We watched A Man for All Seasons tonight. Excellent movie about Sir Thomas More. Lots to think about. Has some scary ramifications for politics today. Has some pretty hilarious one-liners scattered throughout the show.
But one totally inconsequential thing makes me curious. Was the bird named for the priestly office because the birdies were all dressed in red like the higher-than-bishop guys? Or was the office named after the bird? I'm guessing the bird-name was based on the guys-in-red in the church hierarchy, but I don't know.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Delivering Latin Books
My daughter's brother-in-law happens to be the part-time Latin teacher at our church's Lutheran school. Today was the last day of school. Teachers are cleaning out desks. One of my kids volunteered to take home Greg's box of Latin books, and get them to my son-in-law to pass on to his brother.
Gary had a better idea. What if we took them to Matt's folks' house? They live closer to us than the grocery store; it's only 8 minutes away. Rachel's in-laws are greeeeat people, but we almost never see them. So we called. We drove over this evening with Greg's books. We spent an incredibly pleasant hour and a half chatting with them. Oh, it just makes me smile!
Gary had a better idea. What if we took them to Matt's folks' house? They live closer to us than the grocery store; it's only 8 minutes away. Rachel's in-laws are greeeeat people, but we almost never see them. So we called. We drove over this evening with Greg's books. We spent an incredibly pleasant hour and a half chatting with them. Oh, it just makes me smile!
Remembering Sin
Amos 8: The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob, "Surely I will never forget any of their works."
Jeremiah 31: "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
So the one prophet says God will never forget their sin. The other prophet says God will never remember their sin.
In class today, Pastor was explaining how both are true. The first is true according to the Law. The second is true according to the Gospel. But isn't that rather paradoxical?
Amos goes on in chapter 8 to talk about the earth quaking and about the sky being darkened at noon. He talks about feasts being turned to mourning, and songs being turned to lamentation -- like mourning for an only son. This sounds to me like Amos is prophesying about Jesus' crucifixion.
How can it be true that God will never forget their sin? Because every single sin ever committed was laid upon His Son. He didn't forget one of them. Not a single sin remains. They were all placed upon Him, and they were all punished. God did not forget those sins, but made sure He remembered to gather them all into one place to make atonement for them.
But for us who are in Christ, God will not remember our sin. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. There is nothing left for Him to remember because the punishment was fully meted out.
It's so cool how both God's remembering and God's forgetting come to pass in that one place on that one Friday afternoon of darkness and earthquake and lamentation.
Jeremiah 31: "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
So the one prophet says God will never forget their sin. The other prophet says God will never remember their sin.
In class today, Pastor was explaining how both are true. The first is true according to the Law. The second is true according to the Gospel. But isn't that rather paradoxical?
Amos goes on in chapter 8 to talk about the earth quaking and about the sky being darkened at noon. He talks about feasts being turned to mourning, and songs being turned to lamentation -- like mourning for an only son. This sounds to me like Amos is prophesying about Jesus' crucifixion.
How can it be true that God will never forget their sin? Because every single sin ever committed was laid upon His Son. He didn't forget one of them. Not a single sin remains. They were all placed upon Him, and they were all punished. God did not forget those sins, but made sure He remembered to gather them all into one place to make atonement for them.
But for us who are in Christ, God will not remember our sin. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. There is nothing left for Him to remember because the punishment was fully meted out.
It's so cool how both God's remembering and God's forgetting come to pass in that one place on that one Friday afternoon of darkness and earthquake and lamentation.
Big Day
Philip signs the papers and takes possession of his condo today. He found a nice wood dining room table and a credenza at Goodwill this week. (I always wondered what a "credenza" was. And when he brought this thing home, I wasn't sure what it was. Then I saw the word stamped on the back. Ah ha!) He called last night from the store, asking for advice on saucepans and cookware. He'll be taking my spare 3-qt Reverware until he can get to central Illinois and raid my sister's and brother-in-law's pre-wedding stuff.
