Seminary Reflections: An Uncommon Language

The conventional wisdom around Princeton Seminary campus — and most seminaries, I’d readily assume — is that you’re either a Greek person or a Hebrew person. The logic, as I understand it, is that the two languages, both needed for ordination, require such different kinds of mental exercise that most students will find themselves drawn much more strongly to one than the other.

The implication is presumably that your experience of learning Biblical language is, among other things, a particularly dorky kind of personality test. Just tack it on to that profile I sent to Presbytery, thanks.

For me, there is no doubt that the two were drastically different experiences. I took Greek over the summer, my first coursework here at PTS. For eight weeks I labored: four hours a day of class, untold more sitting at my desk, translating inane sentences about slaves who threw rocks at boats and children who eat bread in the desert. In Greek, my challenge was always about grammatical systems. It was a language I learned in Excel: each week brought new charts and graphs, each night new opportunities to join my wife on the couch while endlessly reproducing paradigm upon paradigm.

I will not soon forget the first moments, maybe two weeks in to that course, when we were first invited to open our Greek New Testaments and to read (with struggle, perspiration, and no small amount of coaching). It was as if, after years of riding in the back seat, somebody had just handed me the keys. The text opened before me to the horizon, even though I could rarely get out of first gear.

Hebrew never offered me anything like daylight or open road. I took the first half during the fall semester, and the second half during PTS’ relatively-new intensive January term. As it began, so too did the full bore of my first full semester, with multiple other classes and commitments, Field Ed and CPE applications and interviews, and a whole host of new friendships and networks to discover. Hebrew got my attention, but it had to be shared, doled out in bite-sized chunks.

And what Hebrew gave back was, for several months, overwhelming and bewildering. Gone were the connections to any languages I knew, gone were the vocabulary cognates, gone were letters that looked or sounded like anything I’d ever seen. In its place was something so foreign to me that I responded with fear and hostility. I wanted no part of it. Each grammatical rule felt both arbitrary and as if the exceptions outnumbered the norms. I tried to wrap my head around vowel reduction and syllabification still without being able to name and pronounce half of the alphabet. Everything was up to my neck.

But at some point – and I’m still not sure when this was – I started to get it. Not in one moment, not with a lightbulb sketched inside thought bubbles pouring out of the cartoon version of my head. But nonetheless, I started to feel my way through. I survived the semester and came back in January for the intensive term, and all of a sudden I found that I had grown a new tool for Hebrew: instinct. It wasn’t exactly a text laid bare before me, but I could feel my way around. It wasn’t a knowledge I could ever write in a spreadsheet. At best, it was a dim flashlight on a foggy night. Maybe that makes it even more valuable.

I started by echoing the adage that, around these parts, most people are either one or the other, personalities who are suited better to Greek or to Hebrew. Doubtless I experience the two languages in very different ways. But as I take on the task of reflecting on my time at Seminary, both personally and now as the inheritor of this column, I see all around me both of those languages of learning.

To be sure, there are days of revelation, days where seminary seems to be filling in those gaps I knew I had, giving me a glimpse at the whole landscape before me, handing me the keys. There is something undeniably joyous about this, about feeling like I have come to a place that has known me already, and that with just a few chats & graphs we will be on our way. To be secure in the knowledge that I have come to the right place is a wonderful and gracious thing, and I thank God for it.

But just as often are the days where I am just feeling my way through the fog, where this campus, this vocation, this intentional life, feels so deeply unfamiliar that nothing in my past and nothing in my brain can help me along. As familiar as the language of PTS can be on some days, on others it can be equally disorienting, confusing, and wholly foreign, and I know I am expected to form phrases and sentences even as I still can’t remember all the letters. But I also know that I am developing instinct. I know that I can learn to feel in the dark, and I think that such knowledge is just as wonderful and gracious a gift.

That ended up longer than I expected.

If you’ve made it this far, know this: I’m thrilled to be joining up with Presbyterian Bloggers, and thrilled to be reflecting on my time at PTS over the next few years. Hopefully I’ll be able to find new metaphors each month that I can overflog as I have overflogged a few today. If you’ve got any ones you’d like to suggest, don’t hesitate to write!

Lectionary Ruminations for February 14, 2010, the Transfiguration of the Lord (Year C)

Posted each Thursday, Lectionary Ruminations focuses on the Scripture Readings, taken from the New Revised Standard Version, for the following Sunday per the Revised Common Lectionary. Comments and questions are intended to encourage reflection for readers preparing to teach, preach, or hear the Word. Reader comments are invited and encouraged. All lectionary links are to the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead. (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Exodus 34:29-35

This Reading was undoubtedly paired with the Gospel because of their similarities. Both mention mountains and shining faces as they narrate a theophany. How can we allow this passage to speak to us, however, without reading back into it, or reading it through the lens of the Gospel Reading?

When we leave the sanctuary after worship, or any place after we have been praying, do our faces shine because we have been talking with God? I know some people who appear to radiate light, and it is not just their makeup or cleansing cream. They seem to shine from within, as if there is a spiritual energy within them.

Is there any value in drawing a possible metaphorical connection between the veil over Moses’ face and the the veil in the Temple? Those familiar with Celtic Christianity might wonder if the veil over Moses face was made of gossamer.

Psalm 99

A psalm praising the kingly, great, awesome, mighty, holy God; chosen for the Lectionary because of its mention of Moses and Aaron in verse 6 as well as the holy mountain in verse 9. How does this Psalm shed light on (pun intended) and help interpret the Exodus Reading?

When was the last time you trembled in the presence of God?

Note that verses 1-7 and 9 speak of God in the third person while verse 8 addresses God in the second person. Why the change? Is it significant?

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

A Reading chosen for its direct reference to the veil Moses put over his face as described in the Exodus Reading.

Be careful to guard against an anti-Semitic reading of verses 14-15. Christians as well as Jews often have hardened minds and can read the Hebrew Scriptures through metaphorical veils which hide and distort.

How is it that we see the glory of the Lord, but yet we see it as though reflected in a mirror?

To what does “the same image” of verse 18 refer? Is it the image of God in which humans were created? Is it the image of Christ? Is it the image of Moses reflecting the glory of God?

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)

What can be said about this passage that has not already been said? You might want to check the parallels in Matthew 17:1-8 and Mark 9:2-8.

What is the significance of the number eight, as in “about eight days”?

Once again Jesus takes with him the inner elite—Peter, and John and James. These three balance out the holy three—Jesus, Moses and Elijah.

How often do we, like Peter, stick our foot in our mouth because we do not know what we say?

God’s voice in verse 35 echoes a similar statement at the time of Jesus baptism, connecting the two events.

If we choose to include verses 37-43, (I probably won’t) then we may want to point out that while Peter wants to build a religious museum on the mountaintop, Jesus descends back into the trenches and gets back to his business of exorcizing demons and healing the sick. In that regard, are we the faithless and perverse generation?

How often are we, as those in verse 43 were, astounded by the greatness of God?

