Giving Church Another Chance
January 27, 2012 | 
Author 
Book Review: Giving Church Another Chance
By: Todd Hunter
Publisher: InterVarsity Press ISBN: 9780830837489
Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices
“…practice your way to faith.” Those are some of the closing words to this remarkably simple, yet profound book. I’ve had Giving Church Another Chance in my possession for a while now. I have meant to read it before, but for myriad reasons haven’t gotten around to starting it until recently. I’m almost inclined to say the timing for this read was providential considering that I read three-quarters of the book during a snowstorm that knocked out power and had us locked in to our home for a few days. The accompanying solitude and quiet lent itself to an almost perfect environment to absorb and digest the sweet and nurturing words that Todd Hunter shares on repracticing the disciplines of the Church.
I do not know Todd personally, but I have learned about him through the stories of others and from the information he has shared about his biography. It seems to me that he stands in small company with a group of people who are uniquely qualified and gifted to share the story he tells in this book. Todd has been exposed to a very diverse experience within the Protestant church family, not only as a participating member, but also in the top levels of leadership. His perspective, experience, and wisdom are shared with pastoral gentleness and Christ-like humility. I found my emotions, both physical and spiritual, stirred throughout my reading experience having memories recalled from my own life as well as sensing a longing in my soul to participate in repracticing these ecclesial exercises.
The book is nine chapters not counting the introduction and conclusion, and just short of two-hundred pages. Todd has included a notes and references section at the end of the book and he also includes a group study guide as well. His outline and process through the book is quite clever as he follows the basic liturgical movement of a weekend mass or worship service (check the amazon.com site for an inside look of the TOC for a closer look).
While I enjoyed the book as a whole, I was especially moved by several chapters. Chapter five; “Hearing Sermons” was rather convicting to me. I am a pastor, a leader in the church; I have been involved with the Christian faith in some aspect or another for over forty years. I know intellectually and spiritually that church is about Jesus Christ…or should be and that it is not solely about me or my needs. Knowing this and practicing it is a different story. Too often I find myself taking the role of an ecclesiastical version of Siskel and Ebert acting as a couch critic for all things church and worship service related. I don’t like that I do this, but even if I keep my mouth shut, my subconscious is still measuring and grading all that goes on during a Sunday morning. Opening myself up to the insight Todd Hunter shares might help me to engage in “hearing the sermon” from a less narcissistic perspective and engage in a more corporate attitude.
Chapters six through eight were also very meaningful to me, helping to recenter and align some of the outward expressions of faith through the practices and disciplines of the church. Specifically, Hunter addresses Liturgy as A Lifestyle of the Work of the People, Giving an Offering (tithing) as Simplicity of Life, and Taking Communion (Eucharist) as a Life of Thankfulness. Each of these chapters were nothing new to me, but they were gentle and firm reminders that were helpful in showing area where I might have become lax in my practices.
The conclusion of the book is indeed a summation of the purpose of the entire book; Putting the Spiritual Practices of the Church to Use. A quote out of the book from Henri Nouwen might be a good way to end this review; “The goal of education and formation for the ministry is continually to recognize the Lord’s voice, his face, and his touch in every person we meet.” This then, is what the spiritual practices of the church help us to learn. Giving Church another Chance might be the first step you or someone you know needs to get back on that track of formation. This book is great and easy to read…simple and profound.
Todd shares some thoughts from Chapter Seven, Giving an Offering: Simplicity of Faith in the video below–
A Ram in the Bush
[25JAN2012] A Ram in the Bush
The other day while taking my son to school, I heard the tail end of an interview with musical recording artist, David Crowder. He was answering questions responding to the recent announcement of the dissolution of his band. The words he spoke that caught my attention were these; “If you’re obedient in your sacrifice, there’s always a ram in the bush.” David was making reference to the Genesis narrative recounting the story of Abraham’s call to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-24). I haven’t been able to escape the thoughts those words have evoked…and my thoughts have nothing to do with the end of the David Crowder Band.
The account of Abraham and Isaac begins as follows:
Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am.”
“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
One of the first things that grab my attention is the opening line; “God tested Abraham’s faith.” Several thoughts come to my mind about this. First, I don’t think this is the first time that God “tested Abraham’s faith.” Abraham leaving his family for “a place I will show you” was a test of faith. And, so it would seem to me, that most of Abraham’s life subsequent to leaving his father and family in Ur was a series of ongoing tests of his faith. Second, what made this test so much more severe than the previous tests? The significance of this test involved Isaac, and it was on Isaac that all the weight of God’s covenant promise to Abraham was laid. Perhaps it is an issue of semantics, but I might question whether the test was more about Abraham’s loyalty (to God or to Isaac) opposed to Abraham’s faith in God. The third thing I wonder is how this test of Abraham relates to my own obedient sacrifice.
Abraham stands out as one of the major heroes of our faith and the Bible teaches us to model the actions and methods of those teachers who have gone before us (Hebrews 13:7). I ask myself; “What can I learn from Abraham in this particular circumstance?”
- Abraham didn’t stall the process of God’s call and his obedient response. The text doesn’t say, but I can’t help but imagine there was some prayerful wrestling in his decision. What that wrestling may or may not have been can’t be known, but we do know that Abraham resolved to trust God and obey Him with sacrifice in very short order. “The next morning Abraham got up early…and set out for the place God had told him about” (Gen. 22:3).
- Once his decision was made, he was unwavering and resolute in his mission to see it through to completion.
- Abraham didn’t look for alternate paths, plan “B” or “God’s next best plan.” Abraham stayed focused on the mission as God had originally given it to him. Abraham was so single-minded and set in obedience to his sacrifice that it took the intervention of the angel of the LORD to stay his hand from taking the life of his son, Isaac.
- There were multiple opportunities for God to reveal his provision of the ram to Abraham along the way, but it was not until the last second of no return (Abraham’s mind was made up and there was no turning back for him) that God stayed the hand of Abraham and revealed the ram in the bush.
