We finished our discussion of Moses’ earthly life in our Bible Discovery sessions last Sunday night. At the end of a long and extraordinary life, Moses, the great Liberator, Law-Giver, and Leader, blessed the Israelites, and then walked up Mt. Nebo alone. There he was graced with a viewing of the Promised Land he would not be allowed to enter and then passed away. And Deuteronomy tells us that God Godself buried Moses, and to this day no one knows where.
Why such a mysterious end? It’s a little bit like Jesus when he told the disciples, “I’m going to a place where you can not go.” Why would God not memorialize these two great faith leaders? In a day and time in which even the poorest of individuals struggle to ensure their graves are marked for future generations, God choose to set up no tombstones for these two. Why?
I believe it’s because God wanted us to take what these two gave us and live it instead of ceaselessly returning to a tomb to honor what was. In other words, God wanted to make sure that we lived what could be instead of what once was. And that’s a crucial confession. In many ways, both Judaism and Christianity have grown beyond what their first leaders accomplished — and continue to grow and change. But would we have done so if we annually made a pilgrimage to a cold tombstone? I think not.
When we have our annual celebration of Christ’s birth we celebrate life. When we have our annual celebration of Easter morning, we celebrate Christ’s continuing life. When we celebrate our baptisms we are celebrating Christ’s continuing life in us as the Holy Spirit. There is no tombstone for Christ because Christ is still alive.
And that is why there really can be no tombstone for Moses either. Moses or certainly his influence continues to live on in both the Jewish and Christian faiths. In the former in the continually evolving Law which he first gave; in the latter in the lives of those who walked in his footsteps and transformed his Law into Jesus’ Love.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
14 Oct 08 — Some thoughts about God's Patience
Spend anytime reading Numbers and you will most likely come to the conclusion that God has a limit when it comes to patience and that there are grave consequences to sin. Consider the period of about two years that saw the great miracles in Egypt which led to the Exodus through the Red Sea and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, with all the daily miracles of provisioning in between, and you can’t help but understand that God has held up God’s part of the Promise. But likewise, any survey of Israel’s response, full of grumbling, rebellion, and lacking in gratitude would lead even the greatest of Saints to despair. God’s Response to this was “draconian” — none except Caleb and Joshua of the Exodus generation — two families who had remained faithful — would live long enough to enter into the Promised Land. And 38 and a half years of wandering in the wilderness began.
If that was the only story we had of God’s Response to Sin and Ingratitude, we would be warranted in claiming that God has a “hair-trigger” response when it comes to sin, and we would be perfectly justified in focusing on warning ourselves and others about God’s Wrath and Anger. But Numbers is not the only story. Indeed, as we look at the historical stories of the Judges and Kings, on down to the fullness of time bringing in Jesus’ era we see a remarkable increase in God’s Patience. For instance, it would be multiple generations of kings acting badly before the Assyrians and Babylonians would conquer Northern and Southern Israel.
And then God decided to solve God’s Problem with rebellious and sinful Humanity once and for all. God became one of us, and God had a change of heart. God realized it took more than an impersonal law from a God standing off at a distance to adequately bring about the obedience of love that God so earnestly desired. God learned something extraordinary about Patience when God walked among us as Jesus. As omnipotent and omniscient as God is, it took walking in human form for the fullness of our limitations to register to God. (By the way, that’s why I claim that unless you have walked in an oppressed people’s shoes you can’t adequately counsel them or demand that they conform to your orthodoxy.)
Jesus told Peter to forgive infinitely — i.e., be forever patient. Jesus told two of his disciples who had asked if they should have God rain down fire and brimstone on a village that did not accept him, “God forbid!” — i.e., if not this time, when you return, you will have another opportunity to make me real to them. In these and many other episodes, God announced through Jesus God’s new understanding of the depths and lengths of patience that God and we must have in dealing with ourselves and others. And that means that Numbers is telling us where we began, not where we are supposed to be living, nor where we are supposed to be going. So, as we like to say, “as God has so loved us, we love you,” so also we should say, “as God has been patient with us, so we must be patient with you.” Not always easy; but always necessary.
