The Adult Sabbath School Class

Time Out

2007-01-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

I'm going to take a brief vacation from this blog -- what with teaching two high school religion classes AND pastoring a two-church district, something had to give.

Fortunately, you have two great alternatives: both Spectrum the Walla Walla College School of Theology offer excellent commentaries (and both are readily available via the "Links" section in the lower left-hand column.) And if you'd like an excellent Bible commentary that will help you make sense of Eccesiastes and apply it to your life, try Iain Provan's book on Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs in The NIV Application Commentary Series. (For more information on this book, click here.)

And to all my readers -- thank you! I hope this blog has been as helpful to you as it has been to me!

Another view of Joseph (part II)

2006-12-24T16:52:00.001-08:00

As you read this week's verses, notice the way Jacob dominates the story -- even when he's off stage! (And if you doubt this, then count the number of times Judah mentions his father when he's speaking to Joseph.)

Then too, you may find it helpful to compare the Bible's version of Joseph's story with that found in the Koran. (For the source of this story, click on the title of this post.)

⁵⁸And his brethren came to Joseph, and they entered in unto him and he knew them, but they recognised not him. ⁵⁹And when he had equipped them with their equipment he said, "Bring me a brother that ye have from your father; do ye not see that I give good measure, and that I am the best of entertainers? ⁶⁰ But if ye bring him not to me, no measure shall ye have with me, nor shall ye come nigh me."

⁶¹They said, "We will desire him of our father, and we will surely do it."

⁶²Then he said to his servants, "Put their chattels in their packs, haply they may know it when they are come back to their family; haply they may return."

⁶³And when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father! Measure is withheld from us; so send with us our brother that we may get measure, and, verily, him we will keep!"

⁶⁴He said, "Shall I entrust you with him, save as entrusted you with his brother before? but God is the best of keepers, and He is the most merciful of the merciful."

⁶⁵And when they opened their goods they found their chattels restored to them. Said they, "O our father! What more can we crave? Here are our chattels restored to us, and we shall guard our brother, and shall have an additional measure beside that- a small measure."

⁶⁶He said, "I will by no means send him with you until you give me a compact from God that ye will surely bring him to me, unless ye be encompassed." So when they had given him their compact he said, "God over what ye say has charge." ⁶⁷And he said, "O my sons, enter not by one gate, but enter by several gates; but I cannot avail you aught against God. Judgment is only God's; upon Him do I rely, and on Him do the reliant rely."

⁶⁸ And when they had entered as their father bade them, it availed them nothing against God, save for a want in Jacob's soul which it fulfilled; for, verily, he was possessed of knowledge, for that we had taught him;- but most men do not know.

⁶⁹And when they entered in unto Joseph, he took his brother to stay with him, and said, "Verily, I am thy brother- then take not ill that which they have been doing."

⁷⁰And when he had equipped them with their equipment he placed the drinking cup in his brother's pack; then a crier cried out, "O ye caravan, verily, ye are thieves!"

⁷¹They said, approaching them, "What is it that ye miss?"

⁷² Said they, "We miss the goblet of the king, and whoso brings it shall have a camel-load, and I am guarantee thereof."

⁷³ They said, "By God! Ye knew we came not to do evil in the land, and that we were not thieves."

⁷⁴They said, "And what shall be the recompense thereof if ye be liars?"

⁷⁵They said, "The recompense thereof is he in whose pack it is found- he shall be the recompense thereof; thus do we recompense the unjust."

⁷⁶And he began with their sacks before the sacks of his brother; then he drew it forth from his brother's sack.

Thus did we devise a stratagem for Joseph. He could not take his brother by the king's religion except God pleased;- we raise the degrees of whomsoever we please, and over every possessor of knowledge is one who knows.

⁷⁷They said, "If he has stolen, a brother of his has stolen before him."

But Joseph kept it secret in his soul and disclosed it not to them. Said he, "Ye are in a bad case, and God knows best about what ye describe."

⁷⁸They said, "O prince! Verily, he has a father, a very old man; take then one of us instead of him; verily, we can see that thou art of those who do good."

⁷⁹Said he, "(I seek) refuge in God from taking any save him with whom we found our property; verily, we should then be certainly unjust."

⁸⁰And when they despaired of him they retired to consult privately. Said the eldest of them, "Do ye not know that your father has taken a compact from God against you? Aforetime ye exceeded in the matter of Joseph- I will surely not quit the land until my father give me leave, or God judge for me, for He is the best of judges. ⁸¹ Return ye to your father and say, 'O our father, verily, thy son has committed theft, and we bore testimony to naught but what we knew; for of the unforeseen we were not keepers!' ⁸²Ask then in the city where we were, and of the caravan in which we approached it, for, verily, we tell the truth."

⁸³ Said he, "Nay, your souls have induced you to do this thing. But patience is fair. It may be that God will give me them all together;- verily, He is knowing, wise." ⁸⁴And he turned away from them and said, "O my lament for Joseph!" and his eyes grew white with grief, for he repressed (his woe).

⁸⁵ They said, "By God, thou wilt not cease to remember Joseph till thou art at the point of death, or art of those who perish!"

⁸⁶ Said he, "I only complain of my emotion and my grief to God, for I know that from God which ye know nothing of. ⁸⁷ O my sons, go and enquire concerning Joseph and his brother, and despair not of God's comfort; for, verily, none need despair of God's comfort save a misbelieving people!"

⁸⁸And when they entered in unto him they said, "O prince, distress has touched both us and our families, and we have brought trifling chattels. So give us full measure and bestow upon us in charity; verily, God rewards the charitable."

⁸⁹He said, "Do ye know what ye did with Joseph and his brother, while ye were ignorant?"

⁹⁰They said, "Art thou then indeed Joseph?"

He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my brother; God has been gracious towards us. Verily, whoso fears God and is patient,- verily, God wastes not the hire of those who do good!"

⁹¹They said, "By God, God has chosen thee over us; and we indeed were sinners."

⁹²He said, "No reproach against you to-day! God will pardon you, for He is the most merciful of the merciful.⁹³ Take this my shirt, and throw it over the face of my father, he will become able to see; and bring me your families all together."

⁹⁴And when the caravan departed, their father said, "Verily, I find the smell of Joseph, unless ye think I dote!"

⁹⁵They said, "By God, thou art in thy old error."

⁹⁶ And when the herald of glad tidings came he threw it on his face, and he was restored to sight. Said he, "Did I not tell you that I know from God that of which ye know not?"

⁹⁸They said, "O our father, ask pardon for us of our sins;- verily, we were sinners!"

⁹⁹He said, "I will ask pardon for you from my Lord; verily, He is the pardoning and merciful."

¹⁰⁰And when they entered in unto Joseph, he took his father to stay with him, and said, "Enter ye into Egypt, if it please God, safe." ¹⁰¹ And he raised his father upon the throne, and they fell down before him adoring.

And he said, "O my sire! This is the interpretation of my vision aforetime; my Lord has made it come true, and He has been good to me, in bringing me forth out of prison, and bringing you from the desert, after Satan had made a breach between me and my brethren;-verily, my Lord is kind to whomsoever He will;- verily, He is the knowing, the wise!

¹⁰²"O my Lord, thou hast given me dominion, and hast taught me the interpretation of sayings; O originator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my patron in this world and the next; take me to Thyself resigned, and let me reach the righteous!"

Another view of Joseph

2006-12-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest problems you'll face this week is the fact that most of your class-members are familiar with the story of Joseph -- so familiar that they will "tune out" anything you have to say!

One way around that is to take a look at the way other people tell this story. Joseph's story is a favorite of Moslems, for instance; in fact, the Koran includes a long section (or "sura") about it. As you read, you will notice how Moslem theology (viz. the problem of evil and the suffering of the innocent) is reflected in this version of the story . . . and in the process, you may gain a new understanding of the story in Genesis.

Enjoy!

Those are the signs of the perspicuous Book. ² Verily, we have revealed it, an Arabic Koran; haply ye may understand. ³ We tell thee the best of stories, in inspiring thee with this Koran, though thou wert before it among the heedless.

⁴ When Joseph said to his father, ‘O my sire, verily, I saw eleven stars, and the sun, and the moon,- I saw them adoring me!’ ⁵ He said, ‘O my boy, toll not thy vision to thy brethren, for they will plot a plot against thee; verily, the devil is to man an open foe.’

⁶Thus does thy Lord choose thee, and teach thee the interpretation of sayings, and fulfil His favour upon thee, and upon Jacob’s people, as He fulfilled it upon thy two forefathers before thee, Abraham and Isaac,- verily, thy Lord is knowing, wise!

⁷In Joseph and his brethren were signs to those who enquire! ⁸ When they said, ‘Surely, Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we, a band although we be; verily, our father is in obvious error.⁹‘Slay Joseph, or cast him in some land; that your father’s face may be free for you, and ye may be, after he is gone, a people who do right.’

¹⁰A speaker from amongst them spake, ‘Slay not Joseph, but throw him into the bottom of the pit; some of the travellers may pick him up, if so ye do.’

¹¹Said they, ‘O our father, what ails thee that thou wilt not trust us with Joseph while we are unto him sincere? ¹² Send him with us to-morrow to revel and to play, and, verily, we over him will keep good guard.’

¹³Said he, ‘Verily, it grieves me that ye should go off with him, for I fear lest the wolf devour him while ye of him do take no heed.’ ¹⁴ Said they, ‘Why, if the wolf should devour him while we are (such) a band, verily, we then should deserve to lose!’

¹⁵And when they had gone off with him and agreed to put him in the depths of the pit, and we inspired him, ‘Thou shalt surely inform them of this affair of theirs and they shall not perceive.’ ¹⁶ And they came to their father at eve and weeping said, ¹⁷ ‘O our father, verily, we went forth to race and left Joseph by our goods, and the wolf devoured him,- but thou wilt not believe us, truth tellers though we be.’

¹⁸And they brought his shirt with lying blood upon it. Said he, ‘Nay, but your souls have induced you to do this; but patience is fair, and God is He whom I ask for aid against that which ye describe.’

¹⁹And travellers came and sent their water-drawer; and he let down his bucket. Said he, ‘O glad tidings, this is a youth.’ And they kept him secret, as a chattel; but God knew what they were doing. ²⁰ And they sold him for a mean price,- drachmae counted out,- and they parted with him cheaply.

²¹And the man from Egypt who had bought him said to his wife, ‘Honour his abiding here; it may be he will be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.'

Thus did we stablish Joseph in the land; and we did surely teach him the interpretation of sayings; for God can overcome His affairs, though most men do not know. And when he had reached his strength we brought him judgment and knowledge, for thus do we reward those who do good.

²³ And she in whose house he was desired him for his person; and she locked the doors and said, ‘Come along with thee!’ Said he, ‘Refuge in God, verily, my Lord has made good my abiding here; verily, the wrong-doers shall not prosper.’

²⁴And she was anxious for him, and he would have been anxious for her, had it not been that he saw the demonstration of his Lord; thus did we turn evil and fornication from him; verily, he was of our sincere servants.

²⁵And they raced to the door and she rent his shirt from behind; and they met her master at the door. Said she, ‘What is the recompense of him who wishes evil for thy family, but that imprisonment or a grievous torment?’

²⁶Said he, ‘She desired me for my person.’

And a witness from among her family bore witness: ‘If his shirt be rent from in front, then she speaks the truth and he is of the liars; ²⁷ but if his shirt be rent from behind, then she lies and he is of the truth tellers.’

²⁸ And when he saw his shirt rent from behind he said, ‘This is one of your tricks; verily, your tricks are mighty! ²⁹ Joseph, turn aside from this. And do thou, woman, ask pardon for thy fault; verily, thou wert of the sinners.’

³⁰And women in the city said, ‘The wife of the prince desires her young man for his person; he has infatuated her with love: verily, we see her in obvious error.’³¹ And when she heard of their craftiness, she sent to them, and prepared for them a banquet, and gave each of them a knife; and she said, ‘Come forth to them!’ And when they saw him they said, ‘Great God!’ and cut their hands and said, ‘God forbid! This is no mortal, this is nothing but an honourable angel.’ ³² Said she, ‘This is he concerning whom ye blamed me. I did desire him for his person, but he was too continent. But if he do not what I bid him he shall surely be imprisoned and shall surely be among the small!’

³³ Said he, ‘My Lord! Prison is dearer to me than what they call on me to do; and unless Thou turn from me their craftiness I shall feel a passion for them and shall be among the ignorant!’ ³⁴ And his Lord answered him and turned from him their craftiness; verily, He both hears and knows!

³⁵Then it appeared good to them, even after they had seen the signs, to imprison him until a time. ³⁶And there entered the prison with him two young men. Said one of them, ‘Verily, I see myself pressing wine.’ And the other said, ‘Verily, I see myself bearing on my head loaves from which the birds do eat; inform us of the interpretation thereof; verily, we see that thou art of those who do good.’

³⁷He said, ‘There shall not come to you any food with which ye are provided, but I will inform you both of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is (some) of what my Lord has taught me; verily, I have left the faith of a people who do not believe in God, while in the future too they disbelieve. ³⁸ And I have followed the faith of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; we could not associate aught with God; that is from God’s grace upon us and upon men: but most men give not thanks.³⁹ O ye twain fellow-prisoners! Are manifold lords better, or God, the one, the dominant? ⁴⁰ What ye worship beside Him are naught but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers, for which God has sent down no authority. Judgment is only God’s; He bids you worship only Him. That is the standard of religion,- but most men do not know.⁴¹ O ye twain fellow-prisoners, as for one of you, he shall pour out wine for his lord: and as for the other, he shall be crucified, and the birds shall eat of his head. The matter is decreed whereon ye asked me for a decision!’

⁴²And he said to him whom he thought would escape of those two, Remember me with thy lord!’ But Satan made him forget the remembrance of his lord, so he tarried in prison a few years. ⁴³ Then said the king, ‘Verily, I see seven fat kine which seven lean kine devoured; and seven green ears of corn and others dry. O ye chiefs! Explain to me my vision, if a vision ye can expound!’ ⁴⁴ Said they, ‘Confused dreams, and naught of the exposition of such dreams know we!’

⁴⁵Then he who had escaped of those twain said,- remembering after a while,- ‘Verily, I will inform you of the interpretation thereof, so send me.’

⁴⁶‘Joseph! O thou truth teller, explain to us the seven fat kine which seven lean devoured; and the seven green ears of corn and others dry. Haply I may go back to the men, haply they then may know!’ ⁴⁷ He said, ‘Ye shall sow for seven years, as is your wont; but what ye reap, let it remain in the ear, except a little whereof ye shall eat. ⁴⁸ Then there shall come after that seven severe (years) which shall devour what ye have put by before for them, save a little of what ye shall preserve. ⁴⁹ Then there will come after that a year in which men shall have rain and in which they shall press.’

⁵⁰Then said the king, ‘Bring him to me.’

And when the messenger came to him, he said, Go back to thy lord, and ask him, "What meant the women who cut their hands? Verily, my lord knows their craftiness!"’

⁵¹He said, ‘What was your design when ye desired Joseph for his person? They said, ‘God forbid, we know no bad of him.’ Said the wife of the prince, Now does the truth appear! I desired him for his person and, verily, he is of those who tell the truth.’ ⁵² ‘That’ (said Joseph) ‘was that he might know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that God guides not the craft of those who do betray! ⁵³ Yet I do not clear myself, for the soul is very urgent to evil, save what my Lord has had mercy on; verily, my Lord is forgiving and merciful!’

⁵⁴And the king said, ‘Bring him to me. I will take him specially for myself.’ And when he had spoken with him he said, ‘Verily, to-day thou art with us in a permanent place of trust.’

⁵⁵He said, ‘Place me over the treasures of the land; verily, I will be a knowing keeper.’

⁵⁶Thus did we establish Joseph in the land that he might settle in what part thereof he pleased- we overtake with our mercy whom we will, nor do we waste the hire of those who do good; ⁵⁷ and surely the hire of the future life is better for those who believe and who have feared.

[The sura continues with the story of Joseph's brothers. If you would like to read it in full, click on the title of this post.]

Ad astra per aspera

2006-12-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Jacob sent his family on ahead.

With that, you know everything you need to know about “Jake the Snake.”

It had been 20-years since he’d since his brother, remember – 20-years since he’d left town one step ahead of a lynch mob with his brother at the head of the pack. And when Jacob sent word that he was coming home – “and can’t we let bygones be bygones?” – he soon found out that time does not heal all wounds.

No, his brother was coming to meet him – his brother, and a mob of 400 men!

So Jacob did what he could to cut his losses, appease his brother, and make things right with God. But when it came to the night before the battle . . .

Jacob sent his family on ahead, while he remained behind.

Maybe that’s why God decided it was time for a little tough love; maybe that’s why God decided it was time for a “smackdown at the Jabbok.” For there he was, plotting his escape . . . and the next thing Jacob knew was that somebody grabbed him and slammed into the ground. All night they wrestled. All night they fought.

