Psalm 108:1-13
Because of the way my life plays out, I see lots of dawns, very few sunsets. Some mornings as I am walking Howler and see that magnificent sunrise, I know exactly how the psalmist feels -- "My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn."
Don't worry if you live in my neighborhood -- I don't sing loud but some mornings I DO sing, it is that glorious.
And I wonder why humans find that glorious -- all those different colors and textures of what is an ever changing sky. But we do and it is not infrequent that people standing in line at my RaceTrac buying coffee will comment on what a beautiful sky it was that morning. Is it any wonder that ancient man assumed it was a god who made the sun rise and set with his chariot of fire?
Proverbs 27:12
The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
I watched an episode of the West Wing last night that had this little story in it:
A man falls down in a hole and cannot get out.
A priest walks by and hears the man yelling for help. He looks in the hole, writes a prayer on a piece of paper, tosses it in and walks on by.
A doctor walks by and hears the man begging for help. He looks in the hole, writes out a prescription for painkillers, tosses it in and walks on by.
A young woman walks by and hears the man sobbing. She jumps down in the hole. Why did you do that, asks the man. Now we are both in the hole. The young woman answers, ah, but I have been here before and I know the way out.
The way out. If you don't know it, you need to stop what you are doing and find someone that does. And in order to do that, you have to speak up and about your problem.
Grace to each of you.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
November 9
OT -- Ezekiel 20:1-49
Dang it. Back to the 'your fathers sinned so I am going to punish you and your children.' Just when I thought it was safe to come out of hiding.
The big deal with Ezekiel seems to be idol worshiping (as my friend Milt says all the time -- God will get you for that!) and not keeping the Sabbath. Hey, always important to know which rules are the 'biggies' and which ones you can bend on.
All kidding aside, Ezekiel seems to be some sort of oracle for the people of his time as they come to consult with him. And then as an aside, he speaks to God and says 'they think I speak in parables'. I guess no one liked listening to him then either.
Psalm 107:1-43
Look at vs 25-30. Doesn't that sound like Jesus' calming the storm that has his disciples all shook up?
25 For he (God) spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea[b] were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Just in case you are having the same issues I am with our current selections of readings, please stick with it. We are almost through. Surely, these writing have meaning and sustenance for us even if we don't know it yet.
Dang it. Back to the 'your fathers sinned so I am going to punish you and your children.' Just when I thought it was safe to come out of hiding.
The big deal with Ezekiel seems to be idol worshiping (as my friend Milt says all the time -- God will get you for that!) and not keeping the Sabbath. Hey, always important to know which rules are the 'biggies' and which ones you can bend on.
All kidding aside, Ezekiel seems to be some sort of oracle for the people of his time as they come to consult with him. And then as an aside, he speaks to God and says 'they think I speak in parables'. I guess no one liked listening to him then either.
Psalm 107:1-43
Look at vs 25-30. Doesn't that sound like Jesus' calming the storm that has his disciples all shook up?
25 For he (God) spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea[b] were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Just in case you are having the same issues I am with our current selections of readings, please stick with it. We are almost through. Surely, these writing have meaning and sustenance for us even if we don't know it yet.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
November 8
OT -- Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
What an interesting passage in Ezekiel! I haven't ever read anything else previous to this in the OT that has this particular theology.
The basics of Judaism are this: Sins committed by the father extend to the 7th generation while righteousness extends to the seventh generation as well but only if the succeeding generations follow the commandments.
Ezekiel says that this is not true. If a father sins and sins grievously, he will be killed. If the son sees how wicked his father is and does not follow in his footsteps, he will not be killed. If a man is righteous, he will live. If his son is evil, the son will die. Individual redemption. Really, quite different from the rest of the prophets who condemned the whole population, lock, stock and barrel.
Now, there are pros and cons of both sides.
But since my first reaction is to favor the individual versus the masses, I have been playing devil's advocate with myself over this one.
So, here goes:
If there is individual redemption and you have a really awful father, what kind of example do you have?
