Imagining Jesus

As I read in Luke 22:40-44 and then in Matthew 12:46-50, I have tried to imagine how the words Jesus spoke sounded and how he looked!  In Luke 22, he comes upon the disciples sleeping (exhausted from grief Luke tells us) after telling them to pray so that “they might not give into temptation.”   He says in verse 46, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”   Was he angry or frustrated?  Trying to make them feel guilty or shame them?  I don’t think so and I suspect the fact that I go there first reveals more about my failure to understand the love of God than anything else.  I need help in understanding how Jesus may have responded to the sleeping disciples.

Second scene, Jesus is speaking and his mother and brothers want to speak to him in Matthew 12:46-50. This is relayed to Jesus in some way and his response is, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?  Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  Again, I am trying to imagine the response of Jesus here to the crowd.  There is no way that he was insulting or disrespectful towards his family.  I think He was teaching that obedience brings an intimacy of relationship with God and others that often exceeds that of flesh and blood relationships.   But, how did he say it?  What did he look like?

I guess you could say that if it was important that Luke or Matthew would have told us.  But, it is important to me.  Jesus reveals what God, our Father in heaven is like to us. I want to relate deeply to the Jesus of the Bible, the Jesus who is alive today,  and to my heavenly Father who cares for me.  Sometimes past baggage seems to prevent that  and that is why I need the input of my brothers and sisters in Christ.   Thanks in advance.

Strength promised to meet trouble

Whenever multiple strands of reading and thoughts come together, I try to pay attention.  It started last night with a discussion with a doctor friend of ours about how to pray for those who are sick since we had all recently finished reading Yancey’s book, Prayer. Then, continued this morning in Psalm 31:34, “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord.” Derek Kidner suggests another translation could be “he shall strengthen your heart” and then makes the following comment about verse 34, “it does not promise an end to trouble: rather the strength to meet it.”

Eugene Peterson  talks about how fear is the most common response to the resurrection in his book, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.  He says we’re afraid

• “when we’re suddenly taken off guard and don’t know what to do”
• “when our presuppositions and assumpitions no longer account for what we are up against and we don’t know what will happen to us”
• “when reality without warning is shown to be either more or other than we thought it was” 121

Then, Peterson talks about the command of fear not.

The fear not doesn’t result in the absence of fear, but rather its transformation into fear of the Lord. But we still don’t know what is going on.  We still are not in control.  We still are deep in mystery. 121

Kidner then refers the reader to Jesus’ prayer in in the Garden on the night before his death in Luke 22:40-44.  He had commanded the disciples to pray “that you will not give in to temptation,” before going off to pray to the Father, “If you are willing, please take away this cup of suffering from me. Yet, I want your will to be done not mine. “  What happened next?  “The angel came and strengthened him”  in verse 43.

A challenge for me as I think about sickness, suffering and struggles and how to pray for those in the throes of either!

Back to our conversation last night.  Our doctor friend had just listened to a mini-sermon by Paul Washer on “Useless Prayer Meetings.” Just listened to it and it may be worth a listen although he speaks more directly than some are used to hearing.  He says in too many prayer meetings, “We are praying to keep saints out of heaven instead of praying to get sinners into heaven.”

May the Lord teach us how to pray and how to respond to the trials he brings into our lives and into the lives of others.

Fear of the Lord

How great is the goodness you has stored up for those who fear you.  Ps 31:19

Fits well with what I have been reading in Peterson’s Christ Plays. For Peterson, fear-of-the-Lord  is one of the four terms that help us to live well.  Fear of the Lord is a “term for the way we live the spiritual life—not just what we do and say but the way we act, the way we speak.” 39-40 He says it is a term that shows the human side of spirituality without making us the center of the subject. 40

He says that we cultivate the fear of the Lord in personal prayer and corporate worship.

“We deliberately interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to God, place ourselves intentionally in sacred space, in sacred time, in the holy presence—and wait. We become silent and still in order to listen and respond to what is Other than us.” 41

“Fear-of-the-Lord is not studying about God but living in reverence before God. We don’t so much lack knowledge, we lack reverence. Fear-of-the-Lord is not a technique for acquiring spiritual know-how but a willed not-knowing.  It is not so much know-how we lack; we lack a simple being-there.” 44

Overwhelmed by goodness

Started reading Psalm 31 this week and verse 19 seemed to jump out at me.  Reading from the New Living Translation,

“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.”