As I reflect on my life I know there have been times that I embarked on a faith mission with God more focused on the alternate routes around the mountain instead of the narrow path up to Moriah. I know many of the tests of my faith have been incrementally leading to bigger tests. I think, if they do not lead me to “passing” the big test, passing the smaller tests was really to no avail. As it pertains to me, and in my present test, I don’t know how long or intricate the test has been orchestrated. In the case of Abraham, he had a knife in his belt for four days with the singular notion in his mind that it would be used to take the life of his son…and still he had little knowledge there would be a ram in the bush. He testified that “God will provide a sheep…” (Gen. 22:8), but he did not know as God had never spoken this provision.
My point with these observations is that Abraham went, he went up the mountain; he was deliberate and intentional with his course and decision to obey God at all cost. I am determined to do so as well. I do not want to settle for God’s plan “B” …I don’t know that one exists. If nothing else, it would probably be my Plan B, and have very little to do with God other than the fact that I had tried to spiritualize and justify my own disobedience. I suppose there is no one else that does that though.
At the end of the day there is this; I think too many folks professing belief in God refuse to answer God’s test to go up to Moriah. He may not be calling us to sacrifice children to test our faith, but we can rest assured that our faith is tested in ways that will be just as serious as the test that Abraham passed. The question that remains is will we be proven faithful. Will we be so obedient in our sacrifice that we too find our ram in the bush?
Posted in Bible Journey-Reading, Bible Speak, Genesis, Shaping Me | 
Tags: Abraham, David Crowder, Faith of Abraham, Genesis, Isaac | 
1 Comment »
Back to Normal
Back to Normal
Things are starting to get back to “normal” around here now. About four days ago we received an unnatural amount of snow for the lower Puget Sound region; estimates ranged from 12″—18″ in Olympia, WA (where we live) and some surrounding areas. While the snow is beautiful to look at as it makes everything seem to clean and serene… and it provides some fun with sledding, skiing, snowmen, and snowball wars, the long and short is that it can get tiresome and quick. And, it did.
We lived in the Northeast (Northcentral, PA and Western, NY) for most of twenty years, so we are accustomed to long seasons of heavy snowfall. The difference between living then & there and here & now is preparation and familiarity. When living in the Northeast, it was not uncommon to get a foot or more of snow with temperatures below zero and winds gusting 20—30mph and still not see roads and businesses closed or school cancellations. The type of weather there was expected; people learned to live with it and prepared accordingly so their lives would be minimally impacted. Conversely, when you do not see weather of a particular magnitude but every ten or more years, it doesn’t make practical sense to prepare and budget for it every year…you just deal with and take your lumps when they come.
That’s where we were for the past few days, dealing with our big, frozen, and no electricity lumps. We have our power back now and most roads are cleared, so life is returning to normal for the most part; however, there are still thousands of people who continue to be without power. This is serious stuff, well past the minor inconvenience stage, so prayers are welcome for restored services…
This post isn’t all about inconvenience though. The approximate two days we were without power were good days for me. I enjoyed the quiet. I enjoyed having my wife and son huddled under blankets hanging out together with me in the same room. I enjoyed our conversations and listening to them share the random thoughts that popped into their heads. I liked looking around at times to see each of us buried in a book reading… wondering what adventure they might be on in the story they were reading. I liked when the sun went down and we illuminated our dark apartment with candles and flashlights…there was something cozy and intimate about those moments. I enjoyed writing in my journal by candlelight while Laurie and Josh combined efforts to complete a jigsaw puzzle. 
While it might not have been four-star cuisine, it was comforting and satisfying to eat food out of a can and it was neat to be able to legitimately justify the reason for having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal. I was a little bit disappointed, like when a great vacation comes to an end, when all of the sudden at the end of our second day of being “snowed in” the power came back on. While shouts of exuberant joy went forth from my wife and son, my heart sank a wee bit… knowing that this “inconvenience” was ending and now going into the memory book.
And so, we’re settling into our “back to normal.” I don’t know that I like that, back to normal… too many things it seems get taken for granted and I don’t like that I am so quick to presume, assume, and take those things for granted.
You know the things I talk about: electricity, food, the ability to come and go as you wish, the convenience of going to a store to get what you need and/or want, light, entertainment, internet…the list continues. There are other things too that we take for granted: the closeness of our family, meals together, conversations…random thoughts shared unconditionally between loved ones, hearing their dreams and their fears too…listening to them breathe while they sleep next to you. And, realizing how blessed you are and thankful that you have been reminded of things that are truly important. Snowmaggedon 2012, I will miss you and I am grateful to you for the days we had together in the quiet, in the cold, and making memories together…me, Laurie, and Josh. May we never get swallowed up in the “normal” of life, but always be ready to make the most of those sacred “abnormal” moments.
Posted in Dailyness..., Family Stuff, Random Thoughts | Tags: #Snowmaggedon, Family Stuff, Olympia, Snow, Wa, Winter | 2 Comments »
Book Review: The Cost of Community
Book Review: The Cost of Community
By: Jamie Arpin-Ricci
Publisher: InterVarsity Press ISBN: 9780830836352
The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis and Life in the Kingdom
It’s hard for me to determine where to start with my review of The Cost of Community. I’ve been “living” with the book now for several weeks. It isn’t a slow or difficult read, but it has been extremely stirring for me; it has been personal, inspiring, convicting, challenging, and prophetic. Yes, I have been stirred and in a good way. I suppose I should start with some of the basic book review details and then proceed from there.
Summary: Written by Jamie Arpin-Ricci, C.J., The Cost of Community is about realizing, believing, interpreting, and putting into practice Jesus’ great message from the Sermon on the Mount. Jaime, who is part of an Anglican lay order in the Franciscan tradition, calls back to the time of St. Francis of Assisi who heard the message of Christ’s Sermon and challenged the church and culture of his day by embracing the spirit of Jesus’ words and structuring his life around them. Francis truly believed he was to “give up all things” so he might find his life in the full in the crucified Christ. Fast forward to today and Jaime Arpin-Ricci with friends, neighbors, and the family of Little Flowers Community in urban Winnipeg also hear the call of Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount, ordering their lives after this model of God’s Kingdom on earth. This book offers insights and experience about life together in the spirit of Jesus’ teaching; what it offers us, and what it demands of us.
