Who me? Yes, you! Couldn't Be.

As promised (threatened?), for the foreseeable future Friday editions of theproverbialdisciple will include reflections upon

The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. (Fortress Press Edition, 2000)

If you are looking for in depth, scholarly treatment of the confessions, you won't find it hear.  

This blog remains an open devotional space first and foremost.  

I have taken on some new thematic foci to keep myself motivated in posting.

I hope that more diverse themes and tones will have the side benefit of providing more points of entry into the adventure of living full - UP, IN, OUT - lives as we follow Christ Jesus together.  

- Epiphany Always! Pastor Phil 

"Furthermore, although some theologians, like Luther himself, were drawn (against their will) by their adversaries from treating the Holy Supper into a dispute over the personal union of the two natures in Chirst, our theologians declare within the Book of Concord itself and in the norm comprehended therein that, according to our firm intent and that of this book, in the treatment of the Lord's Supper Christians must be directed to no other basis and foundation than this one, namely, to the Words of Institution of Chirst's testament. He is almighty and truthful and thus able to accomplish what he has ordained and promised in his Word. ..."

- From the 18th paragraph of the Preface to the Book of Concord, p. 11, 

The Book of Concord, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2000. Emphasis added.

Scripture:

Matthew 9:2-7

2 They brought to [Jesus] a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].” 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.] 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven].

Observation:

Jesus said and did things that should have been impossible. Without the proof of the realities they caused, his words were scandalous blasphemy. In short, only one speaking with the voice of the living Word of God could say:

"...your sins are forgiven..."; "Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home..."; or, "“...Take, eat; this is My body...” and transform seeming sacrilegious fancies into flesh and blood realities.

Application:

God's word for us - through the birth, epiphanies, teaching, healing, death, resurrection, ascension and promise to return while never leaving us alone to fend for ourselves - can seem too good to be true. Today I give thanks for the countless faithful through the ages - from those first, timid disciples; to Paul; to those gathered at the Council's of Jerusalem, Nicea, and Athanasia; to those who undertook a rigorous study and dialogue grounded in the Word of God in order to come to a "concord" around the confession of faith they would bequeath to subsequent generations of the small corner of Christ's church called Evangelical Lutherans - who have celebrated the good news that, "[Christ Jesus] is almighty and truthful and thus able to accomplish what he has ordained and promised in his Word."

The body of Christ is broken and offered, for you. Amen.

The blood of Christ is poured out and offered, for you. Amen.

Jesus said, "your sins are forgiven," and a lame man was healed and restored to community.

Jesus says, "Your sins are forgiven."

What does that healing word free you to leave behind today?

What does that healing word free you to take up today?

To whom does that healing word bid you go today?

Prayer:

Jesus, you are "for us"! Who or what could ever prevail against us?

Grant us your Spirit as we pray and wait upon Your Kingdom come.

And send us, far and wide, with the Good News, of your Word that forgives, heals, and sets free wherever there is sin, suffering, or slavery. Amen.

College Entrance or Kingdom Dwelling?

Scripture:

Psalm 15 (Amplified Bible)

15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?

Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?

2 He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,

And speaks and holds truth in his heart.

3 He does not slander with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4 In his eyes an evil person is despised,

But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].

He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];

5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],

And does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken.

Observation:

Me: "Who has a place under your roof, God? Who is fit to bathe in your waters? Who is worthy to dine at the table you set, wait upon and dine at?"

God: "He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, and speaks and holds truth in his heart ..."

Me: "So, there's lots of space then?"

Jesus: "Ahem. Let's just say there's room "for you".

Application:

My first reaction to scripture passages like this one is always a profound sense of unworthiness. If that's the table-stakes to get in the game of Kingdom living, who can possibly buy-in?

Today the Spirit leads me to the difference between access to the kingdom of God and the ability to abide/remain/stay/dwell/participate in it. What if God is willing to grant access to the bath and the table to all? What if God becomes so truly and fully alive in us through the sacraments of baptism and eucharist that are lives can't help but thrive and bear fruit?

What if, "...walking with integrity, and strength of character, and works righteousness ..." 

is not an entrance requirement for the Kingdom of God, 

but the inevitable result of putting down roots where God lives, works and plays?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I want to abide in You. Thank You for showing me that is only possible because You choose to abide in me. Receive any fruit I bear as an offering, an acknowledgement of all you have first given so freely. Serve this humble fruit as you see fit, to bless and feed Your world. Amen.

Three rules for would be followers of Jesus Christ.

