Hello! Glad you stopped by. I'm getting back into my blogging rhythm. I find it particularly interesting how the OT and NT readings echo each other. Read on below to see what I'm talking about!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Thursday: Fill in the blanks: “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s ________, God’s _____________.” (I Cor 3)
And here's the question of the day:
Friday: What is David’s reaction when Nathan tells him that God said, “I will be his father and he will be my son. . . . But my love will never be taken away from him. . .” (2 Sam 7)
And here's the reflection of the day:
David is generally accepted to be the epitome of leadership, primarily because he was chosen by and protected by the Lord Almighty. And in today's reading from 2 Samuel 6, we see another aspect of his kingship, which is appealing to some but a turn off to others.
As David "and the whole house of Israel" bring the Ark of the Covenant out of Judah into the City of David, they were "celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals" (v 5).
What a great turn of phrase--"celebrating with all their might." This isn't just the dance scene from the Peanuts' Christmas movie; this is the Irish "Riverdance" show and the Broadway musical "Stomp" and the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" all rolled into one! This is a serious celebration. It is full of wild abandon and passion and devotion to God. It is an expression of the overwhelming gratitude David and Israel are feeling because they have regained the ark of God.
But Michal, one of David's wives, is not pleased. I'm not sure if she's more embarrassed that her husband would behave in such an undignified way OR if she is embarrassed that her king would behave in such an unseemly manner. Either way, "she despised him in her heart" (6:16). She expressed her contempt to David. David kept his cool and tried to explain to her why he did what he did: "It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel--I will celebrate before the Lord" (6:21). He will be even more undignified, he tells Michal, in order to give God glory.
This part of 2 Samuel reflects some of what we're reading in 1 Corinthians. 1 Cor. 4:10 says, "We are fools for Christ." That's what David was doing.
Paul was talking to people, who think like Michal, when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:18-19, "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a 'fool' so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."
How foolish are you willing to be for Christ? How foolish are you willing to allow your church to be? How can you celebrate with all your might everything God has done for you?
Allison
Showing posts with label foolishness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foolishness. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Hidden Theology
Hello! Glad you stopped by today!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Mon, Apr 6 What is the continuing debt that should always remain outstanding? (Rom 13)
Romans 13:8 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
And here's the question of the day:
Tues, Apr 7 What group complained to Joshua that they were too numerous for the one allotment and one portion of inheritance? (Josh 17)
And here's the reflection of the day:
I hope you have managed to prop your eyelids open as you have been reading through these latest chapters in Joshua. You've probably just been skipping over his lists of tribes and territories. On the surface, it's not very stimulating reading. (However, if you're having trouble sleeping at night, Joshua 13-22 make for some good put-you-to-sleep material!)
BUT. . . I have discovered, through Creach's commentary on Joshua (in the Interpretation series) that there is some meaning, some theology hidden inside all these lists.
Creach acknowledges that these chapters (13-22) are "seldom appreciated" but have an "very important" theological role in the book of Joshua (p 97). You'll notice that, as Joshua divides up Canaan, ALL of the tribes received land as their inheritance. The land didn't go to just a "privileged few;" instead, land was distributed with a concern toward their identity as a covenant community (p 98).
In a covenant community, all parties are equals, with no one party being greater or less than another, though they do vary in size. Land possession provided structure for Israel's new life in the Promised Land. Each tribe had its own tract of land given to them for the purposes of being an inheritance, something passed down from one generation to another. This is "a sign of relationship to the covenant-making God" (p 98).
Now, it does seem that the Jordan River becomes a definitive border between the Israelite (clean) and non-Israelite (unclean) territories. However, if you remember, some of the tribes wished to settle east of the Jordan. Does that make them unclean, unable to participate in Israel's worship?
By no means, as Paul would say! This section of Joshua pays particular attention to Israelites on BOTH sides of the river. Creach phrases is this way: "In the end there is a judgment for unity. Whether east or west of the Jordan, the most important mark of inclusion in the cultic community is the confession of the Lord as the only God, not the land the people occupy" (p 98).
