Thankful For and Thankful To - Reprint

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope this holiday finds you well, and that you are able to spend it with family or friends or both. In what has become a Snippets and Wisps tradition, today's blog is a reprint of a little essay I wrote a couple years ago about the meaning of "thanksgiving." If you don't feel like a Small Sermon today, feel free to stop reading and go enjoy your day. You deserve it!

=======================================

Thanksgiving is a special holiday. Though we are taught to be thankful all year round, having a day set aside for feeling thankful helps focus our gratitude.

Of course, it has become "Turkey Day" to some, and "Football Day" to some, but in general, with families and friends gathering together, many people do still focus on the thankfulness.

Interestingly, though, at Thanksgiving, people primarily talk about the things they are thankful FOR. This, of course, is perfectly natural. To feel thankful, people need to feel they have received something for which they can give thanks.

For me, there are too many blessings to count and list, but I would certainly start here:

I am so thankful for my family. Words cannot express it. Though I try. I am also thankful for the friends I have, especially for those who think about me frequently, providing me company when I laugh, care when I need it, and conversation - in person or over the network. I am thankful for my work, for my home, and for the beautiful world in which we live.

But I am not done with this Thanksgiving message. I want to continue on to discuss the full meaning of giving thanks.

Here is the first definition of "Thank" from from Dictionary.com:

thank

–verb (used with object)

1.to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to: She thanked them for their hospitality.

And for good measure, the definition of "Thanks" from the same source:

thanks (θæŋks)
—pl n
1.	an expression of appreciation or gratitude or an acknowledgment of services or favours given

In both of these definitions, there is a clear message which is glossed over by many, but it is worth considering. The definitions make it clear there is someone who is thankful, and someone who is receiving the thanks, because the latter did something for the former.

Thanksgiving, as a recent sermon said, is "relational" - that is, it involves a relationship between the one who is thankful and the one who is being thanked.

So, if you are thankful, who are you thankful TO?

Yes, I am thankful to the people in my life who make my life so blessed. And if that's as far as you go in your faith, then be sure to thank the people in your life on Thanksgiving. For, just as a secular Christmas is to be more about giving than receiving, a secular Thanksgiving should be about being thankful, and to be thankful, there must be someone who deserves our thanks. With that in mind, look around at all those people who have made your life better, and express your appreciation and gratitude as you celebrate your Thanksgiving.

To carry the message a bit further, people of faith should pause to recognize that what we have been given, the materials and relationships for which we are thankful, are not merely gifts from people, but gifts from God. The original Pilgrims were not thanking one another. They were thanking God.

If you explain to a child the concept of Thanksgiving -- that we are grateful for the many things around us -- and ask them to list those things, they will often lists parts of nature. The sun, the stars, the lakes.

If a person has no faith in a creator, then there really is no one to thank for these things. Such a person can feel lucky or fortunate to have them, and they should, but they cannot truly be thankful, because they have no one to thank.

But for people who believe in a God, today is the day to thank God, as the true source for all of these blessings. Even the blessings which appear to have come from people are truly an expression of God's love towards us. And for this, thanks are appropriate, and a form of blessing in themselves.

Lord God, Creator of all, Source of Love and Blessings, on this day of Thanksgiving, we thank you, above all, for the gift of life and for the gifts we receive in life. We especially thank you for the people in our lives who show us love and kindness. For these, and for all, we are truly Thankful. Amen.

A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you all.

Good Friday - "Why Have You Forsaken Me?"

As with yesterday's revision and reprint of a post I made about Maundy Thursday, today I revise and repost reflections on one of the "Seven Last Words" recorded from the story of Good Friday.
----

Matthew 27:46 (New International Version)

46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Listening to the "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack is a part of my Lenten preparations for Easter, so some of you will not be surprised to learn that I have heard that soundtrack several times this week. Of the famous Seven Last Words of Jesus, the "forsaken" word is included in the script as the second of three things Jesus says during the Crucifixion. (The JCS line is "My God, my God, why have you forgotten me?") As I hear that every year, I am reminded how my understanding and appreciation of this moment in Christ's life has changed and grown over time, and how Bible Study was such an important part of that growth.

When I was a teenager and first saw the film, it might well have been the first time I paid any attention to the Last Words. At that time, I took it as it is performed by Ted Neely - the frustrated lament of someone who truly believed he had been forgotten. Now, I see this "word" much differently, and that's because of studying that I've done,  together with help from other knowledgeable people.

Containing the Aramaic version of the words, the verse guides us to uncover some messages which are lost if one simplifies the "Word" to merely the translated "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Those messages are all related to a simple fact: Jesus is quoting the first verse of Psalm 22.  Take a quick look at the Psalm, and then think about the man who is saying the words.  Why does Jesus say this? Is it because he is actually feeling forsaken? I don't think so, and I don't think the Gospel author thought so, either, because he wrote the original Aramaic words, and then translated them for his readers.  So, what do I think Jesus intended?

