Tonight's reading: Joshua 15-17; 1 Cor 8
S:1 Cor 8:13 - Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
O: Jesus is discussing how we ought not let our knowledge of right and wrong harm those who don't share it, by doing something we know to be alright though it might create strife.
A: I used to love one of Tom Baker's occasional sayings. "Jesus was a wine-bibber," He was fond of noting, to point out (I think) that Jesus was thoroughly in this world, though not of it, and didn't hold himself separate from the people that he loved. Jesus would seek out the lost, go after the tax collector, save the prostitute and the leper.
Of course, I seized on the part of that phrase that pointed out that Jesus drank wine. Of course He did; it was a cultural norm at the time, and not a matter of taboo as it is in our modern, occasionally puritanical society.
I, of course, like beer. It appealed to me that Jesus wouldn't be offended by my beer drinking.
It appeals to me, occasionally, to hear pastoral staff talking about creating a space in a brewpub setting. It appeals to me that there are groups that already do this. It appeals to me that, every once in a blue moon, I get to have a beer in this setting here.
All of this appeals to me because I like beer (mostly) and, also, because I know that Jesus doesn't mind me drinking beer (if done in moderation and so-on). And, sometimes, I assume that my knowledge is common knowledge.
This, of course, is where I'm fatally wrong. My knowledge isn't common knowledge, and my exercise of discretion based upon that knowledge is offensive to some, hurtful to some, wicked to some, and in that sense is a disservice to all.
I think of people at church, whether highly-placed or otherwise, who I am certain are opposed to drink, for whatever reason (personal, spiritual, historical, etc.) To those people, the service of wine at communion is a tremendous sin. To them, a service at a brewpub is taking us to hell in handbasket. I know they're wrong, but I have to fight the urge to judge it. In the end, apart from this difference in our knowledge, these people have great things to bring to the table. In stepping forward with the thought that they need to be challenged to grow up, and in turn offending them, I may find I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face. By driving a wedge in, by pushing them away when it is my responsibility to be sensitive, I invite discord and disfunction and I end up harming the whole by sectioning off a part.
It's a tricky balance. You certainly mustn't let cliques and factions rule; you certainly have to govern toward the health of the collective and, as such, have to be knowledgeable that some will feel left behind. You can't please everyone all the time. But with that in mind, we need to be judicious in where and how we push forward, and conscious of the challenges we present to some; where appropriate, we need to be ready to hold back until everyone is able to take certain steps together, even if that sometimes means never taking certain steps at all...
P: Lord, help me to be more sensitive to those around me. Let me understand where my behaviors, whether right or wrong in themselves, create unnecessary discord in others. Help me to put the good of the many ahead of my own selfish desires. Amen
Showing posts with label WWJD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WWJD. Show all posts
March 23, 2010
November 25, 2008
SOAP Notes
November 25, 2008
Matthew 20-22
S: Matthew 20:1-16
A: I recall a night in college, sitting and conversing with a group of peers in a Bible study-type group. We were discussing heaven and degrees of reward. There was talk of jewels in the crown and mansions in heaven and such, and I took umbrage. Why wasn’t salvation enough? In that group and in many others I’ve been in, there’s the ongoing search for the icing on the cake of Christianity. Much, I suspect, is geared toward trying to puff oneself up over our Christian peers. A thought of “sure we’re both saved, but mine’s better because…” Or, perhaps a matter of fulfilling the human need to find justification and reward to make sense of greater sacrifice. Or whatever.
But this parable as I read it confirms my suspicion that salvation is absolute and the same for everyone. And, at least to me, it highlights the danger of expecting anything more (and missing the fact that there can be nothing greater). There is no pride in salvation; it isn’t earned and can’t be improved-upon or adorned. To worry about trying to put icing on the cake is to miss the substance of it and to risk losing the reward in our jealousy.
P: Lord, help me not to take pride in my salvation and help me not to compare my walk with that of another. Simply help me to accept Your gift and to treasure it, and let my life and my actions reflect what You have done for me. Amen.
Matthew 20-22
S: Matthew 20:1-16
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day long?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.' When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' But he answered and said to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? So the last shall be first, and the first last."O: A parable explaining the absolute nature of salvation and showing that we are not to envy those who seem to have attained it more cheaply.
A: I recall a night in college, sitting and conversing with a group of peers in a Bible study-type group. We were discussing heaven and degrees of reward. There was talk of jewels in the crown and mansions in heaven and such, and I took umbrage. Why wasn’t salvation enough? In that group and in many others I’ve been in, there’s the ongoing search for the icing on the cake of Christianity. Much, I suspect, is geared toward trying to puff oneself up over our Christian peers. A thought of “sure we’re both saved, but mine’s better because…” Or, perhaps a matter of fulfilling the human need to find justification and reward to make sense of greater sacrifice. Or whatever.
But this parable as I read it confirms my suspicion that salvation is absolute and the same for everyone. And, at least to me, it highlights the danger of expecting anything more (and missing the fact that there can be nothing greater). There is no pride in salvation; it isn’t earned and can’t be improved-upon or adorned. To worry about trying to put icing on the cake is to miss the substance of it and to risk losing the reward in our jealousy.
P: Lord, help me not to take pride in my salvation and help me not to compare my walk with that of another. Simply help me to accept Your gift and to treasure it, and let my life and my actions reflect what You have done for me. Amen.
September 23, 2008
SOAP Notes
September 23, 2008
Daniel 11-12; Luke 6
S: Luke 6:27-35
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.”
O: The Beatitudes section, where Jesus lays out desirable traits and, in the midst, offers a profound challenge to everyone who claims to follow Him.
A: It is amazing how often you can read the same section of the Bible and yet always find something new. I’ve read the Beatitudes numerous times. We all know the “blessed are the poor, the meak,” and so on. We all know the Beatitudes as a place that talks about turning the other cheek. We all know it as a place of some quaint blessings that can be inspiring or can be great throw-away lines in a Christian conversation.
I hadn’t noticed the challenge in them, though. I mean, I imagine I’ve seen it before, but on this night it really hits me. Jesus spends a fair amount of time confronting people who live a good life with the fact that they do it on easy terms.
As I look at others around me, and as I look at myself, I find that it is very easy to feel self-satisfied and pious after doing little things for others. Particularly when they are people that don’t offend, people that we think deserve our kindnesses and our time. We are kind to those who we like, or who we at least don’t have something against. We give to those who we know will share with us as well, or we give with the knowledge that our charity will be rewarded in another way. We act in kindness toward those who we feel kindness towards.
But the challenge is so much greater, and lays bare the failure that is inherent in us all. I sit at work, or at home, or in my car, and sometimes find myself plotting and scheming against perceived enemies. And the feeling in my heart is malice; there is no kindness there. I can think of a number of people who I dislike such that I would never lend them a pencil, let alone reach out to support them or speak out a kind word to them. I can think of a number of times in the past that I’ve failed the challenge.
I think of myself, and others think of themselves, highly for the kindnesses they do to those they care about, but Jesus makes it clear: how does that make me any different? My calling in this world, my purpose, isn’t to be just more of the same. I’m to be different, a reflection of something greater, and in simply upholding the status quo, I am failing monumentally.
The end of the passage deals with an ultimate reward. I don’t think that’s the point, though people always seem to need to feel that their labor isn’t in vain. What I know is this: I want to be better, not for an award, but for the difference I would be, and for the difference that would make in me. The ultimate reward is nice, but the immediate gain is just as important.
P: Lord, please help me to go beyond what everyone does. Help me to be a reflection of Your greatness. Help me to be different and to exhibit something more. Amen.
Daniel 11-12; Luke 6
S: Luke 6:27-35
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.”
O: The Beatitudes section, where Jesus lays out desirable traits and, in the midst, offers a profound challenge to everyone who claims to follow Him.
A: It is amazing how often you can read the same section of the Bible and yet always find something new. I’ve read the Beatitudes numerous times. We all know the “blessed are the poor, the meak,” and so on. We all know the Beatitudes as a place that talks about turning the other cheek. We all know it as a place of some quaint blessings that can be inspiring or can be great throw-away lines in a Christian conversation.
I hadn’t noticed the challenge in them, though. I mean, I imagine I’ve seen it before, but on this night it really hits me. Jesus spends a fair amount of time confronting people who live a good life with the fact that they do it on easy terms.
As I look at others around me, and as I look at myself, I find that it is very easy to feel self-satisfied and pious after doing little things for others. Particularly when they are people that don’t offend, people that we think deserve our kindnesses and our time. We are kind to those who we like, or who we at least don’t have something against. We give to those who we know will share with us as well, or we give with the knowledge that our charity will be rewarded in another way. We act in kindness toward those who we feel kindness towards.
But the challenge is so much greater, and lays bare the failure that is inherent in us all. I sit at work, or at home, or in my car, and sometimes find myself plotting and scheming against perceived enemies. And the feeling in my heart is malice; there is no kindness there. I can think of a number of people who I dislike such that I would never lend them a pencil, let alone reach out to support them or speak out a kind word to them. I can think of a number of times in the past that I’ve failed the challenge.
I think of myself, and others think of themselves, highly for the kindnesses they do to those they care about, but Jesus makes it clear: how does that make me any different? My calling in this world, my purpose, isn’t to be just more of the same. I’m to be different, a reflection of something greater, and in simply upholding the status quo, I am failing monumentally.
The end of the passage deals with an ultimate reward. I don’t think that’s the point, though people always seem to need to feel that their labor isn’t in vain. What I know is this: I want to be better, not for an award, but for the difference I would be, and for the difference that would make in me. The ultimate reward is nice, but the immediate gain is just as important.
P: Lord, please help me to go beyond what everyone does. Help me to be a reflection of Your greatness. Help me to be different and to exhibit something more. Amen.
September 02, 2008
SOAP Notes
September 2, 2008
Ezekiel 17-19; Revelations 7
S: Ezekiel 18:20 & 30a
"The person who sins will die The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD.”
O: The Lord clarifies accountability; we are each judged by our own actions and aren’t judged by the conduct of others.
A: Two separate trains of thought for the day.
1) It is sometimes easy to try to pass through Christian life like we pass through so much of our life, on appearances and not on substance. One of those appearances is the company we keep. If I hang with Christian people, I’m a Christian. If I spend my time with people who love and obey God, I’m assumed to be like them, and (in fact) I internalize that assumption into a belief that I’m doing just fine.
In the past, I’ve focused on a saying I picked up from a sports talk guy I like to listen to. “You are who you roll with.” For me, that means that a person can be judged (at least to a certain extent) by the company that they keep, without taking the time to evaluate the person on their own merits. That dovetails nicely with a bit of intellectual laziness that I’ve always, quietly, held dear and close. That stereotypes exist for a reason, and that very often they are somewhat grounded in truth. So, therefore, it’s okay to embrace them and approach people through the applied stereotypes that fit with who they are. Racial, sexual, whatever.
While it may be true that people gravitate towards groups they identify with, or that stereotypes can be a useful tool in social interaction if properly (and judiciously) used, it is important to note that each person is special, is their own wondrous creation. To discount them or, worse, disregard them based upon our judgments of who they are based on where they’re from is a sin. Not a deep thought, but a thought nonetheless.
2) Deeper question: How does this passage relate to other parts of the Bible?
“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Exodus 20:5)
I cheated here. I was looking for the verse and found a sermon someone wrote about it here. I don’t know who this Ray Fowler is, but he distinguishes between the idea that we are doomed by our forefather’s sins, which is false, and subject to certain consequences of them, which is true.
One can misread the Bible to say that we are bound. We are bound by God’s will. We are bound by a certain destiny. We are bound by the evil that others have done before us. We are doomed to failure if God wants us to be, or destined for success if that’s what God’s plan is.
The support is found in verses like Exodus 20:5. If our father’s sins are passed down, I’m subject to the damnation, and there’s no point in trying. But this is not what the verse means.
