Wisdom

Readings for this week, from the Revised Common Lectionary:

Proverbs 8:1-4; 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15

Proverbs 8 (The Message)

Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She's taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts: "You—I'm talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets!

Listen, you idiots—learn good sense! You blockheads—shape up!

Don't miss a word of this—I'm telling you how to live well, I'm telling you how to live at your best.

"God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—before he did anything else.

I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start.

I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn;

Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said no trespassing, And then staked out Earth's Foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.

Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company,

Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family, before he did anything else.

Proverbs 8 shows us wisdom...personified.

"Lady Wisdom" stands crying out in the streets, but few seem to hear her voice.

It's too busy and noisy out there on Main Street. Besides, her advice might run counter to the things that we want to do, or the things that the world sometimes tells us we should do.

The wisdom of God runs deep. It is ancient, present at and in the creation.

Our task? Listen. Find some space before the noise begins and listen. When we get really accomplished, maybe it's even possible for us to find some spiritual space in the middle of the noise, as it's happening around us.

Not easy. The best things take time and practice. But here's the deal. God has already attended to the details. The soil, the water, the air, the trees, the delicate balance of life...it's all in place.

God made us for the purpose of being here, and being in relationship with Him.

Lady Wisdom cries out at First and Main, "delicately" calling us back home:

"Listen you idiots! Learn good sense! You blockheads, shape up!"

Grace & Peace,
Adam

See

John 14:8-17 (The Message)

⁸Philip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content."

^9-10"You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand?

To see me is to see the Father.

So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

^11-14"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me.

If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works.

The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing.

You can count on it.

From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son.

I mean it.

Whatever you request in this way, I'll do.

^15-17"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you.

I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth.

The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for.

But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

I love passages like these from the Gospels so much.

Jesus just makes it simple:

1. See me...you see the Father

2. Believe in me

3. Ask me for what you need

4. Obey me

Simple, right?

So simple...but such a challenge for us because following this teaching will force us to get ourselves out of our own way.

See

Believe

Ask

Obey

Let's give it a shot today. Stop yourself from time to time throughout this day and check in with these four steps.

It's a lesson from the Master worth learning.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Worship this Sunday, 9:30 and 11 AM. We'll be honoring 7 graduates, and concluding our "To Save a Family" series with, "Strong Families Leave a Legacy."

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13 (The Message)

^1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building.

Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

^5-11There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world.

When they heard the sound, they came on the run.

Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!

"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"

¹²Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it.

They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"

¹³Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."

Jerusalem has always been a city of many languages.

When Holly and I visited there 2 years ago, we were struck by the incredible diversity of people we met.

I suppose I always thought that Jerusalem was overwhelmingly Jewish. It's the site of the Temple Mount, it's the capitol of Israel.

In reality, I found it to be dominated by Muslim people and culture. The governmental authority and much of the wealth is Jewish. There is a Christian presence, though much smaller and more insignificant than I'd imagined.

The Christians are fragmented among Catholics, Orthodox, Ethiopian, and the infinite stripes of Protestants.

Everybody has their own parts and pieces of the city. Every group has its own sacred sites and shrines.

What could ever bring unity?

Fire from heaven, that's about all I can think of. The spectacle of these many groups and peoples speaking one another's languages, as a gift from God.

It is the Tower of Babel in reverse. It is a vision of what is possible with the immediate, powerful presence of God at work in our lives.

What could the Holy Spirit do to unify our families, our churches, our towns?

Human beings, in our brokenness and sin, will always find ways to be divided. God is unified, and that's God's vision for his people. May it truly come to pass.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Burial and Resurrection

Romans 8:12-17 (Message)

So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent.

There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all.

The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.

It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?"

God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.

And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!

We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a long hike around the town of Waynesville, North Carolina.

I was attending an annual clergy retreat at nearby Lake Junaluska. We had the afternoon off, and I found a do-it-yourself walking tour around the beautiful old town.

Toward the end of the 6 mile journey, I read the instructions, "turn left at ____ street, and enter through the main gates of Green Hill Cemetery."

Seriously? I wasn't expecting that.

What I found was pretty amazing. The historic Green Hill cemetery is filled to capacity and has been for some time. It rests on one of the highest points around the mountainous area of Waynesville. From the crest of the tallest hill, you could see the old town spread out below.

