Clothesline

2012 JAN

2012-01-07T09:32:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 JAN 2012

Word for the Day
Vestibule - The outer area or hall near the entrance, which may have specific uses or dedications. A specific vestibule leading into the church nave is called the narthex. As a verb, vestibuled means to explain from the pulpit. [1]

Quote for the Day
Corporate worship is often the flash point where this occurs because for immature believers this is their only contact with the Unseen world. [2] The “this occurs” refers to the discomfort, discontent, even anger, over any deviation from the norm in corporate worship service.

Thought for the Day
Change is difficult. And changing one’s theology is nigh unto impossible. One might change from Honda to Ford or from Republican to Democrat, but to change one’s childhood beliefs on core religious concepts is almost unheard of among the majority of our tribe. So how is it, as most of you know, that I have changed my thinking over the past two decades about almost every core belief?

A few days ago, as I was reading through Acts, the story of Peter and Cornelius struck me in a new way. As we would say, Peter was “raised in the church,” well, at least in the synagogue! He had never eaten anything unclean and wasn’t about to start. The vision of the sheet brought down from above was shown to him three times; each time his response was the same: “No, Sir! Absolutely not! I have never eaten food that was unclean.”[3] Each time the Ruach HaKodesh (HS or maybe an angel) said, “Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.” [ACT 10.15] You know the rest of the story, so I’ll not retell it.

Imagine how difficult it must have been for Peter to repent (change) over something major like accepting the goyim (gentiles) into fellowship. In fact, we have further proof of how difficult this was for him. Paul tells the story in Galatians 2.11 about Peter lapsing back to his original upbringing when, after the arrival of several Jewish brothers, he excused himself from dining with the goyim.

About ten years ago, our elder board (BCOC) decided to install an overhead projector for broadcasting the hymns onto a screen. Something as innocuous as this was apparently deemed semi-heretical by some congregants. A few years before, we had placed supplemental song books in the racks along with the authorized hymnals. The booklets were produced in-house and mostly contained songs the teenagers preferred. However, one day the booklets mysteriously disappeared. Some people had taken it upon themselves to dispose of those books that only had “camp-fire” songs!

Just a few months ago, it was decided to replace the traditional communion cracker with individual “bite-sized” pieces. Even this change had to be vestibuled by no less than the pulpit minister. Otherwise, the orthodoxy of such a change would have been called into question. I know I’ve used the Quote for the Day before, but it’s still so appropriate.

Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean. Maybe there’s a new application of that sentence for us today. Can’t you and I identify with Peter? He was told to “Arise, kill and eat.” All we have to kill are some misguided allegiances to traditions. Peter was told to go against some core beliefs he had known since childhood. Can’t you and I do the same?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. Found on: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_church_vestibule#ixzz1gtlaqUdm

2. Michael S Moore, Faith Under Pressure, Leafwood Publishers, Siloam Springs AR, 2003, p.96

3. David Stern, Complete Jewish Bible, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. Clarksville MD, 1998

2011 NOV

2011-11-07T13:13:00.001-06:00

Greetings to all on 11 NOV 2011

This month we’ll take a break from the usual theological fare for a personal story.

Quote for the Day
You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time — back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.
Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again [1]

Thought for the Day
Many of you know that I grew up in Panama City Florida, “Home of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” After graduating from Rutherford High School in 1971, I went on to the University of West Florida and graduated in 1975 with a degree in math education. My last quarter was student teaching at Bay High School in Panama City, where I was fortunate to get a job there in the fall. Pam and I said goodbye to Florida and moved back to Texas in August 1988.

After my retirement in June 2010, I decided to join the Facebook crowd, not only to keep up with my own kids, but to try reconnecting with some friends from the past. I was able to track down several people and also learned that my class was planning our 40th high school reunion; it would be in late September on Panama City Beach. The handful of classmates who organized the event did an outstanding job. Countless hours were spent planning and promoting our reunion. One of the features on the website allowed us to post biographies. Sadly, 30 of the 388 had already passed away, including several of my friends.

In the movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart is shown by Clarence the angel what life for others would have been like without him. My story is kind of the opposite; I was allowed to realize the impact I had on some of my old friends and students without the inconvenience of death.

By early summer I knew I could not miss this reunion. Although flying is not my favorite thing, Pam purchased our tickets early and we began making arrangements for our five day getaway. As we approached for landing at the new Northwest Florida Beaches International, the scenery was immediately familiar - pine trees, palmettos and saw grass. The small but modern airport is nestled among the pine tree farms around North Bay. Translation: it is out in the middle of nowhere!

We spent Friday driving around to see the sights - both old and new. I had lived in five different houses over the course of 30 years; we located three of them, including the childhood home my parents built. At noon, Pam spotted a hole-in-the-wall eatery, called Bayou Joe’s, down on Massalinna Bayou. Customers had to walk down a narrow covered dock to enter the diner. Well, one did not actually enter it, but dined on a section of the dock that overlooked the bayou. I had fish-n-chips; the fish was grouper - yummy! Several Coast Guard personnel were also eating there; they just tied their boats at the dock and hopped out.

After lunch, we drove back to Harrison Avenue, the old main street. You know you’re getting old when the street where you once shopped now has a plaque that reads: Historic Downtown Panama City! I noticed one store that hadn’t changed much in 40 years, so Pam suggested we go inside C & G Sporting Goods. As we browsed the aisles, I walked by the manager who was standing behind the handgun showcase. He greeted me with “Hello, Mr. Toole.” I was overwhelmed that he recognized and remembered me; Ray Groom was one of my math students about 30 years ago.

We then found Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery and visited my parent’s grave sites along with those of my uncle Melvin and aunt Ruth Toole. My mother passed away in Burleson in 1990 and we had her body shipped back to Florida for burial, so I had never seen her grave marker. My dad died in 1978 and his brother Melvin in 1989. They bought these adjoining plots back when door-to-door salesmen still roamed the earth.

Late Friday afternoon we arrived at the Majestic Resort on Panama City Beach; this was also the site for our reunion. I attended the Friday evening “mixer” alone and reminisced with several friends including Alan Shoemaker, Greg Cobb and James Wall. Saturday afternoon, Pam and I ventured out to explore the “strip” from our condo to the west toward Phillips Inlet. When I grew up there, 40 years ago, this part of the beach was home to only hermit crabs and hermit people! Now there is an entire “city” made to emulate a small town Main Street of 60 years ago. Adjacent to that shopping area is a mall with modern architecture. From my frame of reference, all of this was built “in the middle of nowhere.” Saturday evening we attended the formal reunion complete with a catered meal and once again conversed with some old friends. I was especially touched by James Wall and his concern for a mutual friend; the three of us used to play guitars together. As we parted, he gave me a big hug, which melted my heart.

Early Sunday morning Pam and I walked down to the beach so we could say that we put our feet in the sand and salt water at least once. After checking out, we bade farewell to the beach and drove back to town for worship at Palo Alto Church of Christ. Bob and Ruth Sullivan were there to greet us, along with several other old friends. My dentist for over 20 years, Jerry Harrison, and his family were among the people I remembered. He and June had three kids who all agreed to a triple wedding in June 1988. Pam and I were among the guests at that amazing event. The youngest, Rex, married a young lady who was my student in 1982. Today, Cathy Rivard Harrison is a wonderful young lady and mom to three precious children. Rex was leading singing that morning and, unbeknownst to me, he told Cathy that I was there. Pam and I were on the back row; I had spotted Cathy up front but had no idea that she knew I was there. As we began the call to worship, she came back to hug me and greet me with “Mr. oole-Ta;” we used to speak pig-latin some in that small class. Emotionally, I lost it at that point; I think I cried through the remainder of the service. Even as I wrote this rough draft, tears streamed down my cheeks. That flashback opened the locked memory gate and suddenly my conscious mind was flooded with sub-conscious memories and emotions. We visited for a while after dismissal and, hopefully, can stay in touch after 30 years has passed by.

We had one last call to make, so late Sunday afternoon we drove to Janet’s house in Lynn Haven. I had not seen her in at least 20 years - way too long. She and her sister, Carol, grew up next door to me from 1965 -1980. Their mom, Ruth, passed away a year ago. Janet has a son named Logan, whom we met for the first time. Since we hadn’t eaten supper, we asked Janet where might be a nice quiet place we could go; she suggested a small Italian restaurant that was close by. While we were eating our pizza, a Florida Highway Patrolman sat down at a table across from us. After ordering his meal, officer Jackson looked over and said, “Hello, Mr. Toole.” I don’t recall his first name but he said I was his math teacher back in 1978. Obviously, his memory was much better than mine! Needless to say, I was once again flabbergasted and Pam told me that Janet was also quite amazed.

I realize this story is long and I’ve omitted several sidelights and details. But if you made it this far, I appreciate you giving me a hearing. For me, this trip was not just a reunion; it was a spiritual journey to connect my past to my present and future. It was revealed to me that I did make a difference in the lives of those hundreds of students that I taught over my 35 year career. No one can reach everyone, but now I know that I touched the lives of a few, and I’m sure many others, about whom I will never know in this life.

And so I write this not only to share my story but to encourage you to realize that you are making a difference for those in your sphere of influence, even if you never know the outcome. What a blessing it is when the hidden is briefly revealed, as the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain to give you a glimpse into the impact of your life. Perhaps it’s not the planned events, public appearances or overt actions that define your life, but just the everyday living to serve others. It’s been a wonderful life.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. Found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can't_Go_Home_Again on 23 October 2011

2011 SEP

2011-09-08T10:56:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 SEP 2011

Word for the Day
Remez – Rabbis sometimes use a dialogue technique now called remez. The speaker makes a point by referring to a verse near the beginning (or end) of a passage. As goyim (gentiles), we would never get the point because we don’t know the Tanakh (OT) like a rabbi would. The hearer would automatically connect that verse to the rest of the story and the message would be driven home – often with an “ouch! “[1]

Quote for the Day
For him, unity was preferable to truth. [2]

Thought for the Day
Zacchaeus was the focus of our recent Sunday class. Most of us have known this story since we were kids. We can still hear the song in our heads: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he…” But is it possible that our understanding and, therefore application, is still based on a child-like view of Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus?

His name in Hebrew is Zakkai, which means pure. We remember that Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a career choice hated even more in those days than now. Most of us were taught that Zacchaeus had coerced, maybe even extorted, extra money from his own people in order to enrich himself. He was despised as a Jew who worked for the Romans and, as such, was viewed as a traitor to his own people. The text does not guarantee that he had become wealthy at the expense of his fellow Jews, although this was common practice among his ilk. Notice that Zacchaeus says, “If I have defrauded anyone, I will repay fourfold.” [LUK 19.8]

Is there more to the story than illustrating that Jesus is a friend to the outcast or that restitution should be made when fraud is committed? Consider the final verses of Luke’s tale: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” [vvs.9-10]

It is very likely that the phrase “to seek and save the lost” comes from Ezekiel 34. [3] Beginning with verse eleven we read, “Thus says the ADONAI, behold, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land.” [EZE 34.11-13a]

The first part of that chapter outlines the abuses of Israel’s shepherds. “The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. …. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them… Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.”

Make no mistake - when the Jewish leaders heard the key verse [v.11], they got the point in the form of a stinging rebuke! First, Jesus pronounced Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham, thereby implying that he was ceremonially clean. [4] This would have been in direct contradiction to their view that he was unclean because he handled “dirty money,” i.e. Roman coins. [5] Second, Jesus declares that these shepherds will lose their flock because they have focused on their own desires and neglected the wounds of the people. They had refused to recognize Jesus as the chief shepherd of the next iteration of the kingdom of God on earth. Sometimes it is difficult for leaders to see the need for a change of direction.

I like the way Jeremiah described these same abuses of his day: “The wounds of my people are treated lightly, for they cry ‘peace, peace’, when there is no peace.” [JER 6.14] Haven’t we heard the same assurances that all is well; we are enjoying peace and unity? Look around, don’t you see that the wounds of our people are being ignored?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. Found at: www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=5557

2. Michael S. Moore, Faith Under Pressure, Leafwood Pub., Siloam Springs AR, 2003, p.131
In this true story, the elder board is deciding if they should help a family in need. One
man’s plea is “Can’t we all just get along?” as he wrestled with the divided decision.
For him, unity was preferable to truth.

3. Found at: www.grenoblechurch.org/wiki/uploads/common/Zaccheus_Encounters_Jesus.pdf
Also at: www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=5557

4. The woman with the issue of blood was healed and declared a “daughter” of Abraham. She had been unclean for twelve years. [MAR 5.34]

5. Wealthy Jews would employ others to handle their Roman coinage so they would not become ceremonially unclean. Those employees were in a continual state of uncleanness, meaning they could not enter the synagogue. Remember the phrase “filthy lucre” from the KJV?

2011 AUG Clothesline

2011-08-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 AUG 2011

Word for the Day
Liturgy - A prescribed form or set of forms for public religious worship. [1]

Quote for the Day
"You don't think your way into a new kind of living. You live your way into a new kind of thinking." — Henri J.M. Nouwen [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.henrinouwen.org/ Site for more information about Henri Nouwen

Thought for the Day
I just finished an encore reading of Can You Drink The Cup? by Henri Nouwen. He served as a Catholic priest for many years, teaching at Notre Dame, Harvard and Yale. During the last ten years of his life, Dr. Nouwen lived and worked among handicapped people at L’Arche Daybreak in Toronto. His willingness to step down from academia to work among the “least of these” always spoke to me about Nouwen’s life as a servant-leader. Like most of us, he had his own “demons” with which to contend, one of them being an ongoing battle with depression. He was born in Holland in 1932 and died, unexpectedly, from a heart attack in 1996.

Nouwen presents three stages to drinking the Eucharistic cup: holding, lifting and drinking. First, we must hold the cup, reflecting on what has been poured into our own cup. What joys and sorrows have come our way? What have we done with these events and emotions? How have they shaped our life? We must own them; we cannot ignore them or hope they will go away.

Just as the first drinks are lifted to toast a special occasion, we also must lift our cup for all to see its contents. We celebrate our life together – both the delightful and the painful moments. The toast often marks a new beginning; each Eucharist marks a new beginning for the Christian. We hold the cup in a moment of transparency so that all may see us for who we really are.

Finally, we drink the cup, not just a sip but all the way to the bottom. We accept our life even while offering it to God. We must gladly embrace the sweet aroma from the crushed grapes as well as the bitterness of the dregs. Sadly, our Eucharistic liturgy allows, even encourages, us to bypass all such reflections. Perhaps you could employ this practice within your small group.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/liturgy
2. http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/4837.Henri_J_M_Nouwen

2011 JULY Clothesline

2011-07-07T17:22:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 JUL 2011

Word for the Day

Narrative - A narrative is a form of storytelling. This technique includes all the conventions of storytelling: plot, character, setting, climax, and ending. It is usually filled with details that are carefully selected to explain, support, or embellish the story. All of the details relate to the main point the writer is attempting to make. [1]

Quote for the Day

The restoration of the church must surely depend on a new kind of monasticism, which has nothing in common with the old but a life of uncompromising discipleship, following Christ according to the Sermon on the Mount. I believe the time has come to gather people together to do this. Quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer [2]

Thought for the Day

Several weeks ago our Sunday house church was holding a midrash based on Mark 5 and Galatians 6. The two stories in Mark are the woman with the “issue” of blood and Jairus’ daughter. Like you, I’ve read this many times but the link between these two stories had never occurred to me until that day.

The first woman had suffered from chronic hemorrhaging for 12 years. We know neither her name nor her age. If this ailment began around age 13, she would have been about 25 (and maybe older). Perhaps she had been married but was now past her prime. Because she was in a continual state of uncleanness, she would have been excluded from participating in synagogue. If childless, that would have been another mark against her. As Jesus nears, she manages to touch part of Jesus’ clothing and the blood flow instantly ceases. Jesus blessed her return to society by addressing her as “daughter.” [MAR 5.34] Could she ever have forgotten the gift of restored life from this mysterious man?

Next, we meet “Talitha,” the 12 year-old daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. [3] Remember, Jesus was on the way to his house when he was sidetracked by the other woman. Jairus had described his daughter’s condition as near death. In a striking similarity to the story of Lazarus, Jesus is in no hurry to get there, perhaps delaying his arrival on purpose. Before Jesus gets there, word arrives that the little girl is deceased. He provokes laughter by saying that she is not dead but only sleeping. Jesus restores her blood flow thereby blessing her impending passage into womanhood. Jesus charges Jairus to tell no one. But how could he be silent?

Do you see the connection between the two stories in the narrative?

The nameless woman had a blood flow for 12 years, which was sapping her physical life as well as her spiritual life. Talitha’s normal first 12 years were unexpectedly ended when her blood flow ceased.

The woman was banned from the synagogue; Talitha’s daddy was the ruler of the synagogue.

The woman had probably missed her prime child-bearing years. Talitha was just entering puberty.

The woman was most impacted by her own healing. I’m going to submit that Talitha’s parents were the most awe-struck by her resuscitation.

So what is Mark’s point? We believe his gospel was intended for a Roman audience. It is the most compact and succinct of the gospel accounts. He emphasized Jesus’ authority and immediacy of his commands, something with which his audience would have identified. The word immediate occurs almost 40 times in this gospel (three times in ch.5). Mark’s Jesus often leaves the person alone with the warning to tell no one. But how could you not tell? The first hearers of Mark’s story must have thought the same thing. How could you not tell?

May God Bless

Mike Toole

Lori Moores, ed.

1. Defintion from http://essayinfo.com/essays/narrative_essay.php

2. Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Thomas Nelson Publ., 2010.

3. Talitha means “little girl,” not her actual name.

Thanks to Paige E. and Sharon G. for initiating these thoughts.

A special thanks to Lori for helping me to be clear, concise and correct over the past few years.

2011 MAY Clothesline

2011-05-17T14:27:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all on 17 May 2010

Word for the Day
Charis [Gk] - the root for charity, charismatic and grace.

Quote for the Day
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
John Newton

Website for the Day
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2010/07/29/audio-and-video-for-d-a-carsons-the-god-who-is-there/
This is the website to see the 14 lesson series by Don Carson based on his book, The God Who Is There.

Thought for the Day
I have a mental list of Bible stories that will never become VBS skits. For example, the stories of Lot and his guests, the man who chopped his dead concubine into a dozen pieces [JUD 19], and Jael, who drove the tent peg through the head of Sisera [JUD 4], quickly come to mind. Another one, and the subject of today, is the story of Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac as a human sacrifice. [GEN 22]

Let’s start at Genesis 15 to set the background for the story. We find Abram about to make a covenant with the living God. A covenant was an agreement, like a contract, between a “greater” and a “lesser” party. (I cringe whenever I hear the marriage vows referred to as a covenant.) Abram is instructed how to flay a heifer, a ram and a goat in such a way that their blood flows into a swell that bisects the symmetrically arranged carcasses. Notice that Abram does not question God about this nor act like it was the strangest ritual of which he’d ever heard. As a person of wealth, he had probably entered into covenants with others many times before using the same ritual, with one difference; this time Abram was the “lesser” party.

The covenant was sealed by the two parties walking the blood path. This was a way of saying, “May my blood be upon me if I fail to deliver on my promise.” Of course, in the real world of commerce, it was only the “lesser” party who needed to be concerned about that promise. Suddenly, Abram finds himself in that unenviable position; he is being asked to, “walk before me, and be blameless,” [GEN 17.1] Simple, huh?

At this point, he becomes terrified and God has mercy on him, putting him into a deep sleep. [GEN 15.12] What happens next is truly amazing. God knows that Abram cannot walk the path with him, so he walks the path with himself! That is conveyed by the imagery of the flaming torch and the smoking fire pot in verse 17 and is confirmed in GEN 22.16 where God says, “By myself I have sworn...” Ray Vander Laan says it was at this point that Yeshua knew what was in his future!

Do you get it? This is the ultimate story of grace! God knew that Abram couldn’t keep all the commandments nor be blameless. So, he put his own life on the line and promised to make the covenant good by his own blood and to redeem us, even though we can’t live up to the covenant. Now that’s good news - our salvation is not dependent on our own goodness!

Oh ... the offering of Isaac? Child sacrifice was also customary in those days. My opinion is that Abram may still be thinking that his God is just one of many gods and now he also wants a child sacrifice. This is God’s way of driving home the point to Abram that he is not like the other gods. He provides the sacrifice, even his own son. Remember, he walked the blood path with himself.

When we couldn’t keep our part of the agreement to be obedient, someone had to pay the price. And he was a willing sacrifice, bowing to the will of his father, just like Isaac submitted to Abraham.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

The illumination of this story came from Ray Vander Laan’s messages and from Don A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, Grand Rapids MI, Baker, 2010. Lesson 3 is called The God Who Writes His Own Contracts.

2011 April Clothesline

2011-03-22T10:54:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 APR 2011.

Word for the Day
Discernment - the process of making decisions based on experience, knowledge and wisdom within a normative framework such as the scriptures and common practice (catholicity).

Quote for the Day
A man can come up with some wonderful ideas when he has a business meeting with himself. (old saying from my youth in Florida)

Thought for the Day
Let’s consider the Jerusalem conference described by Luke in Acts 15. You are familiar with the story; Paul and Barnabas come to relate how they have witnessed Gentiles being blessed by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) just as were the Jews. Apparently, some Messianic Jews were teaching that Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes (or, at least, God-fearers [ACT 10.2, 16.14 et al]) before they could be extended full fellowship.

At this time, Jerusalem was still considered the mother-church and so it was that the meeting was held there. It is worth noting that the meeting seems to have been chaired by James, though, and not Peter. [see also ACT 12.17, 21.17-18] Perhaps several people addressed the issue at hand; we only have a snippet from Paul and Peter. After hearing the various presentations, James renders the verdict that we read in v.19-20, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” Everyone seems satisfied and unified, even Paul and Barnabas agree to carry the message back to Antioch. .

Some of you will remember the old comedy classic, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” with Zero Mostel (1966). An isolated reading of Acts 15 leaves the impression that one has just witnessed a watershed court case. Alas, things are not always so simple. A funny thing happened on the way back to the rest of the world.

Have you ever read Galatians 2.1-10? Yes, I know you’ve read it many times, but did it ever click that something wasn’t quite right? You know, the part where Paul says he went up to Jerusalem where “those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.” [2.6]

Apparently, Paul’s “take-away” from this meeting was not exactly what was intended. His words are that they were “to remember the poor.” [2.10] Some preachers will argue that Paul is referring to an earlier meeting, but that seems like a stretch to me, based on my study. Paul did meet with Peter and James about three years after his conversion. [GAL 1.18] The Jerusalem conference occurred between 48 - 50 C.E., more likely the earlier date. Galatians was written circa 50 C.E., which would place the meeting fresh on Paul’s mind.

