Saturday, January 31, 2009

Happy Saturday!

Happy Saturday! And happy day before the Super Bowl! I am one of those obnoxious Steeler fans but I'll try to keep the obnoxiousness to a minimum. (However, if you're coming to Frankfort Church tomorrow, it's a dress down day--wear your black and gold! I am, and if the minister does it, that means it's OK for everyone else, right?)

At any rate, back to the task at hand. . . .

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Jan. 30: What is the last plague God sends on Egypt? (Ex 11)
Exodus 11:5 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.

And here's the question of the day:
Fill in the blanks: "Woe to you, teachers of the _________ and _________, you ___________!” (Mt 23)

And here's the reflection of the day:
Moses' Seat
As I read through Matthew 23, I found myself turning to another handy-dandy minister type books. In verse 1, it says, "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.'" And I wanted to know what the "Moses' seat" was.

So, according to Eerdman's Dictionary of the Bible, Moses' seat is "both a figurative office of interpreting the law and a literal stone chair in the front of many synagogues, allotted to an elder, presumably a scholar of distinction" (p. 1177). (And you thought ministers just magically knew everything--why do you think we have lots of books?!)

I'll probably be thinking about this verse tomorrow morning as I sit on my fancy chair in the front of the church. And, if I have a spare moment of thought, I might just wonder to myself, rather guiltily, whether I make my "phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long." (Phylacteries=a pair of small black leather boxes containing parchment slips inscribed with biblical commandments strapped either to the left arm or hanging down over the forehead; tassel=a pendant ornament for clothing or other articles made by fastening a bunch of cords or threads of even length at one end)

Jesus' point is that the religious leaders, with their wide phylacteries and long tassels, LOVE the attention they get from the everyday religious people. Everything they do is for others to see.

This is a passage that always brings with it a little (or A LOT of!) conviction for me. It always makes me think twice about what my attitude is like when I am in church. It is easy for pastors to get drunk on power in the church. And that always has disastrous results for both the pastor and the congregation. And keeping the proper perspective seems to be the key. Pastors are merely instruments of God--gifted by God for the glory of God, and not for the glory of the pastor.

I imagine this is not just a struggle for pastors. I imagine this could be a struggle for anyone. Idolatry is one of our favorite sins--and anytime we take the glory for ourselves instead of passing it along God, we are indulging in idolatry. God has given us everything we have and has made us who we are; to God alone belongs all the credit for the good things we manage to do!

Well, I'm off the shorten my tassels and make my phylacteries a little more narrow! Hope you are too!
Allison

PS Huh. . . I can't believe "phylacteries" was in the spell check for this blog!!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Another Puzzling Parable

Hello, again! Glad you dropped by today!

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Thurs, Jan. 29: Jesus tells the disciple a story about a father and two sons. Which son did what the father wanted? (Matt 21)
Matthew 21:31 31 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."
BONUS QUESTION: Why?

And here's the question of the day:
Fri, Jan. 30: What is the last plague God sends on Egypt? (Ex 11)

And here's the reflection of the day:
Another Puzzling Parable
It would be a no-brainer to pick an easier piece of Scripture to think about, right? But I've never been one to do things the easy way! (Just ask my mom.) But I have promised myself not to avoid the hard stuff during the Year of the Bible. So, today is another foray into a hard piece of Scripture.


In chapter 21, Matthew tells us that Jesus' authority was challenged (21:23-27). As a response, he tells a series of parables. Ah, parables. . . usually Jesus' convoluted answer to a simple question. Or at least that how we usually feel about them.

According to my handy-dandy "Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms," a parable is "a short story based on common experiences that contains a meaning." Now, it also has a separate entry for "parables of Jesus" that says, "the stories told by Jesus throughout the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) as a way of teaching. They convey meaning, particularly about the major subject of the reign ("kingdom") of God (see Matt 13)."

This wedding banquet parable is the third parable in a series. (The first one is the parable of the two son [Matt 21:28-31] and the second one is the parable of the wicked tenants [Matt 21:33-44]). All three parables are about judgment, BUT this parable concerns judgment on Christians, unlike the first two which concern judgment of the Jews. Now, you may be scratching your head saying, "How did you figure that out?" Well, thanks again to our friend, Douglas R.A. Hare, I have a little explanation.

The king in the story is God. The wedding feast represents the messianic banquet (cf Rev 19:7-9). Those sent to invite the guests are God's prophets and missionaries. The reference to gather "all the people they could find, both good and bad" is meant to include the Gentile mission of the church. Matthew is concerned about the "mixed" state of the church--namely that with the Gentiles came a lot of false prophets and false disciples. So including the Gentiles means bringing the good ones as well as the bad ones.

Now comes the curious case of the wedding guest who was tossed out. This seems like another withered fig tree moment, doesn't it? Nonsensical. Why is the king (aka God) so harsh with this wedding guest? Didn't the king send servants out to invite EVERYBODY to come to the banquet?! It doesn't seem fair that just because he doesn't have nice clothes to wear he's not allowed in, does it?! We want people to come to church no matter how grubby their clothes are, right?

Well, remember, this is a parable and everything has a special meaning. And according to Mr. Hare, the wedding feast represents the "age to come" (aka heaven) and NOT the church. And the required "clothing" for heaven is a garment of righteousness--behavior in accordance with Jesus' teachings (see 28:19). Hare says, "The man is speechless because he has no defense; he accepted the invitation of the gospel, but refused to conform his life to the gospel."

Jesus adds this (at first) disturbing little interlude as an admonishment to Christians, reminding "Christians that they are by no means exempt from the judgment that fell on those who rejected Jesus and the gospel" (p 252). Hare also notes, "The attached saying, 'for many are called, but few are chosen,' should not be taken as a forecast of the proportion of the saved to the damned. Its function is not to frighten Christians with the thought that the statistical odds are against them but to encourage vigorous effort to live the Christian life" (p. 252).

That's a lot to take in, I know. Does that make sense? Click on the "comments" icon below and tell me what you think!

Happy thinking!
Allison

PS Anyone else have the song "I cannot come to the banquet, don't bother me now, I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow, I have fields and commitments, that cost a pretty sum, please hold me excused, I cannot come" going through his/her head?! Oh, Camp Crestfield, how I miss thee. . . .

Thursday, January 29, 2009

"'Cause You Had a Bad Day"

Good morning! (or afternoon or evening. . .) I'm glad you dropped by today!


Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Weds, Jan. 28: What does the fool say in his heart? (Ps 14)
Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Jan. 29: Jesus tells the disciple a story about a father and two sons. Which son did what the father wanted? (Matt 21)


And here's the reflection of the day:
"'Cause You Had a Bad Day"
On a recent season of "American Idol," they used a song by Daniel Powter to play when those who were voted off the show were leaving. (Here's the link if you'd like to see the video: http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--14168054) Part of the chorus is this: "You had a bad day, the camera don't lie, You're coming back down and you really don't mind, You had a bad day, You had a bad day." You know what a bad day is like: everything that can go wrong does go wrong and a foul mood descends over you and beats your spirit down to a pulp. That's what this song is about. And as I was reading the little episode of Jesus and the fig tree, that's the song that popped into my mind! (Matt 21:18-22)

It seems like Jesus was having a bad day when He ran into that poor, unsuspecting little fig tree. He was hungry and it had no figs. So He made it wither, never to bear fruit again.

Seems pretty shocking, doesn't it? Nonsensical even. We know there's a reason for everything Jesus says and does, but this is likely to stump us for a while. But friends, this is where the beauty of the Year of the Bible comes in. The answer to what is going on in this little passage isn't found in the passage; it's found in the verses surrounding the text. And since we are reading it straight through each book of the Bible, we have all the pieces we need to finish putting this puzzle together. So let's get to it!

