You may notice that we just skipped over a couple of chapters from last week when we covered Isaiah 11. Chapter 12 is the end of the first part of this book and it is a pretty straightforward and clear statement, much like a psalm, proclaiming that the Lord is the prophet’s strength and might. In chapter 13 we begin a long series of proclamations, mostly condemnatory, about all the nations that surround Israel. For the next 10 chapters we hear what the Lord has to say through his prophet about Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Dumah, and Tyre. The point—or rather one point of these 10 chapters—is that Isaiah is trying to say that all the world is God’s, and that whether or not the nations of the world believe in God or acknowledge God, all of them still belong to God and that he will reward those who are faithful and punish those who are not.
Today we spent our time on one very short piece of scripture from chapter 14, beginning with the 12th verse: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn.” Now on the most immediate level this prophecy, which goes on to say that those who exalt themselves shall fall, is about the kingdom of Babylon. That is, again, the immediate level. But there is another level that comes to us because it seems that Jesus refers back to this piece of scripture in Luke 10:18: “He [Jesus] said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightening.’”
After making this connection I then broached a most difficult subject, one that I would call Spiritual Warfare. When I heard people using this kind of language in seminary I just wrote them off and kept my distance. When I attended a conference on healing soon after graduating from seminary and heard people, again, use this kind of language I was once more scornful and dismissive. In my early twenties I had read C.S. Lewis’ book, Screwtape Letters, a book where an older devil instructs a younger devil about how to tempt and corrupt a human being’s soul, and I thought it all seemed pretty fanciful. Now, after 25 years of living in my own skin and trying to make sense of life and sin and grace with all of you, I take all this language much more seriously.
Now, I could not say whether or not evil is personified, whether evil has an actual, physical presence, but I do believe—know—that evil is real. There have been a few times when I have encountered things, situations, circumstances when I know that I am in the presence of something—someone?—that is very dark. I also know what Jesus means when he calls the devil the Accuser or the Father of Lies. And, who among us, doesn’t? The Accuser who comes to undermine and sabotage all of our efforts, and our very life itself. The Tempter who comes to beckon us to do or say things that we know are not good. The Father of Lies who either comes to exalt us or diminish us, who either beckons us to be our own god or who wants us just to give up on God altogether.
As I am inviting people into this conversation, I was feeling pretty nervous—I mean, this is not an easy subject and we have men there who have been working at their faith for a long time and those who are just beginning, and especially for the latter group I didn’t want to blow them out of the room.
I then opened the floor and I was amazed by how quiet and reflective and mature and wise and grounded these men were about doing spiritual warfare in their own lives. One person said, quoting C.S. Lewis, that we can make two big mistakes as we think about the devil, and that is to either think too much or too little about him.
As I said to them, I am not putting these words down on paper to persuade any one of you that the devil is real and that you are daily doing battle with the spiritual forces of darkness. You will need to make that determination for yourself. All that I am trying to say here is that I now take all of this language—language that is, by the way, woven all through the Christian scriptures—more seriously. I would commend Lewis’ book to you, as I would invite you to read the first several chapters of Mark’s gospel to see how often Jesus is doing spiritual battle.
At the end of the class I needed to wrap all this up. What I said to them is what I will now say to you: Remember who you are. Remember whose you are. If evil is indeed real, then we need to acknowledge that any one of us can do things that allow that presence to come into our lives. So, be vigilant—not afraid, but, again, vigilant. And remember: Jesus is with you. Jesus will protect you. Jesus will give you all you need to do the spiritual battles that you are facing. The war has been won—Jesus has assured us of that, but there are battles for lives and souls and hearts that still need to be fought. So, don’t be naïve about what is at stake. Jesus needs you to do these battles and you need Jesus, not only as your friend and savior and redeemer, but also as your warrior and protector.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Isaiah 11: 1-9
“If you want peace, work for justice.”
In today’s piece of scripture we read one of the great messianic prophecies from Hebrew scripture.
It begins: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse.” In these words Isaiah is prophesying that the new messiah (a word which means “anointed one”) will come forth from Jesse, who was David’s father. Whenever we have the kids in Sunday school do a “Jesse Tree,” we are depicted his family tree, his lineage, his ancestry. The Jesse Tree will go from Obed to Jesse to David to Solomon, all the way to Jesus. If we look at Jesus’ family tree—of which we are now part of as his disciples—we can see that it is a pretty mixed bag of folks. Now, that is good news for us because we are all…well… rather mixed. Yes?
I asked the men to talk about the times when they felt “stumped,” burned out, broken, lost, and how God used that time, worked through that time, to bring them some new blessings. I would now ask you the same questions.
