They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. (Psalm 78:11-13)
People have short memories. Sometimes it is easy to forget something that happened in the past either because the present reality seems to different or because we've just become distracted. Every month I think about this when I think about my financial situation. I think "what if things don't come together this month?" which is a stupid thing to think because for every month of my life things have come together but it's still a challenge to remember.
This Psalm is all about remembering. It's a whole Psalm of reflection on the great things that Israel has done for God in their relationship. It's important to remember what God has done for us precisely because it casts out the worry that sometimes overcomes us and reminds us that we are in a continual relationship with God where he has shown in the past how he can be trusted and remains in trust with us.
I hear someone explain a concept in religious philosophy where every religious system or every approach to following God can be described as either obeying God because he is divine, or obeying God because he tells you to do things that are good. I think remembering falls into some kind of middle ground. We sort of follow God because he is divine, but really God is constantly reminding us of all that he has done for us. When he asks us to do something, it's in the context of his history with us and with our people. We obey God because we trust God. We obey God because of what he has done for us.
I think that's really important. It's easy to forget that God lives with us, that Jesus lived among us. There's a history there that can help us to combat this amnesia that leads us to be so afraid. So there's the thought for today. Remember what God has done.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Daily Reading Reflection: 1 Timothy 5
Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. (1 Timothy 5:19-21)
When I am at work, I speak to customers gently so that they have a good experience. I carefully explain our products and the way things are made and avoid being patronizing so that they have a good experience and hopefully come back. When I am away from customers and speaking only to coworkers, I can share my frustrations or concerns that I might not normally. I can say that a customer took an excessively long time to order and because I am talking to co-workers I know that that information will remain in confidence. When I go home and talk to my wife about work, I can speak even more freely because we have an intimate relationship and because she is outside of the sphere of where I work. Maybe you can identify this kind of pattern in your life as well. There are circles of trust where if someone isn't part of that circle normally, hearing what goes on there might be confusing.
This whole book is like that. It's Paul speaking to Timothy about instructions for how the church should be governed. There's a high degree of trust and the things that they talk about are different in content and tone than some of Paul's other letters. It makes it a challenge to interpret because almost everything in here flies against the face of our modern sensibilities, especially when it comes to how women are treated.
Though I'm working from what I remember, I believe Paul's concern as he was establishing churches was that they might be free from scandal so that the Jesus movement (what would eventually become the Christian Religion) might not get stamped out because someone got involved in something so taboo that it turned everyone off of it. When we read Paul's instructions to Timothy about how to handle sins or scandals among elders, we are looking into a world where the success of each individual congregation had a huge impact on how the Church itself was perceived.
I believe things two things are different now. First I believe that no individual congregation is important enough that a single scandal would sink the entire practice of following Jesus. Second, I believe the appearance of a cover up or the decision to hide faults and sins is more of a risk to congregations than those sins themselves.When you hear about the discussion around the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals, the focus is mainly on the fact that these sins were covered up for the sake of saving the face of both the Church itself, and the individuals in leadership who committed these crimes.
It is so strange to me that Christians who freely admit that they are sinful creatures in need of a saviour are so quick to point to leadership that is "above reproach". At this point in my life I am deeply suspicious of anyone who appears to be above reproach only because I hear of so many stories of secret depravity which later came out to sink the church. Do we need to have high standards of behaviour for our leaders? Yes, but we also need to hold them to a high standard of honesty and accountability so that when they do stumble we can have an open and honest conversation about how to move forward instead of allowing problems to secretly fester.
I think Paul is right to protect the reputation of the Congregations he works with, but I think that means something a bit different now than it did then.
When I am at work, I speak to customers gently so that they have a good experience. I carefully explain our products and the way things are made and avoid being patronizing so that they have a good experience and hopefully come back. When I am away from customers and speaking only to coworkers, I can share my frustrations or concerns that I might not normally. I can say that a customer took an excessively long time to order and because I am talking to co-workers I know that that information will remain in confidence. When I go home and talk to my wife about work, I can speak even more freely because we have an intimate relationship and because she is outside of the sphere of where I work. Maybe you can identify this kind of pattern in your life as well. There are circles of trust where if someone isn't part of that circle normally, hearing what goes on there might be confusing.
This whole book is like that. It's Paul speaking to Timothy about instructions for how the church should be governed. There's a high degree of trust and the things that they talk about are different in content and tone than some of Paul's other letters. It makes it a challenge to interpret because almost everything in here flies against the face of our modern sensibilities, especially when it comes to how women are treated.