First, Psalm 22 is a psalm containing messianic prophecy. At our Maundy Thursday services at my former church, we always closed the service by speaking this psalm as the paraments are removed from the altar and the pastor changes from normal vestments to all-black. We have learned, over the years, that this psalm teaches us what will happen to Jesus and what will happen because of him. The psalm tells us that the Messiah will be scorned (v.6) mocked and insulted (v.7). People will say that God should rescue him, since he trusted God so much (v.8 and fulfilled in Matthew 27:43). His hands and feet will be pierced (v.16). People will gamble to see who gets his clothing (v.18). And yet, the second half of the psalm tells of the joy that will come to God's people and the victory that will be won by the Savior He sends.

By speaking the first line of this psalm, Jesus is pointing out to those around him -- and to us today -- that the first part of the prophecy is being fulfilled, and by extension He is promising the second part is soon to come.

Second, and this is the part of the lesson which came to me more recently, Jesus continues to act in his role as "'Rabbi' (which means teacher.)" (John 1:38) In order to instruct the young, a rabbi of Jesus' time would teach his students to memorize the scriptures.  To test the memory of his students, he would speak the opening of a passage and expect them to recite the rest.  Though memorization is not taught as commonly in schools (even Sunday Schools) these days, many of us remember having this same technique used to teach us the Pledge of Allegiance, Psalm 23 or the Christmas story from Luke.  With those facts in mind, it's not hard to imaging that, by speaking these first words, Jesus is acting in his role of teacher to the end.

Third, I think what Jesus wanted to teach is the importance of the entirety of the psalm, not merely the first part. And yet, Jesus did not speak the whole psalm - He started it. Why?  Perhaps because, without his physical presence, we are responsible for learning and understanding God's will and actions, and Jesus is telling us we still have work to do. We are to finish it. We are to learn its meaning. Then we are to accept the resulting grace.

Now, could Jesus have actually been feeling forsaken? I guess it depends on whether such a feeling would be sinful or not. As a human, he would certainly be "normal" if he felt alone as he neared his death. Some would interpret feeling forsaken as a loss of faith, and that is sin.  This is what I used to believe, and because I believe Jesus was the "spotless Lamb" - without sin - I could not reconcile myself to him feeling forsaken.  Later in my life, however, I have thought more about what being "truly human" means when we're describing Jesus' humanity, and I begin to think that our Christ needed to experience the emotions we have as creatures, and then overcome those emotions.  With that thought in mind, I think it's entirely possible Jesus felt forsaken, but used the Psalm to reassure himself, as well as us, that salvation and grace would follow.

Whether he truly felt forsaken or not, the crucial lessons for us to learn from this "Last Word" are connected to the meaning of Psalm 22. Without Bible Study, I would have never known this, and so I am truly thankful to have been given that gift.




.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Maundy Thursday

[It has become a tradition in this blog to commemorate this special day with a post about Maundy Thursday and its meaning.  Servanthood.  Loving one another.  Communion, with God and one another.  Messages I need to hear, regularly.  For those Christians who read my blog, may the rest of your Holy Week be blessed.]

Today is "Maundy Thursday." Some call it "Holy Thursday" but I like "Maundy" because it makes people say "What does 'Maundy' mean?" and that gives us a chance to talk about one of the most important aspects of the Easter season: The New Commandment.

Now, admittedly, those who attend services on this day every year probably know it as the celebration of the Last Supper and therefor the birth of Holy Communion. This is true, and we should not minimize that aspect of Holy Thursday.

Yet the more significant event, relative to how Jesus asked us to live our lives, is the commandment He gave us that same night. [The word that is the root for "command" that is also the root for "Maundy."]

In John 13, we have the important account of Jesus acting as a servant, though He is the Master. He washes the disciple's feet. Then, he gives the New Commandment:

John 13:34 (King James Version)

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In one brief evening, in his last opportunity to be with His disciples, Jesus gives us the gift of Holy Communion, the example of service, and the New Commandment: Love one another.

This is nothing new, of course. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus says (in Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10) that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God" but immediately follows it with "Love your neighbor as yourself."

In His final hours, Jesus knows that the disciples will soon find themselves floundering in grief. He gives them a few final lessons to solidify the foundation on which they are to build His church and spread His lessons: recognition of the need for salvation and the acceptance of that salvation (Communion), service to others, and finally love.

It is this New Commandment we celebrate on Maundy Thursday.

150 Years at a Time - The Egalitarian Transformation of the Church

I have tried to start this post several times in the past few months.  I kept coming up with "clever" ways to do it, and they just don't quite work.  So, in a complete departure from my normal approach, I write a standard "college style" essay.  With a thesis, even.

Thesis: The Christian Church has moved towards support for egalitarianism, and an examination of Western history in 150-year increments demonstrates that, though non-egalitarian norms were supported by Biblical arguments at the time, those same beliefs are considered clearly in error today.  This leads to interesting speculation about what might result if that trend continues for another 150 years.

Definition:

e·gal·i·tar·i·an

 [ih-gal-i-tair-ee-uhn] 

adjective

1.

asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life.

A few months back, there was a story that hit the news about a church in Kentucky that banned interracial couples from attending.  This got me thinking again about how Christians (as a group) are frequently seen as being "behind the curve" in accepting societal changes. To be fair, in this particular case, most Christians  disagreed with this particular congregation's policy, but though it is now an unsupported position, this is a "last bastion" of a position which was once more popularly held.

