often raise my eyebrows. It is full of the threat of violence, or more specifically rape, and it ends in incest. But it also has a father offering up his only daughters, as bait to spare strangers. And it, of course, has the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a chapter full of darkness, rash decisions, pain, and for me at least, confusion.
What do we do with a text so full of darkness? How do we, with authenticity, have an open and honest conversation about a text that many just pass over, because of what it involves. I dont think i have found Genesis 19 on the lectionary, and i am pretty sure most of my pastor friends avoid it like the plague. But is that the answer? Is avoiding difficult text or difficult situations really helpful, healthy? No. It isn't.
I think we have the freedom, as was shared in small group, to be angry at this text. Any father of daughters, or any children, would be angered at the audacity of Lot to offer his pure daughters as a ransom for complete strangers. I think its ok to talk about our feelings of this text. How we find it repulsive and unacceptable. How it violates everything we know about what it means to be human and a parent. Its ok.
Its ok to suggest that Lot is not a godly man, if that is how we read the text. But it is also ok to read it and sense that Lot might be doing what he feels is best. Even if it doesn't make sense to us. At the core of Lot's issues is the reality of welcoming two strangers/ angels into his household. Lot's desire to be hospitable ranks higher than the well being of his daughters. Lot knew that those strangers came under his roof, expecting to be safe, expecting to be cared for, and expecting to have an experience that is positve. Lot doesn't want to break their trust.
But what does this say about Lot's parenting skills, as my friend Melissa raised? What about the role of women in that culture? Could it be that women were really seen as property and not at all human? So that enabled Lot to treat his daughters differently? He went after his son in laws, who laughed at him, but he was ready to throw his daughters to the wolves. But what does this say about God?
Kendra offered a great question. If God promised to save Sodom, if He found ten people, why didn't God look harder? Or was Sodom really that corrupt, that evil? What made them evil? Was it their desire to rape, and yes the Hebrew points towards a violent act, them two strangers? Or was it that their violent intentions proves their failure to be hospitable? I dont have many answers, but i do have a lot of questions. More than that, i have listening ears, because i need to hear how you read this text.
Finally, the daughters of Lot get him drunk and sleep with him. They do this out of desperation. But what is your reaction? What are your thoughts? And does it make the whole situation ok when we realize that two great peoples: Moabites and Ammonites come from this time of desperation? Or do the ends not justify the means? I invite, no i encourage your responses, your thoughts, and your anger or whatever feelings come from Genesis 19. Lets craft, together, a message that truly comes from us, as the Body of Christ. It is a joy to journey with you all, and may God's Spirit illumine His word and His purpose in each of us, so that we might continue walking in the Light. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Not Even Larry the Cable Guy...
Family,
There is this comic named, Larry the Cable Guy, and his humor is, well its grade school to put it nicely. He tells jokes that are far from intellectual or mentally challenging, and most of his jokes could have been heard on the playground, during recess at the local grade school. And yet, he is widely popular and incredibly successful. He makes people laugh, because he tells stupid jokes about himself and his family that makes all who listen, laugh. I know i did.
And yet, not even Larry the Cable Guy could have created a joke as funny as chapter 18 of Genesis. This chapter is full of irony, sarcasm, wheeling and dealing, and a lot of hospitality. The author introduces us to three strangers who come upon Abraham, and Abe instantly begins to care for their needs. Abe heard God's promise in the last chapter, about Isaac, and perhaps Abe is thinking these three strangers are there to make sure it happens. Abe senses something Divine about these guys, and so he goes out of his way and makes Sarah go out of her way to give these guys the best welcome they could have.
This isn't funny as much as it is standard for people of that part of the world. Welcoming strangers, waiting on them hand and foot, is normal, expected. It was also a tradition, found in other Eastern narratives that strangers would visit, and the birth of a child would soon follow. Perhaps Abe felt these strangers were there to make something Divine happen. But they didn't. Not yet.
Instead they made Sarah laugh. They told Abe, once again, that he and Sarah would have a child, and they were to name that child: Isaac. This is laughable. Abe is one hundred years old, and Sarah hints that he is too old for this to happen. Not only that, but she says, sarcastically, what, "Now? Now? Now God is going to give me the pleasure of raising a child? Now? When Abe and I can barely walk? That's funny stuff right there, i dont care who you are!" She must have been thinking.
The LORD calls her out, and Sarah tries to lie her way out of this sticky situation. But who can blame her for being sarcastic, doubtful? She was in her nineties or close to it. Abe was one hundred, well past any child bearing, raising age that was normal, and now, now when they could barely get along, now God was going to give them that child. Given the situation, perhaps i would have laughed too. Because thinking about the aburdity of this promise, at that time, yeah it is laughable.
No matter how ironic, impossible, or improbable this is, God simply reminds Abe, and all of us, that nothing is impossible with God. NOTHING! God can do all things! God can move mountains. Create matter from the abyss. Breathe life into clay. And even give a hundred year old patriarch an heir. But by the grace of God indeed. So God makes all these powerful points, helps Sarah see the truth, surely Sarah will be having that son soon and very soon at that, right?