And, so it begins. In a nutshell, the book is about the reality of living the Sermon on the Mount …today—really. This is what makes the book more than just an exposition or commentary on the Sermon, and in my opinion, so much more believable and “gripping.” I identify with and appreciate the words of Sean Gladding who wrote; “Jamie Arpin-Ricci holds our feet to the fire with the humility of one who himself continues to wrestle with the implications of taking Jesus at his word.” This is the Sermon on the Mount come alive.
The introduction and first chapter are important pieces for the remainder of the book; these introductory pieces help the reader to understand the position from which the rest of the book will be filtered and examined. The premise is that Jesus meant for us to do what he taught us, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. This premise might be somewhat polarizing considering there are a great many Christians who idealize the Sermon on the Mount and consider its call beyond the reach or attainment of mortal humans. Arpin-Ricci brings some of these arguments to bear in his introductory statements citing a number of sources, including a particularly acerbic statement from G. K. Chesterton who is quoted saying, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”
The next several chapters are spent in reflection on the Blessings of the Beatitudes. Jamie artfully weaves historical accounts from the life of St. Francis and personal experiences from the Little Flowers Community into the reflections on the “Blessings.” Assuring us these blessings are not just lofty-heavenly ideals, but earthy and gritty invitations to partake in the Kingdom of God now, the stories of Francis and Little Flowers help the reader to embrace the blessings in their own context of life…it did for me.
Chapters six through ten move into the heart of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. While the opening chapters invite us to enter into the blessings of the Kingdom of God on earth, gritty as it may be, chapters six through ten share how the kingdom looks and operates in a world that pushes opposite the Kingdom of God. This entire section was riveting for me; challenging and convicting me through each chapter and sub-heading. I was especially touched by sections discussing “Love your enemies” (pp. 122-125), “Hiding in Plain Sight” (chapter 8), and some beautiful stories about “Francis” and “Jimmy” from the chapter “The Disciple’s Prayer” (chapter 9).
Jamie’s exposition, experiences, and personal reflection on Jesus’ words from Matthew chapter seven (chapters 11-12) are probably the most poignant and challenging for me in the entire book. It is here he discusses the concepts of humility, surrender, mutual submission to one another as the heart of what Jesus’ invitation to us is all about; “Come, follow me” (come and die, so you might experience resurrection life). There is nothing in this call that is ethereal and idealistic. It (The Call of Christ) is the “gritty” and the real, the absolute and total surrender of all today for the promise of all tomorrow, and the realization that without the “grace of the God who invites” there is no way in heaven or earth that we can follow.
Some ten years ago I was in a lengthy study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. I had been a big fan of the works of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and decided to purchase his work, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. This was the beginning of the end for me. I have been and continue to be forever broken by the Sermon on the Mount. I mention this resource in passing to point out the wonderful resources that are included at the close of the book. Jaime has provided a very generous list of recommended reading covering the Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes, The Lord’s Prayer, and St. Francis and the Franciscans. While reading lists can be subjective, I was encouraged and affirmed by the realization that I too have been impacted in a very positive way by many of the same books. I heartily endorse his list and to it I would add Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together and Oswald Chambers’ Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.
I mentioned earlier that this book would likely polarize people and I think by the end of the book that is what the outcome will be. There will be some who will shrug and think “that’s a nice idea, but I don’t think that’s very realistic” and there will be others who will be broken, as I am… who think, “I know and in my deepest heart have known this is the life Christ has called me to live” and as Francis did so many years ago, determine to abandon all so that they may follow Christ to the full. I am hopeful you enjoy and are challenged as much as I have been by this book.
More Quick Hits from Genesis
[18JAN2012] More Quick Hits from Genesis
♦ Genesis 11-35 (Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob)
I’m still in Genesis, reading chronologically through the Bible for the 2012 year. I’ve been journaling many or most of the things that have “jumped out” at me during my reading, but haven’t quite had the time to develop them into blog posts. I do plan on fleshing out my thoughts on some of these points, but I won’t be able to capture them all… that is, if I want to stay on track with my reading schedule. So, I’ll make this “Quick Hits” post a recurring feature of the blog for this year during my chronological journey (see my first Genesis Quick Hits here).
Today’s quick hits covers much of the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…
- Gen. 11:31-32 -One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.
Can’t help but wonder about Terah. The Bible doesn’t say if he was someone that heard from God. I’ve got to think that he had some relationship with Him though… He must have introduced Abram to God at some point in his upbringing. I can’t help but imagine that Terah may have set out for Canaan on a similar quest as Abram would years later. The difference though, may be that Terah couldn’t find the deep and abiding trust that Abram found in God… the type of belief and trust that God counted as righteousness to Abram-Abraham. Perhaps this didn’t happen at all the way I imagine it. One thing we know for certain though… Terah was headed for Canaan, the land of Promise, the land that God did bequeath to Abraham and all his following generations. Terah stopped in Haran, put down roots and never pressed on in his journey. As a result of Terah’s “stopping the journey” he never saw the land of promise…he died still in Haran. I don’t want to be a Terah. I want to be an Abram/Abraham. O God, break me…and make me a foreigner wherever You will; transform me and change my name so it reflects the description of a man who believes You and Your Word. Amen.
- Gen. 12:1, 4, 7, 10 -The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed… Then the LORD appeared to Abram… a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.
This represents an interesting sequence of events to me: The LORD spoke to Abram, Abram believed and obeyed the LORD, The LORD appeared to Abram (establishing a covenant of relationship), and Abram’s trust in God is put to test as he is “forced down to Egypt where he lived as a foreigner.”
Abram’s life and God’s apprenticeship over Abram/Abraham seems to repeat itself with eerily similar fashion over and over and over again with other men and women in the Biblical narrative. I have read and heard stories of this repeated style of mentoring disciples and friends of God throughout history as well. I have experienced similarities in the sequence of Abram’s mentorship in my own life too. Perhaps my storyline is not as dramatic as the storylines of Abraham, Moses, King David, or the apostle Paul (to name a few), but the voice, hand, and guidance of God’s leadership is no less significant and no less real. Additionally, just as with Abraham, the testing of my faith and gentle pressure from God come to me so I might fully mature in the likeness and image of Christ.
- Gen. 12:10 -…a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.
