My morning devotional directed me toward two of the lectionary readings for tomorrow, so I'll post about those today, rather than about the book of Acts, just for something a little bit different!
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
It's interesting that the lectionary skips the verses here that focus on circumcision. Doing so allows the focus to be more on some other aspects of Abraham's encounter with God, I guess.
So God shows up here--El Shaddai, as he identifies himself--and seems to command Abram to follow him. "Walk with me and be trustworthy," God says. It might help us to know that this is not Abram's first encounter with God, and it's not without reason that God encourages Abram to do things honestly. (Check out the preceding 4 or 5 chapters to see what Abram's been up to since God first told him to head out from the place he'd always known. Not everything Abram did was on the up and up, so much...) But it is interesting that after quite a few years now--24 or so?--Abram's been on the go, trying to figure out what God meant when God promised to make many nations out of him. No matter what else Abram may have tried, the fact remains that he and Sarai still have no kids...and let's be honest, it's not looking very good for them. So God shows up. Maybe Abram needed the reminder of the covenant God had made with him so many years ago. Maybe Abram needed some encouragement to keep on going. Maybe Abram needed a kick in the pants. After all, he had listened to Sarai and had a kid with Sarai's slave girl, and that didn't end up working out so well. We can imagine that God has reason to be hesitant about how things are going to work out with this one!
But Abram remains faithful, scripture tells us. In fact, Paul expands on this quite a lot in the letter to the Romans. Romans 4:13-25 is the epistle reading for tomorrow, so let's get some of that in here, too:
18 When it was beyond hope, he had faith in the hope that he would become the father of many nations, in keeping with the promise God spoke to him: That’s how many descendants you will have.[a] 19 Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb, which was dead. 20 He didn’t hesitate with a lack of faith in God’s promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness.
Now, I don't know what version of Genesis Paul is reading, but I gotta say that I think Abram doesn't always come off as quite so faithful. I mean, he questions God sometimes--"How are you going to keep your promise, when I don't even have one son, God??" which isn't necessarily unfaithful, but he also tries to hurry up God's plan by having this child with Hagar--why would he think that would be the solution?! We might want to pick on him a bit, but I think that doing that might ultimately just make us more comfortable with the ways we lack faith and faithfulness, at times, ourselves. So, I'll take it easy on Abram today. His faith, even with a few mistakes, is still pretty impressive. And he got the bonus of hearing God make promises, first-hand. That's pretty cool!
One other part of this passage seems noteworthy at the moment--there's much more that could be said, of course--and that is the name change that happens here. Abram becomes Abraham, and our Bibles tell us that means something significant. Sarai becomes Sarah, which nobody can really figure out--it doesn't really seem to mean anything different. No matter how meaningful or not it was meant to be, though, we often read it as a new beginning and a shift in identity, as God's promises are being fulfilled in these two elders' lives. Maybe it's good to spend some time considering how my identity changes in noticeable ways, as God's promises are revealed in and around me. Hmm...
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Daily Lenten Post, Day 9
Acts has so many wonderful stories! Today's are some of my favorites, so this may be a little bit long.
Acts 16:6-10--Vision of the Macedonian
As cool as reading about the Holy Spirit is, it seems weird that the Spirit wouldn't let them speak or visit some places, and it makes me wonder how much I'm missing the Holy Spirit in my own life and ministry. How many of us practice being truly aware of the Spirit's presence and leading in our lives? How would our discipleship look different, if we were more open to how the Spirit is at work? The stories of the early church ask us these questions.
Verse 10 says "we prepared to leave," which is a bit of a surprise, and maybe even kind of startling. All of a sudden, this story gets a little more real to us because it's written in first-person--we're reading this story from a real person's perspective. Someone was actually writing about his own experience. Who is it? It doesn't tell us. Interesting!
Acts 16:11-15--Lydia's conversion
I have to admit that the place names that are mentioned in Paul's journeys don't always mean much to me. I should remember the geography of the New Testament better, but without reviewing that or looking at a map while I'm reading, I sometimes feel like I'm drowning in place names that are foreign to me, or names that I've heard before but still don't remember where they are.