ADDENDUM

A principle I adopted as I transitioned into my first pastorate and continue to follow whenever I start a new position is to make no pastor initiated changes the first year of a new pastorate. The principle has served me well through four installed pastorates and two interims. Applying the principle here, I have tried to make as few changes as possible to the format and content Mark Baker-Wright handed on to me.

One change I have made, posting on Thursday rather than Wednesday, better fits my schedule and was made possible by my Presbyterian Bloggers colleagues who had been posting on Thursday and were willing to switch to Wednesday.

Another change, the masthead featuring an open Bible and a brief description of the post’s focus and intent, was made necessary by my technologically challenged inability to adopt Mark’s masthead. Since I needed to create a new masthead, changing the day it referenced from Wednesday to Thursday, I also edited the rest of the text and changed the photo to better reflect my own intent and focus.

Mark Baker–Wright posted his first Lectionary Ruminations on September 27, 2008 for the following Sunday, September 28, 2008. That means he posted the Lectionary Ruminations column on Presbyterian Bloggers for over a year. He inherited the column from David Holyan, who began it less than two months earlier on August 2, 2008, with the longer title Chewing on the Word: Lectionary Ruminations, and posted six contributions before the column passed to Mark. As I pick up near where Mark left off I recognize my debt to both Mark and David and thank them for their contributions and say "Well done good and faithful servants"

Following in David and Mark's blogging footsteps reminds me of another principle of ministry, one regarding new church developments. Do not be the first or second Pastor—be the third.

Read and Learn: Now on Wednesdays!

Happy Wednesday! The weekly posts for "Read and Learn" which used to be on Thursdays will now be on Wednesdays. In addition, along with Quotidian Grace and JusticeSeeker, there will be a third writer: and that's where I come in. My name is Sara Green and I blog over at The Pinkhammer Blog. I am a seminary student at Princeton Theological Seminary and have just started the Spring semester of my first year here. While I am not yet sure what God is calling me to do after seminary, I am (mostly) enjoying the process of trying to figure that out both here at seminary and as an Inquirer in the ordination process. And I say "mostly" because, well...God has a funny way of keeping things interesting along the way that can be rather frustrating. But I am sure I am not telling you anything you haven't already been through yourself. Though I am exploring campus/college ministry and teaching, I am also very excited about pastoral ministry.

My classes this semester are a New Testament Survey class, a history class that focuses on church and state dynamics from the medieval to reformation time periods, and a practical theology class that focuses on Carl Rogers understanding of pastoral care. Oh! And a worship class on the Psalms which I am taking for my own spiritual development though I can tell it will help immensely with planning and leading worship in the future. I am sure some of my posts will reflect things that come up along the way, but if anyone has a particular interest related to these items, please feel free to leave a comment here and I can blog about it either in the "Read and Learn" posts or over at my blog. I also enjoy peppermint mochas and love photography. : )

Valentine Welcome Mat

"Breathe deeply. Breathe fully. Be still. Be silent. Be centered. Be grounded. Lighten up. Loosen up. Let go. Let God. Celebrate. Enjoy. Be glad all over."

Welcome to The AbundanceTrek Blog! "Abundancetrek promotes love, peace, joy, justice, beauty, wisdom, freedom, truth, sustainable abundance, spirituality, interfaith dialogue, ecumenical connections and hope through a movement which is non-hierarchical and fun."

In other blog news:

The Presbyterian Bloggers web ring has 179 active member blogs!

And there have been some recent changes to this blog, too. Check out the new schedule in the sidebar and be sure to give our new bloggers a hearty welcome as they begin posting.

Shovels up!

Sunday Lectionary Devotion: Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah 6:8       Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Audio version here

There’s a beautiful song of this Bible verse called “Here I am, Lord.” I love singing it in church. The first time that I heard it, took place in Scotland when a choir member at the Maybole church sang it as a solo. Both the words and the tune captivated me and I consider it to be a high spiritual occasion each time I sing or hear this song.

The lyrics of the song are beautiful, but the Bible verse is even more wonderful. It’s all about being chosen by God for a sacred mission. In the midst of his unworthiness, the prophet Isaiah is called by God to go to his people with messages and prophecies from heaven. He is given the responsibility of declaring God’s words and thoughts to his own generation. It is an awesome task and whilst Isaiah does not feel worthy, holy, or clean enough to undertake such a sacred task, God purifies and prepares him for the mission.

There are days when I feel so unworthy and unholy to serve the Lord. I remember my background and past sins, which cause me to shudder at times. I often wonder why the Lord has chosen me to do what I do, but then I remember that without His mercy and grace, I could not do any of what He wants.

Perhaps you are experiencing a call to some ministry or mission, program or project for the Lord, but you feel unprepared, unacceptable, and unclean. Take heart because most of God’s leaders in the Bible had a shady past and things that made them ashamed. God does not choose perfect people because there are none to be found, anywhere. He calls us, not because of who we are, but because of what He can make us become. All we have to do is this: when He calls us to ministry, we each answer, “Here I am.”

Prayer:                        Lord God, You have a purpose for each of our lives. You call us to be ministers of Your word and missionaries of Your Gospel. Open our hearts and minds to Your calling and enable to accept Your ways. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today's drawing is called "Sleep On, Simon Peter" and is a part of John's Feast of Easter worship/bulletin/ clip art.

Science and Religion

The first Friday of every month, I'll be sharing something here about the very broad topic of “science and religion”. It seems only fair that today, the first of these science and religion posts, I tell you a bit about who I am, what my basic ideas about science and religion are, and what I hope to accomplish by doing this.

In my first career, I was a veterinarian. I spent 20 years in small animal and emergency veterinary practice. My undergraduate degree was in biology. I think biology is an utterly fascinating subject. Then I went to seminary(Saint Paul School of Theology) and received an M Div. I think theology is an utterly fascinating subject also. Now I am the ministry coordinator for a campus ministry in Grand Rapids MI.

I don't think there is any fundamental “conflict” between science and religion. Very simply put “science” isn't going to discover anything that God doesn't already know about. Now there certainly may be gaps in our knowledge and errors in our thinking that result in apparent conflicts. But I don't think these are irresolvable problems. And they can be the impetus for great and challenging discussion that leads us to clearing thinking and better understanding.

There are a lot of ideas about what the proper or correct relationship between science and religion should be. Some folks think they are incompatible. Some think they are non overlapping, distinct areas.
Some prioritize one over the other. Religion trumps science or vice verse.

Lately I've been wondering if Calvin's metaphor about spectacles- with a little adjustment- might be helpful in thinking about science and religion. I wonder if we can think about the relationship between religion and science like a pair of bifocals. (Bifocal users- feel free to help me out with this metaphor.) When bifocals work the way they are supposed to, one sees the entire world, both near and far, clearly and accurately. If you lack either part of the bifocal, your vision is flawed, incomplete, and error prone. You only see fully with both parts of the lens. Now I don't want to push this metaphor too far. No need to assign particular parts of the lens to either science or religion. Simply I want to suggest that both, science and religion, are needed and each is in some respects incomplete without the other.