Though I'm working from what I remember, I believe Paul's concern as he was establishing churches was that they might be free from scandal so that the Jesus movement (what would eventually become the Christian Religion) might not get stamped out because someone got involved in something so taboo that it turned everyone off of it. When we read Paul's instructions to Timothy about how to handle sins or scandals among elders, we are looking into a world where the success of each individual congregation had a huge impact on how the Church itself was perceived.
I believe things two things are different now. First I believe that no individual congregation is important enough that a single scandal would sink the entire practice of following Jesus. Second, I believe the appearance of a cover up or the decision to hide faults and sins is more of a risk to congregations than those sins themselves.When you hear about the discussion around the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals, the focus is mainly on the fact that these sins were covered up for the sake of saving the face of both the Church itself, and the individuals in leadership who committed these crimes.
It is so strange to me that Christians who freely admit that they are sinful creatures in need of a saviour are so quick to point to leadership that is "above reproach". At this point in my life I am deeply suspicious of anyone who appears to be above reproach only because I hear of so many stories of secret depravity which later came out to sink the church. Do we need to have high standards of behaviour for our leaders? Yes, but we also need to hold them to a high standard of honesty and accountability so that when they do stumble we can have an open and honest conversation about how to move forward instead of allowing problems to secretly fester.
I think Paul is right to protect the reputation of the Congregations he works with, but I think that means something a bit different now than it did then.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Daily Reading Reflection: John 6
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:26-27)
What is faith in Jesus for? Is it for right now or is for a future time that is still to come? Does this faith make us a people who want to live a life of justice now where we follow God's laws and work to build a world that looks more like what he wants or is it a faith which leads us to sigh at the state of the world and desire to move on?
In this passage Jesus starts by performing a miracle and feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. Then he finishes the passage by speaking about himself as the Bread of Life and refusing to repeat his miracle. He begins by meeting the immediate material needs of the people but at the end he insists that there is a deeper reality which is more important than the bread that fed them.
So is faith for right now or is it for what is to come? The answer is both. When we enter into a life of Faith, when we follow what Jesus says it has an impact on what we experience right now. The Father provides for us, Jesus walks alongside us through our day, we are filled with the Spirit. We also become a part of the Church and are enfolded into a group of people who care for us in a way that most people don't. Your entry into a life of faith will change how you live right now.
But we also live in a world which is not yet as it should be. There are still places where injustice and brokenness occur. We experience disease and famine and heartbreak. Things are not perfect. Those moments of imperfection remind us of the second part of what Jesus says. If we eat bread, we will be hungry again, but the food which he provides is for a life which is everlasting and where we will never go hungry again. He gives us the gift of life everlasting.
So what is faith in Jesus for? It's for right now as God enters into our lives in all kinds of ways. But it's also for what's to come when Jesus returns to make all things right.
What is faith in Jesus for? Is it for right now or is for a future time that is still to come? Does this faith make us a people who want to live a life of justice now where we follow God's laws and work to build a world that looks more like what he wants or is it a faith which leads us to sigh at the state of the world and desire to move on?
In this passage Jesus starts by performing a miracle and feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. Then he finishes the passage by speaking about himself as the Bread of Life and refusing to repeat his miracle. He begins by meeting the immediate material needs of the people but at the end he insists that there is a deeper reality which is more important than the bread that fed them.
So is faith for right now or is it for what is to come? The answer is both. When we enter into a life of Faith, when we follow what Jesus says it has an impact on what we experience right now. The Father provides for us, Jesus walks alongside us through our day, we are filled with the Spirit. We also become a part of the Church and are enfolded into a group of people who care for us in a way that most people don't. Your entry into a life of faith will change how you live right now.
But we also live in a world which is not yet as it should be. There are still places where injustice and brokenness occur. We experience disease and famine and heartbreak. Things are not perfect. Those moments of imperfection remind us of the second part of what Jesus says. If we eat bread, we will be hungry again, but the food which he provides is for a life which is everlasting and where we will never go hungry again. He gives us the gift of life everlasting.
So what is faith in Jesus for? It's for right now as God enters into our lives in all kinds of ways. But it's also for what's to come when Jesus returns to make all things right.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Daily Reading Reflection: Psalm 73
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. (Psalm 73:3-4)
Do you ever have a moment where you're doing something and you think to yourself "Life would be a lot easier if I cared less about other people"? I will freely admit that sometimes I do. I get caught up in something and suddenly realize that the only reason I am doing that thing or am in that difficult situation is because I'm trying to help someone or protect someone. If I were freed from the obligation to think about how that person is doing or what their experience is in life, then I could make things go a lot easier.