This isn't the first display of Jesus', umm, shall we say "spiritedness," in Matthew 21, is it? Starting in verse 10, Jesus "cleanses" the temple, driving out "all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves." Jesus does this not because he is upset by the business itself (animals for sacrifice during worship were mandated)--really it's the location of the business that bothered him. They brought commerce into the house of worship, making the house of prayer a "den of robbers" (cf Jer 7:9-11). They have ruined the sanctity of the temple, and this is a foreshadowing that God's judgment on Israel will include the destruction of the temple.

Verse 22 is the link between these two passages: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Those who had been frequenting the temple, and engaging in business with the money changers, were short on faith in God which is a prerequisite of effective prayer. They had more faith in the sacrifices they were making than in the God they were sacrificing to. In the withered fig tree passage, Jesus says, ". . . if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to the mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done" (v21).

So Jesus and the withered tree in verse 19 is really trying to tell us two things: first, it implicitly represents the judgment of God's unfruitful (unfaithful) people; and second, at the same time, it represents the power of prayer. Jesus is using the tree as an example, a lesson for the disciples (and us!) to learn. It actually has nothing to do with being hungry or having a bad day. It was about what Jesus was always about: teaching people who God is and what faith is about. Consequently, this is what we should always be about: getting to know God better and sharing what we know with others.

When it comes to faith and prayer, it's important to remember four things (well, I'm sure there's more than four but these are the four I'm going to mention :0) . . .
1. Just because we pray with great frequency and fervor doesn't mean we're going to get a "Yes" from God. All of our prayers should be subject to Matthew 26:39 where Jesus himself says, "Not my will but thine be done."
2. You don't need to have perfect faith for your prayers to be acceptable to God. Faith grows step by step, sometimes over a lifetime.
3. Ordinary Christians can move mountains. You may think it's the Billy Grahams or Joel Osteens or Joyce Meyers of the world who move mountains; but it's not just them. It's the rest of us too. When we are brought to our knees by impossible circumstances and find the strength to persevere through prayer, we can do things we never thought we could--for with God, all things are possible! (Matt 19:26).
4. And finally, "And if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (I Cor 13:2).

Does that make sense? Leave me a comment and let me know!
Allison

PS Mark's gospel also contains this story but in a slightly different order within the chapter. Five bonus points (like the points on "Whose Line is It Anyway?"!) if you read and compare and contrast Matthew's version with Mark's in 11:12-25. Does the interpretation seem the same?

PPS I would like to thank Douglas R.A. Hare and his commentary on the gospel of Matthew for his help in figuring all this out!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Bonus Pondering

Since many of you may have some extra time on your hands, here's a bonus question:

How do you interpret God hardening Pharaoh's heart? There seem to be three options:
1. God is in total control of the situation and is controlling Pharaoh's actions, so Pharaoh is simply doing what God wants him to.
or
2. Pharoah has complete freedom of will and is using his will throughout the story and God is not in control in the story.
or
3. Pharaoh, as with all God's enemies, is ultimately doomed to fail in his pursuit of oppressing God's people but he acts according to his own will in the unfolding of the story.

There's no right or wrong way to interpret this or any text. Which interpretation do you prefer? Or do you not like any of them?

Click on the icon below this post that says "comments" and, in the pop up box, tell me what you think!!

Allison

Softening the Heart

Good morning! I hope you're staying in today. If you're going out, BE CAREFUL! I gave myself a 2 hour delay this morning, in honor of the horrible weather!

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Tues, Jan. 27: What is Moses disappointed about at the end of Exodus 5?
Exodus 5:22-23 22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

And here's the question of the day:
Weds, Jan. 28: What does the fool say in his heart? (Ps 14)


And here's the reflection of the day:
I've read this story about Moses/Aaron (they seem to function as one person!) and Pharaoh before, and I've always wondered about the hardness of Pharaoh's heart. What did that mean? Did Pharaoh harden his own heart? Did God harden Pharaoh's heart? Did they each have a part to play? Why didn't God just soften Pharaoh's heart from the beginning and save Himself the trouble of all those plagues?

However you seek to answer those kinds of questions, there is no doubt that there are many hardened hearts in the world around us. Did God harden them for a reason? Do we harden our own hearts against God and others? I do a lot of praying that God would soften hearts. I do a lot of praying that God would repair the broken relationships in the community around me. Hearts do not become hardened overnight; hardened hearts are like callouses. They don't spring up overnight but as a result of repeated actions.

We all have relationships that are broken, wounds that have hardened our hearts. Perhaps the person who caused it is no longer in our lives, but still we insist on holding a grudge. Moses/ Aaaron and God are persistent in the face of Pharaoh's hardened heart. God is persistent in light of the hardness of all our hearts. How can we be more persistent in seeking reconciliation? How can we faithfully seek to repair broken relationships?

Happy pondering!
Allison

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Excuses, Excuses Part II

Good morning! Happy Tuesday!

I will confess that I am a little behind in my reading. And today is the day that I'm going to catch up. So, don't feel bad if you fall behind too. You'll find time to catch up. In my Year of the Bible book, I mark off the chapters I've read. That way, when I get a chance, I go back and look at the ones I missed and read those. Just a tip from someone who is always a day late and a dollar short!

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Mon, Jan 26: Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?” Jesus tells a parable as part of his answer. At the end of the story, what does the master do to the servant? (Matt 18)
Matthew 18:31-34 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

And here's today's question of the day:
Tues, Jan. 27: What is Moses disappointed about at the end of Exodus 5?

Remember, these answers are just what was in my mind as I was writing the question. It doesn't mean I'm right and you're wrong. I'd be interested in hearing from you if you disagree with me!

And here's today's reflection:
Excuses, Excuses Part II
I mentioned yesterday that someone told me she reads ahead because some parts of Genesis were so interesting. Well, now we're into the Exodus story and this is a serious page turner. It's one I can't stop reading.

As I read Exodus 5 and 6 this morning, I thought about what I wrote about excuses yesterday. Finally Moses gets up the courage to do what God is asking him to do and look what happens: his first mission is a failure. Not only does Pharaoh NOT let the Israelites being held in slavery go, but he INCREASES work associated with the brick production. And Moses is disappointed and maybe even a little bit angry. Exodus 5:22-23 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

Things are not exactly going according to plan. Well, things aren't going according to Moses' plan at least. God hasn't given Moses all the details of His plan yet. But to Moses, he thinks he has done all God has asked him to and that God has let him down. In fact, if you didn't know the end of the story, it kinda looks like God set Moses up to fail, doesn't it? But God is not done yet. God's plan is much bigger than Moses realizes.

So it would seem that God is not a fan of taking shortcuts. He is not content to do things the easy way. And that is difficult for us to understand. How many times have we found ourselves in this situation? We finally put aside our excuses and say "Yes" to whatever it is God is calling us to do, and then BAM, on our first mission, we get shot down. We finally take that leap of faith, and just like Moses, we are disappointed when our situations don't change instantly.

We give up a lot more easily than God does. And praise the Lord for His mercy and patience with us!! You probably know the end of this story--you know God does deliver the Israelites from slavery eventually, BUT Moses and Aaron must endure a lot of disappointment and failure before Pharaoh changes his mind.

And this reminds me of the Canaanite woman from Sunday's sermon. She is a lesson in perseverance of faith. Even though in the disciples' eyes she was worthless because she broke all the rules, she knew God played by a different set of rules. She was persistent and her faith was rewarded.

When we take the leap of faith and it seems like we're failing, we need to be persistent. God's plan is always bigger than we can see. We can't give up just because we fail the first time. That is probably not the end of God's plan. There's still more to come. So, let me encourage you if you feel like you leapt out in faith and fallen flat. God is not done with you yet, just like He isn't finished with Moses yet in Exodus 6. God is just getting started with Moses--and he's just getting started with you and me. Don't give up now!

