The Second Sin

Hi Everyone,

I hope today finds you well.  I walk to the ferry to get to school everyday.  Yesterday morning, I left around 645AM, so it was still partially dark outside.  It'd rained, but looked like it was clearing up, so I thought it'd be an enjoyable walk.  I got maybe 200 feet from the house before my foot slid out from under me, dropping me roughly to the ground where I cracked my knee and elbow.  "What happened?" I wondered.  As I gathered myself and got up I saw this black, plastic mug sized lid-like thing right by me.  "Dang it!" I thought, "someone left this silly lid on the sidewalk and caused me to slip and fall.  How rude!"  At least I had someone (albeit nameless( to blame.

I griped about my fall to a couple people, blaming the black lid bandit all the while, during the day.  In the late afternoon I was moving places at school, so looked at the bottom of my coffee mug as I picked it up and noticed the plastic bottom was missing!  "That's weird," I thought. ... pause ... "Oh, that black plastic lid I saw that I used as a reason to blame someone for my fall was my coffee mug's lid."  I guess I just slipped on my own item (or the wet sidewalk perhaps).  I shouldn't have been blaming some nameless other person.

This theme has come up in the C.S. Lewis class I'm taking as well.  We're into book 5 of the 7 Chronicles of Narnia books.  In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, at one point, while the gang is travelling somewhere Lucy is the only one who sees Aslan.  The Lion indicates to her to follow him by going a different way than they were planning to.  She tells her siblings, but they end up voting to go the way they'd planned, which ends up not turning out so well.  Later, when they backtrack and meet up with Aslan He questions her about the event and she starts to blame her siblings for not following Him.  But, He tells her not to blame them, it was for her to follow regardless.

The interesting thing about this is that blaming is the second sin in the Bible.  In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve eat the apple they feel shame (the first sin) for their nakedness.  Then, when God talks to them about eating the apple they begin blaming.  Adam blames Eve for doing it first and offering it to him, and Eve blames the Serpent.  Blaming is a problem for us that goes back a long way.

My fall yesterday is helping teach me not to blame.  Is there anyone you need to stop blaming?

Grace and peace,
Lang

Loving the outcast, poor, and forsaken ... Loving the other

Good day everyone-

I'm taking a class on the Book of Ruth.  One of the really interesting things that's standing out to me about that story is how Boaz (a well-to-do man) reaches out to, takes care of, and eventually marry a poor widow from a foreign country, Ruth. And this was in a culture where being a foreigner created a huge relational gap.  Over and over again in the book the author makes sure to note that Ruth was a Moabite (even when it's awkward from a story-telling perspective); in other words, not only was Ruth a foreigner, she was a foreigner from a country Israel didn't get along with.  Boaz provided for and loved a poor outcast.  But, he was just the hero from a story who we're supposed to hold in awe right?  I don't think so, I think Jesus calls us to be like Boaz. 

I was listening to a sermon last week where the preacher talked about Jesus announcing His ministry in Luke.  To do this, He chooses Isaiah 61 to read from.  Luke 4:16-20 reads:


16  When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 
18  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free, 
19  and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.*” 
20  He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.

What strikes me, as a follower of Christ, is that Jesus' way of starting his ministry is to announce He's there to bring good news to the poor and set the oppressed free.  Christian literally means one who follows Christ.  In following Him I find I want to do these things, I want to be like Boaz (without marrying a foreigner though ... Carla wouldn't like that much :).

What do you think?

Grace and peace,
Lang

Becoming What We Desire and God's Redemption

Greetings everyone-

I'm in a class on C.S. Lewis this term, which is awesome.  Right now we're reading through a Narnia book for each week and discussing how Lewis' theology shows up in these stories.  For this week we read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so the main characters are the four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.  I was struck by Edmund, who you may recall goes over to the Witch's side at first.  Something that stands out in the book, even more than in the recent movie, is his desire for food (he has a serious sweet tooth).  The Witch gives him Turkish Delight when they first meet and he becomes obsessed with getting back to her ... to get more Turkish Delight.  When he does get back to her, she gives him stale bread because he didn't bring his siblings with him.  He gets what he desires, food, but he chooses the selfish and evil path and thus his desire comes true, but in a less than good fashion.

Then, redemption steps in.  The Witch brings Edmund with her to chase the other children and along the way they spot squirrels, satyrs, a dwarf, and a fox enjoying a fine meal given them by Father Christmas.  Edmund, naturally, really wants the great food they have, but the Witch is enraged by their joy and turns them all to stone.  In that moment, Edmund heart breaks for them.  In that moment, his desire is redeemed by the Divine and he turns back to the good side.