Why overwhelmed by his goodness?  Because it is undeserved. Because there is no reason that I should experience the goodness that comes regularly into my life! I have heard some say (and I suspect that many others think) that they have earned all (ok, most of) the good things that are in their life.  But James 1:17, says that whatever is good comes down from God above.  The generous, overwhelming, extravagant love of God toward us is the only reason to explain why we have what we have and others do not.  Because He is good and Jesus tells us that no one is truly good except God (Luke 18:19), Because He delights to gives good gifts to his children (Mtt 7:11) and indeed to the whole world (Acts 14:17). And so overwhelmed by (His) goodness, we are full of thanks and are generous toward others, sharing the good that He has graciously given to us.  And because He is Good, how could we ever think to boast or flaunt what we have?  A couple of attempts trying to depict goodness in a photo

Looked up goodness in Grudem’s Theology and he says, “‘Good’ is what God approves.”  Not a particularly useful definition to me.  But I do like his last sentence where he helps me understand how goodness relates to his mercy, patience and grace, “Thus God’s mercy is his goodness toward those in distress; his grace is his goodness toward those who deserve only punishment; and his patience is his goodness toward those who continue to sin over a period of time.” (198, italics original)  Now, I even more overwhelmed by his goodness!

The lady with the shoes penniless

Interesting link to this news clip of Imelda Marcos (former wife of President Ferdinand Marcos) here in the Philippines claiming she is penniless.  Hmmmm, I don’t think so if she is headed to Singapore for medical treatment.  Anything for a little attention, eh?

Jesus and the spiritual life

More from Eugene Peterson on how to stay focused in the spiritual life.  He focuses on Jesus in this selection of quotes

Jesus is the name that keeps us attentive to the God-defined, God-revealed life. 31

Jesus is the central and defining figure in the spiritual life.   . . He brings out into the open what we could never have figured out for ourselves. 31

Jesus prevents us from thinking that life is a matter of ideas to ponder or concepts to discuss.  Jesus saves us from wasting our lives in the pursuit of cheap thrills and trivializing diversions.  Jesus enables us to take seriously who we are and where we are without being reduced by the intimidating lies and illusions that fill the air, so that we needn’t be someone else or somewhere else.  Jesus keeps our feet on the ground, attentive to children, in conversation with ordinary people, sharing meals with friends and strangers, listening to the wind, observing the wildflowers, touching the sick and wounded, praying simply and unselfconsciously.  Jesus insists that we deal with God right here and now, in the place we find ourselves and with the people we are with.  Jesus is God here and now.  33-34

A new challenge for meetings today

My wife does not like it when I am checking email during a meeting–it distracts her she says.  What about live blogging during a meeting?  Here is an article in which someone suggests different icons that could be used to represent whether the presenters allow live blogging.  Maybe we should use something like this in our admin meetings and training events.  Of course, the presenters needs to start by setting the example!!

Here is my favorite from the above blog

Living without fear in the threat of chaos

I suppose there are a few people out there that don’t feel threatened by chaos.  I suspect that my post-modern friends embrace chaos since out of chaos, a new order will be formed, one that is better than the previous order.  I am sure I will be corrected since that is a bit of an over-simplification.  Is that a trust in an evolutionary process?  Off topic a bit now….

Psalm 46 offers us a different source for confidence in the threat of chaos.  We don’t have to fear the threat of chaos when God is our refuge, our protector, our strength.  Lots of threats out there this day–not sure what are yours but a few that come to mind for me.

• external pressures–economic crisis, social unrest, political instability
• internal struggles–self-doubt, flesh-spirit battle, etc
• satanic assaults
• worldly temptations–to covet, towards power and control, to lust
• direct verbal assaults or implied criticism

Read this Psalm and discover that God cares, He is willing to help and He has the power to do something about it!!   The LORD of Hosts, the God of Jacob will be exalted among the nations.  As Dr. Craige says,

Because God controls both history and nature, the chaotic threat which both may offer to human existence may be faced fearlessly.  The very worst manifestation of chaos is merely a threat, for the Creator has mastered chaos.  346

So, what do we do, “Relax and know that I am God” is Craige’s translation of verse 10 and my new Living says, “Be silent and know that I am God. “  May we all find God to be our refuge and strength in the chaos of today as we wait in silence before Him, reflecting on who He is, what He has done and what He will do!