The scripture next tell us that the “spirit of the Lord” shall give this king six gifts: wisdom and understanding; counsel and might; and, a knowledge and a fear of the Lord. Look at each couplet of gifts—there is an important balance that we need to see in each. We can have great understanding, but without wisdom, we can often falter translating our “smarts” into every day life. We can have counsel, but without might, we are not apt to get things done. Might, though, without counsel will tend to make us brash, even bullies. And then knowledge of God and fear of God—the messiah king needed both, as do we all. It is not enough simply to know a lot about God, for we must also have a sense of awe and reverence before God. I then asked the guys about a moment when they felt completely overwhelmed with the presence of God and how that changed their lives.
The scripture then says that this king will not “judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear.” In other words, he will see and hear from his gifts beyond the surface of things to the deeper truths. I hope we have all had moments like this, when we saw or heard or felt the deeper truth of a situation, of a person. This king will then, as the scripture says, “with righteousness judge the poor, and decide equity for the meek of the earth.” The king will stick up for, advocate for, the “least of these,” that is, those who most need his protection. This king will not coddle the most powerful; no, this king will work for justice, for righteousness, starting with those who are most disadvantaged. It will not be “trickle down,” but trickle up. Now, the word “righteousness” is very often misunderstood. It is not primarily a moralistic word. It is primarily a relational word. It means being in right relationship with God, and from God to each other and with our selves. We know what it feels like when we are not right with any of the above. It feels lonely and anxious, and we are then prone to do and say and think things that don’t bring us life and love and happiness.
At verse 6, the passage goes from concerns about justice to peace. In the next three verses we see the wolf and the lamb, the calf and the lion, and the cow and the bear making peace. No more are there predators and prey. No more enmity. No more “eat or be eaten.” Now, there is peace and harmony and concord. In other words, the picture we have for us is “paradise regained,” Eden returned. I then asked the men why we indulge in being predators and they mentioned fear—fear of not having enough, fear of not measuring up, fear that if they don’t act that way they will become prey themselves. This then prompted several men to come to me after our time together wanting to talk about how their lives are defined by, even driven by, being predators and the fear that is right now taking over their lives.
There is a wonderful painting by the American Quaker, Edward Hicks, from the 19th century that depicts this scene. It is titled, “Peaceable Kingdom.” In this painting we see beasts and little children playing together, and then off to the side we see William Penn and others making a peace treaty with the Native Americans. It is a statement that is both pastoral and political.
I started these reflections by including those words from a prominent bumper sticker: “If you want peace, then work for justice.” That is exactly what we see in this piece of scripture. The messiah king is blessed by God to work for justice; when justice exists between human beings peace will then follow in and through all creation.
As I mentioned before, this passage is one of the great messianic prophecies and we as Christians believe that Jesus fulfills these words—that he has been blessed by the Spirit of God with extraordinary gifts, that he brings to us peace with God, that he calls us to follow in his footsteps to work for justice. So, how can we do that? How can we, as his anointed ones, work for justice and peace in our daily interactions? At work? At home? How can we translate these words and make them real in our own time and place?
In today’s piece of scripture we read one of the great messianic prophecies from Hebrew scripture.
It begins: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse.” In these words Isaiah is prophesying that the new messiah (a word which means “anointed one”) will come forth from Jesse, who was David’s father. Whenever we have the kids in Sunday school do a “Jesse Tree,” we are depicted his family tree, his lineage, his ancestry. The Jesse Tree will go from Obed to Jesse to David to Solomon, all the way to Jesus. If we look at Jesus’ family tree—of which we are now part of as his disciples—we can see that it is a pretty mixed bag of folks. Now, that is good news for us because we are all…well… rather mixed. Yes?
I asked the men to talk about the times when they felt “stumped,” burned out, broken, lost, and how God used that time, worked through that time, to bring them some new blessings. I would now ask you the same questions.
The scripture next tell us that the “spirit of the Lord” shall give this king six gifts: wisdom and understanding; counsel and might; and, a knowledge and a fear of the Lord. Look at each couplet of gifts—there is an important balance that we need to see in each. We can have great understanding, but without wisdom, we can often falter translating our “smarts” into every day life. We can have counsel, but without might, we are not apt to get things done. Might, though, without counsel will tend to make us brash, even bullies. And then knowledge of God and fear of God—the messiah king needed both, as do we all. It is not enough simply to know a lot about God, for we must also have a sense of awe and reverence before God. I then asked the guys about a moment when they felt completely overwhelmed with the presence of God and how that changed their lives.