What I hope to do each month, is have something informative for you. I'm assuming most of the readers here are not scientists. ( If I'm wrong, please let me know.) I'll try to offer you helpful resources. I'll occasionally point out really cool science stuff. And I'll try to encourage thoughtful discussion about various aspects of science and religion.

If there is a topic you would like to see covered, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Read and Learn -- I went visiting again

This time it was in town, and a church I sort of know; but ice and snow led me to the closest PCUSA church to my house (and I think the closest church of any flavor). I went to this church for about a year 20 years ago, and I have been back for one reason or another probably 4 or 5 times since. It is a small enough church for somebody new to be noticeable -- especially in bad weather.

I went to the website the night before, and it told me on the front page what time the services were. I got there a few minutes early and just inside the main doors is a small seating area with a family sitting there talking. Great idea, btw. The wife made eye contact, smiled and said Hello. In fact, I was warmly greeted by at least six different people -- none of them paid staff. No one offered tons of information, but eye contact and a smile make it easy to ask.

The only thing I noticed is that the main door to the Fellowship Hall (repository of the sacred coffee pot) was closed. I knew where to go, but most visitors would not. So, either leaving the doors open or putting a sign up that says, "Beyond Here There Be Coffee" would be useful. Oh, although people were, in general, quite welcoming; no one else sat on my pew. Now, it was certainly not crowded; but if you really want to find a way to make a visitor feel like a sore thumb -- let her sit on a pew all by herself.

I loved the seating area right inside the front door. Encourage your members to be handy when someone walks in. Second, make it easy for people to find where to go and where to find the coffee. Ultimately, though, the most important rule of being an accessible church is that your members -- not your staff -- have to be willing to make eye contact, say Hello and smile. It will be a long time before I forget the feeling from a few months ago of wandering around a fellowship hall and NO ONE would meet my eyes, smile in my direction or say Hello except the paid staff.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Welcome Mat

Welcome to Stephen Kliewer from Dancing our Faith. "It may seem odd for a Presbyterian to create a blog titled dancing faith. After all, Presbyterians are not known for spontaneity. And therein lies the rub, for too often our faith is stale and boring and we stop exploring and growing. This is a blog that will present thoughts that emerge as I work with people with mental illness, serve as a minister in a small rural church, read, and watch life unfold around me. I hope what I share will help you dance with the Spirit that is in you."

Rev. Kliewer describes himself compellingly:

I am a seeker. I am a person who has always been afflicted with a certain degree of what I like to think is "divine discontent." But perhaps it is just discontent, or worse yet, dis-ease. What ever it is, I am always looking for something more. More self, more generosity, more joy, more hope, more God. I want to be fully alive, fully human, and yes, fully God's. I work as a mental health director, and as a part-time pastor in a very rural Presbyterian Church in a town of between 200-300 people. The church averages 40-45 people on a Sunday morning. An odd mix of people including executives, farmers, ranchers, loggers, social workers, and more. We have people who are conservative (very) and liberal (very). We have people who are the fourth generation in this church, transplanted Baptists, and a few people who don't know what they are, but they know they like it here. I read a lot. I think a lot, perhaps too much. And there are times when I just have to put it all down on paper. And thus this blog. Reflections on life, God, love, hope and more.

Welcome!

Sunday Devotions: Accepting Jesus - Luke 4:24

Luke 4:24 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

We live in a strange age. Our society and civilization, our culture and traditions have all been shaped, established, and blessed by Christianity. The freedoms we share have been formed by the faith we once held dear. In fact, if we were to erase Christianity from the last two thousand years of history, most of us would be serfs or slaves, ignorant and illiterate, cruelly treated and cast aside.

That’s what makes the living of these days very strange because Western society, in Europe and the Americas, is turning its back upon Christ, the true Founder of our freedoms and faith. It’s as if today’s verse from Luke could be rewritten to read: “No Savior is accepted in His world.”

Jesus lived and died almost two thousand years ago, but His Spirit still captivates most of the religious hearts and minds in other places throughout the world. Africa is a prime example of this. At the beginning of the 20^th century, 9% of the population was Christian and 36% were Islamic. A hundred years later, when we reached the year 2000, 40% of the African population was Islamic and over 44% of the population was Christian. The same thing is happening in China, where it has been estimated that by 2030 1.5 billion people will be Christians. Christ’s Church is growing at a rapid rate throughout the Earth, and yet on His home turf of Western Society people are forgetting what they really owe to His words and ways, His godliness and Gospel.

This morning our church has been closed due to the icy weather, so our people at Erin cannot collectively worship God. But for those of you who are reading this today, I want to say “Thank You” for taking time to accept Jesus into your heart and homes through the reading of God’s Word and the blessing of His Spirit.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, enable us to reconnect to Your words and ways, to find the time to rekindle our faith in order to make a recommitment to You. Help us to remember past days when we have needed You in our lives and the times that we have worshiped in our hearts and homes, as well as in our churches and cherished holy places. Thank You for being the Savior of our souls and the Lord of our lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s picture is John’s latest drawing called “Moonlight over Maybole West,” featuring his first parish church. If you would like to see a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/4317958402/sizes/l/

Lenten Prayer and Study Resources

Lent is almost here! Some of you may be looking for some resources for small group study or prayer for the Lenten season.

So...let's share! What are you using this year, or have you used in the past, that you can recommend to others?

The PCUSA publication Presbyterians Today offers a Lenten Devotional Guide. Justice Seeker recommends the prayer guide on Sacred Space. This site also has a self-directed one day retreat you may want to look at. The Upper Room offers a free Lenten devotional study guide each year that can be used with a small group. Here's the link to the 2010 study.

Some churches write their own Lent devotions or studies for their congregations. If yours does, and it is available on the church website, please share it in the comments!

Welcome Mat

I'm shoveling off the mat to greet our newest (updated) member to the unofficial PC(USA) web ring, James Kim of God Revolution: Thoughts and Reflections of a guy doing his best to love God, love people, and serve the world.

James has been blogging for three years, is a self-described conservative evangelical PC(USA) pastor, and has recently relocated from Texas to Washington state. He's also a husband and "daddy to 4 awesome kids."

Rev. Kim has some fabulous posts over at God Revolution; please go check him out!


(Note to James: I'm sorry the application process at Ringsurf was onerous. We have no control over how many characters a blog description must be; that's set by Ringsurf.)


My apologies to all. I'm a blog administrator on four blogs. (tongue-in-cheek) Shockingly enough, I'm not keeping up very well. (/tongue-in-cheek) But changes are afoot: new bloggers and new features are coming soon!

Read and Learn -- CT's Book Awards

Christianity Today has posted the 2010 Christianity Today Book Awards. The editors have chosen a winner and one or two Awards of Merit in the following categories: Apologetics/Evangelism, Biblical Studies, Christianity & Culture, The Church/Pastoral leadership, Christian Living, Fiction, History/Biography, Spirituality, Missions/Global Affairs and Theology/Ethics.

I have read exactly none of the winners.