In the business world where I hover, many of our contacts think absolutely nothing of lying. What if that was the example you had as a child? It would be awfully hard to break that habit and that mold.
And to the community at large, if you are a bad person, doesn't the community suffer when your business implodes or you take advantage of the weak?
This is going to take some thought on my part.
Proverbs 27:10
I understand the first part -- "Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father" but have no idea on the second part "do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you -- better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."
Anyone out there have any ideas?
My study Bible is silent on this one.
What an interesting passage in Ezekiel! I haven't ever read anything else previous to this in the OT that has this particular theology.
The basics of Judaism are this: Sins committed by the father extend to the 7th generation while righteousness extends to the seventh generation as well but only if the succeeding generations follow the commandments.
Ezekiel says that this is not true. If a father sins and sins grievously, he will be killed. If the son sees how wicked his father is and does not follow in his footsteps, he will not be killed. If a man is righteous, he will live. If his son is evil, the son will die. Individual redemption. Really, quite different from the rest of the prophets who condemned the whole population, lock, stock and barrel.
Now, there are pros and cons of both sides.
But since my first reaction is to favor the individual versus the masses, I have been playing devil's advocate with myself over this one.
So, here goes:
If there is individual redemption and you have a really awful father, what kind of example do you have?
In the business world where I hover, many of our contacts think absolutely nothing of lying. What if that was the example you had as a child? It would be awfully hard to break that habit and that mold.
And to the community at large, if you are a bad person, doesn't the community suffer when your business implodes or you take advantage of the weak?
This is going to take some thought on my part.
Proverbs 27:10
I understand the first part -- "Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father" but have no idea on the second part "do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you -- better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."
Anyone out there have any ideas?
My study Bible is silent on this one.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
November 7
It is Election Night at 8:20 pm as I write this. The networks have already called Georgia for Mitt Romney as expected. This has been a turbulent election with harsh words and feelings on all sides. I am sure that we will not settle our differences with the elections. And for that, I am sorry.
Sorry because we have so much that needs working on and fixing and so much time and energy is spent trying to beat the 'other side'.
This isn't the first election that had ugliness and downright deception and it won't be the last. When there are people and power at stake, the motto of 'whatever it takes to win' is always in play.
As flawed as our system is, it is the best one around. I am proud to be an American and I am proud of participating in the election. '
Tonight, both sides will pray that their 'man' wins. I hope all of us will pray that whoever wins, will be guided by God to bring us through to the other side.
Much love, peace, and serenity to us all.
Sorry because we have so much that needs working on and fixing and so much time and energy is spent trying to beat the 'other side'.
This isn't the first election that had ugliness and downright deception and it won't be the last. When there are people and power at stake, the motto of 'whatever it takes to win' is always in play.
As flawed as our system is, it is the best one around. I am proud to be an American and I am proud of participating in the election. '
Tonight, both sides will pray that their 'man' wins. I hope all of us will pray that whoever wins, will be guided by God to bring us through to the other side.
Much love, peace, and serenity to us all.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
November 5
The whole argument in today's scripture in Hebrews is why Jesus can be referred to as a "High Priest". By Jesus' lineage, he was NOT a Levite and thus not qualified for the priesthood. Jesus is a descendant of Judah. The argument of the author is that others, in specific Melchizedek, had received the tribute.
In case you have forgotten, there is quite an argument among the sages about who Melchizedek was. Rashi says that he was Shem, the son of Noah. And by the numbers, he certainly could be. Plus, Noah had blessed Shem to be a priest. Also, where Abraham met him to deliver his tribute is where Jerusalem would eventually be and that was in Shem's territory.
That would also make Abraham, Shem's great something grandson. And I guess you are supposed to take care of him.
A very interesting proposition and one that Paul certainly would have known about since Rashi was quoting Hillel, the greatest rabbi (other than Jesus) ever and Paul's teacher.
This is setting up the foundation for this entire letter as to why Jesus matters to Jews, the audience for this letter.