The same goes with faith. My life would be a lot easier if I did not owe allegiance to Jesus and recognize what I owe to him. I could do a lot of things right now which might make me feel a lot better.
When you feel that way, Psalm 73 has the words to help you pray your way through that feeling. The first fifteen verses are about how hard the Psalmist's life is because he loves God and wants to do what God desires. It rehearses all the ways in which the lives of the "arrogant" and "wicked" are easy and prosperous.
But then it turns around at the end to reveal the good news of this experience. This situation is merely an appearance. When God comes into the picture, the situation of those who don't care for others and don't care for God doesn't appear to be so stable. This is not the final resting state. Things will not always be this way. It may come in a moment of misfortune, or we may way until Jesus returns, but there will be a great reversion. In the meantime this Psalm walks us through the hope that that brings. Things are not the way they appear and one day realities and appearances will be reconciled. May we look forward to that day of joy.
Do you ever have a moment where you're doing something and you think to yourself "Life would be a lot easier if I cared less about other people"? I will freely admit that sometimes I do. I get caught up in something and suddenly realize that the only reason I am doing that thing or am in that difficult situation is because I'm trying to help someone or protect someone. If I were freed from the obligation to think about how that person is doing or what their experience is in life, then I could make things go a lot easier.
The same goes with faith. My life would be a lot easier if I did not owe allegiance to Jesus and recognize what I owe to him. I could do a lot of things right now which might make me feel a lot better.
When you feel that way, Psalm 73 has the words to help you pray your way through that feeling. The first fifteen verses are about how hard the Psalmist's life is because he loves God and wants to do what God desires. It rehearses all the ways in which the lives of the "arrogant" and "wicked" are easy and prosperous.
But then it turns around at the end to reveal the good news of this experience. This situation is merely an appearance. When God comes into the picture, the situation of those who don't care for others and don't care for God doesn't appear to be so stable. This is not the final resting state. Things will not always be this way. It may come in a moment of misfortune, or we may way until Jesus returns, but there will be a great reversion. In the meantime this Psalm walks us through the hope that that brings. Things are not the way they appear and one day realities and appearances will be reconciled. May we look forward to that day of joy.
Friday, February 8, 2019
Daily Reading Reflection: John 3:1-21
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? (John 3:12)
Let's imagine for a moment that tomorrow you move to a foreign country. And let's make it very dramatic. This is a new country with very different laws from your own country, a completely different form of government, a completely new currency, and a very different culture. Beyond this, a new country means there are new expectations about how you drive, how you buy things, what rules people expect you to follow. We are so impacted by the culture and customs of the country that we were raised in that going to a new place means changing almost everything about the way we live.
In the passage today, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus who was devoted to the keeping of the law, and a member of the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus is someone who understands God's law as it is being taught. When he approaches Jesus to talk to him, Jesus immediately starts talking about being born from above in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus gets hung up on the picture Jesus is painting which gives Jesus more time to speak about the Kingdom of God.
We can easily get caught up in two popular pictures of what we think is God's kingdom. One is that we need only accept Jesus as our Savior and then we are automatically in the kingdom. Maybe we change a little bit but mostly it's just because of what Jesus does. The second picture says that Jesus doesn't ask us to change very much about ourselves in order to be prepared for God's kingdom. We really just need to be a bit nicer and give a little more and then we're okay.
In this exchange, Jesus sets expectations for how different it will be to join in God's kingdom. We are not just talking about learning a few new customs. Jesus says we have to be born all over again. We have to learn how to walk and talk and eat and sleep and all sorts of things. We enter into a completely new life. While I don't believe he's trying to tell us exactly what we have to do, I do believe he sets our expectations for what we need to be prepared for. God's kingdom is a new place. Everything we have learned from our world teaches us how to live at home. Jesus says we need to be born again in order to be ready for the incredible upside-down world of God's kingdom. That is a far cry from either accepting and then staying mostly put, and a far cry from making small changes to our lives. When Jesus comes he proclaims a kingdom which will disrupt our lives. If we're not prepared for how dramatic that will be then maybe we're not ready to receive it at all.
Let's imagine for a moment that tomorrow you move to a foreign country. And let's make it very dramatic. This is a new country with very different laws from your own country, a completely different form of government, a completely new currency, and a very different culture. Beyond this, a new country means there are new expectations about how you drive, how you buy things, what rules people expect you to follow. We are so impacted by the culture and customs of the country that we were raised in that going to a new place means changing almost everything about the way we live.
In the passage today, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus who was devoted to the keeping of the law, and a member of the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus is someone who understands God's law as it is being taught. When he approaches Jesus to talk to him, Jesus immediately starts talking about being born from above in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus gets hung up on the picture Jesus is painting which gives Jesus more time to speak about the Kingdom of God.
