Are we Dunn yet?

Continuing with Dunn's questions...

What does it mean to speak of God as “God of the poor,” or as biased to the poor? What responsibility toward the poor do the Bible and the Gospel lay upon the well-to-do?

...Answer: God went to the poor because He despises the proud, but give grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:4, James 4:6). In Jesus’ day, wealth and pride seem to be a happily married couple. If you were wealthy you could be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Not much different from today. This caused the wealthy to turn to themselves and their wealthy friends and neglect the poor and hurting.

...The poor were sometimes left on the streets to beg for food and money, or they were thrown out of the towns and left to fend for themselves. Jesus took His message to the poor and oppressed to show the rich that all people matter to God. He believed this because He believed all people were made in God’s image and likeness. The actions of the wealthy go against God’s plan.

...In the Old Testament, God asks the Israelites to take care of the poor and oppressed. Jesus tells his disciples that when they do any act of kindness to the poor or oppressed, they do it unto Him (Matt 25:36). Jesus did not advocate a prosperity Gospel, but a Gospel that changed peoples’ lives from the inside out, making them wealthier than the wealthiest person on earth. So, in a way, I guess you could argue that He did promote a prosperity Gospel of a life filled with Him and His love.

We continue on with the questions from Dunn's book.

How would you define “poverty” as spoken of in the Bible? Is it possible to be both rich and “poor”? What are the dangers of being “poor,” and the dangers of wealth? What relation has material well-being to “salvation”?

...Answer: I define poverty, as spoken of in the Bible, as not having an abundance of money (just enough to get by) or not having any money at all. I guess this could also relate to not having food and other essentials too. It is possible to be both rich and poor. One could be rich in material possessions but poor in spiritual things in that they have no relationship with God.

Material well-being has nothing to do with salvation. To say that it does ostracizes all poor people from God’s grace. Believing this would cause us to look at all poor people as “out of favor” with God. This is not true and a distortion of what it means to be rich in God. If God wanted to, He could bless us with material things (like He did with Job after he had been tested), but it has nothing to do with the salvation He offers. Millions of disciples have accepted God’s salvation with no blessing of material wealth. Does this mean they are not saved? By no means, it just means that wealth and salvation have no relation.

The danger of wealth is that it can cause us to rely totally upon money and ourselves. We begin trusting the material security money brings (e.g., a home, cars, food, friends, and no debt) and lose interest in the things of God and lack genuine trust in Him. Being poor also has certain dangers. It too, can cause one to doubt God’s provisions (for the opposite reason of the wealthy) and lead to sin.

The Olympics: Teacher of the kingdom of God

We continue on in discussing questions about the kingdom of God from Dunn's book Jesus' Call to Discipleship.

What meaning has talk of “the Kingdom of God” today? Is there an alternative image or concept which would be more meaningful to people living in the twenty first century?

Answer: The Olympics going on right now in Beijing China give incredible insight into our understanding of the kingdom of God. This event can also give us something to talk about in terms of kingdoms and what they mean. One thing apparent throughout this worldwide event is that every person belongs to a nation, country, and/or state (= a kingdom). No matter where a person is from or who they are, they belong to some type of kingdom with visible boundaries and ruling authorities. This is one of God’s brilliant built in teaching devices He uses to teach us about His kingdom. We all belong to earthly kingdoms; He invites us to join and be a part of His otherworldly kingdom. His kingdom has boundaries and ruling authorities too. However, His kingdom is not of this world, so it is quite different from our earthly kingdoms. Earthly kingdoms are fully present and established. His kingdom is present while at the same time not fully here. So much to think about with this. As you watch the Olympics unfold, as you cheer for your home country, remember His kingdom is all around you and that you belong to something bigger.

Your kingdom come!

Nothing captures my attention as much as Jesus' talk about the kingdom of God. What does He mean? What is the kingdom of God? So many questions swirl in my head. James D. G. Dunn, a New Testament scholar, wrote a great little book about Jesus and the kingdom of God. At the end of each chapter he asks questions and I have tried to answer them with what little I know.

