Grace

It happens every mission trip. The resident is appreciative of the work being done by 5 kids and an adult for a solid week. Houses get painted. Porches get repaired or replaced. Windows get caulked. Lives get touched. Hearts get blessed.

It usually happens midweek as the home owner becomes more and more comfortable with the experience. It's then that they ask,

"Hey, how much do you kids get paid for all this work?"

"We don't get paid anything," they reply. "We have to pay to come on these trips, and we have to raise money all year long to come."

It's a moment of grace. Pure grace.

C.S. Lewis said that grace is Christianity's chief contribution to the study of God.

St. Paul taught us that it's "by grace that we are saved" (Ephesians 2:5).

Grace is a free gift. Theologically it's the free gift of God's love. Unmerited. Unearned. Unlimited. It can't be earned. Therefore it can never be lost, because we didn't earn it in the first place. God simply loves us. Period.

Questions:

How have you experienced grace in your life?

How have you experienced God's grace in your life?

Prayer: Thank You, Loving God, for the gift of your acceptance, your favor and your love. Thank you for showering us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Thank you for the gift of salvation and the gift of your unconditional love. Amen.


Extra Credit

John Newton's "Amazing Grace"

It's perhaps the most beloved hymn of all time; yet it can be a little disconcerting calling ourselves "wretches."

Amazing Grace how sweat the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found
Twas blind but now I see.

This might help. The composer, John Newton, led a rather wretched life for a number of years. He was a sailor as a young man and became involved in the slave trade. He himself was captured and enslaved. Eventually he became a strong convert to Christianity and a  prominent supporter of the abolition of slavery.

In an influential pamphlet, "Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade," Newton described the horrific conditions of the slave ships and apologized for "a confession, which ... comes too late ... It will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders."

It was Newton's deep awareness of his own sinfulness that led him to pen
such a tribute to God's Grace.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear.
The hour I first believed.

John Newton 1725 - 1807

Understanding the Old Testament

The Hebrew Scriptures, what we call the Old Testament is the story of a People & their God. But it's also the story of a People & their Land. Therefore one of the quickest ways to understand the history and storyline of the Old Testament is to look at a map . . . or maybe a few maps.

Act I   Abraham & Sarah begin the story.    (2000 BC)

The red line below traces Abraham & Sarah's trip from Ur to the Holy Land. In Genesis 12 God calls them to leave their homeland and go to a new land where God promises to make them a great nation. They started walking . . . . and the rest is history, the history of the Israelites.

Notice that they started in modern day Kuwait and then journeyed through Iraq, down through Syria and Lebanon and then into Israel, the Promised Land.

Act II   Patriarchs & Matriarchs

Generation #1: Abraham & Sarah settle in the Promised Land, called Canaan & Palastine in ancient times.
Generation #2: Isaac & Rebekkah give birth to Jacob & Esau
Generation #3: Jacob & Rachel & Leah & 2 servants have 12 Sons.
Their families become the 12 Tribes of Israel


Act III    Jacob's Family relocates to Egypt

Joseph (Jacob's favorite son) is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers (think "Joseph & His Technicolor Dreamcoat") and he ends up in Egypt. When a famine hits Canaan the family goes to Egypt where Joseph takes care of them. They settle in northern Egypt, in Goshen. There they prosper for 200 years. But then they are enslaved for the next 200 years.

Act IV   The Exodus      (around 1450 BC)

Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt (miracle of the Red Sea). They camp at the Mt. Sinai State Park for a year, as Moses is instructed by God upon the mountain. They then journey through the wilderness for 39 years and end up on the plains of Moab, in modern day Jordan. Moses dies there.


Act V   Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land

Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land.
Then a series of "Judges" (military rulers, including Deborah) leads the nation.
But the Israelites want a king just like all the other nations.


Act VI   United Kingdom - Saul, David, Solomon      (1000 BC)



Israel is about the size of New Jersey, but without Newark.

Saul was a troubled king.
David was a flawed but great king, writing about half of the psalms.
Solomon was said to be the wisest man who ever lived. Israel's a great power.


Act VII   Civil War - The Nation Divided after Solomon's Reign

The Northern Kingdom is called Israel (includes Sea of Galilee).
The Southern Kindgom is called Judah (includes Jerusalem).


Act IIX   Defeat & Exile - Babylonian Captivity

The Northern Kingdom falls to the Assyrians, 734-721 BC.
The Southern Kingdom falls to the Babylonians, 586 BC.
Notice that they're almost back where Abraham & Sarah started from - Ur!


Act IX    The Return of the Exiles

538 BC 1st group returns under Zerubbabel
458 BC 2nd group returns under Ezra
432 BC Last group returns under Nehemiah
Jerusalm rebuilt.