Several look quite interesting, though, but I am more attracted to the Award of Merit winners (i.e., the runners up) than to the winners. For instance, ITold Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life by Gregg A. Ten Elshof, the winner in Christian Living, sounds really good for me; but I'm a lawyer. I'm already an expert at lying to myself. The Award of Merit went to Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church by Christine A. Colon and Bonnie E. Field.

Although, I must admit that the winner in Biblical Studies sounds far more interesting than the runner-up. Sin, a History by Gary A. Anderson v. The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians by Gordon D. Fee just really isn't much of a contest.

Still, all pretty tame, CT kinds of stuff -- well, not quite. Did you ever think you would see an Anne Rice book on the CT book awards? Me neither, but an Award of Merit for fiction went to Rice's Angel Time.

The Award of Merit for History/Biography is the only thing that has made my to-read list. I just couldn't resist, The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice. I may not get to it too soon, but I'll let you know when I do.

Martin Luther King Speech: Full version

This is why today is so important

Sunday lectionary devotions: Psalm 36 - The Lost Ring

Psalm 36: 7     How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

My wife Evelyn lost her engagement ring the other day. She had put some hand cream on her fingers and the ring must have slipped off. She left a message on my cell phone to let me know. It saddened both of us to think that something so significant could be lost.

We bought the engagement ring with my last tax rebate before I went to college to study to become a minister. That was thirty years ago. I can remember shopping for it in Glasgow’s Argyle Arcade where most couples in the city bought their rings. It was an exciting time for us and eventually we found the one clustered diamond ring that Evelyn liked after wandering from store to store. It cost us every penny that we owned at the time, and through the years it has become priceless.

Thankfully, Evelyn found the ring on the carpet next to her exercise bike. That was both a moment of relief and jubilation. This weekend, we’ll be taking it to a jeweler to have a clip put on it. We both don’t want the ring to be lost ever again.

When the writer of Psalm 36 talks about God’s unfailing love, he calls it ‘priceless.’ He cannot buy God’s love nor can he compare it to anything else in the whole universe. Believers in Christ know and understand this to be true, for how can we put a price on complete and everlasting salvation? How can we estimate the cost of Christ’s atonement for our sins?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are priceless to each and every one of Your followers. We can never repay the debt that we owe to You for redeeming our souls and restoring us to God. Thank You for such wonderful, amazing, and priceless love. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Read and Learn -- Blogging and Communication

I belong to a decent sized church. Like most we have a Sunday bulletin with announcements, a newsletter, a weekly email about the sermon; all of which I read faithfully. That puts me in a pretty small group from what I hear. So, on one hand I hear that many people in the Congregation don't read all of the Church news made available. On the other hand, I do read it all; and I still am frequently surprised about things that are going on. My guess is that isn't unusual. I have made the following suggestion to my church and would love comments or suggestions.

A blog, preferably a multi-column format so that different topics could be grouped into different feeds. This has to be lay run -- NO STAFF. I want the people doing things -- signing up families for Angel Food, singing in the choir, decorating for Christmas, working with a local homeless addict, serving on committees, teaching Sunday School, planning retreats and mission trips -- all the stuff going on in the church to post human interest kinds of things on one or another of the blog feeds. No ads, no staff, nothing formal just human interest stories, ideas being talked about in committees, problems with the new security system; just stuff. No full names, no personal info. The church newsletter can pick up a couple of the posts to include in each issue of the printed newsletter.

I see this as potentially solving three problems. First, assuming that I can get people from throughout the church to contribute and their friends all start reading, word should spread pretty rapidly about the things that are happening around us. Second, there is nothing more likely to encourage involvement than to see someone else who is just like you (and not clergy or other paid staff) involved. Third, it should provide great content for search engine spiders enhancing the Church's own Internet presence.

I realize that keeping the feeds fed will be difficult, and might be impossible. Trying to find the people to keep content flowing may be more than I can handle. Assuming, however, that the content end is manageable; what problems do you see and what do you think will come of it?

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Helping Haiti: Good News

Mark 1:15            "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

We talk a lot in church about the good news, but do we actually take it to others?

I’m thinking about the horrific devastation that has taken place in Haiti since yesterday and the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been taken away by the terrifying earthquake. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world and it’s right on our front porch. How can we talk about good news in the church when our neighbors are dying in poverty, squalor, and cataclysm?

Our town was raging last night about the sudden departure of our football coach. People were out on the streets of Knoxville angry and furious, feeling betrayed and embittered. This morning our local newspaper has devoted many pages to football. But it’s just a game; the devastating earthquake in Haiti is a disastrous reality.

If we’re actually serious about the good news of the Gospel, then we will mobilize our churches to begin collecting money and supplies for the devastated people of Haiti. The good news that they need right now is to know that they are not isolated in their grief and that they are not cast off by the rest of the world. These people are amongst the poorest on earth and right at this moment we need to stop focusing on our own little problems and insignificant worries. We need to show them compassion and love. We need to embrace them in their darkest time. We need to comfort, support, and rebuild their lives.

This coming Sunday, I’m going to ask our congregation to hold a special offering for the people of Haiti. Our first response will be to send money to buy and ship the supplies, food, and medicine that are desperately needed. We’ll do this through the Presbyterian Disaster Agency so that help can get there quickly. Then we’ll approach the Red Cross and other relief agencies to see what supplies we can gather that will help.

That’s how the good news of Jesus Christ operates. In the midst of death, there is the promise of resurrection. At a time of despair, there is hope.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, what can we do to help Your people in Haiti? How can we show them the good news of Your love? Grant us the focus to use our resources and our money to alleviate as much suffering as we can. Allow us opportunities to restore and rebuild this nation. In Your Holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

If you would like to help the Haitian people now, you can give online to the Presbyterian Disaster Agency at the following link: http://www.pcusa.org/give/online/projectSelectAction.do?numberString=DR000064

Only in Scotland or a Worrying Trend???

From today's Scotsman newspaper...

Union sets up hotline to help church ministers who are victims of bullying


Published Date: 10 January 2010
By Mark Smith


DOZENS of Scottish clergy have contacted a new hotline to claim they are being bullied or harassed by their parishioners.


The helpline has been set up by the trade union Unite, which says intimidation of ministers and priests from all denominations is a hidden problem.

Read the rest of the article here....

Presbyterians Today: Minister Mothers

The January-February issue of Presbyterians Today (the official PCUSA magazine) is built around the theme of Minister Mothers. As many of you know, I write a column for PT called "Best of the Blogs". The purpose of that column is to highlight bloggers and blog posts that would be of particular interest to Presbyterians Today readers.

Following the theme of this issue, I wrote about "Online Minister Moms" , three of whom are also PresbyBloggers: Jan Edmiston of A Church for Starving Artists, Carol Howard Merrit of Tribal Church, Melissa DeRosia of Sacred Screaming. All three offered thoughtful comments about the role of blogging, Facebook and Twitter in their ministries.

You may can check out the rest of the issue which is posted online here.