Keep the faith!
Allison

PS If you need some extra encouragement, just peek ahead in the Exodus story and see what God does through Moses. God wants to work through you too!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Excuses, Excuses

Woot woot! Did you notice? We finished Genesis! Hurray!

I love hearing stories from people about how it's going as they read the Bible. One person said it's so interesting that sometimes she keeps reading beyond the assigned chapters! Another couple were on a car trip and decided whoever was NOT driving would read to the one who was driving! And the person I was visiting in the ER Saturday night was lamenting the fact that he wasn't going to get his reading done for the day because he didn't have his Bible with him. (I guess "Do you want to bring your Bible with you?" is not a standard question ambulance drivers ask.)

As a pastor, it does my heart good to hear stories like this because I know it does God's heart good too. I think I'll schedule a "Year of the Bible" evening at the church, for people to chat about how things are going and so they can ask their "Stump the Pastor" question. Check back here in a couple of days for more details.


Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sun, Jan. 25: When the new king (who didn’t know Joseph) comes into power in Egypt, what does he decide about the Israelites and their pro-creation rate? (How else can I say that?) (Ex 1)
Exodus 1:8-11 8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." 11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

And here's the question for today:
Mon, Jan 26: Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?” Jesus tells a parable as part of his answer. At the end of the story, what does the master do to the servant? (Matt 18)


And here's today's reflection:
Excuses, Excuses

Hmm . . . I've always noticed something about Moses, but until reading through the Bible like this, I never really noticed that it took up almost two whole chapters! Moses is FULL of excuses! He comes up with every excuse in the book for why he's can't be "Johnny on the spot" for God. And one by one, God takes away every excuse. One by one, God answers Moses for every concern and insecurity he comes up with to use as an excuse.

We know we all have excuses. We all have flimsy excuses we cling to as reasons we can't do something for God: too young, too old, too busy, too ill; not good enough, not smart enough, not enough faith; can't pray out loud, can't speak in front of people, can't teach a class. Inside, we know these are just excuses. We know that if we were in Moses' shoes God would have an answer to each of these excuses.

But we're not in Moses' shoes. We didn't see the burning bush. Or maybe we did, but we were afraid so we just kept walking on by. God's probably not standing in front of us with a clear task that He wants to do. Or maybe He is standing in front of us, but we're slinking by with our eyes averted.

I could preach until I'm blue in the face about casting off our excuses and facing up to what God is calling us to do, but the truth is, I can't make you do anything. I can't; I'm just one person. What I CAN do is encourage you each to find an accountability person--someone you know and trust and love. Find someone--if you haven't already--who can look you straight in the eye and say, "That's just an excuse." Find someone who will encourage you to look at the burning bush and to listen to where God is calling you to go.

Keep on reading!
Allison

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Oops! (Again.)

Oh dear. Things have gotten away from me again! Got a little carried away with visiting, then I almost forgot about a Presbytery meeting and was in the emergency room with a family from the church.

And when things get busy, you have to go into triage mode, so I'm afraid the blog ended up being a low priority in the last day or two.

And since I'm still running around getting ready for Sunday School and church and our annual (luncheon!) and meeting, I'm just going to post this morning's sermon as a reflection. (And I'm going to hope that Monday is much more calm! This is one of those weeks I really need my day off!)

So, let's get down to business:
Here are the last couple questions and answers:
Fri, Jan. 23: What did Joseph try to do as Israel was blessing his sons Ephraim and Manasseh? (Gen 48)
Genesis 48:17 17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

Sat, Jan. 24: How old was Joseph when he died? What did he make his brothers promise to do for him? (Gen 50)
Genesis 50:25 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Sun, Jan. 25: When the new king (who didn’t know Joseph) comes into power in Egypt, what does he decide about the Israelites and their pro-creation rate? (How else can I say that?!) (Ex 1)


And here's today's sermon:
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, Still our minds and quiet our worries; open our ears and hearts so that we might truly hear your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING Matthew 15:21-28
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

INTRODUCTION
Usually, when I write a sermon, I write it mostly with my head. I use my head when I’m writing a sermon because I am trying to make it make sense—I’m trying to be clear and logical in what I saw. I try not to let my train of thought wander so far off the track that we ALL get lost in what I’m saying. And a little bit of heart goes into every sermon too, but for the most part, I write sermons with my head.

But the sermon this morning is coming from my heart. Someone asked me a question this week that got me thinking—thinking not so much with my head but thinking with my heart, if that makes sense. Someone asked me, “Are you happy here?” And I quickly said, “Yes” because I am. But at that moment, I couldn’t say WHY I was happy here.

So that got me to thinking about why I am happy here. And after thinking about it for a while, I decided the main reason is because you have been so welcoming to me for the last three years. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was an outsider and you brought me inside. I couldn’t force my way in as a part of the congregation—you invited me in, you made a place for me among you, and you accepted me as one of your own.

MOVE #1
And the reason I’m bringing all this up is because you have done for me what Jesus did in our text this morning. Jesus welcomed into the kingdom of God a stranger, a foreigner, someone different from the normal circle of people he hung around with. The Canaanite woman from our Scripture passage this morning was an outsider—she was considered to be a pagan by the Jews; she was an outcast woman loudly chasing Jesus and the disciples through town, begging for them to heal her daughter.

Even though Jesus came first minister to the “lost sheep of Israel,” this Canaanite woman—a Gentile—is knocking on the door of the kingdom of heaven, asking to be let in. And though the disciples would prefer to ignore her knocking at the door, she will not be denied.

Despite all the strikes against her according to society’s rules, she knows God has different rules. She knows that God has enough love and grace to go around. She knows that there are always leftovers of God’s love and grace. So even though right now Jesus is only ministering to the Jews, she knows there’s enough love and grace for her and her daughter. She knows that there’s always more than enough bread for the children to share with the dogs. God has plenty of love and grace to go around.

And because of her persistence, she wears them down. Jesus brings her in to the kingdom, recognizing her great faith. Jesus invites her in and welcomes her as a part of God’s family.

I was an outsider. I was new; I was different. I was someone you weren’t sure you could trust, but just like Jesus, you invited me in.

MOVE #2
I know you took a leap of faith calling me as a full-time pastor three years ago and I know not everyone thought it was a good idea. And frankly, I don’t blame you at all. But you called me here to help this church grow. And for Frankfort Church to grow—or maybe we should say for God’s kingdom to grow—we need to continue to invite people in and welcome them into his family, just like Jesus did with the Canaanite woman.

It’s not easy to be a part of a small church. Everybody has known everybody else for so long that, when you’re new, it’s hard to figure out where you fit in. So we have to work extra, extra hard on welcoming people when they come through our doors.

You called me here to help the church grow, but I can’t do it all on my own. I need your help. I am looking for a DREAM TEAM. I’m looking for a group of people who are dreamers and idea people. I’m looking for people who are creative and people who aren’t afraid to really ask God for what their heart desires. I’m looking for people who love the church of Jesus Christ, and love their neighbors, and who want to do all they can to make sure that their neighbors know the love of Jesus Christ. I’m looking for people who want to bring outsiders into the kingdom of God.
There are all kinds of plans and ideas swirling around in my head but I can’t do it alone. I need your help. If you would like to be a part of the “Dream Team,” tell me—tell me after church, over lunch, send me an email or a text message or a paper airplane—I don’t care how, just tell me you’re willing to help bring outsiders into the kingdom of God.

CONCLUSION
Not every outsider is going to be as persistent as that Canaanite woman from Matthew’s gospel. Not everyone outside of the kingdom of heaven is so persistent; not everyone has such great faith.