I have one more piece of evidence to enter. In 1Corinthians 8, Paul addresses the issue of eating meat offered to idols. If the Jerusalem decision was a rule for all places (and time), then wouldn’t Paul have applied it to Corinth? Not only does he not mention it, but says it’s all right to eat the meat if you can do so in good conscience without offending your brother. Paul’s usual approach to discernment favors individual liberty and choices. Only in rare cases like 1 Corinthians 5.1-5 does he give an edict like, “Hand this man over to Satan...” [v.5] By the way, I Corinthians is usually dated at 54 C.E., several years after the Jerusalem conference.

So what is the point of all this? I suggest to you that Luke includes the Jerusalem council episode as a narrative story about the practice of discernment. Nowhere else in the NT do we find such a detailed account of decision making. Luke’s point was not the exact decision, but rather the process which we can still use today.

Despite any denial that we practice discernment today, our traditions belie that claim. In the early years of the Restoration Movement we decided that slavery was acceptable and that women and men should sit on separate sides of the auditorium. In more recent years, most of us recanted our traditional views regarding divorced people. Even now, many churches are discerning equality between men and women.

We have the Ruach HaKodesh (HS) within us, just as the first Christians, to empower and enable us to lead the church through changing times and cultures. The Jerusalem model is communal, so that differing views can be considered and allow arrival at a consensus. It is based on listening to how the Ruach HaKodesh is at work in the lives of people. It is grounded in the text and bounded by catholicity. Finally, it is not a one-size-fits-all rule forever. Each generation must reexamine anew the traditions handed down to them.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

Note: Although I avoided footnotes, credit goes to Luke Timothy Johnson’s book Scripture & Discernment: Decision Making In The Church. Abingdon Press, Nashville TN, 1983.

2010 DEC Clothesline

2010-11-22T15:01:00.003-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 DEC 2010.

Thought for the Day
A few months ago NBC ran special reports entitled Education Nation for a week. Watching some of the features took my mind back to my most memorable teacher. So, this month I’ll take a break from the usual fare and take you back to the days of my youth.

There are several teachers that I remember fondly over the long course of my formal education, but one stands out among the rest. It was August 1972 and I was beginning my sophomore year at Gulf Coast Junior College (now GCCC). As a math major, one of the required classes was Physics - two semesters at five hours each plus a lab meeting.

Our instructor was Robert Tinney. We had heard of his penchant for throwing erasers at inattentive students. Fortunately, I never witnessed that but did detect his anger with the occasional insolence of a student. Mr. Tinney gave detailed lessons and instructions. One still lingers with me; his lab rules contained the line, “No dangerous horseplay.” We took that to mean that “safe” horseplay was OK!

He was your stereotypical physics teacher with coke-bottle thick horn-rimmed glasses and crew-cut hair. He always wore black slacks with penny loafers (the tassel kind) and a white shirt with double pockets to hold all his tobacco products which included cigarillos, a pipe and tobacco pouch. Oh, I almost forgot; he always wore a bow-tie. Our favorite was the die-cut leather one!

At precisely 9:58 he emerged from his office, stopped at the outdoor water fountain and sauntered over to our primitive classroom to begin the lesson promptly at 10:00 AM. On Fridays we met from 10 until noon. If he was even a few minutes late, you knew he wouldn’t be there at all. He missed a couple of classes that Spring semester. We didn’t know it but his health was already beginning to fail.

Physics was one of my favorite classes, especially the labs. My lab partners were a friend I’d known since first grade, Wayland Whitten, and a guy maybe a dozen years our senior named Paul Bishop. We made a great team, plus Paul already knew how everything worked! I did well in the class: I think I made an A and a B for the two semesters. On two different occasions, Mr. Tinney mis-graded my tests to my advantage. Both times I went to his office and pointed out the errors. He wasn’t the kind of teacher to say, “Oh, don’t worry about that.” Instead, he perfunctorily down graded my test. By the way, his tests were difficult; the multiple choice question had a “guessing penalty,” minus one if left blank, minus two if incorrect! He would let us write anything we wanted on a 3x5 note card as a cheat-sheet for the tests. We actually had one student who tried to cram so much onto the card that he wrote with a fine-tip pencil while using a magnifying glass! Needless to say, he didn’t do that well on the tests.

So what’s the point of this story? When my two years were over at GCCC, I was headed for the University of West Florida to complete my B.A. in Math Education. Unbeknownst to me, my name was in the running for a scholarship to help pay for those next two years at UWF. I was awarded the scholarship and had all my tuition paid for my junior and senior years.

As Paul Harvey would say, now for the rest of the story. After finishing college, I became a math teacher at Bay High School in Panama City Florida where I worked for 13 years before moving to Texas. The husband of one of my colleagues was Mr. Traweek, who had also taught science at GCCC. One day during those early years, Mr. Traweek was at our cafeteria table joining his wife for lunch. I don’t remember how the subject came up but he asked if I knew why I received that scholarship. As usual, I was clueless. It was then that he informed me how Robert Tinney had fought for me to receive that award! Unfortunately, Mr. Tinney had passed away by this time, but I have to think that my honesty made an impression on him. I’ve always wondered if he made that second error on my test on purpose.

For all those reasons, Robert Tinney is my most memorable teacher. [1] Maybe you can tell someone about your favorite teacher. You never know which seeds will yield a harvest.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. The best we can determine, Mr. Tinney was born 1 APR 1932 and died 4 DEC 1979. We were never able to locate an obituary.

2010 OCT Clothesline

2010-10-06T16:52:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 OCT 2010.

WARNING: This issue is rated M - for mature audiences.

Word for the Day
Sex ... it’s not a four-letter word!

Quote for the Day
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love.
[PRO 5.18-19]

Website for the Day
www.intimateissues.com
This is the website for the authors of the book referenced in today’s article.

Thought for the Day
Several months ago, I had the idea of writing about two hot topics. The first was Hell, in the August issue, and the second was Sex, our subject of the day. You might think this a dangerous or even taboo topic, but I hope to offer some challenges based on what the Bible says about sex.

The first story that comes to mind is, of course, Adam and Eve. Do you think when they were introduced that Adam just said, “Hi, I’m Adam. Are you from these parts?” I’m guessing it was more of a Va-Va-Voom!!! moment. Remember, they were the original naturists!

The next story to recall is Abraham and Sarah after the visit from the angels with the announcement that they would have a son. I know people lived longer back then, but even they recognized themselves as old. [GEN 18.12] Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Now, I’m no master of the obvious, but have you ever stopped to consider that we usually speak of Isaac’s birth as if it were a virgin birth?

What did married couples do for entertainment in all those early years before TV? Why did the wealthy people, be they nomads or kings, have multiple wives? You only get one guess for the answer. What was the charge given to Adam and Eve? Be fruitful and multiply. [GEN 1.28]

I find it interesting that there is no Bible book dedicated to “How to be Perfect Parents” unless you count all the examples of poor parenting and dysfunctional families. But there is a book on “How to have a Great Sex Life.” You already know it’s the Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs in the Tanakh (Hebrew OT). [1]

I realize I’m at a disadvantage as a guy reviewing a book written by women for women, but no one else is going to do it. Back in 1999, Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus wrote a book called Intimate Issues. Perhaps I’m the only guy who read it, but I was awestruck by how well these two women understood men. Finally, here were two wives who were not trying to feminize their husbands. Each chapter addresses one of 21 questions ranging from Simmering to Smoldering to Sizzling Hot. [2]

Their study found these six declarations from God: [3]

1. I gave the gift of sex that you might create life. [GEN 1.28]
2. I gave the gift of sex for intimate oneness. [GEN 2.24]
3. I gave the gift of sex for knowledge. [GEN 4.1]
4. I gave the gift of sex for pleasure. [PRO 5.15-19]
5. I gave the gift of sex as a defense against temptation. [1COR 7.2,5]
6. I gave the gift of sex for comfort. [2SAM 12.24]

Dillow and Pintus used the Song of Solomon as a framework for their thoughts. We all know the Song is in the Bible and maybe even read it as part of a Daily Bible Reading plan. But have you ever really read it, especially with the help of a modern translation and recent scholarship? And if you’ve ever heard a sermon based on the Song of Songs, it was probably allegorized into a message about Jesus loving the church.

I guess that’s a safe approach to a book that is “too hot to handle!” Instead, it is an erotic poem expressing the love between the Shulammite woman and Solomon. Rather than describe love-making in slang or risque’ words or clinical terms, the writer chose to use the literary vehicle of poetry. So we find images from nature like “garden” or “lilies” [SOS 4.12-16; 2.16] and “flock” or “fruit,” [ 2.16 & 6.2-3; 2.3] referring to the woman and man, respectively, to paint a picture of the two lovers as one. Please don’t be offended by this; read the Song for yourself with this fresh perspective. You’ll realize the imagery, at least most of it. Propriety forces me to speak in generalities; if your curiosity is piqued, read the book.

The authors address such issues as sexual abuse, our hectic schedules, and (the obvious) differences between women and men. Another insightful discussion was about how women receive so many negative messages about sex from the media. And, sad to say, often from preachers and even parents. The world has warped our view of sex by lifting it from the context of marriage and plastering it everywhere else. The authors' goal was to show women that it’s possible to be both Godly and sensuous, to be alluring and creative, just as we read in the Song of Songs.

The book closes with these words. “Dear Lord, I know our sexual relationship has been boring and I’ve done little to add creativity. Forgive me and give me the courage to step out and be creative. Show me specifically what I can do to add spice to our love life. I desire to be like the wife in the Song of Solomon. I can’t do it alone, I desperately need Your help.” [4]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Rick Warren, The Secret to Soulful Sex, Ladies Home Journal, March 2006, p.32

2. Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus, Intimate Issues, Watermark Press, Colorado Springs CO, 1999, p.1
Here is a chapter title from each section: How Can I Be Godly and Sensuous? How Can I Get over the Guilt of Past Sexual Sin? and How Can I Recapture the Passion?

3. ibid. p.8

4. ibid. p.185

2010 AUG Clothesline

2010-08-12T18:10:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 AUG 2010

Word for the Day
Purgatory - A place of spiritual suffering and discipline for those who are not wicked enough to be consigned to hell but aren’t quite ready for heaven. [1]

Quote for the Day
Hell was not made for men. It is in no sense parallel to heaven: It is “the darkness outside,” the outer rim where being fades away into nonentity.
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Website for the Day
http://www.edwardfudge.com/hellquiz1.html
Try this short quiz on your knowledge of Gehenna.

Thought for the Day
In the last issue, we touched on our desire for immortality. Today, let’s take a closer look at what scripture reveals. I will be plowing some new ground, so hang on.

Several years ago I read After Life by F. LaGard Smith. Based on extensive research, he made the case that eternal punishment is actually not eternal, as in on-going. There were other afterlife issues discussed, like purgatory, but I will focus on what is referred to as an annihilationist viewpoint. More recently, I’ve read from Edward Fudge and others and have concluded that we have been wrong on much of our teaching about what happens after death. [2] For instance, when the preacher says at the funeral that the departed one is “looking down from heaven on us,” that may be comforting but is incorrect. See 1Thessalonian 4.13-18 where Paul talks about those who are asleep prior to the resurrection.

Remember in the last issue that people would ask Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It occurred to me that no one asked, “How do I avoid eternal punishment?” That idea actually surfaced several centuries later. [3] The notion of an eternal soul may be the beginning of our misunderstanding. In 1Timothy 6.16 Paul writes that, “[God] alone has immortality ...” Probably the most informative text is 1Corinthians 15. Paul says, “But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual.” [v.46] He continues, “For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality.” [v.53] I’ll grant that it’s hard to know if Paul was saying the same thing twice or if he used perishable to refer to the physical and mortal to refer to the soul.

Another insightful passage is Matthew 10.28 where Jesus says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (hell).” And when does that final punishment come? “And the dead were judged by what was written in the books ... and all were judged by what they had done ... This is the second death, the lake of fire; and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” [REV 20.12-15] This is not an argument against punishment but only against the doctrine of never-ending punishment. How long will the punishment last? No one knows, but we do know that each will be judged by what they have done. There is a second death or annihilation of the soul.

The first objection will be, “What about all those verses that refer to eternal punishment?” Brevity prevents me from much explaining except to say that the effect of the judgment is eternal, not the punishment itself. Are there some difficult verses or problems with this view? Yes, but I contend that they are fewer than with the traditional view. If you would like to delve more deeply into this topic, I highly recommend the sources listed in the footnotes.

This view also alleviates the nagging question from skeptics - how can a loving God be so cruel as to condone eternal suffering? Now, let me be clear; I see this as a serendipitous by-product, not the goal of this study. We may disagree, and that’s alright, but I believe this alternative view of hell is based on able and honest scholarship.

One final thought. I’d like for you to consider that despite our traditional teaching and probable protestations to a new interpretation, we really don’t believe the traditional view anyway. Why? If we really believed that most of the world was headed to everlasting suffering, we would quit our jobs, sell our possessions, take a vow of poverty and focus solely on evangelizing the lost. Either that or we believe that only the really bad people are destined for hell. But when was the last time you heard that message from the pulpit?

And so, the question remains, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” for without Jesus there is no immortality. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [ROM 6.23]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. F. LaGard Smith, After Life - A Glimpse of Eternity Beyond Death’s Door, Cotswold Publ. Nashville TN, 2003, p.218

2. Edward Fudge, Two Views of Hell, found on www.edwardfudge.com

3. found on www.deathreference.com/Gi-Ho/Hell.html

JUNE 2010

2010-06-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 7 June 2010

Word for the Day
Parsimonious – frugal to the point of stinginess.

Quote for the Day
The spiritual reformer is persecuted while living and venerated after his death. That speaks of the hazards of leadership. [1]

Song for the Day
I Want to Leave a Legacy by Nichole Nordeman
http://s0.ilike.com/play#Nichole+Nordeman:Legacy:242478:m9306877

Thought for the Day
What must I do to inherit eternal life? This is a recurring question during Jesus’ ministry. I submit for your consideration that this was the core appeal and promise of the gospel. Wouldn’t you agree that one of our most innate desires is to achieve immortality?

How do we try to live forever? For most of us, we believe that we will live on through the lives of our children and grandchildren. There is some truth to that, but even that memory is gone after a few generations. Some people leave business and civic legacies to perpetuate their life’s accomplishments. We have all been in buildings that bear the name of someone who passed on many years ago. Another attempt to gain immortality is seen in our quest to fight the aging process through creams, diets and surgeries. Even King David longed for eternal life when he concluded mourning for his son by saying that, “He cannot come to me, but I shall go to him.” [2SAM 12.21-23]

What must I do to inherit eternal life? Well, it depends. To one young man he said, “Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor.” But he couldn’t pay the price. To some he said, “Come and follow me,” but to others he said, “Go back home.”

What would be his response to you and me? Is there something I need to give up? Maybe it’s something I need to take up? Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” But like the rich young man, am I willing to pay the price?

Dave Ramsey has a great line, “If you’ll live like no one else, then, later, you can live like no one else.” Of course Dave is talking about financial freedom. If you can scrimp and save now and get out of debt, then you will later be able to accumulate wealth and live like no one else. It occurred to me that there is a great spiritual application to that credo. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus was telling the young talmid? If you want to enjoy that elusive eternal life, then you must be willing to give up some of the luxuries of this life.

In typical Jesus fashion, he is most severe toward the wealthy and most compassionate toward the poor. “Come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and come learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [MAT 11.28-30]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

Cecil Hook, found on http://graceawakening.faithsite.com/printcontent.asp?CID=46440&SID=263

2010 March Clothesline

2010-03-12T12:04:00.001-06:00

Greetings to all on 12 MAR 2010

Word for the Day
Mamzer – a Jewish bastard, for example, one parent not a Jew.

Quote for the Day
Our ecclesiology should be shaped by our mission, not vice-versa.
Leonard Sweet Note: Ecclesiology is the way we do church

Extra Quote for the Day
Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.
Henry David Thoreau

Thought for the Day
A few weeks ago, our house church was asked to read through Acts. Something that caught my attention was Luke’s portrayal of Paul. When I was just a kid in my tribe, most men said they identified more with Peter; I think they secretly wished they were more like Paul. Perhaps we were more like Paul than we thought; it’s just that he was not as perfect as we had imagined.

What was Luke’s connection with Saul? We know that Luke was a physician. [COL 4.14] Several versions state that he was “my (Paul’s) beloved physician,” which has led some scholars to conclude that Luke traveled with Paul as his personal doctor. We know that Paul had some kind of chronic ailment. Luke may have even received medical training in Tarsus; it was known for having the finest medical school of that time. An extension of this theory is that he and Paul may have known each other from their school days. [1] Of course, this is pure speculation. We do know from the “we” passages in Acts that Luke was a frequent companion of Paul.

Let’s begin with Saul on the road to Damascus. His question, “Who are you, Lord?” has always intrigued me. Allow me to suggest that Saul had already been having an internal debate about the validity of the Messiah. Perhaps the blinding light was just the final nudge that he needed to cement his decision. We cannot begin to imagine what a life-changing event was Saul’s conversion. He would have been shunned by all his former friends. He would have been shut out of his hometown synagogue. His family would have disowned him. And possibly the worst of all, he turned against his rabbi Gamaliel. [ACT 22.3] [2] For most of us, our “conversion” didn’t mean much more than attending the church across town instead of across the street.

Let’s jump ahead to the Jerusalem conference. What’s interesting about this encounter with the other apostles is not found in Acts but in Galatians, where Paul recounts this meeting. In chapter two, he seems to downplay the other apostles by saying that “those reputed to be pillars added nothing to my message; whatever they were makes no difference to me.” Especially notice Paul’s take-away from the Jerusalem conference, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor…” [GAL 2.10] This is completely different from the decision handed down by James regarding abstinence from immorality, strangled meat, blood and food offered to idols. Notice that three of the four were to cater to the Jewish Christians. The prohibition against immorality appears to have just been added for good measure; it seems out of place.

Next, we find Saul having Timothy circumcised because they would be associating with Jewish people. You see, Timothy was a mamzer, so it was necessary to circumcise him in order to be accepted into the synagogues. [ACT 16.1] Interestingly, Paul was equally adamant about not circumcising Titus in order to placate the Jews. [GAL 2.1-5] Perhaps both of his parents were goyim (Gentile); we are not told. It seems that Paul was very pragmatic in adapting to circumstances. Perhaps he would have agreed with Leonard Sweet’s quote. In fact, Paul describes himself in chameleon-like terms, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” [1COR 9.22b]

Here are a few other traits that I noticed about Paul: Paul had the heart of a warrior. [ACT 17.2] [3] Paul was stubborn. [ACT 16.37] He became annoyed at bad behavior. [ACT 16.18] He went from place to place, apparently only staying long enough to establish the church, and then he was off to his next mission. I think most of us guys can identify with someone like Paul. We like to swoop in and build or repair something and then head on to the next task. Paul often left others behind to take care of the details.

I believe he had a clearly defined goal – to go to Rome and preach to Caesar himself! He made it to Rome; we don’t know if he ever met Caesar. [ACT 19.21, 25.12] I’m afraid that at this point Paul isn’t like most of us. He was a man on a mission and would let nothing deter him from that. Not even pain and suffering or the threat of death. Too many men are just operating out of the survival mode. Our biggest goal is next weekend or perhaps landing that perfect job, although making no plans to obtain it. Maybe it’s just surviving until retirement; that would describe me.

Don’t you think that the reason men love action films is because we see our dream life vicariously played out in those roles? Granted, few of us are true warriors but most of us long for a “large” life and yet settle for small lives instead. Maybe Thoreau had us pegged correctly.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Found at http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx431.htm

2. Found at http://biblescholarforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=48 According to Photius, Gamaliel became a talmid (disciple) and was baptized by John and Peter along with his son and Nicodemus.

3. This comes from the fact that Paul did not give up; he kept arguing (fighting) with anyone who would listen.

FEB 2010 Clothesline

2010-02-07T08:41:00.001-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 FEB 2010

Word for the Day Mishnah - from shanah, meaning instruction. Usually refers to the collection of Jewish oral doctrine from about 70 - 200 CE.

Quote for the Day
Turn it and turn it again, for everything is contained therein. [1] This phrase is used by the rabbis to describe the examination of a passage from many angles.

Website for the Day www.jews4jesus.net
Check it out for information about Messianic Jews.

Thought for the Day
A common Jewish method of teaching is called Midrash, which means “to search out.” This style was developed before Jesus but remained popular after the destruction of the temple in 70 C.E. In her book, The Burning Word, Judith Kunst writes, “The Holy Scriptures abound with gaps, abrupt shifts, and odd syntax that puzzles, even confounds, any reader of scripture. Jewish Midrash views these troubling irregularities not as accidents or errors or cultural disparities to be passed over, but rather as deliberate invitations to grapple with God’s revealed word – and by extension, to grapple with God himself.” [2]

Midrash involves four steps: Select a text. Identify a question or dilemma to resolve. Use your imagination to come up with a solution or new meaning of the text. Finally, defend your thought against someone to challenge your conclusions. [3] This may lead to an entirely new idea or interpretation. So, midrash is really a communal activity.

Since I can’t meet with you face-to-face, I’ll try to convey the concept with an illustration. One variety of midrash is to examine two seemingly unrelated texts and bring forth new meaning from the two. Another twist on that is to consider two passages that seem to contradict each other. This is the direction I’ll take.

I’m sure you are familiar with "The Lord’s Prayer” found in Matthew 6.13. Most of us memorized the last part as “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” However, a better rendering is “lead us not into times of testing but deliver us from the evil one.” The former was never a good translation because we know from James 1.13 that “God tempts no man.” Would you agree that the model prayer asks the Father to not lead us into times of testing?

By now you may recall another verse that says, “We should count it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” [JAM 1.2] Now it just so happens that the Greek word for trial is the same in both verses. Hmm … how can that be? Should we urge the Father to not lead us into trials or should we count it all joy? Or is it both?

Would you agree that the testing of your faith produces patience, as well as other virtues? If we only read James, it seems clear that trials are at least good for us, if not enjoyable at the moment. I suspect all of us would agree with this based upon our personal experiences.

Why would Jesus provide us a model prayer that asks the Father to not lead us into times of testing? The superficial response is that we should ask not to be tested because it might be painful. Could it mean to not test us too much, that is, more than we can handle?

Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I have no final answer for this midrash. I would encourage you to try this in your own study group or house church. The Jewish view is that it’s all right to argue, even question God’s message. It is incumbent upon us to wrestle with the scriptures, just as Jacob wrestled with the angel of the LORD, to find their message for us today.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Judith Kunst, The Burning Word: A Christian Encounter with Jewish Midrash, Paraclete Press, Brewster MA, 2006

2. ibid, p.3

3. ibid, p.8

2009 JUL Clothesline

2009-12-18T11:06:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 1 JUL 2009

Word for the Day
irenic - favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation

Quote for the Day
If the church isn’t prepared to subvert the kingdoms of the world with the kingdom of God, the only honest thing would be to give up praying this prayer altogether, especially its final doxology. [1]This was said in reference to the last part of the Lord’s Prayer.