After taking on his mortgage, he will be spending the rest of the day cleaning cupboards and shampooing carpet and such. I guess tomorrow is the day to haul stuff back and forth in the van.
I bet Paul will be glad to move upstairs to the bedroom, out of the depths of the basement.
I should spend the day in the garden, but I keep wondering if putting seeds in that cold soil is going to rot them. Hey, at least the grass we planted on Monday should be doing well, with the persistent gentle rains and drizzles we've had for three days straight. It's nearly June and we're still running highs in the 50s and low 60s. Global warming, my foot.
After taking on his mortgage, he will be spending the rest of the day cleaning cupboards and shampooing carpet and such. I guess tomorrow is the day to haul stuff back and forth in the van.
I bet Paul will be glad to move upstairs to the bedroom, out of the depths of the basement.
I should spend the day in the garden, but I keep wondering if putting seeds in that cold soil is going to rot them. Hey, at least the grass we planted on Monday should be doing well, with the persistent gentle rains and drizzles we've had for three days straight. It's nearly June and we're still running highs in the 50s and low 60s. Global warming, my foot.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
1 Samuel 18
In our stories about David in the last few weeks, we heard about how Jonathan took off his robe and gave it to the one anointed to be king -- just like the believers on Palm Sunday took off their robes and laid them out for the path of the Christ.
We also heard how Saul tried to do in David. Twice he set up a situation where David was supposed to go fight in battle, in hopes that the Philistines would kill off David. So that's where David got the idea to get rid of Uriah the Hittite.
We also heard how Saul tried to do in David. Twice he set up a situation where David was supposed to go fight in battle, in hopes that the Philistines would kill off David. So that's where David got the idea to get rid of Uriah the Hittite.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Finches
The finches have been flitting around the yard. They are so cheery!! With the grass seed we put out on Monday, crowds of finches are visiting us now. (I hope they left some seed to germinate and grow...) I love how the finches fly all zigzaggy up&down, like as if they're dancing a jig and are too exuberant to fly in a mundane straight line.I tried to get photos, but the little guys would fly too far away whenever I opened the window. So this picture is from the Ohio DNR website.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Jasper Stone
At the end of Revelation, the angel is showing John the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, and he writes that she has "the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal."
I don't know about you, but that never made much sense to me. I ain't seen no stones that light up. They're usually pretty dull. Even sparkly precious stones like diamonds and rubies need to be polished and cut so that the facets reflect the light in a pretty way.
During Israel's wilderness wanderings, God was in the pillar of fire that led His children. He was their light. Paul tells us that the rock which followed them around in the wilderness gave them their water of life, and that Rock was Christ.
In the psalter (119) we sing that the Word of God [Jesus] is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In the psalter (118) we sing that the Stone which the builders rejected [Jesus] has become the chief Cornerstone.
This line from Revelation makes a lot more sense if you look at it in the background of Scripture's vocabulary instead of from the background of Earth Science.
Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ.
May His word be a lamp to our feet
and a light to our path.
For You are merciful,
and You love Your whole creation,
and we, Your creatures, glorify You,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
And, hey, you know what else? A few verses later in Rev 21, we hear that the walls of the heavenly city are made of jasper stone. Plug that into your "A mighty fortress is our God"!
I don't know about you, but that never made much sense to me. I ain't seen no stones that light up. They're usually pretty dull. Even sparkly precious stones like diamonds and rubies need to be polished and cut so that the facets reflect the light in a pretty way.
During Israel's wilderness wanderings, God was in the pillar of fire that led His children. He was their light. Paul tells us that the rock which followed them around in the wilderness gave them their water of life, and that Rock was Christ.
In the psalter (119) we sing that the Word of God [Jesus] is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In the psalter (118) we sing that the Stone which the builders rejected [Jesus] has become the chief Cornerstone.