We should not be so foolish as to believe we live in a vacuum. Like the butterfly in China whose wing-fluttering creates the gust of wind elsewhere, we are each affected by the behavior of others. We are more affected by the people we are more bound up with. The things that my father (and mother) do (or don’t do) have an affect on me, whether I perceive it or not. I am a part of the world in which I lived, and my actions are informed by that which occurs around me. Likewise, my daughter is subject to what I do, and the example I set, and the behavior I portray, and will live a life which mirrors or responds or portrays that. Which is not to say that she’s doomed to repeat my mistakes. Indeed, she may learn and grow from them, or avoid them, or whatever. But the hurdles I lay out will be hurdles she has to clear. How she lives her life, the decisions (or, more importantly, The Decision) she makes will be her own, and will be the sole basis of her judgment. But I can either help or hinder her, and that is what to take away from today.
P: Lord, help me to consider people on their own merit and to see them for who they are in and of themselves. And help me to think about my actions globally, not just in the moment, but in the aftermath as well. And help me to help my children to make wiser choices than me, even if they are stuck in the wake of the bad ones I’ve made. Amen.
Ezekiel 17-19; Revelations 7
S: Ezekiel 18:20 & 30a
"The person who sins will die The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD.”
O: The Lord clarifies accountability; we are each judged by our own actions and aren’t judged by the conduct of others.
A: Two separate trains of thought for the day.
1) It is sometimes easy to try to pass through Christian life like we pass through so much of our life, on appearances and not on substance. One of those appearances is the company we keep. If I hang with Christian people, I’m a Christian. If I spend my time with people who love and obey God, I’m assumed to be like them, and (in fact) I internalize that assumption into a belief that I’m doing just fine.
In the past, I’ve focused on a saying I picked up from a sports talk guy I like to listen to. “You are who you roll with.” For me, that means that a person can be judged (at least to a certain extent) by the company that they keep, without taking the time to evaluate the person on their own merits. That dovetails nicely with a bit of intellectual laziness that I’ve always, quietly, held dear and close. That stereotypes exist for a reason, and that very often they are somewhat grounded in truth. So, therefore, it’s okay to embrace them and approach people through the applied stereotypes that fit with who they are. Racial, sexual, whatever.
While it may be true that people gravitate towards groups they identify with, or that stereotypes can be a useful tool in social interaction if properly (and judiciously) used, it is important to note that each person is special, is their own wondrous creation. To discount them or, worse, disregard them based upon our judgments of who they are based on where they’re from is a sin. Not a deep thought, but a thought nonetheless.
2) Deeper question: How does this passage relate to other parts of the Bible?
“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Exodus 20:5)
I cheated here. I was looking for the verse and found a sermon someone wrote about it here. I don’t know who this Ray Fowler is, but he distinguishes between the idea that we are doomed by our forefather’s sins, which is false, and subject to certain consequences of them, which is true.
One can misread the Bible to say that we are bound. We are bound by God’s will. We are bound by a certain destiny. We are bound by the evil that others have done before us. We are doomed to failure if God wants us to be, or destined for success if that’s what God’s plan is.
The support is found in verses like Exodus 20:5. If our father’s sins are passed down, I’m subject to the damnation, and there’s no point in trying. But this is not what the verse means.
We should not be so foolish as to believe we live in a vacuum. Like the butterfly in China whose wing-fluttering creates the gust of wind elsewhere, we are each affected by the behavior of others. We are more affected by the people we are more bound up with. The things that my father (and mother) do (or don’t do) have an affect on me, whether I perceive it or not. I am a part of the world in which I lived, and my actions are informed by that which occurs around me. Likewise, my daughter is subject to what I do, and the example I set, and the behavior I portray, and will live a life which mirrors or responds or portrays that. Which is not to say that she’s doomed to repeat my mistakes. Indeed, she may learn and grow from them, or avoid them, or whatever. But the hurdles I lay out will be hurdles she has to clear. How she lives her life, the decisions (or, more importantly, The Decision) she makes will be her own, and will be the sole basis of her judgment. But I can either help or hinder her, and that is what to take away from today.
P: Lord, help me to consider people on their own merit and to see them for who they are in and of themselves. And help me to think about my actions globally, not just in the moment, but in the aftermath as well. And help me to help my children to make wiser choices than me, even if they are stuck in the wake of the bad ones I’ve made. Amen.
August 26, 2008
SOAP Notes
The latest SOAP Notes entry:
August 26, 2008
Jeremiah 50-51; 3 John 1
S: Jeremiah 50:3-5
"For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away! In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.”
O: Although this particular verse discusses a particular time, wherein the sons of Israel will seek the Lord in despair and be given a great victory, I think it pretty well wraps up the sort of situation that, typically, helps Christians remember what (or rather Who) they’re about.
A: The funny, or tragic, thing about Christianity for many people, often including myself, is that it’s a religion of desperation. My faith is strongest when I’m in the direst straits, which isn’t saying much, because so often my faith is barely existent. For so many, the time that we come to the Lord, where we draw near to Him and whisper hymns of praise and love, are those times when we’re just looking for a deliverance or a miracle or a provision. We’re suck-ups and sycophants, suddenly playing Yes-Man in the hopes that we’ll get what we want out of the relationship through sheer flattery and lip service.
The stable Christians, the real devout ones, see this for what it is. So, of course, does Jesus. Although Jesus is always happy to have our attention, and always longs to have us focused on Him for our provision, how off-putting it must be to only see us when we want something out of Him. Whereas devout people of God make Him a part of their daily life and include Him in their ongoing struggle, the fledgling masses continue just to see Him as a shelter in a storm.
I know the difference between friends of commitment and friends of convenience. I have friends who are always there for me, who care about me when their life is good or bad (and, likewise, when mine is good or bad), and who aren’t there to use me. And I have “friends” who only show up when there’s something in it for them.
Worse, I’m that “friend” to some, and I know it going in.
In those times of “friend”ship, where I’m being used, I can’t wait for my “friend” to leave so I can get back to enjoying true friends. In those same times, where I’m the one glad-handing and siphoning from the goodwill of others, I know they’re just humoring me as long as is necessary to get me away.
And, so, the application: I need to be a friend to Jesus, and not just a “friend.” I need to spend time with Him everyday, whether I have an acute need to attend to or not. For although Jesus, miraculously, doesn’t lose patience with our failings, God forbid someday I should show up in a time of need and have Him say “get away from me, you parasite! You pay me lip service, but I know you don’t really care.” God forbid that moment come, because (of course) He’d be speaking the truth, and I’d have no defense. Thank God that moment won’t come, but it makes my heart sick to think of such a time…
P: Lord, thank you for my true friends, and for the model they are to me of what true friendship is. Help me, Lord, to understand that You, too, are a friend, and that You want a relationship with me. Not one of convenience, and not one born out of acute need. Help me to respect You enough to include You, and help me to be a true friend to You, just as You have always been a true friend to me. Amen.
August 26, 2008
Jeremiah 50-51; 3 John 1
S: Jeremiah 50:3-5
"For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away! In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.”
O: Although this particular verse discusses a particular time, wherein the sons of Israel will seek the Lord in despair and be given a great victory, I think it pretty well wraps up the sort of situation that, typically, helps Christians remember what (or rather Who) they’re about.
A: The funny, or tragic, thing about Christianity for many people, often including myself, is that it’s a religion of desperation. My faith is strongest when I’m in the direst straits, which isn’t saying much, because so often my faith is barely existent. For so many, the time that we come to the Lord, where we draw near to Him and whisper hymns of praise and love, are those times when we’re just looking for a deliverance or a miracle or a provision. We’re suck-ups and sycophants, suddenly playing Yes-Man in the hopes that we’ll get what we want out of the relationship through sheer flattery and lip service.
The stable Christians, the real devout ones, see this for what it is. So, of course, does Jesus. Although Jesus is always happy to have our attention, and always longs to have us focused on Him for our provision, how off-putting it must be to only see us when we want something out of Him. Whereas devout people of God make Him a part of their daily life and include Him in their ongoing struggle, the fledgling masses continue just to see Him as a shelter in a storm.
I know the difference between friends of commitment and friends of convenience. I have friends who are always there for me, who care about me when their life is good or bad (and, likewise, when mine is good or bad), and who aren’t there to use me. And I have “friends” who only show up when there’s something in it for them.
Worse, I’m that “friend” to some, and I know it going in.
In those times of “friend”ship, where I’m being used, I can’t wait for my “friend” to leave so I can get back to enjoying true friends. In those same times, where I’m the one glad-handing and siphoning from the goodwill of others, I know they’re just humoring me as long as is necessary to get me away.
And, so, the application: I need to be a friend to Jesus, and not just a “friend.” I need to spend time with Him everyday, whether I have an acute need to attend to or not. For although Jesus, miraculously, doesn’t lose patience with our failings, God forbid someday I should show up in a time of need and have Him say “get away from me, you parasite! You pay me lip service, but I know you don’t really care.” God forbid that moment come, because (of course) He’d be speaking the truth, and I’d have no defense. Thank God that moment won’t come, but it makes my heart sick to think of such a time…
P: Lord, thank you for my true friends, and for the model they are to me of what true friendship is. Help me, Lord, to understand that You, too, are a friend, and that You want a relationship with me. Not one of convenience, and not one born out of acute need. Help me to respect You enough to include You, and help me to be a true friend to You, just as You have always been a true friend to me. Amen.
August 12, 2008
SOAP Notes
The latest SOAP Notes entry:
August 12, 2008
Jeremiah 10-12; John 14
S: Jeremiah 10:3-8; 12-14
For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good." There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion--their idol is wood!
It is He who made the earth by His power, Who stablished the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.
O: This section laments the people who worship false gods over the True God, but further highlights the tendency of man to put the cart before the horse, in worshipping the created over the Creator to their detriment.
A: My SOAP times are constantly annoying to me, in the sense that what I see in these verses is always a rather simple and obvious shortcoming in myself. And today I see the rather straight-forward issue of priorities. Worship, in so many ways, is a concept in the Bible that simply points out prioritization. Worship = attention = time = devotion = investment, so that when there’s discussion of worship, what it really highlights is that to which we are devoting and investing our time and attention, which in turn illustrates how we rank things in our lives.
Another annoying thing in my SOAP times is the realization that there are so few of them. It seems that my Bible reading almost exclusively consists of these SOAP periods, so as I look back and see I haven’t done a SOAP in months, it highlights just how low this exercise (Bible reading) is in my prioritization scheme.
Thinking over my last month, what has occupied my time? Noble things, like my wife and daughter and moving and work. Spending time with friends, doing favors for people here and there, reassuring clients who need someone to tell them things will be okay. But, just as often (or more often) I’m doing useless, inane, foolish, trifling things. Facebook MobWars or TV or beer drinking or reading magazines or telling stupid jokes or whatever. And both of these lists, the noble and ignoble, consist of things that are all priorities that should fall behind my God. They are all benefits that flow from him, so to worship them, or devote time to them, or pay attention to them, or invest myself in them to the exclusion of their source is ridiculous, short-sighted and wrong.
What to do? Well, the first step in solving any problem is recognizing it. The next step is addressing it. I clearly need to devote time that goes to other things (particularly the useless ones) to my God, and I need to place the noble things in their proper perspective, as things secondary or tertiary or whatever to the source from whence they came. And while appreciating them and servicing them is well and good, to look at them as being primary in importance is wrong, and I must catch myself when that occurs. To fail to address this is to invite ruin, and also to risk losing the benefits of the Creator by excluding Him from my life.
P: Lord, please help me to develop a proper value system in my life, and help me to establish priorities that reflect the correct weight of the things that I devote and invest my time and attention into. Help me to appreciate what You’ve provided without letting those things rule me, and help me to be mindful of their Provenance and to focus my attention appropriately toward You. Amen.
August 12, 2008
Jeremiah 10-12; John 14
S: Jeremiah 10:3-8; 12-14
For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good." There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion--their idol is wood!
It is He who made the earth by His power, Who stablished the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.
O: This section laments the people who worship false gods over the True God, but further highlights the tendency of man to put the cart before the horse, in worshipping the created over the Creator to their detriment.
