tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88173228502833608902024-02-07T03:06:49.272-06:00Ordinary DiscipleExtraordinary HopeMatthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-40999877002018233482023-04-03T08:00:00.003-05:002023-04-28T15:27:25.825-05:00Knowing Jesus<div style="font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37ToY1EKFxtkjNOxMVrPSTSMHBd6300IZYu_MSXU6zNLaiP8k9qXwTids-5doAgpYYEPaAPRz0Ul5JnP6B7jGKqJXT6Iv4YzRgpVkyqIl0nT5ok_Is39aPiwzej1QudGZpSesYsAFWc6tSYGGjOVpd2Df6bvXR88N0IE_TfCwFouig98aO9srK34/s4272/jehyun-sung-6U5AEmQIajg-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37ToY1EKFxtkjNOxMVrPSTSMHBd6300IZYu_MSXU6zNLaiP8k9qXwTids-5doAgpYYEPaAPRz0Ul5JnP6B7jGKqJXT6Iv4YzRgpVkyqIl0nT5ok_Is39aPiwzej1QudGZpSesYsAFWc6tSYGGjOVpd2Df6bvXR88N0IE_TfCwFouig98aO9srK34/s320/jehyun-sung-6U5AEmQIajg-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The other day I was watching an episode of The Chosen (one of the better adaptations of the Gospels to television), when I noticed myself watching the character of Jesus very closely--trying to notice how he used his words, his mannerisms, how he responded to various situations. Two thoughts followed. First, I had to remind myself that what I was seeing on the screen was a human interpretation of who Jesus is and that I needed to be careful of putting this "image" in place of the real Messiah. But, secondly, I remembered what I had learned about 1st century Jewish discipleship, how a disciple would try to imitate his teacher in every way--and suddenly, for a brief moment, I felt like I could relate. I wanted to be able to watch my Messiah, consider His every move, sit at His feet as He taught, and learn to walk as He walked.<p></p><p>But, then there was the question. How can I do that when He is not here physically with us anymore? I can't watch Jesus at a party to see how He interacts with the guests. I can't observe him arguing in the public square about contemporary issues. I can't follow Him on the road as He travels from town to town, healing the sick and teaching about the Kingdom. I stand here 2000 years removed from His time on earth. And I am saddened that I cannot know my Messiah in the way that the first disciples did.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I am also reading Packer's "Keep in Step with the Spirit," which bears some relevance here. Packer writes that through the work of the Holy Spirit "<strong>personal fellowship with Jesus</strong>, that is, the to-and-fro of discipleship with devotion, which started in Palestine, for Jesus's first followers, before his passion, <strong>becomes a reality of experience</strong>, <em>even though Jesus is now not here on earth in bodily form</em>, but is enthroned in heaven's glory" (emphasis added). I ask, How? The answer: through ordinary means.<p></p><p>Our Messiah teaches us to be faithful in the little things. I believe this applies here as well. If we are faithful to seek Him with all our heart, even with only the little we have, He will be faithful to reveal Himself to us in ever greater measure. We may not have Jesus walking beside us in bodily form. But, we do have a record of His words and His actions. Let's start there and see how the Spirit might mediate the real presence of Messiah through these ordinary means.</p><h3 data-heading="Hear the Words of Messiah">Hear the Words of Messiah</h3><p>Every Christian knows we're "supposed to" read our Bibles regularly. I'd like to focus this a bit further. <a aria-label-position="top" aria-label="https://www.ordinarydisciple.com/2021/02/read-gospels-letters-to-my-family.html" class="external-link" href="https://www.ordinarydisciple.com/2021/02/read-gospels-letters-to-my-family.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read the Gospels</a>. Meditate on the words of our Messiah. Notice the way He walked. Seek not simply to check off a daily reading or gain theological knowledge, but to know the <strong>person</strong> behind the words. Indeed, in <strong>all</strong> our reading of Scripture (whether John, Leviticus, Psalms, or Chronicles), our chief aim should be to know Christ.</p><p>Remember, when you open up the Scriptures, you are not just opening up a book. The Holy Spirit stands beside you, ready to read these words with you and illuminate than for you. In some ways, it's like opening up a conversation. Engage with Him. Share with God what stands out to you and ask about what doesn't make sense to you. Allow God to speak to you through His Word. To encourage you. Challenge you. Inspire you.</p><h3 data-heading="Obey the Commandments of Messiah">Obey the Commandments of Messiah</h3><p>As we read and meditate on the words of Messiah, we will begin to learn His commandments, His will for the lives of all believers. Here, we have both the <em>words</em> of Yeshua that we learn to obey and the <em>ways</em> of Messiah that we learn to imitate. We hear His call to seek first the Kingdom and to share His love with everyone we encounter in His parables, in His interpretations of the law (for surely our keeping of Torah must be aligned to our Messiah's interpretation), in the way He handled the many questions aimed at Him. We see how He loved the Father Himself by proclaiming His Kingdom and submitting to His will to the end. And we see how He loved his neighbors by visiting with outcasts and bringing healing to the broken and hurting. What we follow is not a formula or a program, but a living person. Our living Messiah.</p><p>Yeshua teaches us, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23). What better way to come to know our Messiah than for the Father and the Son to come and make their home in us? In keeping His commandments, we have this promise.</p><h3 data-heading="Walk with the People of Messiah">Walk with the People of Messiah</h3><p>Ours is not a solo religion, but rather a community faith. Many of the commandments (e.g. "Hold a holy convocation", "Love your neighbor", etc.) assume and require us to be a part of an active faith community. We see this too in Paul's Temple imagery that he uses to describe believers and in Yeshua's prayer that we might all be one. Indeed, through fellowship with other disciples of Messiah, we can come to know our one Lord and Master better. This happens through various ways--here, I will consider two.</p><p>First, through serving and being served by one another. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Yeshua teaches us to see Himself in those we are serving, for indeed, Yeshua identifies Himself with the weak, the downtrodden, and the outcast. And as He sends us out to be His hands and feet, we can see the Yeshua in those doing the work of the Kingdom serving others.</p><p>Secondly, community helps support the previous points of studying Messiah's words and learning to obey Him. As we encourage and challenge one another in our respective paths of discipleship we are allowing the "word of Christ [to] dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16). This is another way to know Messiah more fully.</p><h3 data-heading="Engage in the Mission of Messiah">Engage in the Mission of Messiah</h3><p>After the disciples had been with Yeshua for some time, Yeshua began to send them out on a mission to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. What's more, Yeshua's last injunction to His disciples (as recorded by Matthew) was that they should "Go, and make disciples of all nations..." (Matt. 28:19). It is in this context that Yeshua assures us, "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).</p><p>Peter and John both call us a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:9, Rev. 1:6) in fulfillment of the Torah (Exo. 19:6) and prophets (Isa. 61:6). As priests, our role is to be a conduit between the world and God, to bring others in and lead them into the worship of our King. In some ways this is our response to knowing God--sharing that knowledge with others. I would argue it is also another way to come to know our Savior better. God, King and Creator of the universe, has called upon us to come alongside Him (though He certainly has no need of us) in His work of redemption, proclaiming His great name and preaching salvation to all nations. Why? So that we might know Him.</p><h3 data-heading="Hope in the Promises of Messiah">Hope in the Promises of Messiah</h3><p>Alongside the commandments that Yeshua gives us are His promises to those of us who believe. Promise of springs of water that will flow from within us. Promise of a home being prepared for us. Promise of rest. And that's just a few of the promises mentioned explicitly in the Gospels. In Yeshua we find the fulfillment of all the promises of Moses and the Prophets.</p><p>The world offers all manner of idols competing for our affections. They promise security, happiness, fulfillment--but none deliver. The Psalmist said that those who worship idols will become like them (Psa. 115:8). By contrast, those who worship Messiah are being remade in His image (2 Cor. 3:18). And, as our Master taught, where one's treasure is, there one's heart will be also. So, let's gather our treasure in the promises of the Kingdom of Heaven that our heart might be with Him.</p><h3 data-heading="Rest in the Grace of Yeshua">Rest in the Grace of Yeshua</h3><p>An article on how to know Yeshua wouldn't be complete without a mention of the grace of Yeshua. It can be easy to get wrapped up in methods, do's and don'ts, checklists, etc. "Did I read my chapter quota today?" "Am I messing up too much on the commandments?" "I really don't feel like peopling today." And the last thing I want is for my writing to become one more voice telling you, "You're not good enough."</p><p>The fact is that God loves you. Yeshua loves you. And His desire is for your good. He said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (<span class="internal-link">Matt. 11:28</span>). In Yeshua we find our strength when we cannot go on. Peace when chaos surrounds us. Hope when the darkness closes in. He offer forgiveness when we fail again and again. And in Him, we find acceptance, even when we cannot accept ourselves. Indeed, "our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you" (Augustine, <em>Confessions</em>).</p><p><br /></p><p>I know I've run through a lot here, and by no means do I claim to have attained any of this. I share these thoughts as an alongsider, struggling to understand these things myself. But, before I leave off, let me encourage you with this. Most of what I've written here comes from reading His words. Start there, and I believe He will show you how to find Him. He gives us this promise, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13, c.f. Matt. 7:7).</p><p>(This article can also be found on the <a href="https://www.hebraicfamily.com/blog/knowing-jesus">HFF blog</a>)</p></div>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-8497268777581065242023-03-05T11:54:00.001-06:002023-03-05T11:54:30.874-06:00Before You Are Baptized...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFrXCO_pBt4YO5OCn8uCr6-FV73XwASMNEiUVjMzLF5IqUXAUC83lksrfA4ukwhcFOBOjSS2rRVqiATCzHfdeNMDEsfAjUmWK40vWQwBXXwKPw9hmBSCY9dB_UAtY2TjYf7KMomH3rXJdvJpgCo6cv2pP7xojTack65eYHwFHv2WEd4uxS0jwyGw/s5336/ryan-loughlin--a8Cewc-qGQ-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3557" data-original-width="5336" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFrXCO_pBt4YO5OCn8uCr6-FV73XwASMNEiUVjMzLF5IqUXAUC83lksrfA4ukwhcFOBOjSS2rRVqiATCzHfdeNMDEsfAjUmWK40vWQwBXXwKPw9hmBSCY9dB_UAtY2TjYf7KMomH3rXJdvJpgCo6cv2pP7xojTack65eYHwFHv2WEd4uxS0jwyGw/w200-h133/ryan-loughlin--a8Cewc-qGQ-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>…it’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s a bit more involved than simply getting dunked under water. In the waters of baptism, you are entering into a story, taking on a new identity, dying to self that you might live to God. In this space, God transforms you, recreates you, fills you with His Spirit. And as you rise up out of the waters, you will find yourself surrounded by a new family bound together by the love of Christ.<p></p>
<p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>In going through the ceremony of baptism, we re-enact a story centered on two themes: death and resurrection. This is an act that has found the stage a number of times throughout history—in the waters of Noah’s flood, in the crossing of the Red Sea, and ultimately in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In these rites we enter into the death of our Messiah that we might share in His resurrection.<p></p>
<p>There are three main actors in this play. You, God, and the church. Let us consider this drama in three acts.</p>
<h3>Act 1 - I Confess, I Believe</h3>
<p>When you approach the waters of baptism, you will be asked a series of questions (these may vary depending on your tradition—the version below is copied from a Baptist liturgy; other liturgies are linked at the bottom of this page). In looking across liturgies from several denominations, I noticed three common themes—three “confessions”, if you will: a renouncement of sin and evil, a trust in and allegiance to Yeshua, and an acceptance of the yolk of discipleship. This is typically followed by an affirmation of the Apostles’ Creed.</p>
<p><i><b>Do you forsake Satan and all his works and all his ways?</b></i></p>
<p>Going under the water means dying to self, leaving behind the old way of life. It is an admission that I am a sinner, unworthy to be called a child of God, and a turning toward the mercy of God. To be sure, this does <i>not</i> mean you have to have your act together before accepting baptism (as the song says, “If you tarry till you’re better, you will never come at all”). It is not in our own power that we are changed; rather it is the work of God’s Spirit. Baptism is merely the first step, an annulment of our covenant with death.</p>
<p>How is it that such a covenant can be annulled? Through our own death. A covenant only has legal binding so long as a person is alive. But, through the waters of baptism, we enter into the death of Messiah, spiritually dying to self and sin so that we might serve a new master—Yeshua, our King.</p>
<p><i><b>Do you trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the fulfillment of all God's promises to you, even eternal life?</b></i></p>
<p>When we go under the water, we are giving up control and trusting our lives wholly to another. We are letting go of ourselves and placing our faith in our Messiah. We have no other help, no other hope, no other savior. It is by Yeshua’s blood that we are cleansed from all unrighteousness and through His work on the cross that the promises are fulfilled. In His work on the cross, Yeshua identified with us and our suffering that He might be the savior of humankind. In our acceptance of baptism, we identify with Him that we might share in His life.</p>
<p>Baptism is a declaration of our faith in Yeshua. Our trust in Him as Savior. Our allegiance to Him as King.</p>
<p><i><b>Do you intend with God’s help to obey Jesus’ teaching and follow him as your Lord?</b></i></p>
<p>As we are raised up to new life, we find that are given a new identity in Messiah. No longer are we servants to sin, but now servants to Yeshua. This rebirth is the beginning of a path of being remade into the image of Messiah—learning at His feet, practicing His commands, and following in His footsteps.</p>
<p>Baptism is not a do it and forget it act. Nor is it something you do over and over again like taking a bath. It is a definite turning point in one’s life, a beginning of a new story. From this point forward, you are not your own. You have died to self and given your life over to the King who created you and redeemed you. Now, you are called to listen for His voice and follow. Wherever He leads, follow.</p>
<p><b><b><b><b><b>Do you believe…?</b></b></b></b></b></p>
<p>After these three questions, you will be invited to affirm the Apostle’s creed. With these historic words we confess our heart’s belief in the story of God, the story of His people, the story of the Gospel. This is the story into which we are entering as we step into the waters of the baptismal. Created by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sanctified by the Spirit—this becomes our story.</p>
<p>Some may object to the use of a creedal formula, claiming it puts God in a box. I can’t claim the creed is perfect. But, it has stood the test of time. It has historical roots back to the first few centuries of the church. It is near universal—the beliefs expressed therein are held as core beliefs by nearly every Christian denomination. And it is foundational, focusing squarely on the Gospel story.</p>