This line from Revelation makes a lot more sense if you look at it in the background of Scripture's vocabulary instead of from the background of Earth Science.
Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ.
May His word be a lamp to our feet
and a light to our path.
For You are merciful,
and You love Your whole creation,
and we, Your creatures, glorify You,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
And, hey, you know what else? A few verses later in Rev 21, we hear that the walls of the heavenly city are made of jasper stone. Plug that into your "A mighty fortress is our God"!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Seems Like Saturday
Seeing as we didn't used to live on a M-F work-week or school-week, this is our first experience with a 3-day weekend after settling into the pattern of Monday through Friday. Gary hauled some topsoil today, and he built some raised beds that will be filled with compost & dirt eventually. We planned out the garden, placed a large order with Jung's, and planted some grass seed where we're patching rough ankle-twisting spots left over from last spring's repairs to the septic system.
And now I'm ready to go to church tomorrow morning. And there is no Service! Not only that, but Wednesday's Divine Service is being replaced by Graduation Vespers. It's gonna be a long long six days until Sunday.
And now I'm ready to go to church tomorrow morning. And there is no Service! Not only that, but Wednesday's Divine Service is being replaced by Graduation Vespers. It's gonna be a long long six days until Sunday.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Some More Wedding Pictures
The head table -- 
Nathan, Andrew, Paul, and Philip --
Philip, Matt, Rachel, Katie & Alia
(and cousins at the next table over) --
an especially good shot of Philip--
Robert's parents --
This waitress couldn't wait to get her hands on Alia, just to help, y'know, so that we'd have free hands to eat. Nasty job, holding a baby, but it was all in the line of duty, sacrificing herself to serve the guests... (It was so cute!)
Maybe Karen can help me out with this one. All I remember is that they're Robert's extended family (I think) --
There was a discussion of cameras at our table. I wonder what's going on at the next table. Looks like it turned out to be a good plan to put Matt, Eric, and Tim with the rocket-club guys.
There should be some great thing we could put in a word-bubble over Mary's head, but it's not coming to mind at the moment --
Zack needed to see the baby. And Alia liked him too.
The part of the wedding that choked me up most was probably when I looked at Robert as Karen was coming down the aisle. His face was full of joy, watching his bride approach. But that wasn't what did me in. We were on the third stanza of "He's Risen, He's Risen" and this guy was singing it from memory. I don't know about you, but in my mind, a man who can sing "The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high. He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die" while he gazes upon his approaching bride is going to be a man who is likely to treat her as Christ cherished His church. And that is a very happy thought.
Nathan, Andrew, Paul, and Philip --
Philip, Matt, Rachel, Katie & Alia
(and cousins at the next table over) --
an especially good shot of Philip--
Robert's parents --
This waitress couldn't wait to get her hands on Alia, just to help, y'know, so that we'd have free hands to eat. Nasty job, holding a baby, but it was all in the line of duty, sacrificing herself to serve the guests... (It was so cute!)
Maybe Karen can help me out with this one. All I remember is that they're Robert's extended family (I think) --
There was a discussion of cameras at our table. I wonder what's going on at the next table. Looks like it turned out to be a good plan to put Matt, Eric, and Tim with the rocket-club guys.
There should be some great thing we could put in a word-bubble over Mary's head, but it's not coming to mind at the moment --
Zack needed to see the baby. And Alia liked him too.
The part of the wedding that choked me up most was probably when I looked at Robert as Karen was coming down the aisle. His face was full of joy, watching his bride approach. But that wasn't what did me in. We were on the third stanza of "He's Risen, He's Risen" and this guy was singing it from memory. I don't know about you, but in my mind, a man who can sing "The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high. He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die" while he gazes upon his approaching bride is going to be a man who is likely to treat her as Christ cherished His church. And that is a very happy thought.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A Few More Wedding Pictures
The pictures of Jenna and Tina and Karen being escorted in didn't come out. Not enough light in the picture. Kinda freaky that Maggie's picture turned out fine.About to throw the bouquet --
Kinda funny picture, Matt with his armful of decorative tulle to be stashed in somebody's trunk --
Some pretty nice men --
Words of Law or Gospel?