Interestingly, I'm also taking a class on 1 and 2 Corinthians and I saw this theme play out there this week as well.  We're studying Paul a fair bit to better understand his letters, and before he began following Christ he was a Pharisee.  In fact, he was a very committed Pharisee (he calls himself a Pharisee of Pharisees).  The three chief components of this way of life were zeal, the Law, and belief in the resurrection.  Then, Jesus appears to him dramatically and he begins to follow Christ ... his life changes dramatically.  However, the things at his core don't change, they are just redeemed by God and shifted to Christ.  He is still zealous, still affirms the goodness of the Law, and believes in the resurrection, they just all become transformed into passions aimed at Christ.

Both Edmund and Paul had strong desires that guided them, badly at first.  Then, when God redeemed them, their redemption includes and redeems their passions.  Put differently, redemption doesn't destroy their passions, it turns them for good, it turns them for Christ.



How has God's redemption touched your desires and passions?

Grace and peace,
Lang

Sola Scriptura, Tradition, and Gungor

I come from a pretty normal conservative, Protestant Christian background.  Part of this tradition is Sola Scriptura, or Scripture alone.  Beginning with Luther, Calvin, and other Protestant fathers, this part of the church basically said if it's not in the Bible we're not following it.  I fully embraced this as a young adult.  Anything we can, or should, know about God is in the Bible ... period.  There is where we get the very Bible-centered churches and practices of today from.

Last year at Mars Hill Graduate School, now the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, one of the things we talked about was the importance of tradition in following Christ and learning about God.  The most ironic part of this is that it is through tradition that we believe the Bible is the Word of God.  It is through tradition that many Protestants believe the principle of Sola Scriptura.  What's more, what about the Holy Spirit?  Don't we learn some things about God directly from God and apart from the Bible?  Even further, as followers of Jesus we are all part of the Body of Christ right?  Parts that are in the image of God.  So, can't we learn about God from each other too?  I could keep going, but I think I'm making the point.

So, there's this amazing album by Gungor called Beautiful Things, full of awesome songs.  One of them is named "Cannot Keep You."  Some of the lyrics are:

they tried to keep you in a tent
they could not keep you in a temple
or any of their idols, to see and understand


we cannot keep you in a church
we cannot keep you in a Bible
or it’s just another idol to box you in

they could not keep you in their walls
we cannot keep you in ours either
you are so much greater

Who is like the Lord?
The Maker of the Heavens.

Indeed.  I'm learning I cannot keep God in the Bible alone.  He is so much more.  Where do you keep God?

The Name of God - Part 3

In 1 John 4:14-17 the pastor writes:

Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

This names, in my opinion, perhaps the most profound and awesome name of God ... "Love."  God is love.  It's not "a" characteristic or attribute, it is what God is.  It's interesting that John writes "and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."  Does this mean that whenever we see an act of love we see God?  I think so.  God isn't some love, or parts of love, or some special love that we knew back in the day (it was Wednesday by the way :).  God is love ... period.  I think any love is God showing up in the world.

Something that was really interesting in the sermon I heard that brought this idea of God's name being "Love" to my mind was how God's love makes us unafraid (verse 17).  You see, the God I grew up believing in was very much to be feared (in a bad way).  I felt judged and shamed by God.  I went to church regularly and prayed the prayer to receive Christ every single time the pastor gave the opportunity.  I didn't do this because I loved God so much or because I knew God loved me, I did it because I was scared of going to hell.  I was afraid of God's wrath and judgement.  He is the final judge, but my perception of this created an unhealthy fear, which I don't think is God's intention.  The problem was, I didn't know this beautiful name of God ... "Love."  But now, I'm not afraid.  I know God as Love ... do you?

Grace and peace,
Lang

P.S.
Did anyone see God show up in an act of love today?  One small way for me was a loving text from my wife I got that made me smile. 

The Name of God - Part 2

Hi Everyone-

First, a bit of housekeeping.  I hear there's been some trouble posting comments from multiple people.  Near as I can figure out ... you need to be signed in and below your comments you need to select a profile to send the comments from.  Then, you should be good to go ... hopefully that helps.

Now, I'd planned on this probably being part 2 of 2 on God's name because I'm going to write about something I studied quite a bit last term, namely when Moses asks God for His name.  I have lots to say on the subject, feel passionate about it, and think it's really cool, so planned to end on that high note.  But, on my run this morning I heard a podcast sermon where the pastor talked about a different name for God from John in the New Testament that I think is awesome.  What is it you ask?  Well, wait for it ... until next blog. :)

At the beginning of the exodus story (in Exodus ironically enough) the Israelites are slaves in Egypt and Moses meets God at the famous burning bush, where God says He's heard the cry of His people and is going to use Moses to free them.  As the scene unfolds:

" But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”  And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”  Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I am who I am”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”  God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The lord , the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.” (Exodus 3:11-15, NASB)

But, what kind of name is “I am who I am," which interestingly enough is quickly followed by God telling Moses to say "“I am" sent you?  As they appear in the English translation the two Hebrew terms are in fact related, rooted in the verb "to be."  The first is ehyeh asher ehyeh in Hebrew, while the second is YHWH (often pronounced Yahweh, but we don't know for sure how to pronounce it because the Jews stopped saying it, due to its holiness, before they put vowels in their writings).