<p>In our current cultural climate, the creeds are needed more than ever. Fuzzy spirituality has gained popularity and threatens to encroach upon the Christian faith. People want the sense of morality, the feeling of transcendence, the comfort of hope that religion brings, but they continue to stumble at the cross. This faith is not something we create for ourselves. We are entering into something much bigger, much older than ourselves and we don’t get to define it. The atoning death of our Savior, the victorious resurrection of our King, and the worship of a triune God—this is the center of our faith. The creeds anchor us in this truth.</p>
<p>Space does not afford to go into a full treatment of this historic creed, but I would encourage you to <a href="https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/creeds/apostles-creed">read it for yourself</a> if you are not familiar with it and discuss these words with a pastor. Know the faith into which you are being baptized.</p>
<h3>Act 2 - God Transforms, God Indwells</h3>
<p>Throughout the previous section, I have tried to emphasize even while talking about our personal role in baptism that it is God doing the work. God initiates, God performs, and God completes. Our confessions simply signify our answer to God’s call and our submission to His plan.</p>
<p>God transforms us. From sinner to son, broken to beautiful. The old has passed, we are made new, recreated in the image of Yeshua. This is not of ourselves, but God working in us by His Spirit. His burden is light for we do not have to bear it in our own strength. The sins that weigh us down, God removes from us and buries deep in the sea. Up from the grave we arise clean, alive, and free thanks to the never-ending mercies of our God.</p>
<p>God indwells us. As we are incorporated into the household of God, we are made into a dwelling place for His Spirit. And it is His Spirit that enables us to walk this new journey that we are embarking upon. His Spirit gives us strength when we cannot go on. The Spirit gives us peace when the waves around us rage. He gives us hope when we feel like we’re sinking. And He imparts to us His love that we might know Him and make Him known to those around us.</p>
<h3>Act 3- The Church Embraces</h3>
<p>Baptism is not a private affair. As in a wedding, there are witnesses. More than that, there is a family into which the one being baptized is welcomed into. The family of God. The journey before you is not one you will walk alone. It has been walked by thousands before you, and is being walked by hundreds coming alongside you.</p>
<p>Another common theme between many of the baptismal traditions is the prayer of the congregation for the one being baptized. Everyone gathers around or extends a hand to pray that God would help the newly baptized in their walk, delivering him from temptation, filling him with God’s spirit, teaching him to love others, and bringing him into the fullness of God’s peace and glory. I read into this a responsibility, too, on the part of the congregation to walk alongside their new brother or sister in Messiah, to be present in his life, and to help him along this path.</p>
<p>Finally, the newly baptized is welcomed into the family of God. One body and one Spirit. One hope. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all (Eph. 4:4-6). This is our faith that reaches across the globe, across traditions and cultures, across denominations, and across time. This is our new identity in Messiah. This is us forgiven, accepted, reborn, and remade.</p>
<p>As I said before, baptism is the first step in a long journey. You may not understand it all now. That’s ok. Throughout the liturgical year and as you watch others come to be baptized, you will be reminded of your own encounter with God through the waters. And as you grow in Messiah, the meaning and significance of this page in your story will grow as well. Welcome to the family of God.</p>
<p>A few baptismal liturgies:</p>
<ul>
<li>Book of Common Prayer: <a href="http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1928/Baptism.htm">1928</a>, <a href="https://www.bcponline.org/Baptism/holybaptism.html">1979</a></li>
<li>Baptist: <a href="https://bethlehem.church/what-to-expect-at-the-baptism-service/">Bethlehem Baptist Church</a>, <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581b41168419c21ac8eacd67/t/5ebda4e9072e9456916e9459/1589486825441/Redeemer+Baptism+Liturgy.pdf">Redeemer Church</a></li>
<li>Presbyterian: <a href="https://pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/oga/pdf/lf_goodstewards_presiding_at_baptism.pdf">PCUSA</a></li>
</ul>
<p>What questions do you have about baptism? How is your baptism meaningful to you?</p><p> (This article can also be found on the <a href="https://www.hebraicfamily.com/blog/before-you-are-baptized-messianic-norman-ok">HFF blog</a>) <br /></p>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-23792868962019294472023-02-22T08:05:00.003-06:002023-02-22T17:39:53.959-06:00Why Lent? (3 Reasons)<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2811" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GLzD3fO-8sHS9e-G4tTm84zEtxVu47tZ4ObBz_jLUBIwUY0PqXNM5dwsIpaSRr1U-uG20EtrcrFC127FnxSsqWU_ZJha2Yvpei13UbSLM9vi5enTuW9PEKtE6R3jID4RhdLh-wSKqLDUN8UQCGcYEcYlMgtgkqEHioNoDNUyoebHoPgXOr0zvGc/w143-h200/josh-eckstein-WYIslVNcCVw-unsplash.jpg" width="143" /></div></div>Usually the first reaction I get when I mention that I observe Lent is “Isn’t that a Catholic thing?” The answer is no; Lent is also observed by Orthodox Christians and several Protestant denominations.<p></p>
<p>The second question might be, “Why?” After all, I’m a Messianic. We’ve got our own set of holidays already (ones that are actually mentioned in the Bible). Why venture into the Christian calendar? I’ve got a few reasons. Let’s take a look.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<h3>1 - To Prepare our Hearts for Passover</h3>
<p>One of the first things that appealed to me about the Christian seasons of Lent and Advent is that they allowed the holidays I had grown to love (Sukkot and Passover) to spill over into the rest of the year. With themes that fit fairly well with the major Biblical holidays, these seasons feel like an extension of those pilgrimage feasts guiding me in a spiritual journey up to these moments of worship in the Biblical calendar. In a sense, you could say I observe Lent because I love Passover so much. Why have just a day, when you can have a whole season?</p>
<p>The Lenten formula consists of prayer, fasting, and charity. Most of us in the Messianic tradition are well acquainted with scouring our house for any traces of leaven in the weeks leading up to Passover. Sometimes we also talk about removing the leaven from our hearts. Lent fits right in here. Prayer and fasting serve as spiritual and physical aids for searching our hearts and removing the leaven as we prepare our hearts and home for Passover.</p>
<p>Consider the Israelites when they left Egypt. They left behind their leaven and the physical trappings of Egyptian culture. But, as revealed by their trials in the wilderness, we see they still had Egypt within them. It wasn’t until forty years later, after crossing the Jordan, that God finally declared “I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”</p>
<p>As we approach the Passover season, Lent can give us a time period of focused prayer, fasting, and reflection in which to weed out the Egypt within us. To identify and toss aside the idols in our lives. To leave behind the “dead Egyptians” that always seem to be chasing us. That way we can come to Passover as unleavened souls.</p>
<h3>2 - To Connect with the Wider Body of Messiah</h3>
<p>Another reason for my love of the Christian calendar is because it connects me to believers across the world and through history. In the past, the Messianic movement has been a bit of a separatist movement. There haven’t been a lot of opportunities to connect with those outside our particular tradition. So, ever since I first starting discovering the rich depth of Christian tradition, I’ve been on the look out for points of connection—traditions and rituals both rooted in the historical Christian church and meaningful to my faith as a Messianic. The overlap between the calendars, to me, is one such point of connection.</p>
<p>Have you ever set aside a certain time or day to pray in concert with others (often regarding some particular subject matter)? When you commit to praying through Lent, you are doing just that, but on a much larger scale (and with much deeper roots). Each of these forty days, Christians everywhere are (and have for centuries) getting down on their knees to worship God for His work on the cross.</p>
<p>Entering into traditions like this moves me from an individual spirituality to a community faith. I’m entering into something bigger than myself, something I did not create. Even across our diverse denominations, I am finding ways to worship our one King through common practices. And that’s really cool to me—that I can join hands with a Lutheran, an Anglican, a Presbyterian, etc. and say with one voice “Jesus is Lord”.</p>
<h3>3 - To Make Room for Yeshua</h3>
<p>Life gets busy. We’re bombarded by work and distractions day in and day out. The rapid pace of modern life is stressful. It can be hard to maintain a devotional practice in such an environment.</p>
<p>Lent invites us to slow down and simplify. It’s a season of emptying ourselves, so that God can pour into us. What can I cut out to make room for my Messiah? That’s one of the questions I’m considering as I decide what to give up this year for these forty days.</p>
<p>Lent also gives us a chance to connect with Yeshua in a more intimate way by walking in His footsteps. Through this season we take on a fast of sorts just as Yeshua fasted in the wilderness for forty days. We share with the least of these as Yeshua poured into the outcast and needy and all who came to Him. And we pray. We pray that our hearts might be knit together with His, that we might know Him in His humility so that one day we can also know Him in His glory.</p><p><br /></p>
<p>Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about—knowing Him. And that’s what I love about the Christian calendar. The whole thing is built around the life of Messiah. As we move through the various seasons of the year, the liturgical calendar takes us through the various seasons of Messiah’s life (We’re rehearsing and retelling the story of the Gospel again and again!)—inviting us to imitate Him, to reflect on His work, and to draw ever nearer to our God through the way made for us by our Messiah.</p><p><br /></p>
<p>Have you every practiced Lent? What has been your experience? Is it something you’re considering but maybe have some reservations about? Share below.</p><p>(This article can also be found on the <a href="https://www.hebraicfamily.com/blog/yizj49hzf7oqfo0lz6xy3ftqezu7id">HFF blog</a>)</p>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-62186787435563947932023-02-14T08:05:00.005-06:002023-02-14T16:38:59.359-06:00The Bible (For Kids!)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0TnmeVBcl_GHJZyfkoZ2I85HlKKmk0c9MXLdH_RFeaUyGUtg1RoOhWY_lsONi0r5IZGAaTj8xFNMbq7neIKG9BSC2QO1tOOcxskfZtYLu4UAQv2NV-PNcMPeT0lvYUQMUzIdp3VWh7Z8b8WYso4_AXNS4pSTVoE1LoZpIUkxbtlXFwVVvYRBTsg/s4032/20230213_090044.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0TnmeVBcl_GHJZyfkoZ2I85HlKKmk0c9MXLdH_RFeaUyGUtg1RoOhWY_lsONi0r5IZGAaTj8xFNMbq7neIKG9BSC2QO1tOOcxskfZtYLu4UAQv2NV-PNcMPeT0lvYUQMUzIdp3VWh7Z8b8WYso4_AXNS4pSTVoE1LoZpIUkxbtlXFwVVvYRBTsg/s320/20230213_090044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One of my first priorities in training my children in the faith is to immerse them in the stories of Scripture—especially The Story of Scripture. Theology and commandments are important, but ultimately it’s the stories that kids will latch onto. They’re easy to remember because our brains are wired to think in narrative (as an anecdote, I’ve noticed when quizzing my daughter on her history lessons, she struggles with the facts; but when it comes to the stories of these ancient cultures, her eyes perk up as she retells the events back to me). Stories hold incredible depths of meaning. And, really, they’re the primary way God has chosen to speak with us. Think about it. The majority of the Bible is not law or theology. It’s story.</div><p></p>
<p>Consider how Mark begins his book: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” When Mark sets out to lay out the Gospel, he does not do so by laying out a list of propositions or a road to salvation. He tells a story. The Gospel is a story—one of how God took on flesh, submitted unto death on a cross, defeated death and paid for sin, rose from the grave, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead (c.f. the Apostle’s Creed).</p><p>But, I digress. This is supposed to be a post about some of the tools I use to help immerse my children in those stories, namely children’s Bibles. There’s a lot of choices out there when it comes to children’s Bibles, and despite being somewhat of a collector, I’ve not tried them all. But, I can share with you a few favorites I’ve come across as well as how I use them. For me, I have three main functions I try to fill with children’s Bibles.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<h3>1 - Story Bible</h3>
<p>Early on my wife and I started a habit of reading books to our kids at night. At this stage of life, we usually read one book of their choice and one Bible story. For this, my favorite Bibles are the “<strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3jTAzTL">Jesus Calling Bible Storybook</a></strong>” (Sarah Young) and “<strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3jUhuRu">God’s Words to Dream On</a></strong>” (Diane Stortz).</p>
<p>Both of these contain dozens of short, consistent, self-contained stories that work great for bedtime. Each “Jesus Calling” story ends with a Scripture quotation and a short devotion. “God’s Words to Dream On” includes a verse, a prayer, and a bedtime blessing to go with each story. The theology in each (so far as I have found) is sound, though some might not be comfortable with the <strong>style</strong> of the “Jesus Calling” devotions (they’re written as first person messages from God to the reader—for me, it just a matter of substituting some pronouns).</p>
<p>Some may wonder why I don’t just read the actual Bible to them. Two reasons: 1) I don’t want to leave them with a distaste for the Christian faith because I insisted on doing things in a legalistic manner. Before the printing press, the primary way of teaching children would have been telling the stories of God and Israel orally (and I doubt these were word for word recitations each time). So, why not paraphrase a bit and tell these stories in a way our children can relate to, in a way that gets them excited about our history and our faith? They’ll get around to reading actual Scripture. But we don’t have to wait till that point to help them fall in love with the stories. 2) To help them situate each of these disparate stories into the larger story of redemption. Part of the reason I like these two particular children’s Bibles is that they don’t try to reduce each story into a moral lesson. Rather they use the stories to reveal the character of God and point in the direction of the Gospel. So, I’m not just teaching my children the stories—I’m teaching them a particular way of reading those stories. A Gospel-centered way.</p>
<h3>2 - Reference Bible</h3>
<p>During Sabbath services, I’m always looking for ways to engage my kids with the sermon (I’ll probably write more on this in a later blog post). One way to do that is to bring out a children’s Bible and show my children what stories the pastor is talking about. There’s some limitations here—a sermon based in one of Paul’s letters is not likely to have a page to reference in a children’s Bible. But, when the opportunity arises, this can be a great way to help your children start making those connections. For this purpose, I use an action Bible. These comic style Bibles typically have more stories in them than one designed for reading at bedtime, and the kids love them.</p>
<p>I don’t actually have a particular recommendation to make in this department. We own the “<strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3YpJcVl">Bibleforce Bible</a></strong>,” but I must confess that the deciding factor was that we found it on sale at our local Christian bookstore. Personally, I haven’t seen a lot that would make one action Bible stand out from the others (disagree? Let me know in the comments). I will say that out of all our children’s Bibles, this one is my children’s favorite (I’m told because it reminds them of a comic book).</p>
