Dear Family,
I have blogged this week, or at least i have written the blog, three times, but each time i try to post it; something happens, and i lose the message. I am hoping this works.
The beauty of having so many opportunities to write, rewrite, and rethink the blog is that i can return to the message and rework my thoughts into a more coherent stream. Maybe third time is a charm. Or it could be that God is trying to show me something by making it so difficult to post the blog, maybe i am just missing the obvious signs?
It seems there are always a lot of signs, but some times we have to orient the eyes of our hearts in order to see them for what they are, God's attempt to reveal God's glory and love. But truth is the signs God gives us, other than the whole three days later, and the stone being rolled away, and Jesus resurrecting, the signs that God chooses are, more times than not, what we take for run of the mill, ordinary events. But for God, it is a chance for God to share God's being with us. We just cant see, truly see. And that makes us look for other more significant signs, but that often leaves us wanting, doubting, and sometimes following false teachers.
When we spend our time looking to the sky for signs, hoping and praying for something divine, we can get lost, easily. We want so badly to experience something wonderful that we will follow paths that normally we would have seen and known to be false, even ones that proclaim the end is near, like October 21st. There are other serious hurdles too.
If we find ourselves comfortable and enjoying life, maybe even growing wealthy and powerful, then we can follow those teachers, in the church, whose teaching doesn't mesh with what Jesus would have us do, in fact some of the teachings can be downright contrary to what is true, true in the essence of Jesus. How do we determine what is true and what is false? That is a question that has plagued the church for two thousand years.
One answer, though it is not purely the only answer, is to judge the teachings of the church/religious leaders with the teachings of Jesus. If there are no differences, if the teachings of the church stand in solidarity with the teachings of Jesus, as written down in the Gospels, then we can have faith that what is being taught is true. But if the teachings stand against Jesus then, like Jesus warning his disciples of the Pharisees false yeast, the church can and has injured many a persons with false teachings.
It is our job to wrestle with truth and falsehood, and only through the lens of faith can that be done in a way to honor Jesus and the world. We have to do what is right, in the name of Jesus, even if that carries life changing consequences with it, and maybe those changes are the signs that God intended all along. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Friday, May 27, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Well I'm Still Here
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I wanted to wait until after six PM, Pacific Standard Time, on May 21st, before blogging, because i wanted to make sure God didn't have other plans for me. I didn't know if i would be at the gates, standing before St. Peter, or running for my life from some malevolent force, so i wanted to wait. Well its Saturday night, nearly an hour after the rapture was supposed to have happened, and yes, I am still here. And as i look around the only forces around that seem malevolent or a little diabolical are the two baristas that invited me to try a coffee sampling with them, and as the caffeine kicks in, sleep might not ever come.
As much as we love talking through and about theories about God's plan for eternity, the truth is that we can and will never know what and how God will totally restore God's Kingdom on this planet. It is and should be a mystery, and we need to embrace that mystery, because as i have discovered through studying history and my own personal experiences, human hands, though capable of great good are also capable of great evil. If we knew the time and day, we would, i think, be rather deviant and devilish, instead of Godly. Perhaps that is why only the Father knows.
That is a challenge too, isn't it? When something is labeled only God knows, it makes life hard to explain. How did that person wake up cancer free? Only God knows? It was a miracle! Yes it was, but how can we explain that? We can't. Or how did that person lift the car off of their son? Sure we attribute it to the "God" juice of adrenaline, something we should probably pay attention to, but truth is, why can't all parents save their children in similiar situations? God only knows? And how does a church, a ministry, anything go from such small numbers and no budget to impacting thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions, such as Red Cross, Salvation Army, or Heifer Project International? I dont know, so i will just add, God only knows.
And that is how it must be. If we discover the truth then the power lies in our hands, faith no longer is necessary, and we can harness that power and abuse it, like we do so many other things, and God, like lepers in society today, goes to the margins, easily forgotten, overlooked, and ignored. It is imperative and necessary that God only knows remains the only answer to so many mysteries.
As it was on that day when Jesus fed the multitudes, for the second time. How? Wasn't one enough? The only answer, God only knows. And as long as that is the only answer, faith remains vital, God a mystery and omnipotent, and life still has promise for all. Perhaps God only knows isn't so bad afterall. I mean i am still here; i just hope i am not the only one. It makes writing a blog a rather lonely affair. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
I wanted to wait until after six PM, Pacific Standard Time, on May 21st, before blogging, because i wanted to make sure God didn't have other plans for me. I didn't know if i would be at the gates, standing before St. Peter, or running for my life from some malevolent force, so i wanted to wait. Well its Saturday night, nearly an hour after the rapture was supposed to have happened, and yes, I am still here. And as i look around the only forces around that seem malevolent or a little diabolical are the two baristas that invited me to try a coffee sampling with them, and as the caffeine kicks in, sleep might not ever come.