If you've seen Everybody Loves Raymond or any number of movies with a stereotypical Jewish (or Polish or Greek or Italian) mother, you know the jokes about how mothers can heap guilt onto a kid. Spoken with many a sigh and a pained look on the face -- "Of course, you can go to the beach with your friends on my birthday. Don't mind me. I'm just your mother. I spent 37 hours in labor bringing you into the world. I changed your diapers and sacrificed myself for you in countless ways. It's not important to me that you spend a few hours with me on my birthday. I live to make you happy. And if being with your friends is what makes you happy, then you have my blessing to go to the beach with your friends while you ignore your mother. I just want you to be happy!"
I'm beginning to see that some pastors and many of our Christian friends are capable of the same thing.
Look at the bald words: "Trust Me." With tone of voice and facial expression, some pastors can make those words into a law or demand that condemns us because we don't "do" the trusting well enough. But those words can also be seen as a comfort: "I have poured out my life for you. I want only the best for you. You can trust Me. I have saved you, and I love you. I forgive you and will do everything to bring you into the safety of heaven with Me. It's okay; I've got it all under control; you can trust Me."
Some Christians will talk about vocation by saying that we are free in the Gospel to do whatever we want. Then they will say, "So, what do you want to do?" with a tone of voice that implies there really is no freedom. Those who are truly captivated by the Gospel will, on the other hand, say the same words but somehow suggest --with no manipulation, no arm-twisting, no scolding-- that we truly are free. This freedom and forgiveness creates in us a new heart which actually does desire to do what's right ... without compulsion.
Same thing can happen with "Go and sin no more" or "Be fruitful and multiply" or "Follow Me" or "Love one another" or any number of other words from God.
It is amazing how we can take a word from our Savior, a word that shows His mercy and His commitment to us, a word which shows Him to be gentle and wooing and kind, and somehow manage to turn those words into manipulation that we might expect from a sinful person that uses a pretense of self-sacrifice as a tool to get what he wants.
Does this mean there should be no law preached? Of course not. Christians need the law until they've "assumed room temperature." What I am speaking about is the sinful nature's propensity to twist even sweet words of Gospel into Law.
I'm beginning to see that some pastors and many of our Christian friends are capable of the same thing.
Look at the bald words: "Trust Me." With tone of voice and facial expression, some pastors can make those words into a law or demand that condemns us because we don't "do" the trusting well enough. But those words can also be seen as a comfort: "I have poured out my life for you. I want only the best for you. You can trust Me. I have saved you, and I love you. I forgive you and will do everything to bring you into the safety of heaven with Me. It's okay; I've got it all under control; you can trust Me."
Some Christians will talk about vocation by saying that we are free in the Gospel to do whatever we want. Then they will say, "So, what do you want to do?" with a tone of voice that implies there really is no freedom. Those who are truly captivated by the Gospel will, on the other hand, say the same words but somehow suggest --with no manipulation, no arm-twisting, no scolding-- that we truly are free. This freedom and forgiveness creates in us a new heart which actually does desire to do what's right ... without compulsion.
Same thing can happen with "Go and sin no more" or "Be fruitful and multiply" or "Follow Me" or "Love one another" or any number of other words from God.
It is amazing how we can take a word from our Savior, a word that shows His mercy and His commitment to us, a word which shows Him to be gentle and wooing and kind, and somehow manage to turn those words into manipulation that we might expect from a sinful person that uses a pretense of self-sacrifice as a tool to get what he wants.
Does this mean there should be no law preached? Of course not. Christians need the law until they've "assumed room temperature." What I am speaking about is the sinful nature's propensity to twist even sweet words of Gospel into Law.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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All That Jesus Did
The last verse of John's Gospel states: There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Turn the page in your Bible. The very next verse, the beginning of Acts, states: The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach ...