At the time, I had not yet formed my thesis, but I mentally threw it in the mix along with other social issues in the US today.  Christians are seen as more "conservative" than others.  And, if we talk about "conservative" only in the sense of resisting change and trying to preserve the existing ways, I think we can see how the congregation in question was "conservative."

But, it is clear, also, that The Church -- or perhaps more precisely, the majority of Western Christians -- has changed its attitudes over time.  And since its "attitudes" are supported by doctrine, which is based on reading the Bible, it interesting to look at how biblical reasoning has changed over time.

Our nation was "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."  When the interracial news story broke, it somehow occurred to me that 150 years earlier, our nation was "engaged in a great civil war, testing whether this nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure."

And you know what?  150 years ago, in 1861, there were Christians arguing that slavery was not only OK, but supported by the Bible.  I'm not going to get into that argument, but the point is this:  the verses which were used to support slavery 150 years ago have now largely been reinterpreted so that the Christian church says -- by and large -- that slavery of the form which existed in the United States before the Emancipation Proclamation is not, repeat "not," supported by the Bible.  Of course, there were Christians of that time who disagreed with their pro-slavery Christian opponents. But the "conservative" Christians were being taught, and as many of them truly believed, that the Bible supported slavery.

By examining that single 150-year jump, we can see that the Church has changed its view of scriptural teachings to become more egalitarian.  The church moved from supporting "inequality" in slavery, to "equality."

What about 150 years before that?

In 1711, Kings and Queens ruled Europe.  In Great Britain, Queen Anne ruled.  Louis XIV was monarch in France. Charles III ruled Austria. And though some members of the Christian community did not believe that an inherited ruling class should have such power, the principle of Divine Right was largely accepted and supported by the (mostly national) churches of the time.  According to this doctrine, a monarch had been granted his or her power directly from God, and the people could not question it.  And, as I said, church leaders supported this doctrine from scripture.  Certainly, some of that support would have been a distorted interpretation in order to exert power, but we need to realize that this teaching was being presented to, and accepted by, people without power as the  revealed will of God. Of course, by 150 years later, in the 1861 of our Civil War each of those monarchies had transformed or been overthrown, and Christians believed that God supported our democracy. Today, 300 years later, there are no Christians who are advocating that the monarchy is Right and True, and we must all revert to something so unequal.

No, once again, the march towards equality of individuals did not allow for a nobility with more "God-given" power than the common people.  And the church, eventually, found itself supporting the new democracies with scripture.

In the days 150 years before that -- in 1561 -- the Reformation was in full swing.  Martin Luther had nailed his 95 Theses over 40 years prior, and Calvin had done most of his work, with just a few years remaining of his life.  But again, the new "church" was transforming its understanding of Christianity so that a "more equal" church was being born.  And of course at the time, the Church establishment opposed the idea of the education and interpretation of scriptures being placed in the hands of laity and family, and being removed from the hands of the priests.

Three 150-year periods.  Three advancements of Christianity away from inequality towards the support of an egalitarian social structure.

What I think today's Christians should take from this little history lesson is this:  While none of the core precepts of Christianity changed over those 150-year intervals, the things we Christians were arguing about changed.  And each time, the Church moved from a "less equal" to a "more equal" interpretation of what God put down as Law, and what Christ's teachings were about Gospel.  Further, I contend, we need to realize that opposing similar changes today is very likely to be viewed as incomprehensible -- perhaps even sinful -- by future generations of Christians.

But let me be clear, the people who oppose the change are not "incomprehensible" today.  Today, they are people who are living in their time, who have a deep belief in God, and who want to do His Will.  What all Christians need to understand, I think, is that His Will is not completely clear to us.  Try as we might, we get it wrong sometimes.  We ought to discuss our positions knowing this fact.  Over time, I think God is leading His Church towards a more accurate, and loving, vision of His Will.

And so, if my thesis has any validity -- and if the Church has moved over the past centuries in the direction God wants it to move -- then I believe we ought to err -- if we err -- on the side of equality.

Thankful For and Thankful To - Again

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope this holiday finds you well, and that you are able to spend it with family or friends or both. Today's blog is a reprint of a little essay I wrote last year about the meaning of "thanksgiving." If you don't feel like a Small Sermon today, feel free to stop reading and go enjoy your day. You deserve it!

=======================================

Thanksgiving is a special holiday. Though we are taught to be thankful all year round, having a day set aside for feeling thankful helps focus our gratitude.

Of course, it has become "Turkey Day" to some, and "Football Day" to others, but in general, with families & friends gathering together, many people do still focus on the thankfulness.

Interestingly, though, at Thanksgiving, people primarily talk about the things they are thankful FOR. This, of course, is perfectly natural. To feel thankful, people need to feel they have received something for which they can give thanks.

For me, there are too many blessings to count and list, but I would certainly start here:

I am so thankful for my family. Words cannot express it. Though I try. I am also thankful for the friends I have, especially for those who think about me frequently, providing me company when I laugh, care when I need it, and conversation - in person or over the network. I am thankful for my work, for my home, and for the beautiful world in which we live.

But I am not done with this Thanksgiving message. I want to continue on to discuss the full meaning of giving thanks.