And when morning came, Jacob was hurting. He was limping. But he was a changed man.

For when Esau showed up that very morning – together with his 400 men – we read in Genesis 33:3 that it was Jacob who went out to meet them.

No longer hiding behind his wives and children, now it is Jacob who leads the way.

The Guiding Light (second season)

2006-12-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

This may be the second-season of Abramos – but it’s a whole-new ball-game for the fans of this popular telenovela!!!

In last year’s shocking finale, we learned the true nature of the title character’s relationship with his wife AND witnessed the near-death of their son at the hands of his father. (And yes, the critics are still arguing about that episode!) Even the storybook wedding of the family heir wasn’t enough to erase our concerns for this family’s future.

As it turns out, we were right to worry. In a surprising twist, this season picks up 25-years after last year’s final episode. With Abramos dead, the family business is up for grabs. On paper, his son is now the boss . . .

But can little “Snickers” maintain control in the face of his wife’s opposition?

And what of their twin sons: “Red” and Iago? Dad favors the thoroughly assimilated “Red” – a man’s man (and a lady’s man besides). But with Mom backing the all-too clever Iago . . .

Well, it looks like this is one show that is sure to keep its fans guessing!

Is God enough?

2006-11-30T13:44:00.002-08:00

What if Adventist men lived seven years less than average?

What if paying tithe was a sure route to bankruptcy?

And what if following God meant giving up any chance at eternal life?

Would you still believe? Would you still have faith? Would you still be a Christian anyway?

Those are the question posed by this week’s lesson – questions exemplified by God’s command that Abraham sacrifice Isaac.

In giving up Isaac, remember, Abraham was giving up everything that God had ever promised: life, hope, blessings, and promises. All gone, just because God said to give them up.

Likewise, we come to God for all kinds of reasons – because we seek purpose. Because we seek meaning.Because we want our kids to pick up some moral values. Or maybe we’re just looking for a group of like-minded people who will help us chase away the blues on Saturday morning. Whatever.

And sometimes, we find these things and God besides – and yes, it’s great when that happens.

But sometimes, it seems as though we can follow God only by giving up everything we’d ever wanted from him. No purpose. No meaning. No happy family or like-minded friends – all gone, with nothing left but God.

So what do we do when this happens? Is God enough? Or was there something else we really wanted – something we wanted even more than Him?

Such a deal!

2006-11-22T18:13:00.009-08:00

Abraham was not the man you’d send out to buy a good used car – not if you could help it.

No, the sad fact is that Abraham got snookered just about every time he tried to make a deal. Think of what happened, for instance, the time things got too crowded for both him and his nephew.

Abraham: “Lot, it’s time we split up – and since it’s only polite, I will give you the opportunity to choose first just exactly where you want to go. Then you will defer to me as the eldest, and once you’ve do that, I will then go ahead and make my choice.”

Job: “How about I just pick what I want and be done with it?”
Abraham: “Oh.”

And then there was the time Abraham bought a piece of land to use for Sarah’s grave.

Abraham: “How much?”

Ephron the Hittite: “For you, it’s free!”

Abraham: “But seriously – how much?

Ephron the Hittite: “400 shekels of silver” . . .

. . . an outrageous price, since this would be more than thirty-years wages for a working man! In short, Ephron’s reply is nothing more than an opening bid; he’s obviously expecting Abraham to make a counter-offer. But what does Abraham say?

Abraham: “Oh . . . well, I guess that’s okay.”

I mean – really, where’s the Consumer Protection Agency when you need it?

In fact, the only time Abraham seemed to get the better of his opponent is the time he bargained with God. You remember the story – God reveals to Abraham that He’s going to destroy Sodom. Abraham objects; “What if there are fifty righteous people in that town? Would you destroy them too?”

“Okay,” says God. “I won’t do it if there are fifty righteous people in that town.”

“What if five people are missing,” says Abraham. “What if there are only forty-five righteous people in that town? And what about forty? Or thirty-five?”

And so it goes, until Abraham has finally talked God into saving Sodom for just the low, low price of ten righteous men.

All of which would be amazing enough, until you remember that it’s Abraham doing the bargaining here. Abraham – the one man on the planet who’s paid the sticker-price on every car he’s ever bought!

So how does Abraham manage to make such a great bargain with God?

Either there are untapped depths to this guy that we never see anyplace else . . .

Or maybe . . . maybe when people’s lives are at stake, God doesn’t bargain so hard?

The Guiding Light

2006-11-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

With immigration a “hot-button issue” all across this country, are we ready for a TV series about an illegal immigrant?

At least one network thinks so. This week marks the prime-time debut of Abramos – an extended soap opera (or telenovela) about the title character and his thoroughly dysfunctional family. In this week’s episode, for instance, Abramos lies to an immigration officer about his wife’s identity. Complications ensue when the officer asks his wife for a date!

Future episodes promise to be even more dramatic, thanks to a strong supporting cast that includes Abramos’s scheming (but unlucky) nephew, his long-time employee (and former lover), and even the occasional “voice over” from the show’s director.

Not surprisingly, the show has generated considerable controversy. “We’re afraid some people will see this character as a role model,” says Tony White, a spokesman for the National Legion of Decency. “What does it say when you feature someone who lies, who sleeps around – and who shouldn’t even be in this country!”

Still, the program’s director show no sign of backing down. “No matter what happens, we’re going to see this project through,” said a spokesman from His office. “And if you think this show is controversial . . . well, just wait until you see the sequel!”

Fragment of a manuscript recently discovered on Mt. Ararat

2006-11-09T14:14:00.004-08:00

. . . Treasurer’s Report was accepted as read.

Old Business:

Voted to table the Interim Report from the 2448 BC Study Committee (2448SC) until the next meeting, in as much as the Committee’s chairman has been stepped on by a wooly mammoth.

Voted to send a card expressing our sympathy to his widow.

Voted to accept the report from the Sub-Committee on Grammar, Punctuation, and Cleaning Supplies (SCoGPaCS) on the Revised Statement of Practices and Beliefs (RSPaB). As it now stands, the RSPaB reads:

Whereas God directed His people to build an ark . . .
And whereas God’s people put a lot of time, thought, and money into building that ark . . .
And even more whereas that same ark carried God’s people to safety during the Great Flood of recent memory . . .
And an extra-special whereas it is still too soon to determine the truth of reports to the effect that the ark has grounded on the mountains of Ararat, the Flood waters have receded, and God has opened the door of the ark and commanded us all to leave . . .
And a really important whereas it would make no sense for God to command us all to leave the very same ark that He'd once told us to enter . . .
Therefore, it is RESOLVED by the True Friends of Noah’s Ark (Third-floor, Starboard Side) that we should continue living in the ark.

Voted to table the report from the Committee That's Supposed to Try and Figure Out Where All the Animals Have Gone (CTStTaFOWAtAHG).

New Business:

Voted to establish a Committee on Outreach to Those Now Living on the Plains of Shinar (CoOtTNLotPoS) to invite them all to rejoin us here on the ark.

Voted to establish an Advisory Council on Decks, Railings, and Bulkheads (ACoDRaB) to see if the current structure of the ark may need updating.

Voted to establish a Special Commission to Determine Why So Many of Our Youth Are Leaving the Ark (SCtDWSMoOYALtA) . . .

Fragment B of Archeteknos’s “Dialogue with Siderohippos”

2006-11-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

Archeteknos: Could you explain what you mean when you say, “God does not play dice with the Universe?”

Siderohippos: God does not govern this Universe in a manner that is irrational or unpredictable; He does not subject His creatures to the whims of “chance” or “fortune.”

Archeteknos: An admirable sentiment – one that suggests God’s acts are always rational.

Siderohippos: Yes.

Archeteknos: And predictable?

Siderohippos: Subject to our own, limited understanding – yes.

Archeteknos: Without any hint of “chance”?

Siderohippos: Again, this would be subject to our own, limited understanding.

Archeteknos: Good – then you would have no objection to joining me in a simple game of dice?

Siderohippos: I do not play games of chance.

Archeteknos: Trust me – with these dice, “chance” has nothing to do with it!

Siderohippos: Then I would be a fool to play with you.

Archeteknos: We will leave aside the question of your foolishness for now . . . but I am puzzled, Siderohippos, for I have done exactly what you want me to do.

Siderohippos: I did not ask you to cheat.

Archeteknos: But you have said that “chance” should have no place in our world.

Siderohippos: No, I said that God does not . . . I mean . . . that is to say . . .

Archeteknos: Let me see if I can help – you admit that some things may appear to be the results of nothing more than pure chance?

Siderohippos: If your dice were honest, then that would be true.

Archeteknos: So there is such a thing as chance?

Siderohippos: It would appear so. Then again, we do not know if these things are truly a matter of chance, or if there is an underlying cause we cannot determine at this time. If I could know everything there is to know about the dice you threw – their weight, their size, the way they react to the ridges of your fingerprints or the incidental puff of air . . .

Archeteknos: To be sure, a sufficiently omniscient observer might be able to predict the outcome. But as for us?

Siderohippos: We could not possibly hope to do so.

Archeteknos: In short, a process that we perceive to be random, chaotic, and even “purposeless” may not be perceived as such by God. Consider the Great Flood, for instance. Was it subject to God’s control?

Siderohippos: Yes.

Archeteknos: And He knew the outcome of that particular event?

Siderohippos: God knew exactly what He hoped to achieve by it; otherwise, He never would have allowed the Great Flood to take place.

Archeteknos: Yet to a human observer . . .

Siderohippos: It was a chaotic event – one in which everything was mixed-up, scrambled, and truly “without form and void.”

Archeteknos: Could a human observer have predicted the outcome of the Great Flood?

Siderohippos: Such an observer may have been able to predict potential outcomes . . .

Archeteknos: Just as you or I might predict that rolling a pair of dice will give us a result somewhere between "Snake-eyes" and "Boxcars." What is more, we should be able to give odds on how often a given outcome may result.

Siderohippos: True, though I have never been able to master that art.

Archeteknos: I would be happy to give you lessons, though you may find them expensive! But for now, let us both agree that, to speak of an outcome as "random" does not mean that anything and everything could have taken place.

Siderohippos: No, it would appear there are limits, even to chaos.

Archeteknos: Thus, can we affirm that God is in control, even when it looks to us as though everything is out of control?

Siderohippos: Certainly that is true of the Great Flood.

Archeteknos: And God may be able to predict the outcome of an event, even when we are unable to do so?

Siderohippos: That is only reasonable. Are you saying, then, that there are times when it may appear as though God does play dice with the Universe?

Archeteknos: Perhaps – but if so, then I suspect the diced are "loaded" in a way that only He understands. And speaking of which, I believe it is time for your first lesson in probability . . .

No Exit?

2006-10-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

This week, your class is going to be grappling with a question – the question, as Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett put it, of

why make people inquisitive, and then put some forbidden fruit where they can see it with a big neon finger flashing on and off saying “THIS IS IT!”?

And if you’d like a good answer, then watch The Truman Show – the story of a man, Truman Burbank, who lives in a paradise named "Sea Haven" with:

no crime,
no poverty,
and no way out.

(At least, no easy way out.)

No, watch the movie and you’ll discover that Paradise without an exit sign – an visible exit sign with a big neon finger flashing on and off saying “THIS IS IT!” – would have been little more than a very fancy prison.

Promises to keep

2006-10-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

God always sticks with "Plan A."

Even when we make it tough for Him to do so.

In the first chapter of Genesis, for instance, God made three promises to humanity:

we'd have dominion over the earth -- and as part of that,
we'd have lots of food,
we'd have lots of children.

Now in chapter two, God shows how He plans to deliver on those promises.

God plants a garden, then gives us the job of tending and guarding it -- and yes, the phrase here is the same phrase you'd use to describe the duties of a priest in a temple. What's more, we're giving "naming rights" to the animals, i.e. we're allowed to determine the role they'll play in God's world.
God fills the garden with every kind of tree that looks good and tastes good; this was one place, in other words, where food literally grew on trees.
Finally, God creates sex. (And yes, I know that sounds a little blunt, but how else can you describe the creation of the first man and the first woman?)

In chapter three, of course, our first parents will make it terribly difficult for God to keep these promises -- so difficult, we might have thought it far easier for God to forget them entirely.

But skip ahead to Revelation 20-22, and you'll find that every single one of God's promises will be fulfilled in the end.

We shall rule as priests and kings.
We shall eat from the tree of life, "and the leaves of the trees [shall be] for the healing of the nations."
And "a great crowd beyond number" will praise God as its saviour and king.

In short, God's plans for His people have not changed -- and God's promises to His people will all be kept . . .

No, God never goes to "Plan B."

That's because God never settles for second-best.

Fragment of Archeteknos' "Dialogue with Siderohippos"

2006-10-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Archeteknos: And so we both agree that a workman may use tools in building his house?

Siderohippos: Certainly.

Archeteknos: Yet we still say it is the workman who built the house, and not the tools which have done so?

Siderohippos: Of course.

Archeteknos: Likewise, is it possible that God may have used certain tools in building this Universe?

Siderohippos: What do you mean?

Archeteknos: Consider the rain we had today. Did God send the rain?

Siderohippos: Yes. We all know that God is in charge of the weather.

Archeteknos: What tools did God use to give us this rain?

Siderohippos: Clouds and the wind, of course.

Archeteknos: Would these things suffice in themselves to give us rain?

Siderohippos: Not without God – no more than a hammer and saw could build a house by themselves.

Archeteknos: So God sent the rain?

Siderohippos: Yes.

Archeteknos: But you will allow Him the use of tools – tools such as clouds and wind – in this task?

Siderohippos: That only makes sense.

Archeteknos: Even though some might call these tools a "natural process"?

Siderohippos: "Natural" need not imply "autonomous"; God is still in charge.

Archeteknos: So God is still the creator of our weather, even though He may use a "natural process" as His tool in creating that weather.

Siderohippos: That is true, just as a workman is the creator of a building, even though he uses a hammer and saw.

Archeteknos: Likewise, we both agree that God created the Universe, just as surely as He sent us the rain.

Siderohippos: Without a doubt.

Archeteknos: Might it be that God used tools – tools He has made – for this task of creation, just as we agree that He uses tools for the task of sending us rain?

Siderohippos: It is possible.

Archeteknos: And might these tools include what some have called "natural processes"?

Siderohippos: Yes, just so long as it is God who is doing this.

Archeteknos: But even if God were to use these tools, that would not stop us from saying that God is the creator of this Universe?

Siderohippos: That is true, but . . .

Time to Reboot

2006-10-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

A kludge cannot be repaired.

That's what a kludge is -- it's something so badly flawed in its conception that it cannot be fixed. (In fact, any attempts to fix it will only make it worse.)

Need an example? Think of the Edsel. New Coke. And some of the haircuts you've endured.

No, the only thing you can do with a kludge is pull the plug. Get rid of it. Start over from scratch, and hope things go better the next time.

That's what we'll be doing this quarter -- we'll be going right back to the beginning. Right back to the start. Right back to the first book in the Bible: the Book of Genesis.

In the process, we'll take another look at some of our basic ideas about the big issues: God, humanity, sin, and salvation. And if it turns out that we were right all along, then we can spend the next three months just patting ourselves on our collective backs.

But if it turns out that some of our most basic ideas are wrong . . .

Well, what do you do with a kludge?

And no, I'm not happy with the Magnificat, either.

2006-09-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

I don’t like this idea of God judging the earth.

And chances are, neither should you.

If you’re reading this on the Web, after all, then you’re better-off than 95% of the people on this planet. The status quo has been good to you, in other words. It’s pushed you to the top of the heap.

No, “the system,” as a friend of mine likes to say, “is perfectly designed to give you the results you’re getting right now” – and if you like the results you’re getting right now, then you certainly don’t want to change anything.

You just want more of the same.

And that’s the problem with this whole idea of judgment – it’s based on the premises . . .

That the “best of all possible worlds” for people like us may not be “the best of all possible worlds” from God’s point of view.
That God may rate something else more important than our own satisfaction.
That God may even shake up things so that other people get a chance at the good life.

And when I say “other people,” I mean “people other than us.”

In short, the judgment is an inherently subversive activity. It penalizes winners. It rewards losers. It threatens the status quo.

And why would anyone ever want to do something like that?

The Three Phases of the Investigative Judgment

2006-09-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing we've learned from this quarter's lessons, it's that the Adventist Church's doctrine of the Investigative Judgment is non-negotiable. It is not open to discussion; it is not open to change.

But even if the doctrine itself has not changed, the uses we've made of that doctrine most certainly have. Over the years, as a matter of fact, Adventists have used the Investigative Judgment as both a comfort and a club.

Phase One: Focus on Daniel
In the immediate aftermath of the Great Disappointment, for instance, Adventists were cheered by the thought of judgment. We liked the idea that God was sifting through the names of professed believers; we liked the idea that God was determining just who was really and truly a Christian . . . and who was such in name only.

And if you were a Millerite who had been mocked, abused, and expelled from church by those so-called “Christians,” then you looked forward to the day when God vindicated His saints in this Investigative Judgment . . . because that was the day those other people finally got what they deserved!

