It's been a wonderful week for thinking about Christmas. Isn't it amazing that our first question is "what did you get" instead of "what did you give" for Christmas? Christmas is about giving, indeed it is a celebration about giving. I've been fortunate to be reminded of that on several occasions this week.
Most of you aren't familiar with Wichita radio stations on Sunday morning, but I was asked to be a guest of Steve McIntosh for a Christmas morning broadcast. I can't count how many times he said, "that's amazing" as we talked about the first Christmas, what we know, what we don't know and other options about the birth of this one later named Jesus. You can catch the podcast at http://audio.knssradio.com/a/49962759/issues-2011-12-25-11.htm?
So what should I say about Christmas morning, our celebration and the Minor prophets? It may be a stretch, but we should focus more on giving to the poor and needy and focus less on getting more toys that we call 'necessary.' We should probably look to the widows and orphans, or in modern language those who don't have any one to care and protect them in times of crisis. We should also look to meeting the needs of the suffering, those who are ill, aged, unemployed, and even those who have been abused by the powers of the world we live in. I will be the first to admit that I don't frequently visit those corridors. I am thankful that many of my students are wanting to visit those corridors and make them home!
Christmas is a holiday when we can be around family, enjoy one another's company, and realize our blessings. Too often it becomes a time for old feelings to be trampled upon, for complaints to be voiced, once again, for what someone else has not done in the past, and a time to fulfill our own selfish gratifications.
I hope that you and yours have a very, merry Christmas. I hope that as you reflect on the year gone by that you will focus on the blessings received through your acts of kindness and generosity and not focus on the ways in which you may have been wronged. I also hope that you will take time to reflect on what you have been given, and what you give in turn to others.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Minor Prophet Musings
Having completed a semester of teaching the "minor" prophets, otherwise known Book of the Twelve, one aspect that was made clear in the past week is the consistency of some of the themes between the Minor Prophets (otherwise Old Testament) and the teachings of God through more recent prophets (otherwise New Testament).
The first theme, and the topic of this blog, is that of God's sovereignty. Defined by Webster's as "supreme power or authority", it is too common to think of this trait as simply 'power or authority' and forget the 'supreme' element. Webster's describes supreme as "superior to all others" in regard to authority. Thus the idea of God's sovereignty is that this deity, and none other, holds the authority over creation that is second to none, indeed it is not merely better than others, it is superior to all the others. Indeed, the concept of superior is quite difficult to consider in a democratic society where no one is supposedly 'superior'.
However, in both Testaments of the Christian canon, the sovereignty of God is proclaimed. The book of Hebrews espouses the superiority of Jesus to a list of other options, including prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, Abraham, the priesthood and the temple. The preliminary question I rather superficially (don't act so surprised) impose on each prophet of the twelve to be asking is "who will follow YHWH?" The answer in terms of God's sovereignty is this: the one who recognizes and submits to that supreme power and authority. The New Testament writers ask the very same thing: submit to God and to His Son.
The first theme, and the topic of this blog, is that of God's sovereignty. Defined by Webster's as "supreme power or authority", it is too common to think of this trait as simply 'power or authority' and forget the 'supreme' element. Webster's describes supreme as "superior to all others" in regard to authority. Thus the idea of God's sovereignty is that this deity, and none other, holds the authority over creation that is second to none, indeed it is not merely better than others, it is superior to all the others. Indeed, the concept of superior is quite difficult to consider in a democratic society where no one is supposedly 'superior'.
However, in both Testaments of the Christian canon, the sovereignty of God is proclaimed. The book of Hebrews espouses the superiority of Jesus to a list of other options, including prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, Abraham, the priesthood and the temple. The preliminary question I rather superficially (don't act so surprised) impose on each prophet of the twelve to be asking is "who will follow YHWH?" The answer in terms of God's sovereignty is this: the one who recognizes and submits to that supreme power and authority. The New Testament writers ask the very same thing: submit to God and to His Son.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Zany Zechariah
I was tremendously encouraged yesterday after class when a student actually thanked me for teaching Minor Prophets. He indicated that without the class he would never have opened these books and would have remained unenlightened as to their major importance. He also noted that he had unintentionally slipped into the bifurcated thought pattern that there were two different gods, the god of the Old Testament and the Jews and the god of the New Testament and of Christians. He was thankful for the encouragement and evidence presented in the class of the consistent message presented in the prophetic books and later echoed in the gospels.