That is why we need to go to where the outsiders are and bring the church to them. In case you haven’t noticed, not too many churches have lines of people in the parking lot waiting to get in on a Sunday morning. But remember the crowd we had at the ice cream social and the messy games? Remember all the cars parked in Ruth’s yard for Safety Day? Remember how many dogs were running around in the yard during the rabies clinic?

That’s how we bring church to people—we do things a little differently, a little unexpectedly. And we need a “Dream Team” to help us imagine all the things we can do.

I know not everyone is a dreamer. We need the “details people” to make the dreams happen just as much as we need the “ideas people” who think them up. It’s going to be a group effort; for God’s kingdom to grow, everyone in the Body of Christ has a part to play.

Somehow this sermon turned into a “State of the Union” address. I didn’t mean for that to happen, but in light of the congregational meeting after church, it somehow seems fitting. 2009 is an important year for Frankfort Church, for those of us who dream and for those of us who can make dreams happen.

So, I guess the only thing left to do is ask a question: where do YOU fit into God’s plan for his kingdom and for this church?

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Friday, January 23, 2009

It's Friday!!

Good morning! The sun is shining and the weekend is close enough that you can smell it. Enjoy it!


Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Thurs, Jan. 22: When Jesus asks, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” what are the disciples’ answers? Who does Jesus say he is? (Matt 16)
Matthew 16:14 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Matthew 16:16 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

And here's today's question of the day:
Fri, Jan. 23: What did Joseph try to do as Israel was blessing his sons Ephraim and Manasseh? (Gen 48)


And here's the reflection of the day:
Another Kind of Test
Testing seems to be the theme of the week in our readings, doesn't it? But here we find a different kind of test. In this text, the Pharisees and Sadducees "came to Jesus and tested him" (Mt 16:1).

Now, it is proper for God to test us--in order to build up our faith. And the Bible tells us it is proper to test prophets in order to determine if they are true prophets or false prophets.

But, WE are not to put God to the test. Over and over again, the Bible warns us about putting God to the test. You should remember earlier in Matthew reading about Satan tempting Jesus in the desert. Tempting is the same as testing. And in that case, Jesus cites Deut. 6:16, saying, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah."

But no one is to test God. By testing Jesus, the Pharisees and Sadducees are exposing their own lack of faith. Here the Pharisees and Sadducees are taking on the role of Satan; they are acting as an opponent of Jesus. As one commentary I read said they are, "seeking the heavenly ratification of his ministry that would render faith unnecessary" (Matthew, Interpretation, p 183.)

The disciples are warned against sign-seeking like the Pharisees and Sadducees. It seems that seeking a sign is similar to lacking faith, the chapter's theme which is reflected in the disciples' anxiety about not having enough bread. Jesus reminds them of how he has provided in the past, yet they still worry.

Instead of demanding signs, Jesus tells them they must remember. The disciples have seen the evidence for themselves--they have personal experience with God's provision. The disciples must REMEMBER God's provision and let that memory erase their anxieties.

Something for us think about today. . . do we remember God's provision or do our anxieties erase our memories?

Have a splendid day!
Allison

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Blessed are the Merciful. . .

Good morning! I set my alarm extra early this morning so I would have plenty of time to do my readings and write my post for the day. (Although, I did get a little sidetracked by Facebook. . . )But now I am back to the task at hand.

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Weds, Jan. 21: What does Joseph ask his steward to put in Joseph’s youngest brother’s sack as his family is preparing to return home? (Gen 44)
Genesis 44:2 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said.

And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Jan. 22: When Jesus asks, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” what are the disciples’ answers? Who does Jesus say he is? (Matt 16)

And here's the reflection of the day:
Blessed are the Merciful. . .
Genesis 45:5 5 And Joseph said to his brothers, "Now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you."

One of the benefits of doing "Year of the Bible" (I think) is that hopefully as you read one piece of Scripture, it reminds you of another passage that you've read in the past. It is helpful to search for connections between passages in order to see the Bible as one, big, LOOOOONG story, instead of a book made up of of many chapters. Does that make sense? To see the BIG picture and the connections between all the "books" of the Bible.

At any rate, as I was reading this chapter of the Joseph saga, I remembered our first Bible Study on the Beatitudes. And we talked about "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." This is the example I came up with to explain what mercy means: you have been found guilty of a crime and are standing before a judge waiting to be sentenced, and instead of the judge throwing the book at you, the judge--sensing your repentance--opts to lighten your sentence or even to not punish you at all. That is mercy.

It's fair to say that in this story from Gen 45, Joseph is a MERCIFUL man. If anyone had a right to be angry, it was Joseph. And now he has his brothers' lives in his hands. He could have chosen to mete out a fair and justified punishment to them all. But he doesn't. Instead he chooses to have mercy on them, actually counseling them, "do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here. . . ."

Joseph chooses to look at the big picture, telling them, "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God" (v8). Joseph understands that all the pain and the time he spent in jail was really all a part of God's plan. Instead of letting his anger get the best of him and seeking revenge (really, who could blame him if he did?!), Joseph chooses mercy because he can see God at work in the bigger picture of his life.

What's God doing in the bigger picture of your life? Where is He calling you to be merciful?

Allison

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Oops!

Oops! I guess I got a little distracted this morning, as you can see from the post I forgot to finish this morning. And it's apparent that I did NOT do the readings either. I promise to do better tomorrow!

See, not even the minister can always stick to the Year of the Bible reading schedule! So don't feel bad when you fall behind! Just get up the next day and start over again. Don't beat yourself up when you miss a day or two (or more)! Just keep going.

As Miss Stacey said to Anne Shirley in "Anne of Green Gables," "Each day is fresh with no mistakes in it." (One of my favorite movies/books!)

See you in a few hours for Thursday's post!
Allison

Thanks for Stopping By Today

Good morning! I'm glad you're visiting here today! I hope that God is blessing you through this Year of the Bible process. It's not easy--but God is at work in you through each chapter you read.

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Tues, Jan. 20: Who does Jesus quote in Matthew 15?
Matthew 15:7-9 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

And here's the question of the day for Wednesday:
Weds, Jan. 21: What does Joseph ask his steward to put in Joseph’s youngest brother’s sack as his family is preparing to return home? (Gen 44)

And here's the reflection of the day:

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Hypocrites

I'm a little slow out of the gate today. Sorry!!

Here's yesterday's question and answer of the day:
Mon, Jan. 19: Joseph found favor in one of the Pharaoh’s official’s eyes. What was his name and what did he put Joseph in charge of? (Gen 39)
Genesis 39:4 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

And here's the question of the day:
Tues, Jan. 20: Who does Jesus quote in Matthew 15?


And here's the reflection of the day:
Hypocrite
Matthew 15:8-9 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

I suspect that this part of Matthew 15 (quoted above) is why Christians have a reputation for being hypocrites. From the time sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, people (believers and non-believers) choose time and time again to be the god of their lives, to allow their peers to be the gods over their lives--or, as Matthew says, ". . . their teachings are but rules taught by men."

Isaiah said it first, back in Isaiah 29, and denounced the religious leaders of his day who were taking the credit--or the glory--for themselves, instead of properly passing it along to God. Isaiah continues on to say, "Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder. . ." God's methods of persuasion do not include force. He will just prove himself with more wonders and more grace.

And God does continue to prove himself. Jesus makes the radical declaration that it's not what goes into a man's mouth that makes him unclean "but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" Horton the Elephant gets it right about saying what he means and meaning what he says. To aspire to following God's commandments and expectations and to admit sinfulness when we fail--that is how we can prove ourselves not to be hypocrites, but fellow sinners struggling to live faithful lives.

