DAY 244

DISUNITY AND THE LOG IN MY EYE

Psalm 132, 133 & 134 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

If ever two groups of readings described the exact opposite, Psalms 133 & 134 as compared to this portion of 1 Corinthians 11, certainly do.

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity” & “Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord…Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord.” Psalm 133:1 & 134:1a/2a. (The “a” after the numbers is to indicate I am quoting the first “bits” of each verse.)

Compare the image we get from these two short psalms with apparently how the Corinthian church is celebrating Holy Communion. In Corinth they are not eating together, they are getting drunk, and the divisions that exist within the church are reinforced by this behavior.

I could go into the research that has been done about early Communion meals and it is very interesting, but it would dilute the point. The point is one that has been continuing from earlier chapters and that being “church” – claiming to be “people who are following Jesus” – while it brings freedom it also brings responsibility: That responsibility is first and foremost to God, and then to each other.

I spend a great deal of my days talking to people about God, many who don’t believe, and many who, while they come to church, just cannot bring themselves to accept Jesus, His Cross, sin, repentance, and all the other “stuff.” They often want a religion that is a “come as you are – and stay as you are” affair. One where “everyone gets along.” The problem with that idea (and it is an attractive idea because it holds out the illusion of no conflict) is that it is not real. To worship everything is to worship nothing. To accept everything is to stand for nothing. And sooner or later, when you are trying to hold this ideal of complete tolerance, you will find yourself at a line, a line that you have drawn, a line that you will judge people must not cross.

While I welcome these dialogues, when it is with people "inside" the church, it is a bit challenging. I do not want or like disunity. At the same time, I am well aware that the church, especially in recent times, is becoming irrelevant because it either stands for nothing, or it is so sharply focused on an issue that the issue takes preeminence over God. This is where the offer of Jesus is brilliant. He is less about pointing out all the lines not to be crossed and much more about pointing out the path to be followed—Him. Follow me, Jesus said. If you follow him, then of course, you will be walking past all sorts of places you are not to go. You won’t be focused on them because you will be focused on keeping up with Him.

Our job is to keep inviting people to follow Jesus, and then be willing to walk with them as the do.

It would appear the Church in Corinth has forgotten to follow and gotten themselves down all sorts of paths which are not helpful. Church is supposed to be a “healthy place.” By that I mean it should not be a place of division. It should not be a place where unhealthy behaviors such as excess drinking, etc. exist. I know it won’t be perfect, but the church needs to model healthy and whole living. The letter to the Corinthian church is about trying to get them back on track, back to following Jesus. For to chose and be chosen by God, is to serve Him, to live free responsibly for Him.

As I write these blog entries, when I am on my game, I remember to ask how this applies to me. So here I am, typing away about how bad the Corinthian church is. Jesus’ words about taking “the log out of my own eye” seem appropriate today for me…where is the church I serve in these matters…where is there disunity…where can we be healthier…where can we do a better job following the Lord?

Tomorrow, in chapter 12, we will be given a model of how we might think about church; that model is some ways will help shape some answers for us. 

DAY 243

WOMEN KEEP YOUR HEAD COVERED

Psalm 129, 130 & 131 and 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

“I have calmed and quieted my soul” – “My soul waits for the Lord” Well with today’s New Testament reading I am certainly waiting for something, and my soul is not all that quiet because today I get to talk about how “woman should cover their heads in church!” It is a passage that used to lead the nuns at my elementary school to put Kleenex on top my female classmates heads as they went into church. It is a passage such as this one that gets Paul labeled with some less-than-complimentary names.

Two areas to comment on in regard to this passage, and here I am leaning heavily on Tom Wright’s commentary. In his commentary Wright writes that in this passage we need to be careful not to push too far for answers, for we are somewhat groping in the dark. Turning to those two areas:

First, Paul was not addressing the social issues we know in our world. Visit a different culture, even today, and you will discover many subtle assumptions, pressures and constraints in society, which appear in the way people dress and wear their hair. In our country you would not go to a wedding wearing a bathing suit (unless maybe it was on the beach) and most of us in the west do not think it appropriate, even today, that men wear hats in church. The list could go on. We want equality for woman, but Paul is the one who has already written we are all equal in the eyes of God – there is no longer male or female. So this is not a commentary on male dominance over women…at least I don’t think it is.

