Tuesday, December 27, 2011

THE BOOK THAT BREATHES NEW LIFE


The above caption is the title of a book by Walter Brueggemann. In this book he addresses the issues of scriptural authority and biblical theology. In the next few weeks I will be addressing some of the comments and insights he provides in this work. Below is his first sentence in the Preface:
            “The matter of biblical authority is ancient, endlessly vexed, and of immense importance in the church”[page xiii].
            I have always personally found the issue of biblical authority a difficult topic to get my mind around. This is for several reasons.
First, articulated versions of “biblical authority” seem to be founded on different concerns from scripture itself. Usually (and historically) appeals are made to “scriptural authority” to manipulate you to see and practice things the way I do. It is almost as if the issue of “biblical authority” becomes the big stick of orthodoxy to wield over those we want to control.
Second, I do agree with Brueggemann that it is an issue of “immense importance in the church.” The role of Scripture in the life of the church is one of the most important topics Christians can think about. Perhaps we have viewed this topic almost schizophrenically…individually I can read Scripture the way I want to; communally you need to read Scripture my way so I can make sure you are right with me and my understandings.
Third, I am fascinated how Scripture just assumes authority over the life of the Christian and the community of faith without spelling out a full-blown doctrine of “scriptural authority.” I would say that the Bible only has the power to authorize if a person allows it to.
For me personally, I like how the Psalmists address the matter of biblical authority. It is a recognition of the powerful influence and interaction that one has with the word of God. Listen to this…”Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord, and on  his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). This is a perfect example of allowing the Word of God to have a claim on one’s life. Indeed, if it is the delight of my heart, and I meditate on it day and night, its authoritative and transformative properties will shape me into a “blessed” person!
In Christian love, Curtis

Monday, December 19, 2011

PUTTING A “MODERATE EDUCATION” TO USE!


Abraham Lincoln is one of my favorite American presidents and personalities to study. I was reading his March 9, 1832 Address to the People of Sangamon County. In reading that written speech one learns that Lincoln had a strong view that every person should receive a moderate education. His reasoning was so that every person would be able to do three things:
1.    Read the histories of his own and other countries.
2.    To appreciate the value of our free institutions.
3.    To experience advantages and satisfactions to be derived from being able to read the Scriptures, and other works of a religious and moral nature.
As you can imagine, it was number 3 that really caught my attention. I would say that all of us have received a “moderate education.” I am wondering if we fully “experience the advantages and satisfactions” that come with reading such material?
Being able to read the Scripture for ourselves and interpret them faithfully because of such attention to reading is a blessing beyond comparison! Historically, generations before us did not have that privilege. Only after the printing press, the work of Martin Luther, and the translating of Scripture into current languages did such privilege become commonplace for nearly everyone.
This coming year, we want to encourage one another to become involved in the E-100 Bible Reading program. 50 Passages from the Old Testament and 50 passages from the New Testament have been selected as essential ones to read in order to gain a broad, comprehensive view of the Bible.
Each week I will print in the bulletin and the Sunday morning Worship Assembly Bulletin both readings for the upcoming week. The first reading assignment for the week of January 2-8 is #1—[Creation] Genesis 1:1-2:25;    #51—[The Word Became Flesh] John 1:1-18.
     If you need a bookmark for your Bible, see me Sunday and I can make sure you get one. You may also want to get a journal to take notes on  your reading for this year. May God bless each one of you on this journey!