I spent yesterday afternoon and night on a hike to a lovely little inn at Amicalola Falls, GA, The Hike Inn. It was our church retreat and I am so proud of all of us for making that 5 mile hike in. We left before everyone else to get Matthew back to Atlanta so he could go back to school so I hope that everyone made it OUT.
Being up there and seeing how hard they have worked to make it sustainable but comfortable makes me a little ashamed of how little I do to make the world a better place. I resolve to do better.
In my babystep mode, Don and I have agreed to recycle paper and glass. It is harder than it looks since my garbage man allows you to separate the recycles but then doesn't recycle them as there is no money in them. Fortunately, there is an enormous recycle place just north of here and I am going to try and go once a week and then pop over to the Big Trees Preserve for a hike. I am afraid the hike bug has bitten.
Grace and Peace and a great week to each of you.
And if you are an American, GO VOTE.
In case you have forgotten, there is quite an argument among the sages about who Melchizedek was. Rashi says that he was Shem, the son of Noah. And by the numbers, he certainly could be. Plus, Noah had blessed Shem to be a priest. Also, where Abraham met him to deliver his tribute is where Jerusalem would eventually be and that was in Shem's territory.
That would also make Abraham, Shem's great something grandson. And I guess you are supposed to take care of him.
A very interesting proposition and one that Paul certainly would have known about since Rashi was quoting Hillel, the greatest rabbi (other than Jesus) ever and Paul's teacher.
This is setting up the foundation for this entire letter as to why Jesus matters to Jews, the audience for this letter.
I spent yesterday afternoon and night on a hike to a lovely little inn at Amicalola Falls, GA, The Hike Inn. It was our church retreat and I am so proud of all of us for making that 5 mile hike in. We left before everyone else to get Matthew back to Atlanta so he could go back to school so I hope that everyone made it OUT.
Being up there and seeing how hard they have worked to make it sustainable but comfortable makes me a little ashamed of how little I do to make the world a better place. I resolve to do better.
In my babystep mode, Don and I have agreed to recycle paper and glass. It is harder than it looks since my garbage man allows you to separate the recycles but then doesn't recycle them as there is no money in them. Fortunately, there is an enormous recycle place just north of here and I am going to try and go once a week and then pop over to the Big Trees Preserve for a hike. I am afraid the hike bug has bitten.
Grace and Peace and a great week to each of you.
And if you are an American, GO VOTE.
Friday, November 2, 2012
November 2
OT -- Ezekiel 3:16-6:14
If I thought Jeremiah was bad, I had no idea about Ezekiel. Don't you just love how we only read/study/learn the 'good' parts of the prophets.
I don't think I have ever heard the 'bake with human excrement' side. And truthfully, I am just glad I didn't.
My knowledge of Ezekiel was the visitation of the wheel a.k.a alien visitation and the dry bones arising. That's it. I probably should have stuck to those.
Psalm 104:24-35
A continuation of yesterday's jumbled up pronouns but this part is a little clearer. Again we have God as the sustainer but also as the death knell in the second person. And then the psalmist ends with back to the 'He" as praise is given.
*** We are 5/6 of the way through. 2 months left. I am afraid to say it, but I think these texts are probably the hardest ones as we are stuck in the prophets in the OT, have more letters from Paul, Peter, James and John and then we have Revelation.
You have probably heard the phrase 'gird up your loins'. My friend who is Scottish says this means to tuck all the edges of your kilt in tight as you are fixin' to go into the brambles. This is an apt description of what we have ahead.
So, rather than be scared, I am trying to think positively about what I have learned over the past 10 months.
Here are a few things:
I learned that Joseph was a politician who ended up making the Pharaoh a very,very wealthy man.
I learned that while the Children of Israel were in the desert for 40 years, they weren't moving every day. If Exodus and Numbers tell the complete tale, they moved 7 times.
I learned about Rashi and the rabbis' commentary.