In the distance, in all directions, beautiful trees, sky and mountains filled the view. I was surrounded by a huge crowd of silent witnesses to the beauty God has made.

I was struck to see family after family, memorialized in granite. I read the story of Waynesville's founders, and confederate battle flags decorated the graves of scores of southern soldiers who died in the civil war.

But even in that beautiful, quiet place, I could hear the sounds of cars and trucks. The hustle and bustle of the living was calling for me to join them.

And so is Romans 8. We are called to an experience of burial and resurrection, here and now.

"The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life."

I didn't stay in the cemetery. It was a nice place to visit...but there are things to do, places to go.

"What's next Papa?"

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Wonderful

Lectionary Readings for this week (where we're heading together on the SOTHblog each morning)

Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (UMH 826)
Romans 8:14-17
John 14:8-17 (25-27)

We'll start this morning with Psalm 104 (The Message)

What a wildly wonderful world, God!

You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.

Oh, look—the deep, wide sea,
brimming with fish past counting,
sardines and sharks and salmon.

Ships plow those waters,
and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them.

All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.

If you turned your back,
they'd die in a minute—
Take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.

The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.

Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!

Oh, let my song please him;
I'm so pleased to be singing to God.

"He points a finger at the mountains and volcanoes erupt."

That's not really how it happens, is it?

We all learned in about 7th grade earth science (now I think they teach this in 3rd grade), that pressure builds up within a mountain because of geological forces and finally the lava explodes up into the air.

Don't get me wrong...I'm so thankful for science. It's saved my life many times. Virtually everything that I'll do today has been made easier, safer, and much more comfortable because of the scientific method and what human beings have been able to learn and achieve.

But there is a problem.

We may have lost our sense of wonder...and place.

Anybody out there have teenage kids?

I bet you know how smart they DON'T think you are.

They've managed to do a few things, to learn a few more new things...and then make the critical mistake of thinking they've got it all figured out. That, in fact, they know more than their parents.

I did it. You did it. We all did it. Of course, we were wrong.

I wonder if it's possible that humanity at this moment has a similar relationship to God?

Walk outside and take it all in. Find a tree, somewhere, and just really look at it. Study it closely. Understand all the processes that are at work in that tree, at that very moment.

We can describe the process of photosynthesis, but we can't really replicate it. We can manage the growth and hybridization of trees, but only God can make one.

We don't cause the sun to shine. Without rain, we know how difficult life can become.

Thousands of years after Psalm 104 was written...it's absolutely true: "if you turned your back, we'd die in a minute."

Folks, that means that today really is a gift.

"All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it."

Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

This vid is absolutely one of my favorites...what a great hymn of the church, and a brilliant example of how old and new can come together in a powerful way.

Unity

John 17:20-26 (The Message)

This is Jesus' prayer for the unity of his believers in John 17. As we do the work of being a church together, what would happen if we stopped and recited this prayer together, whenever we encounter difficulty or conflict?

This might be the ultimate conflict buster. Let's don't leave it on the shelf to collect dust when it can live and breathe and give us life.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.

Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.

Father, I want those you gave me
To be with me, right where I am,
So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me,

Having loved me
Long before there ever was a world.

Righteous Father, the world has never known you,
But I have known you, and these disciples know
That you sent me on this mission.

I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do—

And continue to make it known,
So that your love for me
Might be in them

Exactly as I am in them.

-- Jesus

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Where charity and love are, God is there.

The Case for Christ

A very interesting film...Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ." Well worth the hour and eighteen minute time investment. Watch it when you have a chance to sit with it and think along with it...pretty good stuff, particularly the interviews with NT Wright.

Tomorrow -- we'll finish up the week with the passage from John 17 and I'll talk a bit about what's on tap for Sunday.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Soon

From Revelation 22 (The Message)

"Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon!

I'm bringing my payroll with me.

I'll pay all people in full for their life's work. I'm A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion.

How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they'll walk through the gates to the City.

"I, Jesus, sent my Angel to testify to these things for the churches.

I'm the Root and Branch of David, the Bright Morning Star."

"Come!" say the Spirit and the Bride.
Whoever hears, echo, "Come!"
Is anyone thirsty? Come!
All who will, come and drink,
Drink freely of the Water of Life!