Phase Two: Focus on Leviticus.
But as time passed, Adventists realized that people inside the church could be just as bad as those outside – that Adventists could be hypocrites just as easy as anyone else.

And with that, the Investigative Judgment changed from a means of vindication to one of motivation; it became less of a comfort, and more of a club.

“At any moment,” we told church members, “your name could come up in the Judgment . . . and if there is one sin you’ve not forsaken – one sin you’ve not confessed and put behind you – then you will be lost for all eternity.

“What’s more,” we said, “the day will come when probation closes for everyone – the day when the Great Anti-typical Day of Atonement comes to an end. So you’d better get right with God before then . . . otherwise, you will not be ready to stand before God without a mediator.”

Phase Three: Focus on . . . ?
In the past decade or so, Adventists have tried to make the Investigative Judgment a lot less scary. Spend much time at Loma Linda University, for instance, and you’ll hear that the real subject of this judgment is God – that the Investigative Judgment is God’s way of proving His fairness and love to the questioning Universe.

Hang around Andrews University, on the other hand, and you’ll hear that Jesus has demolished anything that once separated us from God; as a result, we may come into His presence with boldness, because Jesus led the way.

Obviously, there are important differences between these two views.

The first draws inspiration from Ellen White’s theme of a “great controversy” between good and evil; the second is more rooted in the Book of Hebrews.
The first is more comfortable with Abelard’s “moral influence” view of the atonement; the second with Anselm’s “forensic” theory.
The first stresses our freedom of choice; the second God’s sovereignty.

But both views try to make the Investigative Judgment more “user” friendly; both views view it as a comfort (and not a club) -- and just like this week's Sabbath School lesson, both views pretty much ignore whatever it was that Jesus was supposed to have been doing before 1844.

In short, Adventists have always believed in an Investigative Judgment; no discussion there.

But when it comes to what we mean by that belief . . .

Well, that's open for debate.

“How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”

2006-09-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Times change.

And so do the meaning of words.

Take “liberal” and “conservative,” for instance. Back in the 19th-century, a “Liberal” favored free markets, while “Conservatives” backed government intervention.

Today, it’s the other way around. The meanings changed, in other words, even though the words themselves did not.

The same is true of this week’s lesson – a lesson that hearkens back to the time when “Conservatives” sought to rule by “crown, sword, and altar,” i.e. the aristocracy, the army, and the established church.

And yes, the “established church” was usually (but not always) Catholic.

Lined up against this cause was an uneasy coalition of Protestants and Liberals – Protestants who opposed Conservatives because they were Catholic, and Liberals who opposed anything that stood in the way of free markets and free thought.

The Fundamentalists and the ACLU had joined hands against the Old Guard, in other words – and if you want an example of the way this worked out in practice, then read The Great Controversy; notice how Ellen White critiques the Conservative establishment of her day. It’s a critique based, not just on religious values, but on Liberal values as well – Liberal values such as efficiency, reason, and democracy.

No, when Ellen White wrote The Great Controversy, it would have been controversial. Provocative. Even “edgy.”

But it was a book you could give to a Liberal President or Prime Minister – a man such as Theodore Roosevelt or William Gladstone – and you could do so knowing he’d understand.

Even if he didn’t agree.

Try that today, however, and they’d throw you out; they’d lump you in with those crazies who think the Federal Reserve is a front for the Trilateral Commission!

That’s because the times have changed. “The divine right of kings” is dead; the old alliance of crown, sword and altar has long since passed away. And whatever it meant to its original readers, anyone who reads The Great Controversy today must do in light of these facts:

the Conservatives -- the old Conservatives -- have lost.
the Liberals have long since moved on to other opponents (i.e. Fascism and Communism),
and yes, the Catholic Church has finally made its peace with democracy.

As you teach this week’s lesson, in other words, it won’t be enough to simply repeat the same things we’ve been saying for the last 150-years . . . for even if you did, they wouldn’t mean the same thing they did 150-years ago.

Talk about the "errors of the Catholic Church" back in 1875, after all, and you could still be a Partner in the Great Alliance Against Authoritarian Regimes. But try it today, and you're going to sound like a bigot.

And no, this isn't an argument for a Sabbath School class that is "polically correct."

I’m just stating facts – the fact that times change.

Words change.

And sometimes, the only way to keep on saying the same thing you’ve always said . . .

Is to say something new.

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” – Mark Twain.

2006-08-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour – I John 3:18, NIV.

Prophecy is like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor: every generation has to learn anew just what it meant – and what it means.

Take the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9 – the prophecy that ends with “an abomination that causes desolation.” (And yes, this phrase also shows up in Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11.)

Now read I Maccabees 1:54-61, and it’s clear the Jews applied this prophecy to Antiochus IV – the Hellenistic king known to his friends as “Epiphanes” (i.e. “God manifest’), and to his enemies as “Epimanes” (i.e. “the crazy man”).

On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year 145 [i.e. December 8, 167 BC], the king erected the abomination of desolation above the altar [i.e. an altar of Zeus was place in the Jerusalem temple]. . . . Whenever anyone was discovered possessing a copy of the covenant or practicing the Law, the king’s decrees sentenced him to death. . . . Women who had their children circumcised were put to death according to the edict with their babies hung around their necks, and the members of their household and those who had performed the circumcision were executed with them.

In short, Antiochus IV did his best to wipe out the Jewish religion – and it’s no wonder the Jewish people saw this in apocalyptic terms.

But read Mark 13:14, and it’s clear that Jesus took this prophecy – a prophecy most Jews in his time would have said had been already fulfilled almost 200 years before – and applied it to the future.

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountain.”

Matthew’s gospel echoes this warning, but sharpens its ties to the original prophecy.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 23:15-16, NIV).

But in his account, Luke states this prophecy was fulfilled by the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70:

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written” (Luke 21:20-22, NIV, emphasis supplied).

In short, Daniel’s “abomination that causes desolation” is a powerful image – a powerful image that keeps getting used and re-used because it explains and gives meaning to tragedy.

Just like Pearl Harbor, in other words, it meant something once.

But it still means something today.

Tempus fugitive

2006-08-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

So when they met together, [the disciples] asked [Jesus], “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” – Acts 1, 7-8, NIV.

What is the “day-year principle”?
A prophetic “day” in classical prophecy is a literal day. But in apocalyptic books (such as Daniel and Revelation), a prophetic “day” symbolizes a literal year.

Where does the Bible state this principle?
Adventist writers point to three texts:

Numbers 14:34 – just as the Israelite spies took 40 days to scout out the Promised Land, so too Israel will wander in the wilderness 40 years.
Ezekiel 4:5-6 – just as Ezekiel was paralyzed 430 days, so too God will punish Israel 390 years, and Judah 40 years.
Daniel 9:24-27 – seventy “weeks” are determined on God’s people – a time that nearly everyone agrees means 490 years.

Neither the Book of Numbers nor the Book of Ezekiel are apocalyptic prophecies.
No.

And Ezekiel is actually a “classical” prophet.
Yes.

So where do we get to use this principle?
Three time-prophecies:

the 1260 “days” of Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 (which we believe extend from AD 538 to AD 1798).
the 2300 “evenings and mornings” of Daniel 8 (which we believe extend from 457 BC to AD 1844).
And of course, the 70 “weeks” of Daniel 9 (which we believe extend from 457 BC to AD 34).

What about the 1290 and the 1335 day prophecies of Daniel 12? Or the half-hour silence of Revelation 8? Or the thousand years of peace in Revelation 20?
Don’t be silly.

So how do we know those other time-prophecies extend over a period of years, and not just days?
Because of the way these time-prophecies tie in with events.

And how do we know that we’ve picked the right events?
Because of the way these events tie in with the time-prophecies.

That’s a tautology!
But it works for us. As historicists, remember, we believe that apocalyptic prophecy describes all of earth’s history from the time of the prophet to the time of the end. The “day-year principle” gives us the elbow-room we need to do that.

But if you say that the “days” of these prophecies are actual, literal, 24-hour days, then you’re left with two alternatives:

Either these time-prophecies refer to events long past,
or the time-prophecies refer only to “the Time of the End.”

The first alternative is no fun; that’s why just about anyone who doesn’t have a PhD in Old Testament studies quickly moves on to the second.

But applying these time-prophecies to "end-time events" leads to the kind of wild-eyed speculation that would have Uriah Smith turning over in his grave.

Wait a minute – you’re saying the day-year principle makes it impossible to apply these time-prophecies to current events?
Yes.

Most people today would say that makes them irrelevant.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If there’s one thing these time-prophecies do teach us, after all, it’s that God only gives us so much time.

Now we can spend that time fiddling with these prophecies – trying to make them fit the career of Napoleon Bonaparte, or Paris Hilton, or whoever is in the news just now.

Or we can do the things Jesus asked us to do: preach the Good News. Heal the sick. And cast out evil in whatever form it appears.

Why can’t we do both?
Because we don’t have the time.

1844 made really, really, really simple

2006-08-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

1. William Miller predicted the world would end in 1844.

2. He was wrong.

3. But he got the date right.

Take 7

2006-08-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if Daniel played an instrument – but there’s no question the man understood jazz.

That’s because Daniel 9:20-27 is an extended riff on Jeremiah 9:10-14. In Jeremiah, remember, God promised to bring back His people from Babylon when 70-years had passed. That’s good . . .

But it’s not good enough for Daniel. He’s not satisfied with the national restoration of Israel; no, he wants the spiritual restoration of the whole world!

So Daniel picks up Jeremiah’s theme and plays with it. Builds on it. Punches it up with motifs from Leviticus (the cleansing of the Temple), Isaiah (the coming Messiah), and some of Daniel’s own previous works (the Abomination of Desolation) – and then he multiplies it all by seven!

If the result is hard to follow . . . well, jazz isn’t always easy listening.

But in the process, we learn that prophecy is more than just a timetable – it’s more than just a series of rigid schedules that announce when God is supposed to arrive.

No, prophecy is creative. It’s singing the Lord’s songs in a whole new way; it’s taking the old, old standards and making them your own.

In short, Daniel has finally found a way to answer the question of Psalm 137 – the question of “how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”

For as Daniel knows, you start by playing all the notes that are there.

Then you play all the notes that should be there.

"We must believe in free will; we have no choice" - Saul Bellow.

2006-08-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Call it fate. Call it destiny. Call it kismet or predestination – and if you’re a fan of Old English, then you’ll call it “doom.”

But whatever you call it, the idea that God is in charge of everything that happens may not seem like the best of news.

Consider Daniel 8, for instance: Daniel’s vision of a “little horn” that rebels against God, persecutes His people, and shuts down operations in His temple for 2300 “evenings and mornings.”

That’s a long time . . .

And on the face of it, there doesn’t seem to be anything that Daniel can do about it. The play has been written, the parts have been cast, and the show will go on as God directs.

No, it would seem that God’s people are doomed. Fated. Predestined to live through a nightmare that will go on and on and on.

But Daniel knows God too well to be discouraged . . . and as Daniel 9 opens, he is reading another prophecy – a prophecy made by the prophet Jeremiah almost seventy-years before:

This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you (Jeremiah 19:10-12, NIV).

In short, God knows what He’s going to do – but God always leaves something for us to do.

That’s why Daniel prays the prayer He does in Daniel 9.

That’s why we should never be discouraged our afraid. Whatever the future may hold, after all, we know the One who holds it – and we can always reach out to hold His hand.

That’s not fate.

That’s our choice.

And it's God's choice too.

It's time to punt!

2006-07-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I'm utterly flummoxed by this week's lesson -- and if you'll check the links to other websites, you'll find that most other people are also at a loss.

Simply put, Daniel 8 was never meant to stand alone; it is part of a narrative that includes Daniel 9. But deal with this chapter in isolation, and you have evil triumphant, God's sanctuary defiled, and God's people utterly beaten down by their enemies.

Just the kind of message, in other words, that will make your people glad they came to Sabbath School this week.

So what to do?

Three options:

Review chapters 1-7; leave chapters 8 & 9 until next week when you can deal with these two chapters together.
Briefly deal with chapter 8, then go on to discuss Daniel's prayer in chapter 9. Next week, you can complete the discussion of chapter 8 in light of the additional material in chapter 9. (There's more than enough there to keep you busy -- trust me!)
Compare Daniel 8 with Revelation 12 & 13. What does John borrow from Daniel's account? What does he add? How are the messages of these two authors different -- and how are they the same?

And if that doesn't work, then go back and read the story of the Fiery Furnace (chapter 3) or Daniel in the Lion's Den (chapter 6), and ask yourself what these stories add to the events of chapter 8 (and vice versa)!

Attack of the Mutant Creation Stories

2006-07-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

One of the oldest tricks in the writing trade is to take an old, familiar story and update it. Move Romeo and Juliet to the slums of New York, for instance, and you get West Side Story. Let Cinderella be an FBI agent who enters a beauty pageant, and you get Miss Congeniality. Take God out of the Creation story in Genesis 1, and you get the seventh-chapter of Daniel.

That last point may need some explaining – but as Jon Paulien points out, the events in Daniel 7 do bear an eerie resemblance to the first seven days of creation. Notice how in both accounts:

the scene opens with a mighty wind (or spirit) blowing upon the deep,
various beasts arrive on the scene,
and dominion is given to one like “a son of man.”

Unlike Genesis, however, Daniel 7 seems to leave out God entirely.

God does not call into existence the creatures of this world; instead, they just kind of show up on their own.
God does not fill this world with peaceful vegetarians, “each according to his own kind.” No, it is populated instead by monstrous hybrids – carnivores with wings and horns and way too many heads.
Finally, God does not give humanity the authority to rule this world; instead, a “little horn” with human eyes and mouth seizes power for its own.

In short, the world of Daniel 7 is not a world in which God can “look at what He’s created, and call it good.” No, it is a world without order. A world without love. A world that seems to lack any sign of God’s presence and care . . .

Much like the world in which Daniel lived.

Much like our world of today.

Fortunately, the God of Daniel 7 is also the God of Genesis 1 – for in both stories, God does not rest until everything is “very good.” In Genesis, this happens because of Creation; in Daniel, this takes place in spite of “creation.” But in both chapters, the story ends with God in charge of all creation.

That’s because these two chapters are both the same story.

Just told different ways.

The Lord of History

2006-07-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Some days, you have to wonder if God really is in charge . . . and if so, then what is He thinking?

Consider the story on page 39 of the teacher’s quarterly – the one that tells of “God’s providential care over thousands of Allied prisoners during World War II, many of whom were Christians.”

The story goes on to tell of a American B-29, circling high above the clouds that completely obscured Kokura, Japan. Unable to see their primary target, the bomber’s crew flew on to another city and completed their mission.

Some time later an [American] officer received some startling information from military intelligence. Just one week before that bombing mission, the Japanese had transferred one of their largest concentrations of captured Americans to the city of Kokura. Upon reading this, the officer exclaimed, “Thank God for that protecting cloud! If that city hadn’t been hidden from the bomber, it would have been destroyed and thousands of American boys would have died.”

Well . . . yes, and I’m thankful they did survive.

Then again, the city that did get destroyed by that B-29 was Nagasaki – at that time, the home to most of Japan’s Christians.

So how about it: did God “hide” American Christians in Kokura, only to let Japanese Christians die in Nagasaki?

Did God love the 175,000 people who lived in Kokura more that He loved the 240,000 in Nagasaki?

Or did God have nothing to do with any of this; from start to finish, it was all just one big example of the fact that “stuff happens”?

That’s the question that comes up anytime you start looking at history – and that’s the question that’s going to come up as you teach this week’s lesson.

This is the week, after all, we look at Daniel 2 – the chapter that portrays in graphic form how God “sets ups kings and deposes them.” Daniel believe, in other words, that God is the sovereign lord of history; He is in charge of everything that happens . . .

All of which means that things are the way they are because God made them that way.

Now stop for a minute, and think what that means. I mean, it’s one thing to say that “God’s in charge” when everything is going your way; it’s easy to believe that God knows what He’s doing when you live in Kokura.

But Daniel wrote these words when he was facing death in Babylon – in fact, Daniel wrote these words when all of God’s people were dealing with the long, slow slide of their nation into irrelevance. And just up ahead would be the siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of God’s people.

No, Daniel did not write these words in Kokura; he wrote them in Nagasaki.

So when Daniel wrote that "God sets up kings and deposes them" -- that God is the sovereign lord of history, that He was in charge of everything that happened to Daniel and his people . . . then why did Daniel think this was good news?

The Good News about Judgment Day

2006-07-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

It’s 2 AM and you wake to the sound of somebody’s prowling around downstairs – somebody who shouldn’t be there. So you hit “911” and tell the police you’ve got a burglary in progress . . .
And why is that?

Because right now, you’re looking forward to the judgment.

When it comes to the Bible, remember, judgment is not a job for Judge Judy; it is not just the process of determining guilt or innocence.

No, “judgment” is when justice is done; it is God stepping in to protect His people from anything that would do them harm.