<h3>3 - Story of Redemption</h3>
<p>My absolute favorite find when it comes to children’s Bibles is “<strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3YN0xY0">The King Jesus StoryBible</a></strong>” (Ben Irwin). This Bible covers the overall arc of the Scripture and retells it as a single story (meant to be read in a single setting). Starting with creation and the purpose of mankind, it moves through the fall, man’s continual rebellion against God, the call of Abraham, God’s covenant with Israel, the demand for a human king (and their subsequent failures), the exile, and finally the story of Jesus. Here the book hangs out for a little bit to emphasize the significance of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our King. Then, after solidly hitting the central Gospel story, the book points toward the church after Christ’s ascension, calling the reader into this Gospel story and mission that started with the apostles and continues with us.</p>
<p>Besides doing a superb job of drawing together these disparate stories into a single narrative focused squarely on the King Jesus Gospel, this book also contains illustrations that give parents a launching point for probing deeper into the individual stories. For example, when talking about how the apostles’ (”Jesus’ friends”) went out to share God’s love (in fairly high level terms), the associated illustrations show scenes from stories like Paul and Silas in prison and Paul’s ship in the rough seas.</p>
<p>I pull this Bible out on special occasions (like Passover and Sukkot) to help us all (and, yes, I mean all of us—I’ve found this type of Bible summary just as helpful for myself as for my kids) take a step back and see the forest again. It reminds us what our faith is all about. That’s why it’s my favorite among our children’s Bibles.</p>
<p>Honorable mention goes to “<strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3Xthd5R">The Story of God with Us</a></strong>” (Padgett and Gregorie). This book performs much the same function (and likewise does an excellent job) as “The King Jesus StoryBible”. Main differences are that this book is slightly less in the weeds, slightly more repetitive (which with children can be a good thing), more ethereal in the illustrations, with a particular focus on the God dwelling with us theme (“The King Jesus StoryBible” could be said to have more of a focus on the Kingship of Jesus).</p>
<p>That’s a peek at my children’s Bible collection and how I use it. As I said before, there’s a lot of selection out there. Ultimately, what’s best for your family will be whatever helps <strong>your</strong> children to connect with the story of God and Israel and fall in love with our Messiah. Don’t be afraid to branch out and get creative (I haven’t even touched on alternative media such as the Superbook tv series). And, whatever you use, engage <em>with</em> your children. Who knows? Perhaps God will speak to you through a children’s Bible as well.</p>
<p>Do you have a favorite children’s Bible? How do you engage your children with Scripture? Share below.</p><p>(This article can also be found on the <a href="https://www.hebraicfamily.com/blog/the-bible-for-kids">HFF blog</a>) </p>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-24877489643457468512021-06-16T14:21:00.001-05:002021-06-16T14:22:46.106-05:00Pray (Letters To My Family)<p><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcoLGOccaNYRBK43FDiGbHU8MTf_hWK7fr5s2hfZh3eTOGgu6Bhe-k1kTIhKMXrQOoo43YRE9HYxwtqvfpNjgj0zbD4Ek9fKPfAarxGVtfnbhz9G2qUnzq6Kzu-a6EBji-ktHFxK0qRA/s800/letters.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcoLGOccaNYRBK43FDiGbHU8MTf_hWK7fr5s2hfZh3eTOGgu6Bhe-k1kTIhKMXrQOoo43YRE9HYxwtqvfpNjgj0zbD4Ek9fKPfAarxGVtfnbhz9G2qUnzq6Kzu-a6EBji-ktHFxK0qRA/w200-h134/letters.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;">What kind of legacy do I want to leave my family? What character and vision and story do I want to instill in them? That is the inspiration behind this series of letters--an attempt to set down and share in words the values I hope to lead them in by example.</span><p></p><div>Alongside reading the Gospels (and the rest of Scripture) I would encourage my family to pray. These two activities go hand in hand. Each one on its own can feel a bit like a one sided conversation; together is sometimes as close as we can get to dialoging with God (though it may often seem a bit disjointed).</div><div><br /></div><div>I will admit, this one is a bit harder for me to write. I'm not the best at praying, nor do I really understand how it works. Some days it feels like I've gotten into a rut, repeating the same words day after day almost mindlessly. Other days, I don't know what to pray or I just forget. I often wonder what prayer means for the God who knows everything. I suppose there are two or three things that I hold onto to anchor my belief in prayer.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer is relational. </span>If our central purpose, our reason for being is to be in relationship with God, it would seem that talking with Him is important. Not necessarily to any utilitarian end, but simply for the sake of conversing with God. Laying out our heart before Him, sharing our dreams, fears, worries, and desires (even our <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/may-june/where-prayer-becomes-real-kyle-strobel-john-coe-distraction.html">distractions</a>--these are things that our on our mind that God wants us to share with Him). And listening as He shares His with us. In this sense, prayer must flow out of who we are. It must be honest and raw. God isn't looking for a show; He's looking for you. He wants to get to know you and for you to get to know Him. In this way, prayer is a way of drawing near to God.</div><div><br /></div><div>I tend to think of this aspect mostly in the sense of spontaneous prayer, but there's a place for liturgical prayer as well. Sometimes I don't have words to express what's in me. Reading from the Psalms or the prayers composed by the saints throughout the ages, I have more than once come across words that better capture what I'm feeling than any I could come up with on my own. And so, I pray from the liturgy making the words my own, not out of obligation or rote, but because after reading them I find those are really the words I want to say.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer changes me.</span> It refocuses my attention back to God. It is in a sense bringing all of my brokenness into His light, which is the first step to being healed. In praying, I invite the Spirit into my life to transform me from the inside out. In fact, I would say pray, indeed pray often, the simple prayer "Fill me with your Spirit" (if your desire is truly to be made His). It is in simple, honest prayer that we wrestle with God. We may be angry, frustrated, confused, or whatever--that's enough for Him to work with. It's when we walk away that we begin to drift.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I pray from the liturgy, I am reminded of the priorities of the Kingdom, the promises of God, and the calling on my life. These prayers, often inspired by Scripture, were written as signposts in our daily lives. They help to set our rhythm and anchor in the midst of a world of chaos and distraction.</div><div><br /></div><div>How to pray? Again, I don't have all the answers, but I can share a few things that have helped me. I think having set times for prayer is important. A space in time that is guarded from the distractions of life (of course, this does not preclude praying whenever and wherever--indeed, it should help develop a habit that spills over into the rest of life). What exactly you do in those times might vary from day to day. Some times I read from Scripture (I've enjoyed doing this with a journaling Bible). Other times I might bring out the Book of Common Prayer (so many meaningful prayers in that book for all manner of occasions; and when I'm not sure what to pray for, the weekly collects are always a good place to start). When something is on my mind, I'l go off script and pray about that in particular. And when I feel a need to dive deeper in introspection, I've found the Examen a great tool for inviting God into that space. The Lord's Prayer often serves as a way of concluding and is a great model from which to learn how to pray.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, remember that prayer is a conversation, not a performance. Be honest and vulnerable with your heavenly Father. Allow Him into the deepest (and darkest) parts of your heart. Share with Him your joys and your sufferings. Listen to His words of instruction and promise, comfort and grace. Let Him fill your heart; invite Him to make His home in you. Ask for His Spirit to transform you, conform you into His image--the image of the Messiah who bore our skin that He might intimately know us and our sufferings. Pray that you might intimately know Him and His heart.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Part of the <a href="https://www.ordinarydisciple.com/search/label/family%20letters">Letters To My Family</a> series</div><div><br /></div><div></div>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-61251319661757343672021-05-03T07:50:00.000-05:002021-05-03T07:50:28.151-05:00Virtue in the Pursuit of Truth<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu2SIjCrZ7FGFgs_y6TdVHZ4bjw9SQ-HGBlAWu7MUZfZ7MLioXJ95foWCLWG5fqmzHK-Yj3ClWdoRFso3fmzPRImotwo0-GBjCSqC10hCDp0dg0pam6fykRfwe1_1nWhxr2fAwgQLE-8/s2048/mark-fletcher-brown-nN5L5GXKFz8-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu2SIjCrZ7FGFgs_y6TdVHZ4bjw9SQ-HGBlAWu7MUZfZ7MLioXJ95foWCLWG5fqmzHK-Yj3ClWdoRFso3fmzPRImotwo0-GBjCSqC10hCDp0dg0pam6fykRfwe1_1nWhxr2fAwgQLE-8/w200-h133/mark-fletcher-brown-nN5L5GXKFz8-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A question that I've been pondering over the last several years is how do we create an environent in which ideas proliferate, the best ideas rise to the top, and the worst ideas fade away. It has to be a free marketplace of thought lest good ideas be suppressed (and bad ideas forced). That's a foundation--but it's not enough. We've seen that even in the free exchange, some really bad ideas can get quite a following. In this age, misinformation can often run rampant. So, what do we do?<p></p><div>Alisdair McIntyre suggested the concept of virtue as being those qualities that are necessary for success in a practice. I think we can apply this to the realm of dialogue and debate. External controls will always be inadequate and potentially dangerous. What we need is to instill the internal controls of virture in ourselves in order to become the type of people who have productive conversations leading to truth. This raises the question, what are those virtues? Here I provide a few of my suggestions:<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Diversity - Seeking out new (and contrary) ideas</span></div><div>The first thing that comes to mind is that we must be willing to challenge ourselves. To seek out new and contrary ideas that will supply us with fresh inspiration and challenge our existing notions. We cannot hide in our own little silos, else we will become stagnant. Worse, we'll tend to entrench ourselves deeper and deeper within our own ideas as they remain unchallenged. And when I say listening to contrary ideas, I don't mean the straw version that our own side often holds up in order to tear down. I mean listen to these ideas from the people that hold them, the best of the people that hold them. A little bit of contrary opinion is an essential part of any healthy intellectual diet.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Courage - Putting forth your ideas for critique and refinement</span></div><div>Of course, in order for diversity to work, people have to be willing to put their ideas on the table. Our current culture that makes political and religious talk taboo suppresses dialogue and actually allows a lot of bad ideas to persist for the simple reason that they're hidden. If I say that my religion is purely personal and so make myself immune to any critique, I rob myself of the opportunity to grow and rob you of the opportunity to be exposed to new ideas. We must have the courage to risk criticism in order to gain wisdom. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Imaginative - Seeking creative answers to complex questions</span></div><div>Often, questions are not quite as black and white as they at first seem. Sometimes when given two opposed solutions, it's actually an intelligent and creative combination of those solutions that is the best answer. Or a third way entirely. Not always (don't want to fall into Middle Ground Fallacy either), but it's worth taking some time to explore. Diversity and courage both play in here as well as diversity provides the fodder for creative combinations and courage allows us to put forward those seedlings of ideas that otherwise would never have a chance to grow.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kindness - Being gentle in our disagreements</span></div><div>One way ideas die is by never seeing the light of day. Another way is by being sown in an infertile environment. It is essential that we practice kindness in our disagreements for two reasons: 1) To preserve the relationship. We must never sacrifice our friendships on the altar of intellectual pride. We must practice the love that God is working in us in every aspect of our lives, including in the way we dialogue with other people. 2) To give ideas a chance to grow. Shutting down an idea from the start could kill what might have become a fruitful exploration. Take a moment to suspend disbelief and objections--see where the idea takes you. Then, after you've given the idea a bit of breathing room to come into its own, then you can start dismantling it taking forward only what is useful.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Discerning - Being honest in our assessment of "good" and "bad" ideas</span></div><div>All this talk about kindness and imagination and diversity can sound like relativisitic mush. It's not, but that's because it's meant to be balance with an objective search for truth. The process here is every idea gets a chance, but only the best ideas rise to the top. At a certain point in the discussion we have to be ruthlessly honest in our assessments of ideas. Sure, there may be multiple "right" answers, but there are usually many more "wrong" answers. And even among the "right" ones, there's often better and worse answers or trade-offs that require careful analysis. Throw in uncertainty (we need to be honest about how much confidence we can place in certain lines of thought as well) and you've got a lot of nuance to deal with. We may not always agree in our assessment (though we should always handle our disagreements gracefully), but we can make our best attempt, try to understand each other, and learn.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Specific - Giving our ideas specificity so that they can be honestly assessed (rather than hiding in vagueness)</span></div><div>In order to give accurate assessments, it is essential that we bring specificity to our ideas. Often this will involve introducing nuance and complexity--this is ok. The world is complex. And usually this will happen in the later stages of an idea. It's also ok for things to start out somewhat vague, but for them to become seriously competitive in the marketplace of ideas they must eventually grow and become better defined. Giving specificity requires courage like we talked about earlier. As the contours become increasingly defined, you open yourself to more lines of attack. But this is a good thing. Only in the light can our beliefs become corrected and refined, bringing us closer to truth.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Respectful - Considering the best of our opponents' arguments</span></div><div>Respect goes beyond not name calling or yelling. It means giving those who disagree with you the benefit of the doubt. Even as you critique the weak points, be sure to acknowledge the strong points. Consider whether there's something you can learn here. And don't setup strawmen. All that will do is show how little you really understand your opponents' ideas. Taking the time to really get into another's shoes both shows respect for other people and earns you respect. This helps keep the dialogue going as both sides get further refined by each other (rather than becoming siloed and withering). </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Humility - Admitting the weaknesses of one's ideas and being willing to change</span></div><div>Finally, be willing to change. Be honest about the weak points in your arguments. Be honest about when you simply don't know. And seek always to grow, even when it means admitting you were wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure one could go on with many more virtues here, but I've already gone too long for a blog post (perhaps conciseness is a virtue? Respect people's time). To bring it all back around, I think the main point is to remember we're all seeking truth in a world of unending pitfalls. We need to ask How can we best do that together?