A: My SOAP times are constantly annoying to me, in the sense that what I see in these verses is always a rather simple and obvious shortcoming in myself. And today I see the rather straight-forward issue of priorities. Worship, in so many ways, is a concept in the Bible that simply points out prioritization. Worship = attention = time = devotion = investment, so that when there’s discussion of worship, what it really highlights is that to which we are devoting and investing our time and attention, which in turn illustrates how we rank things in our lives.
Another annoying thing in my SOAP times is the realization that there are so few of them. It seems that my Bible reading almost exclusively consists of these SOAP periods, so as I look back and see I haven’t done a SOAP in months, it highlights just how low this exercise (Bible reading) is in my prioritization scheme.
Thinking over my last month, what has occupied my time? Noble things, like my wife and daughter and moving and work. Spending time with friends, doing favors for people here and there, reassuring clients who need someone to tell them things will be okay. But, just as often (or more often) I’m doing useless, inane, foolish, trifling things. Facebook MobWars or TV or beer drinking or reading magazines or telling stupid jokes or whatever. And both of these lists, the noble and ignoble, consist of things that are all priorities that should fall behind my God. They are all benefits that flow from him, so to worship them, or devote time to them, or pay attention to them, or invest myself in them to the exclusion of their source is ridiculous, short-sighted and wrong.
What to do? Well, the first step in solving any problem is recognizing it. The next step is addressing it. I clearly need to devote time that goes to other things (particularly the useless ones) to my God, and I need to place the noble things in their proper perspective, as things secondary or tertiary or whatever to the source from whence they came. And while appreciating them and servicing them is well and good, to look at them as being primary in importance is wrong, and I must catch myself when that occurs. To fail to address this is to invite ruin, and also to risk losing the benefits of the Creator by excluding Him from my life.
P: Lord, please help me to develop a proper value system in my life, and help me to establish priorities that reflect the correct weight of the things that I devote and invest my time and attention into. Help me to appreciate what You’ve provided without letting those things rule me, and help me to be mindful of their Provenance and to focus my attention appropriately toward You. Amen.
May 27, 2008
SOAP Notes
The latest SOAP Notes entry:
May 27, 2008
Proverbs 4-6; Romans 8
S: Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
O: Solomon lays out seven things despicable to the Lord. Paul gives us hope despite them.
A: Easy enough today. What of the hateful things do I have?
P: God, help me to see those moments when I’m preparing to fall short, and to step back from those instances. Help me to focus on your love, which will always be there for me as long as I accept it and act in accordance with it. Amen.
May 27, 2008
Proverbs 4-6; Romans 8
S: Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
O: Solomon lays out seven things despicable to the Lord. Paul gives us hope despite them.
A: Easy enough today. What of the hateful things do I have?
- Haughty eyes: am I arrogant, snobbish, or scornful? Yes.
- Lying tongue: I try earnestly to be honest, which makes it even more obvious to me when I’m being dishonest. Most of my lies are those of omission; I avoid saying the truth or a lie and let silence tell the lie for me. Is that any less a sin than speaking falsely? No.
- Hands that shed innocent blood: I don’t kill. But in a million ways every day I fail to act to protect life, or to stand up for what is right. I don’t feed the homeless, I don’t clothe the cold, I don’t provide for the orphan. When I leave them in the cold, I might as well take their lives, since I’m not giving to them in times of need.
- A heart that devises wicked plans: Yes, that’s me. I catch myself plotting things that aren’t right. No grand capers, just little things here and there which I know better than to do. I rarely fall into sin; I usually scheme it out in advance.
- Feet that run rapidly to evil: when a chance to do something naughty but fun arises, how often to I run the other way?
- False witness who utters lies: I think of the list I manage to do well here. I see this as spreading untruths about others. I think I’m good at holding my tongue in that regard.
- One who spreads strife among brothers: I also think I’m good at trying to maintain harmony and order, though I do catch myself sometimes drumming up some dischord.
P: God, help me to see those moments when I’m preparing to fall short, and to step back from those instances. Help me to focus on your love, which will always be there for me as long as I accept it and act in accordance with it. Amen.
May 06, 2008
SOAP Notes
The latest SOAP Notes entry:
May 6, 2008
2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23
S: Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Matthew 23:3 …all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
O: The core theme I see in all of these verses seems to be a concept akin to integrity. In Psalms, the idea is internal truth. In the Matthew verses, it’s about being real both to what one says, and also to what one is. So, for me, the observation is that these verses relate to being a true person who demonstrates the truth in their actions, and who demonstrates their knowledge of the truth in their humility.
A: I am a very flawed person, and verses like these draw that knowledge, which is always under the surface for me, out into my full attention.
First, I find myself denying the truth of who I am in so many ways. I deny my imperfections, or more correctly ignore them by focusing on the imperfections of others. I deny my failures by over-focusing on my few successes and blowing them up in my mind, and over-focusing on my strong traits to the exclusion of addressing my weaknesses. I deny my duty to Christ in living how I want without regard for what I should be doing, what I should be saying, and how I should be behaving. I have moments of introspection that I try to avoid, through activity or through mind-numbing or through sheer evasion, so that I don’t have to understand what it really means to be me.
Second, and alluded to in the first, is that my actions don’t portray the truth. I know how to behave, to my wife or to my daughter or to my friends or (even) to my enemies. And I can offer advice to others about how they should behave to those same classes of people. But I shudder everytime I hear the verse about the cloud of witnesses that watches, unseen. I won’t engage in such false modesty as to say that I never do right. In fact, I do it enough to demonstrate that I know what it is, and I do it enough that people know that I know better when I do wrong. That said, I act out and speak out and lash out in so many ways that are so opposed to how I’m supposed to so often that I’m clearly not a man of integrity.
Finally, I’m a man of pride. Even in moments like these where I’m able to focus on my negatives, I find myself struggling not to puff my chest out at the plusses on my ledger. God has gifted me in too many ways to number, and I’m thankful in these moments of insight for that. But too, too often I look at these blessings as the works of my hands, and I fancy myself something greater than what I really am. I know deep inside, in my heart of hearts, that I’m here for something important. And I know with absolute certainty that, as long as I look at being important as the goal, as opposed to serving an important end, I will never achieve it. Humility requires knowing that we, of ourselves, mean so little in the great scheme. I’m important to my friends and to my family, but in truth I’m a speck. I have a part to play, and that’s all, and if I look at things as being about me, as opposed to being about that part, I’m missing the point.
And so the application: I need to seek the truth of who I am. What is the mission for me, and how do I serve that end (and who do I serve to that end)? What are my flaws, and how can I work to address them? Where I’m falling short, what do I need to address to allow me to reach what is there for me? I need to develop consistency within and without. I need integrity.
P: God, help me to be wise, and to search myself for those things that lead me to distraction, to delusion, and to destruction. Let me be a man who behaves in a way that reflects a true image of a heart that’s been molded by You, and that is dedicated to serving Your purpose. Help me put aside the stumbling blocks, whether those of attitudes inside of me or behaviors I engage in, and help me to become a man of integrity, strength, and consistency. Amen.
May 6, 2008
2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23
S: Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Matthew 23:3 …all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
O: The core theme I see in all of these verses seems to be a concept akin to integrity. In Psalms, the idea is internal truth. In the Matthew verses, it’s about being real both to what one says, and also to what one is. So, for me, the observation is that these verses relate to being a true person who demonstrates the truth in their actions, and who demonstrates their knowledge of the truth in their humility.
A: I am a very flawed person, and verses like these draw that knowledge, which is always under the surface for me, out into my full attention.
First, I find myself denying the truth of who I am in so many ways. I deny my imperfections, or more correctly ignore them by focusing on the imperfections of others. I deny my failures by over-focusing on my few successes and blowing them up in my mind, and over-focusing on my strong traits to the exclusion of addressing my weaknesses. I deny my duty to Christ in living how I want without regard for what I should be doing, what I should be saying, and how I should be behaving. I have moments of introspection that I try to avoid, through activity or through mind-numbing or through sheer evasion, so that I don’t have to understand what it really means to be me.
Second, and alluded to in the first, is that my actions don’t portray the truth. I know how to behave, to my wife or to my daughter or to my friends or (even) to my enemies. And I can offer advice to others about how they should behave to those same classes of people. But I shudder everytime I hear the verse about the cloud of witnesses that watches, unseen. I won’t engage in such false modesty as to say that I never do right. In fact, I do it enough to demonstrate that I know what it is, and I do it enough that people know that I know better when I do wrong. That said, I act out and speak out and lash out in so many ways that are so opposed to how I’m supposed to so often that I’m clearly not a man of integrity.
Finally, I’m a man of pride. Even in moments like these where I’m able to focus on my negatives, I find myself struggling not to puff my chest out at the plusses on my ledger. God has gifted me in too many ways to number, and I’m thankful in these moments of insight for that. But too, too often I look at these blessings as the works of my hands, and I fancy myself something greater than what I really am. I know deep inside, in my heart of hearts, that I’m here for something important. And I know with absolute certainty that, as long as I look at being important as the goal, as opposed to serving an important end, I will never achieve it. Humility requires knowing that we, of ourselves, mean so little in the great scheme. I’m important to my friends and to my family, but in truth I’m a speck. I have a part to play, and that’s all, and if I look at things as being about me, as opposed to being about that part, I’m missing the point.
And so the application: I need to seek the truth of who I am. What is the mission for me, and how do I serve that end (and who do I serve to that end)? What are my flaws, and how can I work to address them? Where I’m falling short, what do I need to address to allow me to reach what is there for me? I need to develop consistency within and without. I need integrity.
P: God, help me to be wise, and to search myself for those things that lead me to distraction, to delusion, and to destruction. Let me be a man who behaves in a way that reflects a true image of a heart that’s been molded by You, and that is dedicated to serving Your purpose. Help me put aside the stumbling blocks, whether those of attitudes inside of me or behaviors I engage in, and help me to become a man of integrity, strength, and consistency. Amen.
March 04, 2008
SOAP Notes
Even more SOAP Notes...
March 4, 2008
Num 34-36; Mark 11
S: Mark 11:23-24
“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”
O: Immediately proceeding this verse, the disciples pointed out a fig tree that Jesus had cursed, which within a day had withered from the ground up; Jesus told them to believe in God, and then gave them the above assurance.
A: Things like this are some of the most challenging things to me in the Bible, for a variety of reasons. Some are philosophical, some are practical, and some are experiential.
Philosophically: these verses do not equivocate or qualify. They speak absolutely. Any person who tells a mountain to move, who believes in his heart without a doubt that it will happen, will see it happen. All things for which I pray and ask, if I believe I’m getting it, will be granted. Of course, this can’t be right, can it? These verses, in and of themselves, don’t constrain the results as being necessarily within God’s will, or the desires by which they're sought of being godly in nature. Really, if a man asks for a mountain to move, and believes it will: will that occur if God doesn’t want it to move? If I pray for my enemy to die, and believe that he shall, will it happen if it isn’t a godly desire?
Practically: if anybody sheerly on the basis of whole-hearted belief could accomplish anything by simply asking it without a doubt of its occurrence, would we see so much suffering? Would we see so many people living without? Wouldn’t we see a lot of little girls with ponies and little boys with BB guns, because with the faith of a child they asked, believing it would be given? If simple faith was all that was necessary to achieve our dreams, wouldn’t more of us achieve them?
Experientially: I’ve seen people seek things with what appeared to be an earnest belief that they would be provided. Healing of physical issues, changes in another person’s course of action, reversals of fortune of all sorts. Sometimes there are definite changes. But, in my experience watching, most often there is nothing apparent.
Compounding this frustration is my own failure. I pray most every day. Sometimes I have a general sense of belief in the Lord’s provision. More often than not, I pray simply out of a recognition that I need to embrace the fact that I need to rely on more than myself. But praying out of a recognition of that need is not the same as exercising an act out of that need. I very rarely, if ever, have prayed for something with a whole-hearted belief in the result. So I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that “move the mountain” moment in my own life, and there’s some comfort to me in the idea that they simply don’t happen.