I'd love to have your suggestions for future "Best of the Blogs" articles. If you have some, please leave them in the comments.

Happy New Year!

MB at 1000 thoughts/second is doing something new with her blog this year.

A New Way of Being: Living 2010 as a Spiritual Practice

After years of thinking that the ideal life is one that is authentic, fully integrated and non-compartmentalized, I've begun to see the limitations of that short (though worthy of pursuit) list. This year I am going to experiment with living all of life - as a whole - as a spiritual practice. I'm guessing in many ways this will be similar to beginning an intentional practice of living a more contemplative life.

"1000 thoughts per second" is definitely the way my brain works, so I am very interested in finding ways both to intentionally slow down and to effectively use my brain's natural way of processing information. Some of my content will be related to these 1000 thoughts per second and some will be specifically oriented to this journey toward Living 2010. Your ideas for being faithful stewards of a more intentional way of living are welcome in the comments. Or email me if you have something you'd like me to read or to comment on.

Peace & Presence, MB

Sunday lectionary devotion: Bounty - Jeremiah 31 v 14

Jeremiah 31:14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my
bounty," declares the LORD.

One of my all-time favorite movies is "Mutiny on the Bounty", starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard. My Dad took me to it when it was first released in Britain. I was six years old at the time and although I didn't really understand it, I loved the Polynesian scenery, the old British naval costumes and, of course, the galleon itself. Years later, when I grew interested in building plastic airplanes, cars and ships, my Uncle Ian gave me model of the Bounty, which he patiently made and painted as a teenager.

"Bounty" is a word that we normally associate with rewards for capturing wanted outlaws, but in this context the old Hebrew word "tuwh" means something beautiful, something that gladdens the heart, and something that benefits the beholder. So when God declares that He will fill His people with His bounty, He is promising to do something beautiful that will gladden the people and strengthen them.

Today, we can experience the same through the gift of the Holy Spirit in our churches, homes and hearts. Christ's bounty is gladly given to Christian believers, so that we can share these cherished blessings to our broken community. And in the midst of a sad and dangerous world, the bounty of God's blessings is much needed amongst us.

Prayer: Bountiful God, we thank You for the beautiful blessings that bring gladness and strength into our lives. Help us to share these gifts with those who need to know of Your love and who seek Your loving grace. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He also writes the weekday devotional blog Heaven's Highway.

Read and Learn -- New Year's Resolutions

I thought I would offer a few resources for New Year's resolutions. First, is probably the only spiritual disciplines book I have ever read that I think might actually connect with most of the typical, traditional Presbyterians I have known. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life, by Marjorie J. Thompson reads like it was written for Presbyterians.

God has not come alive for them through traditional religious institutions. I know a man who has dutifully attended worship and served as a church trustee for years. He is still mystified by the language of faith. Words about God seem mere words -- beautiful and hopeful, but unconnected tothe world he knows. This man would like to believe, but he does not experience the reality of God in his life.

This is a book written for intelligent, educated people who have good intentions, but have never really made faith a part of their real lives.

Second, Lifechurch.tv has updated its Bible reading app for Blackberry. (I would assume it is available for iphone, too -- but Grace will have to verify that.) This is an app that is designed to help you read the Bible. It has a selection of reading plans and some social networking components built in. It is a perennial top ten download on Blackberry's Appworld. It is called simply Bible. It is completely free. It integrates with your contacts and Twitter so you can send verses to other people. It inclues a variety of translations. It is a very nice contribution from lifechurch.tv.

So, happy New Year.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

2010 devotion - A New Year, a New Journey

Psalm 147:5    Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

I like to think about each New Year as a journey of faith, where my understanding about God and my beliefs in Jesus will grow deeper and stronger. I’ve tried to be a Christian for almost 33 years and throughout each year, I’ve learned more about God’s words and Christ’s ways. It doesn’t make me anymore holy or saintly, but rather as each year passes I am in awe of God’s patience, love, and grace.

Perhaps you are also wondering about this New Year and new decade that we’re about to enter. Maybe you have hopes and dreams for your life, or perhaps there are fears and worries on the horizon. Whatever is ahead, know this: God is still mighty and powerful, and His understanding of our lives and circumstances are limitless.

We all tend to make resolutions at this time of year, but perhaps this is the perfect time to ask God what He would wish to resolve in us. If we will let Christ guide us throughout this new journey of 2010, then I think that there will be all sorts of new opportunities and possibilities about growing in faith, getting nearer to God, and finding our purpose.

So may 2010 be a Happy and Prosperous New Year for all of us, but also a more meaningful and faithful journey in Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, as we stand on the threshold of another new year, we pray that You will come to meet us and lead us onward in this amazing journey that we call life. Take us to where You would have us effectively do Your work, and empower us to minister to those who travel with us. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@presbyterian.org.

Christmas Eve: The Huron Carol

Christmas Eve Devotion: Blue Christmas Candle & Poem

Each year, I post this on my blogs. Feel free to use it at your services.


Christmas can be a painful and lonely time for some people. At our candlelight service, we light a Blue Christmas candle for those who are grieving, hurting, or ill during the festive season. This prayer poem is recited as the blue candle is lit. It's a very meaningful and emotional time for some members in the congregation.

Blue Christmas Prayer

There’s no room at Christmas for sadness,
There’s no place for hearts that are blue.
All the world wants to hear
Is a word full of cheer,
Not a sigh, not a tear, not from you.

There’s no room at Christmas for loneliness,
There’s no place for your emptiness and grief.
All the world wants is peace,
Mistletoe and Christmas trees,
Not a heartache that mars its beliefs.

There’s no room at Christmas for sickness,
There’s no place or time to be ill.
All the world wants is health,
Prosperity and wealth,
Not a pain that can spoil its goodwill.

There’s no room at Christmas for Jesus,
There’s no place for His family, too,
All the world would not share,
No one seems to really care,
A stable will just have to do.

Silence……..

Yes, there’s room at Christmas for sadness,
There’s a place in God’s heart for you.
For He knows pain and loss,
Which He felt on the Cross,
So this candle is lit here for you…
*For Christ knows what it’s like to be blue.

* light a blue candle

Advent Welcome Mat - Decorated with Holly

Pour yourself a cup of cocoa and welcome our newest member, Bill McLean of Meandering McLean

"Meandering McLean" is the blog of a husband, dad, pastor, and sports fan who blogs to explore issues related to ministry and pastoral leadership from the Reformed perspective. While this will be the primary focus of the blog there will also be posts on random thoughts about life, parenting and sports. Please explore "Meandering McLean" and let me know what you think. My hope is that as part of my blogging we will be able to engage in a discussion about topics that are impacting on our lives and our ministries. With this in mind, I hope that visitors will feel free to post comments, ask questions and engage in a dialogue. I am new to the world of blogging, so I ask for your patience as I learn what it means to be a blogger and how to use this communication medium. * * * Please note that this is a personal blog and the posts that I write are my own opinions so they are not pre-screened and/or approved by the congregation I serve aspastor, the Presbytery I am a member of, and/or the Presbyterian Church (USA). * * *

Welcome, Bill!