Second, Paul is writing about worship. We also know that so far in this letter Paul has been critical of the Corinthians about how they exercise their freedom in Christ. Think back to all the talk about eating food sacrificed to idols and also about the sexual freedoms – all of this is taking place within the context of a church – a church that seems to be using its freedom as the basis for its behavior. My idea, and I pray you can sense my caution, is that there is something going on in the way the church in Corinth is worshipping and Paul finds it dishonoring to God. The bit about the angels in verse 10 is confusing, until I read what we learned from the Dead Sea Scrolls. We learned that the people of that day thought that when they worshipped God that angels are present. It was further thought that angels cannot be in worship and also in the presence of anything unholy. Now I certainly don’t know if this is true, and I certainly do not need to be speculating about angels. But if that is the way the people of Paul's day thought, then this passage is possibly about people worshipping God in a way that Paul judges as displeasing. If that is the case, then I want to ask you what in our day and age you would find offensive in church, especially if people told you they could do it because they were “free in Christ to worship however they want.”

Worship is about us giving our best to God – it is not about what we are "free to do" or what we can “get.” Yes we often receive. We receive the sacraments, we receive good teaching (I pray we do), we receive fellowship with others, we are blessed with music and art…and more. And with all we receive the point of worship is not about receiving and it is not about doing whatever we want because we are free…it is about giving our best to God. It would appear that is not going on in Corinth.

That is what I think the text is driving at…and if it is, then the point for us is to realize that worship is serious business. I also think it is good we got to this point in the text. We ought to not think we can “stand above the Scripture” and “know it all.” I fully do not expect to understand all the Scriptures, it is why I keep studying…so I pray you won’t be too out-of-sorts if you every now and then are scratching your head - with or without it covered!

DAY 242

YOU—ME & THE CULTURE

Psalm 126, 127 & 128 and 1 Corinthians 10:19-33

We find ourselves reading again about idols and meat, and it would be easy to think that all this talk just does not apply. It does. Not that we live in world where people offer the meat most of us purchase in grocery stores to idols. It applies in that most of us live in a culture, that while it has a legacy of being Christian, and while there are still remnants of Christian values…it is largely non-Christian. We can think we are in a Christian world, but as I said yesterday, quickly find ourselves lost. So what kind of a world do we live in?

The word to describe our culture nowadays is secular. Secular: meaning that the predominant attitudes and activities of most people have no religious or spiritual basis. In fact when spiritual or religious attitudes and activities seek to enter the culture, especially if they are Christian, there is a rather strong attack against them. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali calls it aggressive secularism. I would suggest it is also rather narcissistic—we are terribly focused on our pleasure and comfort—I am terribly focused on mine—I am surrounded by messages to do so. It rushes at us.

I am not going to blog about “how bad the culture is” today. That is not the point. The point of 1 Corinthians in Paul’s day is the point for us today. Do not become so enamored with the culture that you think you can somehow have “one foot in both worlds.” Here I need to digress for a moment.

I am not suggesting the things of this world are “bad.” God is the creator and He said it is not just “good” but “very good.” I am not advocating some ascetic model where we withdraw from the world and live in a cave. I am suggesting that we be careful and consider whether or not attitudes and activities of God’s world have been distorted, twisted, into a shape that turn these “good things” of God into idols and worse.

All Paul’s talk about meat sacrificed to idols seems to me Paul’s commentary about how openly and blatantly eating such meat, is to openly participate in a culture that is opposed to God. Furthermore, it can communicate to other members of the Church and to the world something that we as followers of Jesus do not believe. The people in Corinth appear to have been saying that they are “above worrying about all this, they are mature Christians.”

Paul challenges them on two fronts: first he talks a little about demons. Not too much, but a little. In 8:2 he argued the idols, the silver, gold and wood, are no idols at all. True enough. Don’t confuse that with matter of the spiritual world that oppose God—those are real. Just as there is no such thing as “casual sex” (the body is the Lord’s) there is also no such thing as “casual worship. Second he challenges them about culture, about living as if they are somehow above it all.

Are any of us “above the culture?” Can any of us be sure it won’t seep in? Again, I am not “anti-world”—rather I am saying that if we become too prideful or complacent we will find ourselves down a long road that we never intended to walk. In other words just because you are baptized Christians, sharing in the community life where the Spirit is known and present, and eating and drinking the bread and the wine of the Eucharist, don’t think you can act in a manner where you have automatically reached a level that no longer requires moral restraint or effort.

“Living in the world, but not being of it” is what we are called to do, but this call is for a very specific purpose. In John 17:14-19 Jesus, as he is going to the cross, gives us this teaching. His teaching does not culminate with “Living in the world, but not being of it” instead it starts with this phrase and culminates with Jesus saying that He has “sent us into the world.”