When Abraham rescued Lot from his kidnappers, for instance, that was a judgment.
When Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, that was a judgment.
And when God steps in at the end of time to save His people . . .

Well, as the Book of Revelation makes very clear, that day will be good news for God’s people.

To be sure, God does need to sort out just who belongs to Him.

Then too, not everybody who claims to be on God’s side actually belongs to Him.

But as you study this week’s Sabbath School lesson with your class – as you read together through texts such as Psalm 74 and Revelation 15:1-4 – you need to remember that God is on our side. God is not out to get us, in other words; God is not checking the books to see if there’s any possible way He can keep us out of Heaven.

No, the Judgment is Good News; it's Good News for those times when somebody is prowling around downstairs who shouldn’t be there . . .

Because it tells you that help is on the way.

The Trouble with Angels

2006-06-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

We know now that in the early years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man's, and yet as mortal as his own. We know now that as human beings busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.

With infinite complacence people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of their dominion over this small, spinning fragment of solar driftwood which, by chance or design, man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space.

Yet across an immense ethereal gulf, minds that are to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.

Okay, so it’s the opening lines from The War of the Worlds – not The Great Controversy; the author is H. G. Wells, and not E. G. White.

Still, it’s worth remembering that “all the world’s a stage” with ETs out there lurking in the audience . . . well, it’s not going to strike everybody as good news.

Add to this the fact that we really don’t know who or what is out there watching. Take angels, for instance – both fallen and unfallen. Do they live on other worlds? Do they have bodies? Do they have mass, a charge, or spin? Say “yes,” and you’ve just answered the question of “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.” Say “no,” and you’re left with the question of just exactly what these creatures might be.*

Finally, it’s worth remembering that a fascination with angels is often the sign of a bankrupt theology. Angels give us a way to be “spiritual,” after all, without having to mess around with God – reason enough for the current interest in them . . . and reason enough for Paul to warn us off such things in Colossians 2:18.

All of which is why I’d recommend you be real careful with the theme of this week’s lesson. In fact, I’d recommend you stick with the story of Joshua and the Angel in Zechariah 3. Talk about the Adversary, yes. Make note of our sins, yes. But focus on God’s forgiveness and power to save.

Even if the whole Universe is watching, after all, there’s only One Person in the audience who really matters.

*Just so you know: if you believe that angels do have mass, then the answer is "one." If you believe that angels don't have mass, then an infinite number of angels can dance on the head of a pin. Charge and spin, however, don't seem to make a difference.

Showers of blessing

2006-06-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

If you’re not careful, you’re going to leave this week’s Sabbath School lesson thinking that the land of Palestine has two rainy seasons – not one.

It would be a shame if you did, because that’s bad meteorology.

And worse theology.

To be sure, the “early rains” generally kick off the growing season sometime in September or October – just like they do in California. And the “latter rains” generally end the growing season sometime in March or April – again, just like California.

But these are not two separate rainy seasons; no, they are just the beginning and end of one rainy season. In His promise of the “early” and “latter” rains, in other words, God did not say He would turn on the precipitation . . . then turn it off . . . then turn it back on again.

No, God promised one, single, extended rainy season – a rainy season that would start soon enough to give those crops a good start (i.e. the “early” rain), and continue long enough for them to ripen (i.e. the “latter” rain) . . .

Just the same as He promised His church.

At Pentecost, remember, God poured out His Spirit on the church; He gave it a good start, and things started to grow as a result.

But God didn't turn His back on the church after Pentecost; God's Spirit is not a neon sign that alternately blinks on, then blinks off, only to blink on again!

No, God has promised to keep pouring out His Spirit for as long as we need it, right up to the end of time.

That’s the promise of the latter rain. It’s not the promise that God will “turn on the faucet” after a long spiritual drought. No, it’s the promise that God will continue to bless His people, without stint or fail, from beginning to end, in whatever measure we need.

When it comes to the latter rain, in other words, the question is not when it starts -- it's been raining, after all, for almost 2,000 years!

No, the question to ask is how it could rain so long . . .

Yet we've still managed to stay so dry.

The Unpardonable Joke

2006-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

It’s an old joke. Not a very good joke – but then again, how many theological jokes are out there that tie in with this week’s Sabbath School lesson?

You see, this guy is clinging to the roof of his house. The flood waters are rising fast, and he’s praying the kind of prayer you’d expect a man to pray in times like this – “Dear God, please save me,” or words to that effect.

And the Voice comes down from the sky, “Don’t worry – I have heard your prayer and will answer it.”

And no sooner does the Voice say this, then a Coast Guard helicopter arrives, a rescue swimmer drops onto the roof of the house, and they lower the basket for the man to climb in.

But no, the man won’t climb in the basket. “You go on without me,” he tells the rescue swimmer. “God said He’d answer my prayer, and I’m not going to settle for anything less.”

So they argue for awhile – but finally, the rescue swimmer has no choice but to get back in the helicopter and fly off. And no sooner does he do this than the flood waters carry off that house . . .

And the man drowns.

The next thing he knows, this man’s standing in judgment before the Great White Throne – and he hears God say, “Do you have any questions?”

“Yes,” says the man. “Why didn’t You answer my prayer like you promised?”

“Idiot,” says God. “Who do you think sent you the helicopter?”

“End of joke,” as my sister likes to say whenever my jokes are especially lame. “Insert laugh here.”

But the point it makes is worth remembering: that’s the simple fact that God always answers our prayers . . . but He doesn’t always give the answers we’d expect – and sometimes, He doesn’t even give us the answers we want.

And when that happens, we have a choice: we can wait and do nothing until God finally gets around to meeting our expectations.

Or we can get in the helicopter He sends us right then . . . and trust He knows what He’s doing

End of sermon. Insert personal application to your life right here.

"Behold, I make all things new"

2006-06-08T14:31:00.002-07:00

The kitchen was 30-years old – and looked every day of it.

Not that this bothered me. Old paint, worn linoleum, out-dated light fixtures, and plywood cabinets covered with a varnish that the years had darkened to the color of smoke from a trash fire . . . these things were just part of the “background noise” that I’d long since learned to ignore. And as far as I was concerned, there was no need for change. No, if it had been left to me, the kitchen would have remained just as it was in the beginning, world without end, amen and amen.

But my wife had a different idea – and that’s why she’s spent the last four months remodeling that kitchen. New paint. New lights. New countertops and sink. A new laminate floor that she installed herself. And when the new molding gets installed (which should happen sometime next week), she will be done. All of her dreams for that kitchen will have become reality; all of her hopes for that part of the house will have been made visible at last.

No thanks to me.

And right there, you see why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives.

You see, I’m not the only one who’d rather live with a problem than fix it. No, the world is full of people who’ve learned to adapt. Who’ve learned to adjust. Who’ve lowered their expectations to the point that nothing more needs to be done than what they’re doing right now.

No, the world is full of people who can't see anything that isn't already there.

But the Holy Spirit is like my wife: it sees something that could be there.

And gets to work.

Tech Support

2006-06-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

It was one of those fiddly little problems that won't go away -- the kind that stops you in your tracks until it gets solved.

And try as I might, I could not find anything in the manual that would help me solve it.

So I called "tech support." It's a free call -- available 24-hours a day -- and the guy on the other end always knows just how to help without making making me feel like an idiot. In fact, he's always so helpful that sometimes I wonder why I don't call more often.

Anyway, it didn't take him long to figure out that this was one problem I couldn't deal with on my own. "Just send it to us and we'll take care of it," he told me. "It's free -- we'll even pay for shipping and handling."

So I did . . . and yes, he took care of it, just like he said he would.

But then again, that's just the way God is.

Great products.

And really great tech support.

Just another reason why Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" is not in the church hymnal.

2006-05-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Rock-and-roll will never die.

Pity.

It’s not that I don’t like the stuff. I came of age in the ‘70s, after all – and I definitely have the LPs to prove it! And I still embarrass my children by singing along with Beatles anytime they show up on the radio.

In short, been there.

Done that.

And bought the t-shirt.

But lately, it’s all beginning to feel just a little . . . stale? A little old? A little too predictable, with all those “Classic Rock” radio stations continually grinding out the same “Top 40” hits that I’ve been listening to now for the past forty years.

And I know that change comes hard. I know that people’s taste in music is pretty much “fixed” by the time they hit the age of nineteen. And I know that I absolutely, positively, cannot even begin to understand why people listen to 98% of the stuff that gets played these days.

What’s more, I realize that churches have the same problem . . . and not just with music! No, the unstated agenda of many church members (including myself!) is to try and recreate the church of their youth – or rather, the church they remember from their youth.

As one famous prayer put it, “Lord – give us back the 1950s, and we promise to get it right this time.”

But as somebody else has pointed out, “God loves us just the way we are – but He loves us too much to leave us just the way we are.”

No, you read the Book of Acts, and it’s clear that the Spirit is no friend of the status quo. Instead, He keeps nudging us along. Giving us the occasional shove. Chivvying us out of our nice, comfortable ruts so that we keep moving in the direction God wants us to go.

And I hate it when He does this – in fact, I hate it anytime the Spirit tries to change my settled ways.

But there has to be more to life than the same old “Golden Oldies.”

That’s true of music.

And that’s true of the church as well.

Results-based Christianity

2006-05-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

When it comes to retirement plans, I have every reason to like the one I have now.

Every reason except one.

It was picked out for me by financial experts at the place where I work -- financial experts who have nothing but my best interests at heart.
It is run by one of the oldest, largest, and most respected companies in the business.
And the books and articles I've read all agree that my investment portfolio is balanced and diversified, just as it ought to be.

In short, my retirement plan has everything going for it . . .

Everything except this: it's not making that much in the way of money.

Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration (but not much) -- my retirement plan's actually done pretty good this quarter (though there have been months I would have been better off putting my money in a mason jar and burying it in the back yard).

Still, you see my point: no matter what else it may have going for it, a retirement plan is no good unless it delivers the goods.

Likewise, the spiritual life you're living just now -- the church you attend, the devotions you practice, the prayers you make ever day -- it may have a lot going for it: good intentions, the respect of your community, and even a theology that is balanced and correct . . .

But it still needs to deliver the goods -- goods such as love, joy, patience, peace, and self-control.

You know, "the fruits of the spirit."

For just like my retirement plan, every life is an experiment -- an attempt to find the best way of getting the results desired. And every lifestyle stands or falls on its ability to deliver those results.

So take some time this week to review the "spiritual investments" you've made. See what kind of results you're getting. Find out how the experiment's been going so far.

If you're happy with the way things have been turning out, then well and good.

And if you're not . . . well, I know that change comes hard. But it's something you may want to consider.

With interest.

And for her birthday, she got a miter-box

2006-05-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

This Mother’s Day, my wife is getting a table saw with a carbide blade.

It’s the perfect gift – really.

You see, my wife has spent the last three months remodeling our kitchen. She’s refinished the cabinets. Painted the walls. Picked out new countertops. And installed so many new lights that I’m sure our kitchen is now visible from the moon.

The only thing left for her now is to put in the laminate flooring – and for that, she needs a table saw.

Hence, the gift.

And if that doesn’t seem very romantic, then all I can say in my defense is that I’m doing the exact same thing as the Holy Spirit.

Check any list of the Spirit’s gifts, after all, and you’ll find He does most of His shopping at a hardware store. There are no non-essentials on this list. No luxuries. No knick-knacks, gee-gaws, or frou-frou of any kind.

Not even chocolate and a dozen roses.

No, what the Holy Spirit gives us are tools – tools to build up the church.

And yes, the Spirit provides us with all kinds of tools. Go back and compare all those lists of spiritual gifts that we find in Paul’s writings, as a matter of fact, and you’ll find that the Spirit has an even better selection than Home Depot!

And yes, the Spirit has all kinds of ways to provide us with these tools – “natural” talents, learned skills, sudden and miraculous gifts.

And yes, we should never reject any tool the Spirit gives us. To be sure, I might not see the need for an arc welder (or the gift of tongues) . . . but if the Spirit drops it off, then He must know that we’ll need it some day.

In short, the Spirit doesn’t always give us something we’ll enjoy.

But He always gives us everything we need to do the job.

And if you’re like my wife, then there’s nothing you’d rather have.

Even if it’s a table saw for Mother’s Day.

PS In teaching this week’s lesson, be careful not to get bogged down in a discussion of “tongues,” and just exactly what they may have been (or should be today). To be sure, it’s clear that “the gift of tongues” in the Book of Acts is the miraculous ability to speak a foreign language . . . but it’s not so clear what this gift might be in I Corinthians 14.

Some say it was the miraculous or natural ability to speak a foreign language.
Others say it was some kind of ecstatic “babbling” – and certainly verses 15-16 lend themselves to this interpretation.
But in either case, the point is the same: spiritual gifts are tools that should be used to build up the church. Any other use of them is demonic.

And yes, "dealer prep" is included

2006-05-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

You’ve picked out the car you want. You’ve settled on a price. And now the dealer asks if you’d like to add on a few “extras.”

“Like what?” you ask.

Like an engine, maybe . . . or a windshield? Or perhaps you’d like four wheels on that new car you’ve just bought.

And if this conversation seems a little odd – if you thought these things come standard with every car – then you’ve just put your finger on the essential point of this week’s lesson: the Holy Spirit does not come “extra.” No, it is standard equipment in every believer’s life.

Take away the Holy Spirit, after all, and what’s left?

Not your own conscience – He’s the one who keeps pointing you towards Jesus.
Not your own ability – He’s the one who keeps nudging you along.
And certainly not your own will power – if you’ve ever tried to break a bad habit, then you know how far that will get you!

No, if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit, then we wouldn’t have a prayer – literally. For “we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).

Now it’s true that John Wesley talked about a “second blessing” – a special gift of the Holy Spirit that could free the believer from every known sin.

And it’s true that “holiness” preachers such as Charles Finney and Phoebe Palmer went on to emphasize our need for this gift – a gift they called “Christian perfection” or “entire sanctification.”

And there’s no question that Ellen White shared this emphasis . . . though unlike some of her peers, she never claimed to have received this particular “blessing” – and she was very skeptical of those who did!

But whatever else this “second blessing” may be, it doesn’t mean that some believers “get” the Holy Spirit while others do not. It doesn’t mean that some believers are “saints” while others are not. And it certainly doesn’t mean that some believers are really, truly saved . . . while the rest have to limp along with nothing but the love of Jesus.

No, the Holy Spirit is not like air-conditioning. It’s not like a CD player. It’s not an “extra” that will cost you more.

No, the Holy Spirit comes standard. And when it comes to the price . . . don’t worry. It’s covered.

Because Jesus paid it all.

Fragment of Acts 2, recently discovered

2006-04-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place . . . [and] all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

And straightaway, one of the disciples did stand up and say, “Now hang on just one minute, and let us consider the implications of what is going on here. For ever since the days of the fathers, we have known that the sacred language of God and His angels and His Holy Book is most definitely Hebrew.

“And yes, a few chapters in Daniel were written in Aramaic.

“And yes, there were those who even dared translate the Holy Scriptures into Greek.

“But for the most part, we have managed to preserve the distinction between the sacred language of our people, and the vulgar tongues of the heathen.

“All this is now at risk. For if we preach to them in their own language, will they not believe that God hears them in their own language? Will they not even go so far as to believe they can worship in their own language? Pray in their own language? And even sing in their own language?

“No, my brothers and sisters, all this is but the beginning of sorrows. Let us preach to them in their own languages today, and tomorrow they will be asking for a contemporary worship service.”

And on hearing this, the disciples did look at one another and say, “You know – he has a point.” And straightaway, they did form a committee to study the matter.

But there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together . . .

The Promise of the Sensei

2006-04-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

You know the scenario – it’s been the staple of so many movies that the industry gives it an acronym: COA (for “Coming of Age”).

It starts with “the Kid.” Young, male, lots of promise, but no experience. Still wet behind the ears, and caught in a situation that has put him waaaay over his head.

You know – like Luke Skywalker. Or Daniel LaRusso in “the Karate Kid.”

Anyway, the Kid needs help – and that’s where “the Sensei” comes in. The teacher. The grizzled old vet who’s been there, done that, and survived it all.

You know – like Yoda. Or Mr. Miyagi. Or John Wayne in one of his later films.

And once the Sensei is on the scene, the rest of the movie writes itself:

The Kid meets the Sensei.
The Kid is not impressed by the Sensei.
The Sensei does something that makes the Kid realize he’s got a lot to learn.
The Sensei reluctantly takes on the Kid as a student and teaches him The Way of the Warrior (which can usually be summed up in a single phrase, i.e. "trust the Force" or “wax on, wax off.”)
And then the Sensei steps back just in time for the Kid to win the final battle all by himself.

Sound familiar?

Good – because I want you to remember that scenario as you teach this week’s lesson.

That's because you’ll be focusing on John 14: Christ’s promise of the paraklete, i.e. “the one who stands beside us.” (The lesson doesn’t make it clear that you should focus on John 14, but trust me – that’s where you need to be this week.)

