Good Shepherd Lutheran church

Though we welcome you joining the discussion here online, there really is no substitute for being part of the lively discussion in person. Consider joining us at one of our Bible Studies that you can find at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Or follow us on facebook.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Mary, Mary, not at all contrary

Last week we looked at the call of Abram, a different kind of call; one to be the father of the nations, rather than to proclaim a message. This week we’re looking at a similar type of deal, except now it’s the mother of the nations, Mary, mother of Jesus.

In this section we see how God uses the most unlikely people to be a part of his message. He uses those who are lower on the social ladder and those who are not great and powerful to inhabit the most extraordinary roles. Mary is one of the most well known people in the bible. Her story is well known to Christians and non-Christians as her situation flies directly in the face of all of our commonly held beliefs about how biology works.

God’s call to Mary comes in a rather spectacular way; through the message of an angel called to give Mary the news. When we look at this story there are a lot of mixed emotions about the situation that she is in. First off it is pretty amazing to be chosen for this task. There’s a lot of responsibility in being the mother of Jesus. Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend some time with a pretty brand new baby, and it is always amazing just how dependent they are on those around them. It doesn’t take a lot to harm a baby, and there’s nothing that they can do to stop you either. God in his most fragile state was the responsibility of the young girl Mary. I’m nervous enough caring for a normal baby, never mind a baby who is also God!

Second, let’s have a look at the social situation. This message was severe enough to bring about death. A baby is usually the by-product of a sexual union. Given the fact that Mary was not yet married, was waiting for the ok that she hadn’t been sexually active, this was a major conflict for her. It wasn’t just that it was going to be hard for her to deal with a new baby, but it was a cause for being ostracized at the least and affecting her entire manner of life.

Third, it was contrary to everything that she had been taught. It was brought about as a result of the fact that she had found favour in God’s eyes. Combining this with the previous ideas, it doesn’t seem like a positive reward for being faithful to God. When we think of rewards we think that things are made easier, or we receive something positive as a result of what we have done. In this situation, it was the opportunity to serve God in a more difficult manner that came as a result of her faithfulness.

Looking at the difficulties that Mary would face, it would appear to us that she might have some hesitation in accepting the call to be the most blessed among women, but we see the exact opposite happening. Without the declaration of ineptitude, the desire to run away or the excuse of being too young, she accepts the call of God. She proclaims that she is a servant of the Lord. Never does she expect that she will do this on her own, but neither does God tell her that he will be there with her. Her faith, the very same which caused her to be in great favour with God, is what gave her the ability to accept this call. Even as a young girl she shows greater faith than old men who have studied God’s word for years. She doesn’t require a detailed list of what’s going to happen, she doesn’t ask for a step by step plan. She trusts God completely and as such takes up the responsibility that he has put before her.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I trust you

Trust

It’s a dirty little word. How often have you said “I trust you,” all the while having visions of the absolute worst case scenario and how you’re going to fix whatever goes wrong.

What does trust actually look like?

I should have thought this out better because I honestly have no clue what the answer is.

The example of trust that we saw in our bible study on Monday evening was that of a young child. The story went that there was a tree with a rope tied on one of the branches. The children would climb up a ladder and swing on this rope that was so high above the ground that their mother would be trembling while watching these children play on what she considered to be an incredibly dangerous plaything. The kids had faith that the swing was well secured and would hold their weight. The mother was envisioning all the things that could go wrong, all the ways that these children could be heard. She was oblivious to the shrieks of joy because in her mind they were replaced with shrieks of pain and hurting.

As you’re reading that, I can only imagine that your heart is going out to that poor mother. You’re remembering the horror stories that you’ve heard, you’re thinking about that stupid things that you’ve done and the same stance that you’ve taken when someone that you care about has done something that scared you half to death.

Jesus knows about fear. He experienced the most terrifying events that a person could ever imagine. And beyond that, he knows about our fears too.

In John 14 Jesus points us toward the ultimate source of strength, the one in whom we can trust. He acknowledges that our hearts will be troubled. He knows that we do have difficulty trusting him.