Anyway, they arrive here in Philippi, and they go down to the river to pray! Lydia sounds like good people, as they say, and I appreciate her role in starting one of the first churches. (Maybe she wasn't a clergywoman, but hey, she was certainly a leader.) I wonder if there was anything unusual about these foreign men sitting down to talk with the local women. It reminds me a little bit of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
I'm surprised that after Paul teaches and preaches and Lydia is converted--"the Lord enabled her to embrace Paul's message"--she says to him, according to the Common English Bible, "Now that you have decided that I am a believer in the Lord..." Other versions sound a little bit different, and maybe it means something like, "Stay with me if you judge me faithful..." Still, it's an interesting way to phrase things.
Acts 16:16-40--Paul and Silas in Prison
This is such a fantastic story!!My study Bible notes that the servant girl's spirit (v.10) is sometimes referred to as a "python spirit," which connects her with the myth of the oracle of Delphi. I did not know that! Of course, I also don't remember the whole myth, but I do remember enough to know that the oracle at Delphi was something important.
As far as the story about Paul and Silas goes, this is such a meaningful story for Christians. I can think of half a dozen songs that refer to it, in one way or another. There's so much amazing Spirit activity here. Paul and Silas were severely beaten and put in high security, and they sat there singing and praying all night, and the other prisoners listened to them. It just sounds plumb crazy! And now, I have to admit that my study Bible suggests something that I have never really concluded before, about Paul and Silas' singing and praying: God answers their prayers. Duh! God answers their prayers--that's why they get out of jail! Duh!
The story of the jailer's conversion brings us to a lot of interesting questions, too. His act of believing somehow brings salvation to his whole household, verse 31 tells us, yet we are so often quick to make faith such an individual endeavor. What does this story really teach us about that? It's not that it was magic--everyone else in the house was taught, and we don't know what they did later in life--but it's that the jailer's act wasn't just done for himself.
The end of this story is a little bit funny. I guess the beginning was, too--Paul got annoyed and just cast out the girl's spirit. When the local authorities find out that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens, they realize they've kind of made a big mistake. Maybe the local officials should make decisions on something other than what the crowd yells for them to do!
I really like this story! If you haven't read it recently (or ever), take time to read it today. Know that you are never guaranteed an easy faith, but you are guaranteed that the same crazy Spirit that cracked Paul and Silas out of the depths of a local jail is with you, no matter where you are!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Daily Lenten Post, Day 8
There was a scary moment when I couldn't get my computer to turn on, and then how would I post on my blog for the rest of Lent?? But I got it to work again, so here's today's post.
Acts 15:22-35--Letter to the Gentile Believers
The church in Jerusalem writes a letter to the gentile churches, telling them what was decided about circumcision and the laws, and it gives the bare bones of what is expected, in terms of conduct from all believers. This still seems like a better way to handle things than we usually do in churches today, but I guess we still don't really know how people received it and how many people in Jerusalem didn't like the decision. The book of Acts is not an exhaustive account, so I probably shouldn't try to impose on it more than it tells me about the details of what really went on in the early church. Nonetheless, it seems like Acts gives us a good model for how to handle disputes in the church.
I think it's really interesting that Judas and Silas, who were sent with Paul, were also prophets. "They said many things that encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters." This doesn't seem like what prophets normally do, at least as we read them in the Old Testament. I'm curious about that title "prophet." (My study Bible doesn't explain it further, though.)
Acts 15:36-41--Paul and Barnabas Part Company
It's sad that Paul and Barnabas parted ways. This is one of few serious conflicts among believers that doesn't get resolved in Acts, and it's ironic that it happens right after the Jerusalem council comes to consensus about something and a dispute is resolved. You can see Paul's point in not wanting to have John Mark with them again, after he left them before, but was it worth parting ways over it? I guess it worked out well enough. We don't know much about Barnabas after this, so what Paul did was at least more written about than whatever Barnabas and John Mark ended up doing.
Acts 16:1-5--Paul adds Timothy
More irony here, as Paul circumcises Timothy, right after all gentiles are told they don't have to be circumcised. My study Bible explains that Paul did it because Timothy's mother was Jewish, so he didn't want to offend other Jews by not having Timothy properly circumcised. Still, I'm sure it wasn't fun for poor Timothy!