If that was the only story we had of God’s Response to Sin and Ingratitude, we would be warranted in claiming that God has a “hair-trigger” response when it comes to sin, and we would be perfectly justified in focusing on warning ourselves and others about God’s Wrath and Anger. But Numbers is not the only story. Indeed, as we look at the historical stories of the Judges and Kings, on down to the fullness of time bringing in Jesus’ era we see a remarkable increase in God’s Patience. For instance, it would be multiple generations of kings acting badly before the Assyrians and Babylonians would conquer Northern and Southern Israel.
And then God decided to solve God’s Problem with rebellious and sinful Humanity once and for all. God became one of us, and God had a change of heart. God realized it took more than an impersonal law from a God standing off at a distance to adequately bring about the obedience of love that God so earnestly desired. God learned something extraordinary about Patience when God walked among us as Jesus. As omnipotent and omniscient as God is, it took walking in human form for the fullness of our limitations to register to God. (By the way, that’s why I claim that unless you have walked in an oppressed people’s shoes you can’t adequately counsel them or demand that they conform to your orthodoxy.)
Jesus told Peter to forgive infinitely — i.e., be forever patient. Jesus told two of his disciples who had asked if they should have God rain down fire and brimstone on a village that did not accept him, “God forbid!” — i.e., if not this time, when you return, you will have another opportunity to make me real to them. In these and many other episodes, God announced through Jesus God’s new understanding of the depths and lengths of patience that God and we must have in dealing with ourselves and others. And that means that Numbers is telling us where we began, not where we are supposed to be living, nor where we are supposed to be going. So, as we like to say, “as God has so loved us, we love you,” so also we should say, “as God has been patient with us, so we must be patient with you.” Not always easy; but always necessary.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
09 Oct 08 — A book recommendation
I would like to take a break from the normal discussion pattern of this blog to recommend a book. Specifically, Upon the Altar of the Nation, by Harry S. Stout, Penguin Books, New York, NY 2006; ISBN: 978-0-14-303876-4. The USA’s Civil War is the most written about episode in our history, and trust me, there are many good books which have been written about it. But this book, by the Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Religious History at Yale University, breaks new ground as it discusses the moral history of the Civil War.
Between its covers you will find quotations from representative sermons from the pastors of those days and their civilian counterparts — both north and south. You will discover how they became an integral part of the war machine of both sides, of how they sold their souls (often without evening knowing it) to earthly circumstances. You will see the progression of attitudes in the faith communities as the conflict degenerated from early hopes of a quick resolution into the blood soaked fields of years of total war. It is a fascinating and revelatory look at a part of our history which still haunts us today. Indeed, after reading a work of this scope and understanding, you will appreciate better the rhetoric flowing from both sides of the pulpit as we fight today’s wars — both actual and cultural.
Don’t let the “philosophical” nature of the book throw you off. Stout’s writing is excellent and grabs a hold of your attention; a real page turner. I can not recommend this highly enough.
Between its covers you will find quotations from representative sermons from the pastors of those days and their civilian counterparts — both north and south. You will discover how they became an integral part of the war machine of both sides, of how they sold their souls (often without evening knowing it) to earthly circumstances. You will see the progression of attitudes in the faith communities as the conflict degenerated from early hopes of a quick resolution into the blood soaked fields of years of total war. It is a fascinating and revelatory look at a part of our history which still haunts us today. Indeed, after reading a work of this scope and understanding, you will appreciate better the rhetoric flowing from both sides of the pulpit as we fight today’s wars — both actual and cultural.
Don’t let the “philosophical” nature of the book throw you off. Stout’s writing is excellent and grabs a hold of your attention; a real page turner. I can not recommend this highly enough.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
07 Oct 08 — Some thoughts about God's Sanctuary
I underestimated how long it was going to take to recover from strep, so my apologies for my silence last week. I hope to be back on a regular schedule resuming today. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Let’s ponder that other 3:16 for a few moments — the one we find in I Corinthians — a verse which is arguably just as important as the more well known verse in John. “Don’t you know that you are God’s Sanctuary and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” OK, what does this sanctuary look like? Scripture provides us several answers, from the Tabernacle / Tent of Meeting that was crafted during Moses’ time to the magnificence of the Second Temple in Jesus’ time. What ever example you choose to contemplate, we’re not dealing with a mud hut or a cookie cutter pre-fab (no offense intended to anyone living in an apartment or a double-wide). We’re dealing with a space and presence of awesome beauty and profound craftsmanship.