Question for the Community: Congregational Traditions

A lot of focus this time of year is put on traditions inside of people's homes, or family traditions outside of the home. My wife and I are currently wrestling with ideas for how we will begin traditions, and what to begin, within our family of three. We realize that we will never be a family unto ourselves on Christmas as we will spend time with either my family or hers. (Hi Paul and Sarahlynn!) I'm not indicating that this is a bad thing. On the contrary, it's a wonderful thing to be able to spend time with our families whom we value very highly in our lives. We are struggling with how to set up traditions for our three that are meaningful for us as a unit without affecting others. Anyway, that's my story.

We live just north of Washington, DC.  One of the jobs that I am tasked with in the Presbytery office is to collect special worship information from our congregations for Lent and Advent.  It's really neat for me to see what different churches do to celebrate together while inviting others to join them.  We have one church that does a brief service and bag lunch on Wednesdays for Advent.  A couple of churches do live Nativities.  One church that does a really big Christmas Dinner.  It really makes me want to worship with a different church once or twice - if I only had the time!

So - my question for this month (and based on my posting, question to encompass the whole fall!) is:
What traditions happen in your congregation for the Advent Season?
Have you heard of traditions in other congregations that you want to try?
Do you go to another church to celebrate some of their traditions?

Read and Learn -- Children's Curriculum and the Great Stories

Last week Jan Edmiston of A Church for Starving Artists posted about trying to find a curriculum for use with children that taught the great Bible stories. For most of Christian (and Jewish) history the Bible stories were extremely well known. Most people weren't literate. The stories were read in church, they were depicted in public art. They were memorable.

I grew up in Sunday School using a story based approach to the Bible. Some of my earliest church memories are of coloring pictures of the stories while the teacher read the story aloud to us. I grew up and read those stories in context. So, I know where they are in the Bible and how they fit into the story. A lot of the people I grew up with know the stories, but they don't know the context. To them the stories are isolated snippets that they can't visualize in a bigger picture. Then, we have a lot of people younger than I am who just never learned them at all.

So, what do we do about this? Read Jan's post and the comments there, any ideas?

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on December 20, 2009

Here are the passages for December 20th, 2009, the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C).  All lectionary links are to the NRSV via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead.  (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Micah 5:2-5a

• As Christians, it’s hard to hear the name of Bethlehem spoken without thinking of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Yet for the people to whom this prophecy was originally written, Bethlehem had a different connotation entirely.  Although a small, insignificant town, it was nonetheless well-known, but primarily as the hometown of King David.  How does this understanding affect our interpretation of this prophecy?
• In verse 3, we read of a person in labor giving birth.  How might God’s people from before the time of Christ have understood this prophecy?  And how do we, who know of Jesus Christ, interpret the reference where “the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel”?
• As this passage of prophecy draws to a close, a reference is made to the Assyrians.  Although the Assyrians were considered among the worst enemies the Israelites could imagine when this passage was written, the Assyrian Empire was long gone by the time of Jesus Christ.  Does this fact influence our interpretation of the passage in any way?

Luke 1:46b-55
Psalm 80:1-7

• Throughout Advent, the version of the Revised Common Lectionary used in the PC(USA)'s Book of Common Worship has not had a reading from the Psalms on Sunday. However, this week gives two "responsive" readings, one of which is a Psalm. I expect that most churches will choose one or the other, if either at all..... 

Hebrews 10:5-10

• Verses 5-7 of this passage come from Psalm 40:6-8, and the verses that follow expand upon this reference.  What does the author of Hebrews tell us about Jesus by attributing these words to him?
• A few weeks ago, we spent several weeks following passages of Hebrews, and noted that a common theme throughout the book is the nature of sacrifice, and the superiority of Jesus' sacrifice over the animal sacrifices of the first century.  How do the words of this passage add to or affect that understanding?  Why do the framers of the Revised Common Lectionary use this reading on the Fourth Sunday of Advent?

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

• The Revised Common Lectionary allows churches the option of reading--or not reading--the verses in parentheses. 
• Churches who choose not to read the "optional" verses may be missing out, because these verses contain the text of Mary's song of praise. These words tell us much about the character of the mother of Jesus Christ. How does she see God? Why does she sing praise during this time?
• The verses just before this song (the verses most churches will retain) may provide part of the answer. This is the famous passage where we learn that Elizabeth's baby, who we learn later in the gospel is John the Baptizer, “leaped for joy” when Mary came to visit. Why do you think the baby was so happy? And what about Elizabeth? In these days before mass communication, what had Elizabeth been told about Mary's pregnancy? Or do you think she knew about Mary's baby through God directly, apart from human communication? When verse 41 says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, what does that suggest?

With the closing of Advent, I am also bringing to a close my time as the writer of "Lectionary Ruminations" here on the Presbyterian Bloggers site.  I'd like to thank Sarahlynn Lester for offering me this opportunity, as well as for already having done the legwork to see that this feature will continue with new contributors.  I'm taking on a few new challenges, both on and off of the blogosphere, including becoming a deacon in my local church and attempting a "through the New Testament in a year" project over at my own blog, Transforming Seminarian, in a couple of weeks.   In the meantime, I'd like to link to one more lectionary reflection, the one written for the passages to be used on Christmas Eve.  Since these passages are the same every year, it only seems appropriate to draw attention to them one more time as I head out reflecting yet again on the words of Linus: "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!"

Passing the Peace

Good morning, and happy Monday to you all!

I'm highlighting three blogs from our blog roll this morning.

First is Nancy Janisch from Conversation in Faith Weblog: a place for thoughtful, respectful discussion. In her recent post Incarnation, Nancy talks about what it really means to "put the Christ back in Christmas."

Second is Castaway from CovenantStuff: Sunday messages - Covenant Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles (Westchester), CA. "A mile north of LAX and a neighbor to the world!". Today's post is Joy Gets Serious and includes an anecdote about an old Scottish man and his two adult children living in England. Last week's sermon asks the question: what are you made of? I enjoy looking at a pastor's notes, even without hearing the full sermon to compare against.

Third this week is Sara of Crying in the Night, currently living in and blogging from China. She blogs about her experiences as a mother, a daughter, a Christian. Sara has a gift of expressing herself through her blog. After reading only a few posts, her "voice" really comes through and you feel like you know her, like you're invested in her life's journey.

Have a wonderful third week of advent. The Peace of Christ be with you.

Advent Devotions: Advent 3 - Sing to the Lord - Zephaniah 3 v 17

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."


I can remember someone asking me why Christians sing so often in their churches. It puzzled him that we spend so much time in worship using music and songs to convey our praise and prayers. “If you cut out the music,” he said, “everyone would get out at 11.30AM. It wouldn’t make any difference to God. He’s only interested in your prayers anyway.”

Obviously, this person hadn’t read the Bible. It’s full of songs and is written lyrically. The scriptures are meant to be sung – joyfully as in the Psalms, or dolefully as in Lamentations; loudly like the Angels on the hillside or quietly like Mary giving praise to God.