But Jesus apparently says that these things can occur. I have to believe that there’s a “God’s will” qualification. The mere fact that I want something enough and believe that I’ll get it can’t overcome God’s will. I can frustrate God, but I can’t overpower Him. So, my reading is that a person acting out of a belief that God’s will shall be accomplished, who speaks out in that belief and claims the fulfillment, will see the fulfillment of that will. Or maybe my reading is that if you have a can-do attitude, you will get far.
I don’t think that Jesus was just telling me that perserverance and faith in an outcome is a guarantee that, with a little elbow grease and a happy heart, I’ll achieve it. No, I think He is telling me that an abiding faith in God and a declaration of my desire to see His will done will be rewarded. So, eventually, I get to the challenge in the verse. I need that abiding faith. And, just as much, I need an understanding of His will. If I can combine these pieces, I’ll begin to realize the whole of His glory.
P: God, my faith is so often weak, and my understanding so lacking, that I often feel not so much that my prayers fall to the floor, but worse that my words have no meaning at all. Give me faith where I am lacking. Begin a work in me that will change me from within, to allow me to be a man who believes and who abides in that reliance on You. And allow me to know Your will, that my prayers will have meaning and that they’ll be effectual and that, ultimately, they will work to reinforce my belief in You. Amen.
March 4, 2008
Num 34-36; Mark 11
S: Mark 11:23-24
“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”
O: Immediately proceeding this verse, the disciples pointed out a fig tree that Jesus had cursed, which within a day had withered from the ground up; Jesus told them to believe in God, and then gave them the above assurance.
A: Things like this are some of the most challenging things to me in the Bible, for a variety of reasons. Some are philosophical, some are practical, and some are experiential.
Philosophically: these verses do not equivocate or qualify. They speak absolutely. Any person who tells a mountain to move, who believes in his heart without a doubt that it will happen, will see it happen. All things for which I pray and ask, if I believe I’m getting it, will be granted. Of course, this can’t be right, can it? These verses, in and of themselves, don’t constrain the results as being necessarily within God’s will, or the desires by which they're sought of being godly in nature. Really, if a man asks for a mountain to move, and believes it will: will that occur if God doesn’t want it to move? If I pray for my enemy to die, and believe that he shall, will it happen if it isn’t a godly desire?
Practically: if anybody sheerly on the basis of whole-hearted belief could accomplish anything by simply asking it without a doubt of its occurrence, would we see so much suffering? Would we see so many people living without? Wouldn’t we see a lot of little girls with ponies and little boys with BB guns, because with the faith of a child they asked, believing it would be given? If simple faith was all that was necessary to achieve our dreams, wouldn’t more of us achieve them?
Experientially: I’ve seen people seek things with what appeared to be an earnest belief that they would be provided. Healing of physical issues, changes in another person’s course of action, reversals of fortune of all sorts. Sometimes there are definite changes. But, in my experience watching, most often there is nothing apparent.
Compounding this frustration is my own failure. I pray most every day. Sometimes I have a general sense of belief in the Lord’s provision. More often than not, I pray simply out of a recognition that I need to embrace the fact that I need to rely on more than myself. But praying out of a recognition of that need is not the same as exercising an act out of that need. I very rarely, if ever, have prayed for something with a whole-hearted belief in the result. So I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that “move the mountain” moment in my own life, and there’s some comfort to me in the idea that they simply don’t happen.
But Jesus apparently says that these things can occur. I have to believe that there’s a “God’s will” qualification. The mere fact that I want something enough and believe that I’ll get it can’t overcome God’s will. I can frustrate God, but I can’t overpower Him. So, my reading is that a person acting out of a belief that God’s will shall be accomplished, who speaks out in that belief and claims the fulfillment, will see the fulfillment of that will. Or maybe my reading is that if you have a can-do attitude, you will get far.
I don’t think that Jesus was just telling me that perserverance and faith in an outcome is a guarantee that, with a little elbow grease and a happy heart, I’ll achieve it. No, I think He is telling me that an abiding faith in God and a declaration of my desire to see His will done will be rewarded. So, eventually, I get to the challenge in the verse. I need that abiding faith. And, just as much, I need an understanding of His will. If I can combine these pieces, I’ll begin to realize the whole of His glory.
P: God, my faith is so often weak, and my understanding so lacking, that I often feel not so much that my prayers fall to the floor, but worse that my words have no meaning at all. Give me faith where I am lacking. Begin a work in me that will change me from within, to allow me to be a man who believes and who abides in that reliance on You. And allow me to know Your will, that my prayers will have meaning and that they’ll be effectual and that, ultimately, they will work to reinforce my belief in You. Amen.
February 12, 2008
SOAP Notes
Even more SOAP Notes...
February 12, 2008
Lev. 18-19; Psalm 13; Acts 19
S: Leviticus 19:14-15
You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
O: These are two of a group of various laws discussing how to correctly deal with others.
A: In my first read-through, my eye keyed in on verse 14, to the point that I completely missed 15 until going back to re-read 14. The verses are not particularly related and do not particularly follow the same theme. Regardless, I cannot separate them in their significance to me tonight.
With regard to verse 14, I noticed it because it makes me think of how I mock people. There are many times that I’ve aired a foolish line knowing that someone would buy into it, and taking advantage of that for my own amusement. There are many times that I’ve pointed out the problems that a person has in spite of themselves, declaring their weaknesses and calling out their problems. This is, of course, to build myself up while making them small. And since, many of those times, they are defenseless, it is unfair and it is unkind and it is wrong.
Verse 15 also addresses a sort of fairness. Where verse 14 discusses not taking advantage of people and not exploiting weakness, verse 15 discusses the exercise of judgment between people. So while it is still a discourse on the general virtue of justice, it expounds on a different mode of that virtue.
And I’m challenged by verse 15 in a different way. We are taught today to equivocate in so many ways. We are taught to apply a skewed compass in deference to the individual. We are taught to weigh matters on a relativist scale, to steer away from absolutes and to instead respect the person in who’s shoes we aren’t standing. While verse 15 doesn’t warn against considering different viewpoints in exercising judgment, it does make clear that we are to apply a standard, the same standard, to everyone, and to provide the same definition of justice to everybody, despite their relative position.
I wonder at why these are the verses that speak to me. Is it because I’m unfair? Certainly, to some extent. But I think part of it relates to what I do for a living. I’m a person who’s supposed to bank in fairness. I work in an adversarial “justice” system which, theoretically, is designed to apply rules equitably to all parties, and the fundamental prism through which I generally view things is that of fairness. I’m trained to think of fairness and to dissect the facts and the law to find it. And, yet, I find that I consistently, frustratingly fail to achieve it in my own life.
As mentioned, I’m not fair to disadvantaged people. I take advantage of them, I exploit them, and I harm them for reasons that ultimately relate to what best pleases me in the moment. But, worse, I don’t make fair judgments between sides when called to do so. I defer to friends, I turn my back on unpleasant people without considering their side, I over-analyze relative viewpoints to the exclusion of standards. In so many ways, I fail in finding, and applying, justice.
I want to be a fair person. I want to be a person that people trust as exercising sober and wise judgment and in telling things as they are. I’m not that person yet, but in simply applying some simple standards to my own behavior, I’ll grow into that person.
P: Lord, help me to be fair. Help me to understand justice, and to be a person who is trusted to live a principled life and to act in a principled way in weighing opposing sides and in finding the truth. Amen.
February 12, 2008
Lev. 18-19; Psalm 13; Acts 19
S: Leviticus 19:14-15
You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
O: These are two of a group of various laws discussing how to correctly deal with others.
A: In my first read-through, my eye keyed in on verse 14, to the point that I completely missed 15 until going back to re-read 14. The verses are not particularly related and do not particularly follow the same theme. Regardless, I cannot separate them in their significance to me tonight.
With regard to verse 14, I noticed it because it makes me think of how I mock people. There are many times that I’ve aired a foolish line knowing that someone would buy into it, and taking advantage of that for my own amusement. There are many times that I’ve pointed out the problems that a person has in spite of themselves, declaring their weaknesses and calling out their problems. This is, of course, to build myself up while making them small. And since, many of those times, they are defenseless, it is unfair and it is unkind and it is wrong.
Verse 15 also addresses a sort of fairness. Where verse 14 discusses not taking advantage of people and not exploiting weakness, verse 15 discusses the exercise of judgment between people. So while it is still a discourse on the general virtue of justice, it expounds on a different mode of that virtue.
And I’m challenged by verse 15 in a different way. We are taught today to equivocate in so many ways. We are taught to apply a skewed compass in deference to the individual. We are taught to weigh matters on a relativist scale, to steer away from absolutes and to instead respect the person in who’s shoes we aren’t standing. While verse 15 doesn’t warn against considering different viewpoints in exercising judgment, it does make clear that we are to apply a standard, the same standard, to everyone, and to provide the same definition of justice to everybody, despite their relative position.
I wonder at why these are the verses that speak to me. Is it because I’m unfair? Certainly, to some extent. But I think part of it relates to what I do for a living. I’m a person who’s supposed to bank in fairness. I work in an adversarial “justice” system which, theoretically, is designed to apply rules equitably to all parties, and the fundamental prism through which I generally view things is that of fairness. I’m trained to think of fairness and to dissect the facts and the law to find it. And, yet, I find that I consistently, frustratingly fail to achieve it in my own life.
As mentioned, I’m not fair to disadvantaged people. I take advantage of them, I exploit them, and I harm them for reasons that ultimately relate to what best pleases me in the moment. But, worse, I don’t make fair judgments between sides when called to do so. I defer to friends, I turn my back on unpleasant people without considering their side, I over-analyze relative viewpoints to the exclusion of standards. In so many ways, I fail in finding, and applying, justice.
I want to be a fair person. I want to be a person that people trust as exercising sober and wise judgment and in telling things as they are. I’m not that person yet, but in simply applying some simple standards to my own behavior, I’ll grow into that person.
P: Lord, help me to be fair. Help me to understand justice, and to be a person who is trusted to live a principled life and to act in a principled way in weighing opposing sides and in finding the truth. Amen.
February 05, 2008
SOAP Notes
The newest installment in the SOAP Notes series...
February 5, 2008
Ex 39-40; Psalm 15; Acts 12
S: Exodus 40:34-38
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.
O: After Moses completed the tabernacle according to God’s instruction, God’s presence became manifest and dwelled in a literal and obvious sense among His people.
A: How awesome would it be to experience God’s presence in a visceral, obvious, undeniable way? How reassuring would it be to be able to point at a cloud too brilliant to approach (by day) or a fire that burned but did not consume (by night) and say “there’s my proof right there.” What wonders such certainty and such clarity would do for my walk.
Of course I, like everyone, wonder why God leaves so much to faith. And, of course, I, like many others, have been taught the concept of faith as being founded on belief. If God made it clear for me, why would I need faith? How much greater it is for me to be able to develop my faith in this setting of uncertainty.
Sometimes I wonder at a God that requires such faith. I think of the ways He acted for others, making Himself so clear and so obvious and not requiring them to step forth in such mystery. I think of the disciples who walked with Jesus and saw Him do His miracles from place to place. Why, I wonder, does God obscure Himself today?
Selfishly, I think that if only God would do more, I could do less. It would be easier to live a life for Jesus if I could see Him. It would be easier to be a witness for Him if I could point to Him, say “there He is” and “watch Him do His tricks.” It would be easier to step forward faithfully if the need for faith didn’t get in my way.
But I realize that the need for faith serves a larger function. Regardless of how God has manifest Himself to others, God has a reason for requiring faith of me. Faith takes me out of my own comfort zone, forces me to step into uncertainty, requires me to rely on something beyond myself. Faith pulls growth out of me, and forges character in me, that otherwise couldn’t happen. The stretching that goes into a faith-based existence is the stretching that helps me to become everything I can, and should, be.
It doesn’t make things any easier to have these realizations. It simply removes a level of frustration and mystification that I have this cross to bear. If only I could keep my focus on these truths when I don’t have signs and wonders to look upon.
P: Lord, it’s so easy not to keep the faith. When You aren’t obviously there, when I can’t see You or feel You or otherwise sense You, it is so easy to deny you and to retreat into myself. Help me to step out in faith, to grow in faith, and to live in a steadfast faith in You. Amen.