Totally unrelated except to the picture of the volcano above–downloaded last week, volcanoland by Caedman’s call–a fun song.  You can find the lyrics online if interested and get a 30 sec clip to see if it is your type of music.

An invitation to intimacy that quenches our soul thirst

“People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water,” said Jesus in John 4:13

The thirst that Jesus is speaking of here is for the “more than,” the transcendent.  Why do we (including myself here) look in every place other than in Jesus?  What are some waters that we think will quench us? Here are a few for me:

Sex, entertainment, sports, books, tv, movies, winning, control, power, being alone, being with people, work accomplishments, people “needing” me, money, stuff, food, drugs or alcohol, sleep, honor, compliments, appreciation, success, relationships, status, vacations, luxury.  Yet the water that Jesus offers, satisfies that thirst we all have.   He is the one whom we need and are longing for.

I am (ego eimi) the one you are looking for says Jesus to the woman in 4:26.   And guess what, I just happen to be reading today in Peterson’s Christ Plays in Creation about the ego eimi sayings of Jesus (89-91) as I also read John 4.  In saying these words that echo from Exodus 3:14, Jesus is claiming to be God himself.  His listeners understood this since they prepared to stone him for blasphemy when he said this in Jn 8:58.  According to Peterson, they knew he was saying, “I am God himself, here and now; I have always been, will always be.”

Peterson goes on to explain how the simple statement of Jesus, “I am” is an invitation into a conversation with himself, a conversation “marked by initmacy and leisure.”   There is an invitation for those of us who are thirsting for a taste of the “more than” into his very life–Jesus is accessible to us!  As Peterson says,

Jesus doesn’t try to impress us with big words or highfalutin concepts; he doesn’t flaunt his credentials; he doesn’t bully or intimidate with a show of authority.  Jesus is in conversation with the same kinds of people we talk to most days and many of them we recognize in ourselves. 90

In a statement sure to shock some, Peterson says about John,

he is not nearly as interested in telling us anything new about Jesus (although he does plenty of that along the way) as he is in drawing us into an increasingly intimate relationship with Jesus.  “Believe” and “love” are the characteristic verbs; neither can be accomplished in a hurry. 91 (italics original)

Later in the chapter, Peterson makes an amazing statement about belief.

The too often disregarded scriptural rule is that we cannot be made to believe. Belief by its very nature requires assent and participation, trust and committment.  When we believe we are at our most personal and intimate with one another, with the Other.  Belief cannot be forced.  If we are bullied or seduced or manipulated to believe, we do not end up believing, we end up intimidated or raped or used. And we are less, not more. 94

I know there are a lot of folks out there with a bad church experience (perhaps bullied, seduced and/or manipulated) and that may be keeping them away from Jesus.  But, as we go back and read the stories of John, we discover/remember that there is no other place to find the soul quenching intimacy that Jesus offers!

Update: Changed the title to this entry from An invitation to soul quenching intimacy.   I think it works better and avoids some confusion.  Any comments?

Another great song

Another recent favorite that I missed yesterday is by Shawn McDonald, “Wash me clean” from his most recent CD, Roots which is highly recommended.  Also found a blog by Mr. McDonald and here is a link to his music website. Check him out.

Here are the words from Wash Me Clean–not exactly out of Psalm 51 as my posts were yesterday but nonetheless a beautiful song.

Awaken me from my sleep
And open up my weary eyes
Move me from my complacency
And bring my soul back to life

Won’t You take this heart and mind
And help me to believe?

In the fire that ignites my bones
It’s in the water that brings life to my soul
It’s in the blood that washes me clean

Consume my wandering thoughts
And renew my mind
And remake and recreate
And interrupt my life

Won’t You breathe Your breath on me
And help me to believe?

Won’t You help me to believe?
Won’t You help me to believe?

It washes me, washes me
It washes me clean

Update: Just found this song on youtube–enjoy

Psalm 51 and music

As I spent the week in Psalm 51, I found myself singing the old Keith Green song, Create in me a clean heart.  As I looked on youtube, there are a number of videos people made using the song but here is a simple one of the music.