That's the history, geography and story of the Old Testament. It's a story Christians need to know. For as Paul wrote:

These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.   - I Corinthians 10:11

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for your faithfulness to the Israelites and to us. Make us a faith-filled people who know you, follow you and make your goodness known to others; for we like the Israelites have been "blessed to be a blessing." Amen.

Are the Gospel Documents Reliable?

Question: Are the Gospel Documents Reliable?

10 Reasons to Say "Yes"

1. The Rabbinical Method of Teaching was thorough and intense.  Jewish Rabbis made their disciples memorize their teachings verbatim.  An emphasis was placed on understanding what they had memorized.

2. Eyewitnesses were still living as the documents were being written and circulated.  They would have strongly objected to false material.

3. The willingness of the disciples to undergo persecution and martyrdom shows their belief in the truthfulness of what they were reporting.

4. The writers of the NT resisted the temptation to change embarrassing statements.  This shows their commitment to accuracy.

    Mark 9:1    "some will not pass away before the Kingdom comes in power."

    Matthew 1  This genealogy is not correct.  Someone could have corrected it.

5. They preserved words they could not begin to understand.  Jesus' treatment of women & children was not comprehended by the early church, yet they recorded his words.

Ex. Jesus said we must become like a child. Paul says don't be like little children. Ancient culture ignored children as unimportant.

6. They preserved things that at the time of writing were no longer applicable to the early church.

Ex. Question about the Temple Tax - Matt. 17:24

Ex. Jesus' instruction the disciples not to go to the Gentiles - Matt. 10:5

7. The writers could have written answers into the mouth of Jesus to problems they were facing in the early church.  But they did not.

8. The Gospel writers could have written some of Paul's memorable sayings back into the words of Jesus.  But they did not.

9. On the job training. During his time with them Jesus, "sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:2). What were they teaching? His material, his Good News. Teaching it to others helped the disciples thoroughly learn Christ's teachings.

10. Jesus' Teaching Methods made it easy to remember what he said. He utilized:

Picturesque speech - a spec & log in eye
Puns - Petros & Petra, Peter & Rock
Proverbs - "Judge not, lest you too be judged"
Poetry - Luke 6:27-28, Mark 8:35, Luke 17:26
Parables - the most striking feature of his teaching

All of the above would assist the disciples in remembering his teachings, especially when you consider that Jesus repeated himself on a number of occasions.  Repetition promotes retention.

The material above comes from several lectures given by Dr. Bruce M. Metzger,
Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Chair of
the Committee of Translators for the RSV and NRSV Bibles.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the faith and faithfulness of those who recorded and preserved your teachings for us. Amen.

The Gospels

A new literary genre.

There are of course four gospels in the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke & John -  four accounts of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus. The gospels are a unique literary genre - part biography, part spiritual treatise, preserving the teachings of Christ for us.

Question: The Gospels writers spend about a third of their writing on the events of just one week in Jesus' life - Holy Week. What point are they most likely making?


The Synoptics + John

Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the "synoptic" gospels because they "see together" a lot of the same things. Mark was apparently written first, for almost all of his material is found in Matthew and Luke. John's gospel was probably written last, as he shares completely different teachings from Christ. 92% of John's material is unique to his gospel. Most notably, John records the "I am" statements - "I am . . . . the Bread of Life . . . the Light of the World . . . the Good Shepherd . . . the Gate for the Sheep . . . the Resurrection and the Life . . . the Way, the Truth & the Life, and
. . . the True Vine."


One Good News, Four Distinct Views

Matthew wrote his gospel for a Jewish audience, stressing that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

Mark wrote his gospel most likely for a Roman audience, showing Jesus to be the obedient servant of God.

Luke wrote his gospel for a Gentile audience, for a Greek culture, showing Jesus to be Perfect Man and a Savior for all.

John wrote his gospel for Jews & Gentiles, showing Jesus to be the Son of God.

Question: Why is it helpful to have more than one account of the life of Christ?


The Purpose of the Gospels

Two gospel writers tell us why they recorded what they did:

Luke 1:1-4
Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

John 20:30-31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Questions:
Luke says he was writing so folks might know the truth. How convinced are you regarding the truthfulness of what he's recorded? (if you're not very certain the next entry should help). 
John says he writes so that we might have a new kind of life, one that is found in relationship with God through Christ. How have you experienced this new life?

Prayer:
Gracious God, thank you for the gospels. Inspire me to read them, believe them and most of all live them with the New Life you offer from above. In Your Name. Amen.


Extra Credit:

The traditional symbols for the gospel writers are:

Matthew - A Winged Man (Jesus is the Messiah come from God)
Mark - A Lion (symbol of courage and royalty)

Luke - An Ox or Bull (sacrifice, service, strength)

John - The Eagle  (a symbol of the sky, the highest view of Christ)


The wings on each symbolize divine inspiration.