But as important as what it looks like — of the extraordinary beauty this text claims lives within us, there are also those things which the Temple contains which have moved in to our bodies as well. Consider what was in the Holy of Holies. First there is the very Ark itself with the tablets of the X Commandments in it. That means the moral center of the Universe lies within you — available anytime you want to visit. Consider that on top of the ark between the Cherubim is where God’s Mercy Seat rests. That is the source of your compassion and mercy. Think about the showbread, that represented the manna of the desert wanderings: God’s Sustenance and Provisioning is already within you. Think about the High Priest’s clothing — yes, they are a part of the Tabernacle / Temple / Sanctuary as well. The High Priest’s breastplate with its 12 precious stones was the breastplate of judgment. But that judgment no longer resides in an external authority but within us. We might consider that to be our conscience.
On the other hand we should be careful. When Jesus was crucified, the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple / Sanctuary was torn in two and the World was invited in. If we do not invite people into our hearts; if we do not give mercy and feel compassion, then we are stitching that veil back together again. And consider the “lamp stand” (or candle holder) that is beside the Ark. Remember what Jesus told one of the congregations in Revelation (2:1-7) which was in danger because they were suffering from love fatigue? The threat was that Jesus would remove their lamp stand. But that lamp stand is within you now.
A final thought. Our church sanctuaries run the gamut from the extraordinarily artistic to the bland. But all of us have at one time or another, in person or through photographs, seen sanctuaries of great beauty. If you are feeling blue or down, I would just ask you to remember that beauty and to know and understand that it is within you — because that is where God has chosen to live.
Let’s ponder that other 3:16 for a few moments — the one we find in I Corinthians — a verse which is arguably just as important as the more well known verse in John. “Don’t you know that you are God’s Sanctuary and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” OK, what does this sanctuary look like? Scripture provides us several answers, from the Tabernacle / Tent of Meeting that was crafted during Moses’ time to the magnificence of the Second Temple in Jesus’ time. What ever example you choose to contemplate, we’re not dealing with a mud hut or a cookie cutter pre-fab (no offense intended to anyone living in an apartment or a double-wide). We’re dealing with a space and presence of awesome beauty and profound craftsmanship.
But as important as what it looks like — of the extraordinary beauty this text claims lives within us, there are also those things which the Temple contains which have moved in to our bodies as well. Consider what was in the Holy of Holies. First there is the very Ark itself with the tablets of the X Commandments in it. That means the moral center of the Universe lies within you — available anytime you want to visit. Consider that on top of the ark between the Cherubim is where God’s Mercy Seat rests. That is the source of your compassion and mercy. Think about the showbread, that represented the manna of the desert wanderings: God’s Sustenance and Provisioning is already within you. Think about the High Priest’s clothing — yes, they are a part of the Tabernacle / Temple / Sanctuary as well. The High Priest’s breastplate with its 12 precious stones was the breastplate of judgment. But that judgment no longer resides in an external authority but within us. We might consider that to be our conscience.
On the other hand we should be careful. When Jesus was crucified, the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple / Sanctuary was torn in two and the World was invited in. If we do not invite people into our hearts; if we do not give mercy and feel compassion, then we are stitching that veil back together again. And consider the “lamp stand” (or candle holder) that is beside the Ark. Remember what Jesus told one of the congregations in Revelation (2:1-7) which was in danger because they were suffering from love fatigue? The threat was that Jesus would remove their lamp stand. But that lamp stand is within you now.
A final thought. Our church sanctuaries run the gamut from the extraordinarily artistic to the bland. But all of us have at one time or another, in person or through photographs, seen sanctuaries of great beauty. If you are feeling blue or down, I would just ask you to remember that beauty and to know and understand that it is within you — because that is where God has chosen to live.
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