by Elizabeth | Mar 24, 2011 | Learning Story
Aw, shoot, I really am not allowed to eat a camel?? (Lev. 11:4)
“Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. 3 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. 4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. 5If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.
6 “You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.
7 “Do not violate your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
8 “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.
9 “Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.” Leviticus 18:1-9
“Can we just STOP?!!” My 10-year-old son’s cry for relief rings in my ears over a decade after the famous Leviticus eruption. Our family had developed a practice of reading the One Year Bible together after dinner. We had been struggling through Leviticus until we reached chapter 18, and now we were squirming. My son’s irritation was two-fold. First, he didn’t want to be hearing the word ‘sexual’ aloud so many times with his parents at the dinner table, and second, weren’t the points being made OBVIOUS, even to his 4-year-old baby brother?!!
I was reminded of this story recently in the Sunday School class we help lead. Our group of Seniors wants to do a series on “Hard Questions” about the Bible, Christianity, life. One brave soul had written down Leviticus as his suggestion. At first we thought he was kidding. But he said, “No, I’d really like to know why it’s even in the Bible. It’s such a weird book, but it’s in there, so I know it must be there for a reason.”
How about you? When’s the last time you read Leviticus? This might be a good time. I’m going to be going back through it over the next few days, and I’ll share with you what I learn. If you have any questions, please send them. If you simply object to Leviticus 18, you’ll have to do what I told my son to do — take it up with God.
by Elizabeth | Mar 22, 2011 | Learning Story
Division in the church shatters the heart.
13-16Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
17-18Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
James 3:15-18, The Message
Ayyyyhhhhhh….Yikes! Eugene Peterson, as he does so often, brings James to stick right to our hearts like velcro — there is no way to shake this if we really listen to it.
I don’t know about you, but my pain tolerance for division, especially in churches and fellowships, is low. James also has a low threshold for disunity among Christian brothers and sisters. Here’s what John Stott says about this passage.
“James requires us to affirm that whatever displays a sharp, antagonistic spirit of self-concern (jealousy), whatever leads to or favours party spirit or the creation of parties or the dividing of fellowships (selfish ambition), whatever issues in disorder (restlessness, instability, disturbance in the fellowship), and in meanness in thought, word, and deed (every vile practice) — this is the wisdom which in no way comes down from above.
We need to ask ourselves very seriously whether we believe this or not. We look about us and see fellowships being sundered — sometimes in the name of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of fellowship himself! It does not look as if we really believe James when he says that the spirit which promotes, tolerates and brings about divisions is of the earth (not of heaven), of the natural man (Not the Spirit of God) and of the devil (not of the Lord). We look about us and find Christians being catty and petty, as anxious to keep their end up, and to defend their rights, and so on, as the next man. It does not look as if we believe James when he says that all that is mean lacks heavenly validation. We need to ask ourselves very seriously whether we believe James or not.”
A challenge for us all today: Do I believe James or not? How do I sow discord, disunity, or division in the church, fellowship, group, team, I am a part of?
What would it look like to pursue peace, extend mercy, and grow unity in this place?
by Elizabeth | Mar 21, 2011 | Learning Story
StoryPeople.com by Brian Andreas
“What did the monkey say when the lawn-mower cut his tail off?”
“It won’t be long now.”
That is a favorite ‘joke’ my Dad always used to tell us when we were little and asked, “How much longer,” on a car trip to Grandmom’s house. I’m thinking of it today because we are in the final stages of preparing the Bible study, Learning God’s Story of Grace, for publication. (It’s due in May!!!) The idea that we are “living story” is not new with me; I really think it is written all through the Bible. Today I discovered some earlier writings about what it means to be a Story People. This is the concept the Bible study is based on:
God and Jesus use story as a vehicle to open eyes and ears and hearts to unseen and unheard things, but God also created us to be a story people. Scripture speaks the story of God’s pursuing love for us; God also authored us as stories who testify to his creative power and transforming love. Dan Allender writes about our story natures:
You are a story. You are not merely the possessor and teller of a number of stories; you are a well-written, intentional story that is authored by the greatest Writer of all time, and even before time and after time. The weight of those words, if you believe them even for brief snippets of time, can change the trajectory of your life….