We can easily get caught up in two popular pictures of what we think is God's kingdom. One is that we need only accept Jesus as our Savior and then we are automatically in the kingdom. Maybe we change a little bit but mostly it's just because of what Jesus does. The second picture says that Jesus doesn't ask us to change very much about ourselves in order to be prepared for God's kingdom. We really just need to be a bit nicer and give a little more and then we're okay.
In this exchange, Jesus sets expectations for how different it will be to join in God's kingdom. We are not just talking about learning a few new customs. Jesus says we have to be born all over again. We have to learn how to walk and talk and eat and sleep and all sorts of things. We enter into a completely new life. While I don't believe he's trying to tell us exactly what we have to do, I do believe he sets our expectations for what we need to be prepared for. God's kingdom is a new place. Everything we have learned from our world teaches us how to live at home. Jesus says we need to be born again in order to be ready for the incredible upside-down world of God's kingdom. That is a far cry from either accepting and then staying mostly put, and a far cry from making small changes to our lives. When Jesus comes he proclaims a kingdom which will disrupt our lives. If we're not prepared for how dramatic that will be then maybe we're not ready to receive it at all.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Daily Reading Reflection: Numbers 17
The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. - Numbers 17:10-11
Sometimes I read things in the Bible and I agree with them because they match up with my moral sensibilities. Sometimes I agree with things because they match up with the laws around me. But ultimately reading Scripture is an exercise in receiving something which is beyond us. Sometimes we read things in here and we wrestle to listen to them not because they make sense or seem good but because they are from God.
As I'm reading through Numbers, a pattern is beginning to emerge among the people of Israel. They are being protected by the Father and provided for by him as they are in the desert. However every so often they seem to forget about him or they start to behave like spoiled children unable to see what the Father is doing. They did not believe they would be able to enter the promised land. They complained about the food and asked for meat. They resent Aaron's place in the priesthood. Ultimately they don't seem to respect God's authority or his faithfulness here.
If you were a parent (or if you want to abstract this even more, if you were God leading a band of wandering former slaves through the desert). Your response to this kind of attitude might be to reassure your child of your goodness and remind them of all the things you've done for them. That often happens. God reminds his people of what he has done for them. But I think at some point there is a moment when they simply need to accept that God tells them what to do because he is God.
In this story that is sort of what happens. God says "look, you're doubting who I've chosen to set up your worship of me and your working relationship with me. It's Aaron and just to make sure that's clear give me a bunch of staffs made out of dead sticks. If one buds with live branches that's the one that I've picked." All the tribes gather their staffs and when they go look in the morning, not only is Aaron's the only one that's budded, but it's also flowered and produced a few ripe almonds. There are signs and then there are signs so obvious that it's almost like God is beating you over the head with it. This is one of those cases.
Sometimes we listen to God because we want to, but there also comes a time where God just gets to be God. That's what I take away from this story.
Sometimes I read things in the Bible and I agree with them because they match up with my moral sensibilities. Sometimes I agree with things because they match up with the laws around me. But ultimately reading Scripture is an exercise in receiving something which is beyond us. Sometimes we read things in here and we wrestle to listen to them not because they make sense or seem good but because they are from God.
As I'm reading through Numbers, a pattern is beginning to emerge among the people of Israel. They are being protected by the Father and provided for by him as they are in the desert. However every so often they seem to forget about him or they start to behave like spoiled children unable to see what the Father is doing. They did not believe they would be able to enter the promised land. They complained about the food and asked for meat. They resent Aaron's place in the priesthood. Ultimately they don't seem to respect God's authority or his faithfulness here.
If you were a parent (or if you want to abstract this even more, if you were God leading a band of wandering former slaves through the desert). Your response to this kind of attitude might be to reassure your child of your goodness and remind them of all the things you've done for them. That often happens. God reminds his people of what he has done for them. But I think at some point there is a moment when they simply need to accept that God tells them what to do because he is God.
In this story that is sort of what happens. God says "look, you're doubting who I've chosen to set up your worship of me and your working relationship with me. It's Aaron and just to make sure that's clear give me a bunch of staffs made out of dead sticks. If one buds with live branches that's the one that I've picked." All the tribes gather their staffs and when they go look in the morning, not only is Aaron's the only one that's budded, but it's also flowered and produced a few ripe almonds. There are signs and then there are signs so obvious that it's almost like God is beating you over the head with it. This is one of those cases.
Sometimes we listen to God because we want to, but there also comes a time where God just gets to be God. That's what I take away from this story.
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