I learned that the reason the Children of Israel finally moved into the Promised Land was because their source of water, Miriam, died. (Along with all the others of her generation except for Joshua, Caleb and the other spy whose name has escaped me.)
I learned not to take the scriptures at face value. There usually is a back story and if you don't know it, you miss a lot.
I learned that so many, many of our watch phrases came from places that if you quote the surrounding scripture passages, you won't get the comforting feeling you have always gotten.
And so many, many other things.
What about you? What have you learned and/or wished you hadn't known?
I am grateful I started this study in January and grateful that I have kept plugging along even though the going has been quite tough here lately.
And that is why I am keeping on.
If you have dropped out of the scriptures, well, maybe this isn't the best place to pop back into but what the heck, suffer with the rest of us.
Much love and peace to each of you.
If I thought Jeremiah was bad, I had no idea about Ezekiel. Don't you just love how we only read/study/learn the 'good' parts of the prophets.
I don't think I have ever heard the 'bake with human excrement' side. And truthfully, I am just glad I didn't.
My knowledge of Ezekiel was the visitation of the wheel a.k.a alien visitation and the dry bones arising. That's it. I probably should have stuck to those.
Psalm 104:24-35
A continuation of yesterday's jumbled up pronouns but this part is a little clearer. Again we have God as the sustainer but also as the death knell in the second person. And then the psalmist ends with back to the 'He" as praise is given.
*** We are 5/6 of the way through. 2 months left. I am afraid to say it, but I think these texts are probably the hardest ones as we are stuck in the prophets in the OT, have more letters from Paul, Peter, James and John and then we have Revelation.
You have probably heard the phrase 'gird up your loins'. My friend who is Scottish says this means to tuck all the edges of your kilt in tight as you are fixin' to go into the brambles. This is an apt description of what we have ahead.
So, rather than be scared, I am trying to think positively about what I have learned over the past 10 months.
Here are a few things:
I learned that Joseph was a politician who ended up making the Pharaoh a very,very wealthy man.
I learned that while the Children of Israel were in the desert for 40 years, they weren't moving every day. If Exodus and Numbers tell the complete tale, they moved 7 times.
I learned about Rashi and the rabbis' commentary.
I learned that the reason the Children of Israel finally moved into the Promised Land was because their source of water, Miriam, died. (Along with all the others of her generation except for Joshua, Caleb and the other spy whose name has escaped me.)
I learned not to take the scriptures at face value. There usually is a back story and if you don't know it, you miss a lot.
I learned that so many, many of our watch phrases came from places that if you quote the surrounding scripture passages, you won't get the comforting feeling you have always gotten.
And so many, many other things.
What about you? What have you learned and/or wished you hadn't known?
I am grateful I started this study in January and grateful that I have kept plugging along even though the going has been quite tough here lately.
And that is why I am keeping on.
If you have dropped out of the scriptures, well, maybe this isn't the best place to pop back into but what the heck, suffer with the rest of us.
Much love and peace to each of you.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
November 1
OT -- Ezekiel 1:1-3:15
What an incredible word picture of God descending to Ezekiel! And I love how God keeps referring to Ezekiel as 'son of man'. As if he could be something else?
And I would sit on my bottom for many days as well if something lifted me up and plunked me down a long way from where I was.
Ezekiel must have been scared out of his wits.
Of course, this is the classic VBS song about him.
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Psalm 104:1-23
Does it drive you crazy when the pronouns change from You to He? It totally confuses me and then I have to start again and try to figure out who and what the psalmist is talking about.
In case you are in the same boat, here is what I figured out:
The psalmist is trying to praise God, first as a king, then as a creator, then as sustainer. He begins each stanza directing it at God -- thus the You and then goes on to explain to the psalmist' audience what God is/has done -- thus the He.
This is probably a translation issue between the Hebrew/Greek/English.
The psalmist would not have passed my sixth grade English teacher, Mrs. Robinson, but then again, I very nearly didn't either.
Grace to each of you as you begin your weekend.
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