And it seems to me that this is the exact method Christians need to adopt to combat the "hypocrite" label. Let what comes out of our mouths be the kinds of things we should be thinking on: "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think (AND LET THESE THINGS COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH) about such things" (Phil 4:8).

Have a splendid day!
Allison

Monday, January 19, 2009

GO STEELERS!

Another bright and beautiful MONDAY morning! I hope you were safe on the roads yesterday. Our turnout in church was a little low--but I was still pleasantly surprised how many people made the effort to come!

PS GO STEELERS!
(Sorry, had to get that out of my system.)

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Sun, Jan. 18 Psalm 9:2 “2 I will be glad and rejoice in You”. . .
Name 10 things that you thank God for (No right or wrong answer for that!)

And here's today's question of the day:
Mon, Jan. 19 Joseph found favor in one of the Pharaoh’s official’s eyes. What was his name and what did he put Joseph in charge of? (Gen 39)


And here's the reflection of the day:
Invite Jesus In
In Matthew 14 we read about the storm overtaking the disciples in the boat. In the midst of the crashing waves and darkness, the disciples see Jesus walking toward them on the water. High-spirited Peter (the one who always says and does what other people only THINK about doing and saying) wants to be like Jesus: "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water."

And Jesus says, "Come." The winds keep blowing, the waves keep crashing, and Peter wants to walk on water. Instead of thinking of their safety, about the storm--he has eyes only for Jesus. Peter is brave at first, then reality sinks in. And then Peter beings to sink.

How often has that happened to us? How often do we walk without fear along the right path toward Jesus only to let ourselves get distracted by the reality of the situation aournd us? Instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus, Peter loses focus. Does that mean we should never step out in faith? Does that mean Peter doesn't have enough faith?

Not so much. If this is a "pop quiz" of faith (like we talked about in yesterday's post which was the sermon from Sunday morning), the disciples passed. In the end, they invited Jesus INTO the boat with them instead off all trooping out onto the water. Once they invited Jesus into the boat, the winds die down. Once they invited Jesus into the boat, the waves stopped crashing.

How much trouble would we save ourselves if we would just invite Jesus INTO our boats in the first place?

Allison

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Sunday Sermon

Wow! It's like a heat wave out here this morning! I haven't had to put on as many layers to take Rocky outside. Which is good because he gets impatient waiting for me!

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Sat, Jan. 17 Fill in the blank: “The kingdom of heaven is like a ________ hidden in a field . . . . Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for __________. . . . Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a ____ that was let down into the lake. . . .” (Matt 13)
Matthew 13:44-47 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 47 "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
And here's today's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 18: Psalm 9:2 “I will be glad and rejoice in You”. . .
Name 10 things that you thank God for.

And, in lieu of a reflection, here is today's sermon for those of you who don't get to hear it live this morning!

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Please pray with me: Gracious God, Still our minds and quiet our worries; open our ears and hearts so that we might truly hear your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING Genesis 22:1-14
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

INTRODUCTION
I counted it up the other day and discovered that I have gone to school for 22 of my almost 30 years of life. And in those 22 years of high school and college and seminary, I’ve taken A LOT of tests. I’ve taken pop quizzes I didn’t know were coming, math tests that I DID know were coming (and that I never did very well on), a driving test (which I passed the first time, unlike some of my siblings), the SATs (took those twice, I think), and ordination exams which was one of the last steps in becoming a minister.

And of all those kinds of tests, pop quizzes were the worst. There’s nothing worse than going to class, knowing that you didn’t do the homework from the night before, and hearing the teacher say, “OK, put your books and papers away. We’re having a pop quiz.” Even if you DID the homework from the night before, the same sudden panic still hits you when you hear the phrase “pop quiz.”

Ugh. My heart still beats a little faster just thinking about them. I would guess I’m not the only one who feels this way about pop quizzes. The problem with pop quizzes is that you never know when they’re coming so you never know when to be prepared. Now, I think the teachers among us would say that’s why we ALWAYS have to be prepared for a pop quiz.

And don’t think that just because you’re not in school, you don’t have to worry about pop quizzes. Just ask Abraham. God surprised him with the mother of all—or rather, the FATHER of all—pop quizzes!

MOVE #1
God surprises Abraham with a pop quiz. Abraham didn’t know it was coming. It was a real pop quiz—he didn’t see it coming.

Verse one of our reading this morning says, “Some time later God tested Abraham.” God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac—the son that he and Sarah had waited for almost 100 years. . . the son who was a part of God’s promise to make their descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky.

This test from God must have been like a sucker punch to Abraham’s gut, don’t you think? It was unexpected and it was shocking, especially in light of how the Old Testament tells us that God hates child sacrifice, something that pagans practiced.

How could the God who had favored Abraham and Sarah throughout all their lives suddenly now demand such a sacrifice? How could God possibly demand the murder of a life, especially a life so clearly given by God’s own hand? It blows the mind to think about it!

There’s no way Abraham could have anticipated this command—it’s not just a request or suggestion, it’s an outright command from God Almighty. Verse 2 says, “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

This testing is something Abraham never could have anticipated. And it turns out that this pop quiz is a matter of life and death.

MOVE #2
This was a test Abraham never saw coming, but we know he somehow managed to pass the test with flying colors. He did exactly what God told him to—going so far even to bind Isaac and put him on the altar and to pick up the knife. He did each and every thing God told him to do—and at the very last minute possible, God intervened and saved Isaac, saying , “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (v12).

How did he do it? How did he know what the right thing to do was? How could Abraham, who had waited his whole, long life to be a father, have risked the life of his one and only son?

Abraham didn’t refuse. He didn’t argue with God. He didn’t try to bargain him down to some lesser test. These are all things he did with God successfully in the past. But he didn’t try to persuade God to change his mind this time.

The text doesn’t say what went through his head. It doesn’t reveal what must have been going through his head during the three day journey to the mountain in Moriah. It doesn’t even give a hint as to what Abraham was thinking when Isaac, his only son, says, “Father, the fire and wood are here but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” The text is silent.

But Abraham passed the test because he had faith; he trusted and obeyed. He looked at the track record he had with God, he thought of all the stories that had been handed down of God’s love and protection, and he trusted and obeyed that God would remain true to his character and provide a substitute for Isaac. Abraham was faithful.

MOVE #3
God did not give Abraham this pop quiz in order to watch him fail. God tested Abraham in order to increase his faith. The test is for his benefit, to strengthen his trust and his obedience.

But God doesn’t just give pop quizzes to Abraham; think about the testing Job had to go through and how his faith was increased. Think about Jesus being tempted—or tested—by the Devil in the desert. And God’s pop quizzes aren’t just a thing of the past.

God tests us to determine the depth and integrity of our commitment to him. God tests us to see how strong our faith is, to figure out how deep our devotion is. In order to pass a test from God, we simply need to trust and obey. We fail God’s test when we turn our backs on him in times of trouble, when we insist on relying on ourselves instead of on him. We fail God’s test when we refuse to make him the ultimate Lord of our lives.

I asked this question about Bible Study this week and I’ll ask it again this morning: where is God testing you today? What is God calling you to do? I’m sure it’s something crazy and uncomfortable. How can you trust and obey during this test?

It’s probably a situation that’s not pleasant and it’s not easy. It’s a test that is not meant to make you give up; it is a test meant to build up your faith, to show you that with God’s help you can do all sorts of things you never thought possible. It’s a test of trust and obedience, a test for you to persevere doing what GOD wants you to do and NOT doing what YOU want to do.

CONCLUSION
People fail God’s tests all the time. People are untrusting and disobedient when God springs a pop quiz on them. Even Abraham could have failed God’s test. He could have said no to God from the very beginning.

But he didn’t. He passed the pop quiz. Abraham obeyed God’s command, trusting that God would keep his promise. And his faith was increased and his obedience was rewarded by God.