January 29, 2008
SOAP Notes
The newest installment in the SOAP Notes series...
January 29, 2008
Exodus 23-24; Psalms 14; Acts 5
S: Exodus 23:4-5
“If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.”
O: In a section detailing some of the various laws God laid out for His people, we see these particular verses about treatment of your enemy.
A: I’m fine with the whole idea of not hating people. I think most people are comfortable with that. Sure, there are people I don’t like. There are people who make me very angry, who I avoid, who I speak ill of. But nobody I can think of who I despise to the point that I wish them death or illness or anything like that.
When I think of enemies, I don’t think of hated people. I think of people who’s interests are opposed to my own. There are professional enemies, who (strangely) are often friends. And there are real enemies, people who seem to be arrayed against me in my life mission. At the moment, I can’t think of any arch-enemies. Indeed, most of the time a person is my enemy simply in relation to whatever mission I’m seeking to accomplish.
There’s the enemy of my sleep on the plane. There’s the enemy of my nose in a crowded room. There’s the guy with the dumb sense of humor who’s demonstrating it loudly and often. There’s the person in line at the store who cut in front of me with 20 items when I have one. There’s the guy at the corner who asks me daily if I have change, both as I travel to the coffee shop and as I return. These are all people I’d rather be without.
With these people, I generally regard myself as a great success when I walk away from the encounter with an enlightened “live and let live” philosophy. I think I’m great and mature and wise when I decide that I can go on without acknowledging them, and I think that doing that is so much greater than just telling them that I think they suck.
With these people, I’ll make no effort to help. The very nature of the identification of an enemy is the feeling of animosity, of opposition, we have to them. The guy who needs change, he can get it from someone else. The lady in the line at the store, well, when she drops her groceries, she can pick them up herself. The loud guy on the plane? When he starts sneezing, he can get his own Kleenex.
Only I’m confronted here with the truth of live-and-let-live. Which is, it’s wrong. Just as Jesus told people to take the clothes off their back to give to their enemy, to turn the other cheek after being struck to allow another strike, and to forgive seventy times seven times, we see that the rule goes back a long way.
If I saw someone I didn’t like drop something (a coin, an important piece of paper, or whatever), would I pick it up for them? If I saw an “enemy’s” car get rolling down the street with another driver, would I call the police? If I saw that beggar on the ground, coughing uncontrollably or shivering, would I attend to him?
No.
And so I see that I’m not mature. I’m not so great. I’m as weak and as callous and as unkind as anyone else. I live under the delusion that, as a Christian, I’ve evolved with a bemused sense of holier-than-thou disdain and disinterest in those people who offend me. I see that, as a Christian, I’m supposed to step out to prevent them from suffering, from loss, and from pain.
This verse doesn’t say that you can’t have an enemy. It doesn’t say to love a person who does you wrong. It says, though, that despite how that person may treat me, I am to act out toward them in a loving and caring way. Despite the harm that they would do me, I am to act to protect them.
P: Lord, reshape my perspective. Help me to see that to not hate is not the same as to be kind. Help me to understand that I have a mission, to share love and kindness and to spread peace and goodwill, even to those who I feel, inside, an aversion to. Let me, day-by-day, step out in small kindnesses that, over time, will transform me. Give me grace for others, and let my heart toward even my enemies be more like Yours. Amen.
January 29, 2008
Exodus 23-24; Psalms 14; Acts 5
S: Exodus 23:4-5
“If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.”
O: In a section detailing some of the various laws God laid out for His people, we see these particular verses about treatment of your enemy.
A: I’m fine with the whole idea of not hating people. I think most people are comfortable with that. Sure, there are people I don’t like. There are people who make me very angry, who I avoid, who I speak ill of. But nobody I can think of who I despise to the point that I wish them death or illness or anything like that.
When I think of enemies, I don’t think of hated people. I think of people who’s interests are opposed to my own. There are professional enemies, who (strangely) are often friends. And there are real enemies, people who seem to be arrayed against me in my life mission. At the moment, I can’t think of any arch-enemies. Indeed, most of the time a person is my enemy simply in relation to whatever mission I’m seeking to accomplish.
There’s the enemy of my sleep on the plane. There’s the enemy of my nose in a crowded room. There’s the guy with the dumb sense of humor who’s demonstrating it loudly and often. There’s the person in line at the store who cut in front of me with 20 items when I have one. There’s the guy at the corner who asks me daily if I have change, both as I travel to the coffee shop and as I return. These are all people I’d rather be without.
With these people, I generally regard myself as a great success when I walk away from the encounter with an enlightened “live and let live” philosophy. I think I’m great and mature and wise when I decide that I can go on without acknowledging them, and I think that doing that is so much greater than just telling them that I think they suck.
With these people, I’ll make no effort to help. The very nature of the identification of an enemy is the feeling of animosity, of opposition, we have to them. The guy who needs change, he can get it from someone else. The lady in the line at the store, well, when she drops her groceries, she can pick them up herself. The loud guy on the plane? When he starts sneezing, he can get his own Kleenex.
Only I’m confronted here with the truth of live-and-let-live. Which is, it’s wrong. Just as Jesus told people to take the clothes off their back to give to their enemy, to turn the other cheek after being struck to allow another strike, and to forgive seventy times seven times, we see that the rule goes back a long way.
If I saw someone I didn’t like drop something (a coin, an important piece of paper, or whatever), would I pick it up for them? If I saw an “enemy’s” car get rolling down the street with another driver, would I call the police? If I saw that beggar on the ground, coughing uncontrollably or shivering, would I attend to him?
No.
And so I see that I’m not mature. I’m not so great. I’m as weak and as callous and as unkind as anyone else. I live under the delusion that, as a Christian, I’ve evolved with a bemused sense of holier-than-thou disdain and disinterest in those people who offend me. I see that, as a Christian, I’m supposed to step out to prevent them from suffering, from loss, and from pain.
This verse doesn’t say that you can’t have an enemy. It doesn’t say to love a person who does you wrong. It says, though, that despite how that person may treat me, I am to act out toward them in a loving and caring way. Despite the harm that they would do me, I am to act to protect them.
P: Lord, reshape my perspective. Help me to see that to not hate is not the same as to be kind. Help me to understand that I have a mission, to share love and kindness and to spread peace and goodwill, even to those who I feel, inside, an aversion to. Let me, day-by-day, step out in small kindnesses that, over time, will transform me. Give me grace for others, and let my heart toward even my enemies be more like Yours. Amen.
January 22, 2008
SOAP Notes
Yet another installment of Tuesday's occasional SOAP Notes series.
January 22, 2008
Exodus 3-5; Luke 22
S: Exodus 3:10-11
10 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"
O: Moses is talking to a burning bush, the manifestation of God, and is learning what his mission is. Moses is being given his purpose, and he’s afraid, has doubts, and challenges God.
A: This verse speaks to all of us, because this verse reflects the feeling that we’ve all had from time to time. I, for one, have had very distinct impressions at various points in my life of what I should be doing. I’ve had times of great clarity (however fleeting) where I’ve understood exactly what my purpose was for being in a certain place at a certain time. Sure, I’ve never been talked to by a burning bush, but I’ve felt God at work in a not-uncertain way in these moments. And, despite this, there have been so many of these times where I’ve balked. Where I’ve stepped back from the opportunity and said, “Really? Me?”
So often I wonder what God is thinking. Why am I the one for this job at this time? I mean, really, what do I have to offer? It’s the same insecurity that raises its head in so many situations, whether those of divine intervention or those of simple life, where I find myself facing a task and not feeling equal to it. Often, in fact, hoping beyond hope that I’m not equal to it, because to walk away is safer than to try and to fail.
A common thread I see in these SOAP notes is one of disappointment in myself. I’ve played it safe throughout life, deciding not to step out, whether due to a fear of failure, or perhaps due to a fear of success. If I’m successful in something I enter into on someone else’s terms (be they God’s or another person’s), I’m no longer free to be successful on my own terms in the things I want to put my time, my effort, and my heart into.
So what am I fearing? Am I fearing the result of the situation? Or am I fearing a loss of control? I think more the latter than the former. And, in reading Moses, I wonder how much his protest is out of real uncertainty in himself, and how much of his protest is out of a desire to avoid getting pulled out of his comfort zone. In reading Moses, I wonder how different he really is from the rest of us. Perhaps the thing that distinguishes him isn’t that he was such a great man, but instead that he surrendered himself to walking in a path, for better or worse, that wasn’t the one he would have chosen.
P: God, help me to lay down my fear of losing control. If I can’t listen to a burning bush—if I can’t give in even when I’m certain that You are the one trying to lead me—then what hope is there? I try so hard to feel like I’m a servant: to you, to others, to whomever there is to serve. Help me to actually serve, though, to cede mastership of situations and to really be in the moment, to serve and to give and to ultimately find the greatness that comes from simply abandoning my own plan for Yours. Take away fear, bring peace, and conquer my will. Amen.
January 22, 2008
Exodus 3-5; Luke 22
S: Exodus 3:10-11
10 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"
O: Moses is talking to a burning bush, the manifestation of God, and is learning what his mission is. Moses is being given his purpose, and he’s afraid, has doubts, and challenges God.
A: This verse speaks to all of us, because this verse reflects the feeling that we’ve all had from time to time. I, for one, have had very distinct impressions at various points in my life of what I should be doing. I’ve had times of great clarity (however fleeting) where I’ve understood exactly what my purpose was for being in a certain place at a certain time. Sure, I’ve never been talked to by a burning bush, but I’ve felt God at work in a not-uncertain way in these moments. And, despite this, there have been so many of these times where I’ve balked. Where I’ve stepped back from the opportunity and said, “Really? Me?”
So often I wonder what God is thinking. Why am I the one for this job at this time? I mean, really, what do I have to offer? It’s the same insecurity that raises its head in so many situations, whether those of divine intervention or those of simple life, where I find myself facing a task and not feeling equal to it. Often, in fact, hoping beyond hope that I’m not equal to it, because to walk away is safer than to try and to fail.
A common thread I see in these SOAP notes is one of disappointment in myself. I’ve played it safe throughout life, deciding not to step out, whether due to a fear of failure, or perhaps due to a fear of success. If I’m successful in something I enter into on someone else’s terms (be they God’s or another person’s), I’m no longer free to be successful on my own terms in the things I want to put my time, my effort, and my heart into.
So what am I fearing? Am I fearing the result of the situation? Or am I fearing a loss of control? I think more the latter than the former. And, in reading Moses, I wonder how much his protest is out of real uncertainty in himself, and how much of his protest is out of a desire to avoid getting pulled out of his comfort zone. In reading Moses, I wonder how different he really is from the rest of us. Perhaps the thing that distinguishes him isn’t that he was such a great man, but instead that he surrendered himself to walking in a path, for better or worse, that wasn’t the one he would have chosen.
P: God, help me to lay down my fear of losing control. If I can’t listen to a burning bush—if I can’t give in even when I’m certain that You are the one trying to lead me—then what hope is there? I try so hard to feel like I’m a servant: to you, to others, to whomever there is to serve. Help me to actually serve, though, to cede mastership of situations and to really be in the moment, to serve and to give and to ultimately find the greatness that comes from simply abandoning my own plan for Yours. Take away fear, bring peace, and conquer my will. Amen.
January 08, 2008
SOAP Notes
Yet another in the occasional Tuesday SOAP Notes series...
January 8, 2008
Genesis 20-22; Luke 8
S: Luke 8:16-17
16 "Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.
17 "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
O: This verse is one of many where Jesus uses symbolism to make a spiritual point. Here, He’s using the symbol of the lamp to mean, essentially, himself.
A: To apply this verse, first we have to talk about the lamp. The lamp represents a variety of traits that are contained in Jesus. The lamp is truth; one does not hide the truth, one displays it. The lamp is life; one does not hide life, one celebrates it. The lamp is love; one does not conceal love, one shares it. The lamp is salvation; salvation is not to be hoarded unto oneself; it is to be encouraged in others. The lamp is faith; faith is not to be hidden away, because faith without works is dead.
These are all traits of Jesus, and we are to become like Him. So these are all traits to be found in us, ideally.