On another note, today congratulations are due to Michael Barrett who is "tying the knot" with a wonderful young lady, Michelle Brewster, whom he met at Mead's Corner. There is hope for you all!!!
On to Zechariah. Yesterday I was struck by Zechariah 2:13 and its plea to "Be Silent." The directive is repeated in other places as well, notably Hab 2:20 and Zeph 1:7. Since these three all call the world to be silent in the presence of Yahweh, I raised the question, how does this relate to the reaction in Revelation to the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8:1?
Enough to think about today?
On another note, today congratulations are due to Michael Barrett who is "tying the knot" with a wonderful young lady, Michelle Brewster, whom he met at Mead's Corner. There is hope for you all!!!
On to Zechariah. Yesterday I was struck by Zechariah 2:13 and its plea to "Be Silent." The directive is repeated in other places as well, notably Hab 2:20 and Zeph 1:7. Since these three all call the world to be silent in the presence of Yahweh, I raised the question, how does this relate to the reaction in Revelation to the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8:1?
Enough to think about today?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Having Fun with Habakkuk
Just finished two days on Habakkuk, which is much better than two day old halibut. What really surprised me this time around was the amazing description of God in 1.12-14 and again in chapter 3. I wonder how much our perspective on God would change if we only stopped to read and consider what these small books at the end of the Christian Old Testament actually say about God. Here's the snippets.
Are You not from everlasting,
O LORD, my God, my Holy One? (1.12, NAS95)
Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor. (1.13)
LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear.
O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy. (3.2)
His splendor covers the heavens,
And the earth is full of His praise. (3.3)
He stood and surveyed the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills collapsed.
His ways are everlasting. (3.6)
You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
For the salvation of Your anointed. (3.13)
God is Everlasting and Pure, Full of Mercy and Majesty. He stands for his people, not against them. What a concept to consider God Almighty from a prophet's viewpoint.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What is Justice?
Sorry for the delay. Teaching Greek for a year gets me out of the habit of posting relevant comments. Now we are in the Minor Prophets. What a refreshing change, both for myself and for my students. I think some are adding to their view of God every day.
What is Justice? Great question. It is NOT social justice, it is NOT economic justice, it is NOT (add your modifier here) justice. Those are small subsets but are NOT justice. Amos 5-6 is a great place to look for justice. Amos 5:7 starts, "You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth" while Amos 6:12 ends "But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness." If all the parallelism of Hebrew Poetry hasn't made it clear, this inclusion passage should make it clear: Justice IS Righteousness.
God is righteous, God is just. Righteousness and Justice are what the righteous and just ones do. Justice is what God does. The people of God are to act like God. It really is that simple.
What's the problem? Views of God held by an individual that are contradictory, especially to the biblical text. More on that later.
What is Justice? Great question. It is NOT social justice, it is NOT economic justice, it is NOT (add your modifier here) justice. Those are small subsets but are NOT justice. Amos 5-6 is a great place to look for justice. Amos 5:7 starts, "You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth" while Amos 6:12 ends "But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness." If all the parallelism of Hebrew Poetry hasn't made it clear, this inclusion passage should make it clear: Justice IS Righteousness.
God is righteous, God is just. Righteousness and Justice are what the righteous and just ones do. Justice is what God does. The people of God are to act like God. It really is that simple.
What's the problem? Views of God held by an individual that are contradictory, especially to the biblical text. More on that later.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Summertime Thoughts
Last Saturday it was a wedding. Next Monday it is a funeral. What do the two have in common? Both are filled with hope. The wedding takes a couple of mid-aged people and tries to join them and some teenage and older children into a single family unit. It takes hope to even try such a thing. The funeral takes a family who is devastated by tragedy and grasping at hope, hope that there is a future, hope that God is merciful, hope that tragedy won't strike others.
Why is it that when faced with the need for hope humans turn to religion, in this case Christian religion? Why do they think that hope is available for them?
More importantly, what does the Christian church in 2011 have to offer humans who are daily beset with tragedy: tornadoes, floods, lightning strikes, bullets, cars? The list goes on. The message of the church may be on sin and forgiveness, often tempered with a change of living. But why do individuals turn to the church? Does the church of 2011 practice hope?
