Hi Everyone-
I hope you're doing great. I'm guessing you're familiar with the idea that all humans were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)? A reasonably straightforward concept at first glance, but when you think about it it's actually pretty deep and complicated isn't it? For example ... What does "image" mean? What part of us in in God's image? All of us? Just our bodies? Just our minds? Does God walk around on two legs? Does Jesus have a beard, blond hair, white skin, and blue eyes? :) ... You get the point, and the last image of Jesus is probably a good topic for a blog (or a book), but I'll wait for that one.
I found out a pretty cool historic truth with present implications the other day about the image of God. In antiquity (i.e. when the Bible was written), their where images of gods and goddesses all over (statues mainly). People believed that the way you treated said image was in fact the way you treated the god/goddess. So, if you spit on the statue, you spit on Aphrodite, or if you gave your best meat to the statue, you gave your best meat to Zeus. Now, interestingly early on God says not to make images of Him (Exodus 20:4). Why you ask? Well, perhaps it's because God already has images of Godself all over the place, us!
Now for the really cool (in my view) part. We are all God's images and like the people in antiquity thought, the way we treat the images of God is the way we treat God. And it doesn't just apply to how we treat our friends, lovers, family, etc. ... it's everyone. I heard a quote the other day that really nails this for me (this isn't verbatim, but it is the intent), "The love you show to the person you love the least, is the love you show God." Wow. That puts a whole new perspective on loving my neighbor and loving my enemy for me. It makes me want to treat others better. How about you?
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Grace and peace,
Lang
Friday, October 21, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
So Focused on Doing, We Forget About Being
Hi everyone-
I hope you are all enjoying the fall. Yesterday was certainly a beautiful day here.
My last 3+ years in the Air Force (2005-8) I was also studying for my Masters in Ancient History. Working at the Weapons School meant 60'ish hours of work a week, usually 5-6 days a week (with the odd 7 day week thrown in). On top of that I had a fair bit of reading and writing for my Masters (10-20 hours depending on the week probably) ... so, as you can imagine even if I only worked at the Weapons School 5 days, I still spent significant chunks of Saturday and Sunday working on school. In other words, I didn't have days off.
This mentality became pretty engrained in me, so I took it with me to my studies at the school formally known as Mars Hill Graduate School. :) I was trying to do a 4-year program in 3 years, with the result that I worked on my reading and writing 7 days a week and only slept 6 hours or so a night so I could fit in time to workout and hang out with my family. This was the rhythm of my life was very focused on doing. Doing my reading, doing my writing, doing my workout, doing my chores, doing time with Carla, doing time with the kids, doing time at the jail ... just kidding. :)
A series of conversations with Carla and other students combined with some sermons I heard, teaching at school, and reading I did to change this. Carla and I developed a new rhythm. What is it you ask? ... Wait for it ...
Back in the day, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years. You could truthfully say that in all probability for over 400 years they worked every day! Talk about poor benefits! This is the context in which the Exodus story (God through Moses leading them out of slavery) occurred. I'm guessing you're all familiar with an important part of this, the ten commandments, right? But, before the ten commandments came one far more important one (in my opinion). In Exodus 16 we find Moses talking to the people:
23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”
Some of the Israelites don't listen, so God reemphasizes the importance of the Sabbath a few verses later:
28 The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you.
After 400+ years without a day off, God realizes the most important thing for His people is to develop a new rhythm. This rhythm is one of work then rest, work then rest, work then rest. Or to put it differently, doing then being, doing then being, doing then being.
Carla and I began keeping the Sabbath. It's a day when all our chores and school work are done ... even though they're not technically done if you know what I mean. It's a day of rest and play and joy and football (go Seahawks!) :) We get to stop doing and just be Lang and Carla. It is life giving. I'd say it's the best spiritual practice I've ever began. And, because God knows what He's doing, amazingly enough I get more school work done (and of better quality) by taking a day completely off, then I did working 7 days a week.
What kind of rhythms do you have? What do you think of adding being to doing?
If you want to receive email notifications when I post new blogs, please put your email in the "Follow by email" block to the right.
Grace and peace,
Lang
I hope you are all enjoying the fall. Yesterday was certainly a beautiful day here.
My last 3+ years in the Air Force (2005-8) I was also studying for my Masters in Ancient History. Working at the Weapons School meant 60'ish hours of work a week, usually 5-6 days a week (with the odd 7 day week thrown in). On top of that I had a fair bit of reading and writing for my Masters (10-20 hours depending on the week probably) ... so, as you can imagine even if I only worked at the Weapons School 5 days, I still spent significant chunks of Saturday and Sunday working on school. In other words, I didn't have days off.
This mentality became pretty engrained in me, so I took it with me to my studies at the school formally known as Mars Hill Graduate School. :) I was trying to do a 4-year program in 3 years, with the result that I worked on my reading and writing 7 days a week and only slept 6 hours or so a night so I could fit in time to workout and hang out with my family. This was the rhythm of my life was very focused on doing. Doing my reading, doing my writing, doing my workout, doing my chores, doing time with Carla, doing time with the kids, doing time at the jail ... just kidding. :)
A series of conversations with Carla and other students combined with some sermons I heard, teaching at school, and reading I did to change this. Carla and I developed a new rhythm. What is it you ask? ... Wait for it ...