Going back to that rope swing. If that mother could be assured that the tree, rope, ladder etc. were all structurally sound, that it was completely safe, do you think she would cease worrying? No, probably not. Would she be less worried? I would imagine yes. This is the same sentiment expressed in the reading from John. Jesus assures his disciples, the same way we are assured today, that there is a plan in place. There are preparations to be done but the result will be phenomenal. This statement is meant to calm our fears and doubts and to point us towards the promise that he has for us.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus reveals himself to us as the one who saves. It is not only his words that make him trustworthy, but his actions, the way he cares for us and the very fact that he was willing to sacrifice everything in order to ensure that we were taken care of. In everything else that we place our trust there is always that possibility of being let down; in this we are assured that everything has been done and there is no need for doubt.

Now of course we can say that just fine. I can stand on the street corner and yell until I’m blue in the face about how much I trust in Jesus. I could write an entire blog post about just how deep my trust in Jesus actually goes. But what good is this expression of faith, if I’m not willing to do anything about it? If we do believe in what Jesus has done, that He is the way, the truth and the life, then a natural reflection of that will occur in what we do. I am well aware of the fact that I am a sinner. I am well aware of the fact that if it were up to me and what I do that I would rot in hell. I am also aware that God has forgiven my sins. I can recognize the blessings that God has given to me.

What now?

I can also recognize that elliptical trainer that is sitting in the corner. Do I get in better shape just by realizing what it is? Of course not. My spiritual health suffers as well when I recognize the opportunities and blessings that God has given to me and fail to use them.

We are faced with two options: to live our lives comfortable in our nice little bubble or to be shaken up and be put in an uncomfortable circumstance.

Now looking at those two options, I will be the first to admit that the first one seems a lot nicer. I can be in control (which I like a lot) and I don’t have to worry about being hurt. Sound familiar? Now if only that danged St Paul would stop calling me on it. Relying on God is scary. It very rarely produces the results that I had planned. But sometimes it produces something that is even greater. How can I know that God will have something good planned for me?

Trust.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

'Cause I gotta have faith

By now I hope that you realize that on Thursday mornings we have been looking at people in the bible who have been called by God in some manner or another. If you haven’t, well, there you have it!

Now the majority of the calls that we’ve looked at have been attached to some form of action that the recipient was called to do. We saw Jonah being called to Nineveh, Paul being called as an apostle to the Gentiles, even Ezekiel proclaiming a message of mourning and lamentation to his people, the Israelites. Today’s call, well, the call that we’re looking at today, obviously this did not just happen 7.32 hours ago, is a little different than that.

Clue #1: He had many sons

Clue #2: Many sons did he have

Clue #3: I am one of them and so are you

I hope that brought back memories of your childhood and

encouraged you to don rainbow colours and a great deal of makeup.

Anyways, we are talking about Abraham strike that, we are talking about Abram.

I know what you’re thinking, actually that is a complete and utter lie, I have no clue what you’re thinking, but I do know what I’m thinking: Abram didn’t really do anything. Before you flog me, here’s what I mean; he didn’t have a great and powerful message that he went out to proclaim to the people. His message was through his actions, what he did (hmm, maybe that’s why Father Abraham is an action song). So let’s go take a look at his call.

Before you get all high and mighty about what a great follower of God Abram was, let’s take a pause and look at his family lineage. His family didn’t have the greatest history with the whole worshiping God thing. At this point in time, Abram himself wasn’t the greatest worshiper of God either. He was living a life in which he offered worship to many other gods, but not to the one true God.

That is a pretty immense demonstration of Abram’s faithfulness in God. There was God, a being that he wasn’t even aware of, making all of these promises and proposing these farfetched ideas, and you know what? Abram went for it! Unlike Jonah, or Moses or Jeremiah or many others, he didn’t put up any protest at all, as we see in verse 4 which simply say that he left. No fuss, no complaints, no inquiries as to who this God actually was; just simple acquiescence.