Now the key to John 14 is finding a good way to translate paraklete in a way that makes sense to your class. Go with “Comforter,” after all, and they’ll think the Holy Spirit is made of goose down. Try “Advocate,” and they’ll flash on Perry Mason or Boston Legal.

(And believe me – you don’t want use the original Greek; try it, and your class will spend the rest of its collective life thinking of the Holy Spirit as a small, brightly colored bird that is fascinated by mirrors.)

But the promise of a Sensei – the promise of someone who can teach us how to fight life’s battles . . .

Well, you loved the movie.

Now’s your chance to try it out in real life.

GPS with Attitude

2006-04-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

Given a choice between the Holy Spirit and the Global Positioning System (GPS), I’d probably go with GPS.

That’s because the GPS provides the guidance you want. Install it in your car, for instance, and all you need to do is feed in your destination – the system takes it from there.

“Turn left.”

“Turn right.”

“Swing around the block and try again” – no, GPS takes you exactly where you want to go with no fuss and no backtalk.

But you can’t say that about the Holy Spirit. Read the story of Christ’s baptism in Mark 1:9ff – no sooner does the Spirit descend upon Jesus then what happens?

“At once the Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.”

Now if a GPS system took me on that kind of trip, I’d send it back to the factory.

But read the Bible, and we’ll find that the Holy Spirit does this all the time.

It leads Jesus into the desert (where he is tempted by Satan).

It directs Peter to a Roman soldier (and gets him in all kinds of trouble with the church).

It blocks Paul from entering Bithynia (but sends him to Macedonia instead).

In short, the Holy Spirit is just not a reliable way to make sure you get where you want to go. No, it has its own agenda. It has a mind of its own. And no matter how hard we try to make it do anything else, it insists on taking us where it thinks we need to be.

Even if we don’t much want to be there at the time.

And now you know why Jesus had to rely on the Holy Spirit. Just like us, Jesus had to trust the Holy Spirit – to believe that it knew what it was doing (even if this wasn’t exactly what Jesus himself really wanted to do).

Think of Jesus in the desert.

Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Think of Jesus, dying on a cross he’d hoped there was some way to avoid . . . if only the Spirit had led him someplace else.

No, there’s no question that the Holy Spirit is a lot more trouble than the GPS – that the GPS is a much better way to get where you want to go.

Always assuming, of course, that you really do know where you want to go.

And it’s someplace you really need to be.

"Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana" -- Groucho Marx.

2006-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

My love is like a red, red rose.

She has aphids.

And thorns.

And every now and then, we have to spray her with sulfur; otherwise, she gets that “black spot” fungus-thingy that makes her leaves turn yellow and fall off.

And if you think this particular metaphor is getting way out of hand, then you’ve just learned something important about this week’s Sabbath School lesson.

None of us know God as He really is, after all – das Ding an sich is beyond our understanding. So we use metaphors. We use analogies. We compare the God whom we cannot see or hear or touch with something we can.

“God is our Father,” we say – and no, that doesn’t mean he has XY chromosomes. Or that He likes to watch football on Sunday afternoons. Or that He is married to God the Mother (which is a perfectly obvious extension of this particular metaphor, but certainly not orthodox theology). No, we mean that God cares for us in much the same way as does an (idealized) father . . . and if your father was an abusive brute, then you’re perfectly free to go and find another metaphor.

In short, every metaphor has its limits; every time we say God is like something, we need to add, “but not really.”

When the Bible says that the Holy Spirit “descended on Jesus like a dove,” for instance, it’s talking about the relationship of Jesus to God’s Spirit – that the Spirit “descended” (i.e. God took the initiative) like a dove (i.e. gently, as opposed to falling on him like a ton of bricks).

And yes, I know this week’s lesson is happy to push this metaphor even further – that the Spirit doesn’t just descend like a dove, but it is really, really like a dove in many important aspects of its character – but that way lies madness. The next thing you know, you’re going to be drawing great spiritual lessons out of the fact that doves have feathers, and they live in flocks, and they bear exceedingly ugly young.

I mean, really – have you ever seen a squab?

Likewise, you can talk about the Spirit as light. As fire. As water. As oil. As breath or wind – and it’s worth remembering that even the idea of God’s Spirit as a “spirit” (or “breath” or “wind”) is a figure of speech – but remember: there’s only so much you can do with any one of these metaphors.

And in that respect, a metaphor is just like a rose.

Except, of course, when it is not.

And may the Friend be with you.

2006-03-30T14:03:00.000-08:00

This week, you’ll find that a number of people in your Sabbath School class actually believe in magic.

And no, we’re not talking about the Harry Potter fans (though there’s certainly enough of those characters out there).

We’re talking about the way they view the Holy Spirit.

At the heart of magic, remember, is the idea that the world is saturated with some kind of mystical “energy.” Call it anima. Call it mana. Call it The Force, or whatever you like – the belief remains that all this spiritual “juice” or “electricity” is there, just waiting to be used.

And if you know how to use it – if you’ve learned the right passwords, know all the proper access codes, and have figured out how to bypass the safety systems that are meant to protect mere ordinary mortals -- then you can this Force to do pretty much anything you want.

And that’s what witches (and wizards and shamans and medicine men and Jedi Knights) claim to do, remember. Take away the “woo-woo” stuff, and they’re basically just “spiritual electricians” . . . mystical technicians who think they’ve learned how to manipulate a special kind of energy – that’s all.

Now let’s be honest: how different is that then the way we often view the Holy Spirit?

And how different is that then the way we often try to use the Holy Spirit?

You’ve been to the seminars, after all. You’ve read the books. You’ve heard speakers talk about how we can “get” the Holy Spirit. Just say the right words, read the right texts, practice the right techniques . . . AND ALL THIS POWER CAN BE YOURS!

Right.

But if the Holy Spirit is a person (and not just some kind of magical, mystical, ethereal force that kicks in whenever Yoda can use a little extra help), then all these seminars on how to “get” the Holy Spirit are kind of like those books that promise to reveal the “secrets” of how to meet women (and get them to do what you want). They’re insulting, in other words. They’re ineffective. And they’re downright pathetic . . .

Because they forget that we’re talking about a real person.

So . . . my advice for this week’s lesson: don’t try to prove the “divinity” of the Holy Spirit. (And don’t get bogged down in a long, involved discussions of the Trinity!) No, just focus on the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person, and everything else will follow from there.

A real God for real people (part 2)

2006-03-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the quarter, and time to apply some of the ideas you've been talking about. That's why I've adapted an earlier blog for this week's lesson -- see what you can do with it!

Click on the title, and read the article in The New York Times about the problem of battered women in a very traditional society. (If they ask you to register, go ahead and do it -- it's free.)

Now that you’ve read the article, imagine you’re a pastor in that part of the world. Several women in your church have asked you for advice on how to deal with this problem.

What kind of advice would you give – both short-term and long-term? How might this advice differ from that given to a woman living in the United States? Why?
How would the advice you gave church members in a traditional society differ from that given by Paul in Ephesians 5:21-6:9? How would it be the same? Why?
Does Paul spend more time talking about the duties of wives to their husbands, or the duties of husbands to their wives? Why? What does this suggest about his priorities?
How might you apply Paul’s advice to American families today – or is our situation so different that it is simply irrelevant? How much of Paul's advice in these verses is a "timeless principle," and how much of it is an application of that principle to a particular situation in a specific time and place?

In short, how do you follow Jesus in a family that is not ideal?

A real God for real people

2006-03-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

On any given Sabbath, roughly three-fourths of the adults in church will be women.

Think what that means for a Sabbath School lesson on families.

If your church is like mine, as a matter of fact, the biggest single group of people in your church will be single women – widowed, divorced, or never-married.

Think what that means for a Sabbath School lesson on families.

In short, most of the people in your class this week will not measure up to the traditional “ideal” of a married couple with two lovely children (and a dog named “Spot”) who all go to church every week (and help out with Pathfinders on Wednesday night). And all through this quarter’s lessons, they’ve been wondering just exactly what God thinks of people in their situation.

Think of what that means for a Sabbath School lesson on families – and the chance it gives you to point out how God can work with us in any situation.

I Corinthians 7:8-9
What advice does Paul give to singles in these verses? What reasons does Paul give in verses 32-35 as to why might it be better for some to stay single? Can you think of other reasons why this might be the case? What reason does Paul give for getting married? Single or married -- what advice would Paul give to all believers?

I Corinthians 7:10-16
What advice does Paul give to someone whose spouse is not a Christian? Why might some think they should get a divorce? Why does Paul discourage this? What are some of the ways a Christian can “sanctify” (or make holy) the other members of their family?

I Corinthians 7:17-40
Skim these verses quickly, and notice how often Paul says something to the effect of “each one should remain as they are now.” What specific examples of this principle does Paul give? Is Paul saying that we should never do anything to improve our lot in life?

Reflection
Many times, we like to daydream about all the ways our life could be better. “If only I had married somebody else,” we say. “If only I had a better job, or a nicer car, or children who really appreciated all I had done for them.” How helpful is this kind of thinking? What danger does it pose? What advice would Paul give to someone who is daydreaming like this – and what advice would he give to you today?

Teach your children well

2006-03-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

As a rule of thumb, roughly two-thirds of all kids drop out of church just as soon as they get out there on their own.

Adventists, Baptists, Catholics – makes no difference; we all lose about two-thirds of our young adults.

But roughly half of those kids who left will end up back in church. And most of those who do come back will do so for one, simple reason: they now have children of their own.

No, most people want their children to grow up right. So they sign-up their children for piano lessons, and they drive their children to swim practice, and they work two jobs so they can afford to live in a place that has good schools . . .

And they even show up in church with their families in tow, willing to put up with the archaic music and the boring sermons and the incomprehensible doctrines if that’s what it takes to raise good kids.

So be careful with this week’s lesson. You may think you’re “just” discussing how we can pass along our values and beliefs to our children (and grandchildren).

But for some of your class members, you’ll actually be talking about the only reason they’re really in church.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
1. What command does God give in verses 4-6? Why is this important when it comes to passing on your values to your children? What are some of the ways in which your children reflect the “loves” (and the hatreds) they’ve seen in your life? What happens when you try to pass on values that aren’t really important to the way you live?

2. What principle does God give in verse 7 – and what are some the examples given in verses 7-9 of this principle in action? What are some of the ways that you can demonstrate your beliefs and values to your children in everyday life? What are some of the advantages of sharing your faith in this way . . . and what (if any) are the weaknesses?

3. What kind of help do you need in putting Deuteronomy 6:4-9 into practice? Where can you go in finding this help? What kind of help does your church provide – and how can it be more helpful?

Note: some of your class-members will be grandparents, trying to pass along their faith to grandchildren whose parents will have nothing to do with church. How does Deuteronomy 6:4-9 speak to their concerns?

When bad families happen to good people

2006-03-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

As a rule of thumb, I won’t do a wedding for any couple unless they’ve had at least one big fight.

That’s because I don’t think you really know anyone until you know just exactly what it is that really, really irritates you about them.

And if you can still love someone who really, really irritates you . . . well, then you have a marriage.

Or for that matter, a church.

That’s why I’d suggest you spend some time discussing I Corinthians 13 with your class. Paul did not write this chapter to people starry-eyed in love and happy to be with each other. No, he wrote this particular chapter to a church full of people who were hostile, ambitious, and bitterly divided by envy.

Kind of like some families I know.

And if you can figure out how Paul would bring these people together, then maybe you can do the same for some of the families in your class.

I Corinthians 13:1-3
Every group has certain expectations – and in these verses, Paul lists some of the behaviors that would be highly valued in any church, i.e. speaking in tongues, prophecy, faith, generosity, and martyrdom. What kind of behavior is expected (and valued) in your group? In your family? Is it possible to do these things without love? What is the result.

I Corinthians 13:4-7
What does Paul say love is? Which of these characteristics do you have the most trouble practicing? Why is that? What does Paul say love is not? Which if these characteristics do you have the most trouble avoiding? Why is that?

I Corinthians 13:8-12
Paul says that prophecy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge are not our ultimate goals, but merely means to an end. Why is that? What does he say should be our ultimate goal? How can we avoid confusing “means” and “goals”? Why does Paul suggest that humility is important?

I Corinthians 13:13
Paul ends this chapter with a list of there “ultimate values” for a Christian. Why are these three all important to a healthy family? To a healthy church? How can you encourage these values in your family? In your church? And of these three values, why did Paul focus on love?

General reflection
If "love never gives up," does that mean you should never give up on a relationship? If "love endures all things," does that mean you should put up with anything and everything in a relationship?

With Jesus in the family . . .

2006-02-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

The family that prays together, stays together.

Sometimes.

But sometimes, following Jesus means leaving your family behind.

And that’s one of the dirty little secrets that your Sabbath School lesson doesn’t talk about this week – the fact that religion can bring families together, but it can also split them apart.

Back in Roman times, after all, one of charges laid against Christians was the way they subverted “traditional family values.” Christianity undermined the authority of parents, people said. Christianity weakened the ties of marriage, people said. Christianity encouraged children to revolt, women to think for themselves, and men to lose all sense of honor, dignity, and even patriotism.

In short, Jesus would never have been invited to speak on Focus on the Family – not back then.

And sometimes, maybe not even today.

Disagree? Then check out these texts – and see what your class makes of them.

Matthew 8:21-22
In asking leave to “bury his father,” this would-be disciple may have been saying that he would follow Jesus just as soon as his elderly father no longer needed care – something that could take years! What would be a similar statement today? What did Jesus mean when he said we should “let the dead bury the dead”? How do you balance the needs of aging parents with the demands of following God? How would you know if Jesus called you to do something similar today?

Matthew 10:34-39
What kind of conflict did Jesus promise? Why is that – and whose fault is it? How do verses 37-39 amplify and explain verses 34-36? Why is Jesus so harsh in these verses? Is he right – or does Jesus ask too much from us?

Matthew 12:46-50
Mark 3 brings out the fact that Jesus’ family was there to take him home because they thought he was crazy! What are some of the ways you’ve seen families “get in the way” of following Jesus? What does Jesus promise in these verses? What does this promise mean today? Have you seen examples of this promise in your own life?

How do you teach an NC-17 lesson to a PG-13 class?

2006-02-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

Sex, of course, is a wonderful gift that God gave us to strengthen the ties of intimacy in a marriage.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

And no, I’m not going to say, “been there – done that.”

But the fact remains that most of your class members don’t believe that sex is evil, nasty, and bad.

Embarrassing, yes.

But not evil, nasty, and bad. Not anymore. Not if daytime TV is any guide.

In fact, any poll I’ve ever read suggests that devout Christians are more (ahem!) happy, active, and “satisfied” than the general public.

This week’s lesson, in other words, is probably one in which you could just declare victory and move on to another topic.

And the alternative, to be honest, doesn’t bear thinking about. I mean – really, what kind of practical applications would you draw from the Song of Solomon . . . practical applications that you don't discussing with a mixed audience? (And no, don’t even think about using PowerPoint!)

You see, sex is like money – nothing wrong with it, but you have to really, really trust somebody before you discuss it with them.

That’s why I’m going to suggest an “indirect” approach – one that goes back to last week’s lesson in Proverbs. That way, you can bring up most of the topics from this week’s lesson in a way won’t leave your class feeling embarrassed or confused . . . or even wondering what you've been up to lately.

Read Proverbs 5 and Proverbs 31:10-31.
These chapters introduce two very different women.

Sum up the character of each woman in a sentence or two (and if you like, you might describe the typical appearance of such a woman today). In what ways are these two women similar, and in what ways are they different? How do you account for their differences?

What do men find attractive in each type of woman . . . and what do they find frustrating? Is there a male counterpart for each of these two women – and if so, what would they be like? What do women find attractive in men such as this . . . and what do they find frustrating?

There’s an old saying about marriage that “kissing don’t last – but cooking do.” Is that all these chapters are saying about a relationship, or is there more? What does Proverbs 5 tell you about relationships that Proverbs 31 leaves out . . . and what does Proverbs 31 tell you about relationships that Proverbs 5 leaves out?

Jacob and Esau (part three)

2006-02-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

Friends may come, and friends may go . . .

But enemies endure.

So they tell me – and from what I’ve seen of families, it’s probably true. There’s nothing like a family, after all, to keep a grudge alive. And when it comes to family feuds . . . well, you’ve got your Montagues and Capulets. Your Hatfields and McCoys. Not to mention your two great-aunts, Beulah and Mabel, who haven’t spoken to each other since the Great Potato Salad Fiasco of 1973.

To be sure, you may want avoid this subject entirely – and to be honest, this week’s lesson in the quarterly really isn’t all that bad.

But if you want my advice, I’d save this week’s lesson on the Book of Proverbs for next week; that way you can skip the following week’s lesson on the Song of Solomon. (And trust me – you don’t want to spend an entire Sabbath School lesson discussing the Song of Solomon! There’s stuff in that book that is still illegal in the State of Idaho!)