The scripture then says that this king will not “judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear.” In other words, he will see and hear from his gifts beyond the surface of things to the deeper truths. I hope we have all had moments like this, when we saw or heard or felt the deeper truth of a situation, of a person. This king will then, as the scripture says, “with righteousness judge the poor, and decide equity for the meek of the earth.” The king will stick up for, advocate for, the “least of these,” that is, those who most need his protection. This king will not coddle the most powerful; no, this king will work for justice, for righteousness, starting with those who are most disadvantaged. It will not be “trickle down,” but trickle up. Now, the word “righteousness” is very often misunderstood. It is not primarily a moralistic word. It is primarily a relational word. It means being in right relationship with God, and from God to each other and with our selves. We know what it feels like when we are not right with any of the above. It feels lonely and anxious, and we are then prone to do and say and think things that don’t bring us life and love and happiness.
At verse 6, the passage goes from concerns about justice to peace. In the next three verses we see the wolf and the lamb, the calf and the lion, and the cow and the bear making peace. No more are there predators and prey. No more enmity. No more “eat or be eaten.” Now, there is peace and harmony and concord. In other words, the picture we have for us is “paradise regained,” Eden returned. I then asked the men why we indulge in being predators and they mentioned fear—fear of not having enough, fear of not measuring up, fear that if they don’t act that way they will become prey themselves. This then prompted several men to come to me after our time together wanting to talk about how their lives are defined by, even driven by, being predators and the fear that is right now taking over their lives.
There is a wonderful painting by the American Quaker, Edward Hicks, from the 19th century that depicts this scene. It is titled, “Peaceable Kingdom.” In this painting we see beasts and little children playing together, and then off to the side we see William Penn and others making a peace treaty with the Native Americans. It is a statement that is both pastoral and political.
I started these reflections by including those words from a prominent bumper sticker: “If you want peace, then work for justice.” That is exactly what we see in this piece of scripture. The messiah king is blessed by God to work for justice; when justice exists between human beings peace will then follow in and through all creation.
As I mentioned before, this passage is one of the great messianic prophecies and we as Christians believe that Jesus fulfills these words—that he has been blessed by the Spirit of God with extraordinary gifts, that he brings to us peace with God, that he calls us to follow in his footsteps to work for justice. So, how can we do that? How can we, as his anointed ones, work for justice and peace in our daily interactions? At work? At home? How can we translate these words and make them real in our own time and place?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Isaiah 8:16-21; 9:1-7 2nd Kings 16:1-16
The Bible study this morning began with some grim and discouraging words from Isaiah. Look at 8:16-21. What do you see? God is hiding his face. The people turn their faces upward but find only distress and darkness and gloom and anguish. They look for God and feel like no one is there. They call upon God but hear only their own voices. They wonder—no, they fear—that God is no longer there for them. Do we know these Israelites? Have we ever felt their plight? Their predicament? Their fear?
Right before we begin I always stand in the middle of the room—there are anywhere between 50-70 guys there—and inevitably a couple of them will come to me and say that they need to talk or they will inform me of something that is going on with them or with someone in the group that they feel I ought to know about. Two men before we started today used almost the exact language that Isaiah used to talk about their own lives. I say this to affirm that that the scriptures are current, that the Bible is not some out-dated book, and that it can and does speak right now to our daily lives.
Before we got too far into describing the “darkness” that Isaiah writes about, I told the fellows that we needed to understand that the prophet was writing with particular historical and political events taking place—events that we needed to know about in order to understand the gloom that he feels. These events were recorded in 2 Kings 16: 1-16. This was during the reign of King Ahaz. King Ahaz had followed King Uzziah, who had been struck down with leprosy because he had usurped the role of the high priest. When the King was leprous, the whole community in time became infected. When he died the people had great hope that King Ahaz was going to be a more faithful king. What we read in 2 Kings 16 is that he was not. In this piece of scripture we see that King Ahaz stripped all the gold and silver out of the temple and gave it to the king of Assyria, with the hope that his army would not invade Judah. We also see that King Ahaz saw an altar in Damascus and was so enthralled by it that he had the altar in the temple taken out so that a new altar modeled upon the altar that was in Damascus could be installed. We also read that the king took it upon himself, much like Uzziah, to usurp the role of the high priest and dash blood upon the altar himself. And we read that he dismantled some of the costly bronze equipment of the temple in order to pay tribute to Assyria. Imagine, I asked the gentlemen, that you came into church some Sunday and found all the sacred objects gone; that you found a different altar, one patterned after the pagan gods—how would you feel? This background sets the stage for why Isaiah is writing about gloom and darkness and despair. The people wonder where God is that he would allow this desecration to take place.
In chapter 9, Isaiah turns from despair to hope, from darkness to light: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” I asked the guys to talk about a time in their life when they have made this move from darkness to light and how that transition happened. One guy—a man who has indeed gone through some great darkness—said that many of the men in the room, and many of the members of this community, were his sources of light, for we had come to him during his darkest times and shared a light with him, a light that gave him the hope he needed to carry on. We then talked about how one lone flashlight had just saved some of the members of the Cynthia Woods, that boat that had just lost its keel on its way to Mexico. One light, just one, had saved their lives. How can we be a light to others when they are in the dark, when they are drowning, when they are lost?