John says there's no way to record everything Jesus did. Luke says he wrote to Theophilus "all" that Jesus began to do and teach. Some might think this is a contradiction.
But IF "all" that Jesus did and taught was intertwined with His suffering and death for the salvation of sinners, then Luke did tell it all. He might not have included every single detail. As John says, there are plenty of other stories that were not told in his gospel. But that doesn't mean the story wasn't all told.
If all of Scripture is about Christ, and about God's love and mercy poured out to us, and how He saved us, then both John and Luke are right about the level of "completeness" to their gospel accounts. But if it's all about mere history and/or tales, then one of those guys is wrong.
Turn the page in your Bible. The very next verse, the beginning of Acts, states: The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach ...
John says there's no way to record everything Jesus did. Luke says he wrote to Theophilus "all" that Jesus began to do and teach. Some might think this is a contradiction.
But IF "all" that Jesus did and taught was intertwined with His suffering and death for the salvation of sinners, then Luke did tell it all. He might not have included every single detail. As John says, there are plenty of other stories that were not told in his gospel. But that doesn't mean the story wasn't all told.
If all of Scripture is about Christ, and about God's love and mercy poured out to us, and how He saved us, then both John and Luke are right about the level of "completeness" to their gospel accounts. But if it's all about mere history and/or tales, then one of those guys is wrong.
The Trumpet
Our psalm for the week is an ascension psalm, #47.
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Speaking of the Second Coming, Paul points out in 1 Thessalonians 4:
The Lord Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel,
and with the with trumpet of God.
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Speaking of the Second Coming, Paul points out in 1 Thessalonians 4:
The Lord Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel,
and with the with trumpet of God.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
This Same Jesus
Acts 1:11 -- "Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."
In Acts 2, Peter preached about Jesus. The Jesus who walked among them. The Jesus who preached in the synagogues and temple. The Jesus they had nailed to the cross. "This Jesus" God has raised up from the dead. "This Jesus" God has made to be Lord and Christ.
At the ascension, the disciples hear that "this Jesus" was taken up into heaven and will come again in the same way He went into heaven. THIS Jesus. Not a "spiritual" Jesus. Not an ephemeral Jesus. Not some god-guy Jesus. THIS Jesus. The one with a body. The one with fingernails and bones and eyelashes. The one with pierced hands and feet and side.
So many Christians think that Jesus is no longer a man. But Jesus never quit being a man. He still has a body. A man --THE Man-- sits on heaven's throne. "This Jesus" --the one whose body, born of Mary, that our sins and sorrows did carry-- is reigning now and will return.
Thou hast raised our human nature
on the clouds to God's right hand.
There we sit in heavenly places;
there with Thee in glory stand.
Jesus reigns, adored by angels.
Man with God is on the throne.
Mighty Lord, in Thine ascension,
we by faith behold our own.
In Acts 2, Peter preached about Jesus. The Jesus who walked among them. The Jesus who preached in the synagogues and temple. The Jesus they had nailed to the cross. "This Jesus" God has raised up from the dead. "This Jesus" God has made to be Lord and Christ.
At the ascension, the disciples hear that "this Jesus" was taken up into heaven and will come again in the same way He went into heaven. THIS Jesus. Not a "spiritual" Jesus. Not an ephemeral Jesus. Not some god-guy Jesus. THIS Jesus. The one with a body. The one with fingernails and bones and eyelashes. The one with pierced hands and feet and side.
So many Christians think that Jesus is no longer a man. But Jesus never quit being a man. He still has a body. A man --THE Man-- sits on heaven's throne. "This Jesus" --the one whose body, born of Mary, that our sins and sorrows did carry-- is reigning now and will return.
Thou hast raised our human nature
on the clouds to God's right hand.
There we sit in heavenly places;
there with Thee in glory stand.