Paul did say, "But now, Faith, Hope and Love remain, these three things: But love is the greatest of these." (1 Cor 13:13). The Church is to practice love. That message is clear. The church is to demonstrate Faith. That seems apparent. Where is the teaching on Hope today?
Why is it that when faced with the need for hope humans turn to religion, in this case Christian religion? Why do they think that hope is available for them?
More importantly, what does the Christian church in 2011 have to offer humans who are daily beset with tragedy: tornadoes, floods, lightning strikes, bullets, cars? The list goes on. The message of the church may be on sin and forgiveness, often tempered with a change of living. But why do individuals turn to the church? Does the church of 2011 practice hope?
Paul did say, "But now, Faith, Hope and Love remain, these three things: But love is the greatest of these." (1 Cor 13:13). The Church is to practice love. That message is clear. The church is to demonstrate Faith. That seems apparent. Where is the teaching on Hope today?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Colossians
Just the other day, my notorious colleague James Bryan Smith, asked me a question about Colossians 2, and started me thinking. So I thought I would ramble about my synaptic patterns for a moment or two.
So, Col 2:8 says "Watch out lest you become a captive" and proceeds to list several possibilities for enslavement. The KJV starts 2:9 with "For in him dwelleth all the fulness . . .", a famous trinitarian statement.
The issue is that it is so easy to take the trinitarian and Christological statement in 2:9-14 and discuss what it has to say about Jesus in the Godhead, etc. However, then we have separated it from Scripture. 2:9 serves as a "because" statement to explain the 2:8 statement. "Watch out . . . because . . ." The entire rhetorical purpose of 2:9-14 is to help the audience understand why they shouldn't become captives. It describes who Christ is, who they are, and what God has done for them, including canceling the certificate of debt that would lead one into slavery!
My random thoughts lead me to the conclusion: Don't forget who you are and how you got there, or else you are likely to end up back where you started!!! In Christ we are NEW. So if we are NEW and dead to the old way, why go back to it??
My comments have to do with the way in which we separate Scripture from itself in order to serve our own agendas, rather than recognizing Scripture as "canon" and allow it to speak for itself. Then we take the Scripture and say "here is what it means" because that is what the words say.
So, Col 2:8 says "Watch out lest you become a captive" and proceeds to list several possibilities for enslavement. The KJV starts 2:9 with "For in him dwelleth all the fulness . . .", a famous trinitarian statement.
The issue is that it is so easy to take the trinitarian and Christological statement in 2:9-14 and discuss what it has to say about Jesus in the Godhead, etc. However, then we have separated it from Scripture. 2:9 serves as a "because" statement to explain the 2:8 statement. "Watch out . . . because . . ." The entire rhetorical purpose of 2:9-14 is to help the audience understand why they shouldn't become captives. It describes who Christ is, who they are, and what God has done for them, including canceling the certificate of debt that would lead one into slavery!
My random thoughts lead me to the conclusion: Don't forget who you are and how you got there, or else you are likely to end up back where you started!!! In Christ we are NEW. So if we are NEW and dead to the old way, why go back to it??
Monday, January 10, 2011
Arizona Shooting
First and Foremost, the Arizona shooting was a terrible tragedy. The young man accused (and captured with a smoking gun) was wrong. His behavior and actions cannot be excused by any rational person.
Secondly and more importantly, the response of the nation to this tragedy is tragic. At the timeline of school shootings , there is a list of shootings around the world since 1996 reports 219 deaths in school situations during the past 14 years. Why does this shooting get such a report?????
Finally, and more to the point, the solutions proposed have not yet reached my ear and been deemed plausible. Each time a situation arises, the call goes out for more regulation, more laws, more this, more that. Some external device is called to blame: a video game, a movie, a talk show host, a blog. None of these can be solved, nor are empirical. There is something at the heart of the matter that escapes the public media. Humans are sinful. Without a change of values or attitudes through a faith in Jesus, no "external" pressures can resolve the key issue and prevent future occurrences. Until an individual becomes a new creation in Jesus, the result of their actions will always be death.
Enough sorrow for the moment. Let's talk about plausible solutions.
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