Website for the Day
http://oneinjesus.infoI just found this website; check it out if your heritage is the Church of Christ.

Thought for the Day
The past couple of issues have focused on the teachings from N. T. Wright’s book, Surprised by Hope. Todays’ thoughts will conclude that series by considering “what manner of person we should be” regarding our stewardship of this present world.
What does it matter if this expired and exhausted earth will just be torched on that last day? If that is true, then I guess it really doesn’t make much difference if we trash the planet in our quest for more stuff. Now, someone might counter by saying that God can make all things new, regardless of how badly we mess it up. While that’s certainly true, it doesn’t prove us to be good stewards over little so that we may become stewards over much. [LUK 19.11-27]

To what degree do concerns like air and water pollution enter this discussion? Each person must decide for one’s self. For me, I try to conserve and recycle whenever possible (and practical) but am by no means a fanatic in this area. So many sources of pollution are completely beyond our control unless one feels led to be an activist for some environmental cause.

Every time I look at all the plastic and cardboard that is used for packaging, I am saddened by knowing how much waste will end up in the landfill. Unfortunately, in today’s world, much of that plastic is used for security purposes. Have you had the experience of needing the heavy-duty shears and pliers to extricate that Christmas gift from the box while the child waits impatiently for you to rescue the doll from its “chains?”

Did you know that back in the “old days” you could walk into a hardware store and select the bolts and nuts you needed from open barrels? Then you would put them in a paper bag and bring them to the salesman who would place the bag on a scale and you would pay by the pound. Nowadays, you must pick up multiple plastic bags because thieves would steal you blind if items were left out in open barrels! And so more plastic goes into the landfills.

Is there a precedent for this kind of stewardship in the Tanakh (OT)? This may seem like a stretch, but I’m reminded of the introduction of manna. The people were told to gather only what they could use for the day. Do you remember what happened to the excess? It spoiled. Beyond the obvious physical needs, I believe that God was teaching the people to depend upon him each day, rather than storing up treasures for themselves.

Isn’t that still a valid message for us today? Maybe we can all be environmentalists by only consuming what we need to sustain life. Let us resist the temptation to bow down at the altar of consumerism.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, Ed.

P.S. If preachers (or writers) only addressed issues they had personally mastered, there would be no sermons!

1. N.T. Wright, The Lord and His Prayer, quoted in Christianity Today, June 2009, p.52

2009 AUG Clothesline

2009-12-18T11:04:00.001-06:00

Greetings to all on 15 AUG 2009

Word for the Day
Goyim - the Jewish term for Gentiles

Quote for the Day
God can’t clean the house of you when you’re still in it. Anne Lamott, Grace (Eventually) [1]

Website for the Day
None this time.

Thought for the DayThis month I would like to draw a message from the seven women at the resurrection. I’m no numerologist, but the Jews did attach importance to certain numbers, such as seven and twelve.

In a previous article, we presented the significance of the leftovers in the two accounts of feeding the multitudes. As a quick review, the 5000 were Jewish people and twelve baskets (tribes) of leftovers were collected. The feeding of the 4000 occurred in the land of the seven nations (Gentiles) which can also be found in Acts 13.19 and Deuteronomy 7.1-2. Notice that seven baskets were collected in this story, which matches with the “seven nations.” The seven represents the Goyim. I believe that these two stories support the teaching that the gospel is for “you and to your children and to all that are far off,” that is, both Jew and Gentile. [ACT 2.39]

Now let’s consider the women at the resurrection. Sifting through the accounts of the resurrection gives a “variety pack” of names near the end of each gospel. I’ll admit that this is not an exact science due to there being three different Marys and at least one of the women is not named at the resurrection but was almost certainly among them. I put forth for your consideration that just as the twelve baskets represented the Jews and the seven represented the Goyim, that the twelve apostles represented the males and the seven women represented females as equals in the new kingdom.

Let’s take a look at the various accounts:

Matthew lists Mary Magdalene (1) and the “other” Mary (2). [MAT 28.1]I contend that the other Mary is the mother of Jesus and also the mother of James and Joseph. [MAT 27.61]

Mark lists Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome (3). [MAR 16.1] I believe that this Mary is the same as Matthew’s “other Mary.”

Luke lists Mary Magdalene, Joanna (4), and Mary the mother of James. [LUK 24.10] Once again, the same Mary.

John lists Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary’s sister (5), Mary the wife of Clopas (6) and Mary Magdalene. [JOH 19.25] This reference is at the crucifixion; John only mentions Mary Magdalene at the resurrection. [JOH 20.1]

Finally, I would include Susanna (7) as one of the other women referenced in Luke 24.10. You can find Susanna and Joanna mentioned in Luke 8.2. Notice the irony that Johanna’s money would have come from her husband who was Herod’s CFO. If you are bothered by the fuzzy math of this endeavor, let me encourage you to read with Eastern eyes, with a little sense of mysticism, rather than with our Western analytical schemata.

Notice that the women are the first at the tomb. The women are present at the crucifixion. The women are the only named financial supporters of Jesus. [LUK 8.1-3] See also Mark 15.41 for corroboration of this position. This also fits with Ray Vander Laan’s assertion that the disciples were teenagers. That is, they had no source of income either.

I believe the inclusion of women in these stories is one of the signposts pointing us toward the full inclusion of women as equal partners with men in this new kingdom. Jesus has cancelled the debt of sin. Both the curse of Adam and of Eve have been removed. Do I believe that men should be the spiritual leaders in the home? I most certainly do and research confirms that when the man abdicates this to the wife, the children will suffer spiritually.

Here’s the irony in the execution of our (male) thinking. We have insisted on male leadership in all the corporate church while at the same time abdicating the spiritual leadership of the home to our wives. Look at your friends and fellow church members; look at yourself. Have we not all been guilty of this? As is often the case, we’ve got it all backwards, or as my Dad used to say “bass-ackward.” May God grant us the time to lift up the next generation and let them stand upon our shoulders as they journey closer to the goal of equality for Jew and Goyim, for slave and free, for male and female. [GAL 3.28]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Christianity Today, August 2009, p.51

2009 NOV Clothesline

2009-12-18T11:02:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 27 OCT 2009

Word for the Day Presbytery – generally, a governing body of ordained leaders, sometimes referred to as elders.

Quote for the Day
Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream. [1]

Website for the Day
www.olivetree.com
Since more and more of us are using PDA’s, this is a great source for Bible software. They have a wide variety of products for most every phone.

Thought for the Day
Several comments and questions about leadership have been raised over the past few weeks. A couple of reasons come to mind. People are looking for authentic leadership and/or people are questioning modern leadership models. Maybe those two reasons are really one and the same.

It is my observation that our model for the last half of the 20th century was biased toward the administrative gift, or qualification. Because America emerged from World War II as the world leader in so many areas, it was only natural that the church concept of leadership would be clouded by the national model for success. This is not meant to impugn those who selflessly served as elders for all those years gone by. We, as lay members, all too gladly gave over responsibilities to these men so that we wouldn’t have to be bothered with business meetings. My Dad served as one of these elders for the last few years of his life. I know that he was happy to help people with life’s problems, but would rather have taken a beating than discuss the new carpet color.

It seems to me that the first century shepherds were those honored as leaders because of their age and wisdom. They were local but may have served several house churches in a city. Those of you from my tribe will easily recall that every time we are ready to select elders, the preacher gives a lesson or two from 1Timothy 3. However, have you ever heard Acts 20.13-38 exegeted as a model for shepherds? Listen to a few lines from Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders:

“served with great humility and tears” [v.19]

“preaching and teaching” [v.25-27]

“help the weak” [v.35]

Paul concluded by saying that, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of Jesus himself, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.” [2] Paul is saying that he served as an example of a shepherd for them.

In his book, They Smell Like Sheep, Lynn Anderson makes the case that what we have labeled qualifications would be better thought of as qualities. [3] While that may sound like quibbling over semantics, I believe his point is that just checking off a qualification list does not automatically equate with being a good shepherd. Instead, shepherds should be recognized – not elected. Jesus said, I am the good shepherd and my sheep know my voice and follow me. [JOH 10.1-5] Look around; who has a voice that people follow? Is that person a disciple of Jesus and someone who has the qualities found in 1Timothy 3 and Acts 20?

John goes on to say that the sheep will not recognize the voice of a stranger. In fact, they will run away. [JOH 10.5] Ezekiel 34 tells of false shepherds who “have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the crippled, brought back the strays or sought the lost. With force and harshness you have ruled over them.” [34.4] The LORD declared that He was against the shepherds and that He would gather his sheep and feed them in good pasture. The LORD said, “I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. [34.23]

It is not an office but a calling of servant-leadership. The word “office” of 1TIM 3.1 is not in the original Greek but was added to imply an official position in line with the church hierarchy of the King James translators. Three Greek words are found in the NT discussions of elders or shepherds. The word presbuteros refers to the character of the man, an older, experienced and respected person. The other two original words poimen (shepherd) and episkopos (overseer) refer to what the person does. My tribe has lumped all of these into one role. The validity of that practice is beyond the scope of this article.

Next time you are asked to consider someone for this leadership role, ask yourself, “Who is already serving in this way?” It seems odd to me that we sometimes choose people, albeit good people, who lead quiet and private lives, but not well known by the flock, and then expect these people to be our shepherds. How often have we been guilty of forcing a square peg into a round hole?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Malcolm Muggeridge, born in 1903, he was one of the notable Christian apologists of the twentieth century.

2. Trivia: Paul only quotes Jesus twice; this is one. Do you know the other quote?

3. Lynn Anderson, They Smell Like Sheep, Howard Publ. Co., West Monroe LA, 1997
This is still the watershed work on shepherds. It is an easy to read book, written for the laity. Volume two is now available.

2009-12-12T16:21:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 DEC 2009

Word for the Day
Insula – isle, lit. (Latin), also used to refer to adjoining apartment-like housing in the first century.

Quote for the Day
The gospel isn’t “Follow Jesus’ example” or “How to raise good children.” The gospel is: Jesus Christ came to save sinners – even bad parents, even lousy parents, even lousy followers of Jesus.
Michael Horton [1]

Website for the Day
www.youtube.com Go there and search for Bubble Creek Canyon; it is a great satire on post-modern American Christianity. You can also find it on Mike Cope’s: http://preachermike.com Scroll down the right side to find Archive, then select NOV 2009, look back to the left and you will see the choice for the Bubble Creek Canyon video.

Thought for the Day
Have you noticed the proliferation of Christian businesses? My guess is that the three largest marketing avenues are Christian education, publishing and radio. Christian conferences probably rank near the top as well. And then there’s Christian car repair, plumbing, remodeling, counseling, dating services … and the list goes on. By the way, if you skipped the Bubble Creek Canyon video, go back and watch it before continuing.

Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy listening to contemporary Christian music on the radio. You know I order plenty of books from Christian publishers. I prefer doing business with Christians. And, yes, Pam and I met through a Christian pen-pal exchange. If we had met 20 years later, I suppose we would have used an online dating service like Christian Singles.

During the NT times, families were close knit and tended to live beside each other in what we would call a compound. Between the engagement and the wedding day, the groom would be busy constructing an addition to the insula for his new bride. [2] When Jesus said “I go to prepare a place for you…” he used that same imagery. [JOH 14] When Christians moved out from Jerusalem and were dispersed to places like Asia Minor, they lived in proximity to one another for safety and support. [3] So, I don’t think there is anything wrong with preferring one another. [ROM 12.10]

But lately, our practice of this has begun to bother me. I’m wondering if we have run to the extreme degree on this. Is it possible to become so clannish as to no longer be “in the world?” [1COR 5.10] It seems that for many Christians, our goal is to be neither of the world nor in the world. Our motives may be noble, often to shield our children from the evils of the world. Have we been overzealous, even misguided, toward that goal? Fortunately, our children seem to be much more comfortable than us in engaging the world and taking the good news with them wherever they go.

My observation is that the corporate church gladly bought into the concept of insular thinking. Through the implementation of on-site education, child-care, entertainment, etc. we encouraged parents to keep their children in a protective bubble. As parents, we all want to protect our children, but I’m beginning to realize that it’s also possible to be overly protective. In the education business, we refer to those folks as “helicopter” parents.

I recently read an article in Christianity Today about Derek Webb and his family, who left their safe suburban neighborhood and moved into inner-city Nashville. Their purpose is to bring good news to those people; they are taking a risk for Jesus. [4] Sisters and brothers, how many of us are willing to do something like that? The safety and security of the insulated church is powerful, even addictive. Our invitation to “come visit us” no longer works – if it ever did. Jesus said “Go into all the world … and I will be with you.” Jesus was always leading the way, telling the disciples to “come, follow me.”

I wonder where he is leading us in today’s post-modern world. Where is he leading you and me?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Christ At The Center, Christianity Today, NOV 2009, p.46
2. Ray Vander Laan, www.followtherabbi.com
3. Ibid.
4. A Different Kind Of Neighbor, Christianity Today, NOV 2009, p.37
Derek Webb was formerly with the group Caedmon’s Call.

2009 February Clothesline

2009-02-10T20:42:00.002-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 FEB 2009

Word for the Day
Eschatology - literally, the study of last things.

Quote for the Day
The people don’t need words, their ears are worn down already by words; they need a listening ear.
From Edward Fudge quoting the message he received from a modern-day prophet.

Website for the Day
http://www.christianchronicle.org/ and check out the article on church growth in the Photo Gallery.

Thought for the Day
I’ve just finished reading Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright. In this book, Wright explores an alternative view of a “new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” [2PET 3.13] Most of us were raised to believe that this earth will be destroyed by fire and that our final salvation will result in our eternal living in an angel-like existence, where we will sit on the clouds and sing non-stop praises. Now, I don’t know about you, but that never really held much appeal for me - other than it’s superiority over the alternative! Maybe that’s one reason men have not been attracted to the American church; the reward offered only eons of sitting around with nothing constructive to do!

What if there was another eschatological viewpoint? What if instead of focusing on the prediction that this old orb will be destroyed by fire, we considered many other scriptures that indicate a new heaven and a new earth? That is what we will explore over the next few issues. I believe the implications of this view will change the way you live each day.

One passage that has always left me puzzled is Romans 8.18-25. How does the “creation wait with eager longing ... [to] be set free from its bondage to decay ...” [v.19-21] Be careful before you quickly dismiss this by saying that we humans are the creation. Paul continues with “and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” [v.23] Is it possible that the “whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now.”? [v.22] I would add that the creation, like us, continues to “groan inwardly as we wait for the adoption as sons.” The difference is that now we look forward with hope, not just blind hope, but one ensured by Jesus as the “first-born among many brethren,” [8.29] the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” [HEB 12.2]

The teaching of a new heaven and a new earth is not at all new. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.” [ISA 65.17] I would submit that John actually reinterpreted the phrase from Isaiah when he wrote Revelation 21.1, “for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away ...” I had never noticed that the first heaven would also pass away! The “holy city, new Jerusalem [was] coming down out of heaven ... and the dwelling of God is with men.” [REV 21.2-3] This is one of several verses that speaks of Jesus returning to earth.

Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you, and ... I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” [JOH 14.3] I believe this is the same John who later wrote that he saw a new heaven and a new earth coming down out of heaven. [REV 21] A contradiction? No, just additional insight. The one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” [REV 21.5] What if we will be the caretakers of this new world?
Next time, we’ll look at what Paul says about our new bodies.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

2008 November

2008-11-21T21:19:00.001-06:00

Greetings to all on 22 NOV 2008

Word for the Day
Funk - A depressed state of mind.

Quote for the Day
Gain all you can ... Save all you can ... Then give all you can.John Wesley, “The Use of Money” [sermon, 1744] Later adopted by Dave Ramsey [1]

Website for the Day
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/4673.htm This is an interesting, and brief, article about Henri Nouwen. If you don’t know who he is, then you should.

Thought for the Day
The temple in first-century Jerusalem is often referred to as Herod’s temple. Herod the Great was responsible for many building projects including the rebuilding of the temple. Today, I’d like to point out one interesting feature of the Jerusalem temple. Did you know that the Court of the Gentiles was about twice as large as the inner court?

It seems that the Jews were looking forward to the day when people from all nations would be welcomed into God’s plan. We don’t normally think of Judaism as being evangelical, but, somehow, people were attracted to the tenants and lifestyle of the Jewish people. Cornelius is identified as a “God fearer” in Acts 10.2, 22. The phrase occurs several times in Acts, especially in chapter 13. It is my opinion that Lydia (ch. 16) and the Ethiopian Eunuch (ch. 8) were also God-fearers. Think about it; a eunuch could never have been a true proselyte and, therefore, it follows that he could never have entered into the temple proper. It appears that these people were friends of the Jews and adherents to Judaism at a level below being full proselytes. So, they would have been relegated to the Court of the Gentiles.

In Isaiah 56 we read, “Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely separate me from his people,’ and do not let the eunuch say, ‘I am just a dry tree.’ For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant ... And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord ... all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it ... these I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer ...Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.” [v.1 - 8]

Now I think I know why Luke included the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in the Acts of the apostles. It is an important piece of Luke’s message to ensure Theophilus that the gospel is for the non-Jew as well as the Jew. And you might remember that the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53; perhaps Philip led him through chapter 56 also. Luke again relies upon Isaiah (49.6), “I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.” [ACT 13.47]

Ray Vander Laan asks, “What if we made a part of our buildings just for the unchurched - and made it twice as large as our own sanctuary?” You already know I’m not a proponent of getting people “to the building,” however, the principle is undeniable. Are we preparing a place for welcoming the foreigner, the stranger? Are we expecting God to break into our world and offer salvation to the stranger and the alien just as he promised thousands of years ago?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

P.S. You might have noticed there was no October issue. I’ve not run out of ideas yet, but do have less time with my new job and have been in kind of a funk lately. I’m doing much better now and my intention is to continue in 2009 on a quarterly basis. Thanks for the support over the past several years.

1. Christianity Today, Reflections on Thrift, September 2008, Vol.52, Number 11, p.67

2008 September

2008-09-09T17:33:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 11 SEP 2008

Word for the Day
Teleos - At its most simple, it means arriving at a goal, but it hints at maturity, completeness, even perfection. It encompasses a sense of arriving at an inescapable conclusion, an uttermost limit. [1]

Quote for the Day
He meant what he said. Those who put themselves in His hands will become perfect, as He is perfect - perfect in love, wisdom, joy, beauty, and immortality. The change will not be completed in this life, for death is an important part of the treatment. How far the change will have gone before death in any particular Christian is uncertain. [2]

Website for the Day
www.tokensshow.com
This is Lee Camp’s website.

Thought for the Day
In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, there is a puzzling verse that calls for us to “be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” [MAT 5.48] In my upbringing, this verse was typically explained away by saying that the word perfect (teleos) meant complete or mature. While that is true, I always wondered if we conveniently explained away too much of what this verse said. This month, we’ll look at two authors’ perspective on accepting a more life-changing interpretation of this verse.

Ray Vander Laan’s teaching has led me to conclude that Jesus led his life as a model for us. While we would all readily accept that concept; most of us have stopped far short of actually acting on the belief that we can be like Jesus. Paul said in Philippians 2.5-8 that, “Jesus did not take equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” RVL says that if we take those words at face value, then everything Jesus did on earth, he did as a fully human being.

Now, of course, the Ruach HaKodesh counseled and comforted Jesus. But, as we saw last month, that same spirit also dwells in us. What if Jesus’ ability to read the hearts of others was because he was such an ardent student of human nature? What if his ability to say the right words was because he was so tuned in to the feelings of others? What if his source of inner strength was not supernatural but came from his close relationship through prayer with his Father? What if the reason we can’t do some of these things is because we have convinced ourselves that we can’t? And we can’t - based on our own power.

Think of it this way. Do you believe that there were instances where Jesus knew that (as a human) he could not face the task or trial of the moment? Did he, in those cases, reach back and grasp some of that “equality with God?” He either did or he did not. Your answer makes all the difference in how you view Jesus’ life on earth. I was brought up to believe that Jesus was 100% human and 100% divine. I guess as an old math teacher, that never did add up. Neither does it square with the passage in Philippians. Now I believe that he showed us the ideal - as a human who could lead a pure life. He expects us to do the same.

These thoughts originated years ago when I read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Hopefully, you read the quote at the top; here’s the paragraph just before that one.

“The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said that we were “gods” and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him - for we can prevent Him, if we choose - He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly His own boundless power and delight and goodness.” [3]

My favorite phrase is “idealistic gas;” try working that into the conversation sometime! Lewis begins this section with one of my favorite illustrations, which he admits borrowing from George MacDonald.

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” [4]

Now that’s the perfect dream house!

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. found on www.teleos.net

2. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Macmillan Publ.Co., New York NY, 1979, p.175

3. ibid., p. 174

4. ibid.

2008 August

2008-08-03T16:42:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 AUG 2008

Word for the Day
agora - Literally, open space, commonly used for the marketplace. Agoraphobia is a fear of open places, such as a shopping mall.

Quote for the Day
It's not what I don't know about the Bible that scares me. It's what I do know. Mark Twain

Website for the Day
www.patrickmead.net
Patrick is a minister with the Rochester COC near Detroit MI. Check it out; he’s not your typical preacher.

Thought for the Day
Last month, we introduced a historical-critical look at the Gospel of John and left you with the question of why only John develops a theology of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). As second-generation Christians, John’s audience would not have witnessed the seminal events of 50 years earlier. Perhaps they knew that the gift of the Holy Spirit was for all generations, but the apostolic age had come to a close and they may have felt like second-rate Christians. The faith of these Christians came from hearing the stories from parents and others and, perhaps, someone who had been taught by an apostle. John said “blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.” [JOH 20.29] Now I see that this was written to his immediate audience, not just for the future.

The germ of this idea came from a message I heard earlier this year. [1] I always knew some of the trademarks of John as the non-synoptic gospel, but it had never dawned on me to explore why only John had such a lengthy discussion of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). In fact, Matthew, Mark and Luke make almost no mention of the coming counselor. [2]

John begins in chapter 14.16 to comfort the disciples by explaining the advent of the Holy Spirit. If we accept the historical setting posited in last month’s issue, then the recipients of John’s message were subject to economic hardship, at the minimum, and potentially life threatening persecution. Entering the market place (agora) required vowing allegiance to Caesar, thereby recognizing him as a god. When a Pharisee handed Jesus a coin and asked if they should pay taxes, his answer was more than just, “Yes, you should pay your taxes.” [MAT 22.18-22] “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s” is really saying that Caesar is not a god. Think about it. [3] If you were shut out from the agora, then you were economically disenfranchised. And, failure to honor Caesar as a god could result in death. Some traditions record that Philip (the evangelist) was executed because he refused to walk through the city gate, which was an implicit acknowledgment of Caesar’s divinity. Philip was forced to watch the execution of all his daughters before he was crucified. The daughters all urged their father to not renounce his faith. [4]

John continues to develop a theology of the Ruach HaKodesh through the next couple of chapters. His audience needs to be comforted with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is with them and within them just as surely as it was with those first Christians. The counselor will lead us to truth [14.26], comfort us in affliction [16.22-24], and guide our path [15.26-27].