There’s even a verse in scripture, the one that we have today, which tells us that God Himself likes to sing! Music is an integral part of creation, heaven, and salvation. Song is a sacred vehicle of how we approach God, confess to Him, and praise His glorious Name. If we were to take out music from our worship, if we were to remove all singing, we would be left with something tedious, droll, and unfeeling.

Music captivates our hearts and connects with our souls, so that in turn, we may mystically connect with God. And one day, when all of His Son’s followers are gathered in eternity, we will hear the most beautiful voice and the most beautiful singing in all creation, because that will be the sacred moment when God sings and rejoices with those who are saved.

Prayer: Sing to the Lord a joyful song,
Lift up your hearts, your voices raise
To us His gracious gifts belong,
To Him our songs of love and praise. John Samuel Bewley Monsell

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He writes the devotional blog "Heaven's Highway."

Today's image is taken from John's ongoing Psalms art project.

City on a Hill - In the Bleak Midwinter

One of the best renditions of this much loved Christmas hymn, written by Christina Rossetti.

Friday Giving

Are you doing any special holiday giving this year?  Need exists year-round, but it seems that many of us make special effort at Christmastime.  (I do not believe this effect is due solely to the waning tax year.)

The PC(USA) blog got an email today from Nathaniel Frasher at Presbyterian Homes and Services of Kentucky. PHSK is a Christian, faith-based non-profit organization that provides senior housing services in Kentucky. PHSK has 4 campuses throughout Kentucky providing assisted living, personal care, skilled nursing care, and an array of other services.

I tend to contribute to some of the same organizations over and over.  It's good to be reminded of some of the other great needs out there.


I bet you all have your favorites, too.  Who's getting your special Christmas gifts this year?

Read and Learn Thursday: Officer Training Ideas

Recently I spent four weeks in the new elder training program at my church. I was there as the "understudy" because next year I will be in charge of the program. So I was paying careful attention to how it was being done.

There are four weekly meetings that cover Presbyterian polity and church history as well as a brief overview of Presbyterian theology. Presentations about the work and mission of several of the most important committees are also made by the elders who moderate those committees. This year we added a "continuing ed" session for the session in the spring that was very successful. It is hard to digest all this new information, so the continuing ed meeting (led by our Executive Pastor) gave new and not-so-new elders the chance to ask questions. We're planning to do this again in 2010.

A number of years ago I learned the importance of consistent and thorough officer training when I served on the Administrative Commission of a church in our presbytery that was so conflicted that fisticuffs had broken out before a session meeting and security guards were hired to maintain order in worship. One of the biggest problems in this conflicted congregation was the total lack of understanding about the roles of the pastor, session and congregation in our polity. We were shocked to learn there had been NO officer training for a couple of decades there. One of the first things we did as an AC was to conduct officer training for the session and any elders not on session who were willing to attend.

Most churches conduct officer training in the fall so that the officers can be ordained and installed by January. What is your officer training program like? What works well? What needs improvement? Please share your thoughts about officer training in the comments!

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on December 13, 2009

Here are the passages for December 13th, 2009, the Third Sunday of Advent (Year C).  All lectionary links are to the NRSV via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead.  (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Zephaniah 3:14-20

• Long-time readers of my reflections will no doubt have noticed that, when I reflect on prophetic readings (especially ones that have a certain meaning to those of us who know how the prophecies are fulfilled in Christ), I often like to consider how the people who heard this passage when it was originally written might have heard it.  In what time was this passage originally written?  What was happening to God’s people at that time?  How might that situation have influenced how they would hear this passage?  It is only after considering questions like these that we can begin to interpret how this passage speaks to God’s people today, in our situation.
• In particular, I found a couple of sections interesting.  When I last wrote a reflection on this passage (three years ago, the last time "Year C" rolled around in the lectionary cycle), I was still using the TNIV for these reflections.  Verses 17-18 are translated rather differently in that version:
  



¹⁷ "...(he) will rejoice over you with singing."
¹⁸ "I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you...."


Compare this to that same section from the NRSV, which reads:



¹⁷ ...he will exult over you with loud singing
¹⁸ as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.


In the TNIV, the festivals were lost and mourned over by people to be removed (made not to mourn?).  In the NRSV, the festivals are an illustration of the fact that mourning has been removed.  Likewise, the object of "reproach" is changed.  The TNIV adds quotation marks, which the NRSV lacks.  Which is correct?  Does it matter?


• Finally, at the end of this passage, after all the words of rejoicing at God’s work, we read that God will “restore your fortunes.”  Usually, to “restore” means to give something back that was once possessed.  What did God’s people once have, that they don’t any longer, that will be restored in God’s time?

Isaiah 12:2-6

• The version of the Revised Common Lectionary used in the PC(USA)'s Book of Common Worship does not have a reading from the Psalms this week.  A rarity.  Rather, this passage, which seems to consist of a "Psalm" of praise from the book of Isaiah, is used in place of the weekly Psalm. 

Philippians 4:4-7

• This is a short passage, but there are some aspects of it that bear thinking about.  When Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, he clearly intends that we should rejoice even when things are going wrong.  This is especially true if, as is commonly believed, Paul himself is writing this letter while imprisoned.  What should rejoicing in such hard times look like?  How can we move toward an attitude of rejoicing when we don't particularly feel like it?
• When Paul writes about prayer in this passage, he makes clear that he knows that human beings have needs, and that he believes that God can handle them.  Yet he tells us to offer our requests with thanksgiving.  For some people, it may seem like a contradiction to give thanks while asking for more at the very same time.  If this is so, how do we deal with that?
• When Paul tells us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds, what will this feel like?  Or, can we even know?  After all, Paul says that it “surpasses all understanding.”  Should we even be asking these questions?
  

Luke 3:7-18

• This passage comes immediately after the passage from Luke that we read last week, and it starts with an interesting difference from the parallel passage in Matthew.  Note that, in Luke 3:7, John addresses the crowds when he cries out “You brood of vipers!”  In the Matthew version, the text specifically cites the Pharisees and Sadducees as the targets of John’s verbal attack.  Although it’s probably too much to suggest that these variants contradict each other, they definitely each give a very different impression from the other.  So, who was John so upset with?  And how might we explain the difference in wording from one gospel to the other?
• In any event, we see much more of the personality of John the Baptizer this week than we did last week.  What kind of a person is he?  How might we apply the advice that he gives to the crowds, including the tax collectors and the soldiers, to our own lives?
• As the passage comes to a close, John makes references to the one who is coming, the Messiah.  Based on John’s words, what kind of a person will the Messiah be?  Does the Messiah sound like someone we might look forward to seeing, or would we be afraid of such a person?
  

How Infinite Is God's Love

I'm no mathematician, so ask you local college professor about any technical corrections to my explanation below... 

In mathematics, the idea of infinity takes on some very complex, powerful, and sometimes paradoxical properties.  There is, for instance, Cantor's Paradox.  The paradox can be described using the set of whole (or "counting") numbers and the set of decimal (or "real") numbers.

