Some stories just don't make their way into the Revised Common Lectionary, and John 7:1-19 is one of those stories. Basically, Jesus' brothers are giving him a hard time about all of that Messianic Secret nonsense. They are heading to Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Booths/Tabernacles/Tents, otherwise known at Sukkot, and they want him to reveal how awesome he is to everybody at the festival. (Here's a great video about Sukkot). Jesus says something about it not being time for that and sends them on his. Then, Jesus does end up going to Jerusalem and hanging out in secret for a few days, all the while listening in on conversations about him.
I love the picture in my head of Jesus sneaking around Jerusalem in a costume of some sort, a la Jasmine from Aladdin (thanks for that imagery, Kelly Fields). I'm sure at some point people were talking directly to Jesus about "that Jesus guy" without knowing it was him. I also wonder if it might have been pretty nice, for a change, to just be one of the crowd.
Eventually, Jesus heads to the temple to teach, where people are amazed at his teaching (as usual) and folks wonder out loud how somebody without any education can be so learned. After all, he was from Galilee...those guys are backwater idiots. For me, this raises a question about the difference between wisdom and learning. Aren't there people in the world without the proper degree or pedigree who speak wisdom and truth in inspirational ways? Aren't there people from the backwaters (wherever that might be in our own prejudiced minds) who amaze us with their words?
We'll explore these questions and more at worship on Tuesday. In the meantime, be on the lookout for Jesus sneakin' around.
Changing God's Mind
So, does God ever change God's mind? So much of our theological tradition would say that, no, God doesn't ever change God's mind...we simply understand God's plans/mind/intentions differently, because we're human, and original sin, and created vs. creator, blah, blah blah. God has been the same forever and will always be the same, and God never changes God's mind, thank you very much.
But then we come across Numbers 14:1-24. The Israelites are grumbling in the wilderness again, wondering if they shouldn't have just stayed in Egypt. They aren't exactly showing much gratitude to Moses for standing before Pharoah, or to Yahweh for, you know. LIBERATING THEM FROM SLAVERY!! God decides maybe they need to be wiped out, and God will find a people who can be more polite and get their thank you card in the mail in a more timely fashion.
And then, Moses speaks. Moses appeals to the promises God has made to be steadfast in mercy, and asks if maybe God will reconsider destroying the people of Israel. Moses even appeals to God's "vanity," if you will. "Oh, you don't wanna do that," Moses says. "What would people say?"
This is not the only instance in scripture of someone entering into a conversation with God and asking for God to change God's mind about a particular course of action. Abraham gets into it with God about destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.
To be sure, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and God's ways are not our ways, but I wonder if maybe the invitation to dialogue with God is more open than our reformed theological tradition has revealed. Maybe we've emphasized the sovereignty of God so much that we've forgotten about God the mother hen, or God the redeemer, or God the transformer, or God the Christ child, or God the Holy Spirit who is all about creativity and new life. I wonder what our prayer life might look like if we really and truly believed God was listening and might be willing to be convinced of a course of action that we offer up in humble suggestion.
Do we pray expecting to change God's mind?
Do we pray about things as big as Moses did?
Do we even listen long enough to hear what God's original plans are, anyway?
See you in worship!
But then we come across Numbers 14:1-24. The Israelites are grumbling in the wilderness again, wondering if they shouldn't have just stayed in Egypt. They aren't exactly showing much gratitude to Moses for standing before Pharoah, or to Yahweh for, you know. LIBERATING THEM FROM SLAVERY!! God decides maybe they need to be wiped out, and God will find a people who can be more polite and get their thank you card in the mail in a more timely fashion.
And then, Moses speaks. Moses appeals to the promises God has made to be steadfast in mercy, and asks if maybe God will reconsider destroying the people of Israel. Moses even appeals to God's "vanity," if you will. "Oh, you don't wanna do that," Moses says. "What would people say?"