Well, seeing as though Mystic Mondays seem to be working out, I am thinking I will add a couple more theme days to my regularly scheduled scriptural devotions.  My hope is this will make it easier for me to stay motivated in preparing and sharing.  The accidental benefit is followers will have an easier time identifying posts they have no interest in :)

Here's what I propose:

Monday      = Mystic Mondays

Tuesday      = No regular post.  Phil's digital sabbath

Wednesday = SOAP devotion based on RCL texts for the coming Sunday

                      (with help from the OSLC drop in Bible Study)

Thursday    = SOAP devotion based on Moravian Daily Texts.

Friday         = Devotion from the Lutheran Confessions.  (With help from 3DMs "LifeShapes")

Saturday     = Interpreting Theological Themes in Popular Culture.

                      (Open to requests for your favourite movies, shows, games, books ...)

Sunday       = "Spot the Heresy in Pastor Phil's Weekly Sermon!"

RCL readings for the Third Sunday After Epiphany; Year C; January 24, 2016.
Nehemiah 8:1-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:20-26 (Amplified Bible)
20 But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary; 23 and as for those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, these we treat with greater honor; and our less presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 while our more presentable parts do not require it. But God has combined the [whole] body, giving greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 so that there would be no division or discord in the body [that is, lack of adaptation of the parts to each other], but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.

Observation:

Paul continues writing to the community of Jesus followers in Corinth 
(probably a collection of house churches with a total membership in the low hundreds) about the nature of our giftedness in Christ.  Our gifts make us unique, but by no means independent.  Even more importantly, the diversity of our gifts is meant to bind us together for the common good of all members to the glory of God.  There is no room here for hierarchies or ratings systems revealing the most valuable gifts or the least desirable seats.  Our fates are tied together.  "...if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honoured, all rejoice with it."
We share a common hope: connection to the fearsome grace of God through Christ Jesus who is our wounded, resurrected head.  Only together can we embody Christ in and for the world.

Application:

*Disclaimer.  I use some cheeky language in what follows.  If you are someone with little tolerance for minor cuss words, you may want to stop reading here.  If you can tolerate such things, but are easily grossed out, you might try inserting "soles of feet" whenever you encounter the offending noun.

I don't remember whether it happened because of a series of unfortunately timed events or as a result of colossally bad planning; what I do remember is how painful it was for everyone the summer my whole family piled into our 1989 Ford Tempo in Strathmore, Alberta to drive the 896 kilometres   (557 miles for imperialists) to my grandparent's house in Lampman, Saskatchewan.  Did I mention I had just received my drivers license?  And, that my dad was perched on an invalid ring 
(I kid you not, that is what they are called) having just endured an hemorrhoidectomy days earlier?
I can clearly recall how - over the period of a 10 hour journey - my attitude changed from that of deep concern for the comfort and well-being of my father, to being ready to slow down just enough to push him out the passenger door and be rid of his constant whimpering objection to every single bump in the well worn highways of the southern prairie provinces.

You see?  This is a story about a$$holes.  They can be vital yet sensitive parts of the human anatomy, or they can be harsh human beings so preoccupied with their own needs and desires that they become insufferable to be around.  In either case, we'd rather not include them in our regular thoughts or conversations.  They are just so ... foul.  But Paul won't let us get away with such shortsighted behaviour.  Paul knows that in both the biological and the metaphorical sense we are connected to our a$$holes and we ignore them - at our own peril.

All this brings me to three rules for would-be-members of the body of Christ.**

1)  Don't be an a$$hole.

2)  We are all a$$holes.

3)  Look to Christ, then review rule #1.

Who am I eager to write-off or shame today?
Is that more about them, or more about me?
How is Jesus calling and equipping me to "...treat these less honourable parts with more honour..." to the true benefit of the whole body and to the glory of God?

Pray:

Dear Creator-Redeemer-Sanctifier,
It is ingrained in me to be insufferably selfish and intolerant.
I should be stuck there, but thanks to you I am free!
Grant me humility and patience and wisdom in every instance where I have to deal with others who find themselves stuck in one way or another.
Help me to see them not as obstacles to be avoided but as part of me because they are part of You.
Amen.

Warning ... levels of Lutheran geekery are very high below.  

Proceed with caution and appropriate protective equipment.

**I acknowledge a large debt here to my colleague Rev. Lori-Anne Boutin-Crawford who came up with the second rule as a succinct if not elegant summary of Article II of the Augsburg Confession - "Concerning Original Sin" which reads - translated from the German text:

"Furthermore, it is taught among us that since the fall of Adam, all human beings who are born in the natural way are conceived and born in sin.  This means that from birth they are full of evil lust and inclination and cannot by nature possess true fear of God and true faith in God.  Moreover, this same innate disease and original sin is truly sin and condemns to God's eternal wrath all who are not in turn born anew through baptism and the Holy Spirit.  Rejected, then, are the Pelagians and others who do not regard original sin as sin in order to make human nature righteous through natural powers, thus insulting the suffering and merit of Christ."