Here is the first definition of "Thank" from from Dictionary.com:

thank

–verb (used with object)

1.to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to: She thanked them for their hospitality.

And for good measure, the definition of "Thanks" from the same source:

thanks (θæŋks)
—pl n
1.	an expression of appreciation or gratitude or an acknowledgment of services or favours given

In both of these definitions, there is a clear message which is glossed over by many, but it is worth considering. The definitions make it clear there is someone who is thankful, and someone who is receiving the thanks, because the latter did something for the former.

So, if you are thankful, who are you thankful TO?

Yes, I am thankful to the people in my life who make my life so blessed. And if that's as far as you go in your faith, then be sure to thank the people in your life on Thanksgiving. For, just as a secular Christmas is to be more about giving than receiving, a secular Thanksgiving should be about being thankful, and to be thankful, there must be someone who deserves our thanks. With that in mind, look around at all those people who have made your life better, and express your appreciation and gratitude as you celebrate your Thanksgiving.

To carry the message a bit further, people of faith should pause to recognize that what we have been given, the materials and relationships for which we are thankful, are not merely gifts from people, but gifts from God. The original Pilgrims were not thanking one another. They were thanking God.

If you explain to a child the concept of Thanksgiving -- that we are grateful for the many things around us -- and ask them to list those things, they will often lists parts of nature. The sun, the air, the water.

If a person has no faith in a creator, then there really is no one to thank for these things. Such a person can feel lucky to have them, and they should, but they cannot truly be thankful, because they have no one to thank.

But for people who believe in a God, today is the day to thank God, as the true source for all of these blessings. Even the blessings which appear to have come from people are truly an expression of God's love towards us. And for this, thanks are appropriate, and a form of blessing in themselves.

Lord God, Creator of all, Source of Love and Blessings, on this day of Thanksgiving, we thank you, above all, for the gift of life and for the gifts we receive in life. We especially thank you for the people in our lives who show us love and kindness. For these, and for all, we are truly Thankful. Amen.

A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you all.

Wheat & Weeds & a Good Sermon

This past Sunday, the Gospel lesson was the parable of the Wheat and Weeds, from Matthew.  (It is attached below.)  Now, I have been going to church for a very long time, and have had many opportunities to hear sermons preached on this passage, and have had more than one occasion to study it in small groups, or on my own.

And yet this time, Pastor Siri showed me see things I had not seen before -- or if I had, I must have forgotten them.

One of the primary points of the sermon was that we all like to think of ourselves as being "wheat."  Of course, if we are asked directly, in church, if we are "wheat" or "weed" we self-consciously have to admit that we are sometimes one, and sometimes another.

But in our everyday lives, we believe we are right, we are the ones making progress towards being something more -- and that others around us, competing for the sun and nourishment, are the weeds.

This is what Siri's sermons do so well -- they ask us to examine the meaning of biblical teaching to our own lives, and they lead us to question ourselves.  Typically, this passage is used in studying "the end times."  Siri has it apply to our times.

But that's not even the biggest of the "new" points. 

In the parable, the farmer gets asked by his workers if they should go out and gather the weeds.  The farmer says no.  He would not want the workers to mistake a stalk of wheat for a weed and destroy it intentionally.  Instead, the farmer gives the job of separation to the harvesters.

And who are the harvesters?  The angels.  But nevermind that.

The "point" is that his workers are not the ones who should be doing the separation.  A separation will come, but it will not be the people -- the fallible people working for the Son of Man -- who do the separation.

And once again, we have something we can apply to our own lives.  Do we care for the fields, or do we try to spend our time deciding which person is a weed and which is wheat, and then separate the "bad" from the "good?"  If we are judging, if we are separating, if we are making decisions before the harvest, we are overstepping our role.

Earlier in chapter 7 of the same gospel, Jesus says:

¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

   ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

It's pretty hard to weed a field with a plank in your eye.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

24He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
... 
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Thankful For and Thankful To

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope this holiday finds you well, and that you are able to spend it with family or friends or both. Today's blog is a little essay I wanted to write about the meaning of "thanksgiving." If you don't feel like a Small Sermon today, feel free to stop reading and go enjoy your day. You deserve it!

=======================================

Thanksgiving is a special holiday. Though we are taught to be thankful all year round, having a day set aside for feeling thankful helps focus our gratitude.

Of course, it has become "Turkey Day" to some, and "Football Day" to others, but in general, with families & friends gathering together, many people do still focus on the thankfulness.

Interestingly, though, at Thanksgiving, people primarily talk about the things they are thankful FOR. This, of course, is perfectly natural. To feel thankful, people need to feel they have received something for which they can give thanks.

For me, there are too many blessings to count and list, but I would certainly start here:



I am so thankful for my family. Words cannot express it. Though I try. I am also thankful for the friends I have, especially for those who think about me frequently, providing me company when I laugh, care when I need it, and conversation - in person or over the network. I am thankful for my work, for my home, and for the beautiful world in which we live.

But I am not done with this Thanksgiving message. I want to continue on to discuss the full meaning of giving thanks.

Here is the first definition of "Thank" from from Dictionary.com:

thank

–verb (used with object)

1.to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to: She thanked them for their hospitality.