In what sense can we say that “the Kingdom of God” was present or active in Jesus’ ministry? What are Christians praying for when they say the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Thy Kingdom come’?

… Answer: The Kingdom was present in Jesus’ ministry in the ways He interacted with people. He met the needs of the people through His intimate interaction with them. He touched and blessed the people, even the poor and oppressed. He brought the Kingdom of God to them ina physical way. He also taught about the kingdom in parables that made what He had said easy to remember. He was always seeking to transform the heart through the mind. Jesus also exemplified what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. He displayed to us the type of life we could have in God’s Kingdom. He showed us what it means to be ruled by God, to submit to Him, love others, and live in constant fellowship with our Creator. We also catch glimpses of another world, different from ours, in how Jesus walked on water, became transformed on the mountain, and resurrected from the dead.

… When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are asking for God’s rule to come in our own lives. We want God to rule our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We also want to bring His Kingdom to others we come into contact with. We want them to see what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. We want them to want to join us in this Kingdom by the quality of life we live among them.

Any thoughts? It's always good to talk about this stuff!

Moped Update

I bought the bad boy back at the beginning of May and have filled it up only three times since. I see that envy! I’ve been driving it for 3 months straight and have spent $18 in gas so far. What do you think about those apples? Not so dorky anymore am I? I’ve gotten over the dork factor for the most part. There was this one incident where some guy looked at me and literally laughed out loud as I was driving by. Maybe he was laughing at a political add on the radio?

I’ve put about 350 miles on it and have averaged 75 mpg, maybe a little more. One thing I’ve noticed is that there are a lot more mopeds zooming around Bluffton. I know they can’t all be people who have a DUI. That makes me feel a little better. I’ve even got a few moped buddies I wave to now and again. On a slightly different note, I’ve ran out of gas twice now while driving. Luckily, I was only about a mile from the gas station. Walking is good exercise too! I do have a gas gauge, but have a hard time telling exactly where the empty line is.

Well, that’s the moped update.

iBread 1.8

“God’s Word is food for the mind.”
Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and read slowly the story of Genesis 32:22-32.

Table Talk
- Who is Jacob wrestling with in this story?

- Who does Hosea say Jacob wrestled with in Hosea 12:4?

- How does Hosea describe the outcome of Jacob's wrestling match?
- What does it mean that the man could not overpower Jacob?
- Is this a good thing for Jacob?
- What is Jacob seeking from the man?
- Why is that important?
- What does that man give Jacob in verse 28?
- Why is this important for Jacob?
- Do you wrestle in understanding the point to this story?
- Is it a good or bad thing to wrestle with what a story in the Bible means?

I can't hear you God!

I’m halfway through Hearing God by Dallas Willard. The book was written to help followers of Jesus Christ develop a conversational relationship with God. Willard believes we were designed to live in a conversational relationship with God that includes, “speaking and being spoken to” (p.18). I love this book! This is a classic! I can’t recommend it enough. The tree used to make this book has been redeemed. I keep thinking, if only I would have stumbled upon this book while in high school.

One of the things that immediately grabbed my attention in this book was Willard’s statement, “Only our communion with God provides the appropriate context for communications between us and him” (pg 33). What is he saying here? We can’t spend a week working, watching TV, mowing the lawn, playing with the kids, talking to the spouse, eating, sleeping, and doing whatever else we might do in a week and expect to hear from God. We must consciously choose to spend time with Him (just like we do with our families). We must get alone and be with Him. Out of this being with Him we learn to hear Him and come to know His voice. This is what led the psalmists of our Bible to write such intimate and personal prayers and praises to Yahweh. They spent time with Him. They knew Him. One psalmist declares, “Yahweh, you have searched me and you know me.” (Psalm 139:1 NIV)

Have you been with Him?

iBread 1.7

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and chew on 1 Chronicles 10:13-14. Read the passage three times through very slowly. Try reading several different translations of this passage.