Jesus reigns, adored by angels.
Man with God is on the throne.
Mighty Lord, in Thine ascension,
we by faith behold our own.
Piano Practice
It's 82°. The sheets are drying on the line and smell luscious. I'm wearing a tanktop and wanting to get outside to read aloud to Maggie from a new book. And what is floating through the airwaves indoors?
Incessant repetitions of JINGLE BELLS.
{sigh}
Incessant repetitions of JINGLE BELLS.
{sigh}
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
David Anointed King
Our story today was from 1 Samuel 16. Interestingly, the story starts with God saying that He will provide for Himself a king, just like Abraham said in Genesis 22 that God would provide for Himself a lamb for the burnt offering in place of Isaac.
I asked why God didn't just make the right guy king in the first place. Why start with Saul who ended up turning away from the Lord? Is it because of the pattern through Scripture, where there always seems to be a replacement? Jesus is the New Adam. Pastor said that would be part of it. But he said it's also because it was catechetical for the people. They rejected their Lord; they insisted on a king; they received what they asked for; they learned that it was not good. What God had for them was good. But they had to learn experientially that their sinful desires brought them only trouble.
I asked why God didn't just make the right guy king in the first place. Why start with Saul who ended up turning away from the Lord? Is it because of the pattern through Scripture, where there always seems to be a replacement? Jesus is the New Adam. Pastor said that would be part of it. But he said it's also because it was catechetical for the people. They rejected their Lord; they insisted on a king; they received what they asked for; they learned that it was not good. What God had for them was good. But they had to learn experientially that their sinful desires brought them only trouble.
Jobs
Paul isn't having much luck finding a summer job. Right now, he's thinking about taking a 3-week job at his college, right smack dab in the middle of summer. Those three weeks would pay as much as a 15-hr-per-week job for the whole summer. So it's a risk. Does he grab the little job while he still can, even if it makes other jobs unavailable, or does he keep trying for a full-time job that would last for 12 weeks? The job at college would look a whole lot better on his resumé.
I keep looking at the want ads too. Gary's hours were cut again. It was kind of shocking to realize that we'd be better off (financially) now if we'd stayed at our old home/congregation with no paycheck but only the parsonage to live in, because Gary would still have his teaching for CUW and I'd still have my part-time job. So we're trying to figure this out. If I got a job, would I earn enough to compensate for the frugality measures we'd probably forego? If I got a job, would we have to put Maggie in school? Can we get good enough at gardening --and turn enough yard into garden-- that we can drastically cut the food bill? Is there anything I can do (maid work? painting?) that would permit the kids to work with me and not have to be micro-managed by the govt (as catering or baking would)? Is our family ready for money-earning to be a higher priority for me than teaching/cooking/housekeeping?
Thankfully, Gary still has a job; there have not been lay-offs at his company. And thankfully, we have a neighbor who has tilled up a nice big patch of the back yard for us (and tilled repeatedly) so that we can get started on gardening without loads of grass pestering us. And also thankfully, we have another neighbor who has a big pile of horse manure and straw available free for anyone who wants to haul it. As I'm looking at the seed catalogs, the heirloom seeds are looking mighty attractive, in that I would not have to keep buying seeds year after year, but could just save them.
I keep looking at the want ads too. Gary's hours were cut again. It was kind of shocking to realize that we'd be better off (financially) now if we'd stayed at our old home/congregation with no paycheck but only the parsonage to live in, because Gary would still have his teaching for CUW and I'd still have my part-time job. So we're trying to figure this out. If I got a job, would I earn enough to compensate for the frugality measures we'd probably forego? If I got a job, would we have to put Maggie in school? Can we get good enough at gardening --and turn enough yard into garden-- that we can drastically cut the food bill? Is there anything I can do (maid work? painting?) that would permit the kids to work with me and not have to be micro-managed by the govt (as catering or baking would)? Is our family ready for money-earning to be a higher priority for me than teaching/cooking/housekeeping?