We are to be in the culture, but so grounded, so sanctified Jesus says in John 17, that we have a positive effect on the world vice the other way round.

DAY 241

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?

Psalm 123, 124 & 125 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-18

I was speaking with someone the other day who is on this journey of reading the Bible. Sometimes “the task” can be so much before us, and we so focused on the task, that we lose our way.

The Psalms can help. While they are repetitive, they keep reminding us of eternal truths such as the nature of God, the nature of humans, and the challenge before us. Consider the Psalm for today:

Psalm 123: To you I lift up my eyes…why? Because just as servants look to their master we look to the Lord our God…at least that is what we are suppose to be doing the psalmist reminds us.

Psalm 124: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side then…Do you view the Lord as on your side? We all know we are suppose to, but if we really thought God was “in our corner” I imagine that we would stop worrying so much.

Psalm 125: The Lord surrounds his people…is this a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on your image of God. This psalm certainly reminds us that this is a good thing.

In many of the same ways 1 Corinthians 10:1-18 is reminding us. In verses 1-5 there is the reminder from where we came. In verses 6-13 it is a reminder that we don’t make the same mistakes, and finally in verses 14 into tomorrow we are reminded of the privilege of being at the Table of the Lord.

Do you and I know where we are? Not just in our reading, but in life. We can be like the Corinthians, who seem to be like people who, as actors, have stepped out on the middle of stage and do not have a clue what the play is about, or what act they are in. So Paul begins be retelling parts of the Exodus story with a twist, and the twist is Jesus: our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink...for they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Life can cause us to be disoriented. The Corinthians have forgotten who they are, where they came from, where they are going, and where they fit into God’s plan for redemption. We can make the same mistake:

1.      Who are we? God’s chosen people, chosen and won by the Blood of the Lamb.

2.      Where did we come from? From God! Before God laid the foundations of the world the Bible says “God thought of you” (Ephesians 1:4)—we are created in the image of God. Further we have come from a freedom march, a march that Jesus made to Calvary, the tomb…defeating it all and rising to new life.

3.      Where are we going? To God! We are sojourners in this world.

4.      Where do we fit in the plan? We are in the world where Jesus has defeated death, but the full end has not yet come. We are to be the people who point others to God.

It is easy to get disoriented. The church in Corinth has gotten that way, and we certainly can lose our way. Guess what—others have as well. So Paul in verses 6-13 reminds people not to make the same mistakes. When it comes to making mistakes there really aren’t any new ones under the sun…we just keeping making the same ones.

Finally, in verse 14 we begin to read about Holy Communion. Why? Because this is the centering meal: just as the Passover reminded them of their freedom march out of Egypt, Holy Communion reminds us. In chapter 5 verse 7 Jesus has already been referred to as “Christ our Passover Lamb.” In fact Holy Communion not only reminds us, but we participate in our freedom march:  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 

Don’t get lost…and if you do I suggest you go to Church and go to Holy Communion…it may sound rather mechanical, but if you pay attention to the words, you will find yourself right back where God wants you.

DAY 240

“IT IS MY RIGHT!”

Psalm 120, 121 & 122 and 1 Corinthians 9

There are some nice short Psalms today, each with memorable lines: “pray for the peace of the Jerusalem”…”I was glad when they said to me, let us go up to the house of the Lord”…”I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come, my help comes from the Lord.”

As you read the New Testament you may be exhaling a bit and wondering what on earth Paul is going on and on about. Consider this phrase: “It is my right!” That slogan is one often shouted in our day and age and in Corinth it was becoming their guiding principle. Chapter 9 of this letter directly responds to that attitude.

To see this we have to remember chapter 8 and then realize he is still talking about food! In chapter 8 we read about the apostle’s view, but today he presses the point further. He begins “Am I not free?” If being a Christian gives you the freedom to “eat whatever you want,” then Paul exceedingly meets this criteria.

He goes “on and on” through the first half of verse 12 to make that point and more. Then in the second half of verse 12 he says, “Nevertheless we have not made use of this right.” Paul has rights as a teacher to eat what he likes, and in fact to have it provided for him. He chooses not to exercise his rights in order that there will be no obstacle to the presentation of the Gospel. He gives up his right in large part because the seriousness with which he takes his responsibility. In fact, he goes on to say that he allows himself to become enslaved in verse 19, all for the Gospel.