Isaiah’s prophecy goes on: “For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.” Now, that is an interesting image. Isaiah, of course, has in mind that all of the Assyrians implements of war will be burned, destroyed—that is clear. But how could these words speak to us in our own time and place? Are there any implements of “war” that we use and resort to that need to be destroyed?
And then he gives his great prophecy in words that many of us know from Handel’s Messiah: “For a child has been born for us, a son has been given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
God chooses a baby to lead the people out of darkness into light, out of despair into hope. We, as Christians, believe that this prophecy was and is and will ever be fulfilled in Jesus. If we claim him, we must follow him. If we follow him, we must be willing to go to the dark places within ourselves and ask for his light, and we must be willing to go to those in great darkness and share with them the light that we have been given.
Gloom and darkness and despair are all around us. Isaiah’s words could not be more current. What are we, with God’s help, going to do about it? Lives and souls are at stake. Sometimes the smallest light, the smallest word, can make all the difference. JWN
Right before we begin I always stand in the middle of the room—there are anywhere between 50-70 guys there—and inevitably a couple of them will come to me and say that they need to talk or they will inform me of something that is going on with them or with someone in the group that they feel I ought to know about. Two men before we started today used almost the exact language that Isaiah used to talk about their own lives. I say this to affirm that that the scriptures are current, that the Bible is not some out-dated book, and that it can and does speak right now to our daily lives.
Before we got too far into describing the “darkness” that Isaiah writes about, I told the fellows that we needed to understand that the prophet was writing with particular historical and political events taking place—events that we needed to know about in order to understand the gloom that he feels. These events were recorded in 2 Kings 16: 1-16. This was during the reign of King Ahaz. King Ahaz had followed King Uzziah, who had been struck down with leprosy because he had usurped the role of the high priest. When the King was leprous, the whole community in time became infected. When he died the people had great hope that King Ahaz was going to be a more faithful king. What we read in 2 Kings 16 is that he was not. In this piece of scripture we see that King Ahaz stripped all the gold and silver out of the temple and gave it to the king of Assyria, with the hope that his army would not invade Judah. We also see that King Ahaz saw an altar in Damascus and was so enthralled by it that he had the altar in the temple taken out so that a new altar modeled upon the altar that was in Damascus could be installed. We also read that the king took it upon himself, much like Uzziah, to usurp the role of the high priest and dash blood upon the altar himself. And we read that he dismantled some of the costly bronze equipment of the temple in order to pay tribute to Assyria. Imagine, I asked the gentlemen, that you came into church some Sunday and found all the sacred objects gone; that you found a different altar, one patterned after the pagan gods—how would you feel? This background sets the stage for why Isaiah is writing about gloom and darkness and despair. The people wonder where God is that he would allow this desecration to take place.
In chapter 9, Isaiah turns from despair to hope, from darkness to light: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” I asked the guys to talk about a time in their life when they have made this move from darkness to light and how that transition happened. One guy—a man who has indeed gone through some great darkness—said that many of the men in the room, and many of the members of this community, were his sources of light, for we had come to him during his darkest times and shared a light with him, a light that gave him the hope he needed to carry on. We then talked about how one lone flashlight had just saved some of the members of the Cynthia Woods, that boat that had just lost its keel on its way to Mexico. One light, just one, had saved their lives. How can we be a light to others when they are in the dark, when they are drowning, when they are lost?
Isaiah’s prophecy goes on: “For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.” Now, that is an interesting image. Isaiah, of course, has in mind that all of the Assyrians implements of war will be burned, destroyed—that is clear. But how could these words speak to us in our own time and place? Are there any implements of “war” that we use and resort to that need to be destroyed?
And then he gives his great prophecy in words that many of us know from Handel’s Messiah: “For a child has been born for us, a son has been given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
God chooses a baby to lead the people out of darkness into light, out of despair into hope. We, as Christians, believe that this prophecy was and is and will ever be fulfilled in Jesus. If we claim him, we must follow him. If we follow him, we must be willing to go to the dark places within ourselves and ask for his light, and we must be willing to go to those in great darkness and share with them the light that we have been given.
Gloom and darkness and despair are all around us. Isaiah’s words could not be more current. What are we, with God’s help, going to do about it? Lives and souls are at stake. Sometimes the smallest light, the smallest word, can make all the difference. JWN
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Isaiah 7:14; 8:5-11-15; Matthew 1:21-23 June 3, 2008
Bible Study Reflections
In Sam’s reflections from the bible study last week, it was not entirely clear to me whether or not he covered a very controversial piece of scripture: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Many of you will recognize that Matthew quotes these words in the beginning of his gospel this way: “She [Mary] bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear son and they shall name him Emmanuel.’” (Matthew 1:21-23)
This has been a controversial piece of scripture because the Hebrew word is correctly rendered by the New Revised Standard Version (this is the version we read at Palmer, and the one that is read at nearly all Episcopal Churches) as “young woman” and not as “virgin.” The term, according to most commentaries, is neutral in regard to her marital status or sexual experience. It was the Greek translation that introduced the rendering “virgin,” which then set the stage for a particular messianic interpretation of this passage.