And for good measure, the definition of "Thanks" from the same source:

thanks (θæŋks)
—pl n
1.	an expression of appreciation or gratitude or an acknowledgment of services or favours given

In both of these definitions, there is a clear message which is glossed over by many, but it is worth considering. The definitions make it clear there is someone who is thankful, and someone who is receiving the thanks, because the latter did something for the former.

So, if you are thankful, who are you thankful TO?

Yes, I am thankful to the people in my life who make my life so blessed. And if that's as far as you go in your faith, then be sure to thank the people in your life on Thanksgiving. For, just as a secular Christmas is to be more about giving than receiving, a secular Thanksgiving should be about being thankful, and to be thankful, there must be someone who deserves our thanks. With that in mind, look around at all those people who have made your life better, and express your appreciation and gratitude as you celebrate your Thanksgiving.

To carry the message a bit further, people of faith should pause to recognize that what we have been given, the materials and relationships for which we are thankful, are not merely gifts from people, but gifts from God. The original Pilgrims were not thanking one another. They were thanking God.

If you explain to a child the concept of Thanksgiving -- that we are grateful for the many things around us -- and ask them to list those things, they will often lists parts of nature. The sun, the air, the water.

If a person has no faith in a creator, then there really is no one to thank for these things. Such a person can feel lucky to have them, and they should, but they cannot truly be thankful, because they have no one to thank.

But for people who believe in a God, today is the day to thank God, as the true source for all of these blessings. Even the blessings which appear to have come from people are truly an expression of God's love towards us. And for this, thanks are appropriate, and a form of blessing in themselves.

Lord God, Creator of all, Source of Love and Blessings, on this day of Thanksgiving, we thank you, above all, for the gift of life and for the gifts we receive in life. We especially thank you for the people in our lives who show us love and kindness. For these, and for all, we are truly Thankful. Amen.

A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you all.

Memory

So here's some irony.

A few weeks back, I had two experiences in quick succession which pointed out to me the importance of memory -- and specifically the times when memory fails us.

I decided to blog about them, but decided to do it "later" so I just created a post for sometime in the future, and left myself a note. Here it is:

The Prestige and the Good Samaritan

OK, so now it's time for that post to get written and ... you guessed it ... I don't remember (exactly) what I was going to write.

So, dredging my memory, what was I going to write? Well, the first note is about The Prestige, which is a movie with twists and mystery. I own it, and it's fun to see multiple times partly because of things you remember on subsequent viewings which are set up early in the film, but not really noticed until you see it again. This means that part of the fun is having memory. Yet there are so many things going on, so many clues, so many interactions, that it's hard to remember everything, so some of the fun is also seeing things that you don't remember having seen before. [I find it ironic, again, that I forgot to put The Prestige in my Movie Micro-Reviews from that viewing.]

So what about The Good Samaritan? As I start writing I'm less certain. Here's what I'm sure of. Pastor Siri preached on The Good Samaritan, but as is typical, before she preached the lesson was read. As I heard the lesson, I remember thinking "Hey, I just thought of another meaning I don't think I've ever heard preached." And then, sure enough, Siri preached on that meaning. So, had I really never heard that interpretation, or did I just not remember it? And now that I am trying to remember it, why can't I?

Memory is a strange thing.

And now that I'm writing about it, I think I do remember. It has to do with looking at ourselves as the injured person, and thinking about who would be a "Samaritan" to us. And can we learn to accept help from someone who would be as objectionable to us as a Samaritan would have been to a Jewish person of the day? Yes, that was it. I just needed to jog my memory. It was a very good sermon.

I remember now.


[741]

Maundy Thursday - Again

[Revising and reprinting last year's "Maundy Thursday" blog. Why? It's a good reminder, I have increased my readership in the past year, and it's so appropriate for the day.]

Today is "Maundy Thursday." Some call it "Holy Thursday" but I like "Maundy" because it makes people say "What does 'Maundy' mean?" and that gives us a chance to talk about one of the most important aspects of the Easter season: The New Commandment.

Now, admittedly, those who attend services on this day every year probably know it as the celebration of the Last Supper and therefor the birth of Holy Communion. This is true, and we should not minimize that aspect of Holy Thursday.

Yet the more significant event, relative to how Jesus asked us to live our lives, is the commandment He gave us that same night. [The word that is the root for "command" that is also the root for "Maundy."]

In John 13, we have the important account of Jesus acting as a servant, though He is the Master. He washes the disciple's feet. Then, he gives the New Commandment:

John 13:34 (King James Version)

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In one brief evening, in his last opportunity to be with His disciples, Jesus gives us the gift of Holy Communion, the example of service, and the New Commandment: Love one another.

This is nothing new, of course. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus says (in Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10) that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God" but immediately follows it with "Love your neighbor as yourself."

In His final hours, Jesus knows that the disciples will soon find themselves floundering in grief. He gives them a few final lessons to solidify the foundation on which they are to build His church and spread His lessons: recognition of the need for salvation and the acceptance of that salvation (Communion), service to others, and finally love.

It is this New Commandment we celebrate on Maundy Thursday.

If an hour is 100 minutes long, how old is the Earth?