Just Another Mystic Monday ... Whoa-O-Whoa

Hope Vs. Despair

Hope is about the possible; despair is about the impossible. 

- Thomas Aquinas

"We despair when we see no way out.  

Suicide is a yielding to this feeling that there is no way out, to despair.  

Young people who can see no way out of some oppressive circumstance are often driven to violence and may end up in prison for this reason.  

Despair is real and very dark.  

We humans are very adept at seeing the impossible and dwelling on it until it takes over our souls. Those who maintain hope are always looking for possibilities, for angles, for creative solutions, for alternatives.  

Hope keeps their souls and imaginations alive and, above all, creative. Artists know this.  

This is their vocation, to tell the truth but always within the context of the possible."

- Matthew Fox. (Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations.)

Scripture:

Genesis 19:15-26

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot [to hurry], saying, “Get up! Take your wife and two daughters who are here [and go], or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But Lot hesitated and lingered. The men took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the Lord was merciful to him [for Abraham’s sake]; and they brought him out, and left him outside the city [with his family]. 17 When they had brought them outside, one [of the angels] said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, or stop anywhere in the entire valley; escape to the mountains [of Moab], or you will be consumed and swept away.” 18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, [not that place] my lords! 19 Please listen, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness (mercy) to me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, because the disaster will overtake me and I will be killed. 20 Now look, this town [in the distance] is near enough for us to flee to, and it is small [with only a few people]. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) so that my life will be saved.” 21 And the angel said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also; I will not destroy this town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry and take refuge there, for I cannot do anything [to punish Sodom] until you arrive there.” For this reason the town was named Zoar (few, small).

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained down brimstone (flaming sulfur) and fire on Sodom and on Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew (demolished, ended) those cities, and the entire valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. 26 But Lot’s wife, from behind him, [foolishly, longingly] looked [back toward Sodom in an act of disobedience], and she [d]became a pillar of salt.

Observation:

Notice how, in the Genesis passage above, Lot practices hope while his wife succumbs to the tragic result of her being stuck in despair.

First things first, though, let's be clear that neither one of them wants to leave Sodom - the sin-sick urban environment where they had become accustomed and comfortable.

19:16 makes it clear that Lot is full of hesitation at leaving. Later on, he pleads (successfully!) with the messengers of God not to have to flee comfortable "civilization" fully. This story is clearly NOT about one person who joyfully accepts the call to step beyond their comfort zone and is rewarded while another person fearfully refuses to follow and is punished.

Both Lot and his wife (who goes unnamed in scripture) receive ample encouragement and even physical help to receive the deliverance God desires for them. What really separates them in the end is Lot's ability and decision to see and focus upon the possible in the situation. In verse 19 Lot cries out to his would be rescuers that it would be impossible for he and his family to flee all the way to the mountains ... but that it would be possible to make it to the little town of Zoar. Amazingly, God accedes to this request drawing Lot out of the realm of bondage-to-the-known and into the Holy Land of possibility and freedom.

Lot's wife meets her doom not because God is unable or unwilling to meet her where she is at and lead her to a place where freedom and fulfillment are possible. Rather, she is unable to receive deliverance as a consequence of her inability and/or unwillingness to see what is possible. She is too fixated upon the impossibility of leaving behind what was known and familiar.

Lot chooses to stoke the fire of hope and is set free to live beyond what he knew on his own. The wife chooses to let that fire languish through despair and is encrusted in place - a victim of self-fulfilled self-fulfilling prophecy.

Application:

As I look back upon the adventure of faith so far in this little life of mine, I can see many examples of God prompting, pushing, hand-holding, and negotiating with me to move past my own plans or ideas of what was preferable for me and mine. My plans for myself never included learning spanish, living on an a First Nations' reserve, going to seminary, or serving a church as "pastor".

Yet, here I am.

The path has not been without perils. My detours have been many. More than once I have been beleaguered by despair - even to the point where I thought I'd be stuck as a pillar for sure. If I have done anything right along the way ... if I can take any credit at all for being where I am today; all I can say is that I have always trusted that to lean more fully upon God's providence and love is an option. Sometimes, I have even actively took up that option. Every time I have, I have found myself well beyond the boundaries of familiarity and comfort - surprised to be more fully alive and free.

As you look at your life today, where do you find yourself caught up in patterns or practices that are less than life giving?

What is keeping you from turning in a new direction?

Are you more focussed upon the impossible, or the possible?

Could you imagine talking to God about these circumstances as honestly as Lot did?