First, realize that there are an infinite number of whole numbers.  However high you can count, you can always count one more.  So, there are an infinite number of whole numbers.

The look at any two consecutive whole numbers.  How many real (fractional or decimal) numbers can you come up with between those two whole numbers?  An infinite number of real numbers could appear between any two whole numbers.

Intuitively, then, there have to be more real numbers than there are whole numbers, right?  But there are an infinite number of whole numbers, already.  So what does that say about how many more real numbers there are?

Remember when you were a kid an you told your friend that you "infinity dog-dared" him to do something and he "double infinity dog-dared" you back?  Well, there's something to that idea.  The paradox suggests that the concept of something being infinite has many dimensions to it that can qualify the relative "infiniteness" of something.

I think this mathematical paradox shows us just how hard it is to fully comprehend the idea of God's infinite love.  No matter how we rationalize and justify and prove, there comes a point in the discussion where faith graciously takes over, creates a paradox for us, and grants us the freedom to believe rather than prove.  As an engineer, I struggle with those places where I feel free to believe, but I also find them gloriously spacious.

Thank you God, for paradoxes.

For Your Reading Pleasure

This morning I'd like to direct your attention to a delightful blog from our blog roll, Cleverly Disguised as a Responsible Adult, by Katina Sharp.  Last week, Katina offered an interesting new look about what Mary might have been feeling as she labored to deliver baby Jesus in More Like Mary.  Bonus: lots of pictures of Katina's beautiful newestborn son!
 
Next up is A Church for Starving Artists by Jan Edmiston.  Last week, Jan served up wonderful posts on Christmas and Advent (In Search of Purple Candles, What Is Christmas Supposed to Look Like?, When Everything's Falling Apart), the nature of community (Sharing a Room), and what it means to pastor (When You Can't Be Someone's Pastor).

Enjoy! 

Sunday Devotion for Advent 2: Christmas Singalong

Hosea 6:3        “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

At this time of year, I usually tune my car radio to a station that plays Christmas music all day long for the month of December. I like the old familiar songs that I grew up with. Most mornings, you’ll find me crooning to Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Andy Williams as I drive to church. The songs get me in a great frame of mind and even when interstate traffic is slow, I just enjoy more time to sing along with my favorite performers.

Christmas is all around me on my journey. I see festive signs, Christmas trees, and seasonal sales everywhere. I laugh at some of the billboards and smile at church notices. I watch people hurry and scurry over at the mall. I even have a child’s delight when I see bright colored Christmas lights and lawn decorations when I head back home in the evening.

I love this time of year, but I also remember that Christmas has not come, and that this is actually the sacred time of Advent, when Christians everywhere are supposed to be focused on the Second Coming of Christ. I ponder quietly and wonder if I am prepared for that amazing event. I switch off the Christmas music and turn on my heart to pray.

Will Christ come again this year?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, I think You also enjoy the bright lights, joviality, and festivity of Christmas. People everywhere appear to love this time of year for different reasons. I hope and pray that they will also quietly stop and think about You, Your Teaching, Your Life, and especially Your Return. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He loves to receive your feedback.

The image is one of John's original drawings called "Advent 2." You can view a larger image at his art site on www.stushieart.wordpress.com.

Read and Learn -- oops, it isn't Thursday!

Sorry about the day, Grace and I were confused. I did NOT say senile. I said confused. That's our story, and I am sticking with it.

Anyway, I have a question for all the church bloggers around. Do you use a blog (only blog, secondary blog, doesn't matter) for any intentional form of Church communication or for purely personal purposes? If so, how do you think it is working?

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on December 6, 2009

No doubt many of you have already seen Christmas decorations start to appear in your churches, and have started the annual traditions like the lighting of the advent wreath. Although different churches may have different traditions, such as the different names for each of the candles to be lighted each week on the advent wreath, this is a time when symbols and traditions become especially important. I'd like to invite you to keep these symbols and traditions in mind as we read this week's lectionary readings. How do our traditions help us to interpret these passages?

Here are the passages for December 6th, 2009, the Second Sunday of Advent (Year C).  All lectionary links are to the NRSV via the PC(USA) Devotions and Readings website, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead.  (Other references are linked to the NRSV via the oremus Bible Browser.)

Malachi 3:1-4

• Last week, I mentioned that a major theme of advent is that “something is coming.”  In this passage, something is coming.  A messenger is coming.  What message does this messenger bring?
• There is a lot of language in this passage that conveys a sense of cleanliness.  “Refiner's fire”  “fuller's soap,” “purifier.”  What kind of cleaning does the author of this passage imagine will take place?  How would the people who originally heard the words (assumed to be living more than 400 years before the birth of Jesus Christ) have understood these words?    At the end of the passage, we see references to “days of old,” “former years” during which offerings were apparently more acceptable to the Lord than the days during which this passage is written.  What had changed?  What was true about those earlier days that the author is attempting to return to?

Luke 1:68-79

• The version of the Revised Common Lectionary used in the PC(USA)'s Book of Common Worship does not have a reading from the Psalms this week.  A rarity.  Rather, this passage, which consists of the prophesy made by Zechariah right after his son (John the Baptizer) was circumcised, is used in place of the weekly Psalm (some say the prophesy was sung, like a Psalm). 
  
• Responses like these seem to break the flow of the narrative. Why does Luke find them important enough to include?

Philippians 1:3-11

• Because of the themes of advent, it's tempting to find a way to put the phrase “something is coming” into all of my comments during this season.  But the fact is, for this passage, I'd have force that phrase in.  It doesn't really seem to fit.  Why, then, is this passage being included as an Advent reading?
• This passage is believed to have been written while the Apostle Paul was in prison, a fact that he alludes to in verse 7.  Yet the passage remains extremely upbeat and joyful.  How can Paul maintain this attitude despite his situation?  How were the Philippians “partners in the gospel”?
• As the passage comes to a close, the theme of purification comes up again in verse 10.  If Paul is already so happy with the Philippians, what further purification might they have needed?  Did he have something in mind, or is he simply referring to the fact that no one is perfect, and everyone can become more pure and blameless than they currently are?
  

Luke 3:1-6

• Something is coming.  In this case, John the Baptizer is coming.  We don't see much of John in action in this passage, but Luke sets up the context in which John appears.  Luke goes to great lengths to tell the year in which this event occurs, and to tell us what political figures were in power in the surrounding regions.  Why do you think Luke goes to all this trouble?
• I usually try to make it a point to note when the New Testament quotes a passage of the Old Testament.  This passage ends with a quotation from Isaiah 40:3-5.  Besides asking why Luke used this particular passage of prophesy to describe John, it's worth noting that this passage of Isaiah would have been part of the liturgical readings for this same Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent, last year, when the Lectionary calendar was on Year B for weekly Sunday readings.   And on this Sunday in Year A, the gospel reading is the parallel passage from Matthew.  Why do you think that the framers of the lectionary found it so important to include these prophetic words on the same Sunday of the lectionary calendar every year of their three year cycle?