Egypt: In the Bible, Egypt has historically been a metaphor for sin… representing bondage, oppression, and persecution. The Bible also teaches us that we were not originally created as people ruled by sin. When I read the words from Gen. 12:10 I thought we will always live as foreigners and sojourners while in and under the circumstances of bondage—this is a place that people of God, the friends of God, do not belong. While on this earth on this side of eternity, we will all find ourselves in “Egypt” living as foreigners. The promise of Christ and the work of His atoning grace is that we are also people of the deliverance. We won’t always live as foreigners—we are sojourners for a season, but even in our nomadic wandering feeling as though we are without a home… God is Present and with us bringing with Him comforting guidance as we are prepared for our final rest.
…”living as a foreigner” will continue to show up as we continue our journey through Genesis, especially through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Gen. 15:1-10 -in this passage of Scripture we are told “Abraham believed and the LORD counted him righteous because of his faith.” God promises Abraham that He will be with him, protection, land, and many descendents. And, Abraham asks God “How can I be sure of these things…”
- Gen. 17:15-18; 18:12 -in these passages God tells Abraham he’ll have a son through Sarah—Abraham “laughs” to himself in disbelief (Gen. 17:17). Later, Sarah hears the Word of God saying again and affirming she will have a child; Sarah “laughs” silently to herself…
Just recently I was reading the Christmas Story in the Gospel of Luke and was intrigued by the parallel of events between the lives of Zechariah and Mary (Luke 1:5-80). What captured my attention were the questions posed by Zechariah and Mary to the angel Gabriel. Both wondered how the prophetic blessings Gabriel announced would happen to them, but the response of Gabriel to Zechariah was very different than the response to Mary. Similarly, as in the case with Abraham and Sarah, both of them “laugh” and question with disbelief the word of God concerning their own prophetic blessing of a child between them. The response of God to Abraham was very different than the response Sarah received. I want to consider this further in prayer and meditation and hopefully answer some of the questions I have; “What are the differences between Abraham and Sarah’s questions?” “What are the differences between Zechariah and Mary’s questions?” “We often have questions, doubts, and disagreements with God; how do these interactions relate or mirror the accounts of Abraham, Sarah, Zechariah, and Mary?”
- Ishmael and Father Abraham…
Gen. 21:17-18, 20 - “God called to Hagar from heaven, ‘Hagar, do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying… Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.’” “…and God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness.”
Gen. 25:5-6 - (Abraham’s “other” descendants) “Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east away from Isaac.”
Gen. 25:9 - In this passage Ishmael and Isaac come together so they might bury their father Abraham. The text doesn’t allude to any conflict or tension between the two men.
Gen. 28:6-9 - Apparently there is some degree of interaction and relationship between the House of Isaac and the House of Ishmael. In this passage we see Esau visiting “Uncle Ishmael” to get a wife… a wife that would be scorned by his parents Isaac and Rebekah
I don’t know what all of this means or if it means anything at all; I’m certainly not finished thinking on it. I do believe that my awareness of the tension between the Islamic world, Jewish world, and Christian world has made me a bit more sensitive to what the Bible might say about these relationships. I do know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also the God of Ishmael…and subsequently the God of Islam regardless of how the character and nature…and identity of God may have been subverted or redefined by them or their ancestors. I’m not sure how this transcends to the world we live today, but my guess is that it is relevant and should not be dismissed. Ultimately, I know that Jesus is God and He died to reconcile all of humanity to himself.
- Gen. 26:2-5 - The LORD appeared to Isaac: “Do as I tell you. Live as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”
“Live as a foreigner in this land”
- Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel— Gen.25:21; 29:31; 30:2 - A distinguished, if not imperfect, group of women who all experienced lengthy spans of “barrenness.” Each of these women took very long times to conceive and give birth to children. These were also the matriarchs of the covenant promise children of Abraham. For so many years of their lives their wombs “seemed” as though they were “closed” – closed until the fullness of God’s timing was realized. When the fullness of time arrived, God’s fruit is delivered.
I think this is true today as much as it was in the above mentioned accounts. I should never become impatient with what seems like unfulfilled promises…faded hopes…old dreams. God’s promises are true and will bring fruit in due time; my responsibility is to continue to pray and remind myself that God’s timing is everything…and always perfect; no matter how tiring or trying the wait may be for me. Trust, believe, and obey… this is my role. What seems on the outside, barren and without hope can bring forth life in the “fullness of time.” Thus says the LORD; “it is I who brings forth rivers in the desert where there were none before…”
- Gen. 28:10-31:42
-Something like 20 years elapse from the time Jacob first encounters God at Bethel and when God speaks to him telling him to return to the land of Canaan. We don’t know for sure if God spoke to Jacob during those twenty years or not (the text does not say), but we do know God was active and with Jacob preparing him for the return to Canaan and the fulfillment of the His (God’s) covenant promise to Abraham.
Points:
- God is present always.
- God is working always.
- God’ “speaks,” “affirms,” and “reaffirms” with his presence and with his working in our lives
In the midst of Jacob’s oppression and mistreatment by Laban, God was blessing Jacob to overflowing while purposefully fulfilling his covenant will.
God’s mercy “overflowed” on to the house of Laban in not just blessings of protection and wealth, but God even appeared to Laban in a dream warning him to do no harm to Jacob…ultimately sparing his (Laban’s) life.
- Gen. 32:1, 9-12, 22-32
-Angels of God come to meet Jacob on his way back to the land of Canaan. It seems Jacob is on a path to learning humility. He is reminded of his covenant promise to God he had originally made on his first stop through Bethel. He reaffirms his covenant… Inspired by fear and obedience??? Jacob learns humility. Jacob willingly surrenders himself to God and his brother Esau; he refers to himself as “servant” of Esau. Jacob wrestles with God and emerges “forever humbled” with a crippling limp that remains with him the remainder of his life.
- Gen. 33:10 - “…what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is seeing the face of God.” -Jacob to his brother Esau
I wonder about this statement of Jacob and I am curious how often we might observe “the face of God” in others when we approach them with humility while walking in obedience before our God.
- Gen. 35:1-3, 9-15, 27 - “So Jacob told everyone in his household, ‘Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourself, and put on clean clothing… I will build an altar to God. He has been with me wherever I have gone.’”
…God appears to Jacob and renews with him the covenant promise He had established between Himself with Abraham and Isaac. God renames Jacob as Israel…no longer the deceiver, he is the one who has been with the “God who fights” and lived. Jacob’s encounter with God is so life-changing it reverses his identity entirely. Here we see what true repentance is about, a complete turnaround from the life we have previously known.