In Christian love, Curtis

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

THE PRAYER OF GOD



          “The prayer of God”—this the strangest reference to prayer in all of the New Testament. I was made aware of this expression while reading Joseph Longking’s Notes on the Gospels, volume 2. This antique book was published in 1840 by Carlton and Porter in New York. It was given to me as a gift. As I began reading LESSON I the author comments on a section of Luke’s gospel, 6:12-19. It is in verse 12 where the expression under consideration occurs.
            And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
            After checking 30 different English versions and translations of the Bible, 2 translated this expression at the end of verse 12, “The prayer of God”(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition; Young’s Literal Translation).
            While commenting on verse 12, Longking quotes Wesley. “Mr. Wesley renders the passage, he ‘continued all night in the prayer of God,’ and says, ‘the phrase is singular and emphatical, to imply an extraordinary and sublime devotion (page 2).
            This made me ask the following questions: Since the expression “the prayer of God” is a literal translation of the Greek phrase, what are we to make of it? How are we to understand it? Why is it used this one time in reference to Jesus’ prayer life? Is it a dynamic of the spiritual/divine aspect of prayer that only Jesus could experience? Grammatically, it could refer to Jesus’ prayer being directed to God, or it could be prayer coming from God.
            I am not sure we have to choose one or the other. I think what Luke is trying to say is that while Jesus spent that night on the mountain in prayer, he talked with God and God talked with him. Wouldn’t you just love to have been there eavesdropping on that night-long conversation! Perhaps the intense opposition building up against his ministry, and the need to choose twelve apostles the next day provided the need for this conversation.
            The Wycliff Bible, (Old version republished by Terence Noble, 2001) says this, “he was all night dwelling in the prayer of God.” Presence and conversation, mutual exchange of the divine/covenantal relationship.
            I am wondering what it might mean in my own prayer life to “dwell in the prayer of God?”
In Christian love, Curtis

Monday, December 5, 2011

What is the Protestant principle?


Historically and theologically Christianity tends to get divided into 3 major groups: Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox. There are other ways of conceptualizing all of the Christian groups that have materialized over the centuries, but for the purpose of this article we will stick to these three. I want to reflect on the following quote:

“Christianity is final only in so far as it has the power of criticizing and transforming each of its historical manifestations; and just this power is the Protestant principle.” Paul Tillich, The Protestant Era

Would you agree that this is the “Protestant principle”? Perhaps Tillich is thinking of Martin Luther and his protest and critique of the church of his day with the 95 theses nailed to the door of the monastery in Wittenburg. If so, what is Tillich talking about?

Plainly, since the Protestant Reformation the church has learned to be self-critical in each of its historical manifestations. To be sure, each denomination and religious movement sometimes reaches the point of ceasing to do this. Church history has shown that when the church becomes complacent that is the beginning of its demise.

I am not sure that I would have stated like Tillich that this is “the” Protestant principle. It seems several principles actually converged to produce the Protestant movement. I am listing them below. You may want to add a couple of your own after looking at it.

  1. The Bible available in the vernacular and available to every person to read for themselves.
  2. The priesthood of all believers.
  3. Moved Christianity from the cloisture to the community
  4. Believed that everyday work was a divine calling.
  5. An emphasis on personal conversion and individual piety
  6. Some form of millennialism, Christ’s return for a 1,000 years (or, for non-millennialists, Christ’s Second Coming)

Each of these principles were significant in the Protestant Evangelical movements of the Great Awakening. Interestingly, as contemporary Christianity is being expressed in new and different forms, these 6 principles are still alive and well. Books could be, and have been, written on each of these 6. Suffice it to say, each of these principles are rooted in a biblical world-view that seeks to take faith seriously. Where do you see these principles working in your faith today?

In Christian love, Curtis

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

My True Son in the Faith



It is customary to refer to other Christians with familial terms. The marriage and family bond is one of the strongest bonds in the human experience. It is no surprise then that it is appropriated by New Testament writers to designate how strong our bond is with one another in Christ.
          In Paul’s letter to Timothy he begins by identifying him as “my legitimate/true child in the faith”(1 Timothy 1:2). This is a fascinating reference because of two words Paul uses.
          First, Timothy is  true/legitimate (gnesios). This word carries with it the idea of the real, genuine thing. When I read Paul’s two letters to Timothy, I am immediately struck with the genuine friendship and relationship that existed between these two Christians. Paul knew Timothy’s family well, and entrusted the young man to some very responsible tasks connected with the apostolic ministry.
          Second, the tender word for “child” (teknon) helps Paul express how dear, special and familial Paul feels toward this young man Timothy. Later on in this very letter, once again, Paul addresses him as “Timothy, my son…”(1 Timothy 1:18). He wants to get Timothy’s attention as he instructs him how to fight the good fight of faith in the face of opposition. As his father in the faith, he knows that this precious young man in the faith is about to face some pretty stiff opposition.
          For each of us today, God has placed in our stewardship the a spiritual “true son/daughter in the faith.” Who is that person? Do they know of your spiritual concerns for them? Do they hear affirmation from you regarding the bond of genuine friendship? Do you watch out for their spiritual welfare, and seek to instruct them?
          My true son in the faith”—what a beautiful expression!
In Christian love, Curtis