Table Talk
- Where does Saul turn for guidance?
- Why is this a problem?
- What was Saul trying to force according to verse 13?
- Do you think people today try and force God’s guidance? If so, how?
- How can we make sure we are not forcing God’s guidance?
- What are some things a disciple of Jesus could do each day to be correctly guided by God?

The Witch of Endor (part 2)

If you have an NIV Study Bible, which is a great resource and study tool to have on hand (I keep one on my desk), here is how it attempts to make sense of the events in 1 Samuel. The study notes spell out three possible explanations for the events of Saul’s encounter with the dead Samuel:
- God allowed Samuel’s spirit to be brought up by the woman.
- An evil spirit, pretending to be Samuel, possessed the witch. The problem with this interpretation? You can’t back it up with this passage or the rest of the Bible. There isn’t one instance in this passage or elsewhere in the Bible that would suggest Samuel’s spirit is actually an evil spirit. The only passage that has anything to do with 1 Samuel 28 is 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.
- The woman was able to read Saul’s mind and then pretend to be Samuel to him. The problem? Again, this passage makes it clear that Samuel, or Samuel’s spirit, is the one speaking to Saul.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary acknowledges the fact that there is a wide range of different views on Saul’s encounter with the dead Samuel. This commentary reveals that two of the possible explanations given in the NIV Study Bible (the last two mentioned above) for the event of Saul talking to Samuel, come to us via the early church fathers. They had a hard time believing a medium could call up a righteous man like Samuel from the dead, and so came up with the idea that Samuel’s spirit was really a demon in disguise. Origen and Gregory of Nazianzus seem to be the only church fathers at peace with a literal reading and understanding of this text. The author of this commentary, Ronald Youngblood, goes with Gregory of Nazianzus in the assertion that Samuel was literally raised or brought back from the dead by a medium. This seems to be the best way to read and understand this passage. Are we ok with reading and understanding it like this?

Any thoughts?

Colbert's Curiosity

Hey, sorry to forsake you. Had a week of campmeeting, District Assembly, and then Jr. High Camp. I'll be back Thurs for more on the Witch of Endor.

Until then, I found a video of N.T. Wright on the Colbert Report that is pretty interesting. I was kind of surprised to see him on a Comedy Central show! I've mentioned before, but this guy (N.T. or Tom) is a great spokesman for Christianity and really connects to the 20 somethings. His books are worth checking out!

Hope you enjoy this interview.

N.T. Wright on The Colbert Report

The Witch of Endor

This post may take a couple of weeks to get through.

There is a very peculiar story in the Old Testament that caught my attention the other day (probably because it sounded like something out of Lord of the Rings). I have been reading through 1 Samuel, about Saul and David, and came upon Saul’s visit to a medium/necromancer/Witch of Endor (NIV). The story is in chapter 28 of 1 Samuel.

Summary
Basically, Saul hasn’t heard from the LORD in a while and is terrified because he is about to go to war with the Philistines. Saul, out of fear (see 28:5), goes to drastic measures to hear from his former prophet and friend, Samuel (who is dead, v.3). What does Saul do? He goes and visits a medium/or witch and has her summon up Samuel from the dead. Surprisingly, she does! Samuel appears (he comes up out of the ground, v.13) and enters into a conversation with Saul (vv.15-19). How do we explain such a story? There’s no such thing as ghosts right?

There is nothing in this text (or elsewhere in the Bible) to suggest that Saul is speaking to a demon or angel, that this is all just a vision/dream, or that the women is possessed by a spirit and the spirit is speaking through her. Saul is really conversing with a dead person. Samuel, slightly irritated (?), even asks Saul why he has bothered him (v.15). This story real and it is recorded in one of the historical books of the Bible. I’ll be back next week to discuss some implications this story has for us today. In the meantime, this is definitely a story well worth reading and studying. I would love to hear what you find. I put a link in below to some excellent commentaries/reference works on this passage if any of you feel like diving head first into this.

