A faith that changes us. 

Isaiah 1:10-17 (From The Message)

Is. 1:10               "Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders.

            Receive God's revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people.

Is. 1:11               "Why this frenzy of sacrifices?" GOD'S asking.

            "Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves?

            Don't you think I've had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats?

12             When you come before me,who ever gave you the idea of acting like this,

            Running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place             provided for worship?

Is. 1:13       "Quit your worship charades.

            I can't stand your trivial religious games:

            Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—

            meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more!

14             Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out!

            I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion,while you go right on sinning.

15             When you put on your next prayer-performance,I'll be looking the other way.

            No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening.

            And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands             are bloody.

16             Go home and wash up. Clean up your act.

            Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer.

            Say no to wrong.

17                Learn to do good.

            Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless.

            Go to bat for the defenseless.

 

Meetings, meetings, meetings… I think we can all relate to frustration of meetings.  From many years in the corporate world, often meetings were scheduled with details, or training, or numbers, or the next new best idea.  How many times would we get to the next meeting and talk about the same problems, or just go through the motions.   But often what was needed was the time to visit people…customers, the place where the rubber hits the road.  This is what Isaiah is sharing with us…God's frustration in continued meetings.  Meetings with ideas, maybe saying the right things, or sharing the "right rituals",  kinda' going through the motions.   What God is asking for is action, the kind of faith that changes us.  God doesn't have a problem with worship.  God is angry with the hypocrisy of saying the right things in worship, but then not putting these ideas into practice.

 

Martin Luther shares the paradox that we are justified by faith alone and how this works with a responsibility to care for our neighbor.  This paradox he shares from reading 1 Corinth. 9:19 : "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none"; and "A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all".  Luther was struggling with his new revelation that we are saved by grace alone while witnessing all of the rules that "religion" had set in place.  Luther writes, "Good works do not make a good person, but a good person does good works; evil works do not make a wicked person, but a wicked person does evil works".  This is fully dependent on motive.  Understanding that righteousness is found through faith, a believer is therefore motivated through faith to do good works.  It is through this that works come as a result of faith.  It is from the eyes of faith that we love our neighbors as Christ taught us with no self-motive, but the genuine intent on fully helping our neighbor.  In our good health and abundance, it is our responsibility in faith to financially support and provide care for those in need as Luther states, "bearing one another's burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ" Motivation is measured by whether this comes from the freedom of God's grace absent from personal gain.  It is on the basis of the name Christian that Christ dwells within us that we care for our neighbor without condition or without judgment, whether friend or foe, whether thankful or thankless.

Song of Songs. 7,8
Ps. 99-101

"Do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready"

This appears three times in Song of Songs (2:7, 3:5, and 8:4). 

Going back to the post from Tuesday, from an understanding of a love poem between two lovers, the poem is saying take it slow.  Be patient with love and build a strong foundation.  As the poetry reads from highly sensuous and builds through consummation, this speaks of taking time to build a love that will last.  This will help kindle the relationship God had in mind back in the garden.  This establishes the kind of love that when offered "all the wealth of one's house it would be utterly scorned" (8:7).  We are reminded of an untamed love that is beautiful between two people, but be patient for the right person, and with the right person, wait until love is ready.  Wait, and build a friendship, a companionship where the maturity grows from the description of the little sister to a wall...like towers. 

As allegory, this works with the same parallel.  We all share different stories in coming to Christ.  Many share that moment and remember the date.  Many others grew up nurtured from birth in the church.  Our love in Christ is one that continually needs to be nurtured.  We do this by daily being in Scripture, in prayer, meditation.  Also, importantly we do this is a community of faith.  We are all stronger together as a community.  We are more complete with the many gifts that complement us as a body of faith.  All of this is necessary in establishing what we were made for, and that is a relationship with God. 

Blessings, Rob 

1 Timothy 1-4

Pig, or not a pig... that is the question?  At least that is where we often get hung up on some of the difficult passages from Paul's writing as it pertains to women.  Isolated by itself, the following is very difficult within our culture today:  "Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.  I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.  For Adam was formed first, the Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.  Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty."

 First, this is a letter.  We are only hearing one side of the conversation, only half of the conversation.  This helps open a window to what may be going on through the other side of the letter, but we only hear one voice.  Have you ever walked in and caught something controversial said, but only heard one part of the conversation?  It is also important to note that Paul was usually responding to problems within the church. 

Second, we have a cultural divide.  Traditions, dress, mannerisms, and even gender roles even today are different throughout the many cultures in our diverse world.  Lets take this idea, and then go back 1950 years ago when this letter was written.  We need to be sensitive the cultural roles play into this.

Third, we know from many of Paul's other letters that he is radically inclusive with women in leadership roles in the Church.  We know Paul did not forbid women from teaching as we see in the following: Paul often has great praise and worked closely with Priscilla who taught Apollos, the great preacher. (Acts 18:24-26).  Many other women are recognized by Paul with  positions of responsibility. This includes Phoebe (Romans 16:1), Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa and Persis (Romans 16:6, 12), and Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2). In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul writes that women pray and prophecy in church.

All this said, it is most important to look at the greater context of what Paul is saying.  This is in our Holy Scripture.  We can dry to dodge it, or ignore it.  We can also look at the Scholars who may through a detailed analysis support that someone else other than Paul may have said this.  But back to the earlier statement, this is in our Scripture, so we need to look at it with humility and gain a better understanding of what it is saying.

To look specifically at today's reading, chapter 1 opens us to the problem Paul is writing about.  "Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions..." (1 Tim 1: 6-7)

Then, after the tough verses discussed earlier, Paul is talking about leadership in the church.  What we understand going on in Ephesus at this time is there were many false teachers.  Paul is addressing the problems, building the leadership, and in training is saying not to put anyone into leadership that doesn't have the the proper training.  He discussed the importance for elders and deacons, that they have it together, because leadership requires discipline and credibility.  Paul cares so much about building the church and the body of faith, that he really places emphasis on what he says to Timothy in having faith and good conscience.  From this perspective, we gain an understanding from a time where culturally, men were the ones educated.  Women from Ephesus are receiving training, but are not yet in a position to be teaching until they have the knowledge and experience.   

1 Timothy has so much to say to us today.  As we are seeing the diminishing influence of the church today in our culture, Paul provides us a great testament.  He writes to encourage Timothy, "For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.  These are the things you must insit on and teach.  Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you... pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers."  Paul is providing encouragement in this time surrounded with false teaching. 

As our nominating committee is seeking those called to serve as elders and deacons, we see from Paul the importance of this on nurturing and leadership for within our church home and our community.  We are fortunate to have so many blessings within our congregation in both men and women.  To witness today, the influence of Virgie, and the number of lives she has touched by loving her church.  To see the example of John, caring so deeply for everyone else.  We are blessed, and when we have these kind of examples to compare to Paul's writing, it all makes greater sense.  We are so thankful for all in our church family. 

Blessings, Rob