“So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners.” -Gen. 35:27
There must be something about that “living as foreigners” business…
More on my Quick Hits from Genesis later and I hope to “flesh out” and develop some of these highlights. If you have thoughts or ideas regarding any of them, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share on the blog or contact me using the contact link above.
Posted in Bible Journey-Reading, Genesis, Jeff's Journal, Old Testament, Quick Hits from Scripture, Shaping Me | Tags: Abraham, Disciples, Friends of God, Genesis, Isaac, Jacob, Jeff's Journal, Old Testament, Quick Hits, Scripture | 2 Comments »
Book Review: Walking as Jesus Walked
Book Review: Walking as Jesus Walked
By: Dann Spader
Published By: Moody Publishers ISBN: 9780802447098
A few weeks back I received an offer to participate in an evaluation of a new study on the life and teaching of Jesus. The devotional study is titled, Walking as Jesus Walked: Making Disciples the Way Jesus Did; it is authored by Dann Spader and published by Moody Publishers. Our family is always open to new study and devotional material, so I thought this would be a great way to start the New Year and enter the season of Epiphany with a study on the discipleship ministry of Jesus.
We’ve had almost two full weeks of engagement with Walking as Jesus Walked and I believe I can say on behalf of our three-person group, all of us are enjoying it. I base my group assessment on the amount of lively dialogue we have been having most mornings as we discuss the questions and ponder the Scripture passages we read with each study lesson.
Form and Function:
The study is crafted to meet the needs of a diverse demographic. It can be used as an individual devotional study with the workbook serving as an interactive journal or it can be used for any number and styles of group study. Also, I think the questions and format of the lessons are written in such a way that they are understandable to a broad age range, easily from high school age youth to any adult. And, I wouldn’t hesitate to say I think the study could be used for elementary and middle schoolers with some minor tweaking of the discussion questions.
The workbook study is arranged in daily lessons designed to span a period of 10-weeks. The author and support team have invested much in providing a number of helpful resources for the Walking as Jesus Walked study. A website has been created that hosts, or links to, online and downloadable help tools; there are free videos available introducing each of the 10-week lesson topics and a free leader’s guide has been provided that can also be downloaded or used online.
As mentioned earlier, my family is enjoying this study and we are challenged by the questions and ensuing discussions we’ve had. I look forward to the coming weeks as we continue to engage the life of Christ and how we might practically live out “walking as Jesus walked.”
Personal Opinions:
Aesthetically, I love the layout of the book. It is very “open” and text is not jumbled or arranged in big blocks. I think this might be appealing to folks who don’t typically read a lot. I suppose what I mean to say is the “reading” sections aren’t intimidating and it doesn’t take a great deal of time to engage them. There are sections that are fairly heavy with Scripture references and instructions to “look them up” and “copy them in the space provided.” This isn’t pervasive throughout the book, but there are quite a few of these exercises in the beginning lessons as the foundations of the study are laid during the first couple weeks. Also, considering the layout, there is plenty room to write in the workbook with lined spaces as well as very generous margins. Speaking of margins, there are occasional quotations added to the margins that serve as additional inspiration, encouragement, and challenge. Some of the persons quoted are John Calvin, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther, Corrie ten Boom, A.W. Tozer, and Watchman Nee just to name a few.
One thing I would offer in the way of warning, not necessarily critique, is this; Spader states in the introductory remarks that the each lesson should take only 10-15 minutes. This might be subjective, but it definitely has not been the experience of our family. We allocate 20-30 minutes each morning for our devotional lessons around the breakfast table and it takes every bit of that time to get the lesson completed. Several mornings we have been rushed to complete the lesson and even had to cut our discussions short. Again, this is not meant as a criticism, but a point of awareness. I think, especially if the study is done in a group setting, 45 minutes to an hour would be more suitable and spacious for discussion and conversation. It is, after all, in the course of dialogue (internal and external) where we process the thoughts and ideas that bring change to our lives and ultimately the transformation helping us to “walk as Jesus walked.”
I’m grateful to have been invited to review this study as it is already proving itself valuable with the conversations our family has around the breakfast table. I am hopeful I might have the opportunity to see the lessons and workbook used in a different setting as I plan to bring it before my small group as an option for our use together. In summary, I consider the content, layout, interactive elements, and support material very well thought out and assembled. I would recommend it for any group, class, or individual study. My ranking is five out of five stars.
Links and Resources:
- Chapter One Preview – Free Download (.pdf)
Jesus must be our model for ministry. Sounds obvious, right? Or is it? Jesus, in all His humanity (and all His divinity) shows us the best possible way to live. Through the way He lived, He modeled the priorities of how to multiply “much fruit.” The proof being His disciples. Following Jesus’ example, His disciples then changed the course of history.
How then can we follow Jesus’ example? We must study His life. How did Jesus pray? In what types of relationships did He invest? Where were His priorities? Can my priorities be His priorities? Can I walk like He walked? What we do with Jesus MATTERS. Global ministry trainer Dann Spader practically and helpfully walks us through 10 weeks of exciting, ministry-altering study to really begin to walk as Jesus walked.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Moody Publishers to read and post a review on my site. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Books, Disciple, Incarnational, Jesus, Spiritual Formation | Tags: Bible Study, Dann Spader, Discipleship, Jesus, Moody Publishers, Spiritual Formation, Walking as Jesus Walked | No Comments »
Book Review: A Public Faith
Book Review: A Public Faith
By: Miroslav Volf
Publisher: Brazos Press ISBN: 9781587432989
A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good
I’ve been meaning to review this book for quite some time now, but it took longer to read it than I thought it would. At just over one hundred fifty pages (not counting the notes section), it is not that long of a read. The point of it taking me longer to read than anticipated was my feeling “over my head” quite often. There are over two-hundred references noted in the book and most of them unknown or unread by me. It was necessary for me to put the book down on more than a few occasions to reflect and research on what I had read. I must say it was worth my time and worth every minute of my effort. I appreciate the challenge the book was for me to read and I appreciate the challenge to me personally with the call to exercise and integrate my faith in ways and in places I might not have been so eager to enter previous to reading Volf’s thesis in A Public Faith.