...And then all the churches continued to grow...sounds great! What will happen next??
Acts 15:22-35--Letter to the Gentile Believers
The church in Jerusalem writes a letter to the gentile churches, telling them what was decided about circumcision and the laws, and it gives the bare bones of what is expected, in terms of conduct from all believers. This still seems like a better way to handle things than we usually do in churches today, but I guess we still don't really know how people received it and how many people in Jerusalem didn't like the decision. The book of Acts is not an exhaustive account, so I probably shouldn't try to impose on it more than it tells me about the details of what really went on in the early church. Nonetheless, it seems like Acts gives us a good model for how to handle disputes in the church.
I think it's really interesting that Judas and Silas, who were sent with Paul, were also prophets. "They said many things that encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters." This doesn't seem like what prophets normally do, at least as we read them in the Old Testament. I'm curious about that title "prophet." (My study Bible doesn't explain it further, though.)
Acts 15:36-41--Paul and Barnabas Part Company
It's sad that Paul and Barnabas parted ways. This is one of few serious conflicts among believers that doesn't get resolved in Acts, and it's ironic that it happens right after the Jerusalem council comes to consensus about something and a dispute is resolved. You can see Paul's point in not wanting to have John Mark with them again, after he left them before, but was it worth parting ways over it? I guess it worked out well enough. We don't know much about Barnabas after this, so what Paul did was at least more written about than whatever Barnabas and John Mark ended up doing.
Acts 16:1-5--Paul adds Timothy
More irony here, as Paul circumcises Timothy, right after all gentiles are told they don't have to be circumcised. My study Bible explains that Paul did it because Timothy's mother was Jewish, so he didn't want to offend other Jews by not having Timothy properly circumcised. Still, I'm sure it wasn't fun for poor Timothy!
...And then all the churches continued to grow...sounds great! What will happen next??
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Daily Lenten Post, Day 7
Acts 14:21-28--Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch
So, Paul and Barnabas return to their last two stops, after making converts somewhere else. These are the same two places where they've been harassed and kicked out by Jewish leaders. How dumb were they, part of me wants to ask! But I guess the history of the church is a witness to persistence, not stupidity, after all. At least they let people know what they were in for: they set up churches at these places and they told the people that there would be trials and hardships. It's a wonder any of them stuck around! How many of us would stick around when we actually believe that kind of hardship will come because of our faith? I mean, in other countries, people are still persecuted for their faith every day, but not so much here in America. So, would we stay if we faced what these early Christians and so many Christians today face? That's hard to say. I guess we give the Holy Spirit credit for the fact that many of those early Christians did stick around.
Acts 15:1-21--The Jerusalem Council
So, then Paul and Barnabas had to go back to Jerusalem, but they stopped at all the churches along the way and reported all the great things that were going on. I would imagine that made the trip to Jerusalem better, even as they knew they were going to face the council and it could get pretty contentious. Was it like a trip to General Conference? I imagine those can be pretty unenjoyable...
It's interesting that Paul and Peter were apparently in agreement on the topic of circumcision (unless I'm reading this wrong, which is possible...). Peter's testimony about the issue seems pretty reasonable, and James actually agrees with it. This would be a nice way to handle problems in the church. The church changed on its position on something, and everyone survived and the church grew. Imagine that!
So, Paul and Barnabas return to their last two stops, after making converts somewhere else. These are the same two places where they've been harassed and kicked out by Jewish leaders. How dumb were they, part of me wants to ask! But I guess the history of the church is a witness to persistence, not stupidity, after all. At least they let people know what they were in for: they set up churches at these places and they told the people that there would be trials and hardships. It's a wonder any of them stuck around! How many of us would stick around when we actually believe that kind of hardship will come because of our faith? I mean, in other countries, people are still persecuted for their faith every day, but not so much here in America. So, would we stay if we faced what these early Christians and so many Christians today face? That's hard to say. I guess we give the Holy Spirit credit for the fact that many of those early Christians did stick around.
Acts 15:1-21--The Jerusalem Council
So, then Paul and Barnabas had to go back to Jerusalem, but they stopped at all the churches along the way and reported all the great things that were going on. I would imagine that made the trip to Jerusalem better, even as they knew they were going to face the council and it could get pretty contentious. Was it like a trip to General Conference? I imagine those can be pretty unenjoyable...