</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you think? Are there any of these you disagree with? Any you would add?</div><div><br /></div><div></div>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-84203342631676444362021-04-20T05:24:00.001-05:002021-04-20T05:24:56.980-05:00A New Name!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKzZx7kSVVkD5-q-BjUlYUQVZOHc_R18TngLVOiIfbSUR7liBbfpAI-eUAMclphHFYuAF1ruKBiHErSdI4PVtzIlxLcn0mMeN5q_HFuiHMQ7wWR0L13Jh22XPn1ilVOUg7Hyp8jKuCWw/s2048/chris-lawton-5IHz5WhosQE-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKzZx7kSVVkD5-q-BjUlYUQVZOHc_R18TngLVOiIfbSUR7liBbfpAI-eUAMclphHFYuAF1ruKBiHErSdI4PVtzIlxLcn0mMeN5q_HFuiHMQ7wWR0L13Jh22XPn1ilVOUg7Hyp8jKuCWw/w200-h133/chris-lawton-5IHz5WhosQE-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Seven years ago when I started this blog, I sought input from friends on the name. Among some of the ideas I put forward were "Noggin Toaster," "Hopeful Heretic," and "Yearning for Home." At the end of the day, "Hopeful Heretic" proved to be the most popular--though not without a significant dissenter. A friend cautioned against labeling myself a heretic, referencing G. K. Chesterton's thoughts on the word. I considered the objection, but decided to go forward with the name. It proved fairly catchy and for a long time I was happy with it.<p></p><p>Fast forward to today. My faith has evolved since then. I've been rediscovering orthodoxy, learning the Christian roots of my faith. I've opened the Book of Common Prayer, tasted the Lord's Supper, walked the seasons of Lent and Advent. I've been introduced to Christian scholarship both ancient and modern and traced the fascinating history of our religion. I still have so much to learn, but this I know: I no longer wish to label myself a heretic. I am a Christian through and through. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a>For certain, I have certain particularities (as any member of a denomination does). I am still a seventh day Sabbatarian, a follower of the old calendar (Passover, Sukkot, etc.), a proponent of holiness code, and believer in digging into the Hebrew roots of our faith. But, I must emphasize, these are periphery. My faith is centered squarely on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross.<p></p><p>There's much more I could go into, but I'll leave that for later blog entries. For now, let's get into the reasoning behind the new name.</p><p>I decided to simplify quite a bit. "Ordinary Disciple" expresses what the blog is about without getting too fancy or boxing the theme in too tightly. It's a personal blog for sharing my learning and adventures (especially as they relate to this journey of faith), starting conversations, and letting my creative side out. In some ways it's back to basics. The word "disciple" takes me way back to when I first made a commitment to follow after Jesus always. I keep a list of the major things God has taught me over the years and the word "discipleship" sits at the very top of that list.</p><p>I chose the word "Ordinary" as an adjective because, truth be told, I struggle with pride. Pride and public platforms do not always mix well. So, it's a reminder to myself of my place in this story (I'm reminded of a <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/karl-vaters/2016/october/astonishing-power-of-small-churches-reasons-missed-this.html?paging=off" target="_blank">Christianity Today article</a> I read so long ago about how God does His best work through small churches, away from the oversight and control of any one man). I hope that it will be an encouragement as well, a reminder that even in the midst of pressures to "make a difference" and "change the world," our calling is simply to follow Jesus wherever He leads. A reminder that we can rest in Him.</p><p>While I've left behind the label "heretic", I have by no means left behind hope. Not in the slightest. Sometimes the journey takes us through turns and bends that we do not expect and the path ahead can sometimes seem hazy. But through it all, we can hold tight to this promise: </p><blockquote><p>"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?...Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raise--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trubulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or dange, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 9:32-39)</p></blockquote><p>So, dear reader, even as I grow and learn, my purpose in this blog remains largely the same. I hope that my writings will inspire, encourage, and challenge you in your walk as God does His work in you and me. I still don't have all the answers (and never will). I'm just a fellow disciple and sojourner like you. But, we're all in this together. Let us hold to faith, pursue love, and rejoice in hope as we run after our God and seek His Kingdom. It's just a long way home.</p>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-29377995828626866812021-02-15T20:58:00.002-06:002021-06-16T14:20:42.977-05:00Read The Gospels (Letters To My Family)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_1VVh5Hj_HaL-hleXI1sTGXxyptZfH501mf7k4IuXSDTB5Fna8kP0J-SXYg-ifaew51YX1_FSH-OAz3TZ3n8uXWg7jTG6-5cUAkznvsJc-7HzjOmMYD8ywIKC8oNJ69eTNzVtJhwksA/s800/letters.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_1VVh5Hj_HaL-hleXI1sTGXxyptZfH501mf7k4IuXSDTB5Fna8kP0J-SXYg-ifaew51YX1_FSH-OAz3TZ3n8uXWg7jTG6-5cUAkznvsJc-7HzjOmMYD8ywIKC8oNJ69eTNzVtJhwksA/w200-h134/letters.jpeg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>What kind of legacy do I want to leave my family? What character and vision and story do I want to instill in them? That is the inspiration behind this series of letters--an attempt to set down and share in words the values I hope to lead them in by example.</i><br /><br />When I consider the question of what advice I would leave with my family, the first thing that comes to mind is: Read the Gospels. Read the whole Bible, too. But, especially the Gospels. Read about the life and teachings of our Messiah, who is our life. Immerse yourself in the story of the Gospel. Soak up His wisdom and see in Christ the face of God. Walk in His footsteps as He leads you as a good Shepherd. Come to know Him who gave His life for you.<p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I firmly believe that the Scriptures are a central part of our faith. They form a framework for faith. They tell our story--the story of God and of His people. The story of His plan of redemption as He establishes His rule in the earth. A story we are called to be a part of. We are the next chapter in this unfolding tale. We are invited to play a unique role (however small), to be caught up in the Author's grand narrative, to lose ourselves in the relentless pursuit between two lovers--God and His people. And the climax of this tale is at the cross.<p></p><p>The Scriptures record a conversation between God and mankind. God creates. We rebel. God commands. We do things our own way. Throughout the Scriptures we see a God who reveals and conceals Himself, a people who pursues and flees from their Creator, and an endless discourse that tries to make sense of this broken world. We are not alone in trying to find the answers to the great questions of life. And we are not without a light to shine on the darkness of this world. God desires to know us and for us to know Him. Nowhere is this more evident than in the incarnation.</p><p>The Scriptures establish an authority for the church. God speaks through His word--He creates and commands and orders through the agency of the Spirit. The principles of His upside down Kingdom are laid forth in law and prophecy. More than a list of rules, God's commands are a call to a higher life, a call to holiness, to love, to faith and every fruit which the transforming power of the Spirit works in us. In His word we find the baton passed to us to carry out the mission of Israel with a vision toward the Kingdom. A mission that reaches fullness in the words of the prophesied Messiah. A vision that overflows in our lives as King Yeshua ascends to the right hand of the Father and the Holy Spirit descends to indwell us, His people.</p><p>The Scriptures are an expression of worship to our King. In the Psalms we find songs of praise, lament, petition, and thanksgiving. Through the prophets we find odes to the greatness, the faithfulness, the righteousness, and the loving kindness of our God. The foolishness of God is extolled beyond any human wisdom. The righteousness of God makes ours look as filthy rags--who can stand before His consuming fire? We are frail, we are small, and yet our God cares to look upon us. To dwell with us. To die for us.</p><p>Yeshua is our foundation. Our Cornerstone. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. The very image of the invisible God. Hold tight to Him. And immerse yourself in His story. </p><p>Scot McKnight defined the Gospel this way: "The apostles' gospel was the Story of Jesus [culminated in the Gospels] resolving the Story of Israel [the story of Scripture]"</p><p>So, read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels.</p><p><br /></p><p>Part of the <a href="https://www.ordinarydisciple.com/search/label/family%20letters">Letters To My Family</a> series</p>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-60946101059358554702020-08-06T10:03:00.001-05:002020-08-06T10:03:54.811-05:00Book Review: Finding The Right Hills To Die On (Gavin Ortlund)<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="160" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433567423&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=worbeythelin-20&language=en_US" width="105" /></div></div><b>Finding The Right Hills To Die On</b><br /><i>(by Gavin Ortlund)</i><br /><br />"Is that a salvational issue?", "Can't we all just get along?" These are questions I'm all to familiar with and used to use myself in the cause of unity. Because, on the other hand, I had seen people dividing over the silliest things. But over the last few years I've finding this framework somewhat inadequate. That's where Gavin Ortlund's "Finding the Right Hills to Die on" comes in.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>Ortlund confirmed my suspicions that my previous framework was inadequate. He proposes a four-stage model instead: 1) matters of orthodoxy 2) matters of local church unity 3) important matters that shouldn't be divided over 4) unimportant matters. He devotes a chapter each to the first three of these covering: guidelines for determining whether an issue fits into the category, a few examples of issues he would place in the category, and advice on how to handle these types of issues with love, courage, wisdom, and humility.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall the book is definitely a product of Ortlund's personal experience. In fact, he spends most of the third chapter telling his own story in regard to theology and division. I also noticed his personal perspective come out in the issues he chose as examples and the way he approaches them (especially in the chapter on tertiary issues where a lot of his arguments for unity are aimed at those on the opposite side of his personal stance). </div><div><br /></div><div>That being said, he approaches the entire topic with enough nuance and humility that the more subjective nature of his work adds to rather than detracts from the book. In fact, it is this nuance and humility that I am especially grateful for. He reminds readers that context matters--what might be considered a second-rank doctrine for someone in leadership or for regularly attending a church might be third rank for attending a retreat. He challenges readers to think about not just the issue itself, but how it is approached. And in all things he calls for humility.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book does not so much give answers as it does direction for the questions. His framework is not a simple decision-tree, but rather a set of questions to think about as we approach theological triage (how related is this to the Gospel, how clear is it in the Bible, how has the church handled it in the past, what are the practical implications, etc.). Gavin's framework is definitely one that I will try to integrate into my own thought process as I continue my journey in theology, using the analogy of triage to decide which hills are really worth dying on in my context for the sake of the Gospel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Recommended for anyone who engages in theology and Christians in general.</div><br />If you get a chance to read this book, be sure to share your thoughts below. I always love a good conversation about a good book =)<br /><br /><b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3gBAUDH" rel="nofollow">Buy from Amazon</a> (Affiliate Link)</i></b><br /><br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-85777947335181584492020-03-11T10:22:00.001-05:002020-03-11T10:22:17.159-05:00The Ethics of Parenting (Nine Paradigms)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1kiWjBP8wWnl_RId3akcO4Kx7bTGPSNcDFhK8QkH87x8KBKH6nTppta49-uyhH0nqSw-ZzRThBPVgo3nUqzIHciR2DvHCnkQ5dp51VGxuy90MtE62D-u9KMrXvNoaOxKn6bBRXW7yVQ/s1600/starwarsdad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1kiWjBP8wWnl_RId3akcO4Kx7bTGPSNcDFhK8QkH87x8KBKH6nTppta49-uyhH0nqSw-ZzRThBPVgo3nUqzIHciR2DvHCnkQ5dp51VGxuy90MtE62D-u9KMrXvNoaOxKn6bBRXW7yVQ/s320/starwarsdad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@danielkcheung?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Daniel Cheung</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/parenting?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span></div>
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Our Sabbath fellowship has been studying ethics using Steve Wilkens' <i>Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics</i>. The book goes through nine different theorie<b>s </b>on what makes something right or wrong and how we can know the difference. Anyway, I put together the following descriptions to make some of this theory more relatable. I give you the ethical theories of parenting. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Cultural Relativism</b><br />Look to your neighbors and fellow Mommy bloggers for advice. Follow the culturally accepted standards<br />
<br /><b>Ethical egoism</b><br />You're raising up your future caregivers. Also consider points for present enjoyment and cuteness, help with chores, and how they contribute to your status / reputation.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Behaviorism</b><br />The way you parent is simply a reflection of the way you were raised yourself (+ various other complex factors involving your environment and DNA). You don’t really have any choice in the matter.<br />
<br /><b>Utilitarianism</b><br />Make your kids happy (use of a spreadsheet in tallying up potential happiness points for each child is encouraged). Your parenting will be judged solely by your success / failure in producing human beings who can function in the world (whether you followed all the right steps or acted out of love is irrelevant...only results matter).<br />
<br /><b>Kantian Ethics</b><br />Can the rule apply equally to all the kids? Does it apply equally to the parents? Should all parents follow this rule? Only if the answer is yes, should this be a rule. And if it’s a rule, it must be followed rigidly at all times regardless of how tired/hungry your kids are.<br /><b> </b><br />
<b>Virtue Ethics</b><br />Learn the traits of a good mom or dad. Be a good mom or dad.<br /><b> </b><br />
<b>Situation Ethics</b><br />Love them. Love them with hugs. Love them with spankings. Love them with treats. Love them with life lessons. Break the rules to show your love for them, if necessary.<br /><b> </b><br />