But you can find him singing other songs.  Powerful words and presence–thanks Lord, here is a fun one.

A couple of recent songs on mercy and Psalm 51 that I have downloaded

Mercy by Jason Gray

and Whiter than Snow by Jon Foreman–now on my favorite list!

Sin and forgiveness in Psalm 51

“The opportunity for forgiveness prevents Jesus’ separation from sinners” (Bock 693). Truly stunning quote isn’t it?  Found it in Bock’s first volume of his massive commentary of Luke (Baker) in his discussion of Luke 7:36-50.  This story is one of my favorites–seem to remember preaching a sermon on this passage a few years ago!  Luke 7:36-50 is a fitting end to a week in Psalm 51, whichhas also taken me to Psalm 32 and 2 Samuel 11 and 12.

Some interesting things I observed

In verses 1 and 2, there are three requests (blot out, wash, cleanse) and three words used for sin.  Of course, these requests for mercy come in verse one based upon God’s love (hesed) and great compassion.  Kidner (189) suggests that this request for mercy by David was similar to the words of the prodigal son in Luke 15, “I am no more worthy to be called your son.”  Interesting too that these words for sin have the idea of deliberate defiance, rebellion against his wil, a delib

erate act of deviating from the wrong path, an intentional act of being on the wrong path because of a willful choice.  Kidner says in reference to sin as treason

— in verse 4 that David admits that these sins are his own and are inexcusable and suggests we compare this passage to the “self-absorbed outlook in 2 Samuel 11. So, David is

asking that God “blot out his incriminating record,” bring ritual cleaness to his life, provide him with amnesty, restore the broken fellowship etc.  Lots here to reflect on!

As you might imagine, there are a lot more paintings of Bathsheba bathing instead of David trying to persuade Uriah, Nathan confronting him or of David confessing his sins.  I like this one by

Marc Chagall titled David and Bathsheba

Here is my favorite picture of the Luke 7 passage by Reubens

Spirituality–what is it?

Spirituality is one of those notorious words that is used a lot but no one is quite sure what it means.  As part of the introduction to the first volume of his spiritual theology, Eugene Peterson suggests four terms (spirituality, Jesus, soul, fear-of-the-Lord)  that provide “gospel foci for living accurately (countering cultural fuzziness).”  Here is what he says about spirituality.

We should resist defining spirituality since it is indefinable but recognizable, “transcendence vaguely intermingled with intimacy” (27).  “Living, living fully and well, is at the heart of all serious spirituality” (29)

Peterson suggests that we need to maintain vigilance and attentiveness in thinking about spirituality.

Vigilance “discerning the de-spiritualization of spirituality” by a “continual and careful reading of Holy Scripture” (30)

Attemtiveness: “noting the many and profligate ways in which God gives life, renews life, blesses life, nurtured in common worship and prayer” (30)

So, is Peterson saying that we know when spirituality is present or is absent but are best not to define it?  Of course, there are a variety of spiritualities, Christian spirituality being only one of them.

Organic connection between Spirit and Word

Three Texts from Peterson’s Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

Genesis 1:1-3; Mark 1:9-11; Acts 2:1-4 are three texts that Peterson says “define a Scriptural foundation so that we live obediently (countering self-helpism).” He weaves these passages together to show commonalities at the beginnings of creation, salvation and the church–the Breath of God that is visible, and then audible.  “Spirit and Word are organically connected.”

The God-breathed life is available for all

Started reading Eugene Peterson’s Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places this week and in his prologue, in this first book of his on spiritual theology; he provides two stories, three texts, four terms and one dance in order to to “clear the field for conversation, get rid of the clutter of misconceptions and misunderstandings.”

The two stories are the story of Nicodemus in John 3 and the woman at the well in John 4.  In these two stories, he notes that we have

• A man and a woman
• City and country
• An insider and outside
• A professional and a layperson
• A respectable man and a disreputable woman
• An orthodox and a heretic
• One who takes initiative; one who lets it be taken.
• One named, the other anonymous
• Human reputation at risk; divine reputation at risk

Yet In both Spirit is the key word and Jesus is the primary figure!