Volf relates the sum of the premise for this volume in his introduction stating; “My contention in this book is that there is no single way in which Christian faith relates and ought to relate to culture as a whole. The relation between faith and culture is too complex for that. Faith stands in opposition to some elements of culture and is detached from others. In some aspects faith is identical with elements of culture, and it seeks to transform in diverse ways yet many more. Moreover, faith’s stance toward culture changes over time as culture changes. How, then, is the stance of faith toward culture defined? It is—or it ought to be—defined by the center of the faith itself, by its relation to Christ as the divine Word incarnate in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It is with this contention that Volf seeks to explore three questions he poses within the pages of A Public Faith. The questions follow:
- In what ways does the Christian faith malfunction in the contemporary world, and how should we counter these malfunctions (chapter1-3)?
- What should be the main concern of Christ’s followers when it comes to living well in the world today (chapter 4)?
- How should Christ’s followers go about realizing their vision of living well in today’s world in relation to other faiths and together with diverse people with whom they live under the roof of a single state (chapters 5-7)?
Personally, I found chapter one, Malfunctions of Faith, fascinating. Volf frames this piece in a framework he calls “ascent and return” malfunctions and bases the discussion on the prophetic illustrations of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. To quote Volf’s definition of these points, he describes ascent malfunctions as “the result from breakdowns in the prophet’s encounter with the divine and reception of the message.” He goes on to say, “Every ascent malfunction is at the same time a return malfunction.” If my paraphrase is correct, the return malfunction further compromises the message or word of God by transforming it in their own name or in the name of some alien god… or god of their own making. This chapter is full of brilliant thinking I had previously been unexposed to; for instance, he describes the concept of idolatric substitution as one of the ascent malfunctions using the golden calf story from the Exodus narrative. It is the introduction to some of these (for me) new concepts using stories I understand or am familiar with that was helpful in preparing me for the next chapters of the book. I will say again, this first chapter was fascinating to me.
Chapter two continue with greater detail and explanation describing practical malfunctions of faith. Specifically, chapter two addresses the malfunction of idleness as it regards faith. Volf shares three main reasons for faith’s idling: (1) for some people, the faith they embrace demands too much, so they pick and choose, as in a cafeteria, filling up their tray with sweets but leaving aside the broccoli and fish. (2) Believers find themselves constrained by large and small systems in which they live and work; to thrive, or even to survive, they feel that they must obey the logic of those systems, not the demands of faith they embrace. (3) Concerning the faith itself, the faith either is not applied to new circumstances or does not seem relevant to contemporary issues. Volf goes on to provide counters to idleness with suggestions on how we might understand and practice an active faith through blessing, deliverance, guidance, and meaning.
I must admit I got a little bit bogged down in chapters three and four having to stop several times, put the book down, and really think through what I was reading. I was relieved when Volf neared the end of chapter four with this summary recap of part one of the book:
Most malfunctions of faith are rooted in a failure to love the God of love or a failure to love the neighbor. Ascent malfunctions happen when we don’t love God as we should. We either love our interests, purposes, and projects, and then employ language about God to realize them (we may call this “functional reduction”), or we love the wrong God (we may call this “idolatric substitution”). Return malfunctions happen when we love neither our neighbor nor ourselves properly—when faith either merely energizes or heals us but does not shape our lives so that we live them to our own and our neighbors’ benefit, or when we impose our faith on our neighbors irrespective of their wishes.
The challenge facing Christians is ultimately very simple: love God and neighbor rightly so that we may both avoid malfunctions of faith and relate God positively to human flourishing. And yet, the challenge is also complex and difficult… (p.73)
Amen. Complex and difficult indeed.
Chapters five and six are two more extraordinary discourses on very practical applications of living the Christian faith in a pluralistic society. Chapter five, Identity and Difference, addresses the identity of the Christian within the context of a society or community. The context being realized as having an identity that is different from the mainstream of the community…remaining unique, being seen as different, but not being separate… able to contribute without being completely absorbed: This is my paraphrase. Volf summarizes his thoughts as follows; “To become a Christian means to divert without leaving. To live as a Christian means to keep inserting a difference into a given culture without ever stepping outside that culture to do so.”
Chapter six is titled Sharing Wisdom and also ranks as one of my favorite chapters of the book. Volf’s ideas about sharing wisdom was affirming and convicting at the same time for me. The past few years has taught me much in the vein of what is shared in this chapter. I continue to be stretched in my faith and my learning to be Christ-like with teaching like I have found in this chapter. I think anyone reading this book will be stretched similarly if they can maintain an openness to hear what is shared in it.
I think this is an important book; timely in nature, sobering and challenging in its message, and hopeful with its suggestions for correction. I pray it falls into right hands, leaders who are humble, intelligent, vocal, and confident about what God is doing in the world. I’ll close my review with a final quote from Volf on “sharing wisdom.”
Sharing religious wisdom makes sense only if that wisdom is allowed to counter the multiple manifestations of self-absorption by givers and receivers alike and to connect them with what ultimately matters—God, whom we should love with all our being, and neighbors, whom we should love as ourselves. (p.117)
A great book; it may not appeal to a broad demographic, but for those who are willing to endure the challenges it presents, there is “much gold to be mined.”
A few recommended reviews:
- Christian Book Academics includes some great video shorts of Volf sharing about A Public Faith
- Posted by Ryan Bell on the Huffington Post
- Political Theology dot com
Posted in Books, Incarnational, Spirituality | Tags: A Public Faith, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Brazos Press, Christianity, Jesus, Media, Miroslav Volf, Spirituality | 1 Comment »
Sola Scriptura—Thinking Out Loud
Sola Scriptura—Thinking Out Loud
This past week we started a new teaching series at our church. There was a side comment during the message that got me to thinking about the role of Scripture and the Bible as the means of communication from God to man. The statement that was made which was responsible for this “thinking” of mine went something like this; “God’s Word is the primary way He speaks to us today.” First, let me say that I’m sure I’ve made the same or similar comments many times. Second, as a Wesleyan-Methodist, I’m also a fan of grounding my Bible reading and interpretation through the filter of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral…believing the Bible to be the fundamental authority for all we do. I say all this to make the point that I’m not necessarily in disagreement with “God’s Word is the primary way He speaks to us today,” I’m just trying to think through the implications of this particular belief and position.