As much as we love talking through and about theories about God's plan for eternity, the truth is that we can and will never know what and how God will totally restore God's Kingdom on this planet. It is and should be a mystery, and we need to embrace that mystery, because as i have discovered through studying history and my own personal experiences, human hands, though capable of great good are also capable of great evil. If we knew the time and day, we would, i think, be rather deviant and devilish, instead of Godly. Perhaps that is why only the Father knows.
That is a challenge too, isn't it? When something is labeled only God knows, it makes life hard to explain. How did that person wake up cancer free? Only God knows? It was a miracle! Yes it was, but how can we explain that? We can't. Or how did that person lift the car off of their son? Sure we attribute it to the "God" juice of adrenaline, something we should probably pay attention to, but truth is, why can't all parents save their children in similiar situations? God only knows? And how does a church, a ministry, anything go from such small numbers and no budget to impacting thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions, such as Red Cross, Salvation Army, or Heifer Project International? I dont know, so i will just add, God only knows.
And that is how it must be. If we discover the truth then the power lies in our hands, faith no longer is necessary, and we can harness that power and abuse it, like we do so many other things, and God, like lepers in society today, goes to the margins, easily forgotten, overlooked, and ignored. It is imperative and necessary that God only knows remains the only answer to so many mysteries.
As it was on that day when Jesus fed the multitudes, for the second time. How? Wasn't one enough? The only answer, God only knows. And as long as that is the only answer, faith remains vital, God a mystery and omnipotent, and life still has promise for all. Perhaps God only knows isn't so bad afterall. I mean i am still here; i just hope i am not the only one. It makes writing a blog a rather lonely affair. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Outside the Circle...
Dear Family,
In the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, there is a constant battle, although it is not physical, between the elf and the dwarf. In fact, until the end of the narrative, when the two of them realize their deep fondness and appreciation and love for one another, the banter between them flows like comic relief for a series of book wrestling with deep theological questions. Why don't they get along? One lives in caves, under the mountains. The other lives in trees, talks to trees, and moves with a deep mystery and poetry. The dwarf is short, fat, loud, and approaches life with an ideology that braun matters most. The elf is tall, slender, sleek, gentle, grace personified, and uses the power of their mind and intellect to do what needs to be done. They could not be more different from each other, and there is a genuine dislike for each other. So much so that when the elves gather, dwarfs are more than not welcomed, they are targets for ridicule and possible violence, and it is the same treatment of the elves if they find themselves among the dwarfs. Two cliques that close their doors on the other, the outsider, the one who is different.
Have you ever felt that way?
Have you ever been the outsider? How did that feel? What was your reaction? Did you break down the walls and get accepted? Did you leave that place vowing to never return?
Have you ever excluded? Judged? Prejudiced someone because they were a different race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation?
Our world is built upon the foolish notion that in order to be a healthy group, community, we must all look and think alike, and we hadn't dare let someone different into the group. They just might change the dynamic and appearance and direction, and we all know how much change is embraced, right? But as i reflect on this abhorrent behavior of leaving those who are different out, i have to look myself in the mirror. I do it too. I am guilty of the same abhorrent behavior that i, all too quickly and zealously, like to condemn. I like to point fingers, judge as less than, and make sure that certain elements of society never grace my door. Sure i can justify it by saying they are not good people, they are racist, violent, mean, but how is that different? It isn't.
The one thing i can take from this hard to swallow pill is that Jesus did it too. Yes Jesus excluded, at least initially, someone because of their race and gender. The narrative of the Canaanite woman illustrates that Jesus tried to ignore her and send her away, and if we take the text seriously and honestly, he calls her a dog, suggesting that He, Jesus, came for the children of Israel and it is not right to take food for the children and give it to the dogs, a racial slur and label for the people of Canaan. Jesus did it. Does that make it ok? No.
Why? Because Jesus doesn't stop there. After the woman refused to accept the label and her lot in Jesus' eyes, she persisted in demanding Jesus to heal her daughter. Her refusal to give up moved Jesus' heart and He responded to her faith and perseverence by healing her daughter. As i read and reread this story; something powerful hits me. This is less a story of Jesus healing; it is more of a story of a woman's faith and refusal to let society keep her down. It is a story of drive and self-love. It is a story of justice and equality. And in this narrative, even in the Jesus friendly Gospel of Matthew, Jesus comes across as the antatgonist, the person by whom the lesson must use to teach, and the woman, though unnamed, comes across as the heroine.