It's interesting that Paul and Peter were apparently in agreement on the topic of circumcision (unless I'm reading this wrong, which is possible...). Peter's testimony about the issue seems pretty reasonable, and James actually agrees with it. This would be a nice way to handle problems in the church. The church changed on its position on something, and everyone survived and the church grew. Imagine that!
Daily Lenten Post, Day 5
Well, when you're traveling, you don't always get everything done that you need to do and you lose some things along the way...so, here's Monday's scripture reflection, after I found my notes again...
Acts 13:13-52--Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch
Paul and Barnabas show up in the synagogue, and they get invited to preach. I wondered if that was because they were guests or because they came from the church in Jerusalem. Paul's preaching is similar to Peter's and Stephen's, but a bit briefer, and I wonder why they started by summarizing Israel's history. Did that prove that they were good Jews? Did it give them some other kind of credibility, before they switched into preaching about Jesus? I wonder.
I also wonder if Paul, because of his Roman citizenship and his Jewish ancestry, experienced any kind of double consciousness, knowing that he sort of embodied the intersection of two so different cultures/races, or whatever. I mean, as a person of privilege, he certainly wouldn't have experienced it in the same sense that the concept came about through the African American experience, of course...
Anyway, lots of people listened to Paul, but the Jewish leaders got mad, so Paul and Barnabas moved on to teaching the gentiles. I know that's the way Paul ended up doing things most of the time, but I wonder how he felt about that. Wouldn't that be terribly disheartening, the fourth, or fifth, or fifteenth time it happened? Maybe he just knew that was the way it had to go, and he had reconciled himself to it.
Verse 46 is quite an interesting verse--"Everyone who was appointed for eternal life believed." I guess we could make a case for predestination, then...
Then this story ends with them getting kicked out of the town, but the Holy Spirit still makes them feel happy with their situation. How many of us have experienced that? Wiping the dust off and moving on isn't always fun, but it's not always horrible, either...
Acts 13:13-52--Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch
Paul and Barnabas show up in the synagogue, and they get invited to preach. I wondered if that was because they were guests or because they came from the church in Jerusalem. Paul's preaching is similar to Peter's and Stephen's, but a bit briefer, and I wonder why they started by summarizing Israel's history. Did that prove that they were good Jews? Did it give them some other kind of credibility, before they switched into preaching about Jesus? I wonder.
I also wonder if Paul, because of his Roman citizenship and his Jewish ancestry, experienced any kind of double consciousness, knowing that he sort of embodied the intersection of two so different cultures/races, or whatever. I mean, as a person of privilege, he certainly wouldn't have experienced it in the same sense that the concept came about through the African American experience, of course...
Anyway, lots of people listened to Paul, but the Jewish leaders got mad, so Paul and Barnabas moved on to teaching the gentiles. I know that's the way Paul ended up doing things most of the time, but I wonder how he felt about that. Wouldn't that be terribly disheartening, the fourth, or fifth, or fifteenth time it happened? Maybe he just knew that was the way it had to go, and he had reconciled himself to it.
Verse 46 is quite an interesting verse--"Everyone who was appointed for eternal life believed." I guess we could make a case for predestination, then...
Then this story ends with them getting kicked out of the town, but the Holy Spirit still makes them feel happy with their situation. How many of us have experienced that? Wiping the dust off and moving on isn't always fun, but it's not always horrible, either...
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Daily Lenten Post, Day 6
I can't find the notes I made for yesterday's post, so that will have to wait until some other time. Here's what I looked at this morning, though. My morning devotional suggested the reading from Romans, but I couldn't pass up saying a little bit about my reading from Acts, too--two very different scripture readings, but both very interesting. I'd like to say more, but it's late...
Romans 8:31-39
This passage is like a verbal fist pump for all of us followers of Christ! What can really separate us from the love of Christ? Absolutely nothing--nothing we can think of or even do actually separates us, even though we're not very well convinced of that sometimes. In verse 18, Paul writes that he is convinced of this. This is, of course, a letter from Paul to people he has never met, but he still had confidence for them of this belief he held so strongly, that nothing can separate us from God. I don't know how to say it any better than Paul did--this is such an uplifting passage of scripture. Nothing can separate us from God--nothing. How often do we need to be reminded of that?