God’s pop quizzes teach us that God always provides. He always gives us a ram caught in the thickets to get us out of a difficult situation. God always provides. The testing is what helps us build up our faith so that we really can believe that. Let not your hearts be troubled: God will always provide for you; all we have to do is trust that God provides and obey his commands.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Parable of the Sower

Good morning once again! I'm so glad you stopped by to check out what's going on with the Year of the Bible! Don't forget about worship at 11:00a on Sunday, Jan. 18--we'll be nice and cozy inside while it's chilly and cold outside! I hope to see you there!

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Fri, Jan. 16: What was Jacob’s name changed to? What does it mean? (Gen 32)
Genesis 32:28 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." (This is also repeated in Genesis 34. For a bonus point, what verse in chapter 34?!)

Here's today's question of the day:
Sat, Jan. 17 Fill in the blank: “The kingdom of heaven is like a ________ hidden in a field . . . . Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for __________. . . . Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a ____ that was let down into the lake. . . .” (Matt 13)

And here's today's reflection:
Sowing the Seeds of Love
There's a song I remember from my youth by a band called Tears for Fear called "Sowing the Seeds." It reflects over the problems of the world all the while with a pulsing chorus encouraging the listener to keep "sowing the seeds of love." Here's a link to the music video if you like odd, late 80s music videos! (http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2169782)

Normally, when we read the parable of the sower, we consider what kind of soil we are. But today my brain is thinking more about being faithful sowers in all the different kinds of soil around us. Do we pay as much attention to those who are rocky soil as to those who are good soil? How we can help those who are the rocky soil to become more solid? Is there something we as Christians can do to help change the soil chemistry? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I can't help but think that we are called to minister just as much to the poor soil as we are to the good soil.

What do you think?
Allison

Friday, January 16, 2009

Repentance Part 2

I didn't think it could get any colder. . . yikes! I'm glad I took Rocky out BEFORE I actually knew what the temperature was. Mind over matter, right?

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Thurs, Jan. 15 Which cities does Jesus denounce? (Matt 11)
(It's kind of a trick question--Jesus mentions a lot of cities, but he only condemns 3 of them.)
Matthew 11:20-24 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Here's today's question of the day:
Fri, Jan. 16 What was Jacob’s name changed to? What does it mean? (Gen 32)


And here's the reflection of the day:
Repentance Part 2
Genesis 33 seems to pick up just where the Matthew 11 left off talking about repentance. By now you've read the whole Jacob and Esau story and you know that, though Esau has a bad rap, it's actually JACOB who's the trickster. He's the liar and the cheater, and yet the story follows him, not Esau.

At this point in the story, Jacob feels the need for reconciliation with his twin. Perhaps the guilt of his wrongs wore him down. Perhaps he hoped that enough time had passed that Esau's anger would have passed. Whatever the reason, Jacob feels now is the time to reconcile with his brother. As he begins his approach to Esau's land, his messengers return telling him that Esau and 400 men were coming to meet them. Jacob begins to panic, thinking Esau was still holding a grudge and is now coming for his revenge.

In his heart, Jacob seemed prepared to repent but it looks like his repentance was more out of fear than perhaps even regret. This is not the kind of repentance God is looking for. Repentance out of fear of retribution from God is useless. Repentance should not be fueled by fear.

Repentance is born out of gratitude for the grace of God which is given to use freely. Our repentance is offered to God out of our thankfulness for the forgiveness of our sin and NOT out of fear that if we don't God will punish us. At Bible Study on Wednesday we talked about how faith should be motivated by gratitude and not fear of God. This part of the Jacob and Esau story is a good reminder to consider the motivations of our faith and repentance. Do we believe out of fear of what God might do if we don't believe or out of gratitude for what God did for us on the cross? Is our repentance motivated by fear or faith?

Just a little something for us all to ponder today. . .
Allison

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Another chilly day on tap! Be careful out there!


Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Weds, Jan. 14 On what did Jacob see angels ascending and descending during his dream? (Gen 28)
Genesis 28:12 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

And here's today's question of the day:
Thurs, Jan. 15 Which cities does Jesus denounce? (Matt 11) (This is kind of a trick question because Jesus mentions a number of cities, but he only denounces some of them.)


And here's today's reflection:

I've always been curious about the part of Matthew 11 that I asked the question about this morning. And now that I read it again, I find myself even more curious. So I opened up a commentary to read a little more about what was going on in these cities.

Jesus rebukes three town in the area of Galilee. They are rebuked not because of their lack of faith but because of their lack of repentance, which Matthew explains in verse 20: "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent." Now, Jesus is not like a traveling salesman, performing miracles to make people believe in him. Miracles are never meant to simply certify Jesus' power; they are manifestations of God's will to save His people. A miracle is a testimony to God's power, not a litmus test of divinity.

So these cities observed Jesus' miracles--heard His testimony--and perhaps responded with faith, but they did NOT respond with repentance. Normally, those are two things we assume go hand in hand. But in this case, apparently not. These cities were like the seed dropped along the path, which sprang up quickly but was scorched in the sun because it didn't take root for water (in the parable of the sower, Matthew 13). Tyre and Sidon (v21) are two cities that were considered full of pagans. Jesus says if these two cities had seen what the Galilean cities had seen, THEY would have repented "long ago in sackcloth and ashes."

This kind of repentance--the kind of repentance God desires--is to take God seriously and to commit their lives to living as a part of His family and His kingdom, continually seeking to be holy as God is holy. That is repentance. Not a one time "I'm sorry," but a continual realization that God is placed "in the highest place, above all else" as the song goes, and a continual effort to realign my life (and yours) with God's expectations.

The other fascinating part of this little story is that Jesus is denouncing whole towns full of people and not individuals. In biblical times and even today, each town decides what is important and what is not, what it will value and what it finds useless. And the individuals in the town are influenced by the values of that town. So a town that does not value God (like these Galilean towns) will not encourage its residents to believe in God. Apparently that is the case with Capernum--perhaps they so valued their commercial financial success that the spiritual issues of the day were pushed to the margins.

Think of the town or community you live in. Does it value God? Does it encourage worship and service and fellowship? Do its residents? There will always be a Christian minority in every community. And it is up to them--to US!--to change the values of the community. Individuals can make a difference in a community. They can change the values of a community from one that esteems the almighty dollar to one that esteems the Almighty God. And in that way, towns across the world can avoid fate of Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernum. Are you ready to be a part of God's revolution?

I'm praying for my community--are you?
Allison

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Whew! Bundle up!

Yikes! Curl up under your blanket and stay there as much as possible. It's going to be a cold week.

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Tues, Jan. 13 What physical ailment of Isaac started this whole mess between Jacob and Esau? (Gen 27)
Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. . . "

And here's today's question of the day:
Weds, Jan. 14 On what did Jacob see angels ascending and descending during his dream? (Gen 28)


And today's reflection:
Psalm 8 explores the tension we live with as God's children. God is a great big, powerful God--the creator of the heavens and moon and stars with simply His fingertips. But we are lowly humans, sinful and full of pride, who ruined even the Garden of Eden. Yet God made us "a little lower than the heavenly beings" and crowned us "with glory and honor."

God has given us a place of honor among His creation, and yet when given the choice, we would probably choose to do harm to His creation. When given the choice, we choose selfishly. But God never chooses selfishly. God is always holy.

So, "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" The tension we live in is this: God is holy and we are not, but because He has adopted us as His children, His holiness is passed on to us, making us holy. We are holy not because of what we have done but because of what God has done for us. So God makes us holy--exalts us over the rest of creation--and yet we are still far less than God. And since idolatry seems to be our #1 sin, this is perhaps a perspective we should ponder more often!