Instead, I’d suggest you spend this week finishing-up the story of Jacob – the story of a family feud that just would not disappear on its own.

Genesis 25:21-34; Genesis 27:1-28:9
Quickly review the cause of Esau’s feud with Jacob – who do you blame the most? Notice the three ways people try to deal with this conflict:

Esau dreams of revenge.
Rebekah tells Jacob to leave until things “blow over.”
Isaac pretends that nothing has happened.

Which of these three strategies appeal the most to you? What has been the result in your life? What are the results in Jacob’s family?

Genesis 32
It’s been 20 years since Jacob saw Esau! What message did Jacob send? What does this message suggest about Jacob’s hopes? His fears? What message comes back to Jacob . . . and how does Jacob respond? What does Jacob’s prayer tell you about Jacob’s priorities? How did Jacob try to “buy” peace with Esau – and how effective was this? When have you tried something similar – and how did it work for you?

Genesis 28:10-22 and Genesis 32:22-32
Compare Jacob’s first vision (i.e. Jacob’s vision when he was leaving Canaan) with his second (i.e. Jacob’s vision when he was re-entering Canaan). How are they similar? How are they different? What has changed in Jacob’s life – and in his relationship with God?

Genesis 33
The Bible gives no explanation for Esau’s behavior in this chapter; obviously, something has changed in his life – but we don’t know what. (In some sense, forgiveness is always a mystery!) What does Esau do when he sees Jacob? How do you account for this? Has there been a real reconciliation between the two men – or is there still some wariness between the two? Why does Jacob refuse Esau’s offers . . . and was he wise to do so? Can you think of times you’ve had to do the same thing (or times you should have done the same thing!).

General reflection:
Who is the “Esau” in your life – and what are some of the ways you’ve tried to deal with this person? What hope do these chapters give you for your relationships? What guidance? What warnings? What would it take for there to be a reconciliation with the "Esau" in your life?

Jacob and his family (part two)

2006-02-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

You can’t raise children in a vacuum.

For one thing, it’s illegal.

More to the point, it’s never just you and the kids. No, it’s you and the kids, and the grandparents, and all the aunts and uncles and cousins, and your brother-in-law’s ex-wife’s children (who created such havoc last Christmas), not to mention those bratty kids who live next door and have a mouth on them like you wouldn’t believe.

In short, the whole stinking village gets to help raise your child – whether you like it or not.

And what better way to talk about this than to study by studying the life of Jacob!

Genesis 29
“History doesn’t repeat itself,” said Mark Twain, “but it does rhyme.” Notice how this story “rhymes” with the way Isaac acquired a wife – and notice the way Laban’s actions “rhyme” with those of his sister Rebekah! What are some of the patterns that seem to keep repeating in your family?

Genesis 30
How do Rachel and Leah battle for their husband’s affection – and how do their children get drawn into this battle? Are there any similarities between their behavior, and that of Laban? Of Isaac and Rebekah? Who do you blame the most for what’s happening here?

Genesis 31
Why doesn’t Jacob trust Laban – and why do Laban’s daughters now share his mistrust? Do Laban’s actions justify their feelings about him? What are some of the ways that Laban’s daughters have shown that they are like him? Why do Jacob and Laban draw a “boundary” between them – and what do they hope to solve by this? (Note: “household gods” may have indicated property rights; in losing them, Laban may have lost his right to pass on his own property to his heirs!)

General reflection
Twice now, Jacob has dealt with family problems by leaving – the first time by leaving his own family, the second time by leaving his in-laws. How effective is this at solving problems? Is it ever justified? When have you used a similar strategy – and what were the results? With whom do you identify in this story, and why?

Jacob his family (part one)

2006-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Children are a blessing from the Lord . . .

Except, of course, when they’re not.

And right there, you have the “elephant in the living room” of this week’s lesson – the big, big problem that nobody wants to talk about.

Most of the people in your class, after all, are pretty much done with raising kids. That doesn’t mean they don’t worry about them – they do. But when it comes to making an actual difference in the choices their children make . . . well, that pretty much came to an end somewhere around adolescence.

Now the good news is that most children turn out fine – and if you can spend some time reassuring your class of that fact, then you’re halfway home.

But just about every child puts their parents through some anxious moments – and it can be years before some children finally “straighten up and fly right.” In fact, some parents will go to their graves never knowing if and when their children finally pulled it together . . .

Which brings us to the subject of this week’s lesson: Jacob and Esau.

Genesis 25:19-28
How would you describe Jacob and Esau? How did they get along with their parents . . . and what does this suggest about their parent’s relationship with each other? How should Isaac and Rebekah have dealt with this situation?

Genesis 25:29-24
As the eldest son, Esau had the “birthright,” i.e. he was to inherit twice as much as Jacob. But Isaac would not die for years . . . and Esau was hungry right now! What does his choice tell you about Esau? Whom do you blame most for this incident: Esau or Jacob? How should Isaac and Rebekah have dealt with this situation?

Genesis 26:34
Esau gets married – twice! – and his choice of wives is “a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekkah.” Why do you think they were grieved? What are some of the ways that a child’s marriage can help (or hurt) that child’s relationship with their parents?

Genesis 27:1-13
Isaac is willing to bless Esau (without his wife’s consent); Rebekah is willing to trick Isaac (and risk her husband’s curse). What has brought their marriage to this point?

Genesis 27:14-29
Notice what Rebekah does to trick her husband; how much is she to blame for what happens, and how much is the fault of Jacob? What does Isaac’s blessings tell you about his feelings toward Jacob? How much is he to blame for what happened?

Genesis 27:30-40
What is Esau’s response to Jacob’s trick? What is Isaac’s response? Does Isaac’s blessing promise peace between the two brothers, or continued strife?

Genesis 27:41-28:9
Notice how everybody tries to “patch up everything” in these verses. What does Esau plan for his brother – and what is Rebekah’s response? How honest is she with Isaac? What blessing does Isaac give Jacob – and how does his blessing differ from the blessing that had been tricked out of him? How does Esau respond to all this . . . and how successful do you think he was in making things right with his parents viz. his wives?

General reflection
How would you sum up the character of each individual in this story – of Esau, Jacob, Rebekah, and Isaac? Whom do you blame the most for what happened? NOTE: Rebekah never saw Jacob again; she died before he returned from the house of Laban. Why is that especially sad . . . and what does this suggest about the way we treat our families today?

Joseph and his brothers

2006-01-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

By now, your Sabbath School class members have probably figured out the theme of this quarter’s lessons, i.e. that God Has Set a High Ideal for Our Families.

Now it’s time to get real – time to talk about the fact that we’ve all failed to reach that ideal . . . and that means we need to talk about forgiveness.

We’ve all made mistakes, after all. We’ve all done things we shouldn’t – things that make us look back and shudder. And we can all think of things we should have done with our families – but didn’t.

So let’s take a look at one of the most dysfunctional families in all of Scripture: the family of Jacob. And from it, let’s learn that God doesn’t just set a high idea for our families . . .

God also picks us up when we fall.

Genesis 37: Who is to blame for what happened here? Jacob? Joseph? His brothers? Why didn’t some of the brothers (such as Reuben and Judah) put a stop to what was happening?

Genesis 42: Now the tables have been turned – and how does Joseph treat his brothers? Why does he act this way? What would you have done in his place?

Genesis 43-44: Why does Joseph act the way he does? Do his brothers deserve this kind of treatment? How have his brothers changed since the events of chapter 37 – and how are they the same? How has Joseph changed since the events of chapter 37 – and how is he the same?

Genesis 45: Why did Joseph finally reveal his true identity? How did his brothers react – and why? What is Joseph’s response . . . and do you agree with it?

General reflection: With whom do you identify in this story and why: Joseph? Jacob? The ten brothers? Benjamin? What would it take for this kind of reconciliation to take place in your family?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Important things are always simple, but simple things are always hard” – James F. Dunnigan.

Boaz & Ruth

2006-01-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

There’s no question that the Bible has a lot to say about families.

Neither is there any question that a lot of families show up in the Bible.

But if you want to know what the Bible says about families in general, then you probably should pick one specific topic or family, study that, and draw whatever applications you can for life today.

Myself, I’d suggest you take a look at the Book of Ruth – it’s short. It’s fairly well-known. And unlike the Book of Proverbs or the Song of Solomon, you won’t be circling back anytime this quarter to take another look at it.

So read the Book of Ruth with your class, and ask these questions:

Chapter One: Why does Naomi think God has cursed her? What is the one bright spot in her life that might keep hope alive? Why is Ruth such an unlikely heroine – and what does this tell you about the way God helps us in rough times?

Chapter Two: Notice how often the word “bless” or “blessing” shows up in this chapter! What are some of the ways in which Ruth blesses Naomi? In which Boaz blesses Ruth? In which Naomi blesses Ruth? What does this tell you about the way God blesses us – and the ways in which we can bless others?

Chapter Three: Why does Naomi try to “push things along” – and what risks does Ruth take in going along with this plan? What does this tell you about Ruth? What does the response of Boaz tell you about him? Why was their experience at the threshing floor such a turning point – and when has God used this kind of “turning points” in your life?

NOTE: a “kinsman-redeemer” was the next-of-kin; as such, he was supposed to look after people such as Naomi and Ruth.

Chapter Four: Why does the “kinsman-redeemer” respond favorably the deal he’s first offered by Boaz – and why does he back out after he finds out more about this “deal”? What does that tell you about him? Notice that, unlike Naomi, Orpah, Ruth, or Boaz, we never learn the name of the “kinsman-redeemer” – why is that (and why is that especially ironic, given the concern he expresses in Ruth 4:6, and the statement Boaz makes in Ruth 4:10)? Compare the statement made to Naomi in Ruth 4:14-15 with the statement she made in Ruth 1:20-21; what has changed, and why? Finally, why is it ironic that Ruth turns out to be such a blessing, not just to Boaz and Naomi, but to the entire nation of Israel? (Hint: read Numbers 25.)

General reflection: Sum-up the character of each person in this story: Naomi, Orpah, Ruth, Boaz, and the anonymous “kinsman-redeemer.” Which of these characters is the most like you? Which is the least like you? What does this story say to your “character” – and what do you need to do about it?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Simple people do not want to hear about simple things; they want to hear about great things, simply told” – Jane Addams.

Adam & Eve

2006-01-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

This week’s lesson provides an overview of this quarter’s topic: the family. As such, it can be thought of as one, long, run-on sentence – something like this:

“The church is ‘a family of families’ . . . which is appropriate, since God created families . . . not that it’s necessarily wrong to be single – in fact, the Bible gives examples of all kinds of families (and not just the “traditional” or “nuclear” family) . . . and both Jesus and Paul said some things about families that might seem kind of harsh . . . but when all is said and done, a loving family is a good thing to have.”

True enough . . . but certainly not the kind of thing that’s easy to teach (much less discuss).

So don’t even try.

Instead, pick just one tiny piece of this week’s lesson – say, Sunday’s lesson on the origin of families (Genesis 2:18ff). Read through these verses with your class, and explore the following questions:

1. Why did God create Adam? What was his job before Eve came along? Why wasn’t his job enough to keep him going? When have you found that “it is not good for [people] to be alone”?

2. Why was Eve created – and why was it important that she was made of “the same flesh” as Adam? What does it mean that “they were naked and not ashamed?” What do these verses tell you about the purpose of marriage?

3. When Adam and Eve both sinned, how did this immediately affect their relationship with each other? How did this affect their relationship with God? What did God do to help this situation – and how does God do the same for you today?

4. What did God say would be the lasting results of sin on married life? How is this still true today? What (if anything) can be done about this?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “The great challenge of adulthood is holding on to your idealism after you lose your innocense” – Bruce Springsteen.

Navel destroyer

2005-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

From ancient times, Christians of a mystical bent have abandoned society in order to spend all their time in prayer.

Well . . . at least they tried. The problem (then as now) is that many Christians found their minds wandering – they just couldn’t concentrate on whatever it was they were supposed to be praying about!

So they tried chanting. And special ways of breathing. And focusing their attention on some special object – a candle maybe, or a picture of Jesus.

In fact, some even tried to rid themselves of all distractions by earnestly contemplating their own belly-buttons.

And yes, that’s where we get the phrase, “navel-gazing.”

And no, I’ve no idea if they found this useful . . . but I’m pretty sure that Paul would not!

All the way through Ephesians, remember, Paul has tried to move our focus outward – away from “me” and “mine” and toward “we” and “us.”

We saw this in his discussion of salvation – a salvation that includes more than just people like us.

We saw this in his discussion of ethics – an ethics that cares about more than just people like us.

Now we see it in Paul’s requests for prayer – requests that ask the Ephesians to pray, not just for themselves, but for Paul and his mission to others.

In short, Paul’s request for prayer is one last attempt to build a community: a group of people who’ve found God by serving others (and not by shutting them out).

So how do you do that in this week’s lesson? Some suggestions:

1. Compare the prayer requests in Ephesians 6:18-20 with the subject of Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1:15-18 and Ephesians 3:14-19. How are they alike? How are they different?

2. What specific advice does Paul give about prayer in Ephesians 6:18? Why is all of his advice important? Which do you find the most difficult to follow?

3. Why might it have surprised the church in Ephesus that Paul would ask for prayer? How easy do you find it to ask for prayer? Why is that?

4. Notice the specific things for which Paul asks prayer – for whom do you pray, and how specific are your prayers for them?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Prayer is not a substitute for taking up your rightful burdens” – John Carmody.

The Ten Essentials

2005-12-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

You’ve come to a fork in the trail – and you’re pretty sure that you’re supposed to head south . . .

But Fred wanted to take a nap after lunch. So you gave him your one and only copy of the map. And you told him to catch up with you when he could.

So there you are: trying to remember what was on the map.

As for Fred, he’s trying to figure out which way is north – that’s because he has the map, but you still have the compass!

Its situations such as this that made The Mountaineers (an outdoors group based on Seattle) come up with “The Ten Essentials.” That’s their list of ten items that everyone who goes into the outdoors should carry with them at all times – items such as . . . well, if you want to know what’s on their list of Ten Essentials, then click on the title for this particular blog entry.

But if you want to know what’s on Paul’s list of “Essentials,” then read Ephesians 6:13-18. And no, don’t try to get too bogged down in the analogies; as near as I can figure, there’s no particular reason why truth is like a belt, or righteousness is like a breastplate, or even why salvation is like a helmet (as opposed to a javelin, say, or a good pair of shin protectors).

No, Paul’s point is simply that we need all of these things in order to “fight the good fight” – and given what we’ve seen of the church in Ephesus, we can see why he needed to make this point.

All the way through Ephesians, after all, we’ve seen Paul stress that:

God reaches out to more than just one group of people.
God gives His people more than just one spiritual gift.
God gives His people more than just one job to do.

All of which suggests that church members in Ephesus had a hard time remembering (much less doing) more than one thing at once.

So they’d focus on faith – but forget truth.

Or they’d focus on truth, but forget peace.

Or they’d focus on peace, but then they’d go and leave something else behind . . . which may not have seemed all that important at the time, but sooner or later was bound to catch up with them . . .

Kind of like the soldier who remembers his sword, but forgets his belt. To be sure, nobody wins a battle with a belt – but nobody wins without one, either!

That’s why Paul’s been working hard to make sure the Ephesians don’t get so focused on one piece of truth that they forget all the other truths God has for them.

That’s why Paul closes his letter with the reminder that there’s more than just one essential for Christian living. No, there’s several – and we can’t afford to leave any of them behind.

And if you don’t believe that, then just ask Fred.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “If it’s stupid but it works, it’s not stupid” – James F. Dunnigan.

The Caine Mutiny Gets Lost in the Poseidon Adventure (and Tremors ensue)

2005-12-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

You know the plot – it’s long been a staple of movies and television shows:

A group of people who have nothing in common . . .
A. passengers on an ocean liner
B. survivors of an airplane crash
C. soldiers in wartime
D. residents of a small town in the Nevada desert

. . . must put aside their differences in the face of a common enemy.
A. a gigantic wave that has left them trapped inside the ship
B. hunger, thirst, and polar bears
C. their commanding officer (who’s gone nuts)
D. gigantic carnivorous earthworms.

Sound familiar?

Well, that’s what’s going on in Ephesians 6:10-12. If there’s one thing that’s clear, after all, it’s that those believers in Ephesus really didn’t have much in common. Gender, culture, economic status – you name it, and they had a reason to disagree.

So Paul gives them a common enemy. “If you’re going to fight,” he says in effect, “then fight this” – and as he does so, you’ll notice that he’s very careful to give them an enemy that’s not tied in to any particular group or culture.

“For we battle not against flesh and blood,” he says in verse 12, “but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

In short, we battle against them.

And in the process, we learn who our friends really are.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “It is better to die for a cause that will ultimately succeed, than to live for one that will ultimately fail” – Reinhold Niebuhr.

Get out of jail free?

2005-12-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

He was drunk.

He was speeding – in fact, he was driving as fast as 80 miles-per-hour on city streets.

And his driving caused an accident that injured four people, and killed a 16-year-old girl.