<b>Natural Law Ethics</b><br />Follow that motherly instinct. God gave it to you for a reason. Create rules to prevent them from hurting each other and to help them grow. These rules should flow out of that motherly instinct. But, remember motherly instinct is not enough. You need Jesus too.<br /><b> </b><br />
<b>Divine Command Theory</b><br />“Why, Mom?” <br />“Because I said so.”<br /><br />
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p.s. if you're interested in the book (which I would highly recommend as a fairly easy to read introduction to
ethical theory, to anyone who might be interested in such a topic), you can get it from Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2TH1KkV">here</a> (affiliate link)Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-14648033461701216042019-02-24T19:50:00.000-06:002019-02-25T08:18:58.508-06:00Ezekiel's Temple Part 2: Telescopic Prophecy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNMoAJEDdgPwAroDk0vaSbSzqzfKRCKdqR4l-mRimg9eUmEqDbRtwoW0fRWrchRkuoYSSvipkoJHVT8cUkeFLBoWdXTjgi4Nv6khHCAZP41iUvTclwbq7iAZLF05KjqD-b3eWesLc8tE/s1600/Visionary_Ezekiel_Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="524" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNMoAJEDdgPwAroDk0vaSbSzqzfKRCKdqR4l-mRimg9eUmEqDbRtwoW0fRWrchRkuoYSSvipkoJHVT8cUkeFLBoWdXTjgi4Nv6khHCAZP41iUvTclwbq7iAZLF05KjqD-b3eWesLc8tE/s200/Visionary_Ezekiel_Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The Ezekiel Temple poses a challenge to all interpreters. In the <a href="https://www.thehopefulheretic.com/2019/02/ezekiels-temple-part-1-few-problems.html">last post</a>, I examined the supposedly simple pre-millennial view and pointed out some complications. Here I'd like to propose a potential solution for post-millennial and amillennial interpreters.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<br />
The problem for the
post-millenialist and amillennialist (and the pre-millennialist who
accepts the above arguments) is that the language of the Ezekiel Temple
appears very specific in nature and is therefore difficult to conceive
of as anything but literal. This makes an allegorical interpretation seem unlikely.<br />
<br />
A few other solutions have been proposed. One is to interpret the passage as referring to the second Temple. However, if that is the case, one would have to account for the differences. Herod's Temple didn't measure up to the dimensions of the Ezekiel Temple.<br />
<br />
Another proposed solution would be to see this as a potential Temple that could have been built had Israel repented. Again, history seems to work counter to this interpretation. A remnant of Israel did repent, did return to the land, and did rebuild a Temple. Why wasn't it the Ezekiel Temple?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>The Prophet's Audience</b><br />
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One advantage of the last two interpretations is that they both situate the fulfillment (or potential fulfillment) of this vision close to Ezekiel's actual audience. Consider the purpose of Ezekiel's prophecy:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out." (Ezekiel 43:10-11)</blockquote>
Ezekiel was speaking to his generation, calling them to repentance. It seems that it was Ezekiel's contemporaries who were to fulfill this vision.<br />
<b> </b><br />
Additionally, while there are many differences between Herod's Temple and the Ezekiel Temple, there are some unique similarities as well. Take the priesthood for instance. The term "Sadducee" is actually derived from the name "Zadok." According to Maimonides, the second Temple drew from both the design of Solomon's Temple and the Ezekiel Temple.<br />
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It seems a number of things recommend this view. However, there is still the large difficulty of accounting for the differences.<br />
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<b>Telescopic Prophecy</b><br />
<br />
My solution is to suggest that what Ezekiel is seeing is not just one distinct event, but rather two events collapsed upon each other. The first, as described above, is the second Temple. The second would be the new creation (as indicated by the vision of a river of life and the trees bearing fruit each month with leaves for healing). In looking forward to the end of days, certain aspects of the near vision might have been enhanced by what was far off.<br />
<br />
In particular, this telescopic vision seems to encode a trajectory for a continually expanding Temple*. We see throughout the Tanak that each successive iteration of God's dwelling is built with larger
dimensions from the Tabernacle to Solomon's Temple to Herod's Temple.
Ezekiel's Temple paints this trajectory as continuing. Thus, the level of detail is neither superfluous nor incorrect, but rather serves the purpose of illustrating the direction in which this whole Temple project was pointing.<br />
<br />
This idea of an expanding Temple can be corroborated by Jeremiah 3:16 (where all of Jerusalem is called the
throne of the Lord) and Zechariah 14:20-21. In Jeremiah, we are told that all of Jerusalem is to become God's throne, a designation previously confined to the ark of the Covenant. Zechariah tells us that the holiness of the vessels inside the Temple will be extended to all Jerusalem and Judah. The end of all this is to accomplish Isaiah's Temple vision (Isa. 6:1-5) that the whole earth should be filled with God's glory. Since we're in God's heavenly Temple in this vision, it seems to me that the reference to God's glory should bring to mind those passages where God's glory fills the Tabernacle / Temple (Exo. 40:34-35, 2 Chron. 5:11-14; 7:1-3).<br />
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<br />
Such an interpretation, while perhaps not as straightforward and simple as one might like, I do believe does a better job than the alternatives of accounting for all the data (the purpose of the vision, the specificity, the grandeur / eschatological aspect, and this worldliness (i.e. dealing with such things as uncleanness and sin)).<br />
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As before, feel free to share your thoughts below. What do you think of this proposal? Do you find it convincing? Why or why not? <br />
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*I owe much to Greg Beale's book "The Temple and the Church's Mission" for introducing me to the idea of an expanding TempleMatthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-18163701642264499572019-02-24T19:49:00.002-06:002019-02-25T08:19:07.459-06:00Ezekiel's Temple Part 1: A Few Problems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOtHcRCI-Sw76Aqb8BMlFQBwd08WN79mWPtyy4EJPaPNZKBLXCpkrOh4bzd2ZYfiUJeHHw4y4TJCTRImYYP2NPW7vfWl3-9R9VMwn2B7SD8UFMb1fHNl5ihz4T_clwBlcho752h2-LnE/s1600/Visionary_Ezekiel_Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="524" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOtHcRCI-Sw76Aqb8BMlFQBwd08WN79mWPtyy4EJPaPNZKBLXCpkrOh4bzd2ZYfiUJeHHw4y4TJCTRImYYP2NPW7vfWl3-9R9VMwn2B7SD8UFMb1fHNl5ihz4T_clwBlcho752h2-LnE/s200/Visionary_Ezekiel_Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The temple described in Ezekiel 40-48 was always my go to for defending both a belief in the rebuilding of the Temple and a pre-millennial view (that is, a literal thousand year reign after the second coming of Messiah). Over the last several years my views have shifted, and the Ezekiel Temple has become more of a problem to solve. Before, the thousand year reign seemed a convenient place to put all those passages that didn't seem to fit either in this world or the world to come. When I began to adopt a post-millennial position (the idea that the thousand year reign is more of a spiritual reality for a non-specific long period of time that began with Messiah's first coming) because of other Scriptural evidence, I was left with a number of passages that no longer had homes in time.<br />
<br />
I want to propose a possible solution to the Ezekiel Temple problem for the post-millennial view, but first I want to look at whether the pre-millennial view provides an adequate framework for understanding this difficult passage. Placing the Temple in the time period of the thousand year reign seems like a simple enough solution, but I would suggest there are two problems the complicate the matter.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>The Presence of Sin</b><br />
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In a number of places, the Ezekiel Temple speaks of a sin offering and a guilt offering (Eze. 40:39; 42:13; 43:19-25; 44:27-29; 47:17-25; 46:20). The implication here is that uncleanness and/or sin is present during the time of the Ezekiel Temple, which if placed in the thousand year reign means that sin is present during the thousand year reign.<br />
<br />
Now, this was a fact that I acknowledged even when I held to a literal millennial reign. After all, Revelation says that Satan goes to deceive the nations at the end of the thousand year reign, so some amount of uncleanness and/or sin during the intervening period is really not that big of an issue. It should be noted, however, that acknowledging this greatly reduces the weight of what used to be one of my biggest objections to post-millennialism: namely, that there seemed to be too much evil and suffering in the world for this to be the thousand year reign.<br />
<br />
Back to main argument, while the presence of sin in the thousand year reign doesn't necessarily present a problem in itself, there are some details that do make this issue problematic. Note that in the Ezekiel 45:22, the prince is instructed to offer a sin offering for himself. Who is this prince?<br />
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My first inclination would be to say Yeshua Himself. Ezekiel seems to use the terms "prince" and "king" somewhat interchangeably (see Ezekiel 37:24-25 where both terms are used to describe David). Since we know Yeshua will be the King during the thousand year reign, it makes sense to identify Him with Ezekiel's prince. However, if the prince is offering sin offerings for himself, this is impossible. Even for uncleanness, Yeshua is in His resurrected body. How can He ever become unclean again?<br />
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Another solution might be to identify the prince with an under-shepherd of sorts. Yeshua reigns as King, with a human prince under Him. However, this still doesn't solve the problem. The thousand year reign takes place after the first resurrection. Those who participate in that resurrection will no longer be under the power of the second death. Is it possible that we might have uncleanness or sin in our resurrected bodies? That would seem to require that we would have to die yet again. Perhaps the prince is not one of the resurrected but one of those who walk in alive into the Kingdom (and thus is still in their mortal body). But, why would Yeshua select as an under-shepherd someone who is still subject to sin and uncleanness to be over those who have been resurrected beyond the reach of sin and death?<br />
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I submit that the presence of sin in the Ezekiel Temple is a critical issue that must be dealt with before one can place that Temple within the thousand year reign.<br />
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<b>The Problem of Yeshua's Presence</b><br />
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The second problem is simpler, but more fundamental. Revelation 21:22 says that John saw no Temple in the New Jerusalem for the Lord God and the Lamb were its Temple. Typically, we concentrate on the temporal aspect of this verse--namely, that there is no Temple in the world to come. However, I would point your attention to the reasoning. The presence of God and the Lamb makes the Temple unnecessary.<br />
<b> </b><br />
What does this have to do with the thousand year reign? According to Revelation 20, the saints of the first resurrection come to life and reign with Messiah. If we see this as a literal presence, then would not the reasoning of Revelation 21:22 apply here? Would not the presence of the Lamb on earth render any physical structure redundant?<br />
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Admittedly, this argument is more dependent on one's particular hermeneutic and so may be less convincing to some.<br />
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For the sake of length and discussion, I'm going to divide this post into two parts. The <a href="https://www.thehopefulheretic.com/2019/02/ezekiels-temple-part-2-telescopic.html">second part</a> will put forth my proposed interpretation of the Ezekiel Temple.<br />
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Feel free to share your thoughts below. Perhaps you might have a possible solution to the problems I've outlined above.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-62576128884642669312019-01-01T07:00:00.000-06:002019-01-01T07:00:11.503-06:002019 Reading and Writing Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the new year in place, I thought I'd throw my hat into the yearly reading and writing challenges. It's been a good reading year (about 16 books in 2018...my Goodreads stats are a bit off) and I'd like to keep that up. After a year long hiatus from blogging, I'd also like to pick that back up again. Side note: The FBTL website goes away in January (all the wonderful contributions are backed up). That project was a fun experiment, but something I just don't think I was ready to commit to long term. We'll keep things low key and on a more personal level for a while.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Alright, so my reading goal this year is 24 books. According to my Goodreads stats (which may or may not be reliable, with reliability dropping off considerably before 2012) this would be a record for me, but still within reach. I'd like to read 12 fiction books and 12 non-fiction books.<br />
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For fiction, I definitely want to include a number of sci-fi novels (my genre of choice). I'd also like to venture out a bit, and commit to at least one classic and one graphic novel. Maybe something historical as well? You know what, let's add an indie novel to the mix also (gotta support our fellow indie writers, right?).<br />
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For non-fiction, I have no doubt that many of these books will land in the theology category. I'd also like to include at least two biographies plus another historically focused book. To keep things diverse, maybe something in the realm of science and something in the arts? Let's say something that directly addresses contemporary issues as well.<br />
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On writing, my goal is simply one blog post a month. Or 12 blog posts this year. Starting with this one.<br />
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So, that's it.<br />
Do you have any book recommendations to help me reach my goal?<br />
What are you goals for this year?Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-67121796170454036712018-06-07T04:19:00.002-05:002018-06-07T04:19:58.381-05:00An Unexpected Turn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes life takes us in a direction we didn't expect. It's not always dramatic; sometimes it's only a subtle shift, but significant nonetheless.<br />
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Over the last couple of months, my wife and I have been re-evaluating our priorities in the context of our family and our community. We took a hard look at our plans to launch a business and/or a ministry and to find a way to work from home. What we realized is that these things are not a priority in this season of our life. Rather, our focus needs to be on building up our community and establishing a foundation for our young, growing children.<br />
<br />
I tried to extend Parashah Messiah too long -- past its purpose. Keeping up with it has been a challenge, much less trying to build up FBTL as a whole. That's why I've decided to let both of these go for now. I thought I could work on establishing traditions for my own family and share/promote those formally through the FBTL page simultaneously. It proved to be too much. So, I'm cutting the latter in order to better focus on the former.<br />
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I've learned a few things over the last two years. For one, engaging an audience (and especially recruiting writers) is just as hard as it ever was. I remember this difficulty back from my days of publishing the Midrash Newsletter; I just thought that I could put in the effort necessary to overcome it this time. And, I did, for a time. Until I started running out of people to ask to write.<br />