For at least a century, many fellowships have denied the Holy Spirit’s power in their lives. Like John’s flock, we need to be assured that we are not left alone. Essentially, we are all second-generation Christians, which means that the Gospel of John is for us too!

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Randy Harris, How to Stay Sane when Everybody Else is Crazy, message presented at the Tulsa ISSW, 26 March 2008

2. See MAT 3.11 and LUK 11.13; 24.49 for a mention of the Holy Spirit but with no elaboration. Let me know if you find other references.

3. This also fits with one of John’s themes, ie. Jesus is God incarnate.

4. Ray Vander Laan, When the Rabbi Says, That the World May Know, 56 W 8th St. Ste. 250, Holland MI 49423, 2004

2008 July

2008-07-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 JUL 2008

Word for the Day
Historical-critical scholarship
The attempt to locate the meaning of a text in its literary and historical context. [1]

Quote for the Day
One reason we do not understand each other ... is that our words mean different things to us. [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ
Watch this poignant video from Hillside Community Church.

Thought for the Day
The Gospel of John is one of my favorite letters, so over the next couple of months, we’ll consider some texts from John. I concur with the scholars who place this gospel around 85 - 90 C.E. Therefore, John would have been written to second generation Christians and was probably written from Ephesus to the church in Asia Minor. If Revelation was written in reference to Rome rather than the destruction of Jerusalem (70 C.E.), then John penned both letters within just a few years of each other and to the same audience.

Here’s a trivia tidbit. According to most traditions, John was the youngest apostle [MAR 14.51] and the only one to live a long life and die a natural death. If John was only 15 when Jesus was crucified, then he would have been 70 in 88 C.E. [3] Very few people lived to age 70 in the first century.

The text for today is John 15. You will remember this analogy about the vine and the branches. Those of you who grew up in my tribe (fellowship) were repeatedly subjected to a misapplication of this illustration as we used it to beat up on our “denominational friends.” It was also used to scare our own people with the fear of being “cut off” and thrown into the fire if one was not a soul winner.

The word for “cut off” is airo (Greek) and may be translated as lift up or carry away. In Mark 8.34, it is translated as “take up” his cross and in John 11.41 as “lifted up” his eyes in prayer. Ray Vander Laan tells the story of a vine dresser that he met on one of his tours in the Near East. [4] Instead of training the vines to grow along wires, the vines just run along the ground. If the fruit is left touching the soil, it will spoil. To prevent this, the vine dresser props up (airo) that part of the vine with small y-shaped twigs. The fruit can then mature into succulent grapes.

God is the vine dresser and will prop us up when we are at risk of being ruined. David spoke of the Lord lifting him up from the miry clay and putting a new song in his mouth. [PSA 40.1-3] We can grow to maturity, like the grape cluster, with the support of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now, he could do this directly, and sometimes does, but I believe you’ll often find that he acts through the sister or brother who speaks a word of correction or encouragement to us.

Do you see how this transforms a “God is out to get you” story into a “God loves you” story? Truly, he is the lifter of my soul.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

Next month, we’ll look at John’s development of a theology of the Holy Spirit. Why is it found only in John’s gospel? Hint: the answer is in what you just read.

1. Carroll Osburn, Women In The Church, ACU Press, 2001, p.xvii

2. John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Making The Best Of It, Oxford University Press, New York NY, 2008, p.28 Stackhouse is actually quoting a remark from Richard Niebuhr directed toward his brother Reinhold.

3. Ray Vander Laan, www.followtherabbi.com, RVL makes a good case that all the disciples (the 12) were between the age of 12-15, with the exception of Peter who was at least 19.

4. Ray Vander Laan, When the Rabbi Says, That The World May Know, Holland MI, 2004

2008 MAY

2008-05-08T12:56:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all on 8 May 2008

Word for the Day
Get - Hebrew for certificate of divorce. You are hereby permitted to marry again.

Quote for the Day
We depend on plans, programs, vision statements - but somewhere along the way we have succumbed to the temptation to displace the foolishness of the cross with the wisdom of strategic planning.
D. A. Carson

Website for the Day
http://www.walk-this-way.com/
Visit this site to read some good articles.

Thought for the Day
Last month we considered the possibility of contradictions being an avenue for spiritual growth. It’s such a different mind set to even admit to that possibility rather than default into fabricating an explanation.

This month I will share a final example. [1] In Deuteronomy 24.1-4 we read about the laws for marriage and divorce. If you’re not familiar with this passage, go back and read it sometime. Keep in mind that only recently (in some countries) have women gained equal legal status. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, a woman must have permission from a male relative before she can see a doctor. So, when we read the laws in the Tanakh, they are all male oriented. Actually, the Mosaical Law was very progressive in granting women the right to be free from a husband who divorced her. In some cultures, the man could return years later and demand her back. (This was one of David’s early sins; remember that story?)

Under the Mosaical Law, the divorced woman had a certificate (get) which proved that she was released from the previous marriage and, therefore, free to remarry. The “why” of her divorce was of no consequence and the husband could not take back the divorced wife. She was considered to be polluted from the ex-husband’s perspective. So when Jesus addressed the audience on the mount, they already knew that anyone could remarry. But, I digress; that’s a topic for a future article!

Now let’s go to Jeremiah 3.1- 10. Here we find ADONAI, speaking through his prophet, lamenting the behavior of his children. They have committed adultery with reckless abandon. To use an old phrase, they have “gone a-whoring.” As we continue to read through chapter three, notice that ADONAI says he will take them back. In case you were thinking that this was just a legal separation, notice in verse 8 that “I had sent her away and given her a divorce document.” Wait a minute, didn’t the Law forbid the husband from taking back the “sent away” wife? Can ADONAI break his own law?

Perhaps the greatest contradiction of all is Jesus hanging on the execution stake. The Law says, “... a hanged man is accursed by God.” [DEU 21.23] Paul reflects on this when he says that “Christ ... became a curse for us.” [GAL 3.13] Apparently, love trumps law.

Remember when you were first in love? We probably all did some things we had sworn we would never do. I had a fear of heights and was sure that I would never fly. Just as my luck would have it, the only way to get to my wedding was to fly. Yes, I got on the plane.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

There is no June issue; see you in July.

1. Based on a message by Tod Vogt at Christ Journey church, Burleson TX , 6 APR 2008

2008 April

2008-04-04T17:11:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 APR 2008

Word for the Day
sha’ashu’ai - Hebrew for plaything. “If your Torah had not been my plaything, I should have perished in my affliction.” [PSA 119.92] [1]

Quote for the Day
Ultimately, from a Jewish perspective, it may be more important to be in conversation with each other and get it “wrong” than to get it “right” but have the conversation stop. [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/This is a nice and simple website for all things Jewish.

Thought for the Day
Many of you grew up “in the church” just like me. So you probably remember all the sermons about the harmony of the scriptures. Preachers would painstakingly explain how every passage on a topic agreed with all the related verses. Looking back, we now realize that some of those explanations were, at best, strained and perhaps outright fabrications. Not in the sense of malicious intent, but good people just doing the best they could with the available scholarship. I pray that our kids will also be able to extend mercy as they look back on some of our misguided theology.

As far back as St. Augustine, people have written books that show the harmony of the gospels. These writings set out to bolster the argument that no contradiction can be found in the canon. Now we are realizing that each gospel was written to a community of believers at a certain time and place. Each author selected and presented stories to connect with his particular audience. Most scholars concur that Matthew was written for a Jewish audience, Mark to the Romans and John to Asia Minor. Matthew lists two demoniacs. [MAT 8.28] Mark tells of one named Legion. [MAR 5.8] Matthew and Luke give a genealogy; Mark and John do not. John records no exorcisms and most of the miracles are unique to this letter.

Each author gives a different perspective on the crucifixion and resurrection. Here is a "disharmony" that comes from Jesus last days on earth. Matthew and Mark both have Jesus and the disciples returning to Galilee just before his ascension. [MAT 28.10-16 & MAR 16.7] Now read Luke’s account and notice that he has everyone remaining in Jerusalem. [LUK 24.13-50, esp. vv. 13,35,50] I must say that I’ve never heard a preacher try to harmonize all those verses! Either they weren’t aware of the difference or they were completely baffled by this contradiction.

Ten years ago I might have been deeply disturbed by such a discovery. But since I have been looking at the Word from a Jewish perspective, I’ve learned that “contradictions” are to be expected. In fact, they serve the purpose of forcing us to wrestle with the text (or with God?). Should I be surprised at this? No, for my own soul is full of contradictions. I cannot be harmonized! For I know that there is nothing good housed inside me - that is, inside my old nature. I can want what is good, but I can’t do it! [ROM 7.18 CJB] Read all that chapter and you will see that even Paul battled deep-seated contradictions.

I’m here to tell you that this is not bad news, but good news. We can approach God despite our own convoluted souls and ply him with questions. But beware, he will do the same in return. This mutual tilling of the soil breaks up the hard compacted clumps and returns the leftovers from the harvest back into the soil to enrich it for next year’s crop.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Judith Kunst, The Burning Word, Paraclete Press, Brewster MA, 2006, p.63

2. ibid. p.47

2008 March

2008-03-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 MAR 2008

Word for the Day
Spendthrift - one who squanders money; a prodigal spender.

Quote for the Day
Less is more.
Mies van der Rohe, famous German-born American architect (1886-1969)

Website for the Day
www.rhchurch.org
Listen to Rick Atchley’s lesson from 20 JAN entitled Simple Does It.

Thought for the Day
As part of our continuing focus on seeking rest in 2008, here are a few thoughts for the day. One way to seek rest is to scale back our pursuit of possessions. I like the way Suze Orman prioritizes life: people, money and then things. For many of us, our natural inclination is exactly the reverse of her advice. How many of us have scrimped and saved, or even worse, used credit to buy that item we just had to have. Oh, it was attractive in the advertisement and even more alluring in the showroom. But after a few weeks at my house, it just blended in with all the other stuff. I would submit that the euphoria of the hunt and acquisition far outweighs the joy of ownership. Especially when the cost of ownership arrives on a monthly basis.

One of today’s catch phrases is “going green,” meaning to be environmentally conscious. We should be good stewards of God’s creation, but what about our stewardship of God’s Spirit that lives within us? The scenario described in the first paragraph actually illustrates a pattern of spiritual waste. Obviously, much money is wasted, but have you considered the hidden waste of our time?

Paul said that he had learned to be content with much or with little. [PHI 4.11-12] Why can we not be content even with much? Thirty years ago, Richard Rogers said that we were “eat up with materialism and don’t even know it.” I guess he is still correct.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

2008 February

2008-02-05T16:23:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 FEB 2008

Word for the Day
Transmogrify - To change into a different shape or form, especially one that is fantastic or bizarre.

Quote for the Day
Much Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships and have opted for power and control instead. Many Christian empire builders have been people unable to give and receive love. - Henri Nouwen

Website for the Day
http://terryrush.blogspot.com/2007/12/brian-mashburns-terrific-article.html
Some of you have already read this. If not, it’s a must read for all you COC people out there.

Thought for the Day
Do you remember what happened when Solomon’s son refused to listen to good advice? The result was a divided kingdom with Rehoboam reigning in Judah and Jeroboam as king of the northern tribes. Now fast forward about 200 years and let’s refresh our memory.

In 722 B.C.E. Sennacherib conquered Samaria, marking the end of the northern kingdom as an Israelite nation. The Assyrian relocation strategy resulted in Samaria becoming a mixed breed of people and, therefore, an unclean cousin of the southern tribe of Judah. This blossomed into full-fledged hatred between the two nations by the first century.

In 701 Sennacherib invaded Judah and captured several key cities as he continued his march toward Jerusalem. Before laying siege to Jerusalem, he sent an envoy to deliver terms of surrender to Hezekiah. As it turned out, Judah was saved by the hand of ADONAI. You can finish the story found in 2 Kings 18-19.

But there’s another detail that you might not remember. The spokesman for the Assyrian envoy was the Rabshakeh (chief butler). He insisted on speaking in Hebrew to Hezekiah’s representatives. Eliakim protested, “Please speak to your servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand it: do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” The Rabshakeh’s reply was rather crude, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to you, and not to the people sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?”

Is there a post-modern parallel to this? We still have the conversation behind the wall among those who speak the language of authority and control. [1] Negotiations and decisions are made behind closed doors, out of earshot of the people. Even questions of interpretation are settled in a hermetically sealed environment. Not unlike the leaders of Jesus’ day who described the common people as “this mob who knows nothing.” [JOH 7.49] Some things haven’t changed in 2000 years!

Meanwhile, the people on the wall grope for answers to questions that affect their lives.[ACT 17.27] Many lead lives of quiet desperation. [2] We wonder why we are not invited into the conversation. Do we have nothing to add? Every day, people are languishing, even dying, on the wall. Jeremiah pegged it when he said, “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying peace, peace, when there is no peace.” [JER 6.14]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation And Obedience, Fortress Press, Minneapolis MN, 1991, pp. 76-94

2. Henry David Thoreau, with my apologies to both him and the writer of 2 Kings for transmogrifying their words. No apology is needed toward Brueggemann or Jeremiah.

JAN 2008

2008-01-03T11:43:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 9 JAN 2008

Word for the Day
Shabbat - Hebrew for Sabbath

Quote for the Day
The goal of the gladiator is to keep his life; the goal of the Christian is to lose her life. [1]

Website for the Day
www.homefront.blogspot.com
This is Fajita’s blog; lots of good stuff to read. Actually, Fajita is a guy; maybe it should be Fajito’s blog?

Thought for the Day
The most hyped holiday season of the year has ended. Have you recovered? Are you still tired? Maybe not physically, but emotionally and financially tired. How about some well-deserved rest?

On the Sabbath day ADONAI rested, thereby establishing a pattern still practiced by adherents to Judaism. The principle is so widely recognized that it influences all phases of our life, including government and business. Those of you old enough to recognize the phrase “blue laws” can recall when Sunday really was a day of rest because there was nothing else to do. All the stores were closed! That changed as we became both a post-modern and a post-Christian nation. A few vestiges remain. Did you know that in Texas, car dealerships can only open six days a week? Most choose to close on Sunday.

Looking back on those days, I’m not sure that we got much more than physical and emotional rest from the routine of life. That’s good and necessary, but what about spiritual rest? The Jews of Jesus’ day were very fastidious about observing shabbat. They had rules to answer questions such as how far one could travel from home and what constituted work. Maybe they missed the point just as we have. When Jesus was rebuked for not “keeping” shabbat, his reply was, “Man was not made for the sabbath, but the sabbath was made for man.” [MAR 2.27]

Hear the word of the Lord:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. [MAT 11.28-30]

When the crowd heard these words, they were drawn back to the original promise of rest. Jesus is using a remez (hint) to get their attention. In Exodus 33.14 and Jeremiah 6.16 the people were promised rest provided by ADONAI. In Isaiah 58.6 and Jeremiah 30.8 God also promised an easy yoke. The audience would have heard this not only as encouraging words but as a direct message from God. Jesus was claiming to be God.

He still promises rest for his followers. Not just the final gift of rest, but the regular ritual of rest whether it occurs on Saturday, Sunday or shifts from week to week depending on the work schedule. It is so difficult for us to “be still and know.” Instead, we feel compelled to explain to God how things should be. So, how do we enter that rest while still walking on this earth? I am no expert in either the theory or practice of sabbath rest, so I will offer some good advice from others:

> seek rest from daily occupation
> share with others in worship
> take time with God’s word
> engage in acts of compassion
> enjoy activities that refresh and renew the spirit [2]

It is my prayer that we can all find the shalom of God in this new year.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Mike Toole

2. An Invitation to Sabbath: Rediscovering a Gift, found on: www.pcusa.org/spiritualformation/sabbath.htm
Read this article for a much more thorough presentation. If you choose to order the color prints of this article, you will not be disappointed. One caution - S&H is $4.50 minimum, so one 50 cent article will cost you $5. I ordered 10 which worked out to only $1 each.

November 2007

2007-11-01T14:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 NOV 2007

Word for the Day
Sea change - A paradigm shift of global proportion. The phrase “holy sea” is used to refer to the church catholic. [1]

Quote for the Day
It’s not the quality of the performance, but the quality of the relationship. [2]

Website for the Day
www.mindspring.com/~renewal
This is the website for Buff Scott Jr., lots of good reading.

Thought for the Day
In several previous issues we have broached the concept of reinterpretation. Recall that Jesus was a rabbi with s’mikah; he taught with authority, not as their Torah teachers (scribes). He had the power to make new teaching and reinterpret the old. What if we had that same power?

We do reinterpret frequently; we just don’t call it that. When we read about women keeping their heads covered or the men not keeping their heads covered, we easily dismiss that as a cultural quirk of the first century. The old proverb about sparing the rod and spoiling the child is applied by some and not by others. Jesus gave a clear command and example that we should wash each other’s feet. [JOH 13.14-15] Have you done that recently?

Some of us reinterpret the passages that have been used by others to restrict women from exercising their gifts of prophecy, administration or teaching. [ROM 12.6-8] We are familiar with the Roman Catholic teaching on birth control. But have you ever stopped to consider ... what if they are right? Perhaps we are to be fruitful and multiply. Happy is the man whose quiver is full of arrows. [PSA 127.5] The only passage I know of that relates to this issue certainly speaks against birth control. Do you remember the story about the sin of Onan? [GEN 38.8-10] This is another of those stories that you will never see as a VBS skit!

We choose how to apply, or even ignore, many scriptures. Although we would deny that, our practice belies our proclamation. But, what if that is accepted, even expected of us? My study of the Jewish tradition has led me to conclude that the text is purposefully in tension. That is, one verse may speak against another verse. Many details of application are left to our discernment. We are encouraged to wrestle with the text like Jacob wrestled with the angel. [GEN 32.24-28] Did you know that Israel means “he who strives with God?” Should we not expect to strive with God also?

In our lifetime, we have witnessed the "rethinking" of medicine, science and child-rearing, just to name a few examples. Back in 1610, Galileo rocked his world by proving that we live in a heliocentric universe, rather than a geocentric one. The traditional view was so entrenched that Galileo faced excommunication if he would not recant his heretical teaching. In 1600, Giordano Bruno aslo taught that the earth revolved around the sun. He was burned at the stake.

Now, we are experiencing the reevaluation of all things Christian. Our comfortable and settled liturgy is being rocked by an earthquake no less violent than the one described in Revelation 16.18. Congregants from every modern generation are crying out, “Why is this happening now? Everything was just fine.” Or, was it? We believe the Ruach HaKodesh is at work to reboot the church’s operating system back to its original form. [3]

While some retreat into a fortress mentality and lament the sea change that is eroding away the old walls; we welcome the storm that stirs the sea. The boats that are tied to the dock are in the greatest danger. Instead, we need to jettison all excess cargo and head into the storm. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Jesus is at the helm! [4]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Here is an excerpt from an article by John La Grou at:http://microclesia.com/personal/Deathofchristendom.pdfThis vertical reforming of community and information encourages a new spiritual emancipation, reawakening dreams buried in the slumber of institutional hierarchy and control. Visionary Christ-followers who “get” this ecclesial sea change have a remarkable new opportunity to broadly inspire the promise of new creation, to model the precedence of unity without coercion, to embody the ascendancy of agape. It’s a brand new “mission field” for the pioneers who care enough to straddle cultures with impassioned relevance.

2. Leonard Sweet, ZoeGroup Leadership Conference, Lubbock TX, March 2, 2007
Sweet quotes Edwin Schlossberg as referring to the shift from the boomer demand for excellence (as in worship performance) to the post-modern view of relationships being more important than the quality of the performance. I see far-reaching implications for this trend.

3. ibid.

4. ibid.

October 2007

2007-10-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 12 OCT 2007

Word for the Day
Proof texting - citing passages randomly from any part of the Bible without regard for the literary and historical contexts of the passage. [1]

Quote for the Day
I’m not ready to give up on our existing churches ... but the bottom line is, it’s an awful lot easier to have babies than it is to raise the dead. [2]

Website for the Day
www.mattritchie.wordpress.com
Take a look, lots of interesting stuff. I recommend the article about “How Jesus messed up my life” found under Top Posts.

Thought for the DayLet’s take a break this month from the usual theological fare and peer into our crystal ball of the future. What will the church of the future look like? I submit that you don’t have to squint to see it, only open wide your eyes. Allow me to offer some insights based on my own 50 years as part of a Constantinian institution as well as some research from others.

I’m sure you have heard of the “baby boomers” and perhaps some other designations. The builder generation (born 1927 - 1945) is mostly retiring, and expiring, from active ministry. The boomer generation (1946 - 1964) is also retiring from the work force and, therefore, scaling back their financial support. Without the dependable donations from these two generations, the church of the future will have to get by on far less money. Eighty percent of the money given comes from these two groups. [3] John Sweetman says that “Boomers will continue to dominate church leadership for many years, but their concerns for church growth and buildings and programs will not be shared by those who follow. We need to be careful that boomers don’t commit us to directions that will have no relevance for future generations.” [4]

The recent generations are sometimes lumped together as Post moderns, although I consider that to be a state of mind rather than age driven. The Busters (1965 - 1983) and the Mosaics (1984 - 2002) have a distrust for hierarchy, but do have a need for authentic community. “Worship services will need to become more interactive and experiential. Post moderns will demand involvement in the decision-making process.” [5]

Reggie McNeal offers several false assumptions about church. Here are three of my favorites:

Developing better church members will result in greater outreach.
The church needs more workers (for church work).
Church involvement results in discipleship. [6]

Most of our people have been led to believe that Christianity is all about the Church. When they fail to experience that changed life as promised, their faith in the Church and God is called into question. [7]

George Barna is the leading researcher of trends among Christians. His surveys report that the Busters and Mosaics consistently fall in the lowest percentage rankings in the categories of Bible reading, church attendance, praying, small group participation, and volunteering. [8] I think I see a trend here.

Now for my own predictions. I see three options for most churches:

Retain the status quo (Constantinian, includes megachurch)
Small church/house church
Emergent church

The status quo church will not survive past the next 50 years and, given the exponential rate of change that we are experiencing, probably not that long. I believe that most, if not all, megachurches will not outlive their charismatic leader by more than one generation. I see the other two choices as having healthy futures; they both encourage relationships and a sense of community, something that is sadly lacking in most status quo churches. Who knows, by 2050 we may even see a return to a “high church” liturgical ceremony as a backlash to the experiential church of today.