Questions and Thoughts
When I heard the pastor say the Bible is the primary way God speaks to us today, the question popped into my mind, “why?” I’ve been thinking about the “why” for the past few days and some ideas have come to me that might be relative to some bigger questions and challenges regarding overall discipleship. For instance, challenges presented in the process of “teaching and training disciples who teach and train disciples.” Another challenge comes with teaching people how to truly “feed themselves” or become “self learners.”
Our premise statement is; “God’s Word is the primary way He speaks to us today.” The first question that comes to my mind is this: “Is the Bible the primary way that God wants to communicate with us?” My first response to this question is, “I don’t know…” I do agree, as I’ve already said, the Bible is the foundational authority for God’s communication. Therefore, I think we filter any extra-biblical communication: prophecy, divine words of knowledge, visions, dreams, and etc., through the Bible. This position of mine summarily agrees with the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
Sola scriptura (Latin ablative, “by scripture alone”) is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid deductive reasoning from scripture. However, sola scriptura is not a denial of other authorities governing Christian life and devotion. Rather, it simply demands that all other authorities are subordinate to, and are to be corrected by, the written word of God. Sola scriptura was a foundational doctrinal principle of the Protestant Reformation held by the Reformers and is a formal principle of Protestantism today. [From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]
Although I agree with the tenet of Sola Scriptura, this doesn’t naturally assume (in my opinion) the Bible is the primary way God desires to speak with his people today.
The second question I have falls quickly upon the heels of question one: “If the Bible is not the primary means of God’s desired communication with his people, what is?” I think the primary means of communication is built on and in holistic (all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength) relationship… In my opinion, this is interpreted as “walking with God.” This was the first recorded relationship between God and man (we find this in the opening chapters of the Genesis account in the Bible; God walking in the cool of the morning in the presence of Adam and Eve). I recall also this style of relationship was highly favored by God with His friend Enoch…so much so that He “took” Enoch. I think this was the type of relationship God enjoyed with Abram/Abraham as well; a relationship built upon “hearing,” “obeying,” “trusting,” “questioning,” “conversing,” and “following” God. The commonality in these relationships is there was no written word of God at that time we know of.
As I pondered over these questions, some other ideas came to my mind. I wondered how God initiated and nurtured these relationships between Himself and His friends and what examples might be used to support the “how.”
Since the beginning of the new year, I’ve been reading through the Bible chronologically, so the life of Abraham is prominent in my mind. Consequently, he tops my list of people who were “friends of God.” The first thing I notice about Abraham and the lifelong friendship he developed with God was that he (Abe) was driven to the desert; “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). As soon as Abram “heard” and responded with “obedience” to this word from God, God appeared to him (Gen. 12:7). Following this initial encounter, there ensues a lifelong friendship full of adventure, ups and downs, revelation, and spiritual development for Abraham and his family with God.
As I continued to consider this example, I was reminded of others… Moses too was driven to the desert; Midian was his first desert encounter and that was followed with another forty years of “friendship building” before he was also “taken” by God (not necessarily an Enoch exit, but I digress).
David, the man after God’s heart, was also driven to the desert; Elijah had a desert experience too where he learned to “hear” God’s voice in a uniquely gentle way…and I’m sure there might be other Old Testament examples that I’m not remembering off the cuff.
New Testament examples of this “desert experience revelation and friendship building experience with God” are prominent as well. John the Baptist comes to mind; he was the man who lived in the wilderness in solitude and in relationship with God. Jesus, the man, was driven to the desert where his relationship and dependence on the Holy Spirit was tested. Jesus emerged fully empowered and fully trusting God’s word and witness to him; “I only speak the words I hear from my Father, I only do what I see the Father do…” Paul, too, recounts his experience of being driven to the desert for a season in Arabia where he was taught the ways of Jesus by the glorified Christ personally (Gal. 1:1-17). Again, I’m sure I’m missing some people and might be missing the point entirely, but it seems there is a common path being followed to my thinking. God desires intimacy and personal “face time” as a primary means of relationship building.
Reflecting on these examples, I see do recognize God’s conversations with these people as being responsible in large part for the Bible as the Word we have for us today. Moses is credited for writing (or at least is credited for the oral transmission of) what we have in the Torah or Pentateuch. David is credited for the majority of the Psalms. Jesus is the example and inspiration behind the Gospels and Paul is credited with writing the church epistles and pastoral letters. All of these acknowledgments point to what seems to be a connection between relationship and Word…in these examples, the relationship preceded the word for the most part, at least in the form that we have come to rely upon today anyway. What does this mean? I’m not sure and don’t feel comfortable making some definitive statement based on my “raw” thoughts, but another example comes to mind to illustrate where my ideas are drawing me.
The idea of people who are sight challenged and maybe completely blind come to mind when I’m thinking about the Bible as the primary means of God communicating to us today. The person who cannot see with their eyes becomes more reliant upon their other senses in order to “see” or interact in the world in which they live. (Of course, the same might be said for the person who cannot hear, but we’ll stick with the sight example…). I have read and have witnessed in television documentaries where people who are blind are able to hear better, have a more highly developed sense of smell, more sensitive to touch, and overall more sensitive to the use of all their senses more so than the person who sees well.
I think the person who is sight challenged is not necessarily compensated for their handicap as much as they have learned to use their other senses to a degree that God has enabled anyone to use them. The problem might be that we favor one sense over another and become lax in the use of our other senses. Like unused muscles, the skill and precision of use of those senses becomes atrophied and we rely upon their input and use less and less.
I also think considering the Bible as the primary means of communication from God might be problematic for creating strong disciples. We assume, because of the gains in global literacy that people read or know how to read, but that may be a faulty and dangerous assumption. Additionally, and I realize this may be a bit of a generalization, but I think there is supporting evidence that western society is heavily influenced by the ancient Greek philosophy (reason, logic, separation of the mind from the heart/soul). Subsequently, many people read the Bible with a certain detachment even if the detachment is inadvertent or subconscious. The result of this is there are a great many people who struggle to really “hear” God through Scripture…this is especially true if they do not sense an emotional response when they read it. There is also the consideration that while we point folks to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and proclaim “all of Scripture is inspired and useful…” most do not read “all” of the Bible and gravitate only to portions that make them “feel” good or are easier to understand. Again, the result of this tends to be a lopsided and sometimes even heretical view of God.