Let me be clear that I am not arguing against nor am I denying that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. But I did want to let the gentlemen know this morning at Bible study, and now all of you in these notes, that, again, this piece of scripture has a long and complicated history.
The point that Isaiah is actually trying to make is that soon, very soon, God is going to act on behalf of the Jews who are at war with two different nations. Isaiah goes to King Ahaz and tells him that soon a “sign” of God’s presence will be given to him and to the nation to reassure them that they are not alone, that God is with them, which is, of course, what the word “Immanuel” means: God is with us.
From the re-look at this piece of scripture this morning, I then pointed out to the men that we have a prophet who was integrally involved in the political realm, which then gave me the opportunity to ask all of them about what they thought the relationship between faith and politics ought to be. If faith entirely determines and dominates our politics there are obviously some problems, but if faith entirely leaves and abandons our politics there will also be some problems. One guy argued that politics is about the temporal and religion is about the spiritual. Although this separation may seem convenient and logical, it is not our faith. Once the Word of God became flesh (see John 1:14), our faith must be involved with every aspect of our lives. Once Jesus became flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, there is no more a clear separation between the secular and the sacred. It—the world—is all God’s and we are called to be agents of transformation in this world (see Mt. 5:13f) But, again, how and where and when do we translate our faith into our politics? One man said that we come to church to be fed and led and informed, so that we can then take out our faith in that way—we don’t do it by positions, but through personal influence. I thought this was very insightful and wise and faithful.
We were near the end and so I turned back to the original line from Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign,” and I asked them when any of them had been given a sign from God, a sign that kept them going, a sign which gave them hope or direction or peace or courage. The testimonies immediately came from every corner of the room.
Which leads me to ask you the same question: When and how have you received a sign from God? Are you receiving a sign right now? Are you heeding it or running away from it, listening to it or ignoring it? I believe that one of the reasons why we need community is to help us to hear, to heed, to discern, and then to act upon the signs from God that are coming our way. On our own—or at least let me speak for myself—on my own I sometimes don’t hear very well. Jesus said that wherever two of three are gathered in his name he is there. We need each other.
Ahaz needed a sign from God to carry on as the King of Judah in the midst of a very challenging, even frightening time. We all need our own signs from God because we all lead challenging lives. How can we be sign-listeners, sign-discerners, and sign- givers to each other and to this world? JWN
In Sam’s reflections from the bible study last week, it was not entirely clear to me whether or not he covered a very controversial piece of scripture: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Many of you will recognize that Matthew quotes these words in the beginning of his gospel this way: “She [Mary] bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear son and they shall name him Emmanuel.’” (Matthew 1:21-23)
This has been a controversial piece of scripture because the Hebrew word is correctly rendered by the New Revised Standard Version (this is the version we read at Palmer, and the one that is read at nearly all Episcopal Churches) as “young woman” and not as “virgin.” The term, according to most commentaries, is neutral in regard to her marital status or sexual experience. It was the Greek translation that introduced the rendering “virgin,” which then set the stage for a particular messianic interpretation of this passage.
Let me be clear that I am not arguing against nor am I denying that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. But I did want to let the gentlemen know this morning at Bible study, and now all of you in these notes, that, again, this piece of scripture has a long and complicated history.
The point that Isaiah is actually trying to make is that soon, very soon, God is going to act on behalf of the Jews who are at war with two different nations. Isaiah goes to King Ahaz and tells him that soon a “sign” of God’s presence will be given to him and to the nation to reassure them that they are not alone, that God is with them, which is, of course, what the word “Immanuel” means: God is with us.
From the re-look at this piece of scripture this morning, I then pointed out to the men that we have a prophet who was integrally involved in the political realm, which then gave me the opportunity to ask all of them about what they thought the relationship between faith and politics ought to be. If faith entirely determines and dominates our politics there are obviously some problems, but if faith entirely leaves and abandons our politics there will also be some problems. One guy argued that politics is about the temporal and religion is about the spiritual. Although this separation may seem convenient and logical, it is not our faith. Once the Word of God became flesh (see John 1:14), our faith must be involved with every aspect of our lives. Once Jesus became flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, there is no more a clear separation between the secular and the sacred. It—the world—is all God’s and we are called to be agents of transformation in this world (see Mt. 5:13f) But, again, how and where and when do we translate our faith into our politics? One man said that we come to church to be fed and led and informed, so that we can then take out our faith in that way—we don’t do it by positions, but through personal influence. I thought this was very insightful and wise and faithful.