My first choice is behind door number two. Ironically, though, I participate in the first and third choices. Go figure; maybe one day we will start a house church or small church. Like most of you, I was raised in a small church, where some seed fell on poor soil but for most of my friends the seed germinated. Now the implanted Word has deep and healthy roots as it absorbs the nutrients supplied by the Holy Spirit. These plants are now capable of reproducing healthy daughters and sons in the gospel. We thought we needed to be big in order to make an impact because we thought it all depended on us. In hindsight, much more was accomplished than we ever dreamed possible.

May God BlessMike TooleLori Moores, ed.

1. Carroll Osburn, Women in the Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xviii

2. Flavil Yeakley, quoted in the Christian Chronicle, Ocotober 2007, p.17Yeakley was commenting on the viability of growth by planting new churches as opposed to changing existing congregations. He is the Director of the Center for Church Growth in Searcy AR.

3. Reggie McNeal, The Present Future, Jossey - Bass Publ. San Francisco, 2003, p.1

4. John Sweetman, People of the 21st Century, found on www.qbcm.org.au.resources/Preaching

5. ibid.

6. McNeal, op, cit. p.xv

7. ibid. p.8

8. George Barna, www.barna.org, found on 21 SEP 2007 under Generational Differences Research

September 2007

2007-09-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 7 SEP 2007

Word for the Day
Transubstantiation - Over the last thirty years, Anglicans and Roman Catholics, in spite of many obstacles, have produced an Agreed Statement on the Eucharist, which attests ... that Transubstantiation is an important symbol for belief in the fact that Christ, as he says in his word of Institution in the Lord’s Supper, changes common bread and wine into the Sacrament of his life-giving Body and Blood ... there is a change which brings about the Objective Real Presence of Christ in the Elements of Bread and Wine. The fact is that Anglicans, Lutherans, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox (and a few other mainstream Christians as well) believe in this Objective Real Presence. [1]

Quote for the Day
It’s no wonder that Christ sacramentalized our need for food and drink in the Lord’s Supper using hunger and thirst to point us to better fare. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me,” Jesus told a hungry crowd early in his ministry, “and I in him” (John 6.56). In our effort to distance ourselves from the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, we Protestants have understood these claims primarily in negative terms. We spend so much energy emphasizing what Jesus does not mean that his words fail to whet our appetite. But the positive symbolism of the Lord’s Supper is powerful; Christ alone can satisfy. Christ alone can sustain. All that we hunger for must be found in him. [2]

Website for the Day
www.terryrush.blogspot.com
Please forgive if I’ve used this before, but I highly recommend it. Read the entry for Saturday 25 August for some thought-provoking stuff.

Thought for the Day
I have been studying the Jewish teaching style called midrash. A common technique is to unite two seemingly unrelated texts to generate discussion and make an application. Today, we will consider two polar passages.

Have you ever felt like a load of guilt or shame was removed from your soul? We all have skeletons suspended in our closet, things we don’t even want our closest friend or spouse to know. My hope and prayer is that you have been able to break the cycle of sin - repentance - shame and accept the healing that God provides. What a wonderful feeling to be set free from both the sin and the shame!

Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Ruach HaKodesh from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. [PSA 51.1-12]

Hyssop is a desert plant that was used in tanning leather and cleaning bones, similar to lye soap. [3] David is begging to be given an “acid wash” rather than the bubble bath that we may imagine to remove his guilt. Sometimes, that may be what we require also. Despite the severity of the cleansing process, David was restored. And we can be also.

In fact, we have the only rabbi who will take us back after we have denied him. Jesus says, “whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven” thereby acknowledging that no rabbi would take back a talmid who publicly denied his rabbi.[MAT 10.33] But wait, didn’t Peter deny Jesus three times? And, yet, Jesus sought out and welcomed back Peter. What a beautiful contradiction.

Have you ever experienced the shame (of the world) for following Jesus? Perhaps you did what was right when no one else did. Maybe you were ridiculed for speaking out against social injustice. I have known people who felt the shame and rejection of the world from their own fellowship because they dared to teach as one with authority and not as the status quo teachers. But didn’t Jesus go against the status quo also?

Sometimes he removes our shame for his purposes. Remember Elizabeth who said that “Adonai has done this for me; he has shown me favor at this time, so as to remove my public disgrace.” [LUK 1.25] On the other hand, he may bring shame upon us for his purposes. Remember Mary, of whom it was said that “Joseph, a man who did what was right; made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame.” [MAT 1.19] We know that he did not break the engagement, and so she was subjected to public shame in order to deliver the Son of Man. And God’s work in us may sometimes bring the shame of the world upon us.

What a beautiful contradiction!

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Rev. Andrew C. Mead, http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/Sermons/sermon20020530.html

2. John Koessler, Eat, Drink, and be Hungry, Christianity Today, August 2007, p.36

3. Ray Vander Laan, Lessons from www.followtherabbi.com

Clothesline AUG 2007

2007-08-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 3 AUG 2007

Word for the Day
Constantinian church - Emperor Constantine formalized legal status to the church in 325 C.E. at the Council of Nicea. Nowadays, the phrase is used to refer to the modern church entrenched in formality, hierarchy and tradition.

Quote for the Day
In addition to tax support, colonial churches used pew rents, subscription lists, lotteries, and special offerings to underwrite their ministries. Throughout American history, lotteries, bazaars, church suppers, rummage sales, auctions ... have been some of the ways the church has let money talk in its midst. Our present system, based on the combination of faith and pledge budgets supplemented by free-will offerings ... didn’t take root until after the First World War. [1]
Hmm... there are some ideas for us. My favorite is Rent-a-Pew.

Website for the Day
www.5twenty8.com
Good site for information, teachings from Jewish perspective.

Thought for the Day
Like many of you, I was raised to believe that the Law of Tithing did not apply directly to Christians. After all, it was from the “Old Law” and was not repeated in the B’rit Hadashah (NT). Now don’t get me wrong, we were encouraged to give as we had been prospered, but no percentage was ever suggested. V. P. Black said the reason we had so many difficult people in the church was because they had “finally found a religion that didn’t cost them anything.” [2] There was one other reason that we did not teach tithing - the Baptists did! At least we were able to poke fun at ourselves. One of my favorite old quips was that “since the Baptists come in through the doors, we should probably come in through the windows!”

Around 1976 an ol’ time preacher named V. P. Black came to Panama City and held a five day meeting on stewardship. He forcefully made the case for adherence to the Law of Tithing by presenting it as a law forever, predating the Mosaical Law. And that’s how I became an avid articulator and supporter of tithing for about 25 years.

But, a funny thing happened on the way toward spiritual maturity. As I began to reevaluate almost every tenant of the faith, stewardship came under the microscope. The modern Constantinian church necessitates a budget and other financial concerns in order to sustain its buildings, programs and staff. My study of the ecclesia in the first century reveals no such structure or hierarchy. We have been set free from the law system. Jesus said, “I came not to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill it.”[MAT 5.17]

Leonard Sweet remarked that Christianity was the first non-temple based religion. But he goes on to say, “If you claim to not be temple based, show me your budget.” [3] Although we have been set free from temple based worship, we tend to, like the early Hebrews, want to return to the way it used to be. We no longer need a percentage to guide us; instead, we are to give as needs arise. The Jewish system of tithing was needed to support the Priestly class much like we pay taxes to support the Government. Now I see why the Law of Tithing was not repeated in the B’rit Hadashah! My masterfully prepared lesson on tithing now rests in the four drawer legal file, never to be used again.

Paul instructed the Corinthians to store up funds for the Jerusalem church so that there would be no need of a collection upon his arrival. [1COR 16.1-4] Here we have an example of how money was collected for a specific need. No longer do I believe that this is a binding example for all Christians for all time. We have no record of a church treasury and no reason to believe that the Corinthians continued an ongoing treasury after releasing the funds to Jerusalem. Instead, I see the Christians gathering, mostly in house churches, and giving to meet the needs of the day, which would vary from week to week.

Now, let’s post-modernize this scenario. Imagine Christians who are able to immediately help those in need. No need to refer them to the Benevolence deacon or say come back tomorrow when the church office is open. Imagine being able to support mission work without being weighed down with debt. Imagine being able to pull the cash out of your pocket and help the single mom fill up her tank with $50 of gasoline or leave a $10 tip for the waitress that you know struggles to make ends meet. Sunday could become a time for sharing stories of what happened in our life the past week, thereby encouraging each of us to be like Jesus.

What if we had money to spend for getting the Word out in our community? We could buy advertising space in the local newspaper or radio spots. What if we could bring in performance groups on the weekend to reach out through the avenue of music? We could sponsor events for the community and present ourselves as kind and humble rather than self-righteous and haughty.

The ecclesia is not immune to the lure of “new and improved.” We delude ourselves by saying, “we could offer more programs” or “we could better reach out to the community” if we had a new facility. The post-modern world is looking for relationships, not real estate.

Just as individuals can be burdened with debt, so can the ecclesia. “The borrower is slave to the lender” rings true for both. [PRO 22.7]

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Leonard Sweet, Freely You Have Received, Freely Give, found at: www.leonardsweet.com/includes/ShowSweetenedArticles.asp?articleID=91Read the entire article for a brief, but scholarly history of tithing.

2. V. P. Black, Message delivered at Parker Church of Christ, Panama City FL, c.1976

3. Leonard Sweet, Message given at ZoeGroup regional conference at Monterey church of Christ, Lubbock TX, March 2, 2007

July 2007 Clothesline

2007-07-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 2 JUL 2007

Word for the Day
Midrash - To search out (Hebrew), Jewish tradition of reading that views the Bible as one side of a conversation, started by God, and open to ongoing conversation and argument. [1]

Quote for the Day
There is a real point to saying that in religious matters nothing fails like success. These types of movements touch the human heart very deeply and serve profound human needs. Because of this, they soon attract many who do not even want the fire of the founder - they do not really understand it. But they do need and like the light and the warmth it provides. Eventually, however, and without consciously intending to do so, they extinguish the very fire that provides the light and warmth, or it simply dies out from lack of being tended. [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.keithbrenton.blogspot.com/
Keith is a minister in Little Rock AR

Thought for the Day
The Jewish midrash developed after the destruction of the temple in 70 C.E. One midrashic technique consists of selecting two seemingly unrelated passages that are brought together to make a point, often by posing a question that encourages, or even demands, debate. A midrash requires “close attention, playful imagination, deep reverence, and the courage to continually turn toward the words that trouble us.” [3] The article today will attempt to illustrate a midrash based on Exodus 3 - 4 and Luke 24.32. Unfortunately, this format does not allow the element of discussion and disagreement.

In the third chapter of Exodus, we find Moses’ encounter with the burning bush. Little does he realize the price for this momentary indiscretion of curiosity. By the second time God would have called my name, I would have either been near the end of a 100 yard dash or too petrified to move. I guess Moses was the latter of the two since he responds with “Here I am.” [EXO 3.4] And so begins the adventures of Moses and Aaron, the progenitors of our modern super hero and sidekick. Moses’ mission, which he reluctantly chose to accept, was to lead his people out of bondage in Egypt and into the promised land. His ministry was to be their mediator along the way.

Luke records the only account of the walk to Emmaus. The setting is the day of the resurrection after the talmidim (disciples) have discovered the empty tomb. Cleopas and another disciple encounter a stranger who feigns ignorance of the recent events. The irony is that as they inform him of Jesus, he turns the conversation around and unfolds the word for them. In particular, notice verse 32, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to the scriptures?” Reflect on the imagery of fire and connect this story with the fiery bush to which Moses was drawn. Are we drawn to the fire? Do we have a fire that burns within us? Leonard Sweet observed that we should all have a ministry and a mission. [4] Our ministry is inwardly focused towards other Christians, while our mission is outwardly focused. Remember Moses’ mission and ministry?

Now, I will pose another question for you and me. Is ministry and mission an imperative or an option? Is it expected of the clergy but not a necessity for the lay people? Moses’ response is echoed by Isaiah when he said, “Here am I! Send me.” [ISA 6.8] What is your mission? What is your ministry?

We are familiar with Moses being a type (precursor) of Jesus. Now consider extending that to each of us. After all, we are his emissaries. God told Moses that he would be with him and he is still with us today. [EXO 3.12 w/ MAT 28.20] The fire that could not be extinguished by the execution stake was passed along to the talmidim and spread like wildfire across the nations. Jesus not only endured the Passion, but he had a passion for the “harassed and helpless.” [MAT 9.36] What is your passion?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Judith Kunst, The Burning Word, Paraclete Press, Brewster MA, 2006, p.4

2. Dallas Willard, www.dwillard.org/articles/printable.asp?artid=96, found on 15 June 2007

3. Kunst, op. cit. p.8

4. Leonard Sweet, Message given at ZoeGroup regional conference at Monterey church of Christ, Lubbock TX, March 2, 2007

Clothesline #5

2007-05-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 12 MAY 2007

Word for the Day
Sublimationism - assumes significant differences between men and women and that “masculine” and “feminine” qualities actually exist. [1]

Quote for the Day
Before he became president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt was a Sunday school teacher. One day a boy showed up for class with a black eye. He admitted he’d been fighting ... another boy was pinching his sister, so he took a swing at the scoundrel. The future president told the boy he was proud of him and gave him a dollar. When word got ‘round the church, Roosevelt was let go. TR was caught between two scriptural imperatives: turn the other cheek and defend the weak. He chose to praise the boy for his tough response, but was fired for it, because in most churches the right choice is always the soft one. [2]

Website for the Day
www.churchformen.com
This is David Murrow’s website.

Thought for the Day
There is a popular book titled Why Men Hate Going to Church. At the time I wrote most of this article, I had not read it. I have now read most of it and can say that the author takes my skeletal ideas and fleshes them out in a very powerful way.

Until recently, the leadership in both mainline and evangelical churches has been almost exclusively male, and that remains true for the majority. In my tribe we have been especially slow in recognizing the gifts of women in a formal or public designation. Therefore, men should love going to church because they get to be in charge of everything. Of course, we know that conclusion is incongruous with the reality. Where did we go wrong? Let’s consider two overlooked facts.

Who actually carries out most of our ministries? That’s correct - the women. I suspect that even the truly brilliant ideas that men present were stolen from their spouses. The goofy plans we thought up all by ourselves! Traditionally, women have had more time (flexibility) to put hands and feet to the mission. That has drastically changed in the past 25 years. But consider a less obvious reason for high female involvement. In the March issue, we discussed how women tend to be gifted with the ability to aid and comfort moreso than men. And what is the nature of most of our ministries? Most are inwardly focused on babies, children, family, fellowships, funerals, Sunday school, weddings, VBS ... well, you get the point. You just read a long list of ways to be involved that are generally more attractive to women than men.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at male leadership. In my local church, we have paid staff (mostly men), preachers (all men), deacons (all men) and an elder board (all men). We also have men (only) lead singing, serve the Eucharist, make announcements and lead prayers. Only men can teach adult coed classes. Sounds like abundant opportunities for men to serve, right? But, observe for yourself; only a small percentage serve in what I call an “up front” role. Even most deacons who serve behind the scenes are primarily inwardly focused with minimally satisfying tasks such as moving walls or mowing the grass. I submit that the typical male occupying the pew on Sunday morning just doesn’t see any place to belong. He just checks off that he went to church and, eventually, he may just check out.

A few months ago, my wife put the idea in my head (remember how that works) to help a neighbor whose house was in desperate need of a new roof and paint. We threw together a brief presentation and created an email list to spread the word. Within a few weeks, we had raised enough money to have a new roof installed and get the siding ready for fresh paint. The amazing part was to observe who showed up for physical labor. We had at least two families, two father-daughter teams, and one man who worked all three Saturdays, along with many others. People of both genders will contribute, both financially and physically, when there is a perceived need, especially if they can have a personal impact. Notice also that this project was outwardly focused. The homeowner is not a church goer; we did not approach this project with any intent of being repaid or thanked in any way. And we were not disappointed. We learned a lot from this project; you might even say that the Spirit “sent us to school” on this first effort.

Notice the difference in these two venues of service. Our typical ministries have been inwardly focused, although many churches are trying to move toward outwardly focused ministries. Attending to ourselves lends itself to the gifts of caring, consoling, nurturing, and sharing. Women seem to receive recognition and support from their peers in a way that men do not. Men prefer to be involved in more tangible accomplishments. We like to look back and take satisfaction in a job well done. Most men don’t even want an “up front” avenue of service, but, we do need to feel useful and appreciated. God made us that way!

Men yearn for greatness and recognition and, yet, most churches stymie that desire, even labeling it as sinful. Recall when James and John approached Jesus to request the future posts of Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Notice that Jesus did not rebuke them for seeking greatness. Instead, he showed them the way to true greatness, “If you will be great, you must be the servant of all others.” Men need a vision of greatness, not through self-promotion but through self-sacrifice.[3] Real men need real service.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1, Carroll Osburn, Women in the Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xviii

2. David Murrow, Why Men Hate Going To Church, Nelson Books, Nashville TN, 2005, p.144

3. ibid. p.101

Note: I could only touch the tip of the iceberg on this topic. If it caught your attention, please read the book. It’s a real eye-opener!

Clothesline April 2007

2007-04-05T17:19:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 6 APR 2007

Word for the Day
Metamorphosis - a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.

Quote for the Day
Following Jesus doesn’t get us where we want to go. It gets us to where Jesus goes, where we meet him in Resurrection surprise: “My Lord and my God.” [1]

Website for the Day
Check out Terry Rush (Tulsa) at www.terryrush.blogspot.com
and Mike Cope (Abilene) at www.preachermike.com

Thought for the Day
When we are traveling and unsure about our route, it is me who insists on asking for directions and Pam who assures me that we can find our way without help. In that respect, we are the reverse stereotypical couple. Another common male stereotype is that we don’t read assembly or instruction manuals. Well, at least not until we’ve screwed all the pieces together and discovered that it doesn’t work! Or, it works but we have several parts left over and that doesn’t even bother us. We just assume there were extra items in package C.

This male characteristic prompted Pam to observe a paradoxical corollary. We refuse to read the instructions or ask directions because we are in a hurry to see the result or arrive at the destination. And, I suspect, we also hate to admit that we might need help! So why is it that only for our “church manual” do we insist on reading, assimilating, and painstakingly following all the instructions? It’s as if, all of a sudden, we believe that it is up to us to get it all right. Although, we do seem to retain the practice of sorting out some parts as extras that weren’t really intended for our use.

Most of you are aware of the many debates conducted over the past 150 years. The work of Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), a cappella versus accompanied singing, and divorce/remarriage have all been openly contested as part of our effort to get it exactly right. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries we believed that rational men (not women) could read the text and come to absolute agreement.

The mortar of the wall is crumbling and allowing the bricks to fall out of place. In our post-modern world, I believe, the Ruach HaKodesh is moving us toward unity - not uniformity. Yes, there are absolute truths, but I contend not as many as we have claimed or, at least, implied. Requiring Sunday School is not an absolute truth. Meeting twice on Sunday is not an absolute; neither is a full-time staff. And those are just some minor points.

Perhaps having a few parts left over isn’t so bad as long as we are making progress toward completion. As one old preacher used to say, we suffer from the “paralysis of analysis.” When asked about the two greatest commands, Jesus’ response was consistent, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” [MAT 22.37] I know that we can agree on that. The question is, how do we show love to our neighbor? Notice the stark absence of most of the commands that we have codified in our instruction manual. Could it be that Jesus’ words and life show us that if we focus on these two primary commands, we will be getting it right?

We have always read and taught that the word is “living and active;” we just never reflected on what it means to be alive. Living implies breath (Holy Spirit), growth (change), and maybe even metamorphosis. Isn’t that the path along which God calls us to travel? Even when we don’t know the destination. Using today’s language, we are called to an Extreme Makeover. My result will not be identical to yours. We have different starting points, different natural talents, and different Spirit imbued gifts. Paul says that we have received the Spirit of God, “that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.” [1COR 2.1-13] My study of the text may not lead me to exactly the same conclusions as you; not because the Ruach HaKodesh is flawed, but because we each receive our own message - custom tailored just for us - if we are willing to listen. Some of you might remember an old gospel preacher named Harvey Starling. I can still see him pause, lean out over the pulpit and punctuate his point with, “Are you listening?”

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way, found in Christianity Today, Apr 2007, p.78

Clothesline March 2007

2007-03-12T14:23:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 12 MAR 2007

Word for the Day
Anthropomorphize – to ascribe human motivation, characteristics or behavior to objects, animals or natural phenomena

Quote for the Day
The Mother who is above all mothers says, “I will comfort you; I will remind you; I will motivate you; I will define you; I will wean you from all rudeness and uncivil things. I will make a well-bred child out of you, better than any mother does in the world.” [1]

Website for the Day
www.wandringpoet.wordpress.com
Gabe Peterson is a graduate student at Abilene Christian University. You can read about his struggle with life.

Thought for the Day
Some of you know that recently we became grandparents for the second time. Our daughter and her husband brought Christopher Ryan into this world on 5 September 2006. A couple of months ago, as I was watching him during Sunday ecclesia, it occurred to me how totally helpless a baby is. Reflecting on Ryan being totally dependent on his mother prompted me to compare that relationship to our dependency upon the Divine for our sustenance and protection or, at least, how we should rely upon God to provide. Maybe that’s what Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to allow the children to come near for, “such is the kingdom of heaven.” [MAT 19.13]

Today, I offer for your consideration that the triune nature of God is a model of family with the father (Yahweh), child (Yeshuah) and the spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). Ruach is Hebrew for Spirit and is feminine in gender. HaKodesh means The Holy. [2] Think about it. Does that not make sense for a family to have a father, mother and children? Isn’t that the ideal?

Psalm 51.11 is only one of four places in the Tanakh (OT) that links Holy and Spirit. [3] However, there are several passages that refer to the feminine nature of God. Consider Isaiah 66.10-13 where we read, “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory. For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Jesus promised that he would send us a comforter after ascending back to heaven. The Greek word that John uses is parakletos - one who stands beside you to comfort or intercede. But remember that Jesus and the disciples spoke Hebrew and Aramaic, not Greek. The only other occurrence of parakletos is in 1 John 2.1 where it refers to Jesus and so it is not unique to describing the Holy Spirit. Perhaps our dependence on the Greek text has hidden the original sense of comfort that only a mother can provide. Isn’t that more inviting than imagining the Ruach HaKodesh as a lawyer standing by us in court? Some scholars believe that the Isaiah passage was looking toward Jesus’ last words to his disciples. Zinzendorf links Isaiah 66.13 with John 14.26 by saying that Jesus thought, “If I should say to my disciples that I am going away, then I must give them some comfort. I must say to them that they will receive someone who will comfort them over my departure. It will not be strange to them, for they have already read it in the Bible, …There it read, ‘they shall have a Mother: I will leave you my Spirit’.” [4]

Does this mean there is a “Leave it to Beaver” family sitting around a dining table up in the sky? Of course not; the triune God is spirit and our confusion stems from the very natural attempt to anthropomorphize God. Not only is it natural for us to visualize God in our image, but He helped us along that path. The Father is often pictured as having a face, voice, hands, even a backside. The Hebrews and other Easterners are more visual thinkers than us Westerners and would find it natural to describe God as a rock or a consuming fire or even a human. The phrase God the Father may obscure the fact that we know that He is no more “male” than God the Spirit is “female,” but the imagery helps us to understand the role of each personality in the Trinity.