If we all label and exclude people, how can we help them break free from these chains? If people label and exclude us, how can we keep their limited understanding of who we are from holding us down? How can we stand strong and remain true to ourselves and our faith and our identity as children of God? How? We, like the woman, must continue vocalizing our right to exist, but we also must, like Jesus, be aware that sometimes we need to offer that chance to others, because in the end, aren't we all God's children? Amen..
Shalom,
jerry
In the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, there is a constant battle, although it is not physical, between the elf and the dwarf. In fact, until the end of the narrative, when the two of them realize their deep fondness and appreciation and love for one another, the banter between them flows like comic relief for a series of book wrestling with deep theological questions. Why don't they get along? One lives in caves, under the mountains. The other lives in trees, talks to trees, and moves with a deep mystery and poetry. The dwarf is short, fat, loud, and approaches life with an ideology that braun matters most. The elf is tall, slender, sleek, gentle, grace personified, and uses the power of their mind and intellect to do what needs to be done. They could not be more different from each other, and there is a genuine dislike for each other. So much so that when the elves gather, dwarfs are more than not welcomed, they are targets for ridicule and possible violence, and it is the same treatment of the elves if they find themselves among the dwarfs. Two cliques that close their doors on the other, the outsider, the one who is different.
Have you ever felt that way?
Have you ever been the outsider? How did that feel? What was your reaction? Did you break down the walls and get accepted? Did you leave that place vowing to never return?
Have you ever excluded? Judged? Prejudiced someone because they were a different race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation?
Our world is built upon the foolish notion that in order to be a healthy group, community, we must all look and think alike, and we hadn't dare let someone different into the group. They just might change the dynamic and appearance and direction, and we all know how much change is embraced, right? But as i reflect on this abhorrent behavior of leaving those who are different out, i have to look myself in the mirror. I do it too. I am guilty of the same abhorrent behavior that i, all too quickly and zealously, like to condemn. I like to point fingers, judge as less than, and make sure that certain elements of society never grace my door. Sure i can justify it by saying they are not good people, they are racist, violent, mean, but how is that different? It isn't.
The one thing i can take from this hard to swallow pill is that Jesus did it too. Yes Jesus excluded, at least initially, someone because of their race and gender. The narrative of the Canaanite woman illustrates that Jesus tried to ignore her and send her away, and if we take the text seriously and honestly, he calls her a dog, suggesting that He, Jesus, came for the children of Israel and it is not right to take food for the children and give it to the dogs, a racial slur and label for the people of Canaan. Jesus did it. Does that make it ok? No.
Why? Because Jesus doesn't stop there. After the woman refused to accept the label and her lot in Jesus' eyes, she persisted in demanding Jesus to heal her daughter. Her refusal to give up moved Jesus' heart and He responded to her faith and perseverence by healing her daughter. As i read and reread this story; something powerful hits me. This is less a story of Jesus healing; it is more of a story of a woman's faith and refusal to let society keep her down. It is a story of drive and self-love. It is a story of justice and equality. And in this narrative, even in the Jesus friendly Gospel of Matthew, Jesus comes across as the antatgonist, the person by whom the lesson must use to teach, and the woman, though unnamed, comes across as the heroine.
If we all label and exclude people, how can we help them break free from these chains? If people label and exclude us, how can we keep their limited understanding of who we are from holding us down? How can we stand strong and remain true to ourselves and our faith and our identity as children of God? How? We, like the woman, must continue vocalizing our right to exist, but we also must, like Jesus, be aware that sometimes we need to offer that chance to others, because in the end, aren't we all God's children? Amen..
Shalom,
jerry
Friday, May 6, 2011
Eat it up...
Dear family,
Math and biology stump me. They do. I remember sitting in class and doing my best to pay attention and fumble through the assingments, only to feel so dense. It never made sense. I never had an aha moment. Time and time again, i would leave class feeling like i had to be the dumbest person in class, and perhaps i was. But nothing i did, no amount of reading, helped. I never mastered math or biology. They remain hurdles in my achievement for academic dominance. Thank God little math and less biology finds its way into seminary classes or theology classes.