Ultimately, this belief or position that the Bible is God’s “primary means of communication” has a number of potential pitfalls and is the reason for my question; “Is the Bible the primary way that God wants to communicate with us?” I still don’t know the real answer to this, but I am inclined to believe God wants holistic relationship, meaning minimal or no separation in the opportunities to connect with his children. I believe he desires to speak to us in every single facet and means that are presented to us in the course of a day… the Bible, of course, always being the filter that we test our communication through (eg., Sola Scriptura and Wesleyan Quadrilateral).
After processing some of this, I’m thinking our task as ministers, teachers, disciplers, and influencers is to teach this to people who are hungry and “have ears to hear,” teaching them that God is always speaking–as often and as loudly outside of the written word as he is inside of the written word. (I have some other thoughts about this here)
As we become more attuned and sensitive to the way God communicates and become more familiar to the many ways that God speaks, we will grow more deeply in relationship with Him by simple virtue of the fact that we are spending more time with Him… ultimately practicing the presence of God in all things (Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach are examples that come to mind notwithstanding the Biblical references I mentioned earlier).
Still thinking… I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Posted in Bible Journey-Reading, Bible Speak, Genesis, Random Thoughts, Spirituality | Tags: Bible Speak, Discipleship, Genesis, Jesus, Sola Scriptura, Wesleyan Quadrilateral | 5 Comments »
Basking in the Light
[08JAN2012] Basking in the Light
♦ Psalm 29
♦ Readings – Genesis 1:1-5 ♦ Acts 19:1-7
♦ Gospel -Mark 1:4-11
Lord, I will sing of your power; every morning I will sing of your faithful love. Let us live as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. Amen.
Today has been a day for me to bask in His glorious presence and light, the light that is epiphany and revelation to me. This is the awareness and awakening that shook me to my core over a decade ago… a “shakening and awakening” like none other I experienced in all my life of knowing about Jesus. Knowing about him was nothing compared to knowing him. I am grateful beyond words and any human expression for the grace and mercy he showed to me when he revealed himself in light and in truth. Praise Him! My prayer today has been expressed in the joy of these words from the psalmist from Psalm 139:
For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation.
Already you knew my soul, my body held no secret from you… when I was being fashioned in secret and molded in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes see all my actions, they were all of them written in your book; every one of my days was decreed before one of them came into being.
To me, how mysterious your thoughts, the sum of them not to be numbered! If I count them, they are more than sand; to finish, I must be eternal, like you.
—as read from the Anabaptist Prayer Book: Take our Moments and our Days
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Daily Meds, Epiphany Meditation, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Prayer, Psalms, Worship | Tags: Christian Calendar, Epiphany, Jesus, Light of Christ, Liturgical Year, Prayer, Psalms, The Great Light, Worship | No Comments »
Epiphany—The Cycle of Light
[07JAN2012] Epiphany—The Cycle of Light
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 ♦ Readings – Isaiah 60:1-6 ♦ Eph. 3:1-12 ♦ Gospel - Matthew 2:1-12
Yesterday marked the official ending of Christmas and the beginning of the next celebration and observance according to the Christian calendar with the coming of Epiphany. Christians around the world celebrate this day with various traditions (you can see photos of some celebrations around the world here). The observance of Epiphany, for some believers, extends beyond the observance of a day and continues to Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the Lenten season leading to Easter.
“…for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” -Simeon (Luke 2:30-32)
About Epiphany
Epiphany (Greek; phainein—to cause to appear or to bring to light); for 2012 Cycle B, Epiphany is observed from Jan. 06, 2012 to Feb. 22, 2012 Ash Wednesday. Thus begins forty-six days of focus, reflection, and practiced living and following the life of Christ. Epiphany is also marked by three primary events in the life of Christ, which are: The visitation of the Magi, the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, and the wedding feast with miracle of Christ turning the water to wine.
Seeing the Star, the Magi said: “This is the sign of a great king. Let us search for him and lay our treasures at his feet: gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Alleluia.
Epiphany is a “season of enlightenment.” During the weeks (five to nine depending on the moveable date of Easter) of Epiphany, believers focus their attention on the life, teaching, and unfolding revelation of Messiah Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the World. As we invest and immerse ourselves in the life of Christ during this observance, we simultaneously realize the coming of Christ and revelation of Christ in us—and as this revelation is realized in us, it is made manifest to those who are in our immediate circles of influence. The appearance of Christ to men; the revelation of Christ in men; the manifestation of Christ in men reveals the Christ to others… and this is the Cycle of Light that is Epiphany.
We who have seen the light of Christ are obliged, by the greatness of the grace that has been given us, to make known the presence of the Savior to the ends of the earth…not only by preaching the glad tidings of His coming; but above all by revealing Him in our lives… Every day of our mortal lives must be His manifestation, His divine Epiphany, in the world which He has created and redeemed. -Thomas Merton
Observance and Practice
There as many ways to observe, experience, and practice the Life of Christ as there are people…but we can learn a lot and develop solid foundations as well as regain our spiritual footing by following traditions of the church. It will be my practice this next forty-six days to immerse myself in the life and teaching of Jesus through study and reading of the Gospel according to Luke. I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I had acquired The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation by N. T. Wright and Luke: The Gospel of Amazement by Michael Card. I am using these books as a means of entering the story of Jesus through the Gospels. Reading, reflection, and prayer are just one component of this Season of Epiphany; the other component is practice and transformation. Acting upon the Spirit’s urging in our life is the expected participation during this Ephiphanal exercise…with the expected outcome being transformed more into the likeness and character of Jesus.
May your Epiphany be an enlightened one.
A Prayer—
Christ is baptized, the world is made holy; he has taken away our sins. We shall be consecrated by water and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia.
O God of light, your rising reveals all things in their true proportion. Illumine our lives, that we may see rightly, love deeply, and act justly. In the example of Jesus, we pray for the advent of your reign:
Our Father who lives in heaven, holy is your Name. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours are the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and for ever.
By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.