He who testifies to all these things says it again: "I'm on my way! I'll be there soon!"

Yes! Come, Master Jesus!

The grace of the Master Jesus be with all of you. Oh, Yes!

Can you remember a time when someone met a need for you? When have you been in need...a need that you could not meet for yourself?

How did it feel to experience that "grace?"

After all, when we receive a gift, and find that our needs are met when we didn't know how they would be, that's the very definition of grace.

And it's the nature of God towards his people.

This closing chapter of Revelation reminds us of the end of the story.

The apostle John was in his old age, exiled to the work colony of Patmos. He was powerless, and surrounded by powerless people who were being punished for their faith in Jesus.

John's revelation, in a nutshell?

It will all be worth it.

He hears the voice of Jesus: "I'm on my way, I'll be there soon. All who will, come and drink freely of the water of life!"

John actually knew that voice from his earlier life. He spent time with this man from Galilee who was the Messiah. He knew his voice, and heard it again in his heavenly vision.

How exciting would this have been for John? Can it be exciting for us to hear these words?

If you are tired...there is hope. There is one who is the beginning and the end, and he will take care of us all.

That's the good news that gives peace.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

For today, a glimpse into how pop rock envisions the end and what comes next:

Poking a little fun at ourselves...

My good friend Rev. Scott Parrish gets credit for finding this one...we shall not take ourselves too seriously...

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

THEO-logy, May 11, 2010

I dont think it is by accident that I read this particular sermon of my great-grandfather's today so close on the heels of the post on involved versus committed from earlier this week. He encapsulated this sermon in a single line near the end:

We cherish the last drops of these men's blood (here referring to the old saints, missionaries, martyrs, and reformers - including Jesus) but are careful not to shed a drop of our own.

We read of countless sacrifices made on behalf of or in the name of our God in the Bible:

• Abraham was called not only to leave his home but also to sacrifice his only son (Genesis 12:1-5 and Genesis 22:1-19 respectively)
• The disciples were told to leave everything they own...including their families (Luke 9:3, 59-62)
• Jesus gave all that He was (Do I really need to cite Scripture here...?)

When we read or are reminded of these sacrifices we're are awed by the willingness of those who gave everything; we rejoice in their obedience. We idolize them. But sometimes that's as far as it goes.

We cherish the last drops of these men's blood, but are careful not to shed a drop of our own.

How crazy is it that we are sometimes more willing to hear and apply morals and teachings of stories like "The Ant and the Grasshopper" or even "The Tortoise and the Hare" before we apply the lessons held within the pages of the very book we base our beliefs on?

Im definitely not preaching at you from on high, either. I am very withholding when it comes to God; more often than I care to admit. But as a wise man once said: "Knowing is half the battle." The other half? Taking what we've learned from the realm of theory into the realm of practice and application.

What will that look like in your life?

Handcrafted gods

Psalm 97 (The Message)

God rules: there's something to shout over! On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!

² Bright clouds and storm clouds circle 'round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule.

³ Fire blazes out before him,
Flaming high up the craggy mountains.

⁴ His lightnings light up the world;
Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear.

⁵ The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord.

⁶ The heavens announce that he'll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!

^7-8 All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry—
And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods!

On your knees, all you gods—worship him!
And Zion, you listen and take heart!

Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out:
God has done it all, has set everything right.

⁹ You, God, are High God of the cosmos,
Far, far higher than any of the gods.

¹⁰ God loves all who hate evil,
And those who love him he keeps safe,
Snatches them from the grip of the wicked.

¹¹ Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.

¹² So, God's people, shout praise to God,
Give thanks to our Holy God!

"All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry."

Good thing we don't build idols anymore...right?

Well, we do, of course.

And wow, they're pretty impressive these days. An ancient person couldn't have imagined computers, the power of the internet, HD television.

They would have bowed down and worshiped in the presence of a TV, I imagine.

Silly ancients. ...right?

What can I do and where can I go that can really help me experience the power of the one true God?

Wherever that place is for you --- it's probably not in front of the tv or computer (unless you're reading the sothblog, of course).

The problem of idolatry is that it's the easy way out. It exchanges the awesome God of Zion for something handcrafted that we can handle for ourselves.