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I also have another point of experience in my continuing inner struggle between the structured/formal and the messy/informal. Both have a place in this world, but finding what works best for me in engaging others has been a back and forth tug of war. What I've learned here is though I think I would love to work in the formal (I had such a blast working with the HarvestMag team), I'm not sure I'm cut out to lead such a venture. For now, I fall back on my informal, but honest blog.<br />
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Which brings me to the future. Building a foundation for my family is my priority right now, so I don't know that I'll necessarily have the time to pick this blog back up in the way that I used to write (though, when I do have the time and have thoughts to share, the Hopeful Heretic will be here for that purpose). Most of my focus is going to be on a renewed effort in my own education (working on some Greek, early church history, and basic philosophy) and building traditions and practices for my family.<br />
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I'll leave the FBTL website up for now, though I imagine I'll probably take it down toward the end of the year (hosting a website isn't quite free). I'll keep a backup of all the wonderful Parashah Messiah articles. A big thank you to everyone who participated in this project. It's impact may have been small, but it was there. Especially early on, I received several messages from folks talking about how the Parashah Messiah posts encouraged them in their faith. More importantly, I have seen God moving throughout other teachers and parts of the Messianic movement to bring a restoration of the Gospel to this corner of the church.<br />
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I'm not sure where the future will take me, whether I'll eventually take up FBTL up again or join someone else in their work or just keep quietly working in my own family and community (with the occasional blog post, of course). But, for now, this is where I'm at. Thank you to all who have been with my on this journey thus far. I look forward to the years ahead.Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-64533584582062227192017-04-24T12:37:00.001-05:002017-04-24T13:12:33.267-05:00Why "Faith Beyond The Letter"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I promised you all a post about why I decided to move Parashah Messiah over to <a href="http://www.faithbeyondtheletter.com/">Faith Beyond The Letter</a> (and why I created FBTL in the first place). Here it is. Finally.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The first reason for moving Parashah Messiah was so that The Hopeful Heretic could return to being a personal blog. So I could be free to write honestly, controversially, and across a variety of topics. So I could be free to promote Parashah Messiah on its own terms without worrying about what else might be mixed in with it. Parashah Messiah is a project bigger than I am involving a community of writers who share a common goal: to promote the Gospel within the Messianic Movement. My personal opinions on end times and reflections on the latest movie I watched don't need to be mixed in with that.<br />
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Instead, we're moving Parashah Messiah alongside something else. It's now part of Faith Beyond The Letter--a new platform I've created for creating resources for Messianic families, to help them walk out their faith day to day (beyond just the letter of the Word). It's always been my dream to be involved in some type of ministry. I'm finally taking a step out in pursuing that dream.<br />
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Parashah Messiah will serve to help launch this ministry. I'm working on following that up with the Modern Messianic Lectionary. It's slow going doing this alongside a full-time job and while raising two kids, but it is going nonetheless. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing help of the Parashah Messiah team and other friends without whom I never would have gotten this far. <br />
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Anyway, that's what's going on. Things will probably seem a lot more quiet here with Parashah Messiah gone and since I'll be spending more time working on FBTL. But, it will feel personal again. Anyway, thanks for following. As I embark on this next stage in this journey here's hoping that the road ahead remains evermore full of adventure, joy, and love.</div>
Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-49785037936432207352017-03-16T07:42:00.000-05:002017-03-16T07:42:41.100-05:00Parashah Messiah has Moved!Parashah Messiah has moved! You can continue to follow by going over to <a href="http://www.faithbeyondtheletter.com/parashah-messiah/">www.faithbeyondtheletter.com/parashah-messiah/</a><br />
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Things are pretty busy right now and there's a few things that are still up in the air, but hopefully I'll be able to post more details soon on the future on The Hopeful Heretic and the launch of Faith Beyond The Letter.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-36501692085002710992016-11-06T14:17:00.000-06:002016-11-06T14:17:54.392-06:00Book Review: The Great Spiritual Migration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Great Spiritual Migration</b><br />
<i>(by Brian D. McLaren)</i><br />
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Most people who know me know that I try to keep an open, yet critical mind about new ideas. I will consider the ridiculous, try to get into the shoes of those who believe it; but when I'm done, I'll apply the same ax that I apply to my own beliefs. It is in this vein that I opened up <i>The Great Spiritual Migration</i> and it is under this standard that McLaren's book failed to hold up.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The gist of the book is essentially McLaren's vision for how Christianity needs to change (and in some areas is changing) toward a more progressive/liberal worldview. McLaren tries to paint his story as something balancing / beyond party lines, but the issues he touches on are clearly liberal priorities (minorities, environmentalism, etc.). The book is divided into three parts or "migrations":<br />
<ul>
<li>From a system of beliefs to a way of life</li>
<li>From a violent God of domination to a nonviolent God of liberation</li>
<li>From organized religion to organizing religion</li>
</ul>
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In part 1, McLaren attempts to sweep away the position of belief in Christianity and replace it with "love." To be sure, McLaren gives lip service to the importance of belief in how it shapes the way we act (at least for one paragraph). But, throughout the rest of the book, he seems to minimize doctrine and focus almost exclusively on "the only thing that matters"--i.e. love. He rightly declares that love is the central command, a core characteristic of God, the royal law for all believers. But, he fails to place that command within the context of the Judeo-Christian framework. If we don't have a proper understanding of how the world works, then the ways in which we try to love may backfire. You may think bringing your wife chocolate is loving, but if she's told you that she is allergic to chocolate your gift may not be accepted so graciously. All the science in the world that says statistically most women love chocolate won't matter.<br />
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McLaren's flawed hermeneutic becomes more obvious in part 2. Here, as someone who has some liberal leanings, who sees the problems in the church and the need for reform, I was hoping for some solid theological backing for McLaren's claims. Instead, what I got was a lecture on how our conception of God is constantly evolving and how we need a more "literary" view of Scripture.<br />
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I was able to follow McLaren's analogy of our changing conception of God to a child's changing conception of his parents up through "God 4.0". His progression from provider to role model to rule maker to partner loosely mirrors progressive revelation. Loosely. However, when McLaren introduces God 5.0, he makes a leap beyond the text. Models 1-4 built upon each other; model 5 leaves behind previous understandings in its policy of universal acceptance. For example, McLaren talks about "queer theologians who discovered that even though God 4.0 had no room for them, God 5.0 welcomed them to the table--" Do we have a problem in Christianity with setting up an us vs. them paradigm? Yes. But, McLaren's solution of throwing out traditional understandings of God is not the answer.<br />
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I was also intrigued by McLaren's "literary" view of Scripture in which the Bible is seen as being multi-vocal (an idea I was first introduced to through Derek Flood's writings). I agree that Scripture contains multiple voices and that the human aspects of the Word have often been minimized. However, I do not agree when McLaren uses this as an authorization to cherry-pick the Scripture. In his own words,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>In the presence of these scholars and teachers who read the Bible with literary sensibilities...I felt a new freedom. I felt that I was given permission to migrate from the limited universe of the conventional, exclusive, and often violent Supreme Being to the ever-expanding universe of a more awesome and wonderful God, all while keeping my Bible firmly in hand....In short, I could leave the genocidal God of some biblical passages behind and honor the generous God revealed in Jesus.</i></blockquote>
In part 3, McLaren outlines his plan for his migratory movement (with much optimism). Throughout this whole section as he outlined the challenges of starting and sustaining a movement and the need for people all over the world across every denomination to join in this "migration" of Christianity, I couldn't help but think back to an article I read just a week ago on Christianity Today about the power of small churches. The majority of Christians meet in small churches. These churches permeate every corner of the globe, impacting their local communities under the radar. But, the most amazing thing about these small churches is the fact that they are un-organized. There is no movement leader, no single denominational chain, no committee directing these churches. They are the work of God alone. Throughout all of McLaren's call toward this commission of the social gospel, I found little to no reference to the role of God in in bringing this change about. Indeed, later in the 3rd appendix, when McLaren talks about a vision for the future (as a core tenet of Christianity), he entirely leaves out the return of Jesus and His reign. Which brings me to my second to final point.<br />
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In the 3rd appendix to this book, McLaren expands a bit more on belief. Here he appeals to a quote from Clayton and Knapp as a sort of new definition for Christian identity in how one answers the following question:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Was this an ordinary human life that, thanks to the vivid imagination of early witnesses and later interpreters, took on a false aura of religious significance? Or is there a reason to think that, in the case of Jesus, "something happened"--something, that is of enduring religious importance? More precisely, is there reason to think that the events of Jesus' life and death made the nature and the core dispositions, the ultimate values, of God present to human being in a way that, perhaps, they had never been before, in a way that would have decisive consequences for the relationship between that divine reality and human beings?</i></blockquote>
This is not Christianity. This is moralism.<br />
<br />
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to see a theological grounded argument for why Christianity needs to change and how that can happen. I wanted to be challenged in my thinking. Unfortunately, <i>The Great Spiritual Migration</i> of Christianity seems to be more of a migration <i>from</i> Christianity.<br />
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<b><i>I received a free copy of this book as part of the <a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/">Blogging for Books</a> program in exchange for my honest review here.</i></b>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-84102236534501098702016-07-06T05:47:00.000-05:002016-07-15T14:17:22.778-05:00Book Review: Spiritual Sobriety<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Sobriety-Stumbling-Faith-Religion/dp/0307731898/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1465936804&sr=8-1&keywords=spiritual+sobriety&linkCode=li3&tag=worbeythelin-20&linkId=2b2785b33013bbb8ef5a3444d712b213" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307731898&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=worbeythelin-20" /></a><b>Spiritual Sobriety</b><br />
(by Elizabeth Esther)<br />
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Addiction is a nefarious sickness that can take any number of disguises--including spirituality. In <i>Spiritual Sobriety</i>, Elizabeth Esther (a former religious addict herself) shares advice on how to recognize and overcome religious addiction.<br />
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As a recovering religious addict myself, I found the concept behind this book intriguing. In our faith walk, we're always trying to figure out how to do things right so that we can be righteous and accepted and so that we can feel close to God. But, how often do we ask ourselves what is healthy? Is it really healthy to continually be looking for that emotional high we get at worship services? Could our constant fretting over whether or not we're doing the right thing be a sign of a deeper problem? Esther says these are signs of spiritual addiction, and I'm inclined to agree.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As I started reading this book, I was a little fearful that it was going to be one of those self-help books that just say the same thing over and over again in different words. But, while Esther's introduction to the idea of spiritual sobriety did seem a little long (spanning the first 3 chapters), she did move into the particulars soon enough with each chapter thereafter dealing with a particular symptom of spiritual addiction.<br />
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Chapter 4 deals with unhealthy thought patterns that fill us with self-doubt and shame or zealous self-righteousness and ambition. Here I appreciate especially Esther's comments about how for the religious addict, the short and simple prayer is often better than the "long, presumably 'inspired' ones we heard while in addiction" in helping us remain humble. When it comes to self-shaming, I've logged away this quote: "It's the difference between 'I made an error' and 'I am an error,'" the latter often being a symptom of our depravity obsessed Christian culture.<br />
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Chapter 5 is about kind speech and finding healing from the habit of always passing "righteous" judgment on others. Oh, how often I see this on social media--the constant need to express our "righteous" opinions simply so that people will "know where I stand" and because it's "my duty to proclaim the truth." As Esther writes, "the religious addict feels responsible for the eternal salvation of every soul." But, the truth is there is a way to be honest without being mean. Kind speech is essential to our spiritual health.<br />
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For me personally, chapters 6 and 7 were my favorites. Chapter 6 deals with burn-out from trying to do too much, to always be good enough. Too often we're driven to the extreme of working ourselves to death "for the kingdom" without taking care of ourselves. We feel like somehow we've got to earn God's favor. But Esther reminds us of the truth that "our resistance to moderation is more a reflection of our performance-driven society than a reflection of our value or God's heart toward us."<br />