Excellent commentaries/reference works on 1 Samuel and the Witch of Endor:
NIV Application Commentary, Bill T. Arnold (personal fav!)
New International Commentary (OT), David Tsumura
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (very handy resource)
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Ronald F. Youngblood
Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israel and Ugarit, Theordore J. Lewis

iBread 1.6

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and feast upon James 1:2-4. Read the passage three times through very slowly.

Table Talk
- Why does James tell us to consider it pure joy when we face tough times?
- Do you think James speaks from personal experience?
- What is God’s role in all of this? What does He do?
- Can you think of how a tough time shaped you into a better person?

Going green (but not very fast!)

Well, I am now the proud owner of a 49cc moped/scooter. This is what I’m doing to cut down on gas costs for the summer. I live only 1.5 miles from work and this will get me back and forth pretty easily. I can also make some small in town runs. Here are some things (good and bad) to consider if you are thinking of buying one of these bad boys:

1. Huge gas savings! I’m working on trying to figure out exactly how much I get, but you can usually get between 70-90 mpg. I only have a 1.5-gallon gas tank. I’m hoping to fill up every 2-3 weeks, maybe a month?

2. Dork factor. There’s no getting around it, you look like a dork on a moped if you are over the age of 17. How do you improve this? Get a helmet with a full-face tinted shield (this way nobody can see you).

3. Helmet. You need to invest in a good helmet. Even though you aren’t going real fast, serious injuries can still happen.

4. Speed. I’ve had the bad boy up to 41 mph going downhill. Normally I run at 30-35 mph. You can’t go real fast on these things. I live in town, so I don’t really need to go over 35 mph. If you need to go faster, buy a motorcycle.

5. Weather. You don’t really want to be riding these things in a storm.

If you are thinking of fighting the gas war this summer a moped is a great weapon to use to do that. Who knows, maybe if more people start riding them, the dork factor will drop a bit (yeah right!).

We read a book in class this last semester entitled The Equipping Pastor by R. Paul Stevens and Phil Collins (not the singer). The book focused on applying systems theory to a church. Systems theory is normally used in family therapy. It focuses on bringing healing to the whole family when problems arise in one person. Why? "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts." (intro, p. xvii). So, I thought I would share a little about why systems theory could benefit the church.

Why is an understanding of “system’s theory” central to the dynamics of how people in a church become mature and productive ministers?

Systems theory is at the core of faith development and productivity in the church because it places the emphasis on the process of the church becoming One Body (Romans 12:5) and sees the whole (the One Body) as more important than the individual parts. Like exercise, systems theory seeks to improve the health of individual parts by improving the health of the whole. Systems theory sees the role of a pastor as an equipper. He or she equips the members of the Body to perform the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). More can be accomplished when the Body reaches out as a whole than when one part tries to go at ministry alone. In order for the church to distance itself from this type of Western individualism, the church must reclaim the interdependence needed for a healthy Body. Systems theory seeks to do just that.

Systems theory focuses on the interdependence among members of the One Body to each other and to God. As a result, relationships are at center stage in systems theory. Three essential components, each related to relationships, are given in chapter one as being parts to a healthy system; wholeness, synergy, and isomorphism (p. 4). The first is wholeness; the idea that the Body is made whole when the distinct parts come together. The second component is synergy. Synergy is the power attained when the different parts work tunefully together. The third is isomorphism. This is about sharing something in common (e.g., vision, mission, purpose); much like the koinonia (fellowship) the early Christians shared after Christ’s resurrection (Acts 2:42). When these components come together in a healthy way, they have the potential to create a vibrant and healthy church.

Your thoughts on systems theory?

Heaven

This was a great news story about life after death that ran on ABC Nightly News. N.T. (Tom) Wright, the man being interviewed, is a highly respectable New Testament scholar and theologian for postmoderns.

I thought you might enjoy this video (click the link below).

ABC NIGHTLY NEWS STORY


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iBread 1.5

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
As we move toward Pentecost Sunday, I hope you can find some time to enjoy the blessings of God's Spirit. Take a moment and feast upon James 1:1. Read these passages very slowly and at least three times.