We were near the end and so I turned back to the original line from Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign,” and I asked them when any of them had been given a sign from God, a sign that kept them going, a sign which gave them hope or direction or peace or courage. The testimonies immediately came from every corner of the room.
Which leads me to ask you the same question: When and how have you received a sign from God? Are you receiving a sign right now? Are you heeding it or running away from it, listening to it or ignoring it? I believe that one of the reasons why we need community is to help us to hear, to heed, to discern, and then to act upon the signs from God that are coming our way. On our own—or at least let me speak for myself—on my own I sometimes don’t hear very well. Jesus said that wherever two of three are gathered in his name he is there. We need each other.
Ahaz needed a sign from God to carry on as the King of Judah in the midst of a very challenging, even frightening time. We all need our own signs from God because we all lead challenging lives. How can we be sign-listeners, sign-discerners, and sign- givers to each other and to this world? JWN
Isaiah 7: 1-17 May 27, 2008
Bible Study Reflections
Today's reading from Isaiah occurs between 742 B.C. and 722 B.C. At this
time Israel was divided into a northern kingdom called Israel and a southern
kingdom called Judah.
Isaiah the prophet who lived and prophesied in Judah, and the lesson today
concerns the prophecy to Ahaz, the king of Judah. This is Isaiah's first
prophecy after his acceptance of God's call in Chapter 6 which was studied
last week.
In order to understand Isaiah's prophecy, it is necessary to set the
context. Israel (the northern kingdom) was being threatened with invasion
from the Assyrian kingdom. In order to avoid destruction, Israel had made
an alliance with the Assyrians.
Judah had also been offered an alliance but had so far refused, but King
Ahaz was having second thoughts. The idea of an alliance with the Assyrians
was not favored, because it was feared that this would lead to an
assimilation of the foreign culture and foreign gods into Judah, but the
alliance would provide for Judah's safety.
Isaiah brought to King Ahaz God's message that he should avoid all
entanglements with the foreign powers, but Ahaz did not want to believe this
message.
So, Isaiah suggested that Ahaz ask God for a sign or offer a prayer to God
so that he could see what God wanted him to do. But Ahaz refused to ask for
a sign or to pray saying that he did not want to put God to the test.
How many times in our lives when we find ourselves buffeted by life's
turmoil, when we find ourselves in situations or life events when we like
Ahaz refuse to ask God what we should do. Do we fail to seek God's counsel
because we are so full of ourselves that we feel we have all the answers?
Do we fail to ask God because in doing so we have to acknowledge that we are
dependent on another, or do we refuse to lay our concerns before God because
we are afraid of the answer we may receive? Perhaps God's answer about a
course of action causes us to change part of our lifestyle, to examine tried
and true assumptions or perhaps in asking for God to give us directions we
are acknowledging that we are lost and cannot find our way.
Perhaps we are like Ahaz decide that it is better keep your questions and
doubts to yourself, because in asking you are acknowledging your dependence
on God. We, like Ahaz, are sometimes a prideful lot. However, we should
always seek God's counsel. We are all blessed by a creator who loves and
cares for us and is always there when we seek his counsel. Several members
shared a time in their lives when they acknowledge God's response to
questions posed while they knew God was call in them to a new and frightful
and fearful course of action they took that course and have been blessed
ever since.
At the end of the study we found that despite all of Ahaz's fears for his
people, God provides him a message of hope. As Ahaz is warned of Israel's
attempted conquest of Judah, God's words to Ahaz spoken through Isaiah are
words of comfort and assurance. "Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do
not let your heart be faint." These are words that are spoken to us today
when life's storms and wars rage about us and threaten to consume us. What
"good news" to Ahaz, what "good news" to us today. SHC
Today's reading from Isaiah occurs between 742 B.C. and 722 B.C. At this
time Israel was divided into a northern kingdom called Israel and a southern
kingdom called Judah.
Isaiah the prophet who lived and prophesied in Judah, and the lesson today
concerns the prophecy to Ahaz, the king of Judah. This is Isaiah's first
prophecy after his acceptance of God's call in Chapter 6 which was studied
last week.
In order to understand Isaiah's prophecy, it is necessary to set the
context. Israel (the northern kingdom) was being threatened with invasion
from the Assyrian kingdom. In order to avoid destruction, Israel had made
an alliance with the Assyrians.
Judah had also been offered an alliance but had so far refused, but King
Ahaz was having second thoughts. The idea of an alliance with the Assyrians
was not favored, because it was feared that this would lead to an
assimilation of the foreign culture and foreign gods into Judah, but the
alliance would provide for Judah's safety.