Bible Study is still on for today at 10:30a. We'll decide about the evening Bible Study later--snow is supposed to be moving in this afternoon. Bundle up if you're going out!
Allison

Like Father, Like Son

Good morning!

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Mon, Jan. 12 Where did Jesus find Matthew? (Matt 9)
Matthew 9:9 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

And today's question of the day:
Tues, Jan. 13 What physical ailment of Isaac started this whole mess between Jacob and Esau? (Gen 27)


And here's today's reflection:
Like Father, Like Son
In Gen 26, Isaac and Rebekah make the same mistake that Abraham and Sarah did: lying to the king about their status as a married couple. I think it's interesting that they repeat his parents' sin. Did Abraham and Sarah not mention the trouble they got in when they lied? But what's even more interesting is that Isaac seems to be rewarded (blessed, even!) because of the lie! Abimelech the king warns other from hurting Isaac and Rebekah and they go on to live a blessed life (v12-13).

Because of Isaac's wealth and prosperity, Abimelech is intimidated so he asks them to move away. They return to Abraham's lands and reopen the wells the Philistines has filled up. Isaac is visited by God in a dream who reassures him that all the promises He made his father, God also makes to the son. Though Abraham and Isaac are both sinful and flawed men, they always return to God. And just as God watched over Abraham, so too He will watch over Isaac. Like father, like son!

There's one other piece to this story that caught my interest, a tidbit I'm not sure I noticed before. In v 26, Abimlelech, his personal adviser, and the commander of his forces went all the way out into the land to meet with Isaac, who is instantly on the defense. But it turns out that Abimelech and company recognize that Isaac has found favor with God and therefore wields great power as a result. They come to make a "sworn agreement" with them by swearing one of the INFAMOUS oaths. (If you dare, check out yesterday's post for more info on oaths!!)

This little story makes me think about whether people know that we are people of faith just by interacting with us. We are God's sons and daughters, just like Abraham and Isaac and Jesus Christ. But do we live in the confidence that God has chosen us--adopted us--into his family? Is our faith obvious when people look at us? Do we wear our faith proudly while at work or the grocery store?

I would hope that someone with just a seedling kind of faith (still uncertain and testing the waters) would look at someone whose faith was like a mighty oak and decide there might be something to it. What do you think your non-church going friends, family, and neighbors think about when they look at you?

Something to ponder as you go through your day!
Allison

Monday, January 12, 2009

TMI

Happy Monday! At least, it's happy for me because I got a little bonus sleep this morning (for no apparent reason!). It was delicious and, I think, the best way to start the week! And the Steelers mauling the Chargers doesn't hurt, either!! Enough gloating, Allison, get down to business.


Here's yesterday's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 11: Have you ever felt the way the psalmist feels in Psalm 6? Why? How did God respond? (There’s no right or wrong answer for this one. Just be honest with yourself. )

And here's today's question of the day:
Mon, Jan. 12 Where did Jesus find Matthew? (Matt 9)


And here's today's reflection:
TMI
Genesis 24:2-4 2 Abraham said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. 3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."

Sometimes questions are better left unasked. I asked a question this morning that I wish I hadn't. Are you familiar with the expression "TMI?" It means "too much information," which is where I ended up this morning as I opened a few other books to help me understand what was going on with the oath in Genesis 24! I'll get to that in a minute, but first I thought I'd share with you some of the stuff I read about oaths.

The word "oath" comes from the Hebrew word for seven, the sacred number in Hebrew culture. If you remember from Gen 21, seven lambs are used as witnesses to a covenant. An oath is a statement people use to give assurance that they have (or will) speak the truth. An oath can also be used as a promise that someone will do something. Usually God is invoked in the middle of this oath, kind of a biblical version of "Do you promise to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The expectation is that if you break your oath, or swear a false oath, it is assumed that punishment is sure to follow. Oaths are meant to be HOLY and to break an oath is to "profane God's name." (Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary, p 770)

So, back to "the wooing of Rebekah" in the land of TIMI in Gen 24. Abraham wants to find a wife for his son Isaac ("she laughs," remember?). But now Abraham is "old and well advanced in years" and is not able to complete the search himself. Instead, he commissions his own most trusted servant to do the searching for him by looking for a woman by a well, a detail not given by God but rather of Abraham's own discernment.

This is a very important mission in Abraham's eyes. So important, in fact, he makes his servant swear an oath and tells him to "put your hand under my thigh." At least that's probably what your Bible says. BUT, according to the New International Bible Commentary, "thigh" is not the most precise translation. A more accurate translation refers not to the thigh but to what the NIB calls a man's "vehicle of life," if you know what I mean.

So that leaves us in the land of TMI with an answer to the innocent question, "Why does the servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh as part of an oath?" And though it is a detail perhaps we could have lived without, I think it does indicate just how important oaths are and how they are not meant to be made lightly. I think those Old Testament folks understood the importance of making and keeping promises a lot better than we do.

Just a little something for you to think about the next time you make a promise!!
Allison

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Providential Typos?

Just thought I'd post my sermon from this morning for those reading this who didn't hear it. I'd love comments on it!

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 5:1-12
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

INTRODUCTION
I don’t know if you know this, but I’m kind of a spelling and grammar fanatic. I’m the kind of person who cringes at the sight of a misplaced apostrophe or a misspelled word on a sign. No matter what book I’m reading, if I see a typo, I am quick to circle it and correct it in the margin.

And if I ever get tired of being a pastor, I’ve found a company I can work for. The Peachtree Editorial and Proofreading Service spends their days proof reading the Bible in all its versions and translations.[i] Believe it or not, but the Bible has been printed with a few typos here and there.

For example, one Bible was actually printed saying, “Thou shalt commit adultery.” Think of what would have happened if no one caught that one! In another typo, Jesus says, “Go and sin on more.” That’s a Bible that maybe more people would want to read. There’s even one Bible that accidentally said, “Let the children first be killed” instead of “Let the children first be FILLED.” Most typos you can write off as being harmless, but some typos need to be corrected immediately! God bless Peachtree Proofreading for catching the important typos.

Now, as I was reading our Scripture passage from Matthew this morning, you may have been thinking that it seems full of typos because, at first, it doesn’t seem to make much sense. Blessed are the poor in spirit? Blessed are those who mourn? Blessed are those who are persecuted? What kind of nonsense is that?


MOVE #1
Now, in the children’s sermon I talked about how the Bible tells us how to be “happy.” When you teach kids, you start out simple, right? You start with what they understand. But now that we’re all grown up, we need to dig down deeper. Remember how last week Lori talked about being like a tree with roots that sink deep into the ground? Well, trying to understand a passage like these “Beatitudes” is one way to get your roots to grow deeper.

What does it mean to be blessed? Anybody have any suggestions? What does it feel like to be blessed? According to one book I read, to be blessed is “to be made privileged or fortunate,” not because of something we do, but because of something God has done.[ii] We don’t EARN blessings—we receive them!

There are a lot of synonyms you can use for the word “blessed.” If you wanted to re-write the Beatitudes, you could say, “How fortunate are the poor in spirit. . .” Another author I read said it could even be translated, “Congratulations to the pure in heart because they will see God.”[iii] Whichever word you like best, to be blessed is to be GIVEN the gift of divine favor—something I think we ALL are hungry for.

So the blessing in the Beatitudes is not about how we feel. Blessing is all about what God has done for his people. And not just what God has done for his people but God WILL do for his people.


MOVE #2
If you look at verses 3 and 10, you will see that they end with the same phrase, kind of like bookends holding a hold stacks of books together. Both verses end with the phrase “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So if this phrase is at the beginning of the section and the end of the section, it seems like maybe this phrase is also tied in with all the other verses too.