It seems like a rather long chapter to make his point, but we do not know how much people were using this claim of “it is my right” in a manner that was really hurting the local group of believers. I commented a few days ago how Paul, after he works out his theology, always then asks how best to apply it. In today’s reading he goes to great lengths to make his point about “responsibility over rights.” Imagine if we paused for a moment and voluntarily limited our freedoms, our rights, in order that God be proclaimed!

DAY 239

SWEETER THAN HONEY

Psalm 119:89-176 and 1 Corinthians 8

As you read 1 Corinthians 8 you might be thinking, “Haven’t I read this before?” The answer is yes—in Romans 14. We are reading letters; different letters written to different churches. It is not a surprise that while they are different, some of the things these chruches struggle with are the same. The text is remarkably full of common sense: Because there are no such things as real idols, when food is offered to an “idol” is not really begin offered to anything…so go ahead and eat it…unless of course you doing so will completely confuse another brother or sister.

Universally Paul’s advice is almost always developed by first doing the intellectual-theological work, and then asking how best to live it out, not for himself, but for others in the church.

How did Paul get to such a place? In large part God the Holy Spirit enlightened his mind. But Paul gave God a lot to work with…he, Paul, knew the Scriptures. He tells us elsewhere how and who he was trained by (Acts 22:3). When you and I read God’s Word, when we study it, when we listen to others preach about, when we go to church, when we receive the Sacraments, when we pray…and more…we give God something to really work with.

Today the Psalmist writes, “Oh, how I love your law! All the day long it is in my mind…it is sweeter than honey to my mouth**...” Having God’s Word in our minds allows God to further develop us. It really encourages me that you are reading this blog, and it encourages me even more that you are reading the Bible, for God’s Word is “a lantern to our feet and a light unto our path. You are inviting God into your mind and heart, and I pray that he will richly anoint you.

**as a side note, when you see a someone kiss a bible (sometimes deacons or priests or bishops do this) then normally say this Psalm to themselves as they do it…your Word is sweeter to my mouth than honey!

DAY 238

SEX & MARRIAGE part 2

IT IS OK, JUST RELAX

Psalm 119:1-88 and 1 Corinthians 7

Yesterday was rather a long post on “Sex & Marriage.” I labeled it part 1 and most of it was about sex, and why the Bible teaches that sex is appropriate within marriage. Today we turn more to the “marriage” part of this theme. It is interesting to note that we have come to the longest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 119. It is so long you are only reading half of it today. It is a Psalm that praises the Law, and so it is a little fitting that we are talking about the “why” behind one of the important laws, that of marriage.

As I said yesterday, these subjects can be painful. Many of us are divorced, know someone divorced, and may have been affected by divorce within our family. It is hard to escape and when the church talks about it people often feel judged, or guilt, or shame. Let’s set that aside and acknowledge there is pain, real pain, and I want to suggest that is one of the reasons the Bible is so in favor of marriage and staying married…God is not interested in you going through painful experiences. All of what I am saying is not meant to justify people trapped in abusive marriages and the rest, those situations require dramatic action. No, my remarks tend more towards the ideal, which is what the Scriptures speak to in 1 Corinthians 7  

·         Verses 1-7 speak to life within marriage

·         Verses 8-16 speak to marriage and divorce

·         Verses 17-24 speak to staying the way you were called

·         Verses 25-31 speak to whether a person should remain unmarried

·         Verses 32-40 speak the reality that being married brings responsibility

There are a few threads that run through this chapter, one is responsibility. Anyone who is married knows of it. It will take time and energy, and Paul, who wants nothing to get in the way of him spending all his energy for God notes that he prefers it not, but also calls that a gift. I know a few priests that have the gift of celibacy. They have amazing time and capacity for their parishioners: it is a gift and not everyone has it.

Onto marriage I would note that Paul begins by saying he is answering a question. We don’t know the question, but be aware he may be less giving us his full theology of marriage and instead be providing an answer to a specific question.  His answer involves sex and his answer is that each, husband and wife, have authority over each other’s bodies – no male dominance in that sentence. His point of course is in marriage you need to be in the business of “giving to the other” and not “getting from the other.” If both spouses keep themselves outwardly oriented then things go well.