But what this discussion of the lamp is about is not to highlight traits of Jesus by using the lamp; instead it is to provide an illustration of what the lamp is for, and what it isn’t for. It’s a verse about what to do with the Jesus in us, and how we should behave as vessels of what Jesus is.
What does it say? We are not to hide our faith, or to shun the truth, or to suppress the life that’s in us. We are not to restrain our love for others, and we are not to be ashamed of our salvation.
So this verse applies to me very clearly. As a Christian, as a person trying to be more like Jesus, I’m supposed to showcase Him, not hide Him. I’m supposed to be open with the truth, open with my love, open with my faith, sharing with my life, and desirous of salvation for others. The person I am, though, falls short of this in so many ways at so many times. And I wonder why.
What is the shame in being a Christian? There’s the associations people make. “Oh, you’re one of them? So you believe that?” What of it? If a person can’t see past their ideas of what a “Christian” is to see who I am, that isn’t my concern. My job is to be real, and that’s all.
And, yet, I’m often so afraid. Afraid of how people will see me. Afraid of how they may act around me. And, really, afraid of how I may act around them. I am nowhere near being an accurate representative of Jesus. I’m kind to some, but mean to many. I’m sharing with a few, but miserly with most. I’m generally honest, sure, but I couch things in comfortable and non-offensive terms to avoid dischord. Above all, my behavior doesn’t always (even, I suppose, often) reflect my beliefs. I’m afraid of shining my light, of identifying myself, because I’m afraid people will see me as just another example of a “Christian,” which to them means a judgmental person with double-standards. And I’m afraid that they’ll be right to do so.
But the truth can’t be hidden. No secret remains forever. It’s interesting to me that, while I don’t go around pontificating and preaching to my friends, so many of them identify me as “the most moral guy I know” or “pretty religious” or things like that. The Jesus in me, even when I try to hide it, must come out. Because the light cannot be hidden; it shines even under the covers, or under the bed, and it seeps out into the world around it. So, in the end, is there greater shame in openly being a less-than-perfect Christian, or in trying to hide the fact that I’m a Christian at all?
I need not so much to be more brave to step out, but instead I need to be less afraid to simply be. I need to stop worrying about what people expect me to be, because of who they’ve known me to be or who they think I should be, and instead I need to be willing to simply be honest about who I am. Whether I’m a perfect Christian isn’t the point of the exercise. Simply being open and willing to share who I am to those who need or want to know is enough, and God can handle the rest.
P: God, I’m tired of being ashamed, and of being ashamed that I’m ashamed, when there simply is no shame in being open with who I am. Help me to be willing to share openly, and at the same time make it clear that I’m not a “Christian” as so many see us, full of judgment and failure combined, but instead simply an imperfect person who wants to share truth, life, love, faith, and my salvation. Take away my fear.
January 8, 2008
Genesis 20-22; Luke 8
S: Luke 8:16-17
16 "Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.
17 "For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
O: This verse is one of many where Jesus uses symbolism to make a spiritual point. Here, He’s using the symbol of the lamp to mean, essentially, himself.
A: To apply this verse, first we have to talk about the lamp. The lamp represents a variety of traits that are contained in Jesus. The lamp is truth; one does not hide the truth, one displays it. The lamp is life; one does not hide life, one celebrates it. The lamp is love; one does not conceal love, one shares it. The lamp is salvation; salvation is not to be hoarded unto oneself; it is to be encouraged in others. The lamp is faith; faith is not to be hidden away, because faith without works is dead.
These are all traits of Jesus, and we are to become like Him. So these are all traits to be found in us, ideally.
But what this discussion of the lamp is about is not to highlight traits of Jesus by using the lamp; instead it is to provide an illustration of what the lamp is for, and what it isn’t for. It’s a verse about what to do with the Jesus in us, and how we should behave as vessels of what Jesus is.
What does it say? We are not to hide our faith, or to shun the truth, or to suppress the life that’s in us. We are not to restrain our love for others, and we are not to be ashamed of our salvation.
So this verse applies to me very clearly. As a Christian, as a person trying to be more like Jesus, I’m supposed to showcase Him, not hide Him. I’m supposed to be open with the truth, open with my love, open with my faith, sharing with my life, and desirous of salvation for others. The person I am, though, falls short of this in so many ways at so many times. And I wonder why.
What is the shame in being a Christian? There’s the associations people make. “Oh, you’re one of them? So you believe that?” What of it? If a person can’t see past their ideas of what a “Christian” is to see who I am, that isn’t my concern. My job is to be real, and that’s all.
And, yet, I’m often so afraid. Afraid of how people will see me. Afraid of how they may act around me. And, really, afraid of how I may act around them. I am nowhere near being an accurate representative of Jesus. I’m kind to some, but mean to many. I’m sharing with a few, but miserly with most. I’m generally honest, sure, but I couch things in comfortable and non-offensive terms to avoid dischord. Above all, my behavior doesn’t always (even, I suppose, often) reflect my beliefs. I’m afraid of shining my light, of identifying myself, because I’m afraid people will see me as just another example of a “Christian,” which to them means a judgmental person with double-standards. And I’m afraid that they’ll be right to do so.
But the truth can’t be hidden. No secret remains forever. It’s interesting to me that, while I don’t go around pontificating and preaching to my friends, so many of them identify me as “the most moral guy I know” or “pretty religious” or things like that. The Jesus in me, even when I try to hide it, must come out. Because the light cannot be hidden; it shines even under the covers, or under the bed, and it seeps out into the world around it. So, in the end, is there greater shame in openly being a less-than-perfect Christian, or in trying to hide the fact that I’m a Christian at all?
I need not so much to be more brave to step out, but instead I need to be less afraid to simply be. I need to stop worrying about what people expect me to be, because of who they’ve known me to be or who they think I should be, and instead I need to be willing to simply be honest about who I am. Whether I’m a perfect Christian isn’t the point of the exercise. Simply being open and willing to share who I am to those who need or want to know is enough, and God can handle the rest.
P: God, I’m tired of being ashamed, and of being ashamed that I’m ashamed, when there simply is no shame in being open with who I am. Help me to be willing to share openly, and at the same time make it clear that I’m not a “Christian” as so many see us, full of judgment and failure combined, but instead simply an imperfect person who wants to share truth, life, love, faith, and my salvation. Take away my fear.
December 11, 2007
SOAP Notes
A continuation of the semi-regular Tuesday SOAP Notes line:
December 11, 2007
Philemon; Hebrews 1-4
S: Hebrews 2: 5-10
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
and put everything under his feet."
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
O: The discussion is about our salvation and how it should not be ignored. What is key to this part of the discussion, though, is the dialogue about our mode of salvation, and the way that God changed roles to bring it about.
A: How interesting to consider the hierarchy of the Christian realm. It appears in these verses that we see a shift in things, and that shift is brought about through the act of our salvation, and by the expression of God’s love for us and our value to him.
As we see in the quote from Psalms, in the Old Testament man was understood and accepted to be fairly low on the totem pole. At the top was God, next were the angels, and then man was “a little lower,” with the rest of God’s creation subject to man.
Paul goes on to look at what happened when Jesus came. Jesus, being the incarnation of God, is understood to have been a dualistic hybrid, 100% man and 100% God at the same time. His personhood and identity were never changed from God, but He was subject to the base desires and cravings and temptations that the flesh foists upon our spirits, and by virtue of His Godhood was enabled to avoid sin.
While He was all-God, though, He was, in the spiritual order, below the angels, like man. It was in taking on this role, and in living a life without defect, that God was able to accomplish our salvation.
But, in identifying Himself as one of us, and in taking on our form, God elevated us in the process. As I read this passage, and ponder its meaning, I’m lead to believe that man was raised in the hierarchy by God. We are no longer simply creations, but we are sons and heirs. We, like our “brother” Jesus, are given authority, subject to God’s will, and because of God’s will, over His creation.
It’s hard to wrap my mind around, and hard to understand. So often, I see myself as “just a man.” I never get past the “who is man, that You are mindful of him?” Because, really, who am I? I’m nothing, I’m insignificant. I’m a vapor, a fleeting moment, a blink of an eye in an eternity. From that perspective, I am nothing. God needn’t even acknowledge me. But my value to God isn’t derived by this perspective; it’s defined by His love for me, and by what He’s given so that I might be more than just a speck, but instead can be His friend forever. So, while I still don’t understand exactly what makes me worth all of this effort, aside from the fact that God clearly values people, I’m thankful for it, and will embrace and accept His love.
P: God, I don’t know why you’ve done so much for me. Your love baffles me, and the fact that You are even aware of me is astounding to me. That You would place such value in humanity that You would wrap Yourself in it in order to redeem it is beyond my comprehension. Although my mind doesn’t understand, help me to step away from worrying on the concept and instead allow me, by faith, to simply accept the love, and to grow in it. Thank You for saving me.
December 11, 2007
Philemon; Hebrews 1-4
S: Hebrews 2: 5-10
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
and put everything under his feet."
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
O: The discussion is about our salvation and how it should not be ignored. What is key to this part of the discussion, though, is the dialogue about our mode of salvation, and the way that God changed roles to bring it about.
A: How interesting to consider the hierarchy of the Christian realm. It appears in these verses that we see a shift in things, and that shift is brought about through the act of our salvation, and by the expression of God’s love for us and our value to him.
As we see in the quote from Psalms, in the Old Testament man was understood and accepted to be fairly low on the totem pole. At the top was God, next were the angels, and then man was “a little lower,” with the rest of God’s creation subject to man.
Paul goes on to look at what happened when Jesus came. Jesus, being the incarnation of God, is understood to have been a dualistic hybrid, 100% man and 100% God at the same time. His personhood and identity were never changed from God, but He was subject to the base desires and cravings and temptations that the flesh foists upon our spirits, and by virtue of His Godhood was enabled to avoid sin.
While He was all-God, though, He was, in the spiritual order, below the angels, like man. It was in taking on this role, and in living a life without defect, that God was able to accomplish our salvation.
But, in identifying Himself as one of us, and in taking on our form, God elevated us in the process. As I read this passage, and ponder its meaning, I’m lead to believe that man was raised in the hierarchy by God. We are no longer simply creations, but we are sons and heirs. We, like our “brother” Jesus, are given authority, subject to God’s will, and because of God’s will, over His creation.
It’s hard to wrap my mind around, and hard to understand. So often, I see myself as “just a man.” I never get past the “who is man, that You are mindful of him?” Because, really, who am I? I’m nothing, I’m insignificant. I’m a vapor, a fleeting moment, a blink of an eye in an eternity. From that perspective, I am nothing. God needn’t even acknowledge me. But my value to God isn’t derived by this perspective; it’s defined by His love for me, and by what He’s given so that I might be more than just a speck, but instead can be His friend forever. So, while I still don’t understand exactly what makes me worth all of this effort, aside from the fact that God clearly values people, I’m thankful for it, and will embrace and accept His love.
P: God, I don’t know why you’ve done so much for me. Your love baffles me, and the fact that You are even aware of me is astounding to me. That You would place such value in humanity that You would wrap Yourself in it in order to redeem it is beyond my comprehension. Although my mind doesn’t understand, help me to step away from worrying on the concept and instead allow me, by faith, to simply accept the love, and to grow in it. Thank You for saving me.
November 06, 2007
SOAP Notes
A semi-regular Tuesday night tradition: more SOAP Notes.
November 6, 2007
Job 30; Psalms 120; Galatians 3 & 4
S: Galatians 3:3
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
O: The discussion is directed at people who were saved by the Spirit yet still overly-focused on attaining perfect adearance to the law. It points out a regression in the people who had previously so strongly encountered God by stepping away from human understanding.
A: My walk with Christ has been an amazing testament to the fact that mere repetition does not necessarily lead to growth. I often think that when I first became a Christian, back in 2nd grade, I had a more complete understanding of Christianity, and a life more reflective of such understanding, than I do today. Indeed, I don’t just think it, I know it. Back then, my life with Christ was about learning how He related to me. The only “works” aspect that I thought was necessary was learning memory verses (something I’ve never been good about), which indeed was always directed towards building a relationship, as opposed to being a “follow-the-rules and grow-by-works” sort of thing. Over time, I became more concerned with walking my faith, which was fine. Except, somewhere along the line, the walk became a matter of my effort and my strength as opposed to what it was supposed to be. My focus came away from God and growing my spirit. The focus moved towards acting the part and working under my own power.