Back in the day, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years. You could truthfully say that in all probability for over 400 years they worked every day! Talk about poor benefits! This is the context in which the Exodus story (God through Moses leading them out of slavery) occurred. I'm guessing you're all familiar with an important part of this, the ten commandments, right? But, before the ten commandments came one far more important one (in my opinion). In Exodus 16 we find Moses talking to the people:
23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”
Some of the Israelites don't listen, so God reemphasizes the importance of the Sabbath a few verses later:
28 The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you.
After 400+ years without a day off, God realizes the most important thing for His people is to develop a new rhythm. This rhythm is one of work then rest, work then rest, work then rest. Or to put it differently, doing then being, doing then being, doing then being.
Carla and I began keeping the Sabbath. It's a day when all our chores and school work are done ... even though they're not technically done if you know what I mean. It's a day of rest and play and joy and football (go Seahawks!) :) We get to stop doing and just be Lang and Carla. It is life giving. I'd say it's the best spiritual practice I've ever began. And, because God knows what He's doing, amazingly enough I get more school work done (and of better quality) by taking a day completely off, then I did working 7 days a week.
What kind of rhythms do you have? What do you think of adding being to doing?
If you want to receive email notifications when I post new blogs, please put your email in the "Follow by email" block to the right.
Grace and peace,
Lang
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Communion Is Marriage?
Hi Everyone-
In reading a book about prayer for Spiritual Formation, I learned something really cool (in my view) about communion and being the Bride of Christ. In Jesus' time, a prospective groom would go to the lady's dad and ask him for her hand in marriage while offering up a bride price. In the ancient world having sons brought money to the family, because sons did virtually all the paying jobs, so having a daughter somewhat reduced the wealth of a family. Thus, the prospective groom would pay the dad a reverse dowry of sorts, to give money back if you will. You could say that in a positive way the bride was "bought with a price" ... which is a phrase used to describe Jesus' dying on the cross for us, the Bride of Christ. But, if the dad said yes, it wasn't a done deal that there'd be a marriage though. The lady got a say. They poured her a glass of wine, and if she drank it, then she accepted the proposal. So, right before dying on the Cross Jesus offers His followers, who became His Bride, wine. So, one way of understanding drinking wine (or juice) in communion is that we are saying "yes" to Jesus' proposal. We are becoming His betrothed.
That's the connection between marriage and communion, but the connections between marriage in ancient Israel and being the Bride of Christ continue. After, the wine was drank, the groom-to-be would go home and build a bridal chamber for his bride. ... Now, Jesus speaks of going to heaven to prepare a place for us (His Bride) ... hhmmmmm
But, the groom didn't get to decide when the chamber was done, his dad did. ... And Jesus says that no-one knows the time or the place of His return, including Himself, because only the Father knows the time and the place ...uh huh.
Once the chamber was done, the groom would go unannounced to get his bride and get the party started (i.e. get married). But, it was a surprise. She wouldn't know when he was coming, because he would just show up like a thief in the night. ... Jesus urges us to be ready at all times for Him, because He will come back to get us like a thief in the night ... I don't know about you, but I like it!
We took communion at church today and I smiled, with slightly glistening eyes (because I got some dust in them I think :), as I drank the "wine" ... because I think it is awesome that Jesus wants me to be His Bride and I say "YES". And He wants you .. and you ... and you too!
What do you think?
If you want to receive email notifications when I post new blogs, please put your email in the "Follow by email" block to the right.
Grace and peace,
Lang
In reading a book about prayer for Spiritual Formation, I learned something really cool (in my view) about communion and being the Bride of Christ. In Jesus' time, a prospective groom would go to the lady's dad and ask him for her hand in marriage while offering up a bride price. In the ancient world having sons brought money to the family, because sons did virtually all the paying jobs, so having a daughter somewhat reduced the wealth of a family. Thus, the prospective groom would pay the dad a reverse dowry of sorts, to give money back if you will. You could say that in a positive way the bride was "bought with a price" ... which is a phrase used to describe Jesus' dying on the cross for us, the Bride of Christ. But, if the dad said yes, it wasn't a done deal that there'd be a marriage though. The lady got a say. They poured her a glass of wine, and if she drank it, then she accepted the proposal. So, right before dying on the Cross Jesus offers His followers, who became His Bride, wine. So, one way of understanding drinking wine (or juice) in communion is that we are saying "yes" to Jesus' proposal. We are becoming His betrothed.
That's the connection between marriage and communion, but the connections between marriage in ancient Israel and being the Bride of Christ continue. After, the wine was drank, the groom-to-be would go home and build a bridal chamber for his bride. ... Now, Jesus speaks of going to heaven to prepare a place for us (His Bride) ... hhmmmmm
But, the groom didn't get to decide when the chamber was done, his dad did. ... And Jesus says that no-one knows the time or the place of His return, including Himself, because only the Father knows the time and the place ...uh huh.
Once the chamber was done, the groom would go unannounced to get his bride and get the party started (i.e. get married). But, it was a surprise. She wouldn't know when he was coming, because he would just show up like a thief in the night. ... Jesus urges us to be ready at all times for Him, because He will come back to get us like a thief in the night ... I don't know about you, but I like it!
We took communion at church today and I smiled, with slightly glistening eyes (because I got some dust in them I think :), as I drank the "wine" ... because I think it is awesome that Jesus wants me to be His Bride and I say "YES". And He wants you .. and you ... and you too!
What do you think?
If you want to receive email notifications when I post new blogs, please put your email in the "Follow by email" block to the right.
Grace and peace,
Lang
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