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil. Deliver us especially from the sickly fascination upon what lies beyond our power to choose or change. Deliver all your precious creatures from the inward and backward glances of despair. Show us your will for us and grant us the gifts of hope and faith to know all things are indeed possible in You through Christ Jesus! Amen.

Baptized and Free

Scripture:

Matthew 3:13-17 (The Message)

13-14 Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!”

15 But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” So John did it.

16-17 The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”

Observation:

Peterson's evocative translation brings to light an element of the nature of the Trinity for me. John would have Jesus focus on Jesus' own perfection, but the Son is only interested in pointing to the Father's work through the centuries. All eyes are on the Creator of the Heaven's because of this incredible theophany, but the Father is cannot contain heaven rending effusive praise for the Son. The Divine Spirit flutters beautifully, full of grace, between the two, always managing to draw more attention to where She lands and takes off from than to herself.

Application:

The kingdoms of this world say, 

"YOU are only 

powerful, beautiful, lovely and special 

so long as you have the 

allegiance, admiration, attention, and approval of others; 

so, never stop demanding, preening, posing and promoting!"

The kingdom of Heaven says, 

"you are bathed continuously in a love sufficiently profound 

to pour you out of yourself; 

so, take a look Up, In, and Out 

and celebrate what God is doing all around!"

Prayer:

Spirit of Freedom, I want to be moved by You in a way that will equip me to move in You and to move others through You. Set me free from self-obsession and turn me loose to exult in the beauty of your creative, sustaining, redeeming and exalting love all around me. Amen.

What's a daily devotion? Why is it even a thing?

By declaration of the blogging powers that be:

Mondays are now, "Mystical Mondays".  

Together we'll draw upon the work of a favourite Mystic within the Christian Tradition

(with some help interpreting from Matthew Fox*) in order to shed new light upon familiar Bible passages.

"The very sight of God causes delight. At the sight of God the mind can do nothing but delight. - Thomas Aquinas"

"Like Mechtild of Magdeburg, Thomas Aquinas speaks of the mind undergoing the "must" of delight. For Aquinas in the thirteenth century, "mind" was much more than the "thinking brain" of Descartes and modern European thinkers. The mind included the imagination and memory, the capacity for wonder and for birthing creativity. In the presence of God, Aquinas says, humans don't suddenly "know"; they delight. All doubt, skepticism, and even thinking give way to overwhelming delight. Is it important that our understanding of human consciousness include delight at its base? Can we give delight if we have not tasted it first? Can we taste if we don't praise it as a goal and a value?"

Scripture:

Genesis 3:1-8 (with emphasis added)

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,[a] knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Observation:

First, I notice the Temptor begins to ply fork-tongued craft by testing Eve's knowledge of what God has said. When Eve chooses to entertain this conversation she becomes somewhat distanced from what Creator is saying to her (continuously, in the present tense). Now Eve is listening to the Temptor as opposed to listening to Creator.

Second, I notice that the Temptor leverages the conversation with Eve in order to call into question the motivations of and the integrity of Creator. The snake accuses Creator of withholding wisdom from humans in order to hold onto a position of superiority over them. Of key importance here are verses 5 and 6. I notice how the Temptor is able to confuse Eve into believing that wisdom and knowledge are one and the same thing!

What is the end result?  

Human beings horde knowledge, 

mistaking it for wisdom.  

In the process they trade their delight in seeing God 

(and being seen by God) 

for a terror at the prospect of being seen by God 

and an active avoidance of seeing God.

Application:

First, I hear God encouraging and warning me through the text. The discipline of dwelling first and foremost in God's presence is what I am created for. There are forces in life that do not have my best interests at heart that seek to distract and keep me from this joyful and life-giving work.

Second, I hear Aquinas and Fox warning alongside the text, "knowledge is a good thing, and to be pursued, but never to be confused with the fullness of wisdom." Too often I come to scripture from a posture of trying to acquire knowledge as a commodity. This is to conflate knowledge and wisdom. The real purpose of reading/studying scripture is to draw intentionally into the delight of being in the presence of Our Loving Father - who wills to instruct to be sure, but also to bless us through the fullness of relationship as beloved children of God. To "know" this in theory is not the same as to experience the playful delight of being reformed again and again by the gracious hands that first formed and always protect and preserve us.

Prayer:

Daddy! You are so fun ... so big ... so good! Thank you for always being here. Thank you for reminding us that to be with and in you is less a chore and more playtime. Sheild me, I pray, from the constant temptations to entertain life-stealing conversations instead of resting and abiding in You. And, help me to share Your open invitation to frolic in Your living Word with all You place in my path. Amen.

*Quotations share on Mystical Mondays are gleaned from: 

Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations, Matthew Fox, New World Library, 2011.