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Chapter 7 is about trusting God with our relationships--setting boundaries and letting go. For a long time, I didn't (I refused to) understand the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. This chapter helped lay this out for me and show me why the difference is so important to our emotional well-being. It also reminded me that it's ok to let go of past friendships.<br />
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Those are a few of the details I found encouraging, but I still maintain that it's the overall message here that is most important and which I will make a point to integrate into my own life, studies, and teachings. To quote another favorite author: "it is not enough that the unhappy man should desire truth; he must desire health" (G. K. Chesterton, <i>Orthodoxy</i>). Spiritual addiction is real, very real, standing at odds with the very real grace of God. But, there is also hope for those who seek it, healing to be found in the grace of God.<br />
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Overall, I'd give this book 3.5/5 stars. Though it had a bit more fluff and a bit less Biblical backing than I would have liked, there were more than a few passages that I found quite poignant and refreshing. For anyone who considers themselves zealous for God (or trying to be zealous for God), I'd recommend this book simply to give a fresh (more sober) perspective on spirituality.<br />
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If you get a chance to read this book, be sure to share your thoughts below. I always love a good conversation about a good book =)<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://amzn.to/1Ypzgrj">Buy from Amazon</a> (Affiliate Link)</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>I received a free copy of this book as part of the <a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/">Blogging for Books</a> program in exchange for my honest review here.</i></b>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-55489915499540902592016-05-19T22:13:00.001-05:002016-05-19T22:13:22.186-05:00Updates! (Parashah Messiah, New Messianic Lectionary, Faith Beyond the Letter)So, if you haven't heard, there's a few new things going on that I'd like to share with you. Life's been pretty busy, so this is just going to be a quick update, but I wanted to make sure I posted at least something about these latest projects.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Parashah Messiah</b><br />
First of all, there's rumor of Parashah Messiah going for another year. I still need to schedule a meeting with the team (shift work can make scheduling complicated), but at some point I'll let you all know. Also, looking at getting 1 or 2 more writers on board as well.<br />
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<b>New Messianic Lectionary</b><br />
My latest project is to create a new reading schedule, mainly for my family, but also to share with others. The Torah cycle is great in that it has helped myself and many others get into reading an oft neglected portion of the Bible, but unfortunately, I fear the pendulum has swung too far in that direction. We've become a Torah-centric movement instead of a Messiah-centric movement, and that's reflected in everything from our beliefs to the way we read the Bible. So, my goal is to create something more Gospel-centric, yet still surveying the rest of the Bible; something devotional, but also contextual.<br />
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I recently put out a survey for this project and compiled the results into a 10-minute video, which you can find here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSbKqJgfeNM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSbKqJgfeNM</a><br />
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<b>Faith Beyond the Letter</b><br />
Finally, I've created a new page for my projects (see the "projects" link in the upper right corner). My hope is to continue to do these types of projects as time allows (which is actually at a pretty slow pace). I enjoy this type of work, and I see it as one way that I can help support the Messianic community.<br />
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Tentatively, I'm calling this work "Faith Beyond the Letter." My hope is that it will continue to grow and to help families in their day to day walk of faith.<br />
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Anyway, that's all I really have time for. Shalom!Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-64118353771116505782016-03-04T14:57:00.000-06:002016-03-14T19:35:08.892-05:00How to survive the rise of tyranny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have to be honest--the results of Super Tuesday surprised me a bit. I thought surely authoritarian supporters would be a minority. Surely, people would hear the rhetoric of Hitler and Mussolini behind the words of this man who "speaks his mind", a man who publicly stated that he wants to increase the power of libel laws. I never thought this idea of building a wall was even meant to be serious, yet we're still talking about it. I believed in the goodness of people, yet here we are promoting an ideology of fear and hate even among Christians! Especially among Christians.<br />
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Vox has an <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism">excellent article</a> that explains some of the sociology behind all this, showing the personality profile of authoritarians and how fear is a driving force in bringing their dark side to light. One of the interesting things they mention that is easily lost is that Trump isn't even the real problem. The real problem is an American people who espouse an ideology that creates and supports people like Trump. I want to say that he doesn't represent the Republican party, but from the people's point of view, he does (or at least more than half of it). And that means that even if Trump can be defeated, we will see more people like him in the future, because that's what the people are demanding. What we're seeing is a people who are so scared that they want a strong leader, one who will stop at nothing to ensure their security.</div>
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<a name='more'></a>Stop at nothing? The thought sends shivers down my spine. This is a fear driven election. We're afraid of Muslims, afraid of Mexicans, afraid of atheists, afraid of homosexuals. So afraid that we're willing to do whatever it takes to squash the source of that fear. Build a wall. Increase surveillance. Ban anyone who isn't like us from the country. Even start a war. I remember hearing the conspiracy theories about how the government wants to label the extreme right-wing Christians as terrorists. At the time it seemed far fetched, but more and more I can see the very real danger--a cornered dog is not something to be trifled with.</div>
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This is a fear driven election. Those of us who see what is going on are desperate to stop Trump from winning the nomination. We are afraid of what he will do to this country, of how he will make us look in the eyes of the nations. We see the red flags, the warning signs of tyranny on the horizon. And when we realize that Trump is merely a symptom of a deeper problem among the American people, our despair becomes that much more magnified.</div>
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This is a fear driven election. But, here I must leave politics. I must let go of my need for control, of my worry, of my fear. I must not fall into the same trap that my opponents have fallen into--letting fear get the best of me so that I am willing to turn my back on even my own brother in order to save my own skin.</div>
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This is a fear driven election. But, we are not a fear driven people. As Paul tells Timothy, "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Tim. 1:7). Similarly, our Messiah instructed us, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28) echoing the words of Isaiah "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread" (Isa. 8:12-13). For what is our life? "Whoever seeks to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Matt. 16:25-26). Indeed, shall we sell our soul and forfeit our faith for the sake of saving our own skin? Rather, "there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).</div>
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If I have to infringe on someone else's liberty to feel free, then let me be a slave. If I have to harbor prejudice and hatred toward my fellow man to feel secure, then to hell with security. I refuse to transgress my faith for the sake of my life. I refuse to sell my soul to save my own skin.</div>
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Foolishness, you say? Indeed, it is. "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing" (1 Cor. 1:18). The wisdom of man says, I must secure for myself food and clothing and all things necessary for comfort. But the foolishness of God says, "Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness" (Matt. 6:33). The wisdom of man says, Give us a king who will wage our wars for us and protect us from every danger. But the foolishness of God says, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD His God" (Psalm 146:3-5, c.f. Psalm 147:10-11). The wisdom of man says, My life is all I have, therefore I must protect it from all danger. The foolishness of God says, "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).</div>
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What shall we say then? To be clear, I'm not saying we need to pull out of politics or stop voting. I will continue to cast my vote for what I believe is right. I will continue to be an advocate for truth even in the political sphere. But, I will not trust my hope to men. I will not lean on any system to be my security. What then shall we do?</div>
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Trust God. He is our life and our salvation.</div>
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Encourage the brethren. Exhort one another to stay strong in the faith, to not give into hatred or bitterness or fear, for we have one Master who stands on our behalf. Whom shall I fear?</div>
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Live the Gospel. Every day, loving those I come into contact with, extending mercy as God has done for me. Standing for the marginalized. Standing for the freedom of those who are not like me. Living in humble submission to God's holy will, loving mercy, doing justly, and walking humbly before my God.</div>
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And, above all, trust God. I know I already said that, but it bears repeating. Trust God.</div>
Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-44824018073487221472016-02-09T17:26:00.000-06:002016-02-09T17:26:47.787-06:00Family Vision<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Build a Foundation</b></div>
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<b>Create a Home</b></div>
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<b>Inspire a Generation</b></div>
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<b>Grow a Family</b></div>
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<u>Build a Foundation</u><br />
Values: Faith, Scholarship, Questioning Spirit<br />
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I want to build a foundation for faith and practice for my family from a position of scholarship and discipleship, to challenge them in asking questions so that they might own their beliefs, and above all to encourage them in placing their trust in God and His promises. I want my children to be prepared when they go out into the world, such that they know their foundation is sure and tested.<br />
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<u>Create a Home</u><br />
Values: Family, Tradition, Authenticity <br />
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Home is where we are free to be who we are. I want to foster an atmosphere of warmth, of tradition, and of freedom. Warmth, that we might each find rest in each others love. Tradition, to carry our identity and guide us in the ways of life. Freedom, to be uniquely ourselves without fear of judgment in a world that often pressures us to fit in. It’s a shelter from the world, a Sabbath all of its own.<br />
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<u>Inspire a Generation</u><br />
Values: Hope, Tikkun Olam, Joy<br />
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Our vision is one of hope, centered squarely on the Gospel. It's this hope that propels us to redeem our world through the deeds of Tikkun Olam. It is this hope that brings the sparks of eternity, moments of joy into the everyday of our lives. Open your eyes, see the joy and wonder in the world--there is so much more to life than meets the eye.<br />
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<u>Grow a Family</u><br />
It is in bringing these all together that I hope to see our family grow, recognizing each person's unique talents and working together to build the Kingdom. Ours is a faith that is unshakably rooted in God and His Word, joyously reaching toward hope, and compassionately wrapped in the day by day expressions of love.<br />
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-79879640566402891232016-01-25T09:24:00.000-06:002016-01-25T09:24:06.167-06:00Book Review: You Lost Me -- Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church And Rethinking Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>You Lost Me</b><br />
<i>(by David Kinnaman)</i><br />
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I was looking through the books I had on our e-reader (I forget what I was looking for), when I came across one that I had downloaded several years ago, but never got around to reading: <i>You Lost Me--Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church And Rethinking Faith</i>. Having just watched a documentary called <i>Divided</i> about the problem of youth leaving the church, the topic was fresh on my mind. Like <i>Divided</i>, this books aims to diagnose the church drop-out problem and propose solutions. Unlike <i>Divided</i>, this book is backed by years of research and offers a more balanced point of view.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The book is divided into three sections. The first covers the different kinds of church dropouts. One surprising finding here is that most dropouts are not leaving Christ or the Bible, but the institution of the church. They are fed up with the system, so they leave to pursue God on their own. In the first part, Kinnaman also talks about "access, alienation, and distrust of authority"--three unique features of today's culture that have compounded the dropout problem. Reading through these, I could relate on certain levels.<br />
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The second part is about the reasons young adults drop out. Kinnaman talks about how he expecting to discern one or two overall themes--what he found was six, emphasizing the uniqueness of every situation. In general, young adult drop outs found the church either overprotective, shallow, antiscience, repressive, exclusive, or intolerant of doubt. These are the areas where we as a community need to ask serious questions about how we operate, not simply changing to meet the latest trends, but seeing if we need to adapt to confront the culture of today. The new generation may have its problems, but they have something to teach us.<br />
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Finally, Kinnamon talks about solutions. Here, he is pretty vague, but in my opinion that's ok. I read his book not for a solution but for the research. One of the things I really like about this book is how Kinnaman continually emphasizes "every story matters." We can discern general trends in the data and recommend general principles, but there is no one size fits all solution. Every congregation must take these principles and figure out how to apply them to their own congregation--Kinnaman does not offer a formula for success (because there isn't one). <br />
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If you get a chance to
read this book, be sure to share your thoughts below. I always love a