My sense is that i am not alone in this struggle with one subject or another, am i right? In the scripture focus for today: Matthew 15: 1-20; Jesus tells a powerful parable about the what truly matters in making the person clean, and in the end the disciples just stare at Jesus. They stare at himk, and i am sure they are whispering to each other, you ask him, no you ask him, you ask him, and then, like the cartoon rehearsal of the scene, one says, the person who steps forward needs to ask Jesus, and they do it quietly, leaving Peter standing alone.
They didn't get it. They didn't understand what Jesus was selling, so they conned Peter into asking, and Jesus' response, "Are you so dull?" Meaning. Are you really this dumb? That probably didn't help their self-confidence, but Jesus was making a critical point here. After all the years of traveling with Jesus; the disciples still didn't get it. To be pure and clean had nothing to do with what what we ate or what we heard or what we touched; these things can't make us unclean. What makes someone unclean is what comes out of the mouth, because what we say reflects the status of our hearts.
If we love, we will offer loving words. If we are full of spite, well venom oozes from us. If we are full of insecurity, we will make everyone else feel small. If we are people of unfaith, we will make sure to push everyone else away from faith. If we believe in the almighty dollar, even over Jesus, then we will make sure our choices reflect where our faith lies. And if we have faith, hope, and joy then our words reflect that too. Out of the mouth; the faith of the person is revealed.
Are we hopeful? Then our words need to reflect that. Are we full of love? Then our words need to nurture and caress the other among us. Are we people of faith? Then our conversations with each other should enable each other to go deeper in our faith journeys. And are we Jesus people? Then what we say, how we say it, and what we do with it must rehearse the life, the teachings, and the commandments of Jesus. If we don't we had better have a heart check.
So eat it up. Not just whatever we can get our grubby hands on, but eat up every word, every teaching, every experience, and every song of Jesus, letting the Christ enter our soul and refresh us once again. Eat up opportunities to share the gospel with strangers and friends. And above all, so that we can be a healthy, holistic community, eat up the chances to gather together, as one body, so that we can be a haven, a refuge for the hurting of the world. Eat it up and experience the power of God's Spirit unleashed. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Math and biology stump me. They do. I remember sitting in class and doing my best to pay attention and fumble through the assingments, only to feel so dense. It never made sense. I never had an aha moment. Time and time again, i would leave class feeling like i had to be the dumbest person in class, and perhaps i was. But nothing i did, no amount of reading, helped. I never mastered math or biology. They remain hurdles in my achievement for academic dominance. Thank God little math and less biology finds its way into seminary classes or theology classes.
My sense is that i am not alone in this struggle with one subject or another, am i right? In the scripture focus for today: Matthew 15: 1-20; Jesus tells a powerful parable about the what truly matters in making the person clean, and in the end the disciples just stare at Jesus. They stare at himk, and i am sure they are whispering to each other, you ask him, no you ask him, you ask him, and then, like the cartoon rehearsal of the scene, one says, the person who steps forward needs to ask Jesus, and they do it quietly, leaving Peter standing alone.
They didn't get it. They didn't understand what Jesus was selling, so they conned Peter into asking, and Jesus' response, "Are you so dull?" Meaning. Are you really this dumb? That probably didn't help their self-confidence, but Jesus was making a critical point here. After all the years of traveling with Jesus; the disciples still didn't get it. To be pure and clean had nothing to do with what what we ate or what we heard or what we touched; these things can't make us unclean. What makes someone unclean is what comes out of the mouth, because what we say reflects the status of our hearts.
If we love, we will offer loving words. If we are full of spite, well venom oozes from us. If we are full of insecurity, we will make everyone else feel small. If we are people of unfaith, we will make sure to push everyone else away from faith. If we believe in the almighty dollar, even over Jesus, then we will make sure our choices reflect where our faith lies. And if we have faith, hope, and joy then our words reflect that too. Out of the mouth; the faith of the person is revealed.
Are we hopeful? Then our words need to reflect that. Are we full of love? Then our words need to nurture and caress the other among us. Are we people of faith? Then our conversations with each other should enable each other to go deeper in our faith journeys. And are we Jesus people? Then what we say, how we say it, and what we do with it must rehearse the life, the teachings, and the commandments of Jesus. If we don't we had better have a heart check.
So eat it up. Not just whatever we can get our grubby hands on, but eat up every word, every teaching, every experience, and every song of Jesus, letting the Christ enter our soul and refresh us once again. Eat up opportunities to share the gospel with strangers and friends. And above all, so that we can be a healthy, holistic community, eat up the chances to gather together, as one body, so that we can be a haven, a refuge for the hurting of the world. Eat it up and experience the power of God's Spirit unleashed. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry