We've got a little Q&A catching up to do! (My fault. . . :0)
Here's the question and answer from Saturday:
Who did the people wonder, in their hearts, might be the Christ? (Luke 3)
Luke 3:15 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
And here's the question and answer from Sunday:
Why did the people celebrate with joy (for seven days) the Passover? (Ezra 6)
Ezra 6:22 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Here's today's question:
What nation is Ezra from? What did the king grant to him and why? (Ezra 7)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Ezra is a pretty incredible person. Ezra's job was simply to study the Torah. That was his sole purpose in life: to study the Torah and to teach it to others.
But besides just learning Torah, he was supposed to LIVE it. He was supposed to BE Torah. And he was. He had experienced firsthand God's steadfast love through his interaction with the Persian Empire. He couldn't keep those experiences of God's protection to himself. He needed to share his experiences with others. He needed to share the Torah with others and encourage them to study it--and live it--as well.
That's what witnessing is all about. It doesn't have to be about a big show or a dramatic story--although, sometimes those things are involved. It's simply having a conversation about what God is doing in your life.
One of my favorite memories of witnessing actually involves a Presbytery meeting and the "Doxology." One of our colleagues had suffered a stroke and we were sharing in an impromptu time of prayer for her (we found ourselves miraculously ahead of schedule). It ended with an a cappella round of the "Doxology." Never has a song sent shivers through me like it did that day. We had gathered together as a group of believers, giving praise to God, acknowledging God as the author of life. (The beautiful four part harmony wasn't too bad either!!)
It was a natural thing for us to do, because we all had experiences with God's protection and steadfast love. And it was natural for Ezra to live a doxological life--a life full of praise. Not simply a life full of thanksgiving--that can put the focus too much on ourselves--but a life full of praise. Ezra was the kind of believer whose whole life was marked by encouraging and strengthening others as he gave glory to God.
How can you live as a doxology today?
Allison
Showing posts with label character. Show all posts
Showing posts with label character. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Mark's Big Secret
Hello! I hoped you had a blessed Resurrection Sunday! Let's not waste any time. Since I took a little sabbath from blogging yesterday, I'll catch you up on all the qs and as. . .
Here's the question and answer from Sunday:
Sun, Apr 12 Who does the angel of the Lord appear to in Judges 6?
Judges 6:11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.
Here's the question and answer from Monday:
Mon, Apr 13 At whose house does Jesus have dinner with many tax collectors and sinners? (Mark 2)
Mark 2:15 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
And here's the question of the day:
Tues, Apr 14 What did God do when the Israelites disobeyed him? (Judges 10)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Mark has a big secret in Mark 3. Well, that's not wholly true. It's Jesus who has the secret, but it doesn't seem to be much of a secret. In fact, demons and spirits keep blurting it out whenever Jesus comes near. Jesus quickly shushes them, giving "them strict orders not to tell who he was."
The secret is just what the evil spirits claim: "You are the Son of God." Which is totally true and EXACTLY what Jesus is trying to convince the disciples of! So, why keep it a secret? Especially now, when all the crowds are eagerly following him, straining and pushing to get closer to his healing power. The stage is set for the big revelation. But Jesus continues to shush them.
Students and scholars of Mark call this the "messianic secret." Mark, as a gospel writer, likes to communicate on two levels: at the narrative level, "characters in the story interact within an assumed framework of relationships, attitudes, and knowledge that becomes evident as the plot unfolds" (Lamar Williamson, Jr, Mark, Interpretation Commentary series).
The second level is the interaction between the writer and the READER--that's us. For example, Mark 1:1 says, "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God." So, the reader knows who Jesus is, but it has not yet been revealed to the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. In this level of communication, Mark enjoys using ambiguity, irony, paradox and lots of other literary devices we English majors love but drive others crazy!
So, this "messianic secret" is a little bit of irony (that is, the demons knowing who Jesus is even when the disciples don't). For Mark, Jesus cannot truly be known outside of the context of his passion, death, and resurrection, which Mark has gotten to yet. So to reveal Jesus' identity before he tells the whole story is do jump to the punchline before you've finished setting up the joke.
This "messianic" secret will keep popping up throughout the book. Keep your eyes peeled for those. Also, be on the lookout for other clues pointing toward Jesus' Passion, death, and resurrection. Mark drops a lot of hints along the way; we just have to notice them. (For example, Mark 3:6 says, "Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.")