This is not the only instance in scripture of someone entering into a conversation with God and asking for God to change God's mind about a particular course of action. Abraham gets into it with God about destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.
To be sure, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and God's ways are not our ways, but I wonder if maybe the invitation to dialogue with God is more open than our reformed theological tradition has revealed. Maybe we've emphasized the sovereignty of God so much that we've forgotten about God the mother hen, or God the redeemer, or God the transformer, or God the Christ child, or God the Holy Spirit who is all about creativity and new life. I wonder what our prayer life might look like if we really and truly believed God was listening and might be willing to be convinced of a course of action that we offer up in humble suggestion.
Do we pray expecting to change God's mind?
Do we pray about things as big as Moses did?
Do we even listen long enough to hear what God's original plans are, anyway?
See you in worship!
Bringing Darkness to Light
What a joy it was to sit in community at Belmont on Wednesday evening and engage scripture.
This week's scripture passage is Isaiah 42:1-9 (found below), and it speaks of God's servant as one in whom God delights and whose call is to bring forth justice as a result of God's spirit being placed upon him.
As I initially read this passage and as we discussed it on Wednesday, a couple of questions arose, "Can we apply this passage to Jesus?" Or, "Is Jesus the servant that Isaiah foresaw?" To be sure, we see Jesus as one who brings forth justice, and Jesus does seem to tell a lot of people not to talk about him, however, we also know that Jesus was crushed by the principalities and powers and injustice still seems to have plenty of sway in the world.
So, what if we, as people of faith, are the servant that Isaiah describes? What if it is our job to bring forth justice? What if it is our job to preach the gospel always and use words when necessary? What if it is our job to keep pursuing faithful following of the Triune God, even as people try to crush us? This is one of those times when we gain insight by holding onto a both/and theology, rather than an either/or dichotomy.
Finally, I'm grateful to Allison Connelly, a relatively new UKIRKian, for pointing out the movement in this passage from darkness to light. God offers Israel, and all God's faithful people, as a light to the nations and calls us to reach out to those who sit in darkness. Allison wondered aloud what it must be like for those who have sat in darkness for so long to finally be "in the light." It might be painful at first. We might need to be patient with those who have sat in dungeons of despair. Encountering the new things that God is accomplishing might just be overwhelming for some of us, and so we might need some time to adjust our eyes/hearts and minds.
As always, I welcome your thoughts, questions, concerns, insights, etc.
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
This week's scripture passage is Isaiah 42:1-9 (found below), and it speaks of God's servant as one in whom God delights and whose call is to bring forth justice as a result of God's spirit being placed upon him.
As I initially read this passage and as we discussed it on Wednesday, a couple of questions arose, "Can we apply this passage to Jesus?" Or, "Is Jesus the servant that Isaiah foresaw?" To be sure, we see Jesus as one who brings forth justice, and Jesus does seem to tell a lot of people not to talk about him, however, we also know that Jesus was crushed by the principalities and powers and injustice still seems to have plenty of sway in the world.
So, what if we, as people of faith, are the servant that Isaiah describes? What if it is our job to bring forth justice? What if it is our job to preach the gospel always and use words when necessary? What if it is our job to keep pursuing faithful following of the Triune God, even as people try to crush us? This is one of those times when we gain insight by holding onto a both/and theology, rather than an either/or dichotomy.
Finally, I'm grateful to Allison Connelly, a relatively new UKIRKian, for pointing out the movement in this passage from darkness to light. God offers Israel, and all God's faithful people, as a light to the nations and calls us to reach out to those who sit in darkness. Allison wondered aloud what it must be like for those who have sat in darkness for so long to finally be "in the light." It might be painful at first. We might need to be patient with those who have sat in dungeons of despair. Encountering the new things that God is accomplishing might just be overwhelming for some of us, and so we might need some time to adjust our eyes/hearts and minds.
As always, I welcome your thoughts, questions, concerns, insights, etc.
Isaiah 42:1-9
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
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