Isaiah brought to King Ahaz God's message that he should avoid all
entanglements with the foreign powers, but Ahaz did not want to believe this
message.
So, Isaiah suggested that Ahaz ask God for a sign or offer a prayer to God
so that he could see what God wanted him to do. But Ahaz refused to ask for
a sign or to pray saying that he did not want to put God to the test.
How many times in our lives when we find ourselves buffeted by life's
turmoil, when we find ourselves in situations or life events when we like
Ahaz refuse to ask God what we should do. Do we fail to seek God's counsel
because we are so full of ourselves that we feel we have all the answers?
Do we fail to ask God because in doing so we have to acknowledge that we are
dependent on another, or do we refuse to lay our concerns before God because
we are afraid of the answer we may receive? Perhaps God's answer about a
course of action causes us to change part of our lifestyle, to examine tried
and true assumptions or perhaps in asking for God to give us directions we
are acknowledging that we are lost and cannot find our way.
Perhaps we are like Ahaz decide that it is better keep your questions and
doubts to yourself, because in asking you are acknowledging your dependence
on God. We, like Ahaz, are sometimes a prideful lot. However, we should
always seek God's counsel. We are all blessed by a creator who loves and
cares for us and is always there when we seek his counsel. Several members
shared a time in their lives when they acknowledge God's response to
questions posed while they knew God was call in them to a new and frightful
and fearful course of action they took that course and have been blessed
ever since.
At the end of the study we found that despite all of Ahaz's fears for his
people, God provides him a message of hope. As Ahaz is warned of Israel's
attempted conquest of Judah, God's words to Ahaz spoken through Isaiah are
words of comfort and assurance. "Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do
not let your heart be faint." These are words that are spoken to us today
when life's storms and wars rage about us and threaten to consume us. What
"good news" to Ahaz, what "good news" to us today. SHC
Isaiah 6: 1-8 May 20, 2008
Bible Study Reflections—May 20, 2008
A number of folks have expressed regret to me that they are unable to attend the men’s bible study that happens on Tuesday mornings. So, I have decided to sit down immediately after the study and conversation to record some of my thoughts and some of what transpired for all the members of the congregation, and maybe even beyond.
We read Isaiah 6:1-8, which is Isaiah’s call to ministry as a prophet. First we looked at what I phrased the “anatomy of the call.” In this piece of scripture (I would recommend that you read it) we see Isaiah move from awe to a sense of unworthiness to being cleansed to being willing to serve. We see that his call came to him in the year that King Uzziah died, which was in the year 742 B.C. Isaiah is specific about the time period because he wants to locate God’s call, God’s work, in history. Next we read that Isaiah is given a vision of God’s presence, which fills him with awe. In God’s presence he cannot help but to feel the great gap between his life and God’s, which leads him to say, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips…” In God’s presence there needs to be those moments when all we can do is drop to our knees, when all we can do is confess, when all we can feel is overwhelmed by the great gap between us and God. Of course, there also needs to be moments of great intimacy, great tenderness, great comfort, but let us never forget that our God is also an awesome God. How we hold onto this awe and this tenderness is one of the great paradoxes of being faithful people. Next we read that one of the Seraphs (these were God’s attendants) took a live coal and touched Isaiah’s lips, thereby purifying him, cleansing him. Think about that a moment. Where might you need the tongs of fire placed on your life or your relationships or your work to cleanse and purify you? If we are not at times “burned” by God’s cleansing fire we are not putting ourselves in front of God deeply and honestly enough. And then, finally, God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And Isaiah said, “Here I am; send me!”
After going through the text I then said that one of the worst things that has happened in the last four thousand years of the Judeo-Christians tradition is that this notion of the “call” has been isolated to a particular group of folks, like the priests or clergy or the reverends. This isolation is never what God intended. In Exodus 19:6 God calls all of his people (the Jewish people has just been saved and rescued from the Egyptian army) to be a “priestly kingdom.” All of them. Not just some. All priests. Peter then recasts this vision is his first letter when he says, “…let yourselves be built into a spiritual home, to be a holy priesthood…” (1 Peter 2:5) When we—clergy and laity—allow the “call” to be garnered or gathered or given away to just us, the clergy, both clergy and laity suffer. So does God’s vision for the church. This notion, this reality, of the “call” must not be ghettoized, but universalized.
I then asked the gentlemen to name a “call” in their lives. One guy spoke about flying people who had cancer to M.D. Anderson. Another spoke about leading a bible study for the homeless. Another spoke about teaching school right in our basement with the Archway kids. Another talked about how he married a woman with two kids, both of whom needed some extra care and support. Another…and another…and another….
I then asked the guys what they heard and one said, “I heard ordinary guys being willing to say ‘yes’ and then show up. What other kind of people are we all but ordinary? Ordinary and yet extraordinary at the same time. This is another of the great paradoxes of our faith.