So, is this a secret to keep or a secret to share? Perhaps that is the greatest irony of all--this is a secret Jesus wants us to share with everyone!!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from Sunday:
Sun, Apr 12 Who does the angel of the Lord appear to in Judges 6?
Judges 6:11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.
Here's the question and answer from Monday:
Mon, Apr 13 At whose house does Jesus have dinner with many tax collectors and sinners? (Mark 2)
Mark 2:15 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
And here's the question of the day:
Tues, Apr 14 What did God do when the Israelites disobeyed him? (Judges 10)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Mark has a big secret in Mark 3. Well, that's not wholly true. It's Jesus who has the secret, but it doesn't seem to be much of a secret. In fact, demons and spirits keep blurting it out whenever Jesus comes near. Jesus quickly shushes them, giving "them strict orders not to tell who he was."
The secret is just what the evil spirits claim: "You are the Son of God." Which is totally true and EXACTLY what Jesus is trying to convince the disciples of! So, why keep it a secret? Especially now, when all the crowds are eagerly following him, straining and pushing to get closer to his healing power. The stage is set for the big revelation. But Jesus continues to shush them.
Students and scholars of Mark call this the "messianic secret." Mark, as a gospel writer, likes to communicate on two levels: at the narrative level, "characters in the story interact within an assumed framework of relationships, attitudes, and knowledge that becomes evident as the plot unfolds" (Lamar Williamson, Jr, Mark, Interpretation Commentary series).
The second level is the interaction between the writer and the READER--that's us. For example, Mark 1:1 says, "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God." So, the reader knows who Jesus is, but it has not yet been revealed to the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. In this level of communication, Mark enjoys using ambiguity, irony, paradox and lots of other literary devices we English majors love but drive others crazy!
So, this "messianic secret" is a little bit of irony (that is, the demons knowing who Jesus is even when the disciples don't). For Mark, Jesus cannot truly be known outside of the context of his passion, death, and resurrection, which Mark has gotten to yet. So to reveal Jesus' identity before he tells the whole story is do jump to the punchline before you've finished setting up the joke.
This "messianic" secret will keep popping up throughout the book. Keep your eyes peeled for those. Also, be on the lookout for other clues pointing toward Jesus' Passion, death, and resurrection. Mark drops a lot of hints along the way; we just have to notice them. (For example, Mark 3:6 says, "Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.")
So, is this a secret to keep or a secret to share? Perhaps that is the greatest irony of all--this is a secret Jesus wants us to share with everyone!!
Allison
Monday, February 23, 2009
Manic Monday
Hello, hello, hello! Thanks for stopping by today on this "Manic Monday." Here's a little video of the song by the same name just to get you moving--it's one of my faves from when I was younger! (I know, I know . . . it wasn't THAT long ago!)
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sun, Feb. 22- When one enters a land and plants a tree, how long must one wait to eat the fruit of the tree?
Leviticus 19:25, “But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit.”
And here's the question of the day:
Mon, Feb. 23- What did the voice tell Peter to do?
And here's the reflection of the day:
I hope you don't mind, but we're going back into Leviticus again today. I'm (semi-desperately!) searching for a passage to preach on this Sunday so the more time I spend in it now, the better Bible Study and the sermon will be.
These particular chapters of the Holiness Code (see Sunday's post for more info about that) address qualities we should look for in our religious leaders. For those who are called to serve as leaders in God's kingdom must be held to a higher standard. A higher level of dedication and holiness should be in evidence if someone is to occupy a position of authority in a church--say an elder or a teacher.
I can't disagree with this, although in our little church, sometimes it's hard to find enough people to go around. Sometimes, warm bodies are all you can come up with . . . .
These chapters of Leviticus also talk a lot about the character of a leader's family. Not only the leader but also the leader's family should exemplify good character. This is actually a theme picked up in the New Testament too--Acts 6:3; 1 Tim 3; Titus 1:5-11.
I can't disagree with this either, although I've seen some pretty good parents with some pretty rotten kids. I actually know lots of parents whose kids were faithfully involved in every church activity in their younger days. Now that they are older and parents themselves, they never darken the door of a church. I don't know that we can always blame the parents for the sins of their children. . . .