Pentecost service yesterday. 10:30 service got done at 12:10! [It is fun to see the sea of red - we wear red in our congregation on Pentecost. Wearing our choir robes looked good. (They are red.) But they were so hot! I was very glad we sang early and could be free of them for most of the service. Funny thing was -- it didn't feel as long as some 75-minute services. I suppose partially because we expected it to be a long service. Still, it was funny that we scheduled the post-service meal to begin at 11:30. And a youth meeting at 12:00. Who are we kidding?]

Our guest pastor encouraged us to speak the Gospel to others in their own language -- and here he was talking about "in ways they can relate to." The LCMS is losing 20-30-year-olds.

Well, Duh!

Look at the statement of the LCMS position on the age of the Earth. I have some news for you, LCMS: young, educated people are going to leave a church that is arguing for such naive literalism that it allows the possibility that God is fooling us with scientific evidence --

"several possibilities exist for 'harmonizing' Biblical teachings with scientific studies (e.g., God created the world in an already 'mature' state, so that scientific 'data' leads one to the conclusion that it is older than it actually is, etc.)"

Arrgh!

The more I learn about how Christianity and science have grown together over the centuries, the more frustrated I am that my synod is misguided enough to create a non-existent wedge and try to drive it between the two. This alienates many people, and the young most of all.

Add to that the Pharisee-esque interpretation of scripture that prohibits women as pastors, and you are clinging to old tradition instead of hearing and proclaiming the Good News. You are speaking your own archaic language, not the language of the people. Even more importantly, not the language of Truth.

Maundy Thursday - The New Commandment

Today is "Maundy Thursday." Some call it "Holy Thursday" but I like "Maundy" because it makes people say "what does 'Maundy' mean?" and that gives us a chance to talk about one of the most important aspects of the Easter season: The New Commandment.

Now, admittedly, those who attend services on this day every year probably know it as the celebration of the Last Supper and therefor the birth of Holy Communion. This is true, and we should not minimize that aspect of Holy Thursday.

Yet the more significant event, in its lesson on how we are to live our lives, is related to the commandment [and it is the word that is the root for "command" that is also the root for "Maundy"] Jesus gave us that same night.

In John 13, we have the important account of Jesus acting as a servant, though He is the Master. He washes the disciple's feet. Then, he gives the New Commandment:

John 13:34 (King James Version)

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In one brief evening, in his last opportunity to be with His disciples, Jesus gives us the gift of Holy Communion, the example of service, and the New Commandment: Love one another.

This is nothing new, of course. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus says (in Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10) that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God" but immediately follows it with "Love your neighbor as yourself."

In His final hours, Jesus knows that the disciples will soon find themselves floundering in grief. He gives them a few final lessons to solidify the foundation on which they are to build His church and spread His lessons: recognition of the need for salvation and the acceptance of that salvation (Communion), service to others, and finally love.

It is this New Commandment we celebrate on Maundy Thursday.

A Leap of Faith

In yesterday's post, I talked a bit about the philosopher Kierkegaard, because a Facebook quiz indicated that he and I might think something alike. While I don't see a great similarity, I found part of his writings to fit me well enough, for he is credited with the concept of the "leap of faith." I shall quote a section of the article:

The leap of faith is his conception of how an individual would believe in God, or how a person would act in love. Faith is not a decision based on evidence that, say, certain beliefs about God are true or a certain person is worthy of love. No such evidence could ever be enough to pragmatically justify the kind of total commitment involved in true religious faith or romantic love. Faith involves making that commitment anyway [1]. Kierkegaard thought that to have faith is at the same time to have doubt [2]. So, for example, for one to truly have faith in God, one would also have to doubt one's beliefs about God; the doubt is the rational part of a person's thought involved in weighing evidence, without which the faith would have no real substance.

{I added the bold italics.}

The first point (marked [1]) is one that I think escapes (or simply cannot be grasped) by many modern minds. We're too indoctrinated in either relativism or rationalism (or both) to understand that some of the biggest, most important things in human experience cannot be reduced to provable statements, but they are real and critically important, nonetheless.

The second point (marked [2]) is one of the reasons I have trouble with LCMS doctrine. I am fine with the belief that our faith (in Christ) is instilled in us by the Holy Spirit. I am fine with the idea that perfect "faith" would have no doubt at all. But at that point, it's no longer "faith" because there is no other possible way of thinking - at that point it's either knowledge (once we get to heaven) or "blind faith" which I'd call "credulity." "Faith" implies a recognition that the thing you're placing your faith in cannot be proven. In my view, the LCMS tries to keep people from thinking about things that expose "faith" as something that requires doubt. They want people to accept the doctrine without paying attention to the inconsistencies. Examining such inconsistencies leads to doubt which leads to a lessening of faith, they seem to fear.

In my view, it's exactly the opposite. By examining apparent inconsistencies we discover the essential core of the faith. Because, in my view:

Faith requires you to believe something that is unprovable -- not simply unproven.

I must use an example:

Pastor proclaimed {from the pulpit!} that "There is more evidence for a Young Earth {meaning one that's thousands of years old} than for an Earth that's billions of years old."