Monday, November 21, 2011

Promoting and Advancing the Work of God



When the apostle Paul writes to Timothy about what he needs to focus on as a young evangelist, Paul is interested in how Timothy promotes or advances the work of God. In doing so, Paul uses one of the strangest phrases for ministry in all of the New Testament: “a stewardship of God in the faith.” What in the world can he mean by that?
          Paul had expressly left Timothy in Ephesus to urge certain individuals not to teach anything differently. Early on in the church we already have a distinction between heterodoxy and orthodoxy. Anything taught differently from the apostolic tradition would be suspect and identified as “heterodoxy.”  In this immediate context (1 Timothy 1:3-7) they were devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies.
The myths were legendary, fictional stories-- but unfortunately Paul does not name them so we do not really know their content or anything else about them. Whatever they were, it is evident that they were designed to replace the central story of Jesus.
The next thing that was heterodoxy was the unending genealogies, or the tracing of one’s ancestors or family tree. Rogers makes the following apt comment on this practice: “In postexilic Judaism there was a keen interest in family trees, and this played a part in controversies between Jews and Judaism” (Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, p. 487). Interestingly, this may be what is behind the very reason that both Matthew and Luke include a genealogy of Jesus.
Essentially  what Paul is telling Timothy is that one does not promote or advance the work of God by making up stories to replace the central story of Jesus, nor trying to make a family connection that would prove one’s faithfulness to an established, traditional religion.
I am really intrigued by this expression “a stewardship of God in the faith” that Paul uses to describe ministry for Timothy. Does each one of us see our gifts and ministry as stewardship before God?
In Christian love, Curtis
 

Monday, November 14, 2011

SINCERE FAITH

What does “sincere faith” look like? Where does it come from? Why is it important, and how does one get it?
          For starters this expression (“sincere faith”) is used by Paul twice in his correspondence with the young evangelist Timothy. The word “sincere” translates the Greek word, anupokritos. It can be translated literally into English as “non-hypocritical.”  Here are both of those verses:
          The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).
          I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your  grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).
          Some significant insights present themselves from these two readings. “Sincere faith” is one of three things necessary in order for a person to truly love.
          Additionally, a “sincere faith” can be spoken of as something that lives in people. Because of Paul’s reference to Timothy’s mother and grandmother, the implicit implication that he does not spell out is that this “sincere faith” can be passed on  to succeeding generations.
          The questions that all of this raises is vital indeed.
1.   Does my love for God and others flow from a “sincere faith?”
2.   Does “sincere faith” live in me?
3.   Am I gratefully aware of how that “sincere faith” first lived in my parents and grandparents and was passed on to me?
The greatest need of the hour for Christianity in our culture is a “non-hypocritical faith.”  Does it live in me so that others can see Jesus?
In Christian love, Curtis

Monday, October 17, 2011

THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH

The story in Acts 2 of the beginning of the church is powerful and dynamic. The day of Pentecost begins with the sound of a strong, powerful wind filling the room  where the 12 apostles were located. This extraordinary event was then followed by Peter’s preaching. Three thousand people responded to his message and were baptized.
This new life among believers was demonstrated in several ways. In Acts 2:43 Luke records that fear, reverence and awe came upon every person who witnessed the events: “And awe came upon every person.”
We today stand in awe of the church, the visible sign of God’s working in individuals’ lives. The Lord works in the hearts and lives of people, while at the same time adding them to the church when they gladly receive the word, repent of sins, and are baptized.
The Lord adds to the number of the saved. By his divine initiative the church grows, and he claims his own. The church is the result of God’s work.
This may seem elementary, but it is too easy to forget the divine nature of the church and that it all begins with God. The Holy Spirit ushered in the most unusual Pentecost Day that the Diaspora Jews had ever witnessed. Additionally, the Holy Spirit ushered in a new group of people who were awe-struck at the work of God, and responded by “gladly receiving the word and being baptized”( Acts 2:41).
The amazing thing about this initial expression of the church is that God was adding to its number daily. The historical setting, timing and power of the word proclaimed, accompanied by the manifestations of the Holy Spirit resulted in daily additions to the body of Christ. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be in Jerusalem at that time!
The important thing that I want to leave with us in this article is that the Lord adds to his church those who are being saved. Being saved calls one out of the world of darkness, or as Peter plainly pleaded in his message: “Allow yourselves to be saved by God from this crooked generation.” The church is a sub-culture of faith made possible by God. It stands in stark contrast to the culture and the present generation that has other values. The Lord expects his church to be a witness to and against this sinful world.
In Christian love, Curtis