So why did the police in Washington D.C. actually let him out of jail?

Because Gueorgui Makharadze was a foreign diplomat – and as such, the police had no choice but to let him go.

And if that doesn’t seem right, then you’ll understand why Paul wrote Ephesians 5:21-6:9.

Paul wrote at a time, you see, when some Christians were claiming “diplomatic immunity.”

“We are citizens of God’s kingdom,” they said in effect. “As such, we don’t need to obey any earthly law. And since God is the only legitimate authority, we are free to ignore all the rest– parents, police, spouses, masters, whatever!”

Like Gueorgui Makharadze, in other words, they thought rules, laws, and obligations were for other people – not them!

Of course, you can imagine how that went over in Roman society. The Romans were the mother of all control freaks, remember. Any slave who got out “uppity,” any child who got out of line, any woman who talked back to her husband – in short, anyone who challenged authority – could expect to pay the price.

And sometimes, they paid with their lives.

That’s why Paul wrote what he did; that’s why Paul told those wives, children, and slaves that following God didn’t always mean you had disobey everyone else. No, they were to “submit to one another,” said Paul, “out of reverence for Christ.”

Mind you, that’s not all Paul said – in fact, Paul spent more time in these verses talking to the people who exercised power than he did to the people who were supposed to obey it. And most of the husbands, parents, and slave-masters who read this letter would have needed to swallow hard before they accepted Paul’s advice.

Then too, Paul himself didn’t always do what he was told; that’s why he was writing this letter from prison!

“But just because you’re a Christian,” says Paul, “that doesn’t mean you get diplomatic immunity.”

I mean, even diplomats don’t always get diplomatic immunity!

No sooner did Gueorgui Makharadze get out of jail, for instance, than the State Department got on the phone, and asked his home country to waive his immunity.

They did.

And that’s why Gueorgui Makharadze is now in jail, doing time for manslaughter. He may have been working for another country, in other words, but that country still wanted him to obey our laws.

Just like it says in Ephesians.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Prayer is not a substitute for taking up our rightful burdens” – John Carmody.

Getting in touch with your inner adult

2005-12-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

More than anything else, children want to grow up.

Look at the games they play. Little girls play “house” and “dress up.” Little boys . . . well, left to themselves, most boys love nothing more than a fast game of “let’s chase the wooly mammoth – and once we’ve killed it, let’s defend it against the neighboring tribe.” (Which explains a lot, now that I think about it.)

The fact remains that children spend most of their time practicing what it means to be an adult. And as anyone who’s ever given driving lessons to a 15-year-old can tell you, most children long for the day when they’re finally out on their own.

Unfortunately, the bumper-sticker is right: “growing up is optional; growing older is not.” Not every child turns into an adult, in other words; there are plenty of people collecting Social Security who are still childish and immature.

That’s the fate Paul tries to avoid in Ephesians 5:1-20 – he wants believers to “grow up.” And the best way for believers to do this, he knows, is the same way children do this: you grow up by copying adults. Just as children practice keeping house (and chasing wooly mammoths), so too he urges believers to practice acting like God.

“Be imitators of God,” Paul says in verse one, “. . . as dearly beloved children and live a life of love, just as Jesus loved us. . . .”

Paul goes on to list some of the ways we can “act” like adults. (He also lists some we should avoid!) If you like, you can think of them as rules for the playground – God’s tips on how to “grow up big and strong.”

But the bottom line of these verses . . . well, it’s the same question that we keep asking our children:

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Pastor Greg

And remember: “A Christian should be prepared to look good on wood” – Daniel Berrigan.

Fragment of yet another early church epistle, recently discovered at Tel al-nutherwan

2005-11-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Thaddeus:

You’ll be glad to hear that things are going well here in the mission field. I’m glad to report that the gentiles are really anxious to learn more about the true God of Israel.

And yes, there has been some trouble with that so-called “apostle” by the name of Paul. He brought a large number of people into the church without any kind of adequate preparation – and just as you predicted, many of them still continue to see themselves as gentiles. At one time, as a matter of fact, there was even talk of the church celebrating a week of “Gentile Pride”!

Fortunately, we’ve put a stop to all that; we’ve made it clear that following the God of Israel means following the exact same kind of lifestyle that His people back home have always practiced. And yes, this kind of “straight testimony” has caused a real “shaking” in our local church – but those who remain have been ever so grateful for our support and guidance.

Thank you for your regular shipments of used yarmulkes and phylacteries; the people here are always so eager to receive them. And do keep us in your prayers – next week, I’ll be explaining to the locals just why circumcision remains an “everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:13).

Blessings,

Sylvanus T. Birdwhistle
for WEEDS: the World-wide Evangelistic & Educational Development Service

And let's not even talk about the miter box!

2005-11-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I read a story in INSIGHT magazine about a toolbox that didn’t get along.

And looking back, it’s easy to see why. If there was one thing on which everyone agreed, it’s that the glue was terribly “stuck up.”

Unfortunately, none of the other tools were any better – in fact, they had all their problems. The rasp, for instance, could be very rough. The awl was boring. The hammer was blunt. The pliers pinched. The tape measure was always pointing out how everyone else just didn’t measure up. The wrench seemed to have nothing better to do with its time than to hang out with a bunch of nuts. And while the saw was sharp, it could be terribly cutting in its dealings with others.

No, these were clearly some tools with major problems.

But one day, a Carpenter came along . . . and used those tools to build a church.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “God’s love is a net that pulls in all kinds of fish” – Jesus of Nazareth.

Who do you want to be when you grow up?

2005-11-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Ask most folk what church people are like, and they’ll tell you that, “Church people are good people. A little narrow-minded, maybe. Exclusive. And not generally the kind of people you’d invite to a party on New Year’s Eve . . . but still, they’re good, respectable people.”

Now ask them what they think of Jesus – and if they’ve spent any time reading the Bible, they’ll tell you that, “Jesus was always getting in trouble with the authorities because he got invited to the wrong parties, and he hung out with the wrong people.”

In short, most people would say that church people don’t have much in common with Jesus. What’s more, they’d probably tell you that, as much as they admire church people, they’re not very comfortable around them. Jesus, on the other hand . . . well, they like Jesus a lot more than they like us.

So . . . why is their such a difference between the way most folk think of church people, and the way they think of Jesus?

What would happen if church people were more like Jesus?

What would need to change in order for this to happen?

And what does Ephesians 3:14-21 have to say about it all?

Greg Brothers

And remember: “[Christians] get along, not because we are good but because we are forgiven” – Eugene Peterson.

“The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light” – Luke 16:18 (NIV).

2005-11-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

If you want to understand what Ephesians 2:11-22 means today (and why these verses were so radical in Paul’s day), then I want you to try an experiment – a thought experiment:

I want you to imagine two people – we’ll call them Mike and Reggie. And just to make things interesting, we’ll say that Mike and Reggie don’t have much in common. Mike is white, while Reggie is black. Mike grew up in a small town, while Reggie was from the big city. Mike is skinny and short and shy, while Reggie is a big, confident man who always knew where to find a good time.

But let’s say that Mike and Reggie both joined the Army. Both served in Iraq – in fact, both served in the same squad. And talking things over, both discovered that each man had an Adventist grandmother . . . an Adventist grandmother who was praying each and every day for her grandson’s safety and conversion.

And yes, the prayers of both grandmothers were answered. After a couple of especially close calls, Mike and Reggie began studying the Bible together. As a result, both were baptized. Both became members of the Adventist Church. And both decided to become pastors.

So here’s what I want you to do: I want you to come up with a good explanation for the fact that Mike and Reggie might end up working in the same city as pastors of churches that are right next door to each other – but one of those churches will be white, and the other black.

Once you’ve done that, then I want you to explain why the Mike and Reggie will end up working for two different Conferences: one white and the other black.

Next, I’d like you to explain why the Church needs to do all this – why the Adventis Church needs, not just separate churches for whites and blacks, but separate administrative structures for those white churches and black churches . . .

When the Army does not.

When they were in the Army, after all, Mike and Reggie served in the same unit – and yes, they even worshipped in the same chapel!

But in the Church, they won’t.

Why not?

And what does Ephesians 2:11-22 say about that?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Efficiency is not a synonym for good” – Robert Fogel, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics.

You are the present God gives to Himself

2005-10-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were six-years-old, and you were going to buy a birthday present for your mother?

How you went to the store where she took you?

Picked out the gift she'd suggested?

Counted out the money she'd given to you?

And when you took it home and gave it to her . . . do you remember how pleased she was?

Of course you do -- and if you can remember that feeling, then you'll understand why Paul said the things he did in Ephesians 2:1-10.

You see, Paul is going to be talking about a lot of things that Christians really should be doing -- things such as love, and obedience, and not getting drunk or sleeping around.

You know -- rules. The kind of rules that make some people think that Christianity is nothing more than a long list of "thou shalt nots."

And yes, the kind of rules that make some Christians think that Christianity is nothing more than a long list of all the things we need to do in order for God to love us.

That's why Paul begins this section with a long list of all the things that God has done for us -- and by the time Paul is done, it's clear that God has already done pretty much everything that needs to be done.

God made us alive, raised us from the dead, and seated us with Christ in heavenly realms.
God saved us and created us.
And God even prepared in advance the good works that He asks us to do.

In short, God is like your mother on her birthday, back when you were six-years-old: God made it possible for you to do everything that you do for Him.

And if you're still wondering why you should do all the stuff God asks you to do (even if it doesn't earn us any brownie-points with God), then ask yourself another question:

Just why was your mother so pleased when you gave her that birthday present?

Pastor Greg

And remember: "All men are by Nature equal, but differ greatly in the sequel" -- Nathaniel Ames.

Use it or . . .

2005-10-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

My computer is smarter than I deserve.

And no, that doesn't mean that it always does what I want it to do -- it's just that the computer knows how to do more than I want it to do!

Take e-mail, for instance. For years, I would laboriously type in every e-mail address for every person who was going to get a copy of that particular e-mail. Then I found out there was an easier way; all I had to do was set up a file that contained all those e-mail addresses (such as "Church Elders" or "family newsletter"), type in the name of that file, and the computer would take care of the rest.

Likewise, my computer knows how to add music to my PowerPoint programs. It can design webpages. And it could even let me while away the hours playing solitaire . . .

If I could only figure out how to use what's already there.

And that's what this week's lesson is all about. For in Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays that "the eyes of [our] heart may be enlightened in order that [we] may know:

the hope to which he has called [us],
the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

Notice that all of these things belong to us now; we already have them (just as my computer already has the ability to do a lot of stuff that I never ask it to do).

But if my computer could do so much more than it is right now -- and if it already has the ability to do so much more than it is doing right now -- then maybe I need to spend more time with the manual?

Likewise, if God . . . well, I'll let you take it from there.

Pastor Greg

And remember: "Sin is the failure to grow" -- Gregory of Nyssa.

The Everlasting Arms

2005-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

It's late at night. You're on your way to Grandma's house. And you don't have to worry about a thing -- not drunks, not speedtraps, not cows that wander out onto the road -- because you're six-years-old, and your father is driving.

That's what Paul meant by "security" -- the feeling you get when you know that somebody who loves you is in charge of your life.

And that's why Paul uses such scary language in Ephesians 1:3-14 -- language that stresses the fact that God is running things (and we're not).

I mean, if you grew up with the idea that "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul," then it's a little worrisome to be told that your salvation is solely due to the fact that:

God chose us.
God predestined us.
God adopted us.
God included us.
And God marked us with His seal, i.e. the Holy Spirit.

But let's be honest: if you were Paul (and you became a Christian the way that Paul did), then you're going to have a pretty healthy appreciation for God's ability to make things happen.

And if your were writing to the church in Ephesus -- a church that was dealing with terrible opposition from the outside and horrible divisions on the inside -- then yes, you'd probably emphasize the idea that nothing surprises God, nothing flusters God, and nothing (but nothing!) can ruin His plans.

In short, you'd emphasize the same thing that Paul does in these verses; you'd emphasize the sovereignity of God.

And no, this doesn't mean that we don't have a say in what happens to us; in fact, Paul assumes our freedom of choice in the rest of this book.

But when it's getting late, and the road is dark, and you don't know what lies ahead . . .

That's when it's nice to know that somebody else is driving.

Pastor Greg

And remember: "We must believe in free will; we have no choice!" -- Saul Bellow.

Fragment of an early church epistle, recently discovered at Tel al-nutherwan

2005-10-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Paul:

Thank you for your letter concerning your ideas for a “church plant” in Ephesus. While we value your enthusiasm, we do have some concerns regarding the wisdom of your approach.

First, it should be noted that Ephesus is a somewhat problematic location for evangelistic activity. Our surveys show that the “Temple of Diana” is extremely popular with all major segments of the local population; this clearly indicates that your work in Ephesus would meet with little success – and even outright hostility.

Then too, you have neglected one of the most important principles in church growth – that of “homogenous groups.” As you should know, people like to be with people like themselves; that is why we urge churches to target one specific group for outreach (such as blue-collar fans of Country Music, or upper-middle class married couples with children in college who own a second-home on the coast, eat out at least twice a week, and enjoy light jazz). Needless to say, your plans to reach “both Jew and Gentile, both Greek and barbarian, both slave and free” are commendable, but hopelessly unrealistic.

Finally, it’s clear that you’ve not yet made adequate plans for the continuing leadership needs of your “church plant.” As you should know, current research proves that long pastorates are best; churches do best when their pastors stay in place for a long time. If you want to start a church in Ephesus, in other words, then you really should plan on spending the rest of your life in nurturing the people there.

Included with this letter you’ll find a brochure, listing some of the seminars and workshops we offer on effective church growth. Please look it over – and if there’s any way we can help you in the future, don’t hesitate to call.

Sincerely yours

TK Enumclaw

Thaddeus K. Enumclaw, President
WEEDS: the World-wide Evangelistic Education & Development Service

Tell me the story of Jesus

2005-09-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

. . . then she smiled – and I knew she was the one for me.

That’s a Creation Story. To be specific, it’s the story of how I met the woman who became my wife. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told that story:

to my kids,
to my friends,
and even to church members . . .

Because that story – like all good Creation Stories – says something important about who I am and what I believe.

The Jews knew this. As a quick glance at the Bible will tell you, they weren’t much on abstract philosophy; the Jews didn’t spend a lot of time back then in talking about the Nature of Truth or the Meaning of Life.

No, when God’s people wanted to talk about something important, they told stories. Stories about beginnings. Stories about the time God met Abraham. Or the way God helped David set up his kingdom. Or why it fell. Or how God brought His people back to their own land again.

In a phrase, they told Creation Stories – and in doing so, they learned what it means to be God’s people.

Likewise, this week you’ll be studying three Creation Stories – three accounts of just how the church in Ephesus got started. And as you discuss Acts 19-21, Acts 19:1-41, and Acts 20:17-38, you should learn more than just who, when, and where. No, you should also look at how, why, and what.

How did God lead His people.
Why did God do this?
And what does this tell you about following God today?

In short, your job is to take their Creation Story, and make it yours as well. It’s a lot easier to know where you’re going, after all, if you know where you’ve already been.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “All the way to heaven is heaven” – Teresa of Avila.

The Lord of Then is the Lord of Now

2005-09-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

And I saw a great crowd whom no one could number, stretched out before the throne of God. And books were opened. And judgment was set.

And verily, a remnant did push their way to the front. And they did complain with great complaints, saying unto Him that sat upon the throne, “Lord, thou didst not conform unto the predictions we had made, and thou didst not arrive according to the schedules we had set. And behold, thou hast made us look like fools!”

And the Lord said, “Say what?”

And they did open their books, and they did unroll their charts, and they did set up their PowerPoint presentations . . . and they did demonstrate what manner of coming the Lord should have done.

“For there should have been a Great Time of Trouble Such as Never Was Since the World Began,” they did say, being very careful to capitalize properly. “And only after that should the end have come. But lo, the Great Time of Trouble did not arrive as we had predicted – and that is why we were sore amazed at your return.”

And the Lord did scratch His head and say, “So what do you call the Twentieth Century?”

And they did reply and say, “What?”

“The Twentieth Century – you remember it, I’m sure. More people died of war, famine, and disease in that century than any other. In fact, more died of these things during that century than just about all the rest of history put together. And if that doesn’t count as a Great Time of Et cetera, then I don’t know what does.”

And at that, the remnant did look somewhat relieved (and even a little embarrassed); and its members did say, “We hope that thou dost not hold it against us, that we did not realize this was going on . . . for we did live in the United States, and we did miss out on most of the suffering during that time. In short, it would seem that this particular prophecy did not apply to us.”

“I guess not,” said the Lord. “But there is another one that does: ‘For I was hungry . . .’”

Pastor Greg

And remember: “To live is to pray. To pray is to love. And to love is to serve” – Henri Nouwen.