That Abram is a swell guy. He really goes above and beyond the call of duty. He trusts God all the time and never once doubts that God will keep his promise.

The best part of this reading is that it paints Abram as being completely human. He does have doubts, and he even acts on these doubts. Genesis 12, the second part, reminds us of how flawed a person he actually is and how we can relate to him because of these flaws.

I am a huge worrywart. At any point in time there are ten hundred different worst-case situations running through my mind. I can imagine situations that would be nearly impossible, and then convince myself that they are destined to happen. As these scenarios are running through my head, I’m coming up with solutions as well. I can get so fixated on these problems, and on these solutions that I forget to look at what’s happening around me at that very moment. As you can imagine, a lot of the time what I’m imagining and what’s actually happening don’t match up.

This is what I see happening to Abram. Their path has taken a little bit of a detour and for reasons beyond his control they need to travel through Egypt. The sweet part of this story is of course the fact that even after having been married for a fairly significant amount of time, that Abram still found Sarai to be the most attractive woman in the world. The not so sweet part is, of course, that in his “Worst-case Scenario Plan” (heretofore referred to as WoSP…not to be confused with WASP) he puts his beloved wife in a very awkward situation in order to save his own life.

Of course at this point God completely forsakes him and leaves him to figure out this mess on his own.

“I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

God kept his promise. Abram screwed up and tried to fix a situation that God had under control. As much as we laud Abram for his faithfulness we forget that, just like us, he had his doubts. His own fear and trepidation at times outweighed his trust in God. We all have those moments where we doubt what God is doing in our lives. We don’t trust his plan and we think that we know what’s best.

But God does keep his promises, even when we think he doesn’t. He sticks with us, even when we screw up the plans that he so painstakingly put together. The message that God has given Abraham to proclaim is one that is not limited to a specific time or place. It’s a message that continues on today and reminds us of the faith that God gives to each of us, and the forgiveness that he offers, even though we don’t deserve it.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Of Metal, Rainbows and Really Tough Choices



Let’s do a quick survey here. And because it’s fun to play with technology let’s use this nice little survey site. So give me some clicks people!

In the account from Ezekiel, we see both being used to describe the image of God. Now in today’s context, the rainbow doesn’t necessarily evoke the same emotions as it would in Ezekiel’s time. As you will recall the rainbow has a very powerful history. Unlike today where it brings to mind 6 year old girls and My Little Pony the rainbow was initially a reminder of God’s love and mercy. It was (and still is) a reminder of the covenant that God made with His people that no matter

how angry he was at their actions, no matter what terrible acts they did, He would not destroy them as he had during the great flood.

This is where the account of Ezekiel’s call begins. The Israelite people, to whom Ezekiel belongs, feel as though they have been betrayed by God. They are now in exile, they have been taken away from the land that they had been promised and they are pretty dang ticked with God. These are the people to whom Ezekiel is called to minister.

One of the big differences that we see here with Ezekiel is that he is called to be a prophet to his own people. It’s not like Jonah who is carried away to Nineveh; not like Jeremiah who is to be a prophet to the nations; not even like Paul who is called to disciple the Gentiles. Ezekiel is called to preach the message to his own people, and as we soon find out, to a people who are not willing to hear God’s word. And as we hear Jesus himself say “No prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24).

Whether or not the Israelite people want to hear this message, God is ensuring that they are made aware of the fact that he cares for them and is looking out for them. He sends Ezekiel to preach a difficult message; a message that the Israelite people don’t want to hear. We know that God isn’t a bearer of light, fluffy messages. He doesn’t offer platitudes and consolation. He speaks the truth and through his prophets he provides a message that is, more often than not, quite difficult to hear. The thing is, though, that he does it because of love. The appearance of the rainbow in the beginning of this account is not just a coincidence. It’s a reminder to Ezekiel, to the Israelite people, and heck, to us too, that He is a God of love. He is capable of doing great damage, He can destroy the whole world with the snap of his fingers, but that’s not what he wants to do, He wants to save us.

Now let’s look at what God has to say about the House of Israel, because believe you me, it is nothing good. He calls them stubborn, rebellious and impudent. Now, you will remember that Ezekiel is a part of this group, right? It’s the same as if someone where to come up to you (or me) and say “Canadians are all a bunch of lazy bums. They don’t ever listen to what is told to them. They are completely ridiculous.” My first reaction is to rise up and defend my people, whether the allegations are true or not, but Ezekiel doesn’t really even get the chance to do that. God is straight up revealing fact. Not only that, but he is admonishing Ezekiel to not follow in that same path. Ezekiel is given the choice: will you choose to follow your people, or will you choose to follow me?

This is a message that I would imagine you can relate to quite well, I say this because this is a message that I relate to. In my heart of hearts I know what the bible says. I know the message that God is asking me to carry forth…even when I pretend that I don’t. I also know what everyone else is saying, and more often than not the two messages run completely parallel to each other. Ne’er the two shall meet. As we hear in this account, and from the words of Jesus himself; sharing the word of God with your own people is nearly impossible. One of our desires as humans is for acceptance from our peers. We’ve all done our share of stupid things in order to be accepted by people we wanted to be our friends. What we rarely do is to speak up against what is being done, even if we know that it’s wrong. We are afraid of what people will think of us, but there is also the very real possibility that no one will listen to us anyways. What makes us any better than everyone else? When the whole rest of society is saying one thing, and we’re saying the exact opposite, what could possibly make one person’s way of thinking better, or more correct, than what the majority of people would have you believe?

Obviously, as you could guess, Ezekiel does as God commands him. He believes in God rather than in the rebellious ways of his own people. He follows God’s command to preach a message filled with lament and mourning and woe, knowing that it will bring sweetness to his people.

It is ultimately the last part of this section that brings about the biggest sense of sympathy for Ezekiel. For his entire life he has belonged to the House of Israel. He has followed what they did and identified himself as belonging to them. Now, following a comparatively brief encounter with God his whole world is flipped, turned upside down and he is forced to reconsider everything that he has ever believed. And we see that he is angry and he is bitter. He is forced to return to his people, knowing that they have greatly displeased God, that they don’t want to listen to God, and more than likely that they won’t listen to him either. It’s a sucky position to be put in. But where I feel the most pain for him is in the very end of v. 15 where he just sits for 7 days, completely overwhelmed by what has just happened. He can’t talk to anyone about what has just happen because they won’t understand. Not only will they not understand, but they’re the very reason why he has been put in this position. I am a very interpersonal thinker. I process best when I am able to talk to someone and hear what I am thinking as someone else would. I like to hear other people’s opinions and process that in the context of my own life. To not be able to do that would leave me completely overwhelmed as well. To be stuck inside my own head for days on end without anyone to share my thoughts with would nearly ruin me, it’s a difficult time for Ezekiel as he struggles with his thoughts about his people and his God.

Ezekiel’s account reminds us more than anything of the difficulty that we will face as we live out our Christian lives in our current society. As you and I both know, it is increasingly difficult to be a Christian as is spelled out in the bible. It is awfully hard to love your neighbor as yourself when you are trying to gain as much money and stuff as possible in order to one up your neighbor. It is hard to serve your neighbor when you are trying to work your way up the company ladder and appear greater than those around you. We, like Ezekiel, are not given an easy choice. We can say we are Christians and rebel against his word, doing what we like and what is easier, similar to the House of Israel or we can follow the more difficult example of Ezekiel. With the knowledge that what we are doing is difficult, and is not something that our closest friends and family will ever be able to understand, we can proclaim God’s word, we can live our lives in a Christian manner, even though we know it will be difficult and overwhelming.

Friday, February 3, 2012

For I know the plans I have for you

Jeremiah is one of my favourite accounts of receiving a call from God. I will lay that out on the table right here and now. I can relate to Jeremiah in a way that I just can’t with any of the other prophets. Jeremiah is just a young guy and I know that at even 17 years old I was no where near ready to serve God with my whole life. Even now I’m not really ready to serve God with my whole life…too bad for me eh?