Table Talk
How does James describe himself in this verse?
Why does he describe himself in this way? What does this tell us about him?
What does that tell us about his relationship with God?
What is your identity?
How do you identify/describe yourself?
How important is identity to you and why?
Where does a person find identity?

iBread 1.4

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and feast upon 1 Corinthians 10:13, 23, 31-32. Read these passages very slowly and at least three times.

Table Talk
- What is the point of each of the passages?
- How do they relate to peer pressure?
- How does God help us in times of temptation or peer pressure?
- How could these verses help you when you are being pressured to do something you don’t want to do?

- Which verse will you commit to memory?

Equipping the saints

In class today and tomorrow. Class is called equipping strategies. We have two great books for our texts:

Jane Vella, Taking Learning to Task
- A book that seeks to teach teachers how to put learning at the center.

R. Paul Stevens & Phil Collins, The Equipping Pastor
- This book focuses on the role of pastor as equipper of the Body of Christ.

Questions we are seeking to answer
- What are characteristics in a leader that motivate people to work/to minister?
- How do leaders mobilize, motivate other ministers in the Body to minister?
- What does the Bible say about the role of a pastor and equipping others?

Commitment (part 2)

Last week we began a conversation about commitment and Ruth. Hopefully you were able to sit down sometime and read through Ruth. Great book! This week we turn to Jesus and His commitments.

Jesus Commitment
I am certain that Jesus struggled in His commitments. He was fully human and experienced everything humans experience. He prayed in Gethsemane to the Father, asking Him to take this cup from him if it was possible (Luke 22:39-46). But Jesus is fully submitted to the Father and carrying out His will. It is interesting that Jesus would even talk about such a struggle if He were fully committed to following through with it anyways. Could there have been another way? A good point from this event in Jesus’ life is that although we make commitments, we may still struggle with following through with them, even if we are fully committed to them.

If you get a chance, read through the book of Ruth. It shouldn’t take you long because it’s only 4 chapters! A very quick read. A very amazing story of humans showing the type of commitment God shows to us every day.

Commitment

Last night we conversed and listened to Ruth. She actually showed up to youth group to tell us about her life. We focused on and discussed her commitment to Naomi, her mother-in-law, despite having an easy way out.

Story Re-cap
For those of you not familiar with this small Old Testament book here’s the story. Ruth was married; her husband died; and her mother-in-law, Naomi, gave the option of going back to her family if she wanted to…she chose to stick with Naomi. In Old Testament culture, Naomi would have been worthless because she had no sons and was a widow. Later, after returning to Bethlehem, Ruth meets a man named Boaz. Naomi helps Ruth develop a plan to win him over and a relationship with him. Ruth succeeds and they get married and have a son and Naomi is redeemed.

What Ruth teaches us
This is a story about loyalty and love and the commitment they require. Ruth could have easily left Naomi and returned home like her other sister-in-law, Orpah, did. Instead she made a commitment to Naomi (1:16-17). She decided to stick with Naomi and make her her family. Ruth exemplifies something rare these days, commitment. She left her hometown to live with her mother-in-law with no indicators that things were going to turn out well for her. She didn’t know she would get remarried. She made a commitment and stuck it out.

Commitments today are dime a dozen and thick as a puddle. Everybody makes them; nobody keeps them. If you don’t like your spouse, get a new one. If you don’t like your church, find a new one. We can say that about everything and sit back and watch such things happen all around us. Ruth teaches that real commitment goes beyond feelings and is actually an example of God’s commitment to us. It would probably be a good time to say a prayer, thanking God that He doesn’t commit to us like we commit to Him and others. I thank God for the commitments others have made to me and have followed through with. I experience commitment to this degree every day. My wife is so good at following through with her commitments that it sometimes annoys me. I am constantly saying, “Just because you said you were going to doesn’t mean you have to!” But you know what? I need to be annoyed, because my level of commitment needs to be challenged. During such times, I have to think long and hard about giving my word and the things I say I’m going to do.

Next week we'll discuss Jesus commitment. Until then, read Ruth (it's only 4 chapters!).