Turning now to “getting married” and “becoming divorced” we read a rather modern idea…it is ok to stay single. How many young people, especially women in days gone by, have felt the pressure to marry? Paul is saying, “It is ok, stay celibate and serve the Lord!” He is also saying, “If you would like to not be celibate then get married.” You might wonder why he is saying these things. Two realities exist in this first century world – and they are diametrically opposed. First, the pressure to marry and remarry quickly…it was real. There was also the pressure to stay celibate, to practice it as a spiritual piety, in that you ability to be celibate would someone be a measure of just how spiritual you were—so if you had “passions” you might be viewed as “less of a spiritual person.” Paul is saying, be free of these nonsensical judgments and be yourself within the calling of the Christian life.

Regarding divorce he really only has two verses, 10-11. Read them carefully. He says you should not get divorced. That is it up to this point. How many people have said that to other people, “You shouldn’t do it.” Or “Have you gone to counseling?” Or “Have you really tried?” The list could go on.  When you carefully look at the Scripture, what Paul has said in these first 11 verses is quite reasonable…things you would probably say!

Turning to verses 12-16 we come up against the issue of a person married to someone who does not share their beliefs…in this case Christian beliefs. It is easy to get lost in all the language of “holiness,” but let’s just pause for a moment. We have all heard of mixed marriages. In my opinion the most difficult mixed marriage is one over religion. Religion deals with the deepest beliefs of the human heart. Beliefs that when a couple is hit by a storm will be needed to get through it. Imagine a couple—one believes in God and one does not—imagine that couple having a tragedy come upon them. One wants to turn one way and the other a completely different way. At a time when they need each other they find that they have a completely different view of the world. Rather than hold and console one another, they are driven apart because their deepest beliefs pull them in different directions. “Mixed marriages” are not issues when you are deciding dinner, or a vacation, or even a home to buy…however they often break apart in storms…at the time when you most need each other, you find you cannot be there for the other…it is terrible. Paul’s view goes beyond this explanation. He sees that the non-believer is in eternal jeopardy (and so do I) and therefore his comments address that situation as well.

The rest of the chapter follows another thread (I suggested there were several)… “I want you to be free from anxieties” (v.32) suggests he is finding people who are uptight about all the possible situations between married, unmarried, widowed, engaged…Stop worrying and be free in the Lord…live for the Lord. That is what this chapter is saying.

Now I want to ask you a question. Before we slowed down and parsed the 40 some verses into their 5 different sections, I am guessing that you were grimacing over what “the Bible” was going to say about divorce. It is actually fairly straightforward; in fact this entire chapter, albeit a bit broad as it covers the waterfront, takes a very common sense approach. “If you love God, and you know God loves you, then stop sweating: if you are married—stay married; if you are single and want to get married—then get married; if you are single and want to stay celibate—then stay celibate; if you find yourself in any circumstance—then be at peace with it as you go and serve the Lord…like I said…a lot of common sense!

DAY 237

SEX & MARRIAGE part 1

Psalm 116, 117 & 118 and 1 Corinthians 6 & 7

Let’s talk about sex and marriage. It seems as if the 1^st Corinthians letter is just “chomping and the bit” to do so, many think that the church is obsessed with sex, and some of you may think I avoided it yesterday!

It is hard to “talk about” because of course you and I are not talking…I am writing and you are reading. There is no dialog and I am painfully aware that words can hurt. Maybe you who are reading this are divorced (I am) and just reading 1^st Corinthians 7 is painful. Maybe you who are reading this are sexually active outside of marriage and just reading 1^st Corinthians 7 makes you wonder if God loves you. Maybe you who are reading this identify yourself as gay or lesbian and the words in chapter 6 anger you. The “maybe’s” could go on, but I have said earlier that to read the “whole Bible” means we have to have the courage to look at the hard passages, so here goes.

First we, society, find that many of the behaviors people want to do are not always good for them…sex is one of those behaviors. Think about others: food, drink, money, etc. When used in the proper way and within the proper boundaries, and certainly when not turned into idols, they are fine. Sex is like that.

The challenge for us today (as it was for the Corinthians) is to identify when these behaviors are proper and when they are not. In a world that snubs its nose at the uptight past, and in a world that is fast moving with families flung far and wide, it is easy to dismiss the need for boundaries. In our day and age we have drunk deeply from the well of “I will make up my own mind.” Do not think we are somehow radically different than Corinth; just look at the questions Paul asks. He asks, “Are all things lawful for me?” (6:12). This is not a small question. Paul has ferociously argued that Law Restrictions no longer apply to Christians. He then asks, “Isn’t food for the stomach and the stomach for food?” Which we might extend to, “Isn’t the body for sex and sex for the body?”