Now, that's just patently false. First of all, it's hard to quantify "evidence" but if one could, the preponderance of scientific data and confirmed theory can only support an Old Earth. But, of course, the LCMS doctrine is anti-evolution and that has led people to be anti-physics, as well. But more importantly, they have found a viewpoint that, if it's to be believed, requires credulity, not "faith" because the evidence is against them. Yet, still, they don't want "faith" to require doubt, so they feel a need to support their "faith" with evidence.

In this, I think we have found a portion of the doctrine that I think must be discarded. When "faith" requires you to believe something that can be proven wrong, it's no longer "faith."

As I said before, faith requires you to believe something that is unprovable -- not simply unproven. This is the problem that led to the church's conflict with Galileo, and leads to some churches' problems with science today.

Then what requires true faith? The core beliefs of the Christian church: that God exists in the first place; that there is ultimate Good and ultimate Evil; that we humans cannot be ultimately Good all the time; {Well, the latter is not a matter of faith, if you accept the former} that our eternal existence depends on us recognizing and accepting our need for the Savior; and that Jesus is the Savior aspect of a Truine God. Those key elements, and perhaps a few more. None provable, all requiring faith.

So, I agree with Kierkegaard that a key aspect to true faith is a recognition that doubt, or if you prefer uncertainty or the inability to prove, is required. And for Christians who believe that our faith is provided to us by the Holy Spirit, this gives us a reason to be thankful. We are not afraid of the doubt; we appreciate the grace that allows us to overcome it.

A Time for Reflection

It's Ash Wednesday today. Lent begins.

The Ash Wednesday service contains the ritual Application of the Ashes, with the pastor smudging a cross of ash on the worshiper's forehead while saying something like

"From ashes you come; to ashes you will return."

While I'm far more of an "Easter Christian" than a "Lenten Christian" I have grown to appreciate some aspects of Lent, and this year I will count Ash Wednesday among them.

As I've gotten older, I've seen myself getting more convinced of my own views. I've begun believing that I know more and more, and thus I find myself questioning less and less. This attitude may be reassuring, it may be stabilizing, it may even be natural, but it also leads me into thinking I don't need to look for answers anymore.

Lent helps us realize that we don't have all the answers, that we aren't always right, and that we need something greater to help us. This is a message I need to hear.

As always, I will miss the "Alleluias," "This is the Feast," and hymns that aren't in minor keys. When Easter comes, I will be glad of it.

But that's part of the point, right? In the meantime, may God calm my mind, and open my heart.

Debts and Trespasses

When I grew up, the version of The Lord's Prayer I learned had "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." In our current church, the phrase is "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Typically, when I have gotten used to something (the "debts" version, in this instance) I tend to prefer it. Yet, when we moved to this church and started saying the "trespasses" version, I liked it better. "Trespasses" is closer to "sins" and that's what we're really talking about.

Where do the two versions come from? One might think that it's from the two gospels where Jesus teaches the prayer. And, in fact, Matthew records the "debts" version. But when the Lord teaches it again in Luke, but that version uses "sins". So why do we use "trespasses" at all? Well, if you want to know, there is an explanation at the LCMS website, but the net is that Jesus uses the word which used to be translated "trespasses" in his explanation of the "debts" version in Matthew. This was used by the author of a 16th century book called the "Book of Common Prayer," and became traditional. The LCMS is nothing if not traditional, so it stuck.

The thing that brought my mind to the topic again was the Gospel reading from two Sundays ago. It was Matthew 18:21-35, where Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant. The servant in question owes his master more than he could ever repay, and the master is merciful, forgiving the debt. Yet the servant, having just experienced mercy, acts mercilessly to someone who owes him a much smaller sum.

The "debts" version of the Lord's Prayer fits very well with this parable, and the parable makes it clear: we cannot possibly repay God for the value of his mercy, and so we must show our own limited mercy, or we really haven't taken God's to heart.

So, while I still think the "trespasses"version is clearer on its own, and I'd prefer we move to a "sins" version, I have a better appreciation for the "debts" version.




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And, of course, the "debts" version works much better in a song. Much more lyrical.

Which is nice.

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The link above is to a YouTube video with the Michael W. Smith version of "The Lord's Prayer" playing.

"When in Rome..."

I can't be sure, but it seems to me that the Epistle lesson from this past Sunday might have been the source for the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

The lesson was verses 5-9 of Romans 14. The entire chapter has a couple of primary points, about choices and judgment. It seems that some people in the Roman church were trying to tell new Christians that they had to behave in certain ways. In particular, they were telling people what they should and should not eat.

This brings up a point that is often given faulty logic within some church bodies and evangelical speakers. "Absolute truth" often leads people to think that every choice has a "right" and a "wrong" answer; an answer God would approve, and an answer He'd disapprove.

I think that's a misunderstanding. There are some choices which have no God-pleasing answer, and some choices which make no difference to God. One can imagine a situation where none of the choices you are provided are God-pleasing, because sin or evil have limited the human possibilities. On the other hand, your spouse asks if you want broccoli or peas with your dinner. I don't think God cares.

Some people want to put certain behaviors into the "God cares" category, but Paul makes it clear that some things -- many things -- are only important to God to the extent that your choice should not be a stumbling block to sharing the love of Christ.