So, it would seem that the next logical question is “What is the kingdom of heaven?” So I looked in my dictionary of fancy theological words, and I found that the “kingdom of heaven” is “God’s ultimate Lordship”—a time when there will be no more poverty or injustice or sin. With the birth of Jesus Christ, the “kingdom of heaven” broke through into life on earth. So the kingdom of God—his ultimate Lordship—is here with us now.

And yet, it’s not totally here. You know what I mean? I mean there’s still sin and brokenness all around us, but every once in a while we see the kingdom of heaven break through—some little miracle moment just for us from God. But the kingdom of heaven isn’t here yet. And it won’t be until Jesus comes again. We live in this odd tension of the kingdom being here but not completely.

So the blessings in these Beatitudes do 2 things. First, they are an assurance to those who find themselves “poor in spirit” and persecuted and meek that they belong to the kingdom of heaven despite what their current circumstances are. And second, the Beatitudes tell us that the kingdom of heaven turns life upside down. It’s not “blessed are those with good jobs, a four car garage, and a big 401k.” It means blessed are those who live under the kingdom of heaven and allow it to shape how they live out their gratitude to God.

CONCLUSION
I started out talking about typos in the Bible. One of the other typos someone found in the Bible actually comes from these Beatitudes. Instead of “Blessed are the peacemakers,” it said, “Blessed are the place makers,” which is not to be confused with the line from Monty Python about “Blessed are the cheese-makers.”

And there might be something to that little typo. Blessed are those who make a place for the kingdom of God in their lives. What would that look like? What would it look like to live understanding and acknowledging God’s ultimate Lordship? Just how deep could our roots grow if we said yes to the radical way God wants us to live our lives?

We would make a place to be poor in spirit—finding our true identity and security in God. We would make a place to be meek—humble and yet firm. And we would make a place to mourn—to be grieved by the sin and suffering and brokenness in the world around us.

If we make a place for these things in our lives, we will be ready to receive the place that God is making for us in the kingdom of heaven.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.


[i] Homiletics online, “Blessed are the Placemakers,” http://www.homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93000045
[ii] Ibid.
[iii]Hare, Interpretation, Matthew, p. 35.

A Psalm for Sunday

Hello, again! I hope that wherever you are, you are able to make it to church this morning! I still here the snow plows scraping the roads this morning, so drive carefully.

Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Sat, Jan. 10: How many times does Jesus heal people in Matt 8 (including casting out demons)?
#1 Matthew 8:2-3 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
#2 Matthew 8:13 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
#3 Matthew 8:14-15 14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
#4 Matthew 8:16 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
#5 Matthew 8:31-32 31 The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." 32 He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
(Busy day for Jesus!)

And here's today's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 11: Have you ever felt the way the psalmist feels in Psalm 6? Why? How did God respond?
Ha! This is kind of a trick question. No right or wrong answer but a good thing to think about.


And here's today's reflection (which is a little short because I'm trying to get out the door on time!):
A Psalm for Sunday
As I read Psalm 5 this morning, I thought it was a perfect psalm for a Sunday morning. It encompasses all the feelings and emotions we can possibly have toward God: pleading, adoration, cries for vengeance, mercy, refuge, and asking for favor. And these are all emotions we will be taking with us to church this morning and will effect how we hear the Word of God preached in each of our congregations. I'm not sure there's an emotion the psalmist misses with this little poem.

Think about how you are feeling this morning. What part of the psalm are you connecting with right now? How will that affect the way you pray today? How do you hope God will respond? And may this journey through the Year of the Bible help to surround you with favor as with a shield (v12).


Also, this morning's reading from Gen 22 is the text for Bible Study this week as well as for next Sunday's sermon. THAT should make for some good discussion!

Amen!
Allison

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Good morning! I hope you're enjoying this Winter Wonderland this morning! Rocky really enjoys playing in the snow but barks OBNOXIOUSLY at the salt trucks as they go by. I try to tell him they're just trying to help, but he doesn't seem to care.


Now, down to business: here is yesterday's question and answer:
Fri, Jan 9: What does Sarah do when, as she eavesdrops, she overhears God telling Abram that she will give birth to a son? (Gen 18)
Genesis 18:10-15 10 Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."

And here is today's question of the day:
Sat, Jan. 10: How many times does Jesus heal people in Matt 8 (including casting out demons)?


And here is today's reflection:
The Fruit of Faith (Gen 21)

I hope you have noticed that the Abraham and Sarah saga dominates the pages of Genesis. Even after they both have passed away, still we hear stories involving their children and grandchildren. Abraham and Sarah are examples of great faith, even with all their faults and flaws. (Did you notice them AGAIN lying [sort of!] about being brother and sister in Genesis 20?!) It's reassuring to me to know that God can use me, even with my own faults and flaws, just like Abraham and Sarah.

In the beginning of chapter 21, we see the fruit of their faith. God made lots of outrageous promises to this couple in their golden years. Promises that anyone else might have ignored and laughed off. Well, Sarah tried to laugh off the promise of being a mother in her old age, but God kept his promise. We see the fruit of their faith as Sarah gives birth to their son. She may have had some doubts along the way, but certainly after this, she wasn't going to ask too many more questions of God!

She names her son Isaac, which means "laughter." (Remember how I told you about how important names are?) It's a nice inside joke for her and Abraham, but maybe it's also a good, humbling reminder never to underestimate the promises of God.

May this story increase our faith so that we might believe that God is always at work, in even the most unlikely of circumstances!



May God find you in some surprising way this day!
Allison

Friday, January 9, 2009

Happy Friday!

Whew! It is chilly this morning! No dilly-dallying for me and Rocky as we went for our (brief!) morning walk. I hope you're bundled up and staying warm! It sounds like more snow is coming tonight, so be careful!


Yesterday's question and answer:
Thurs, Jan. 8: How does Matthew tell us that we are to pray? (Matt 6)
Matthew 6:5-6 5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:7-8 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:9-13 9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

And today's question of the day:
Fri, Jan 9: What does Sarah do when, as she eavesdrops, she overhears
God telling Abram that she will give birth to a son? (Gen 18)


And today's Scripture reflection:
Collective Bargaining (Gen 18)
This morning, in Genesis 18, we see Abraham doing a little collective bargaining on behalf of the people of Sodom. Even though THEY don't realize it, Abraham is doing ALL he can to save the both cities.

It all started when the Lord comes to visit Abraham, along with three mysterious strangers, and drops the "baby bomb" on Abraham and Sarah. And perhaps knowing God has great plans for him bolstered Abraham's courage. So when God mentions (rather casually, I think), "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know" (Genesis 18:20-21), Abraham speaks up tentatively at first, then with growing boldness, pleading that surely God will not "sweep away the righteous with the wicked" (Gen 18:23). Abraham bargains God down from 50 righteous to 10.

If you've read Genesis 19, you know the very unpleasant ending of this story. And I'm sure you have a lot of questions about the details of the story. (You can click on the comment box below this post and leave your questions there if you'd like.) But what I want to know is how do feel about Abraham's collective bargaining? God seems to allow Abraham to change his mind--how do you feel about that? Are you relieved? Does it make you a little anxious?

When faced with such an odd story like this, I think the best question to ask is, "Why is this story in the Bible? What does this have to do with the story of God and humans?" I think the answer to that question is that this is a story about sin. It is a story of the obedience of Abraham and the disobedience of humanity in general. If you look at it like this, Abraham seems to foreshadow Jesus Christ, the One who is perfectly faithful. Jesus intercedes on our behalf (more collective bargaining!) with God, taking the punishment for our sin on himself.

May your faith be as bold as Abraham's. May you pursue God with your prayer requests with the same tenacity as Abraham. And may you have a heart as big as Abraham for your neighbors and their welfare.

And may you have a productive day!
Allison