good conversation about a good book =)<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801013143/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0801013143&linkCode=as2&tag=worbeythelin-20&linkId=PHP344JSAV5RDRVW" rel="nofollow">Buy from Amazon</a> (Affiliate Link)</i></b><br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-40149709596358478992016-01-18T09:30:00.000-06:002016-01-18T09:30:01.425-06:00The Center of the BibleMost modern scholars will tell you that the primary rule in approaching the Biblical texts is to look for what the original author was trying to say within his own time, culture, and context. That is, do not start out with "What does this mean to me?" or "What is this symbolic of?" or "What is the hidden meaning here?" Questions like these circumvent what the author is trying to say. Rather we should seek to understand the language and the culture and then let the text speak for itself.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For example, take the temptations of Yeshua. Oftentimes when approaching this text, we start out looking for the practical application. "Ah, this is an example of how to use the Word to combat temptation!" That might not be a bad message (I know I've said it before), but, is that really what the Gospel writers were trying to get across? Was their intent really to write a how-to manual on combating the adversary? That doesn't fit the context. The Gospel writers sought first and foremost to provide a record of the life and teachings of their master (Luke even makes this explicit). What we have in the passage about the trials of Yeshua is an event that the Gospel writers deemed an integral part of who Yeshua was. This story follows the familiar refrain of God's agents being tested, perhaps more specifically a parallel to the original temptation.<br />
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Or take the first chapter of Genesis and the various mystical teachings that have come up about it (such as the significance of the first beit, or the aleph-tav, or the six days corresponding to six thousand years). None of that fits the plain meaning of the text--what the original author was trying to get across. These ideas assume a cryptic text. Seeing the Bible in this way is, I believe, a side effect of how we have "religified" the text. Once something is regarded as holy and sublime, it is only natural to begin reading all sorts of things into it (especially those things which are in accord with your own values and preconceptions). Back to the creation narrative--it's primary meaning is actually quite simple: God created the universe and in doing so instituted the Sabbath.<br />
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It's only after you have found the <i>meaning</i> (what Tim Hegg has defined as "that which is represented by the words, sentences, paragraphs, etc. of the text; it is what the author meant..."), that you can move on to looking for <i>significance</i> (i.e. "the relationship between the meaning and a person, or persons, in a given situation...the proper application of the meaning to our lives")*.<br />
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*these concepts of meaning and significance are mentioned in Tim Hegg's course on "<a href="http://store.torahresource.com/product_p/interpbible198.htm" target="_blank">Interpreting the Bible</a>" (which I recommend); they are also mentioned in Kaiser's article "Legitimate Hermeneutics" and originate with the scholar E. D. Hirsch.<br />
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In letting the text speak for itself, one might begin to notice a few curiosities. It is a unique feature of our Bible, being written over many centuries by a variety of authors, that we are actually able to see how people within the Bible interpreted the Bible. Of special note, consider these passages:<br />
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You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, ... For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. - John 5:39, 46 ESV<br />
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Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, - Luke 24:44-45 ESV</blockquote>
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What we see here is Yeshua Himself reading the Tanak, not from a historical-grammatical hermeneutic, but from a Messiah-centric point of view. He makes the bold claim that the whole of the Tanak from Moses to the prophets to the Psalms was all written about Him, pointing to Him.<br />
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We also see how the Prophets and the Psalmists, etc. built upon the foundation of the Torah. David writes of the majesty of the Torah. The historians of the Tanak recount Israel's rejection of the Torah. Ezekiel and Isaiah exhort Israel to return to the Torah. Everything points back to this central foundational text. In a sense, the plain reading of much of the Bible has a sort of Torah-centricity to it.<br />
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On the one hand, various threads flow out of the central idea of Torah. On the other hand, these same threads all flow into the central idea of Messiah.<br />
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Back when I first began this blog, I noted how the Messianic faith is built upon these <a href="http://www.thehopefulheretic.com/2014/08/messianic-religious-definition.html" target="_blank">two great pillars</a>. I have also written about how the rest of the Bible spirals outward from these two <a href="http://www.thehopefulheretic.com/2014/08/revelation.html" target="_blank">moments of revelation</a>. I would put forward that this should be a defining feature of a Messianic hermeneutic. To be sure, we should always begin with the plain text reading to understand the original <i>meaning</i> of the author. But, while each of these stories has its home in its own unique time and culture, when you pull them altogether into this anthology we call the Bible, they take on a <i>significance</i> much greater than they had on their own. They become part of this grand story of Redemption and Sanctification.Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-18113016998973049622016-01-10T09:00:00.000-06:002016-01-10T09:00:09.048-06:00Why I Practice Communion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kdavidclark/16475410665/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Kurt Clark</a></td></tr>
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Communion is one of those Christian traditions that most of us Messianics left behind. After all, once you learn that the "Lord's supper" was actually a Passover seder, why hold on to tradition?<br />
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That's why I was wary of joining our local church in their practice of weekly communion for a long time. It seemed intellectually dishonest for me to participate in something that I believed had no real foundation. The Lord's Supper was Passover, not some new thing.<br />
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I began reconsidering my position when I read an article entitled <a href="http://therebelgod.com/CrossPaper.pdf" target="_blank">Penal Substitution vs. Christus Victor</a> by Derek Flood. The article challenges its readers to reconsider the way in which we think about atonement, but in the midst of this Derek pulls in the concept of communion:
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Communion is not something that we understand with our minds but something we experience with our hearts. While most people could hardly articulate what it means to them to partake of the blood and body of Christ, there is an almost universal recognition of it being a profoundly moving experience. It is a communion that goes beyond words. If you have experienced this deep communion of the Eucharist then you have understood the meaning of sacrifice on a heart level....And the best way to get a hold of this passionate self-sacrificing love is through the language of the heart, through drama and story, through the act of worship in hymns and music, through the sacrament of communion we come in contact with the drama of the radical love of God in a tangible way that engages us on a heart level letting its reality take hold of us, and move and change us. </blockquote>
As a writer, I find myself naturally drawn to this concept of story. Is this not in line with the great Jewish tradition of acting out the
Scriptures? Every time we hold a Passover seder, we re-enact the Exodus
from Egypt. In Sukkot, we live as the Israelites did through the
wilderness. Not much later, our pastor explained it similarly saying that communion is the Word of God in symbols or pictures. Even in modern education we recognize that there are different learning styles, and some people learn best by working with their hands. Consider the mezuzah or tefillin or tziztit--all physical objects that carry deep theological significance.<br />
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So, with that I decided to give it a try. Sure, the idea of doing this weekly had no basis in Scripture, but then neither did a lot of our traditions. I want to try to convey the significance of this tradition to me, but to do that I must describe the worship service of our church. For, communion is not something that is just done--it is the climax of a carefully orchestrated liturgy. I'll do my best to describe that experience here, but as Derek Flood mentioned, "it is a communion that goes beyond words" that "most people could hardly articulate."<br />
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The service begins as any traditional Jewish liturgy would--with a call to worship declaring the glory of our God. A hymn or a reading emphasizing God's infinite greatness, His mighty redeeming acts, Hid glory present throughout creation. All of it marches in tune with the order of God's law. All of it, except us. As we read from the law of God, we reflect on our own inadequacy, our own brokeness. Who are we to approach the all-consuming fire that is our God? Who are we but dust in the presence of our King? We confess our faults both individually and corporately. Yet, God is merciful and He responds with grace and forgiveness. It is on this foundation that the pastor builds his sermon, exhorting the congregation to walk in the newness of life that Messiah has bought for us. And as he brings that sermon to a close, he reminds us of the One that makes all this possible--the One who bridges that gap and restores us to the Father, despite our broken state. The One who reaches out His hand and invites us to commune with the Father. It is here that we approach and participate in the body and the blood of Messiah. This week as we approached the table we were exhorted not to look down, but look up at the faces around us. We're part of a covenant community (Eph. 4:1-10)--when we partake of the bread, we participate in the body, the people, of Messiah.<br />
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So many times I have thought to myself, "Do I really want to go to church today? Why?" Yet, every time I walk out of that church I walk out feeling refreshed. Every time I walk out reminded of the immeasurable grace of God.<br />
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"But it was a Passover seder!?!" True. But, does this mean we confine the Passover and all its significance to one day of the year? As I was reading the commentary in my Siddur on day, I came across an interesting note. On the third section after the Shema (Numbers 15:37-41), the commentators noted that this section was included to fulfill the command to "remember the Exodus from Egypt every
day of our lives" (see <a href="http://www.jewfaq.org/shemaref.htm" target="_blank">jewfaq</a>). Now, I've yet to come across this command in the Torah, but it is interesting to note how many times God says "I am the LORD your God <i>who brought you out of Egypt</i>." Even the Sabbath, in Deuteronomy's rendition of the ten commandments, is predicated on the Exodus. Might we consider letting the Messianic significance of the Passover and the Lord's supper spill over into our weekly lives? Might we consider making Messiah and His work on the cross the centerpiece of our day to day living (and not just something we remember once a year)?<br />
<br />
But, here I must digress. My intent was not to lay upon you another command or convince you that the Bible says we should have weekly communion--it does not. But, the absence of a direct command does not undercut the deep significance this practice has had in my life in helping me to remember and reflect on the Gospel. That is why I practice communion.Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817322850283360890.post-41629146265929364682016-01-04T08:20:00.000-06:002016-01-04T08:20:13.009-06:00The Double Mirror Experiment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jSsAUymECCEALBfP32Ru_0GUqkkd91OUhUrrGThBbtSuQy54cITSVwkBjMQoue7vG_XOjX-d47PI2pShj_ldmusdW0owpdw8rksMIzpS8eRkESMEF1nKH9ixr0lZZwYAWwbRjxd_a1g/s1600/umbrella_reflection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jSsAUymECCEALBfP32Ru_0GUqkkd91OUhUrrGThBbtSuQy54cITSVwkBjMQoue7vG_XOjX-d47PI2pShj_ldmusdW0owpdw8rksMIzpS8eRkESMEF1nKH9ixr0lZZwYAWwbRjxd_a1g/s200/umbrella_reflection.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/p_HYA_T-1WU" target="_blank">David Marcu</a></td></tr>
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Most people look at the world through some lens--their worldview.
These are ordinary people. A few take the time to examine the different
worldviews people have. These people we call philosophers. They hold up a
mirror and allow us to see ourselves and the worldview we have. Even
fewer people take the time to examine the worldview with which they look
at other worldviews. These people we call mad. They hold up two mirrors
so that you can look at one through the other.
<br />
<br />
If you value your sanity, I suggest you stop reading now.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Before you is a table. On the table is a plate. What you see on the plate depends on your perception.<br />
Supermodel: Calories.<br />
Five-year-old: Yummy chocolaty goodness.<br />
Mom: A mess waiting to happen.<br />
Torah thumper: A symbol of the pagan moon god.<br />
Chef: A cake.<br />
<br />
<i>These
are our worldviews. Now, this is not an exhaustive list by any
means...but it will do for illustration. Each of these people are
ordinary people looking at the same object on the plate--but perceiving
it in different ways. Now, three philosophers enter the room. We'll call
them Bob, Larry, and Steve.</i><br />
<br />
Bob: See how everyone
looks at the cake differently. They all see different aspects of the
cake--like the different ingredients used in the cake. They are all
present, but the sum is a cake.<br />
<br />
Larry: Are you saying
that the chef's worldview is superior to the others because he sees the
sum whereas the others only see part? I think that all worldviews
deserve equal treatment. What is right for you may not be right for me
and what is right for me may not be right for you. It does not make any
one worldview better than another.<br />
<br />
Steve: No, the
five-year-old holds the correct viewpoint...what is on the plate is
yummy chocolaty goodness. The supermodel, the mom, and the Torah thumper
are blinded by their worldviews to the yummy chocolaty goodness in
front of them--and the chef is just shallow.<br />
<br />
<i>In
analyzing the different worldviews, it is shown that the philosophers
have different ways of looking at the collection of worldviews--each one
has their own "worldview on worldviews." Now, let's give our
philosophers a healthy dose of insanity:</i><br />
<br />
Bob:
Larry, Steve...you both see aspects of the truth, but we all know that
my view encompasses the whole. It is the blending of your two views--the
balance.<br />
<br />
Larry: Ha! Your view is no better than my view is no better than Steve's view. They all have equal merits.<br />
<br />
Steve: Nope...I'm definitely right. You guys are wrong.<br />
<br />
<i>I'm really not sure how to comment on this one...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Bob,
Larry, and Steve continue to fight with one another, arguing over who
is right, who is wrong, whether anyone is wrong, whether anyone is
right, etc. Meanwhile...<br />
<br />
The super model leaves the table having no interest in the plate of calories before her.<br />
The
five-year-old makes a grab for the plate of yummy chocolaty goodness,
while the Mom tries to stop him from digging into the mess she sees
waiting to happen.<br />
The Torah thumper preaches against all of them for allowing this pagan symbol to exist.<br />
The chef simply admires the cake he baked.Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527808446363680625noreply@blogger.com4