Acts 14:1-20--Paul and Barnabas' first journey continues
This is such a crazy story! God is at work, doing amazing things, and the people go nuts over it. The locals don't know what else to do, so they want to worship Paul and Barnabas. I wonder how frustrated and anxious that made them. But then, just as they're fending off being worshiped as gods, the Jews from their last two stops show up and stone them. Say what?! That would be enough to make a person feel bipolar, I think! I wonder how many of us would have survived what Paul went through...
Romans 8:31-39
This passage is like a verbal fist pump for all of us followers of Christ! What can really separate us from the love of Christ? Absolutely nothing--nothing we can think of or even do actually separates us, even though we're not very well convinced of that sometimes. In verse 18, Paul writes that he is convinced of this. This is, of course, a letter from Paul to people he has never met, but he still had confidence for them of this belief he held so strongly, that nothing can separate us from God. I don't know how to say it any better than Paul did--this is such an uplifting passage of scripture. Nothing can separate us from God--nothing. How often do we need to be reminded of that?
Acts 14:1-20--Paul and Barnabas' first journey continues
This is such a crazy story! God is at work, doing amazing things, and the people go nuts over it. The locals don't know what else to do, so they want to worship Paul and Barnabas. I wonder how frustrated and anxious that made them. But then, just as they're fending off being worshiped as gods, the Jews from their last two stops show up and stone them. Say what?! That would be enough to make a person feel bipolar, I think! I wonder how many of us would have survived what Paul went through...
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Daily Lenten Post, First Sunday in Lent
Even though Sundays don't count in the 40 days of Lent (that's why it's the First Sunday IN Lent, not the First Sunday OF Lent), I'll share some thoughts on this morning's scripture reading, anyway...
Acts 13:1-12--Paul and Barnabas's First Journey (Part I)
Verse 2 tells us that the Spirit speaks directly and chooses Barnabas and Saul--how cool is that?! And then in verse 3, they are only sent out after the disciples fast, pray, and lay hands on them. We think those things don't matter as much as action, but they must have mattered to the early church, so why not to us, too?
I think this passage gets a little confusing when people start having two different names. My study Bible has a box explaining the Saul/Paul thing, but I didn't get to it yet. (Sunday morning's time is just a wee bit limited...)
Reading about a false prophet in the book of Acts is kind of surprising. I think of false prophets as sort of Old Testament-y and out-of-place by the time we get past Jesus, but I guess that's only my own idea. Here's one, right here in Acts. How interesting!
I wonder what it was like to see the apostles performing miracles and signs, as well as magicians doing their things. Did they seem like the same thing? I imagine it was difficult to tell the difference between magic and miracles and the Holy Spirit sometimes, but maybe I'm wrong. There must have been something different enough, or maybe it was just the teaching of the apostles and not their signs, because the governor believed. That's a great witness to the work of the Spirit and the apostles.
Acts 13:1-12--Paul and Barnabas's First Journey (Part I)
Verse 2 tells us that the Spirit speaks directly and chooses Barnabas and Saul--how cool is that?! And then in verse 3, they are only sent out after the disciples fast, pray, and lay hands on them. We think those things don't matter as much as action, but they must have mattered to the early church, so why not to us, too?
I think this passage gets a little confusing when people start having two different names. My study Bible has a box explaining the Saul/Paul thing, but I didn't get to it yet. (Sunday morning's time is just a wee bit limited...)
Reading about a false prophet in the book of Acts is kind of surprising. I think of false prophets as sort of Old Testament-y and out-of-place by the time we get past Jesus, but I guess that's only my own idea. Here's one, right here in Acts. How interesting!
I wonder what it was like to see the apostles performing miracles and signs, as well as magicians doing their things. Did they seem like the same thing? I imagine it was difficult to tell the difference between magic and miracles and the Holy Spirit sometimes, but maybe I'm wrong. There must have been something different enough, or maybe it was just the teaching of the apostles and not their signs, because the governor believed. That's a great witness to the work of the Spirit and the apostles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)