There is an old spiritual song that repeats the phrase, “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.” [5] How awful for a child to be abandoned by its mother. The Ruach HaKodesh will never leave us. Recall these verses:

“The Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words”
[ROM 8.26]
“The Spirit will guide you into all truth”
[JOH 16.13]
“ He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever”
[JOH 14.16]

Now think about how a mother cares for her baby. She is attentive to her cries. She will wake up if she has a feeling that the child needs to be checked on. She can identify his cry among the other babies in the nursery. She provides life-giving milk to ensure health and growth. She would give her all for that child. Couldn’t we say the same for the Holy Spirit as our comforter? Who usually has the natural gift of comfort - the man or the woman? You know the answer.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

Note: Yes, I know that the Holy Spirit is always referred to as “he” in the NT. I do
not see that as contradictory because almost every pronoun in the NT is biased
toward male gender. See John 13.35; 14.23; 15.5 et al. Plus, remember, I’m not
arguing that the Holy Spirit is actually a “woman.”

1. John Atwood, www.zinzendorf.com/atwood.htm, 10 FEB 2007

2. John Dart, New Concepts in Christianity, found on www.the-
branch.org/Feminine_Holy_Spirit_Mother_John_Dart_Lois_Roden
Note: Even though this was found on the Branch Davidian website, the article was
written by John Dart for the “Times” newspaper on April 10, 1982.

3. David Stern, Complete Jewish Bible, Jewish New Testament Pub., Clarksville
MD, 1998, pg. 1589

4. Zinzendorf, op. cit.

5. Author unknown, www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/sometimes_i_fell.htm, 10 FEB 2007

Cothesline #2

2007-02-07T17:36:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 8 FEB 2007

Word for the Day
Extant - in existence, opposite of extinct. Our Bible is based on the extant manuscripts.

Quote for the Day
It is not enough to claim our sorrow and joy in silence. We must also claim them in a trusted circle of friends. To do so we need to speak about what is in our cup. As long as we live our deepest truth in secret, isolated from a community of love, its burden is too heavy to carry. The fear of being known can make us split off our true inner selves and make us despise ourselves even when we are acclaimed and praised by many. [1]

Website for the Day
www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/001/1.49.html
This is a MUST read article for all COC people!

Thought for the Day
Have you been following the story of Ted Haggard? Haggard was the founder and pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, a church that began in his home and had grown to 14,000 members. He was also the president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and an outspoken critic of legalizing homosexual marriages. But, in late October his world caved in around him when a homosexual escort accused Pastor Ted of paying for his services and using drugs. At first the accusations were denied, but over the next few days Haggard admitted that “enough of them are true” that he was removed from his pastorate and his presidency. [2] Ted and Gayle have five children.

Let’s take a step back in history for some background information. Remember when Abraham and Lot made the decision that it would be best to separate? Abraham allowed Lot first choice of the land. As Lot cast his gaze toward the east, he spied the fertility of the land. Perhaps Lot coined the realtor’s mantra, “location, location, location” as he was drawn to Sodom and Gomorrah. I will make the assumption that they were attractive, thriving cities. Did Lot know their dark secret? Or was it no secret, not even uncommon? At the beginning of this story, the writer says, “Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” [GEN 13.13 See also Judges 19 for an even more disturbing story of degradation]

The sexual mores of Sodom and Gomorrah were not unheard of, though maybe not prevalent. The men of the town would have had wives and children at home; they just liked to come out and play at night. They were not homosexuals as we use the term today; a true homosexual community would not be growing because there would be no children. The Judges’ story confirms that these men would have sex with women also. These men were bisexuals.

The homosexual community of today is a relatively modern phenomenon. However, bisexual behavior has a long history; ancient Greece and Rome had patterns of bisexual practice. Perhaps the most famous example is Alexander the Great who had many wives and children but also sexual relations with his close friend Hephaestion. [3] Despite prohibitions in the Quran, bisexuality is tolerated in Arab countries, “so long as they marry and raise families and fulfill other societal duties.” [4]

Did you know there was a town near Galilee that made Sodom look tame? Well, maybe not every day, but during the religious festivals, Ceasarea Phillippi was filled with all varieties of sexual intercourse, including bestiality. Jesus walks his telmidim to that city according to Matthew 16.13-20. My opinion is that he chose to let them witness the depravity on the festival day. Ceasarea was a center for the worship of Pan, the Greek god of fertility. In the spring of each year they held a fertility festival to ensure abundant fields and flocks. It was true pandemonium! [5]

Return to the story of Lot and consider the reaction of his two future sons-in-law. They did not leave the city because they thought Lot was “jesting.” [GEN 19.14] These would have been young men, almost certainly from Sodom, who knew the culture of their city. Therefore, I suggest that if they had not been with Lot they would have been outside with the rabble. [v.4 “all the people to the last man”] God could not even find ten righteous people in the city. [GEN 18.32] Married, children, occasional tryst with another man - no problem! I have read that our time and culture is probably more like the first century than any time in between. Solomon said that there is “nothing new under the sun,” so we can at least take some comfort in knowing that total depravity is nothing new. [ECC 1.9]

Now, back to Ted, reading about his personal struggle got me to thinking about our tendency to harshly judge those whose sins go before them and labeling them as worse than those whose sins remain hidden. It is so sad that leaders like Ted Haggard have to fall before the critical eye of the nation. [6] Christians walk away confused and discouraged. Antagonists walk away with their cynicism cemented even more concretely.

Unfortunately, we too are often guilty of shooting our wounded. As Leroy Garrett said, “And if one is troubled about his or her sexuality - whether he or she is gay or lesbian - it is just as well to deal with the problem alone. Like many other churches, we shoot our rejects. We have had a bad habit of neglecting the heart.” [7] Let us remember that “The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.” [1TIM 5.24] May we not be so hasty in passing judgment on others but recall the old adage of, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Henri Nouwen, Can You Drink the Cup?, ave maria press, 1996, p.106

2. Ted Haggard’s Letter of Apology read to the New Life Church, 5 NOV 2006

3. found on www.alanfildes.com/intimatecompanions.php

4. found on www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/521802

5. Ray Vander Laan, www.followtherabbi.com

6. Do you remember? Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Joe Beam (COC), Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, M. Norvel Young (COC)

7. Leroy Garrett, A Lover’s Quarrel, ACU Press, 2003, p.276

Clothesline #1

2006-12-27T13:06:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 JAN 2007

Word for the Day
Sectarian - adhering or confined to the dogmatic limits of a sect, one characterized by a bigoted adherence to a factional viewpoint.

Quote for the Day
As we experience unity in mutual service with other Christians, we may all come to see the inappropriateness of our sects and denominations. Like Barton W. Stone, we may eventually be willing to say of our own Churches of Christ, “Let this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the body of Christ at large.” When that day comes - no more denominations, just the one body of Christ - we will have realized the dream of our pioneers. That is who we are - or who we are supposed to be! [1]

Website for the Day
OK, so it’s not a website this time but a book entitled A Lover’s Quarrel,My Pilgrimage of Freedom in Churches of Christ by Leroy Garrett.This book is a “must read” for all of us Church of Christ people. His spiritual journey from sectarianism to freedom is woven into every chapter of his fascinating life story.

Thought for the Day
We have taken a look at the ancient customs of the rabbis and Jewish people over the last few months and will conclude that series this month with a fresh look at the story of the Good Samaritan.

Two of Jesus’ contemporaries were rabbi Shammai and rabbi Hillel, who, respectively, represented the extremes between conservative and liberal interpretations. [2] If you asked any rabbi what was the most important command, it would have been agreed upon that “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” would be number one. But what is the second? Shammai would have said, “Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.” Hillel would have responded with “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But who are my neighbors? Shammai would have limited them to good orthodox Jews only, whereas Hillel would have accepted a much broader definition of neighbor. Neither would have accepted a Samaritan as a neighbor. Remember how Jesus was asked this question in each of the synoptic gospels? The leaders wanted to know if he would side with Shammai or Hillel. So when the lawyer (probably a young telmidim) approached Jesus with the question of, “who is my neighbor,” he was probably seeking affirmation for what he already believed. [LUK 10.29] Instead, he was humbled by Jesus’ response.

According to Jewish scholar David Flusser, this story is considered to be the quintessential example of parabolic illustration. [3] He says that the construction of this story is typical in that the first two people were both Sadducees (the priest and Levite) followed by the hero, who would have been a Pharisee. But Jesus put a surprise twist on the conclusion by substituting a Samaritan for the Pharisee. The young questioner must have felt ill when he saw where this story was headed. He couldn’t even say the word “Samaritan” when asked, “Which of these proved neighbor to the man?” [4]

Who were the most despised by the Jews? Not the Romans, but the Samaritans! Not only did Jesus pull a bait and switch at the end of the story, but he also reversed the role of neighbor from the one in need to the one who offered healing. We have taught this as a story about helping those in need, and that is a valid message. But now we can see the original message was to do good to the one who hates you the most. That is, to love your enemy.

Remember from the last issue how the rabbis debated over the ranking of commands? Even Jesus made a reference to the “least of these commandments.” [MAT 5.19] We have typically been critical of the priest and the Levite for their refusal to help the half dead man. But what if we consider that they were just keeping the Law? In Numbers 19.10-13 we find that anyone who touched a dead body would be ceremonially unclean. The two Sadducees considered that command to be more important than stopping to render aid to an injured person. They were being obedient to the Torah regarding their ecclesial position.

Another layer of meaning occurred to me the other night after teaching this midrash on the Good Samaritan. While this next portion is targeted toward those of us from the Church of Christ heritage, maybe it is applicable to other fellowships as well. I would submit that we have created our own Top Ten Commandments. The first five are the entrance requirements of hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. The second five are to sing (a cappella), pray, give, partake of communion, and listen to a sermon; these are the requirements of the faithful.

Everything else is viewed as subservient to those ten. But wait, didn’t Jesus say the first command was to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”? [MAT 22. 37-40] Notice that these two commands don’t even come from the decalogue. The first is from the Shema [DEU 6.4], and the second is from an obscure list in Leviticus 19.18b.

Several years ago we presented a proposal to our leaders about helping with our local Pregnancy Aid Center but were turned down because they did not teach baptism just like we do. None of our ministers belong to the local Ministerial Alliance because we might be identified as one of the denominations. (Our traditional stance is to insist that we are the only true church.) We refuse to help in a local mission work because they use instrumental music. In each case we have said, “Well, we could help you but doing so would violate one of our commands.” I am afraid that we have been indicted by our own harsh judgment of the two Sadducees. How many times have we “passed by on the other side” because helping would have violated a command given preeminence by our own tradition?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Leroy Garrett, A Lover’s Quarrel - My Pilgrimage of Freedom in Churches of Christ, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2003, p.271

2. Found on www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography.hillel.html

3. Ray Vander Laan, www.followtherabbi.com

4. ibid.

Clothesline #10

2006-11-16T17:11:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 17 NOV 2006
There will be no December issue. Happy Holidays to all!

Word for the Day
S’mikhah - Ordination, transference or authority [Hebrew], literally to “fill their hand”. The Greek equivalent is exousia. [1]

Quote for the Day
Paul distinguishes between the nepioi, those beginners in the faith who are fed only milk, and the teleioi, those more mature Christians who can receive solid food. It often seems many churches today focus so much on the nepioi that the teleioi are left to fend for themselves. They deliver many introductory lectures and not enough nourishment to help the faithful grow to a deeper understanding of the gospel and a more significant relationship with God. [2]

Website for the Day
www.followtherabbi.com
This is Ray Vander Laan’s website and the source for much of the material presented today.

Thought for the Day
Last month we laid some groundwork regarding the tension between the text and reality as seen by the Jewish people. This month we will extend that to our post-modern world.

The towns surrounding the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee were not as “backwoods” as we have been led to believe. This was the land of commerce, synagogues, and rabbis. Capernaum was a center for Jewish theological study. In the first century, Jewish children attended school until age 12. The boys were expected to memorize the Torah (GEN-DEU) and the girls were to learn Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Proverbs. Three times Jesus spoke to a group consisting mostly of women and each time he quoted from the Psalms, knowing it would be familiar to them. [e.g. LUK 10.42]

Girls were finished with school at that point and were ready for marriage after beginning menstruation. Boys could continue schooling with a rabbi if they showed promise and had memorized the Torah. Of course, for most, school was over and it was time to learn a trade - usually the father’s trade. Even those who continued their education would have concurrently learned a trade. Men did not marry until 20 - 25 years of age. During that second level of school a boy would continue to memorize more of the Tanakh (OT) and receive explanations about its meaning from a rabbi.

Finally, at about age 15, only a select few would be considered for the advanced level. Whereas the second group studied to learn about the text, this group not only learned the text but their goal was to become just like the rabbi. The second group studied under a Torah teacher, but the select group followed a rabbi with s’mikhah. These rabbis had the authority to interpret the text, and some could cast out demons and perform miracles; their students were called telmidim (disciples). The Jews trace this authority all the way back to Moses’ selection of the 70 judges. [EXO 18, 24] This ordination was passed along from generation to generation by two rabbis with s’mikhah to the new recipient. Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion. [2KIN 2.9-12]

Recall the account of Jesus’ early teaching where the people marveled that he “taught them as one who had authority (s’mikhah), and not as the scribes.” [MAR 1.21-28] Later in his ministry when Jesus was questioned about where he got his s’mikhah, he used a typical rabbinical technique and answered their question with a question. “Where did John (the immerser) get his s’mikhah - from heaven or from men?” Because the priests and scribes had been trapped in their own game, they refused to continue and so ended it with “we cannot say.” [MAT 21.23-27] From where did Jesus get his authority? One of the two sources was his father, [MAT 17.1-8] and the other plausible source was John. You see, when Jesus answered their question by referring to John’s authority he was affirming that John was recognized as a rabbi with s’mikhah. We have no proof, but it is possible that Jesus studied with John in the desert from about ages 15 to 30. Notice also at the Transfiguration how John is linked to Elijah. [MAT 17.9-13] Perhaps, symbolically, John endows Jesus with a double portion also.

As a rabbi with s’mikhah, Jesus reinterpreted the text on many occasions. For example, most of Matthew 5’s account of the Sermon on the Mount consists of “you have heard it said, but I say unto you...” Last month we also considered some examples regarding the sabbath. We have some of the letters written to the first century church, but since we are no longer receiving apostolic letters, the ongoing task of interpretation falls upon us. Sometimes we can easily understand and adapt what the writer had to say. Even without scholarship we can usually get the point. With help we can, perhaps, understand what the text meant to the first century audience. But then comes the problem. Is that intent frozen in time - something to be viewed like a museum display? Or is it open to reinterpretation in light of our current concerns and culture?

In John 14-17 we find Jesus’ farewell address to his disciples. In the past I’ve been taught that the promises found there only applied to the apostles, but now I’m realizing that we are also the recipients of the Counselor. Just as Jesus was able to open the text to the people of his day, we can and must exercise the same authority today. Jesus promised that “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” [JOH 16.13a]

Today we continue to come up against the same dilemmas as the old rabbis who prioritized the Ten Commandments and disagreed upon the ranking. Numerous NT passages send us conflicting messages. Consider the grace of Romans versus the works of James and Paul’s statement to Corinth that it would be better not to marry versus his command for Timothy that the younger widows should marry. Because of such diversity within the text “we are allowed to exercise the exousia (power/freedom) given by the NT itself with regard to Torah.” Johnson goes on to say that “every Christian stands to one degree or another in disagreement with some part of the New Testament. Anyone who claims otherwise is simply lying.” [3]

The example that immediately sprang to mind is the command to “invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.” [LUK 14.13-14] Our strong tendency is to invite those just like ourselves who are able to reciprocate. Since we do not live by this text, we must explain why we do not obey this command. “This means that we must find authorization for our position somewhere else in these writings; sometimes we will be given an option by the divergence of another text or by the exousia of reinterpretation in the light of new experiences of God’s work in human lives and events.” [4] Or, in the case of the passage cited, we really don’t have a leg to stand on for lack of obedience.

So how do we remain faithful to the text yet not become culturally irrelevant? Jeff Walling put it this way, “Will the next generation walk into our assembly and think they have entered a museum?” [5] Or more to the point, will the next generation walk into our lives and only observe warning signs like “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” [COL 2.21] Not only must we open the word to the world, but we must “reopen” it to ourselves and allow the Spirit to guide us.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

1. Rabbi Eric Carlson, www.sidroth.org/jewishroots_main27.htm

2. Howard W. Stone & James O. Duke, How To Think Theologically, Fortress Press, Minneapolis MN, 1996, p.116

3. Luke Timothy Johnson, Scripture and Discernment: Decision Making in the Church, Abingdon Press, Nashville TN, 1996

4. ibid.

5. Jeff Walling, Must We Change To Grow, keynote address delivered at Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop, 2004

Clothesline #9

2006-10-05T17:13:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 6 OCT 2006

Word for the Day
Rationalism - theological or philosophical position which values reason as the ultimate judge of all statements. [1]

Quote for the Day
It is possible to learn all about the mysteries of the Bible and never be affected by it in one’s own soul. Great knowledge is not enough.
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress [2]

Website for the Day
www.wadehodges.com
Read the blog entry dated 13 JUL 2006; it is the excerpt from the book mentioned below.

Thought for the Day
Several weeks ago I came across an excerpt from Luke Timothy Johnson [3] on Wade Hodges’ website. Johnson was exploring the concept that when we read scriptures that don’t seem to fit with what we know or practice; we do not have to fabricate some kind of harmony of all the passages on a particular topic. Instead, he suggests that the messages we read are intentionally in tension one with the other so that we must make decisions that are “critically contextual.” [4] Let’s consider a couple of examples to see what this looks like in real life.

In Deuteronomy 24.1-4 we read that a man cannot take back his wife that has been put away because she is considered impure. This is clearly a command, part of the Mosaic law. Now recall the story about how Saul’s daughter, Michal, was given to David because of his valor. [1SAM 18.27] We are not given the details; apparently he wasn’t interested (and was busy eluding Saul) and she became married to Paltiel. [2SAM 3.12-16] When David ascends to the throne he demands her back as his wife - a clear violation of the Torah. Now, I’m not condoning what he did but it is noteworthy that there is no condemnation, no visit from the prophet Nathan regarding this matter. We can read later that David “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” [1KIN 15.5]

Next, let’s look at the story of Hosea and Gomer. Hosea was told to “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children.” [HOS 1.2] We know the rest of the story about how she left him and returned to her former lifestyle. In the first part of chapter three Hosea is told to bring her back, “even as the Lord loves the people of Israel.” Hosea illustrated with his own life how God will take us back, even after we commit adultery, whether it be literal or figurative. But wait a moment; didn’t we have a clear command that a man could not take back a polluted wife? The original command is in conflict with the actual practice and yet is not characterized as sin. In fact, Hosea is instructed to do so. Did not God take back his own people many times? The text is in tension so that we must make decisions.

The Jews believed that the commandments were purposefully set at odds, one against the other. In Jesus’ day each rabbi promoted the commandment which he felt was the most important. For some, it was to keep the Sabbath holy. If the ox fell into the ditch, you just left it there to die despite the command in Deuteronomy 22.1-4 to render aid to animals. A person had to decide which command would take preeminence. Jesus addressed this when he asked, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?” [LUK 14.5] Who would leave their son in the well because of the sabbath restriction against work?

See how he answers their question with a question? The next time you read through the gospels notice how often this technique is used. This was the way rabbis debated among themselves and their students. The teaching of a rabbi was referred to as his yoke and the questioning back and forth was referred to as testing the yoke. [5] Sometimes the text actually says that they were putting him to the test. Matthew [22.34-40], Mark [12.28-34] and Luke [10.25-28] all record Jesus’ response when he was put to the test concerning which command was the greatest. Jesus encouraged people to follow him because his “yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [MAT 11.30] He was not making a comparison to the physical yoke of an ox as we have always been taught.

In Matthew 12 we read the story of Jesus and his disciples eating from the grain field on the sabbath. Of course this drew comments of disapproval from the leaders. Jesus tried to show them that “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” [MAR 2.27]

Which to obey - keep the sabbath or get the ox out of the ditch? Keep the sabbath or go hungry? Now, just as back then, we constantly make decisions regarding which commands take precedence in our daily life. What if, instead of expending time and energy trying to make agreement where there is none, we concluded that “the NT actually legitimates a healthy pluralism of practice within the same basic identity”? [6] Just as the rabbis were free to engage in healthy debate about which command was the greatest, so are we free to discuss and, even, diverge on many applications of the text. Both Johnson and Brueggemann [7] recognize the dichotomy of honoring the authority of the text as normative while at the same time allowing, even forcing, us to wrestle with the text in view of our experience and our culture. Next month we will consider our power to exercise reinterpretation.

May God Bless
Mike Toole

My friend and editor had to step down because of other commitments. She will be missed. She has proofread, critiqued and contributed ideas for about a year. If you know of someone who might be interested in assuming that role, send me a note.

1. Carroll Osburne, Women in the Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xviii

2. Reflections, Christianity Today, September 2006, p.112

3. Luke Timothy Johnson, Scripture and Discernment: Decision Making in the Church, Abingdon Press, Nashville TN, 1996

4. Walter Brueggemann, Rethinking Church Models Through Scripture, http://theologytoday.pstem.edu/jul1991/v48-2article1.htmI believe the “critical” refers to the study and application of the text and the “contextual” refers to the context of our culture and experience.

5. Ray Vander Laan, Lessons from www.followtherabbi.com

6. Johnson, op. cit.

7. Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation and Obedience - From Faithful Reading to Faithful Living, Augsburg Press, Minneapolis MN, 1991, p.152

Clothesline

2006-09-04T20:28:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 5 SEP 2006

Note: There was no August issue due to other commitments.

Word for the Day - another two for one
Hades [Greek] or Sheol [Hebrew] - the grave, resting place of the dead

Gehenna [geenna -Gk] - the Aramaic form of the Hebrew gehinnom which means the Valley of Hinnom; the “city dump” where the fire burned continually. Both words are translated as hell in the NT.

Quote for the Day
“It is possible to learn all about the mysteries of the Bible and never be afected by it in one’s soul. Great knowledge is not enough.”
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress [1]

Website for the Day
www.edwardfudge.com
Check out his article on the Two Views of Hell, as well as other insightful writings.

Thought for the DayThis summer has been extremely busy and I’ve not had enough time to read and meditate. However, I have been reading through F. LaGard Smith’s book AfterLife and would like to share some insights from that book. [2] Smith challenges some of our long-held beliefs about the afterlife based on his exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) study. So hang on to your hat and open your mind as we focus on the doctrines of eternal punishment and soul-sleep.