Monday, September 19, 2011

Called To Wisdom



I have come to appreciate wisdom more and more in the Christian life. Having taught the book of Proverbs as a class, going through it with our “Men of Iron” group, and doing some extra reading and preparation for the Preaching Conference at Lipscomb in October—I have come to appreciate the role of wisdom in my own spiritual growth and development.

This is why I was delighted to read the chapter, “Called to Wisdom” in Ralph W. Beiting’s book, Called to the Mountains. You may remember that I mentioned earlier that I took time during my summer vacation and read this wonderful autobiography. After working with the Christian Appalachian Project and working with poverty over the course of thirty years…listen to Beiting’s definition of “wisdom”:

“…Wisdom is the true goal of education. Wisdom is the ability to make connections between bits of knowledge and place value on different ideas. Wisdom is the ability to have patience and accept the inevitable mistakes, not as failures but as a part of learning. Wisdom is the art of listening to others.” [page 88].
I really appreciate his emphasis on having patience and accepting the inevitable mistakes that come with the life of wisdom. How does one become wise? By being unwise! What a paradox! But, if we ask God to help us to be open to learning from our mistakes, that is how wisdom slowly begins to shape and mold our hearts, attitudes and behaviors. 

I remember with chagrin many of my own unwise choices and mistakes in the past. They are all quite humbling! But if we believe that God calls us to live a life of heavenly wisdom, and to reflect the lifestyle of godly wisdom, then we have to be open to the discipline, learning, and patience that can come our way.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”(James 1:5).
In Christian love, Curtis

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Called to Leadership





Probably his chapter on leadership is the most insightful of the book. Ralph W. Beiting, in his autobiography—Called to the Mountains—shares is life’s journey in being a Christian leader in the Appalachian Mountains. I want you to notice the following quote for two reasons: 1) It demonstrates his insightful ability to see things deeply as a leader; and 2) it sets the stage for our upcoming Wednesday evening study in the auditorium.

            “How can we attack the roots of poverty?”

He could see individuals becoming more bitter, resentful, despondent and cynical while living on handouts—whether government, church or personal. The never-ending question was “how can we get more money?” He knew that there had to be a deeper question.  That question challenges us today.

Jesus’ dictum rings loudly in our ears 2, 000 years later: “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me”(Matthew 26:11). Usually only the first half of this verse gets quoted as an excuse not to get involved in attacking the roots of poverty. But this is Jesus’ response to those who thought the woman anointing Jesus with expensive perfume was wasting it. In essence Jesus was saying you will always have an opportunity to sell expensive perfume and help the poor, but I am not going to be here for much longer. This verse is not a dismissal of the poor, rather a recognition of ongoing care!

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 5, 2011. We will embark on a new and challenging study: “What every church member should know about poverty.” This study will position us as a congregation and as individuals to become more intelligible about the systemic issues surrounding poverty. It will introduce us to the different kinds of poverty, along with the causes.

Toward the end of this study we will be offering a unique opportunity. The acclaimed classic “Stone Pillow” movie will be shown on perhaps a Friday night or Saturday night, with discussion groups following. I am thrilled to be working with Dale Dowling on this entire study. His leadership, gifts, training and expertise over the years will bring a unique perspective and voice to this study. As pulpit minister, and on the board of a few community outreach organizations, I will combine my experiences and insights with his.

Prayerfully consider being a part of this new study! Please let me or Dale know if you want a book. We need to order them no later than Monday, Sept 12.

In Christian love, Curtis