And then, finally, I asked the men “why” spreading out the call to all of Jesus’ disciples was so important, and one fellow said, “Because this is way the that we bring God’s kingdom to this earth.”
When we isolate the “call” to just one group of God’s children or Jesus’ disciples we will not be able to live into the great work that God has for the church, which is not to “do” church, but to change the world. Our job as clergy is not to please or entertain or placate you, but to inspire you, challenge you, compel you, to hear God’s call upon your life. And then together we can be God’s salt, light, and leaven to this world.
After the Bible study I had three guys ask to come see me to talk about God’s call upon their lives. I had earlier said that if you don’t have some sense, some glimpse, some inkling of God’s call upon your life, you will be missing something that is very important to you, to the church, and to God.
And so, what is God’s call upon your life? Are you listening? Heeding? What have been the moments when you have felt awe, felt humble, felt cleansed, and then raised your hand and lifted up your heart to say “yes?” JWN
A number of folks have expressed regret to me that they are unable to attend the men’s bible study that happens on Tuesday mornings. So, I have decided to sit down immediately after the study and conversation to record some of my thoughts and some of what transpired for all the members of the congregation, and maybe even beyond.
We read Isaiah 6:1-8, which is Isaiah’s call to ministry as a prophet. First we looked at what I phrased the “anatomy of the call.” In this piece of scripture (I would recommend that you read it) we see Isaiah move from awe to a sense of unworthiness to being cleansed to being willing to serve. We see that his call came to him in the year that King Uzziah died, which was in the year 742 B.C. Isaiah is specific about the time period because he wants to locate God’s call, God’s work, in history. Next we read that Isaiah is given a vision of God’s presence, which fills him with awe. In God’s presence he cannot help but to feel the great gap between his life and God’s, which leads him to say, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips…” In God’s presence there needs to be those moments when all we can do is drop to our knees, when all we can do is confess, when all we can feel is overwhelmed by the great gap between us and God. Of course, there also needs to be moments of great intimacy, great tenderness, great comfort, but let us never forget that our God is also an awesome God. How we hold onto this awe and this tenderness is one of the great paradoxes of being faithful people. Next we read that one of the Seraphs (these were God’s attendants) took a live coal and touched Isaiah’s lips, thereby purifying him, cleansing him. Think about that a moment. Where might you need the tongs of fire placed on your life or your relationships or your work to cleanse and purify you? If we are not at times “burned” by God’s cleansing fire we are not putting ourselves in front of God deeply and honestly enough. And then, finally, God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And Isaiah said, “Here I am; send me!”
After going through the text I then said that one of the worst things that has happened in the last four thousand years of the Judeo-Christians tradition is that this notion of the “call” has been isolated to a particular group of folks, like the priests or clergy or the reverends. This isolation is never what God intended. In Exodus 19:6 God calls all of his people (the Jewish people has just been saved and rescued from the Egyptian army) to be a “priestly kingdom.” All of them. Not just some. All priests. Peter then recasts this vision is his first letter when he says, “…let yourselves be built into a spiritual home, to be a holy priesthood…” (1 Peter 2:5) When we—clergy and laity—allow the “call” to be garnered or gathered or given away to just us, the clergy, both clergy and laity suffer. So does God’s vision for the church. This notion, this reality, of the “call” must not be ghettoized, but universalized.
I then asked the gentlemen to name a “call” in their lives. One guy spoke about flying people who had cancer to M.D. Anderson. Another spoke about leading a bible study for the homeless. Another spoke about teaching school right in our basement with the Archway kids. Another talked about how he married a woman with two kids, both of whom needed some extra care and support. Another…and another…and another….
I then asked the guys what they heard and one said, “I heard ordinary guys being willing to say ‘yes’ and then show up. What other kind of people are we all but ordinary? Ordinary and yet extraordinary at the same time. This is another of the great paradoxes of our faith.
And then, finally, I asked the men “why” spreading out the call to all of Jesus’ disciples was so important, and one fellow said, “Because this is way the that we bring God’s kingdom to this earth.”
When we isolate the “call” to just one group of God’s children or Jesus’ disciples we will not be able to live into the great work that God has for the church, which is not to “do” church, but to change the world. Our job as clergy is not to please or entertain or placate you, but to inspire you, challenge you, compel you, to hear God’s call upon your life. And then together we can be God’s salt, light, and leaven to this world.
After the Bible study I had three guys ask to come see me to talk about God’s call upon their lives. I had earlier said that if you don’t have some sense, some glimpse, some inkling of God’s call upon your life, you will be missing something that is very important to you, to the church, and to God.
And so, what is God’s call upon your life? Are you listening? Heeding? What have been the moments when you have felt awe, felt humble, felt cleansed, and then raised your hand and lifted up your heart to say “yes?” JWN
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