So let’s take a peek at what happened with Jeremiah and his call shall we? In Jeremiah 1:4-10 we find the account of Jeremiah’s call.

It’s a scary thought. God is telling Jeremiah about the plans he has for him, and they are something that Jeremiah had not really entertained seriously at all. I mean, sure, he lived the majority of his life under the assumption that he would one day become a priest, it was the way of the family after all! The key phrase in here, though, is someday. It wouldn’t be happening anytime soon because he still had so much more to learn. He needed to grow up a bit, mature a lot and gain the wisdom that was required to be a proper servant of God.

And really that makes absolute sense. I’m sure that you and I both have a list that’s filled up with things that I would like to do “someday.”

v I’ll do more work in the community…once I get settled in and have a little more time.

v I’ll start giving 10% of my income to the church…once I’ve got enough money that I feel comfortable

v I’ll start telling people about God…once I’ve taken some theology classes

v I’ll start going to bible study…once I feel that I’m smart enough

v Add your own here

You and I are amazing at coming up with lists, and then coming up with reasons why we can’t complete those items on said lists. If he was given the chance I’m sure that’s what Jeremiah would have done as well had God given in to his arguments. Let’s use our imaginations to try and picture this:

“You see God, I’m just too young. Let’s try this again in 5, well, better make it ten years. I’m sure I’ll be mature enough by then!”

“Oh wow, has it been 10 years already? I would go off and be your prophet God, but you see we just had our third little bundle of joy here. I couldn’t possibly leave my wife and kids to go traipsing around all the nations being your prophet. How about we give it another 20 years or so, give the kids a chance to grow up.”

“God, what are you thinking? I’m an old man. I don’t have the stamina to go and be your servant. Maybe you’d be better off finding someone younger to do this.”

Later on in Jeremiah we see one of the most widely used bible verses, aside from John 3:16, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” This is given to many delightful confirmation students (why yes, this was my confirmation verse, how did you guess?), is spoken to those who are in need of comfort and is used as a platitude for many. But how comforting of a verse is it actually? If you look at the context, if you look at Jeremiah’s call, God’s plan in these circumstances is not what we had in mind. It doesn’t follow our nicely planned out existence. It’s really quite hard, requiring the laying down of our own plans and taking up God’s plans; of following the uncertain rather than the well-trod path with which we are comfortably familiar. It requires a lot of effort, even more sacrifice and the payoff is quite minimal in comparison to what we put into it. Our own plans seem much more beneficial to us.

And I think that this is really what it all boils down to; the discrepancy between what’s good for me and what’s good for someone else. I was trying to avoid it, of course, but one of the biggest controversies that relates to this topic is the concept of abortion. In reading the call of Jeremiah, one of the parts that jumps out to me the most is that even before Jeremiah was a developed fetus he was created with a purpose. He was known to God before he was even known to his mother or father. He was always considered more than just a conglomeration of cells. I would imagine that this isn’t something that’s only applicable to Jeremiah either. We see this being echoed in the Psalms, the foretelling of Samson, Job and Isaiah. This knowledge isn’t specific to Jeremiah, it’s something that is widespread; God knows people before they are born. If God knows them, if they are created with a purpose, if they are more than just a conglomeration of cells, what is the decision that we are making with abortion? In most cases the decision being made is what’s best for me instead of what’s best for the baby. The large majority of reasons cited all deal with the issues that will be facing the mother, things in a woman’s life that would be increasingly inconvenient due to the introduction of a baby. When this becomes the focal point, it trumps the actual issues that are facing the child in question; the fact that this baby that has been known by God, that was created with a purpose are ignored (see tables 2 and 3). It is the ultimate discrepancybetween what is good for me vs what is good for someone else.

In Jeremiah’s call we see the issues that confront us all: how does what God has planned compare with what I have planned? What excuses are we going to give about why we can’t be serving God? What does it look like when I think less about me and more about God?