His answers are hugely insightful, as have been his answers about the Law. In answering “Do we need to follow the Law?” I would suggest that is not the full question Paul is answering. The question is rather, “Do we need to follow the Law to “be right with God?”” That is the question Paul has always been answering when he writes about Law. His answer, the Gospel answer is, “NO, for we are right with God by and through Our Lord Jesus Christ…it is a free gift.”

He does answer about the Law exactly as he answers the questions today. Is the Law helpful? Yes is the answer, “For it shows me how we might best live, how, when we follow, we can be free from the snares of the world. Consider now his next two points, he of course, introduces them with questions.

“Are all things good for me?” The answer is of course, “No.” So while we might be “free” in the sense of doing them, it is not good to do them in certain ways. There are some obvious examples, alcohol for one. Excess alcohol produces all kinds of trouble in one’s life and the chemical dependency further works its way into our body and spirit so as to make it very difficult to get free of.

The next question is “If the body is made for food and food for the body then…” so as to imply the same for sex. Here we get a deeply theological answer, “The body is not made for food…it—you—are made for God (v.6:13).

I indicated above that some things, like alcohol, have tremendous power. We end up losing our freedom to them. Sex is even more powerful. Sexual activity can combine body-mind-emotions-imagination to create a powerful, indeed wonderful, experience. It is powerful and like many good things it is therefore to be practiced in a way that honors it and us, practiced in a way that God intended for both our pleasure and our protection…practiced within boundaries. Everything has boundaries. We don’t like to admit that, but think about it for a moment. Everything has boundaries, and when violated, havoc is let loose.

Sex has boundaries exactly because it is so powerful. To use it “willy-nilly”, to trivialize sex, is to trivialize our God given humanness. And so God has given us marriage – “Let us make humankind in our image” we read in Genesis. Male and female, joined together, is the fullest image of God we can have. This joining is a lifetime joining. Think of God’s faithfulness. God does not rotate partners. God is Trinity which is relationship. The closest experience we can have is a faithful intimate relationship between husband and wife. That is the bible’s context for sex.

Of course we fail at it. I do and you do. I wrote earlier that these topics can be painful because we “read” judgment into them. I pray as you have read my attempt to write about this subject that “I have done no harm.” Regardless of me, thanks be to God that He loves us. Let God love you. Explore the reason for his boundaries. We too quickly try and rewrite, or worse, dismiss them.

There are two more subjects in this area that I will try and tackle tomorrow. The body is the Lord’s-what does this mean? And then there is marriage. If “male-female” is the full expression of God, then why are some called to celibacy? Further, we are there so many struggling and broken marriages, how do we handle that? Lots to “talk” about with these chapters of Corinthians, stay tuned.

DAY 236

INWARD or OUTWARD

Psalm 113, 114 & 115 and 1 Corinthians 6

There are some days the text seems to speak loudly to me, and some days the text is filled with so many topics that I don’t know where to begin. Today is one of those days when both are taking place.

The Psalms juxtapose three aspects or character traits of God:

1.      Psalm 113 proclaims God’s concern and even deliverance of the poor: “Praise the Lord…he raised the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes.”

2.      Psalm 114 proclaims the power of God, so much so that we should: “Tremble at the Presence of the Lord.”

3.      Psalm 115 proclaims the surpassing glory of God.

My thought was to engage in a discussion about whether we can hold those three images together, and I was going to ask the question of you (and me) “What do we think about God when we do not see the poor delivered?”

But before I could probe those thoughts of 1^st Corinthians 6 is jumping off the page. It is chock full of issues from law suits to sex to something about how we, the saints, will be judging angels (huh?).

There is however a thread which runs through these readings, and I would label it “orientation.” I am not talking about sexual orientation, but rather the orientations of each and every one of us…are we pointing inward or outward?

Think about it. In Psalm 113, 114 and 115 they are pointing outward, to God. In Psalm 115 people are even encouraged to “trust in the Lord” and to “be in awe of” or “fear” the Lord. Those admonitions are encouraging us to look outside ourselves.

Contrast that now with 1^st Corinthians 6 – everything is inward. They are suing each other. Not a very good witness for how members of a church should treat each other. When people “on the outside” look at the church do they see the “love of God,” or rather the “anger of men?” People are drawn to love not anger. Paul suggests that to save the witness of the church to the world, that they should consider taking a loss rather than sue one another. Then of course there is the sex and the description is that of all sorts of lust…inward.