God always intended for his children to join him in completing creation. We are not inanimate entities that merely reveal glory but living stories that are meant to create glory.[1]
God authored us as living stories to tell His story. The written Word, Scripture; the Incarnated Word, Jesus; and the created word, God’s people, are all story shaped by our Creator. Clearly, stories bear great significance, because they point us beyond the surface realities that we see to the greater realities of God’s glory and design for the world.
[1] Dan Allender, To Be Told (Colorado Springs, Co: Waterbrook, 2005), 11.
by Elizabeth | Mar 19, 2011 | Learning Story
Japan Nuclear Plant Post-Earthquake
I spent far too long last week looking for a link to embed the awesome Sandra McCracken’s version of Go to Dark Gethesemane (the process was complicated by the struggle to remember how to spell Gethsemane:)…and then I ran out of time. In the end, I decided to point you to High Street Hymns’ version. It’s not nearly as upbeat as McCracken (Indelible Grace) version, but it draws me to slow down and gaze at all that lies before us in our world through the Redeemer’s eyes. What a great season to remember — HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE! But that’s not all, HE ROSE — RESURRECTION MEANS REDEMPTION HAS BEGUN! Can’t you just see with him this world longing for redemption?
Click to listen to
High Street Hymns’ Go to Dark Gethsemane
Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see, watch with Him one bitter hour,
Turn not from His griefs away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
See Him at the judgment hall, beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall! O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss; learn of Christ to bear the cross.
Calvary’s mournful mountain climb; there, adoring at His feet,
Mark that miracle of time, God’s own sacrifice complete.
“It is finished!” hear Him cry; learn of Jesus Christ to die.
Early hasten to the tomb where they laid His breathless clay;
All is solitude and gloom. Who has taken Him away?
Christ is risen! He meets our eyes; Savior, teach us so to rise.
by Elizabeth | Mar 18, 2011 | Learning Story
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:14-18
We’ve been looking for the last week at James’ warnings about the tongue in chapter 3. He concludes the chapter with a passage on wisdom and the final charge describes peacemakers.
Here’s the thing — peaceful words are sometimes “fighting words.” If a woman tells me her husband is abusing her, whether with words or with fists, wisdom dictates I speak. If my daughter were to act like a fool and refuse to study for her AP Environmental test because it involves reading about “oozing sludge” — well, frankly, I wouldn’t blame her, but you get the picture — if our children persist in doing life their own way, some strong words would be wise.
The best resource I know on what it means to pursue love boldly is Dan Allender and Tremper Longman’s book Bold Love. They make it clear that love isn’t necessarily nice. Read these excerpts of his passage on “Good Words”:
“To bless is to give words of life that nourish the soul and deepen its desire for truth. Words offer grace to our enemy and ask God the Father for grace that benefits our enemy.”
Dan reminds us that the fact that it is difficult to think of the right words in the moment is not an excuse for not seeking them:
“Before entering a war, we need to enter the heavenly realm, asking for help. We are to pray to the Father to act on behalf of our enemies; we are to pray for God to work in our enemies’ lives, to restrain evil, to deepen consciousness of harm, to destroy their arrogance so that life and grace may flourish. We are equally to pray for wisdom and all that blocks the development of wisdom in our life.” Dan Allender, Bold Love
A Fascinating Exercise: Read through Proverbs and write down every reference to how to use our tongue. (You will notice they don’t all agree:). Then pray about what wisdom looks like in a difficult situation.
by Elizabeth | Mar 16, 2011 | Learning Story
"Sing -- or RING -- psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs!"
For the last week, I’ve been posting on the tongue-taming passages in James 3. Now seems like a good time to mention that the wise use of the tongue does not mean the refusal to use good words at all. James is pressing us on wisdom, and most of us need reminding that our default nature is to use our tongues unwisely.
The Bible is clear, however, that silence is not always wise. Today’s challenge: read the following verses and make a list of all the ways we are called to use our mouths. Then pray about what types of wise words God might call you to speak today.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:15-21
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. I Timothy 5:1-2
“So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” Luke 17:3.