And he concludes, "Given that emphasis, the church today, with its constant infighting over the nature of purity and questions of who is or is not fit to minister or be part of the community, should pay heed to this often overlooked portion of Joshua" (p 98).
It seems to me that Dr. Creach has hit upon a bit of wisdom. As long as Christ is the center of the church, the center will hold. The chaos may rise to alarming heights as people argue and debate, but as long as we all hold Christ as the center, it will hold.
Any time I start to worry about the state of the church--and the possible disintegration of it--I am reminded of the arrogance of humanity to assume that we have the power to destroy (or, for that matter, to SAVE) the church, which is the Body of Christ. If we are to believe the song and if we are to say that God really does have "the whole world in his hands," then it is but foolishness for us to think that we are in control of the Body of Christ--that whether it survives or not is really within our power.
Certainly, we do have a part to play in building up, and not tearing down, the Body of Christ, but far be it for us to assume that God has placed the church--the very Bride of Christ--solely into our sinful and very fallible hands. Do not let your heart be troubled.
Allison
PS Check out this Youtube video featuring "He's Got the World" and ukuleles!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Mon, Apr 6 What is the continuing debt that should always remain outstanding? (Rom 13)
Romans 13:8 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
And here's the question of the day:
Tues, Apr 7 What group complained to Joshua that they were too numerous for the one allotment and one portion of inheritance? (Josh 17)
And here's the reflection of the day:
I hope you have managed to prop your eyelids open as you have been reading through these latest chapters in Joshua. You've probably just been skipping over his lists of tribes and territories. On the surface, it's not very stimulating reading. (However, if you're having trouble sleeping at night, Joshua 13-22 make for some good put-you-to-sleep material!)
BUT. . . I have discovered, through Creach's commentary on Joshua (in the Interpretation series) that there is some meaning, some theology hidden inside all these lists.
Creach acknowledges that these chapters (13-22) are "seldom appreciated" but have an "very important" theological role in the book of Joshua (p 97). You'll notice that, as Joshua divides up Canaan, ALL of the tribes received land as their inheritance. The land didn't go to just a "privileged few;" instead, land was distributed with a concern toward their identity as a covenant community (p 98).
In a covenant community, all parties are equals, with no one party being greater or less than another, though they do vary in size. Land possession provided structure for Israel's new life in the Promised Land. Each tribe had its own tract of land given to them for the purposes of being an inheritance, something passed down from one generation to another. This is "a sign of relationship to the covenant-making God" (p 98).
Now, it does seem that the Jordan River becomes a definitive border between the Israelite (clean) and non-Israelite (unclean) territories. However, if you remember, some of the tribes wished to settle east of the Jordan. Does that make them unclean, unable to participate in Israel's worship?
By no means, as Paul would say! This section of Joshua pays particular attention to Israelites on BOTH sides of the river. Creach phrases is this way: "In the end there is a judgment for unity. Whether east or west of the Jordan, the most important mark of inclusion in the cultic community is the confession of the Lord as the only God, not the land the people occupy" (p 98).
And he concludes, "Given that emphasis, the church today, with its constant infighting over the nature of purity and questions of who is or is not fit to minister or be part of the community, should pay heed to this often overlooked portion of Joshua" (p 98).
It seems to me that Dr. Creach has hit upon a bit of wisdom. As long as Christ is the center of the church, the center will hold. The chaos may rise to alarming heights as people argue and debate, but as long as we all hold Christ as the center, it will hold.
Any time I start to worry about the state of the church--and the possible disintegration of it--I am reminded of the arrogance of humanity to assume that we have the power to destroy (or, for that matter, to SAVE) the church, which is the Body of Christ. If we are to believe the song and if we are to say that God really does have "the whole world in his hands," then it is but foolishness for us to think that we are in control of the Body of Christ--that whether it survives or not is really within our power.
Certainly, we do have a part to play in building up, and not tearing down, the Body of Christ, but far be it for us to assume that God has placed the church--the very Bride of Christ--solely into our sinful and very fallible hands. Do not let your heart be troubled.
Allison
PS Check out this Youtube video featuring "He's Got the World" and ukuleles!
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