Whether it is lawsuits or sex, the admonition is clear…get yourselves turned around the right way. Live as the people you are called to be…saints and people whose body is the Temple of God. Consider for a moment how we get upset when a person in leadership falls morally. Why? The answer is because we expect a lot from those entrusted with authority. While it is never a popular political agenda…character matters.

We do not talk about character for our elected officials because to tell people you have “good character” is anything but humble, and to tell people your opponent “does not have good character” is judgmental and mean…it tends to be a “lose-lose” political communications strategy. Regardless of the communication strategy…character matters.

Character matters for the church. The church…not the building, but you and me…the church must rise to the level God has called it to…and that level is Sainthood. As if that is not enough, Paul points out that we must rise to the level of those in whose hearts the Spirit of the One True Living God dwells*. And finally, as if that is not enough, all of this identity of who you are, it was given to you after Jesus paid the ultimate price for you (vv 20-21). The bit about judging angels is, I think, to get our attention. Do you and do I understand exactly who we are? We are representatives of the Most High God. Should God’s representatives be suing each other and running around full of lust?

We too often shy away from commenting about “sin.” It seems all too judgmental. We are told, “It just makes people feel bad.” To which I say, “Fine, let’s not talk about sin, let’s talk about being representatives of the Most High God!” The point is the same. Whether we like it or not, God loves us and we have received that love…and now He needs us to show His love to the world. Too many people are suing and being sued. Too many people are governed by all sorts of lusts. Too many people are dying, yesterday in Egypt the number was over 1,500…gassed by their government.

That last comment was not meant to be political and is not a statement about U.S. involvement. It is just a fact that the world apart from the love of God is a mess…and we bear a responsibility to witness God’s love…how will we ever do that if we are turned inward? May God give us the grace and strength to turn towards Him in His Service.

*If you are having a moment of low self-esteem then just hold onto this idea.

DAY 235

SIN & REPENTANCE

Psalm 110, 111 & 112 and 1 Corinthians 5

I had mentioned yesterday that Paul seemed more that a little annoyed. Today we come to the beginning of the issue. With echoes of the Psalms still in my ears, Blessed is the man who…greatly delights in his commandments, I read about people who are not greatly delighting in God’s commandments. I have pointed out before that God’s commandments are something we will want to try and keep, not to earn God’s love, but in response to His Love and in a belief that He knows the “right path.”

The Church in Corinth seems to think otherwise. “It is reported that there is sexual immorality among you…” Now I want us to really zero in on the issue. It is not so much that people are sinning (that of course is never a desirable situation) but it is rather that they are trying to say “it is ok.” Paul then is forced to actually describe the sin, so as to let them know that “he knows.” He does this all in the hope that when they read what they are doing they will stop. Because right now that are not stopping; quite the opposite…they are boasting!

The issue is their hearts, not only the sin. Do not misunderstand, the sin is wrong and I imagine people are being hurt: emotionally, physically and spiritually…that is what sin does, it damages and make no mistake, damage is being done. But to add insult to injury, those who are committing these acts are not only not sorry they have done them,  and they are not only boasting that they have done them…they are using their faith to justify their behavior! We might understand now while Paul is so upset and is being so strong in his point of view.

I really wanted to highlight the issue, it is that of attitude; in fancy religious language we would call those involved in this situation “unrepentant.” It is especially important today for two reasons.

First, the Church, or those speaking for the Church, have mis-communicated. We have somehow sent the message that sin is wrong, so wrong, that we must be perfect and anyone who is not is, well, somehow they are a really really bad person. People of course don’t like to be told they are bad. They do not like to be identified as sinners. They don’t like you pointing your finger at them. The result is that the Church has been characterized as a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. Why? Because people have mis-heard (and we have mis-spoken) the message as “be perfect, just like us church going folks.” Of course, church-going folks are not perfect and those we have been pointing at…they have noticed we sin…and worse, we don’t seem to acknowledge that we do. The result has been that the hypocrites have been called out and the Church has stopped talking about sin.

That is not the message of the Bible. The message of the Bible is that sin is real; we do it and in fact we do it too much. This leads to the second point: the point of the Bible. It is the point that to follow God is to live a life oriented away from sin. We can only do this by God’s grace, and WE WILL NOT BE PERFECT…we will sin. When we do (and we all do) we then need to stand up and say “I sinned” and “turn around” and walk back towards God. Repent means to literally “turn around.” It captures the issue, we in our journey of life for whatever reason, turn away from God. Maybe it was for a moment, but we did and we do. We need to say we are sorry, get up and get moving the right way.