Most of us grew up with the teaching of hell as an eternal punishment of the wicked. The older among us can even remember those “hell fire and damnation” sermons. But, what if we have misunderstood the nature of punishment? In Matthew 10.28 we hear the warning of Jesus, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell [gehenna].” Notice the phrase “destroy both the body and soul.”

Fire is a recurring metaphor for punishment in both the OT and the NT. Smith posits the question, “Is it a fire which torments, or a fire which consumes?” [3] Let’s consider some texts that speak to the concept of final destruction.

1. Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire [LEV 9.24-10.2]
2. The people in Korah’s rebellion were consumed [NUM 16.35]
3. The people in Noah’s time were annilhilated [GEN 6.7,17]
4. Lot’s wife [GEN 19.26]
5. Achan was destroyed by fire [JOS 7.15]
6. People destroyed like the flame devours the stubble [JOE 2.3-5]

Many other passages are listed in his book; hopefully this sampling makes the point that various “destructions” of the OT were swift and final. Malachi also speaks of nothing left except the “ashes under the soles of your feet.” [MAL 4.1-3] Jesus speaks of the branch that is good for nothing except to be thrown into the fire and burned. [JOH 15.6] In Revelation 20.14-15, John tells us about the lake of fire that is the second death - the death that destroys both body and soul.

Now some will respond by asking about the words eternal and unquenchable that are sometimes linked to final punishment. Further study reveals that those words speak to the origin and certainty of punishment more so than the duration. Consider Jude 7 which refers to the “eternal fire” which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. In Luke 3.17 we read about the “unquenchable fire” which burns up the chaff. The fire may never go out (as in the Gehenna) but the combustible material becomes ash. As a bit of serendipity, this theory of punishment instantly defuses the argument of agnostics/atheists that a loving God could not possibly sentence people to unending torment.

Another question is what happens immediately upon death. We know that the body returns to dust; but what about the soul? Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “soul-sleep” which refers to the intermediate state between physical death and resurrection. Smith argues that this is accurate, i.e. the body is in a sort of suspended animation awaiting the resurrection. For the deceased the transition from death to resurrection seems immediate just as our waking from a sound night’s sleep seems as if no time has passed. We may hear at the eulogy that someone has “gone on to their reward;” but I believe we understand that no one gets to heaven without passing through the judgement at the end of time.

Jesus and Paul used the phrase “sleep” for what we would call dead. Consider the following examples.

1. Jairus’ daughter - not dead but sleeping [LUK 8.52]
2. those who have fallen asleep [1COR 15.20 & 1THE 4.13]

If any of this has triggered your curiosity to dig deeper I would highly recommend that you get a copy of AfterLife and study the topic with someone. Or maybe you disagree with Smith’s conclusion; either way the book is an excellent study guide of all the verses related to the afterlife.

The desire for immortality seems deeply engrained into mankind. Luke records two instances of people asking how to obtain eternal life. [LUK 10.25 & 18.18] So God sent the sin solution in the form of his son to offer us everlasting life. [JOH 3.16] Jesus did not come to say follow me - or else - but follow me and enjoy the abundant life. [JOH 10.10] We still have the choice to make between the eternal punishment of annihilation or immortality. Without Jesus, sin brings death to us all. [ROM 6.23] Simon Peter said, “You have the words of eternal life.” [JOH 6.68] Now it all makes sense.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Reflections, Christianity Today, September 2006, p.112

2. F. LaGard Smith, AfterLife, Cotswald Publ., Nashville TN, 2003

3. ibid. p.168

Clothesline

2006-07-07T17:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 7 JUL 2006

Word for the Day
Lectio Divina - A reading of Scripture that moves from reading (lectio), to repeating a portion of a passage (rumination), to meditation (mindful consideration of a passage and the issues it raises), to prayer to God (oratio), and finally, to contemplation (contemplatio). [1]

Quote for the Day - two for one this time!
Hell was not made for men. It is in no sense parallel to heaven: It is “the darkness outside,” the outer rim where being fades away into nonentity. C.S. Lewis

“Eternal fire” bespeaks the nature of hell’s fire, not it duration. “Eternal punishment” will no more be punishment throughout an endless eternity than was the immediate, devastating punishment suffered by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. At some point - sooner or later- hell will mean the everlasting destruction of the soul and its resurrection body. [2]

Website for the Day
www.christjourney.net Check out the new website for Christ Journey church!

Thought for the Day
It was a typical Summer Sunday morning as we drove into the parking lot. The air was heavy with humidity as we walked from the car to the church building where we were first greeted by the door greeters and then by other congregants. As we moved from the porch into the hallway, I picked up a Worship Guide and entered the auditorium which was already filling up with friends and family.

The worship leader stepped up to the podium and began the service with a spirited version of Step by Step - one of my favorites. Next, the pastor stood to give the official welcome and the call to worship after which we rejoined the worship leader in songs of praise. Everything seemed routine until I noticed from my left side peripheral vision an older, unfamiliar man raising his hands toward heaven. Not only that, but he was wearing shorts and sandals. I thought to myself, “It’s a good thing we recently installed that portable defibrillator! Oh well, I need not worry about him; someone will let him know that we don’t do that here. It’s just a one-time incident.”

Later that evening, after church, while we were eating tacos with some friends, I heard that there were some of our own people who met in their homes for Bible study and even took communion on Saturday or twice on Sunday. Someone needs to go to the elder-board and put a stop to this. What is happening to us? How can these people act this way and expect to be saved?

The next Sunday rolled around and as I located a seat I looked around for the “hand-raiser” but did not see him. Good, I thought, someone did speak to him. Part of today’s service included the annual budget presentation so we were on the edge of our seats to hear about the upcoming plans and events. A hush fell over the crowd as we learned about plans for a new facility and two additional ministers. Wow! This would surely motivate our people toward increased giving and involvement. I’m sure some of these people don’t give much - or do much. The new budget called for us to immediately begin setting aside an additional $10,000 per week in anticipation of new staff and the building fund. Suddenly, someone from the back spoke up and broke the silence of our trance-like state of mind. The voice yelled out, “Why don’t you take that money and spend it on the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, and evangelizing the city? It sounds like you are spending it all on yourselves!” As everyone quickly turned around to see the owner of this voice, I was aghast to see that it was none other than the “hand-raiser.” The church security guards were already making their way from the foyer toward the dissenter as someone called out, “Get that man out of here!” How could anyone think like this and expect to be saved? [3]

Well, that Sunday service was spoiled by such an unruly outburst; some people just have no respect for the worship hour.[4] How can we expect to maintain unity if we allow people to act or think that way? At least everything will be back to normal by next Sunday, and I just remembered, it’s “Bring A Friend” Sunday!

Now consider Mark 7.1-13 and read it with fresh eyes.

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

Then he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor you father and mother’; and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban’ (that is, an offering to God) - then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.”[5]

Doesn’t this story speak to us today just as strongly as it did to those scribes and Pharisees of 2000 years ago? Maybe that encounter was inserted into the text as a ticking time bomb just waiting to be detonated in our generation. And the shrapnel from the explosion still carries the sting of truth.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Ben Campbell Johnson & Andrew Dreitcer, Beyond the Ordinary, Eerdmans Publ. , Grand Rapids MI, 2001, p.138

2. F. LaGard Smith, AfterLife, Cotswold Publ. Nashville TN, 2003, p. 164

3. Robert Montgomery, The Hardest Questions Never Go Away, www.gal328.org

4. Michael S. Moore, Faith Under Pressure, Leafwood Publ. Siloam Springs AR, 2003, p.96 “Corporate worship is often the flashpoint where this [strife] occurs because for immature believers this is their only contact with the Unseen world.”

5. NRSV, Harper Collins Publ. 1993

2006-05-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 15 MAY 2006

Word for the Day

Antiquarianism - The study of matters relating to the life and culture of ancient times. [1]

Quote for the Day

The canon then is not a settled truth. It is an ongoing conversation in which the ongoingness is an epistemological decision about the character of truth. The hope is to keep the conversation going without excluding any voice or giving any voice veto. The conversation must be attentive to the role, function, gift, power, and claim of different voices. [2]

Website for the Day

http://www.freedominchrist.net/ This site is run by Dallas Burdette; check out the good articles. Read the excellent (and brief) article by him about Worship at http://gcm.faithsite.com/printcontent.asp?CID=17617

Thought for the Day

Last month we took a whirlwind tour of the NT references to women and realized the important role they played in those seminal years. When the cultural restrictions imposed on the women of the first century are contrasted with the relative freedom that Jesus offered and allowed; we see a striking departure from the norm of that day. Now, the first century world was not ready for some changes. There were no women among the Twelve. Paul does not condemn slavery although we can now look back and see that slavery was wrong. [PHI 0.8-20] But even then he was laying the groundwork for equality. Some change would have to wait almost 2000 years and some changes still lie in waiting.

What about the “clear” teachings that women should be silent? This forum does not provide the space or time for any more than a cursory look at the passages in 1COR 14.34 and 1TIM 2.8-15. Briefly, 1 Corinthians probably refers to women commenting on the interpretations of the speakers. The Greek word sigao (keep silent) is used in both v.30 and v.34 giving an equal command to both men and women regarding prophecy etiquette. The following verses may have targeted women because of some problems unique to that time and place. Note that the restriction is not placed in chapter 11 where Paul sets forth some cultural guidelines for the women who prayed and prophesied in the general assembly. [3]

In 1TIM 2.12 we again find the injunction that women should keep silent. In the preceeding verses Paul also told Timothy that men should lift holy hands in prayer and that the women should not braid their hair or wear gold or pearls or costly attire. Did that mean it was all right for the men to “dress to the nines,” just not the women? Do we not all wear gold rings and costly attire? We easily dismiss these words as being sensitive to the culture of that day. In verse 12 Paul uses the Greek word hesuchia (quiet, quiet fashion) which is translated as being quiet natured or still and is not as strong as the “silence” command found in 1 Corinthians.

Timothy was almost certainly in Ephesus at this time. This was the home of the temple of Diana, the most famous female-only cult. The job fell to Timothy to instruct the women to dress and act in such a way that Christianity was not seen as a form of Diana worship while, at the same time, allowing them to “develop whatever gifts of learning, teaching and leadership God is giving them.” [4] Consider this translation by N. T. Wright: “So this is what I want: the men should pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, with no anger or disputing. In the same way the women, too, should clothe themselves in an appropriate manner, modestly and sensibly. They should not go in for elaborate hair-styles, or gold, or pearls, or expensive clothes; instead, as is appropriate for women who profess to be godly, they should adorn themselves with good works. They must be allowed to study undisturbed, in full submission to God. I’m not saying that women should teach men, or try to dictate to them; they should be left undisturbed. Adam was created first, you see, and then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, and fell into trespass. She will, however, be kept safe through the process of childbirth, if she continues in faith, love and holiness with prudence.” [5]

You have heard it taught that the dress, etc. is cultural but the silence part is not because Paul appeals to an eternal truth reaching all the way back to the Garden. Look at Romans 5.12-21 and read where Paul traces the origin of sin back to Adam - not Eve. Are women really saved through child-birth? [v.15] If this is not literally true, what does it mean? We believe that Paul is addressing a unique situation with Timothy in Ephesus. Compare with chapter 5.14-15 where he says the younger widows are to marry. The Diana cult taught that the women should not marry or have children and, in fact, should dominate the men. Recall that in 1COR 7 Paul said that it was better not to marry because of the impending persecution. Different commands for different times and circumstances.

Our fellowship is not alone in wrestling with these and many other long-held beliefs and practices. Most every church is dealing with questions of interpretation. We just happen to be living at one of those rare times in history similar to what Luther and Campbell experienced. How exciting, rejuvenating and, yet, troubling! Steve Weathers gives the illustration of Robinson Crusoe who longed for human companionship but was struck with fear when he saw the footprints on the beach. His confined and safe world was revealed to be changing rather than fixed. What he thought were firm boundaries were actually porous frontiers to be explored.[6] We are called to continually explore the word and risk failure as we apply it to our lives and our culture. Walter Brueggemann puts it this way, “The canonical literature is the water in which the ship of interpretation must sail, ‘never dropping anchor’.”[7]

Peter writes, “...you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” [2PET 1.17-21] A new day dawns for each generation because scholarship is never finalized. The revealed word was given “once for all,” but the interpretation and application is an ongoing and ever changing process. Imagine how excited Martin Luther and Alexander Campbell must have felt when it first dawned on them that the time was ripe for improvement - change - reform. And they were right for their day, but were Luther’s convictions the last say? Were Campbell’s teachings the final iteration of the truth? No! And neither will ours be.

May God Bless

Mike Toole

clw, ed.

1. Carroll Osburn, Women In The Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xv

2. Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation and Obedience, Fortress Press, Minneapolis MN, 1991, p.132

3. Russ Bartee, A Position Paper on the Role of Woman in the Church, Class presentation at Alta Mesa Church of Christ, Ft. Worth TX, August 2003, p.3

4. N.T. Wright, Woman Service in the Church: The Biblical Basis, paper delivered at Symposium - Women and the Church, St. Johns College, Durham England, September 4, 2004

5. ibid.

6. Steve Weathers, “The Surpassing Righteousness of the Kingdom of God,” 85th Annual ACU Lectureship, 2003

7. Brueggemann, op. cit. p.132

Clothesline #4

2006-04-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 APR 2006

Word for the Day
Androgynous - Having characteristics or nature of both male and female; having traditional male and female roles reversed. [1]

Quote for the Day
To deny women to minister and teach in the church is to deny the clear gifts of God himself. Here we would do well to learn from Peter ... when the Holy Spirit did the unthinkable thing of falling on Gentiles who were uncircumcised and say to the religious, “Who was I that I could withstand God?” If God had never gifted a woman to teach, then of course one might have a case - but such a person would also be living in a radically different culture from ours - or with his or her head in the sand. [2]

Website for the Day
www.ntrf.org
This is the website for New Testament Restoration Forum, a group committed to restoring NT Christianity. Check out some of the articles.

Thought for the Day
Last month we considered the story of Mary and Martha with Jesus and mentioned that he did not rebuke Mary for joining with the men to listen to his teaching. The social norm of that day would not have allowed a woman to sit in on the mens' discussion. And so we find Jesus continuing to give permission to break down cultural, religious and social barriers of his day and, indeed, for the future. [3]

Just as the scheme of redemption runs from the beginning to the end of the Bible, so does that restorative plan apply to bringing all people - women and men - back to the equality that was enjoyed in the Garden. Not the mathematical equality of being identical but equality before each other as well as before God. Not that we are androgynous, but that we are of equal value, co-workers in the kingdom. [GAL 3.28]

One of the earliest hints of equality is the selection of Deborah as a judge. [JUD 4] Some might say that she was the only one; we would reply that it’s amazing that any woman was included in the list of judges at a time when that was strictly the man’s domain. [4] Others could be listed, but time would fail me to tell of Rahab, Ruth and Esther. [with apologies to HEB 11.23]

In the NT we find numerous examples of women listed as associates and supporters of both Jesus and, later, the apostles. Lazarus, Mary and Martha were certainly among Jesus’ closest friends. At the end of Romans, Paul mentions Phoebe and Mary among his co-laborers and supporters. [ROM 16.1-2,6] Tryphaena and Tryphosa (sisters - twins?) are also among the women listed in Paul’s salute. Andronicus and Junia (husband and wife?) were co-workers with Paul and are called prominent among the apostles. [v.7 NRSV] Does that just mean that they were well known by the apostles? Or were they really apostles? [5] Arguments can be made for both cases but, “The Greek preposition en surely has its normal meaning of “in” or “among” as the earliest Greek commentators on this verse, Origen and John Chrysotom, admit.” [6] Witherington also makes an interesting argument that Junia (Latin) is none other than Joanna (Hebrew) of Luke 8.3. She was one of the first disciples (and financial supporters) and was also present at the resurrection. [LUK 23.55 with 24.10] Notice that the men refused to believe the women’s account of what they had witnessed. In those days women were considered “too emotional to be valid witnesses.” [7]

Luke, more than any other NT writer, includes the stories of Christian women who merit becoming part of the story for us all. Tabitha was considered “worthy” of being revived to life by Peter. [9.36 ff] Lydia and her household were hosts to Paul and Silas. [16.11-15] She is depicted as “Paul’s first convert on the mainland of Europe ... and ... Paul visited her again before leaving Philippi [ACT 16.40].” [8] At the beginning of Acts, Peter reminds us of Joel’s prophecy “that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy...” [JOE 2.28] One fulfillment of this is found in the evangelist Philip, who had four daughters who prophesied. [ACT 21.8-9]

Paul twice commends Prisca and Aquila as his co-workers and hosts to the church that met in their house. [ROM 6.3-5 & 1COR 16.19] At the close of Colossians, Nympha and the church in her house are listed. [COL 4.15] Euodia and Syntyche are mentioned as co-workers at the close of Philippians. [PHI 4.2-3] The Greek word sunergos (co-worker) is a term “that he (Paul) usually reserved for apostles.” [9]

In 1 Corinthians, we find Paul addressing the proper decorum to be followed by the women who were gifted to pray and prophesy. [11.2-16] I would contend that the “head covering” restrictions, which seem so odd to us, were sensitive to the culture of that day and were never meant to apply to all women for all time.

Paul goes against the cultural norm when he says that the husband should treat his wife as a co-equal in the kingdom [EPH 5.25] and love his wife as he loves himself. [v.28-33] In this passage Paul is showing the people a better way; proclaiming more than they can handle at the time. Perhaps more than we can handle to this day.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

NOTE: If interested in studying this; print this page and open your Bible.Next month we will take a brief look at the injunction in 1 Timothy 2 and give some final remarks.

1. Carroll Osburne, Women In The Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xv

2. Gordon Fee, The Great Watershed - Intentionality and Particularity/Eternality: 1TIM 2.8-15 as a Test Case, published in God and Spirit: Issues in New Testament Hermeneutics, 1991, p.52-65

3. Michael McClymond, Familiar Stranger, Eerdmans Publ., Grand Rapids MI, 2004, p. 110-111

4. Mike Cope, Highland Church of Christ, Abilene TX, Message delivered on January 16, 2005

5. Read Acts 14.14 and Galatians 1.19 and you will find two other “extra” apostles! Some argue that James could not have been an apostle because he was not a missionary; I would counter that maybe he was the first domestic missionary. Read carefully 1COR 15.5-8. Perhaps the labels “twelve” and “apostles” are not synonymous as we have always believed.

6. Ben Witherington III, Joanna - Apostle of the Lord or Jailbait, Bible Review, vol.xxi, n.2, 2005, p.12

7. ibid. p.14

8. Howard Clark Kee, The Changing Role of Women in the Early Christian World, Theology Today, vol.49, n.2, July 1992, p.234

9. David Cartlidge, Thecla - The Apostle Who Defied Women’s Destiny, Bible Review, vol.xx, n.6, 2004, p.25

Clothesline #3

2006-03-13T19:39:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 MAR 2006

Word for the Day
Proof-texting - Citing passages randomly from any part of the Bible without regard for the literary and historical contexts of the passages. [1]

Quote for the Day
At first glance, it would seem that the admonition to “rest in God” would stand at odds with the notion of being on “the cutting edge.” This contradiction probably arises in our minds because we know so little about resting in God. Resting in God does indeed sharply contrast with the life of today’s church, which is caught up in breathless activity. Most of us know very little about rest in God. We would be on a cutting edge if we ceased from our own work to hear God speak to us. Leaders who intentionally stop to listen for God are, by this very act, admitting that they do not know the direction or the way. [2]

Website for the Day
www.addisonrd.com
This site is for the young at heart and, perhaps, those who are subject to flashbacks!

Thought for the Day
In Luke 10.38-42 we are first introduced to Mary, Martha and Lazarus. We find Martha busy with daily life; she is preparing the meal for the guest as any woman should have been doing. But Martha turns to Mary for help only to discover that she has disappeared from the kitchen! Mary has joined with Lazarus to listen to Jesus and Martha is so indignant that she rebukes Jesus with “tell her to help me.” [3]

How can this story speak to us today? Suppose that Martha represents most of us as congregants. We are busy serving in various programs and ministries but do we allow those good activities to squeeze out the more noble pursuits? Does our church “busi-ness” detract, or even worse, substitute for making time to “sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to what he is saying”? [LUK 10.39 NRSV] Now wasn’t Martha serving the church? Yes, and there is certainly a place for that gift; Paul specifically mentions the gift of service in Romans 12.7. We need to serve one another, but one pitfall is that we often only serve ourselves. Another problem is that sometimes people bury themselves in service as a mask or band-aid to hide personal pain or spiritual scars.

As in most areas, the solution is in balance. We are called to serve, to worship and to listen. Perhaps Jesus was saying to Martha that at this time and place everyone should be listening instead of serving. When Mary anointed Jesus with the expensive oil, the disciples were indignant accusing her of waste. Notice Jesus’ response of, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”[MAT 26.11] He was the living water from whom all needed to drink. [JOH 7.38]

Jesus still provides the living water and the need remains for us to frequently return to the well. As I listened to the rain pour down this morning, it reminded me of nature’s cycle of precipitation, absorption and evaporation. Physical drought occurs when more rain does not follow evaporation. And so it is with us. Failure to do so is often most evident in paid staff who are kept busy serving, feeding, and pastoring others while they become physically exhausted and mentally drained. All of us must recharge ourselves in order to keep serving others.

What is your path to the well? We most often think of meditation, prayer, and reading; but consider a couple of alternatives: stillness and remembering. Whatever the path we must get to the well to find rest and refreshment to complete the cycle of our spiritual nature. “Rest from our labor, rest from all striving, ...conflicts, rest from agendas, and rest from the desire for recognition. At the Well we find the strength to let go, and our emphasis strangely shifts from ‘doing’ to ‘being’.”[4] Remember Jesus’ response to Martha that she is “worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken from her.” Each of us has that same choice to make.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Carroll Osburne, Women In The Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xviii

2. Ben Campbell Johnson & Andrew Dreitcer, Beyond The Ordinary, Eerdmans Publ., 2001, p.164

3. Near the end of Jesus’ ministry [JOH 12.1-8 & MAR 14.3-9] we find a similar, or the same, account of Martha serving and Mary anointing. Matthew and Mark both state this happened at the house of Simon the Leper, whereas, Luke says it was at Mary’s house. Notice that Jesus does not even rebuke Mary for joining with Lazarus (the men) to listen. More about that next month - stay tuned!

4. Johnson & Dreitcer, op. cit. p. 123Note: This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to pursue this topic.Short and simple, but full of concepts that you probably never thought of.