These chapters also talk about how priests--in their persons and in their work--should model themselves after Christ himself--a Lamb without blemish, holy, and separate from sinners. Christ is the Great High Priest and the One who gave himself for the world in his priestly role.
Again, I can't disagree with this idea. But I'm afraid priests--and all members of the clergy actually--fall short of this Christ model, with a disturbing regularity. And it seems like it's never a small failure; instead it's a spectacular, headline-grabbing kind of failure. I know for myself I try to live by God's standards, but sometimes I'm just so weak. . . .
As I reflect on all this, it's interesting that I agree with all of what Leviticus says. And yet I find exceptions for each topic. But, I have to ask myself, are they really exceptions or are they actually excuses?
Friends, living out the holiness of Leviticus is just plain hard. And never will I live up to its (and God's) expectations because of my sin. But knowing that I never will is not an excuse to give up trying. This "Holiness Code" is meant as a standard to guide our behavior. But it is also meant as an example of the way life should be. . . the way we should live. . . and the way life is in the kingdom of God.
These kinds of passages point out what will be in God's kingdom. They give us glimpses of what we have to look forward to. . . what lies ahead for believers. Passages, like these from Leviticus, are not meant to burden us with guilt but to inspire us to be holy as our God is holy.
Are you leading a holy life? What parts are you proud of? What parts do you hope God isn't paying attention to? How can you work on making every part of your life holy?
Hope your Monday's not too manic!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sun, Feb. 22- When one enters a land and plants a tree, how long must one wait to eat the fruit of the tree?
Leviticus 19:25, “But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit.”
And here's the question of the day:
Mon, Feb. 23- What did the voice tell Peter to do?
And here's the reflection of the day:
I hope you don't mind, but we're going back into Leviticus again today. I'm (semi-desperately!) searching for a passage to preach on this Sunday so the more time I spend in it now, the better Bible Study and the sermon will be.
These particular chapters of the Holiness Code (see Sunday's post for more info about that) address qualities we should look for in our religious leaders. For those who are called to serve as leaders in God's kingdom must be held to a higher standard. A higher level of dedication and holiness should be in evidence if someone is to occupy a position of authority in a church--say an elder or a teacher.
I can't disagree with this, although in our little church, sometimes it's hard to find enough people to go around. Sometimes, warm bodies are all you can come up with . . . .
These chapters of Leviticus also talk a lot about the character of a leader's family. Not only the leader but also the leader's family should exemplify good character. This is actually a theme picked up in the New Testament too--Acts 6:3; 1 Tim 3; Titus 1:5-11.
I can't disagree with this either, although I've seen some pretty good parents with some pretty rotten kids. I actually know lots of parents whose kids were faithfully involved in every church activity in their younger days. Now that they are older and parents themselves, they never darken the door of a church. I don't know that we can always blame the parents for the sins of their children. . . .
These chapters also talk about how priests--in their persons and in their work--should model themselves after Christ himself--a Lamb without blemish, holy, and separate from sinners. Christ is the Great High Priest and the One who gave himself for the world in his priestly role.
Again, I can't disagree with this idea. But I'm afraid priests--and all members of the clergy actually--fall short of this Christ model, with a disturbing regularity. And it seems like it's never a small failure; instead it's a spectacular, headline-grabbing kind of failure. I know for myself I try to live by God's standards, but sometimes I'm just so weak. . . .
As I reflect on all this, it's interesting that I agree with all of what Leviticus says. And yet I find exceptions for each topic. But, I have to ask myself, are they really exceptions or are they actually excuses?
Friends, living out the holiness of Leviticus is just plain hard. And never will I live up to its (and God's) expectations because of my sin. But knowing that I never will is not an excuse to give up trying. This "Holiness Code" is meant as a standard to guide our behavior. But it is also meant as an example of the way life should be. . . the way we should live. . . and the way life is in the kingdom of God.
These kinds of passages point out what will be in God's kingdom. They give us glimpses of what we have to look forward to. . . what lies ahead for believers. Passages, like these from Leviticus, are not meant to burden us with guilt but to inspire us to be holy as our God is holy.
Are you leading a holy life? What parts are you proud of? What parts do you hope God isn't paying attention to? How can you work on making every part of your life holy?
Hope your Monday's not too manic!
Allison
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