In this Letter to the Corinthians we read that sin is approved of, so much so that they are boasting. We do the same. So just to be clear, I sin, all the time. I am impatient, judgmental, unloving, and more…I frequently have to ask God to forgive me, and I have to ask God to help me be less like that because I do not want to be that kind of a person. In fact the Scriptures say we are to “die daily to sin” which I take as a statement of the reality of life. If we in the Church communicated that message more, I think we might be on a better path, and find that others are joining us.

DAY 234

KEEPING IT REAL

Psalm 107, 108 & 109 and 1 Corinthians 4

Today I want to start with 1 Corinthians 4. It seems as if Paul is having a bad day. He seems to be really “venting” on the church in Corinth. First he tells them that he is a “servant,” then he goes onto to tell them that he is trustworthy, that they should go ahead and judge him, but then he tells them they should not judge him! Something is obviously going on inside of him. It will unfold for us as we go deeper into the letter. The church has some real issues and, as you will see, rather than acknowledging their issues, they are trying to justify their behavior.

It does seem like he is trying to use some shame to get their attention. If they have any concern for him, they might notice all that he has endured while they apparently have flourished. Yet to many, this part of the letter seems as if Paul is carrying on a bit…so we ought to just take it in and see where it is leading.

The Psalms today give us an amazing sweep of emotions.

Psalm 107 begins Give thanks to the Lord for he is good…and it then has a series of sections. The first section begins Some wandered and the next some sat in the dark and then some were fools and rebellious and then some went down in ships to the sea…and in each section it describes how God is faithful and good so, whoever is wise, ponder these things and consider well the mercy of the Lord!

Psalm 108 proclaims My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is firmly fixed…a psalm of joy about and to God.

The tone turns, in fact seems to do an “about face” with Psalm 109. Psalm 109, at least the first 19 verses, seem like anger…anger against those who are harming the psalmist. The writer seems to more than “wish” evil upon their enemies. Is this Christian you might ask?

Today the Bible seems amazing honest. If you were to write a book of propaganda about your “perfect religion” you might edit a bit of today’s readings…yet the Bible is not about propaganda, it is about real life…real life with a real God.

DAY 233

U R GOD’s

Psalm 105 & 106 and 1 Corinthians 3

The Psalms are a bit long today. They both draw on the deep history of God and Israel. Give thanks to the Lord…make his deeds known…and speak of his marvelous works and the Psalmist then recalls God’s deliverance of Israel. Psalm 106 is similar, Who can declare the mighty works of the Lord…and then the Psalmist recalls the unfaithfulness of Israel as God was delivering his nation.

Taken together, these two Psalms might look like some sort of comparison between God faithfulness and our unfaithfulness. And humanity certainly is unfaithful as they sacrifice their sons and daughters (106:37). Yet that is not the point of the Psalms, the point of both is God’s unrelenting love and commitment to us…to you…to me.

This chapter in Corinthians is similar, yet we may be able to relate to it a bit more. Paul is writing to a church that is squabbling with each other…there is strife and division. We get a sense that in the midst of their division, each side is trying to prove they are in the right by appealing different authority figures, e.g. Apollos.

We can relate to squabbles, whether they are in church or elsewhere. Paul says, “stop fighting!” What is his argument? First he points out that all those authority figures they are appealing to, they are God’s fellow workers…they are on the same team. Second he reminds them of who they are, Do you not know that you are God’s Temple and that God’s Spirit dwells within you? This is exactly what the Psalmist is doing…retelling the story to remind people of their roots and their identity. Paul chides them because they think they are wise, just as the Israelites thought they were smart when they failed to follow the law…for human wisdom is folly in God’s plan.

Yet this is not the high point…the high point is coming…it is in fact the unchanging point that God has been shouting through the ages…YOU ARE CHRIST’S & CHRIST IS GOD’S (v.20).

I am not sure how you feel about that, I would like to suggest that this point is the point that we read in Genesis: “let us make humankind in our image.” It is the point we read in Exodus as the people who have been assigned the job to tell the world about God find themselves bound in slavery and then they are then delivered by him. As those delivered people abandon God and yet God still makes them into a great nation. I could go on, but there is a more modern point to make. More than recalling Israel’s history, or the Church in Corinth’s history…what is yours…what are your moments which unequivocally reveal that God has not let go and that U R God’s. Give thanks to the Lord…make his deeds known…and speak of his marvelous works…the works in your life.