"When in Rome" -- that is, among Gentiles -- "do as the Romans do" so that your behavior does not distract them from the message. This does not give Christians license to sin, but it does command them to ignore fighting the habits and traditions, and stick to the core message. And, further, Paul instructs them to refrain from judging people based on the "small stuff" that is not truly governed by doctrine.

Yes, there is disagreement about whether some actions fall in the "God cares" category. Yet I would hope that more of us Christians could work among our brothers by ignoring the small stuff.

"When in Rome..."

The 7 Last Words - 1: Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Matthew 27:46 (New International Version)

46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

I have just finished listening to "Jesus Christ Superstar" again. Of the famous Seven Last Words, this one is used in the script as the second of three things Jesus says during the Crucifixion. (The JCS line is "My God, my God, why have you forgotten me?") As I heard it, I was reminded how my understanding and appreciation of this moment in Christ's life has changed and grown over time, and how Bible Study was such an important part of that growth.

When I was a teenager and first saw the film, it might well have been the first time I paid any attention to the Last Words. At that time, I took it as performed by Ted Neely - the frustrated lament of someone who truly believed he had been forgotten. Now, I see this "word" much differently, and that's because of studying that I've done and help from other knowledgeable people.

The fact that the verse itself contains the Aramaic helps us discover a few key points, and they are all related to a simple fact: Jesus is quoting the first verse of Psalm 22. Why does he do this? Is it because he is actually feeling forsaken? I don't think so; I think he's trying to point out a few things.

First, Psalm 22 is a psalm containing messianic prophecy. At our Maundy Thursday services at church, we always close the service by speaking this psalm as the paraments are removed from the altar and the pastor changes from normal vestments to all-black. We have learned, over the years, that this psalm teaches us what will happen to Jesus and what will happen because of him. The psalm tells us that the Messiah will be scorned (v.6) mocked and insulted (v.7). People will say that God should rescue him, since he trusted God so much (v.8 and fulfilled in Matthew 27:43). His hands and feet will be pierced (v.16). People will gamble to see who gets his clothing (v.18). And yet, the second half of the psalm tells of the joy that will come to God's people and the victory that will be won by the Savior He sends.

By speaking the first line of this psalm, Jesus is pointing out to those around him -- and to us today -- that the first part of the prophecy is being fulfilled, and by extension He is promising the second part is soon to come.

Second, Jesus continues to act in his role as "'Rabbi' (which means teacher)" (John 1:38) In order to instruct the young, rabbis would teach their students to memorize the scriptures, and to test their memory, he would speak the opening of a passage and expect them to recite the rest. And so, by speaking these first words, Jesus is a teacher to the end, as he provides comfort and enlightenment.

Third, what he wanted to teach is the importance of the entirety of the psalm, not merely the first part. And yet, Jesus did not speak the whole psalm - He started it. This is a key point. We are responsible for learning and understanding God's will and actions, and acting on them. We are to finish it. We are to learn its meaning. Then we are to accept the resulting grace.

Now, could Jesus have actually been feeling forsaken? I guess it depends on whether such a feeling would be sinful or not. As a human, he would certainly be "normal" if he felt alone as he neared his death. Somehow, I doubt it, because I'd interpret that as a loss of faith, and that is sin, and I believe Jesus was the "spotless Lamb" - without sin. Yet I could understand an interpretation that disagrees with me.

Whether he truly felt forsaken or not, the crucial lessons for us to learn from this "Last Word" are connected to the meaning of Psalm 22. Without Bible Study, I would have never known this, and so I am truly thankful to have been given that gift.

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New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Let Me Put It This Way - A Stewardship Message

Here is one of the Stewardship messages I've written. I gave this message about four weeks ago. Edited slightly for better reading.

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When Pastor Heidorn has collected the offering each week, he speaks these words that are so familiar to the people in my congregation now:

“We give Thee but Thine own, whate’er the gift might be. All we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee.”

I really like those words. They’re very poetic, memorable and meaningful.

Sometimes, words we hear over and over get lost, though, as they become routine. So, to help us focus on their meanings, I offer a few new ways to say much the same thing.

• Hey, God, I know you gave this to me, but I’m sure you can use it better than I can. Don’t worry, I have enough for me.
• Wow, thanks for giving me all this, God! Here! I brought you a gift to show you my thanks. Use it however you think best.
• God, you promised me my daily bread, and you gave me that and more! Let me give some back so other people can learn to be as thankful as I am.
• Father, I know you gave me this, but some of my brothers and sisters could really use it. Would you mind getting it to them?
• God, you trusted me to hold onto this for a while. With what you gave me, I was able to make even more, and I want you to have some of it.

I’m sure there are many more ways we could rephrase that meaningful prayer. I thought about trying to do it in different dialects. You know, Surfer Dude (Whoa! Awesome!), Five-year-old (Thanks, Daddy), or Rocky Balboa (Yo, Adrian, um, I mean, Holy Father) but I’m not a Surfer Dude, or a Five-year-old, or Rocky, and I don’t think many of you are, so I hope you get the point and I hope one of those helps you focus on the meaning of “We Give Thee but Thine Own…”

We’ve all been given so much. But when all is said and done, it is God’s. He owns it all. As good stewards of His things, it’s important for us to realize it, and give Him thanks, however we say it.