Many times in my life I have moved back to the truth. Our faith is one of relationship. Our God is not about draconian rules and ruthless authority, but instead is about love. As Peter notes later in the Bible, our God freed us from the power of sin, which is to say He freed us from the condemnation that flows from our persistent and habitual inability to live up to the standards of the law.
We have to be careful, of course, to live our lives in moderation. A life entirely focused on the Spirit loses its effectiveness in the world. A life focused too much on the world loses its spiritual satisfaction. The same goes for our Christianity in the sense that focusing on forgiveness to the exclusion of obedience leads us to dangerous and wanton sin, which reinforces so much the idea that so many have of us Christians having a double-standard. Focusing on obedience and toeing the line causes us to lose sight of God’s mercy, and ultimately to lose the grace we are to extend to eachother. This, of course, leads to the reinforcement of the other stereotype, the Christian bible-thumper full of hell and brimstone and lacking in love.
In the end, so much depends on our understanding that our Christianity is not a matter of us efforting our way into a special status. It’s about us receiving freely from that which we have all been given, if we choose to, and living a life that reflects that (as opposed to thinking our life causes it). The attainment of this understanding is a challenge I often fail, and until I internalize this truth into my heart and from my head I’ll continue to stub my toe on the same block, again and again.
P: Lord, help me to understand that it’s not about me. So much of what is wrong in my life is about how I look at the world: me first, me at the center, me in charge. I know I am to love myself, but I know more important is that I love You and Your love for me. Help me to stop my striving to “be more Christian,” and help me instead to simply become a better friend to You. Amen.
November 6, 2007
Job 30; Psalms 120; Galatians 3 & 4
S: Galatians 3:3
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
O: The discussion is directed at people who were saved by the Spirit yet still overly-focused on attaining perfect adearance to the law. It points out a regression in the people who had previously so strongly encountered God by stepping away from human understanding.
A: My walk with Christ has been an amazing testament to the fact that mere repetition does not necessarily lead to growth. I often think that when I first became a Christian, back in 2nd grade, I had a more complete understanding of Christianity, and a life more reflective of such understanding, than I do today. Indeed, I don’t just think it, I know it. Back then, my life with Christ was about learning how He related to me. The only “works” aspect that I thought was necessary was learning memory verses (something I’ve never been good about), which indeed was always directed towards building a relationship, as opposed to being a “follow-the-rules and grow-by-works” sort of thing. Over time, I became more concerned with walking my faith, which was fine. Except, somewhere along the line, the walk became a matter of my effort and my strength as opposed to what it was supposed to be. My focus came away from God and growing my spirit. The focus moved towards acting the part and working under my own power.
Many times in my life I have moved back to the truth. Our faith is one of relationship. Our God is not about draconian rules and ruthless authority, but instead is about love. As Peter notes later in the Bible, our God freed us from the power of sin, which is to say He freed us from the condemnation that flows from our persistent and habitual inability to live up to the standards of the law.
We have to be careful, of course, to live our lives in moderation. A life entirely focused on the Spirit loses its effectiveness in the world. A life focused too much on the world loses its spiritual satisfaction. The same goes for our Christianity in the sense that focusing on forgiveness to the exclusion of obedience leads us to dangerous and wanton sin, which reinforces so much the idea that so many have of us Christians having a double-standard. Focusing on obedience and toeing the line causes us to lose sight of God’s mercy, and ultimately to lose the grace we are to extend to eachother. This, of course, leads to the reinforcement of the other stereotype, the Christian bible-thumper full of hell and brimstone and lacking in love.
In the end, so much depends on our understanding that our Christianity is not a matter of us efforting our way into a special status. It’s about us receiving freely from that which we have all been given, if we choose to, and living a life that reflects that (as opposed to thinking our life causes it). The attainment of this understanding is a challenge I often fail, and until I internalize this truth into my heart and from my head I’ll continue to stub my toe on the same block, again and again.
P: Lord, help me to understand that it’s not about me. So much of what is wrong in my life is about how I look at the world: me first, me at the center, me in charge. I know I am to love myself, but I know more important is that I love You and Your love for me. Help me to stop my striving to “be more Christian,” and help me instead to simply become a better friend to You. Amen.
October 30, 2007
SOAP Notes
Yet another installment in the SOAP Notes series.
October 30, 2007
Job 21; Mark 5 & 6
S: Job 21: 7-21 (in parts)
7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them.
13 They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
14 Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?'
19 It is said, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.' Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it!
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end?
O: It is significant to note that these words are uttered by Job in the midst of his affliction. They are the words of a devout and faithful man whose family, riches, and health have been taken from him, and who is in a shambles and clambering to keep the faith.
A: I read these verses and am partly shamed, and partly encouraged, and partly angered. It’s a weird combination.
In terms of being ashamed, I see a man who is counted by God as among His elite, a man of such great faith that God has no worries in testing him. And this man, put to such a test, shares thoughts that I have in a life of relative ease. I can’t imagine where my mind, and my heart, and my faith would be if I were in Job’s shoes. If I’m already expressing these feelings, and I’m barely being tested in my days, how lost would I be if God were to push me as far as His servant Job?
In terms of being encouraged, it is nice to see that even a man with the faith of Job, a faith that is unbreakable, falls prey to the same thoughts that I have. So much of my Christianity is a matter of sheer faith. So much of it defies reason and logic, and so much of it even defies empirical evidence. Like Job, I look and see faithless men who live lives so much more robust in appearance than my own. Like Job, I question it. So, in a sense, I am more like Job than I think on first blush. It is nice to know that, even when you become a mighty man of faith, these simple questions still challenge you.
In terms of being angered, I continue to struggle with the unfair feeling that God should pay me for being a Christian. So often I look around at people who don’t live a life of principle, or who operate on principles foreign to me. Many have beautiful homes, glorious women, fancy gadgets, and are carefree financially. They travel, relax, and so on. I spend my time being jealous of what they have, as my wife and I try to figure out how we’re going to make ends meet, or buy Christmas presents, or afford to have another child. And, in this, I feel cheated.
I know this is not fair. I know this is wrong. But it’s how I feel, and it’s a struggle for me. Job has the struggle, in this moment of his weakness, of looking and seeing these men prosper, unafraid of God and without any mind as to why, or how, they got to the place they are.
I am often assured that this will all pay off in the end. I will go to heaven. They will go to hell. My children will be blessed. Theirs will be cursed. Job has the feeling that I have: let’s see justice delivered now! Let these people reap the whirlwind that they sow. Instead of meting their punishment out upon their children, let them be destroyed themselves. And, as for me, let me prosper. Let me have their wealth. Let me feel their joy.
And it’s not easy to walk away from these thoughts. It is not easy to right my mind. I draw my peace from knowing that the upheaval in my life is a digging. It deepens the well from which I can draw water in times of need. I have seen how easy it is to upend some of these people who seem so prosperous. I have seen how their external shimmer hides an internal rot. If I focus correctly, I see that so much of what they have is directed at helping them feel better about their life, which is empty without their stuff. My life may seem empty without stuff, but I have the love of my family, the respect of my friends, and the assurance of a lasting peace. Does that always make it feel worthwhile? No. But it does allow me to see that the process is worthwhile, and that I need to accept it and move through it to meet the goal.
P: God, let me learn from Job. Thank you so much for showing me that even a man of such great faith can struggle with the same secret thoughts I have. But don’t allow me to rest in that knowledge; instead, inspire me to be like Job. Help me to grow my faith so that in those times of struggle, I don’t move away from you towards apparent happiness, but instead help me to perservere for the greater good. Lord, don’t put me through Job’s battles, but Lord, if you do, help me to be faithful to You. Amen.
October 30, 2007
Job 21; Mark 5 & 6
S: Job 21: 7-21 (in parts)
7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
9 Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them.
13 They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
14 Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?'
19 It is said, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.' Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it!
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end?
O: It is significant to note that these words are uttered by Job in the midst of his affliction. They are the words of a devout and faithful man whose family, riches, and health have been taken from him, and who is in a shambles and clambering to keep the faith.
A: I read these verses and am partly shamed, and partly encouraged, and partly angered. It’s a weird combination.
In terms of being ashamed, I see a man who is counted by God as among His elite, a man of such great faith that God has no worries in testing him. And this man, put to such a test, shares thoughts that I have in a life of relative ease. I can’t imagine where my mind, and my heart, and my faith would be if I were in Job’s shoes. If I’m already expressing these feelings, and I’m barely being tested in my days, how lost would I be if God were to push me as far as His servant Job?
In terms of being encouraged, it is nice to see that even a man with the faith of Job, a faith that is unbreakable, falls prey to the same thoughts that I have. So much of my Christianity is a matter of sheer faith. So much of it defies reason and logic, and so much of it even defies empirical evidence. Like Job, I look and see faithless men who live lives so much more robust in appearance than my own. Like Job, I question it. So, in a sense, I am more like Job than I think on first blush. It is nice to know that, even when you become a mighty man of faith, these simple questions still challenge you.
In terms of being angered, I continue to struggle with the unfair feeling that God should pay me for being a Christian. So often I look around at people who don’t live a life of principle, or who operate on principles foreign to me. Many have beautiful homes, glorious women, fancy gadgets, and are carefree financially. They travel, relax, and so on. I spend my time being jealous of what they have, as my wife and I try to figure out how we’re going to make ends meet, or buy Christmas presents, or afford to have another child. And, in this, I feel cheated.
I know this is not fair. I know this is wrong. But it’s how I feel, and it’s a struggle for me. Job has the struggle, in this moment of his weakness, of looking and seeing these men prosper, unafraid of God and without any mind as to why, or how, they got to the place they are.
I am often assured that this will all pay off in the end. I will go to heaven. They will go to hell. My children will be blessed. Theirs will be cursed. Job has the feeling that I have: let’s see justice delivered now! Let these people reap the whirlwind that they sow. Instead of meting their punishment out upon their children, let them be destroyed themselves. And, as for me, let me prosper. Let me have their wealth. Let me feel their joy.
And it’s not easy to walk away from these thoughts. It is not easy to right my mind. I draw my peace from knowing that the upheaval in my life is a digging. It deepens the well from which I can draw water in times of need. I have seen how easy it is to upend some of these people who seem so prosperous. I have seen how their external shimmer hides an internal rot. If I focus correctly, I see that so much of what they have is directed at helping them feel better about their life, which is empty without their stuff. My life may seem empty without stuff, but I have the love of my family, the respect of my friends, and the assurance of a lasting peace. Does that always make it feel worthwhile? No. But it does allow me to see that the process is worthwhile, and that I need to accept it and move through it to meet the goal.
P: God, let me learn from Job. Thank you so much for showing me that even a man of such great faith can struggle with the same secret thoughts I have. But don’t allow me to rest in that knowledge; instead, inspire me to be like Job. Help me to grow my faith so that in those times of struggle, I don’t move away from you towards apparent happiness, but instead help me to perservere for the greater good. Lord, don’t put me through Job’s battles, but Lord, if you do, help me to be faithful to You. Amen.
October 16, 2007
SOAP Notes
A continuation of the SOAP Notes series...
October 16, 2007
Malachi 3, 4; Psalm 148; Acts 5.
S: Malachi 3: 8-10
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
and
Acts 5:1-6
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
O: Both of these verses initially are about tithing. The first is an apparent damnation from God against those who do not tithe, who “rob me” The second is an apparent threat; Ananias held back from God, and he was killed. Upon further review, though, the verses may be generally about tithing, and also about obedience, but the real point of the verses its to talk about faithfulness. Faithfulness in the sense that we do what we ought, and faithfulness in the sense that we be full of faith. So, the verses really are about being faithful, in a true way, and about what being faithful will yield.