Doing well by doing good

2005-09-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Click on the title of this particular essay, and you can read a nifty article in The New York Times about everything that Big Business is doing to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Impressive stuff, right? In fact, you might want to share it with your Sabbath School class -- and having done so, you'll then want to discuss these questions:

1. Businesses are donating aid to hurricane victims, not just these people need help, but also because they believe that doing so will help their reputation . . . and ultimately, help them make even more money. Does it matter why they help, just so long as they do -- and if that's true for businesses, then why isn't it true for people?

2. Why are people so eager to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina? Why aren't we just as willing to help others in need (such as the homeless, the mentally ill, or the 40 million Americans who lack health insurance)?

3. Should our church do more to advertise the good things it does through Community Services, etc? What about recognizing the work of specific church members (such as the people who work in Communty Services)? What about recognizing the donations of specific church members (such as those who've given heavily to our Building Fund?)

4. What is the best way to teach our children about service? Should we require students at our school to volunteer in our community? Does this discriminate against students who must also work in order to pay their school bills?

Have fun!

Pastor Greg

And remember: "Any idiot can face a crisis -- it's the day-to-day living that wears you out" -- Molly Ivins.

How many Adventists does it take to change a lightbulb?

2005-09-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you need to change things in order to keep them the same.

When it came time to eat the Passover meal, for instance, Jesus sat down.

And if that doesn’t seem odd, then take a look at Exodus 12:11. Speaking of the first Passover service, God said to Moses that “this is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.”

In short, Passover was the original fast-food meal; when you ate it, you were supposed to be on your feet and ready to go.

Why?

Because Passover was the sign you were no longer a slave; now you were free to leave Egypt!

But Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:18, and Luke 22:14 all agree that the Last Supper was a sit-down affair – that Jesus and his disciples all “reclined” at table.

So what gives? Why did Jesus and his followers sit down when they should have been standing up? Didn’t they know what the Bible said?

Well, yes – they probably did. But in the days of Jesus, only slaves ate standing up . . . and to eat the Passover meal that way would definitely give the wrong impression! That’s why the rabbis said that Passover should be eaten while you were sitting down – the way free people ate.

In short, Passover was still about freedom – that hadn’t changed.

But to make sure God’s people understood that unchanging message of freedom . . . well, that’s why they brought in the chairs.

Likewise, God doesn’t change. The gospel doesn’t change. And our need for that gospel will never change.

But if we want people to understand just what hasn’t changed . . . if we want people to accept just what hasn't changed . . . and if we want people to worship the God who doesn't change . . .

Then maybe we need to make some changes around here?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Things that can’t go on forever, don’t” – Herbert Stein.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2005-09-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Back in the days when my Mom was on the contract negotiating team for the Portland teacher’s union, she used to tell me this joke:

“So the union rep calls a meeting with the teachers and says, ‘This year, we’ve got a contract that I think you’re really going to like: double the pay, early retirement, and you only need to come in for work on Wednesdays. Any questions?’

And a voice from the back shouts out, ‘You mean, every Wednesday?’”

Her point, of course, was that no job is perfect – and even if it was, then we still wouldn’t be happy!

Not always.

Not all the time.

Ask the people in your class what they like about their job, after all, and they’ll tell you:

it pays (though not enough).
it gives them a sense of purpose (though not always).
it gets them out and about (though that does get old at times).

In short, work can be a blessing – but like everything else on this fallen world of ours, it is never more than mixed-blessing.

And right there, you have one of the most important points that you can make in this week’s lesson: it’s the fact that there’s no great and shining job that’s out there waiting for the members of your Sabbath School class – no wonderful career that will meet all their needs, no perfect profession that will satisfy all their desires.

No, all jobs have their downside – that’s the bad news.

The good news is that God can take even the worst job, and make it a blessing anyway.

Even if you have to work every Wednesday.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “You can get much farther with kind words and a gun than you can with kind words alone” – Al Capone.

Do acronymns cure cancer?

2005-08-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

So you’ve come to that part of the Sabbath School class where you talk about just how to live a long and healthy life . . . but you’re not sure how to pull things together in a way that makes sense.

And yes, you could use the acronym NEWSTART® – i.e. nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, air, rest, and trust in God – but it’s a trademark; it’s not something you should use unless you’re referring specifically to the lifestyle program that is offered by Weimar College.

That’s why I ask people to take care of themselves with a Dr’s Care. That means they’ve a better chance of living a long, healthy life if they are:

Drug-free: that mean no DDT (i.e. drugs, drinking, or tobacco).

Rested: 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

Safe: Accidents kill more young people than anyting else, so use those seat-belts in the car, wear life-jackets on the water, and don’t run with scissors.

Clean: wash your hands, brush your teeth, and don’t forget to floss -- not only will this give you healthy gums, but it cuts your risk of dying from pneumonia!

Active: exercise 30-minutes a day, three to four days a week.

Religious: it’s true – church members do live longer!

Eating right: more fruits and vegetables, less fast-food and junk-food.

Pastor Greg

And remember: "When it comes to health, you need to check your facts carefully -- many's the man who died of a misprint" -- Mark Twain.

Thoughts of Chairman Ellen

2005-08-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Read much of Ellen White, and one thing becomes clear: she was really bugged by the middle-class.

Take her advice on jewelry, for instance. Or music. Or even bicycles.

In each case, her chief concern was the effect of new-found wealth on the mission of our church.

And yes, this was a problem. (Still is!) Join the church, after all, and you stop drinking (which makes you a better employee). You start paying tithe (which forces you to keep track of your money). And you send your kids to an Adventist school (which almost guarantees that they’ll have a better job than you do).

As a result, the church becomes an economic escalator – one that picks up farmers and mechanics, gives them kids who are pastors and teachers, and eventually produces grand-kids who are doctors and lawyers.

So what happens when a “church of the poor” becomes a “church of the middle-class”?

Well . . . for one thing, the poor stop coming to church. They stop coming, because it’s no longer “their” kind of place!

That’s one reason Ellen White wrote against jewelry; she didn’t want the poor to feel out of place in our churches. That’s why she wrote against classical music; she wanted a church where anyone could feel at home. That’s why she wrote against bicycles; at the time, they were an outrageous example of conspicuous consumption (kind of like Hummers today).

In short, Ellen White was smart enough to know that money talks . . . and sometimes, what it really tells people is, “Go away!”

So how do we avoid that?

And what do we do when the "economic escalator" has done its work, and we've become solid members of the middle-class?

That's what this week's lesson is all about.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Anytime somebody says, ‘it’s not the money – it’s the principle of the thing,’ it’s really the money” – Anonymous.

The Land of Battered Women

2005-08-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

Click on the title, and read the article in Thursday's New York Times.

Now that you’ve read the article, imagine that you’re a pastor in Africa. Several women in your church have asked you for advice on how to deal with this problem. What kind of advice would you give – both short-term and long-term?

How might this advice differ from that given to a woman living in the United States? Why?

How would the advice you gave your African church members differ from that given by Paul in Ephesians 5:21-6:9? How would it be the same? Why?

How might you apply Paul’s advice to American families today – or is our situation so different that it is simply irrelevant?

In short, how to you follow Jesus in a family that is not ideal?

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” – Leo Tolstoi, in Anna Karenina.

And by the way . . .

2005-08-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

The companion book to this lesson is Robert Johnston's The Spiritual Life: Experiencing Jesus Christ as Lord. It's not too late to get a copy from the ABC -- and it's well worth it!

Who listens when God prays?

2005-08-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

And his disciples came unto him and said, “Teach us to pray.”

And he said, “Why?”

And they said, “Well . . . uh . . . all the other rabbis are teaching their disciples how to pray.”

“So go ask them – and besides, you have 150 psalms, not to mention the Eighteen Benedictions that you recite in the synagogue every Sabbath. It’s not as though you lack for examples!”

“Yes, but when you pray, things happen. We want to pray so that things happen too!”

And he did close his eyes, and sigh – and after he had done so, he did begin teaching his disciples to pray as follows: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

And his disciples did stop him and say, “Excuse me? Does it have to be all about Him?”

“No,” he said, “there’s more. ‘Give us today our daily bread.’”

“That’s it?”

“You want more?”

“Let’s be honest,” said his disciples unto him. “You’re not going to sell many books on prayer if all it gets you is the bare minimum to survive. No, we’re looking for something more; we’re looking for a little something extra. You know – a little jam on the bread.”

“Okay, how about ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors’?”

“Love the first part; hate the second. Try again.”

“Maybe something along the lines of, ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’?”

“There’s no need to be sarcastic – and besides, this whole prayer is just way too negative.”

“Negative?”

“You know what I mean. ‘God, it’s all about you – not me. I don’t ask for much, but I do need a break; right now, in fact, I could use all the help I can get.’ I mean, what kind of a prayer is that?!? ”

And he did smile and say, “the same kind I pray every day.”

Pastor Greg

And remember: "You can do more than pray after you have prayed. But you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed" -- John Bunyan.

You CAN handle the truth

2005-07-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

If Richard Nixon had told the truth, he’d still be President of the United States.

He’d be dead, but he’d still be President.

And that’s the point of this week’s lesson – that what you say you did can get you in more trouble than what you actually did.

Politicians know this. So do lawyers, used-car salesmen, and the people who used to run Enron. They all know how words can build trust – or break it.

More than that, they all know that our words show two things at one and the same time:

how much we trust other people.
how much we can be trusted.

Let’s say that I’m trying to sell you a car, for instance. It’s not a bad car – in fact, it belonged to my brother-in-law, who was meticulous in the way he took care of it. Then again, he did use it to tow a trailer . . . and that can be hard on a car.

So what do I do? Do I trust you with the information you need to make a good decision?

Or do I go with Jack Nicholson. Tell myself that “you can’t handle the truth.” And say that it was owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church?

The same is true of gossip, perjury, slander, and all the other ways that we get in trouble with the words that we use. Most of them boil down to the issue of trust – do they build it, or destroy it?

And that was the problem with Richard Nixon. For when all was said and done, Watergate really was nothing more than a third-rate burglary.

But when it came to what he said about Watergate . . . well, that is when people finally decided that Nixon might be smart. He might be hard-working. He might even have good ideas.

But there was just no way you would ever buy a used-car from that man.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but not as popular" -- anonymous.

More!

2005-07-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

It’s the first wedding this particular pastor has performed, and he’s a little nervous. But so far, everything’s gone well. The vows have been made. The rings exchanged. And with the end in sight, the minister says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

And then he freezes. He knows he’s supposed to say something else, but he can’t think what it is.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife . . .”

Freezes again. The crowd begins to stir.

Finally, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind: “I now pronounce you husband and wife – go, and sin no more!”

Okay, it’s not a true story – it’s not even a very funny story.

But it illustrates a point you’ll need to make in this week’s lesson, and that is the nature of desire.

People who aren’t married have pretty much the same desires as the people who are – yet the same behavior we discourage in single people is encouraged in those who are married.

So what’s changed? Why is sexual desire so wrong when you’re single, and so right when you’re married?

The answer, of course, is that sexual desire isn’t wrong; it’s just not enough.

It was Augustine who noted that sin is really nothing more than a lack of something good in our life. Just as cold is the absence of heat, for instance, so too cowardice is the absence of courage, greed is the absence of charity, and anger marks the absence of patience and love.

Then too, even our virtues can steer us wrong if we lack other virtues as well. A soldier in battle needs courage, to give one example – but he needs wisdom as well. For courage without wisdom is foolhardy, just as wisdom without courage gives us all the more reason to be cowards!

In short, our problem isn’t the things we want so much as it is the things we lack. For sexual desire is good (just as courage is good). But just like courage, it’s not enough by itself; just like courage, it works best when something more is added. Something like love. And commitment. And integrity.

And yes, sometimes even a sense of humor.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “God, my heart is too small. Make it bigger!” – Augustine of Hippo.

In the beginning was the Word

2005-07-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night.

Really.

My family was staying on the first-floor of the girl’s dormitory at Maple View Academy. We were there for Minnesota Campmeeting – and that night, there was a tornado watch.

Now my wife is from New Zealand; she had no idea what to do in case of a tornado.

But both my parents are from Kansas, and I’d grown up hearing stories about tornados – and if you’ve ever heard tornado stories, then you know they come in two, basic forms:

the siren went off, and they’d just made it to safety when the tornado hit.
the siren went off, and they didn’t make it to safety before the tornado hit.

And the moral of both stories, of course, is that you’d better not waste time when there’s a tornado around!

“Just grab a kid and go,” I told my wife. “The hallway outside our room is the designated shelter for this building; once we’re there, we’ll take stock and decide what to do next.”

With that, we went to sleep.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in the hallway outside our dormitory room, holding our eldest daughter. My wife was coming out of the room behind me, holding our youngest daughter, and closing the door to our room. And as she did so -- even as I was waking up -- I realized:

As soon as my wife closed that door, it would lock itself – and neither one of us had a key.
The hall was rapidly filling up with people. (This was the shelter for the whole dormitory, remember.)
And neither my wife nor myself was wearing anything more than we’d worn to bed that night – and it was a warm night!

In short, I’ve heard about pastors who’ve dreamt they were standing in front of an audience, wearing nothing but their underwear – but so far as I know, I am the only pastor who’s actually done it!

Now why did this happen? What made me to do something that modesty (and common sense) would normally have prevented?

Simple: it was the stories – stories I’d grown up hearing. Stories I’d grown up believing. Stories that shaped my life in ways I never could have imagined.

That’s why this week’s lesson is so important – for this week, we’re going to talk about the thoughts that shape the lives of our students. Not just the occasional daydream or fantasy, but the stories. The plots. The themes that give structure and meaning to their lives.

There are people in your class, for instance, who are trying to be The Little Engine That Could. Others see themselves as Huckleberry Finn. Still others who’ve spent their whole lives trying to find a happy ending for Romeo and Juliet.

So take the time, this week, to listen for the stories. Ask questions:

What was your favorite story as a child – and how did it shape your life?
If your life was a TV show, which one would it be?
How is the story of your life tied in with the story of Jesus?

And no, this is not just some vapid excuse to “get in touch with your own feelings.”

For stories are powerful, remember. Stories make a difference. And the person who believes in the wrong kind of stories is apt to find themselves in all kinds of trouble.

Even at Campmeeting.

Even in Minnesota.

Pastor Greg

And remember: “Values are rooted in narrative” – Harvey Cox.

July 3-9: Who sets your priorities?

2005-07-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Following God is like owning a dog.

Unfortunately, most of us would rather have a hamster.

And that’s what this week’s lesson is all about.

Over the years, you see, my children have cared for just about every kind of pet you can imagine: parakeets, lovebirds, hedgehogs, tropical fish, cats, hamsters, and a beagle who answers to the name of “Rosie” (though I generally call her “Booger”).

Now there’s no question that the easiest pet to own is definitely a hamster. Just add some food. Check the water. Change the bedding. And that’s it; you’re ready to go for another week.

But owning a dog – especially a beagle -- changes everything! As my wife says, “It’s like having a three-year-old who can run faster than you!” And just like a three-year-old, that dog affects everything – everything from the time you get up in the morning to where you go on vacation.

In short, you can buy a hamster, and still live pretty much the same life as you did before. But buy a dog, and you get a whole new life to go with it . . . whether you like it or not!

Likewise, many people in your class have some kind of connection with God. They know He exists. They believe He made us. And they like having Him around – if only for the sake of the children – just so long as He doesn’t start messing around with the rest of their lives!

But the kind of God you’ll be talking about in this week’s lesson . . . the kind of God who is revealed in Exodus 19 . . . the kind of God with whom Jesus struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane?

This is not a God who demands more!

No, this is a God who demands everything!

Then again, my dog is exactly the same. And if I’m willing to change my life for the sake of a 25-pound carnivore that snores . . .

Well, I’ll let you finish that sentence in this week’s Sabbath School lesson.

Pastor Greg

And remember: "If you don't know what is absolutely essential , then you'll waste all of your time doing those things that are merely important" -- Henri Nouwen.

So what do we do now?

2005-07-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

The bad news is that this quarter's lessons are topical . . . which is another way of saying that you'll have to deal with teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy pieces of Scripture that have been pasted together without any kind of context because they (supposedly) deal with a common topic.

The good news is that this quarter's topic is pretty good: spiritual growth, i.e. how to become the kind of person God wants you to be.

The bad news is that some of your class members have a pretty strange idea of just what kind of person God wants them to be -- and if you don't believe that, then ask them to describe what a "spiritual" person is like! Chances are, they'll tell you that a really spiritual person is:

an elderly female introvert
with no sense of humor
who wears really ugly clothes,
brings tofu to church potlucks,
and is none-too-bright.

And while I've nothing personally against people like that, I certainly wouldn't want to be someone like that.

The good news, of course, is that we can trust God's plans for us. "For I know the plans I have for you," He says in Jeremiah 29:11. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give [us] a hope and a future."

And learning how to make these plans come true over the course of our life -- that's what this quarter is all about.

Well . . . that's what this quarter can be all about -- but it's going to take some work.

Let's get started!

Pastor Greg

"From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, O Lord deliver us!" -- Teresa of Avila.