No. God said in about a year, so they still have to wait. Not only that, God offers no further explanation. They are going to have to wait, even longer, for the blessed heir. What does this have to teach us? Everything about how God works. And everything about how difficult it is to remain faithful as God's plan unfolds, some times quickly, in the blink of an eye and other times through the journey of a hundred years. In reality, God's timing means everything, even if it doesn't mesh with our agendas and plans. God's Will be done. Not ours.
It is funny, when you think about the impossible promise God gives. It is. This elderly couple was finally going to have a child. Sarah past menopause. Abraham more than likely is no longer able to have children either. And yet, now the promise will come true. Now the heir comes to reality. Now all those shattered dreams become flesh and bone. Now. When neither can truly enjoy the pleasure of chasing little Isaac around. Now. When neither have the strength and energy to see Isaac fulfill his full potential. And now. When they are beginning to prepare themselves to go home and be with God. Now their dreams come true. This is irony at its finest.
But the beautiful thing about irony and God; it fits. Only when things seem totally impossible can we trust that it was God's hand all along. It is these moments of hilarious miracles that remind us who the author of miracles is: God. Not us. Not science. And not any doctor. God and God alone. And God always makes it on time: His time.
We just have to be patient, who knows what God has in store for us? Whatever it is, i know it is not beyond His ability to fulfill His wish. I need only be available to receive the promise, the gift, and the miracle, even if i am way over the hill. Abe received it, and Isaac made him proud. So what are we waiting to receive? Hopefully whatever God has in mind. For it won't work any other way. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
There is this comic named, Larry the Cable Guy, and his humor is, well its grade school to put it nicely. He tells jokes that are far from intellectual or mentally challenging, and most of his jokes could have been heard on the playground, during recess at the local grade school. And yet, he is widely popular and incredibly successful. He makes people laugh, because he tells stupid jokes about himself and his family that makes all who listen, laugh. I know i did.
And yet, not even Larry the Cable Guy could have created a joke as funny as chapter 18 of Genesis. This chapter is full of irony, sarcasm, wheeling and dealing, and a lot of hospitality. The author introduces us to three strangers who come upon Abraham, and Abe instantly begins to care for their needs. Abe heard God's promise in the last chapter, about Isaac, and perhaps Abe is thinking these three strangers are there to make sure it happens. Abe senses something Divine about these guys, and so he goes out of his way and makes Sarah go out of her way to give these guys the best welcome they could have.
This isn't funny as much as it is standard for people of that part of the world. Welcoming strangers, waiting on them hand and foot, is normal, expected. It was also a tradition, found in other Eastern narratives that strangers would visit, and the birth of a child would soon follow. Perhaps Abe felt these strangers were there to make something Divine happen. But they didn't. Not yet.
Instead they made Sarah laugh. They told Abe, once again, that he and Sarah would have a child, and they were to name that child: Isaac. This is laughable. Abe is one hundred years old, and Sarah hints that he is too old for this to happen. Not only that, but she says, sarcastically, what, "Now? Now? Now God is going to give me the pleasure of raising a child? Now? When Abe and I can barely walk? That's funny stuff right there, i dont care who you are!" She must have been thinking.
The LORD calls her out, and Sarah tries to lie her way out of this sticky situation. But who can blame her for being sarcastic, doubtful? She was in her nineties or close to it. Abe was one hundred, well past any child bearing, raising age that was normal, and now, now when they could barely get along, now God was going to give them that child. Given the situation, perhaps i would have laughed too. Because thinking about the aburdity of this promise, at that time, yeah it is laughable.
No matter how ironic, impossible, or improbable this is, God simply reminds Abe, and all of us, that nothing is impossible with God. NOTHING! God can do all things! God can move mountains. Create matter from the abyss. Breathe life into clay. And even give a hundred year old patriarch an heir. But by the grace of God indeed. So God makes all these powerful points, helps Sarah see the truth, surely Sarah will be having that son soon and very soon at that, right?
No. God said in about a year, so they still have to wait. Not only that, God offers no further explanation. They are going to have to wait, even longer, for the blessed heir. What does this have to teach us? Everything about how God works. And everything about how difficult it is to remain faithful as God's plan unfolds, some times quickly, in the blink of an eye and other times through the journey of a hundred years. In reality, God's timing means everything, even if it doesn't mesh with our agendas and plans. God's Will be done. Not ours.
It is funny, when you think about the impossible promise God gives. It is. This elderly couple was finally going to have a child. Sarah past menopause. Abraham more than likely is no longer able to have children either. And yet, now the promise will come true. Now the heir comes to reality. Now all those shattered dreams become flesh and bone. Now. When neither can truly enjoy the pleasure of chasing little Isaac around. Now. When neither have the strength and energy to see Isaac fulfill his full potential. And now. When they are beginning to prepare themselves to go home and be with God. Now their dreams come true. This is irony at its finest.
But the beautiful thing about irony and God; it fits. Only when things seem totally impossible can we trust that it was God's hand all along. It is these moments of hilarious miracles that remind us who the author of miracles is: God. Not us. Not science. And not any doctor. God and God alone. And God always makes it on time: His time.
We just have to be patient, who knows what God has in store for us? Whatever it is, i know it is not beyond His ability to fulfill His wish. I need only be available to receive the promise, the gift, and the miracle, even if i am way over the hill. Abe received it, and Isaac made him proud. So what are we waiting to receive? Hopefully whatever God has in mind. For it won't work any other way. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
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