Peterson says,

What do we learn about spirituality or the God-breathed life?  When it comes to a relationship with God, there is “accessibility”, available to all, “no preferred gender”, “geography has no bearing on perception or aptitude”, “racial background, religious identity and moral track record are neither here nor there in matters of spirituality”; “reputation and standing in the community don’t seem to count for anything”; “reputation is put at risk”, “conventions ignored”, and there is the risk of misunderstanding.

This is going to be a good read.  Next: Three Texts

Chastity as purity

I think I am safe in saying that very few in our world today understand the meaning or concept of chastity.  I know that I didn’t before I read The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On by Dawn Eden.  As Wikipedia says, chastity is often associated with abstinence, but that is an inadequate definition.  Wiki say, “However, the term remains applicable to persons in all states, single or married, clerical or lay, and has implications beyond sexual temperance.” Since pure or purity might be a slightly better concept, I found this picture of pure water to go along with this post (I advise you not to search for a picture of chastity!) 

I picked up this book after reading Eden’s blog and just finished the book this week.  Eden suggests that chastity is “that virtue by which we are in control of our sexual appetite rather than it being in control of us. 14  She says.

Chastity is a lifelong discipline, based on the understanding of the nature of sexual intimacy—what sex is and what it’s for.  Whether you practice chastity as a single woman (when it entails from sex) or as a married woman (when it entails love and responsibility), it bears the same spiritual fruit. 124

She write about sexual intimacy from the point of view of an single woman who is now on a journy of chastity since coming to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ about ten years ago.  She came out of Jewish agnosticism and is presently  involved in the Catholic church.  Her blog is worth looking at on this topic.  Although she is writing for single women, even this old married man learned some things that my wife has been trying to tell me for over thirty years!

A few other quotes from the book

• Chastity is true-liberty—freedom from slavery to passions that are damaging or counterproductive.  It’s also freedom to experience passions—by choice, and not by compulsion. 173
• All of sex I ever had—in and out of relationships—never brought me any closer to marriage or even being able to sustain a committed relationships ix
• Single women feel lonely because they are not loved, so they have casual sex with men who do not love them 2
• Sex outside of marriage—“acts becomes disconnected from its purpose”
• In attempting to escape from loneliness, we accept a sexual act devoid of spiritual nourishment 15
• Use your experiences of hunger or thirst or longing to lead you to God who really satisfies
• Before when I sought sexual experiences with men, it was as a distraction from the emptiness I felt inside 35
• Chastity Is “that virtue by which we are in control of our sexual appetite rather than it being in control of us. 14
• Chastity trusts God that as you pursue a closer walk with Him,” He will lead you to a loving husband xi

Shocking statistics

Can’t figure out why these absurd statistics from WHO have not gotten more press?

Are you a tweeter power user?

I am not much of a twitter user but am using it as another tool to keep in touch with a few people.  Discovered that I am even a little above average in my tweets based upon this recent (May 2009) statistics from Harvard Business.  From National Review blog.

—The top 10% of prolific Twitter users accounted for over 90% of tweets

—Among Twitter users, the median number of lifetime tweets per user is one

—80% are followed by or follow at least one user

—Men have 15% more followers than women

—An average man is almost twice more likely to follow another man than a woman

—An average woman is 25% more likely to follow a man than a woman

—Men represent 45% of Twitter users

—Women represent 55% of Twitter users

Where hurricanes begin

If you are interested in reading more about the climate than the weather channel will give you, check out Greg Laden’s blog on the ICTZ and a possible connection to cause of flight 447.

A flawed approach to heroin addiction?

Just finished Romancing Opiates: Pharmacological Lies and the Addiction Bureaucracy by Theodore Dalrymple

Dalrymple writes a challenging book explaining why, in his opinion, our understanding and treatment of heroin addiction is fatally flawed.  He shows it is based upon a Romantic understanding of opium addiction. To quote Dalrymple

“On no subject has the baleful influence of the past been so strong as that of opiate addiction.  Almost everyone knows about it is wrong, and obviously wrong.  The errors are derived ultimately from the self-serving, self-dramatizing, and evasive and dishonest accounts of De Quincey and Coleridge.  It is time we escaped from their shadow, nearly two centuries long. “

Fascinating read—I am not sure where I found it—likely through reading on the City Journal blog