But the easy way is definitely not the best way.

Today I'll think about the gods that I've created and see what I can do to lay them at the feet of the only God that matters.

Dangerous

This week's daily lectionary blog posts are back!

Thanks for hanging in there with me, I've had a bit of a challenging travel schedule the last couple of weeks, but we should be getting back on track.

We'll look at one lectionary passage Monday through Thursday this week, and on Friday I'll write a few thoughts about this coming Sunday's sermon in the series, "To Save a Family."

Monday: Acts 16:16-34

Tuesday: Psalm 97

Wednesday: Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21;

Thursday: John 17:20-26

Acts 16:16-34 (A long story, but one well worth investing a few minutes) from The Message:

^16-18One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us.

She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her.

She started following Paul around, calling everyone's attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They're laying out the road of salvation for you!"

She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!"

And it was gone, just like that.

^19-22When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square. Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order."

By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood.

^22-24The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas's clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating.

After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape.

He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them.

^25-26Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God.

The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.

^27-28Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges.

Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, when Paul stopped him: "Don't do that! We're all still here! Nobody's run away!"

^29-31The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas. He led them out of the jail and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?"

They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!"

^32-34They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master—the entire family got in on this part.

They never did get to bed that night.

The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their wounds, and then—he couldn't wait till morning!—was baptized, he and everyone in his family.

There in his home, he had food set out for a festive meal.

It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration.

I find that these days, lots of traditional, "mainline" church folks spend their time bemoaning the coarsening of our culture and the decline of attendance at their worship services.

I can fall into that trap, too.

Then, I read a passage like this one in Acts 16.

We have nothing to moan about. Except, perhaps, the loss of power and strength that the early disciples experienced. Their witness was palpable and people were drawn to the unique message they lived out.

Paul and Silas suffer at the hands of "the world" in today's reading.

Why?

Because "these men are dangerous Jewish agitators, subverting our Roman law and order."

Could that possibly be said of any of us who are part of institutional, American Christianity today?

It was said of the civil rights leaders in the 1950's and 60's. It was said of the reformers of the 1500's.

Do we spend more time today trying to enforce "Roman" rule in our society today, or is some part of following Jesus supposed to be inherently subversive to the world's practices and values?

What part of our faith is risky enough to allow God to act in powerful, public ways? When are we ever in enough trouble for following Jesus that we might need him to come to our rescue?

Risk. Rejection. Power. Witness. What could these Acts 16 attributes have to do with our life as Jesus-followers today?

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Involved vs. Committed

Recently I "won" a copy of Shannon O'Dell's new book entitled Transforming Church in Rural America from Tim Stevens of Granger Community Church. Tim worked a deal with the book's publisher, New Leaf Press, that allowed him to tweet a link that scored a free copy of the book to the first one hundred visitors. Score.

As I was reading my way through the first three chapters today, I came upon a phrase that hit me so hard I had to put the book down and reflect for a few minutes. O'Dell is outlining a candidate sermon he gave while interviewing at a church for the senior pastor position and he says:

"I shared why I thought the church is passionless today, because so many are involved with Christ but not committed to Him."

Man, that is a powerful statement! How often do we treat our relationship with God as a Wednesday and/or Sunday tryst? If that didn't sting, how about this one: How often do we give Him an hour of everyday...but that's it...JUST an hour? We set aside time for Him, sure, but we LIMIT our involvement with Him to that time.; Our relationship with Him is a lot less evident when it isn't our quiet time.

God doesn't ask us for involvement; He asks us for commitment. Jesus said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). What is left of us when we give all He demands in this verse?

We, like Peter, are supposed to grab our coats when we jump out of the boat after Jesus! Fully prepared and fully committed to not turn back, we jump albeit awkwardly into the life He has called us to: A life of death to ourselves and rebirth in Him. A whole-self decision.

Let us commit to Christ as He has committed Himself to the church: As a groom commits to His bride - wholly and unconditionally. God doesn't want to be limited to "Lord of the Bible Studies" or "Lord of the Church." He wants to be Lord of our lives with dominion and influence over all that we are and all that we have and all that we do.

Quit being involved with Jesus. Commit your life to Him as He willingly committed His life to you. Don't make me quote Revelation 3:16 on you!

- Mike