Thankfully, Gary still has a job; there have not been lay-offs at his company. And thankfully, we have a neighbor who has tilled up a nice big patch of the back yard for us (and tilled repeatedly) so that we can get started on gardening without loads of grass pestering us. And also thankfully, we have another neighbor who has a big pile of horse manure and straw available free for anyone who wants to haul it. As I'm looking at the seed catalogs, the heirloom seeds are looking mighty attractive, in that I would not have to keep buying seeds year after year, but could just save them.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Boasting
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God,
not of works,
lest any man should boast.
So the question in chapel, as we discussed this verse, was "Can we boast?" The children's answer was NO.
This seems a reasonable answer, especially for us who know that Pastor usually wants the answer to come straight out of the text. Oh, how often someone will give a correct answer and he'll say, "Yes, that's right, but give me another way to say it, using the language in the text itself."
But the answer this time was YES. In Galatians Paul writes, "God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Isn't that an antiphon or versicle or something during Holy Week? I can't remember for sure, but I suspect that is why it came up in connection with this week's verse.) Oddly enough, the other place where Paul talks a great deal about boasting is in 2 Corinthians. There it is about boasting in his infirmities (which might also be called "the cross") that we might boast in God's mercy and grace.
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God,
not of works,
lest any man should boast.
So the question in chapel, as we discussed this verse, was "Can we boast?" The children's answer was NO.
This seems a reasonable answer, especially for us who know that Pastor usually wants the answer to come straight out of the text. Oh, how often someone will give a correct answer and he'll say, "Yes, that's right, but give me another way to say it, using the language in the text itself."
But the answer this time was YES. In Galatians Paul writes, "God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Isn't that an antiphon or versicle or something during Holy Week? I can't remember for sure, but I suspect that is why it came up in connection with this week's verse.) Oddly enough, the other place where Paul talks a great deal about boasting is in 2 Corinthians. There it is about boasting in his infirmities (which might also be called "the cross") that we might boast in God's mercy and grace.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
God Provides
Our verse for this week is from Ephesians 2:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, lest anyone should boast.
Pastor has been persisting in asking what the that refers to. Answer: and that faith is not of yourselves. Even faith is a gift of God, and not something we do.
Similarly, I noticed something in Sunday's [3-year] reading from Acts. The story is about Philip preaching to the Ethiopian eunuch. The story starts off with an odd little geographical detail about where the story was happening and tells us "This is desert." Those kinds of details aren't put into the Bible just to satisfy our curiosity or give us an education about Social Studies.
I think a person could make an analogy to the unbeliever being in a wilderness or desert. But what I'm noticing is more direct -- there isn't water in a desert. Luke makes sure to tell us upfront that Philip and the Ethiopian are in a waterless place. And yet, eventually they come upon water, and the Ethiopian requests baptism. Not only did God create faith where there was none (as Paul tells us in this week's Bible verse) but also God ensured that there was water in that desert so that His sacrament could be administered.
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, lest anyone should boast.
Pastor has been persisting in asking what the that refers to. Answer: and that faith is not of yourselves. Even faith is a gift of God, and not something we do.
Similarly, I noticed something in Sunday's [3-year] reading from Acts. The story is about Philip preaching to the Ethiopian eunuch. The story starts off with an odd little geographical detail about where the story was happening and tells us "This is desert." Those kinds of details aren't put into the Bible just to satisfy our curiosity or give us an education about Social Studies.
I think a person could make an analogy to the unbeliever being in a wilderness or desert. But what I'm noticing is more direct -- there isn't water in a desert. Luke makes sure to tell us upfront that Philip and the Ethiopian are in a waterless place. And yet, eventually they come upon water, and the Ethiopian requests baptism. Not only did God create faith where there was none (as Paul tells us in this week's Bible verse) but also God ensured that there was water in that desert so that His sacrament could be administered.
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