This is all interesting (at least to me :) but what is God saying?  Is it an arrogant or elusive proclamation?  Is it a bold Popeye-like statement?  I think it's a definitive declaration of presence and relationship.  Names had power in antiquity, and the Israelites had been captive for some 400 years, so it's easy to think that by asking for God's name Moses is also asking, "Can you defeat the Egyptian gods?"  As such, one way to understand the response is as God saying He’s bigger than Moses, any Egyptian, or any Israelite thinks, and He cannot be defined or contained.  He is mysterious, the best name for God is a declaration of His being.  "My name?" God asks, "I just am."  Perhaps God later forbids images of Himself (Exodus 20:4) in part because no image can possibly do Him justice.  “I AM,” He says, because nothing can prescribe God.  The mysterious lord is of such great power, breadth, and depth He “cannot be defined by or as anything else, he is his own definition.”  To put it in modern terms, perhaps God is telling Moses "I got your back."

 In antiquity a way people frequently translated ehyeh asher ehyeh was "I am the One who is."  In other words, it was a declaration of God's existence in the world, and with His people.  It has past, present, and future implications.  So, God is saying to Moses, "I was with the Israelites, I am with the Israelites, and I always will be with the Isrealites."  He is the God of presence.  John affirms this view by beginning Revelation with  “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come." (Revelation 1:4, NASB)

I could go on (the paper I wrote on this was 15 pages :), but to close I want to go back to God effectively saying "I got your back."  If you look at verse 3:11 above you see Moses wonder, "Who am I" to go to Pharaoh and free my people?  So, Moses is concerned that he's inadequate for the task God is giving him.  Do any of you ever have the same doubts?  I know I do.  We may think ... I wonder if I can finish this job or can I love this person or is there any way I can save my marriage?  In giving His name, God is answering this question for Moses, and I think us as well.    You want to know who you are, God is saying, you are a man I am with.  To put it differently, the lord declares to this speech impaired murder that when Pharaoh, the Israelites, or anyone else wonders how, why, or who Moses is to try and free his people, the answer is because God is with him.  Just like God's with us I think.

Grace and peace,
Lang

The Name of God - Part 1

Over the last several months I've been very intrigued with God's name(s), the power of said name, the meaning, the importance, and more.  In my by no means exhaustive journey God has revealed three things about Himself ... grace, presence, and a relational focus.

If you think of God's name what do you think of?  LORD, Jehovah, the Holy Spirit, El Shaddai, the Great I Am ... the list goes on.  For me the first thing that comes to mind is Jesus, God in human flesh.  Could God be any more present with us than as Jesus?  Isn't Jesus the Divine at His most relational, coming to earth and eating, drinking, talking, and walking alongside humanity?  Is there anyone filled with more grace than Jesus living, dying, resurrecting, and acting as our High Priest?  Yet, while these tell a huge story, they aren't the whole story.

Have you ever had your name made fun of?  Isn't that the worst?  Likewise, isn't it annoying if someone consistently calls you the wrong name?  Ironically, I've been convinced by several sources that we have a name of God wrong, specifically Jesus.  In His day, from what I understand, the way people said his name in their native tongue (Hebrew) was Yeshua (Yesh-oo-a).  This got translated into Greek and then transliterated into Latin, and the English translation from Latin is Jesus.  But, if you actually translated His name directly from Hebrew into English it would be Joshua.  So, really we should call Jesus, Joshua. 

Now, when people have similarly butchered my name, it usually makes me at least annoyed, often angry if it's deliberate.  I've never had much grace when it comes to people purposefully getting my name wrong, or worse making fun of it.  "Lang, bang, fo, Fang, banana, bama ..." =  "grrrrrrr" from me.    How about you?  But does God get mad at us for getting a name of His (and a big one at that!) wrong?  I don't think so.  I think He shows us great grace.  In fact, in Genesis God graciously allows Hagar (a servant afraid and on the run at the time) to make her own name for Him, "the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13, NLT).

That said, I wonder if I show the same grace to others concerning Jesus.  Do they have to call him J-E-S-U-S to believe in the Christ?  Does grace mean some people can call Jesus/Joshua something else (or not even have a name for Him at all) and still believe in Him?  I don't have an answer, but I think it's an interesting idea.

So, I'd say that at the heart of God's name(s) is grace.  What do you think?

More to come on the name of God and presence and relationship soon ...