Gospel

What's in a word? In this case, a lot.

Mark begins his account of the life of Christ with these words:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  - Mark 1:1

The word, "gospel," means "good news." It's not just any good news. It's the good news of Jesus Christ - his life, his teachings, his sacrifice, his resurrection and his ongoing presence in the world and in our lives. This message is good news for the world and good news for each of us. So if the gospel we proclaim is not truly good, wonderful news, then we've misunderstood its essence.

Question:  In what way is the gospel of Christ good news for the world today? In what way is the gospel of Christ good news for you today?

Prayer: Lord, help me understand the beauty of the gospel. Help me to marvel at your sacrificial love and to live out this good news with joy and gratitude. Amen.

God

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) spent 7 years writing his theological masterpiece, "Summa Theologica."  It was his attempt to present the entire breath of Christian theology in a systematic format. On December 6, 1273 Thomas was celebrating Mass when he heard Christ speak to him. Christ asked him what he desired. Thomas replied "Only you, Lord. Only you." Following this exchange Thomas had an intense, supernatural experience with God. It was so profound that he refused to go back to work on his masterpiece. When his assistant Reginald of Piperno begged him to return to his writing, Thomas replied,  "Reginald, I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me." Thomas Aquinas left his sum of all theology incomplete and unfinished. He died 3 months later.

I share this story because I think it captures an important issue when it comes to the study of God, theology.  The issue is our words fall short, and yet we must use them. The issue is our finite minds will never fully understand the Infinite One, and yet we're driven to try. The issue is God is knowable but not completely. God is revealed and yet concealed, And most profoundly, God transcends human reason and human comprehension, and yet God was incarnated in human form.

Question: If we'll never fully understand the mystery of God this side of
heaven, why even try?

Two thoughts . . .

First, there is much we can know about the Infinite One. The Bible is filled with descriptions of God from mere mortals like us who encountered Divinity along the way. Here are just a few of the descriptions found in the scriptures: Mighty One, Faithful, Living, Eternal, Holy, Righteous, Rock, Redeemer, Savior, Almighty, Fortress, Judge, Strength, Justice, Truth, Compassionate, Forgiving, Love, Abba, Mother, Healer.

And secondly, Jesus Christ has made known the character of God. This is the centerpiece of Christian theology. "Christ is the image of the invisible God."  (Colossians 1:15). He's God's Word (Message) to us made flesh (John 1:14).

Prayer: What do we desire, O God? Only You, Lord. Only You. Give us hearts
to know you, minds to understand your ways, and spirits filled and guided
by your Spirit. Amen.

The First Amendment

Here's what it says:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the  press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government  for a redress of grievances."

The First Amendment contains two clauses concerning the freedom of religion. The Establishment Clause states that the "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion." The Free Exercise Clause adds, "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This amendment rejected the European model of a state religion.

When the amendment was ratified in 1791 it applied only to the federal government and its laws. States were still free to do as they wished. In fact, Massachusetts was officially a Congregational state until 1833. One of the churches I served was built using tax payer dollars. In colonial days all the residents of the village were taxed to pay for a new Congregational church. Those were the good ole days!

Shortly after Thomas Jefferson was elected president, Baptists from Connecticut asked him to declare a national day of fasting in order to help the country heal from a bitterly fought presidential campaign. Jefferson disagreed, feeling that the First Amendment established a "wall of separation" between church and state. Others presidents, government officials and courts have seen it differently through the years (see below). A few days after September 11, 2001 President Bush called for Americans to assemble in their houses of worship for noontime prayer for the nation. Most churches were packed.

Question: what are the advantages of a wall of separation between church and state? What are the disadvantages?

Question: Was the First Amendment meant to keep the church out of the state or the state out of the church? Or both?

Prayer: Holy God, thank you for the freedom to worship you in many and various ways. Inspire us to be a nation of worshippers. In your Name. Amen.

Extra Credit: Teaching About Religion

Question: What is the difference between teaching religion confessionally vs teaching about religion objectively?

Answer: the former is unconstitutional. The latter is not.

On a number of occasions the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that it is constitutional to teach about religion in the public schools.

Justice Robert Jackson in McCollum v. Board of Education (1948) wrote, "Music without sacred music, architecture minus the cathedral, or painting without the scriptural themes would be eccentric and incomplete, even from a secular point of view . . . Certainly a course in English literature that omitted the Bible and other powerful uses of our mother tongue for religious ends would be pretty barren."

Justice Thomas Clark in Abington v. Schempp (1963) wrote: "It might well be said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization."

Justice Lewis Powell in Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) wrote, "Courses in comparative religion of course are customary and constitutionally appropriate."

Amen.

(The information in the "Extra Credit" section comes from Stephen Prothero's Religious Literacy, pp. 128-129.)