A: “Will a man rob God?” I do. Constantly. I am not faithful to God in so many ways. In my time, in my money, in my words, in my deeds, and in my thoughts. The concept of the tithe is simple. We yield to God a portion of what He’s given us, not because we have to do it, but out of recognition for what we’ve been given by Him. God has given me everything I have. My family, my friends, my home, my job, my health, my humor, my smarts (to the extent I have any). And in recognition for what I’ve been given, what do I offer back? Do I offer Him a portion? Do I offer Him anything?
I am like Ananias. He knows his duty, and he acts as if he’s fulfilling it. He does what he does for a variety of reasons. To look good to men while also taking care of his own desires. To put up a front to God. I know Ananias’ thoughts. “Some is better than none. God should be happy for what I give Him.” It’s the thought I have after going to a church service, as I justify how I spend the rest of my week. It’s the thought I have after giving $5 to the poor, while I take the rest of my paycheck home and plan my next beer run.
It’s a thought that bleeds over into so much of my life. My friends should appreciate what attention I give them, because if I gave them none they’d suffer. My wife should appreciate me cooking once or twice a week, because I don’t have to and I know she’d cook if I didn’t. My work should appreciate me staying in through the lunch hour, because even though I spend much of my day lolli-gagging, I’m under no obligation to give them that particular hour of my day.
The tithe is absolutely about recognizing, loving, and obeying God. But in so many ways the tithe is about addressing our simple human weakness, our selfishness.
What would change if I tithed to God? If I invest, trusting in him, what I give will be returned to me greatly. And, I am confident, that would bleed over. I’d invest time into friends and family and be amazed at how our relationships bloomed and grew. I’d invest effort into my work and be amazed at how putting time in made the job easier to do, and more rewarding. I’d give money to the poor and not only see people delivered from horrible lives, but see people instead of parasites.
The tithe is about turning us outward, about teaching us the simple rule that proper attention leads to amazing rewards. God, in these verses, wants us to tithe and to honor Him. But, I believe, these verses are just as much a call to stop worrying about what we’re getting out of life, and instead to start giving to it.
P: God, thank You so much for what You give me. You have provided so much, and I’ve thanked You by hording my riches. While complaining that I should have more, I refuse to invest my money, my time, my happiness, my strength, and my love into the people and the world around me, and even less to I invest in You. Forgive me, and help me to act on this realization of my wrongs. Thank You that, even as I fail You, You still will reach out to me when I reach back to You. Thank You that You never tire of investing in me. Amen.
October 16, 2007
Malachi 3, 4; Psalm 148; Acts 5.
S: Malachi 3: 8-10
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
and
Acts 5:1-6
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
O: Both of these verses initially are about tithing. The first is an apparent damnation from God against those who do not tithe, who “rob me” The second is an apparent threat; Ananias held back from God, and he was killed. Upon further review, though, the verses may be generally about tithing, and also about obedience, but the real point of the verses its to talk about faithfulness. Faithfulness in the sense that we do what we ought, and faithfulness in the sense that we be full of faith. So, the verses really are about being faithful, in a true way, and about what being faithful will yield.
A: “Will a man rob God?” I do. Constantly. I am not faithful to God in so many ways. In my time, in my money, in my words, in my deeds, and in my thoughts. The concept of the tithe is simple. We yield to God a portion of what He’s given us, not because we have to do it, but out of recognition for what we’ve been given by Him. God has given me everything I have. My family, my friends, my home, my job, my health, my humor, my smarts (to the extent I have any). And in recognition for what I’ve been given, what do I offer back? Do I offer Him a portion? Do I offer Him anything?
I am like Ananias. He knows his duty, and he acts as if he’s fulfilling it. He does what he does for a variety of reasons. To look good to men while also taking care of his own desires. To put up a front to God. I know Ananias’ thoughts. “Some is better than none. God should be happy for what I give Him.” It’s the thought I have after going to a church service, as I justify how I spend the rest of my week. It’s the thought I have after giving $5 to the poor, while I take the rest of my paycheck home and plan my next beer run.
It’s a thought that bleeds over into so much of my life. My friends should appreciate what attention I give them, because if I gave them none they’d suffer. My wife should appreciate me cooking once or twice a week, because I don’t have to and I know she’d cook if I didn’t. My work should appreciate me staying in through the lunch hour, because even though I spend much of my day lolli-gagging, I’m under no obligation to give them that particular hour of my day.
The tithe is absolutely about recognizing, loving, and obeying God. But in so many ways the tithe is about addressing our simple human weakness, our selfishness.
What would change if I tithed to God? If I invest, trusting in him, what I give will be returned to me greatly. And, I am confident, that would bleed over. I’d invest time into friends and family and be amazed at how our relationships bloomed and grew. I’d invest effort into my work and be amazed at how putting time in made the job easier to do, and more rewarding. I’d give money to the poor and not only see people delivered from horrible lives, but see people instead of parasites.
The tithe is about turning us outward, about teaching us the simple rule that proper attention leads to amazing rewards. God, in these verses, wants us to tithe and to honor Him. But, I believe, these verses are just as much a call to stop worrying about what we’re getting out of life, and instead to start giving to it.
P: God, thank You so much for what You give me. You have provided so much, and I’ve thanked You by hording my riches. While complaining that I should have more, I refuse to invest my money, my time, my happiness, my strength, and my love into the people and the world around me, and even less to I invest in You. Forgive me, and help me to act on this realization of my wrongs. Thank You that, even as I fail You, You still will reach out to me when I reach back to You. Thank You that You never tire of investing in me. Amen.
October 02, 2007
SOAP Notes
Every couple of weeks, I get together with a group of guys for a Bible Study. The format for the study is pretty simple. We read from a set of scripture (usually a chapter or two from two or three books of the Bible) and then write about what we read. Then we share what we wrote, and discuss what we've talked about if we care to.
The format for the writing is called SOAP. It's an anagram, of course. "S" stands for scripture, as in the scripture that we focussed on in our writing. "O" is for observations, as in what we observed the verse to be about. "A" is for application, a discussion of how the verse applies to our lives, or how it impacts us. "P" is for prayer, where we write out a prayer that the verse inspires us to pray.
Tonight I brought my computer along, and since I get verbose when I type, I wrote a lot. JLowe said that I should post it. So here it is. This may, or may not, become a recurring feature.
Verses read: Zechariah 13-14; Psalm 147; Luke 15
S: Psalm 147:4 “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”
O: I sometimes have trouble determining what is to be taken literally in the Bible. Some say that everything in the Bible is to be taken literally. Nothing is allegory, nothing that’s not a parable of Jesus is a parable of its own. Personally, I think there’s a great deal of allegorical teaching in the Bible. Anyway, this verse, taken literally, says that God knows the number of the stars, and has a special designation in His mind for each one. While I believe this is true, the verse is meant to say so much more.
A: This verse is a big one, very big considering it’s only 12 words long. It stands for many ideas. First, and most obviously, is the idea that God knows everything. God knows the number of the innumerable stars in the universe, and He knows about each and every one. Calling them “by name” suggests a familiarity with them. He doesn’t do what we do, look at each and say, “Ooh, look at that star over there.” He doesn’t do what our greatest astronomers do, look at them and say “there’s star Z-467 Alpha, which is 345 million light years away.” He knows each star. He knows the moment it was created, what it’s made of, how many atoms are in it, how hot it burns, the various cycles it goes through, where it’s headed, and where it came from. He knows when it will cease to burn, how it will end its days, and what will happen to it after it has long gone dark. He knows the planets around it, their revolutions and orbits, their spans of days and years, their atmospheres, the things upon them which are sustained by them and the star above. He knows what every angle of the sky looks like from every other place in the universe, and how it looked 100 million years ago, and how it will look 100 million years from now.
Another meaning: God created the stars in the sky. He “determined” their number. He calls them by name. These are not the actions of an observer, but a creator. “Determine” is such a pregnant verb next to a smaller concept like “count.” God’s not counting the stars. He set the number. He’s not learning the names. He gave them.
Another thought: Nothing there is an accident. Nothing was unplanned. This verse speaks of an intentionality. God didn’t pull the number of stars out of a hat. He determined it. He planned it. He decided it. He thought about, planned, and implemented it. The number of stars, like every other fact and law and design and scheme and element and property and whatever else there is in the scope of creation, is significant to God, has a purpose to God, and matters to God.
This verse in its literal form says that God knows the stars. This verse in its entirety, though, tells me that God, the Creator of the Universe, cares about them. Everything in our creation is important to God, and part of His plan. None of it was taken for granted, or done as an afterthought. How dare I, therefore, take it for granted, or treat it as an afterthought?
P: God, Your creation is amazing. Your glory is evident in all of it. So often I walk through my life in a haze, failing to notice You in everything around me. How often I miss the stars above my head, and fail to realize that each one was hung where it is by Your Hand, for Your purpose, to Your glory. Help me to be mindful of You, of Your creation, of my place in Your world. Take my focus off of me, shift my vision outward, and help me to grow to be more like You. Amen.
The format for the writing is called SOAP. It's an anagram, of course. "S" stands for scripture, as in the scripture that we focussed on in our writing. "O" is for observations, as in what we observed the verse to be about. "A" is for application, a discussion of how the verse applies to our lives, or how it impacts us. "P" is for prayer, where we write out a prayer that the verse inspires us to pray.
Tonight I brought my computer along, and since I get verbose when I type, I wrote a lot. JLowe said that I should post it. So here it is. This may, or may not, become a recurring feature.
Verses read: Zechariah 13-14; Psalm 147; Luke 15
S: Psalm 147:4 “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”
O: I sometimes have trouble determining what is to be taken literally in the Bible. Some say that everything in the Bible is to be taken literally. Nothing is allegory, nothing that’s not a parable of Jesus is a parable of its own. Personally, I think there’s a great deal of allegorical teaching in the Bible. Anyway, this verse, taken literally, says that God knows the number of the stars, and has a special designation in His mind for each one. While I believe this is true, the verse is meant to say so much more.
A: This verse is a big one, very big considering it’s only 12 words long. It stands for many ideas. First, and most obviously, is the idea that God knows everything. God knows the number of the innumerable stars in the universe, and He knows about each and every one. Calling them “by name” suggests a familiarity with them. He doesn’t do what we do, look at each and say, “Ooh, look at that star over there.” He doesn’t do what our greatest astronomers do, look at them and say “there’s star Z-467 Alpha, which is 345 million light years away.” He knows each star. He knows the moment it was created, what it’s made of, how many atoms are in it, how hot it burns, the various cycles it goes through, where it’s headed, and where it came from. He knows when it will cease to burn, how it will end its days, and what will happen to it after it has long gone dark. He knows the planets around it, their revolutions and orbits, their spans of days and years, their atmospheres, the things upon them which are sustained by them and the star above. He knows what every angle of the sky looks like from every other place in the universe, and how it looked 100 million years ago, and how it will look 100 million years from now.
Another meaning: God created the stars in the sky. He “determined” their number. He calls them by name. These are not the actions of an observer, but a creator. “Determine” is such a pregnant verb next to a smaller concept like “count.” God’s not counting the stars. He set the number. He’s not learning the names. He gave them.
Another thought: Nothing there is an accident. Nothing was unplanned. This verse speaks of an intentionality. God didn’t pull the number of stars out of a hat. He determined it. He planned it. He decided it. He thought about, planned, and implemented it. The number of stars, like every other fact and law and design and scheme and element and property and whatever else there is in the scope of creation, is significant to God, has a purpose to God, and matters to God.
This verse in its literal form says that God knows the stars. This verse in its entirety, though, tells me that God, the Creator of the Universe, cares about them. Everything in our creation is important to God, and part of His plan. None of it was taken for granted, or done as an afterthought. How dare I, therefore, take it for granted, or treat it as an afterthought?
P: God, Your creation is amazing. Your glory is evident in all of it. So often I walk through my life in a haze, failing to notice You in everything around me. How often I miss the stars above my head, and fail to realize that each one was hung where it is by Your Hand, for Your purpose, to Your glory. Help me to be mindful of You, of Your creation, of my place in Your world. Take my focus off of me, shift my vision outward, and help me to grow to be more like You. Amen.
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