Clothesline #2

2006-02-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 FEB 2006

Word for the Day - The Four Loves [1]
Affection - storge (Greek words)
Friendship - phileo
Erotic - eros
Charity - agape (KJV uses charity rather than love)

Quote for the Day
Hence, there is opportunity to comply with the apostolic injunction that the elder should teach the younger and that Christians should edify each other. How different from this primitive state of the church ... is the imbecile condition of perpetual and hopeless pupilage in which congregations wait for the weekly explication of some fragment of Scripture called a “text.” No member presumes to edify himself or others by his own researches. No one ventures to trust himself to the Word of God or to advance a single step in scriptural knowledge, lest he should ignorantly miss the path prescribed by church authority and become entangled in the snare of error! [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.wadehodges.com
Look to the right for Favorite Posts and check out the one called An Emerging Church of Christ. Wade is a minister for the Garnett Road COC in Tulsa.

Thought for the Day
Do you remember the song, I Am A Rock, by Simon & Garfunkel? What a dangerous credo that was! And yet, I bought into that idea as a teenager. Now I realize that good friends are critical to my well-being. At the close of the letter to the Romans, Paul sends greetings and commendations to 27 friends. Another eight people are named in the second half of the chapter. Some were co-workers either literally by his side or laboring elsewhere. Some were personal friends or relatives [v.7,11 NRSV], some were known only by letters from other cities.

Reflecting on this chapter, I was reminded of the importance of friendships. Paul apparently had several close friends who helped to sustain him in what must have been a very lonely lifestyle. No mention is made of a wife or children; we know he was not married while an apostle. [1COR 9.5] Paul had an assembled family instead of a natural family. [3]

I grew up in a small church with a close group of friends, who were especially important to me as an only child. We had no organized youth group but did many activities together; some of which never would have been approved today. Like the time we created a skit about a bank robbery gone sour and then video-taped it - in the church building! And, yes, we used a real pistol with blanks in it. One actor did suffer minor powder burns.

But I digress; the point is that we developed strong relationships across a wide age range ( 12-20 for the skit). In 2004 we had our first youth group reunion in Montgomery AL. It was the first time in 30 years that some of us had seen each other. Most of the core group were present with an age range of about 45-55, not including a few parents and children. Several of us keep in touch by e-mail and serve as a source of mutual strength and encouragement. It’s amazing to me is that so many of us have continued to grow as we have traveled similar paths along our spiritual journey even though our communication was minimal for over 20 years.

In his mourning over the death of Jonathan, David said, “very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.” [2SAM 1.26] Solomon observed that, “There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” [PRO 18.24] Jesus put is this way, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” [JOH 15.13]

Who among us could write a close to a letter that was lengthy enough to deserve being called a chapter? While not suggesting that we should be able to replicate Paul; I would suggest that if the number of an individual’s close friends matches up with the binary code (0 or 1) then perhaps she would do well to expand on that. Out of the twelve, Jesus had three close friends (Peter, James and John) and only one “closest” friend. And isn’t that how we function also? Most of us have many superficial acquaintances, several good friends but only one or two true confidantes. Isolation occurs when we have no one that we allow into our innermost circle. The results are often loneliness, illness, and unchecked thinking. Paul Simon had it all wrong.

There’s an old saying that in order to have a friend you must be a friend. Another maxim is that you should eat a barrel of salt with a man before you call him a friend. Now that might be a little extreme, but time spent together is certainly a necessity in developing a friendship. That time might be spent over a meal, in recreation or in working on a project. And therein lies the catch - time - that intangible measure of our life. I would challenge each of us in this new year to give time for cultivating new relationships as well as nourishing our old friends.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. From C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves, Joy Lewis, 1960

2. Robert Richardson, Principles Of The Reformation, Carson Reed, ed. New Leaf Books, Siloam Springs AR, 2002, p.37-38
Note: the use of sarcasm was common in the writing of that day (mid-1800’s).

3. Paul almost certainly had been married or else he would never have risen to prominence among his Pharisee peers. Also, according to Richard Rogers, there was no Hebrew word for bachelor - if you were a Jewish male then you were married.

Clothesline V3 N1

2005-12-27T12:55:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 10 JAN 2006

Word for the Day

Mechanical Dictation - View that the Bible was dictated by the Holy Spirit and that the writers of the biblical books were not actually involved in the compostion. [1]

Quote for the Day

“I began wondering why we separated families in worship. Where did the concept of having teenagers and families attend worship gatherings separately come from? We used to call our youth ministry a ‘church for teenagers.’ But was this accurate? Is church an age-group? As I began rethinking youth ministry and all we were doing, I realized that this rethinking couldn’t stop there.” [2]

Website for the Day

http://www.burlesonchristianforum.net Check out our Website for this and other articles; many by actually good writers!

Thought for the Day

Over the holidays I was reading an article that referenced George Barna’s Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions. In conjunction with Barna’s research Scott Franks said that, “by age nine, most children have their spiritual moorings in place.” [3] This would indicate that we need to focus our efforts on teaching those under age ten. However, later in the article Franks says, “If our church is like the average American Christian church, despite our efforts, 40% of these kids will graduate from church when they graduate from our youth group.”[4] His conclusion was that the greatest hope for the local church was in raising Godly children. This set me to thinking - these two statistics are not congruent, ie. they don’t agree. If “spiritual moorings’ are in place by age nine, then how can we be losing 40% of our youth upon graduation? Perhaps I don’t understand the phrase “spiritual moorings” but I would contend that the ability to be spiritually discerning does not occur until about age 18-25.

If we are losing almost half of our teens at graduation, then maybe our approach to Youth Ministry has been misguided. Not by a lack of time, energy and money but a lack of meaningful integration into the family of God. The church has followed the Western world’s lead in the shift from an adult-oriented culture to youth-driven and now child-centered culture. What does this look like in the church? Programs are designed and targeted toward each demographic subgroup. Consider that upon arrival, in many instances, the family is immediately divided up according to age as they attend separate classes and activities. Current research is now revealing what common sense should have told us; the youth need to be incorporated into the greater family where friendships can be built across generational lines. Studies show that children need significant adults in their life other than parents. Wayne Jacobsen addressed this well when he wrote that rather than church activities, what children need most is to be “integrated into God’s life through relational fellowship with other believers.”[5] Research tells us that the primary factor in determining how well an adolescent will merge with society is if they have a personal friendship with at least one non-relative adult.[6] During the teen years parents often become like the appendix - just there for some unknown reason!

I would submit that we are not really losing half of our youth upon graduation because you cannot lose what you never had. While we teach against the “once saved - always saved” concept; do our actions betray us? How often have parents been heard to make some remark to the effect that if their child is just baptized by age twelve or so then they can breathe a sigh of relief? How many of those young converts really know what they are doing? My own son admits that he “went forward” because his friends did and it was expected of him. He is still struggling to find his own faith.

Conversion is a process, not an in/out or on/off proposition. Baptism is an important step and certainly marks the ultimate decision. But have we made baptism the gate between being “in” or “out” of the church family? For example, our fellowship practices what is termed “open communion” meaning that we allow anyone to partake as the emblems are passed around. Everyone, that is, except our own children. Would we exclude them from a physical meal? From what other activities do we exclude the youth? Someone might counter by saying that we just had a teen-led service. Yes, but that is a special (contrived) event with only limited male participation. Have we excluded our kids from too many avenues of participation with adults along their path to spiritual maturity?

For the past two summers we have hosted the college age kids in our home on Wednesday nights. These students are at an age where they are searching for their own faith. Their faith is being challenged on both sides by the world view and/or by Christian professors who are prodding them to search for the truth and the will of God in their lives. Perhaps one reason we are “losing” so many upon graduation is because all youth programs expire at age 18. If you are going to run a program-driven church then you must have a program for every step of the way - from cradle to grave. Many churches have chosen this route by extending youth ministry with college age, singles, young professionals, young marrieds, etc. all the way to senior saints. What happened to the concept of the older teaching the younger? [TIT 2.2.6]

I have been pleased with the direction of the BCOC youth group over the past ten years. We currently function without a paid staff person but continue along the path he pioneered. Four servant-leader families are dedicated to working with the youth, and they are supported by a network of involved parents. What a concept! The focus is on spiritual maturity through accountability, study, service to others and interaction across generational lines.

Remember the statement made in the first paragraph about our greatest hope being our children? Doesn’t that kind of thinking only perpetuate our inward focus? I would contend that, instead, we should be reaching out to the lost all around us. I would challenge you to find any example in the Bible of trying to reach the parents through the kids. Committing to Christ is an adult decision. We tend to encourage kids to postpone marriage until 20-25 years of age. Why? What about baptism? Which is the most important?

May God Bless

Mike Toole

clw, ed.

1. Carroll Osburne, Women In The Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xvii

2. Dan Kimball, http://www.youthspecialties.com/articles/topics/theology/methodology_to_theology.php?

3. Scott Lamascus, Securing Hearts While We Have Time, Christian Chronicle, V.62, N.12, DEC 2005, pg.3-4

4. Ibid.

5. Wayne Jacobsen, http://www.lifestream.org/LSBL.May01.html

6. Ibid.

For a more thorough treatment of this topic, see Jeff Childers & Frederick Aquino’s booklet At The River's Edge by ACU Press, 2004.

Clothesline #10

2005-11-22T17:09:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all on 20 NOV 2005

Word for the Day

Misogyny - Having or showing a distrust or hatred of women. [1]Please note Jesus’ acceptance of women as people worthy of honor and dignity, even the ones known as sinners (eg. John 4 & Luke 7).

Quote for the Day

“Absolute truth is an enemy ... that imagines the final answers are already in. Such posture leaves no room for surprise or for the reconfiguration of reality through fresh utterance. In the church, as outside the church, such absolutism takes two highly visible forms, conservatism of an authoritarian kind and liberalism of a strident, shrill variey. The effect of such absolutism always silences dissent and excommunicates those who do not consent, submit, and conform.” Walter Brueggemann [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.gal328.org

This site promotes gender justice in the churches of Christ. Some good articles can be found here.

Thought for the Day

Last month I used the story of Jesus with Simon the Pharisee as a discussion starter about hospitality. Now, let’s consider another lesson from this story. When was the last time you were contemplating some Bible passage that you had studied before but suddenly a fresh though leapt out at you like, “Wow - why didn’t I see that before?”

Years ago in a children’s class, or maybe even an adult study, we read the Luke 7 story and probably focused on the part about “those who are forgiven much will love much” or maybe we used the story to “beat up” on Simon the Pharisee. (Which, ironically, turned out to be self-mutilation) Now, I read the same story but see a lesson about hospitality. Did the passage change? No, but hopefully I have grown and matured spiritually in those past 5-10 years. The spirit directs our thoughts and is a revelator according to our ability the handle the truth. [1COR 2.11-16]

Another verse that connects with this process of growth is Hebrews 4.12 which, in part, tells us that, “the word is living and active.” This is one of those verses that I had read numerous times but then a few years ago its meaning struck me; the word is alive and active - living and powerful - pliable and dynamic. Viewed from that perspective, it is not surprising that we can harvest new insight and application as we continue to mature and study. In fact, we can do so with an expectancy of revelation.

Now back to Luke 7; what if we generalized this story beyond a party host? To whom could this apply? As I reflected on this passage the connection between host and leader occurred to me. Consider that in this story the official host has a name, prominence and authority but fails in his duties. The real host is unnamed and marked as a sinner and yet fulfills the role of hostess. Sometimes the uninvited guest can become the host. Where there is a vacuum of leadership, someone else will step in. Even five years ago that message would never have occurred to me.

It is my hope that we will remain dynamic rather than static in our journey of spiritual growth. May we neither quench the Spirit within us nor despise the prophet among us. [1THE 5.19-20]

May God Bless

Mike Toole

clw, ed.

1. Carroll Osburn, Women In The Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xvii

2. Dave Bland & David Fleer, eds. Performing The Psalms, Chalice Press, St. Louis MO, 2005, p.35

Clothesline #9

2005-10-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 7 OCT 2005

Word for the Day
Xenophobia - the fear of strangers. Transliterated from the Greek, xeno (stranger) and phobia (fear), the antonym of hospitality.

Quote for the Day
“In our culture, the stranger is often a threatening figure...We rightfully stress to our kids not to talk to strangers...We avoid the panhandler, the homeless pushing their shopping carts down the sidewalk. Our hospitality, such as it is, happens on the neutral, institutional ground of soup kitchens and homeless shelters. It’s better than nothing, but seems to fall short of the biblical calling. But we can’t just write it off as some ancient practice that doesn’t fit our world today. Hospitality to strangers isn’t just a nice thing to do if we can; it’s the very embodiment of our faith.” [1] To read the full article, click on the link in the end notes.

Website for the Day
http://sojourner.typepad.com
This is a great site for house church information and other cutting edge stuff.

Thought for the Day
Last month we considered the practice of hospitality; today I want to share one final example. When you have time, read about Jesus’ visit to the home of Simon the Pharisee as recorded in Luke 7.36-50. Simon invites Jesus into his home for a meal that possibly includes an ulterior motive about which we are not informed. As a good host Simon would have greeted his guest with a kiss, an ointment of oil and a cleansing of his feet. However, things did not go quite as expected. As they reclined for the meal, an uninvited woman enters and kneels behind Jesus. Apparently, Simon had failed to extend the three customary acts of hospitality to Jesus which gave the woman opportunity to fulfill the role of hostess.

Upon seeing the woman attending to Jesus, Simon was abruptly reminded of his own negligence as a host and quickly summoned for his servant to assist her in washing Jesus’ feet. Oops - wrong ending! Instead, Simon reveals his knowledge of this nameless woman by identifying her as a sinner; a prostitute is implied. His rebuke is based on a strict reading of Leviticus 5.1-5 which indicates a risk of defilement for merely touching a sinner.[2]

Listen to the phrasing of v.44, “Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon” and imagine Jesus extending his arm and even touching her as he spoke, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” [LUK 7.44-47]

Our world teaches us that goods are scarce and we must scavenge and hoard them from others. But God tells us that he has created a world of abundance. When the Hebrews fled from Pharoah, their physical needs were met. Bread fell from the sky for all to share. But human nature prompted them to store up bread for the future - against an explicit warning. [EXO 16.19-21] What happened to that bread? It became spoiled and therefore useless and wasted. The woman of Luke 7 illustrates this by lavishly pouring out ointments on the feet of Jesus. She knows that, “..you cannot store up God’s generosity.”[3] The analogy is clear for us today. What will we do with our excess?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Leonard J. Vander Zee, sermon delivered at South Bend Christian Reformed Church, found at www.sbcrc.org/sermons/2002.10.06.html
2. Footnote on Luke 7.39, NRSV, Harper Collins Pub, NY, 1989, p.1972
3. Walter Brueggemann, Deep Memory Exuberant Hope, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2000, p.71

Clothesline #8

2005-09-09T19:52:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all on 10 SEP 2005

Word for the Day
Hospitality - The love of strangers or guests. From the Greek philoxenia, love and stranger. Sort of an oxymoron; don’t you see?

Quote for the Day
“Our contemporary situation is surprisingly similar to the early Christian context in which the normative understandings and practices of hospitality were developed. We, like the early church, find ourselves in a fragmented and multiculltural society that yearns for relationships, identity and meaning. Disturbing levels of loneliness, alienation and estrangement characterize our mobile and self-centered society. People are hungry for welcome but most Christians have lost track of the heritage of hospitality.” [1]

Website for the Day
www.gocn.org This is the website for Gospel and Our Culture Network.

Thought for the Day
This month we’ll look at part one of two in the matter of hospitality. In Genesis 18 Abraham and Sarah received unexpected guests and quickly offered them refreshment which included a meal with meat served. Meat was a luxury and not part of the typical daily meal. Do you remember the extreme example in the next chapter? Lot was willing to hand over his two virgin daughters to the homosexual townspeople in order to placate the crowd so that his angelic visitors could enjoy a peaceful evening. A good host was expected to provide food, safety and shelter to the traveler even if he was a stranger.

In 1Kings 17, Elijah was sent to the brook Cherith for refuge from the impending drought. When that source of water dried up, Elijah moved on to a little town called Zarephath. There he found the widow and her son. We know that Elijah was blessed by her hospitality, but have we overlooked the point that the host was also blessed by allowing her guest to remain? Perhaps we have been missing out on the blessing of hospitality.

Consider one more example in Luke 24.13-35 where we find the story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. As the disciples approach the end of their walk with the incognito Jesus they seem to just naturally invite him and, in fact, constrain him to “stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” Not only did Jesus go with them but he even ate some broiled fish! Did he really need the fish? I don’t know, but Jesus knew how to be a gracious guest as well as host.

When I was a teenager, my mother usually had a Sunday meal prepared for us as well as our “company.” I can still recall those feasts of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and biscuits with milk gravy or perhaps the same sides with a pot roast. Maybe banana pudding, too! That was one way that my parents established friendships and welcomed new people into our fellowship. How many of us today even invite people to the restaurant with us? And that’s still not the same as being in someone’s home. Reaching out to people, even fellow Christians, has become problematic because of our cluttered schedules. Henri Nouwen says, “Being busy has become a status symbol, and most people keep encouraging each other to keep their body and mind in constant motion.” [2] Have you ever been to a party where you felt that the host was overly concerned with providing busy-ness or regaling the guests with stories? Or, have you ever been that host? Perhaps, instead, we should provide both guest and host with some freedom and “space to listen ...(with) openness to discover the gift of the other.” [3]

Now reflect back over the examples and stories and consider this statement: the hospitality of the host allows the guest to reveal himself. Isn’t that what happened in the Bible examples? In verse 35 of the Emmaus account we find a powerful conclusion, “...he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Jesus was made known in the breaking of the bread. Who among us will let Jesus be made known in the breaking of the bread? The gift of hospitality is timeless.

May God Bless,
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Christine Pohl, Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1999, p.33
2. Henri J. M. Nouwen, Reaching Out, Doubleday, New York, 1975, p.52
3. ibid. p.74

Clothesline #7

2005-08-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all

Word for the Day
Pneumatology - The study of the Holy Spirit, His person, works, relation to the Father and Son, relation to man, ministry in salvation and sanctification, conviction, and indwelling. [1]

Quote for the Day
“I used to explain the life of Jesus from the perspective of history and theology. I knew inside and out all the critical theories surrounding the search for the historical Jesus. These days, however, I’m more and more drawn to his simple humanity, because what I see in the life of Jesus is someone who understood the power of blessing people.” [2]

Website for the Day
www.freedominchrist.net
Check out the Oddities in Pattern Theology article by selecting Sermons and Essays, then One Cup and Non Sunday School and you will see Oddities in Pattern Theology.

Thought for the Day
In last months’ issue I left you with the possibility that the pure application of rational thought might not be the only way to interpret scripture. While certainly not advocating the total abandonment of logic and common sense, I do propose that we are missing the other half of Biblical interpretation if we dismiss the work of the Spirit in our lives and therefore in our application of the Word to our lives. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” [HEB 4.12] Is it not through the Spirit that the word remains living and active 2000 years later?

As a young teen I remember building model cars. Included with the kit was an order of assembly. If I forgot to glue and attach part #12 at step 3B ... well, I was just out of luck because I couldn’t “unglue” all the pieces to get back to that step. Although one probably couldn’t tell just by looking at it; my model was now flawed in an irreparable way. In the same way, an exclusive use of command, example and inference has kept us from building a model that is flexible and can change with the course of time and culture. Instead, we have ended up with a model that will only be displayed and eventually discarded.

Logic demands consistency, but consider these inconsistencies. We have a clear command to “greet one another with a holy kiss” [ROM 16.16], which we easily dismiss as cultural. We have the examples of Paul [ACT 14.23] and Timothy and Titus [TIT 1.5] ordaining the elders and those are the only examples we have. But we would never allow the preacher to choose the elders! Read the article on pattern theology to see the extremes to which some have carried their adherence to that hermeneutic. The examples are both funny and sad - at the same time. In 1COR 7.8,26 Paul encourages those who are not married to remain that way because of the impending persecution. However, in 1TIM 5.14 Paul commands the younger widows to remarry. Two opposite instructions for two different situations. D. A. Carson warns against two dangers of a hermeneutic that results from pattern theology: first, an uncritical dependence on logic and, second, a de-emphasis on the Bible as a guide for life, source of the truths of salvation and a means of grace. Instead it becomes a “storehouse of facts...a quarry from which to hew out a systematic theology.” [3] And that system can become the shrine to which we bow.

In 1991, Goebel Music wrote a book entitled Behold The Pattern in which he set forth our traditional pattern theology. Now people are responding with, “what pattern?” For some indepth reading I recommend F. LaGard Smith’s books The Cultural Church and Radical Restoration. Smith believes in a pattern but not the one we practice; we have not restored the New Testament church as closely as we think we have. He suggests that we consider the: purpose, principle and precedent when considering how the Biblical examples apply to us. “We are not saved by a ‘pattern’ of what we read in the Scriptures. Our righteousness does not come from what we do for God, but from what He has done for us.” [4]

So what is the alternative? What if we read the Word more as a story of God’s intervention with mankind instead of an instruction manual for man? What if we read with the great themes of the Bible in mind, like abundance, justice, mercy, peace, redemption and sacrifice? For example, one message that reverberates across the pages of the word is the warning to not trample upon the poor in our quest for wealth. Have we neglected this warning even while proclaiming American Christianity?

In terms of everyday life, Jesus left us the example of how to live, interact with people and share our abundance with others. The fundamentals of the faith were set from the beginning and are non-negotiable. These beliefs are sometimes referred to as the core gospel [EPH 4.4-6]. But many of our practices are rooted in tradition and culture. Jesus followed many traditions of his day but was not adverse to challenging people to see the intent behind the tradition. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees [MAT 5.20]. What if that means that our righteousness must go beyond the maintenance of traditions?

Regardless of which view one identifies with, those on either side must be aware of the danger of “guarding with real zealotry a hermetically sealed doctrinal system that is unhealthy because it is unaired and is unaired because it is unopened to the revivifying breath of the Spirit of God.” [5] We desperately need open conversation on these matters. “Finally, one must exercise Christian charity at this point. Christians need to recognize the difficulties, open the lines of communication with one another, start trying to define some principles, and have love for and a willingness to ask forgiveness from those with whom they differ.” [6] As we continue to walk this path together, may we exercise patience and grace with those who have not arrived at the same conclusions - and they with us also.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Definition found at www.carm.net
2. Scott Colglazier, Ft.Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2005, p.11E
3. D.A. Carson, “Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture,” Hermeneutics, Authority and Canon, ed. D.A. Carson and John Woodbridge, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1986, p.17-18
4. Daniel Shumaker, www.theexaminer.org/volume8/number2/pattern.htm
5. Steve Weathers, “The Surpassing Righteousness of the Kingdom of God,” 85th Annual ACU Bible Lectureship, 2003
6. Gordon Fee, Inerrancy and Common Sense, Grand Rapids,Baker Book House, 1980, p.176

Clothesline

2005-07-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all

Word for the Day
Rationalism - the “theological or philosophical position which values reason as the ultimate judge of all statements,” [1] exhibited in the works of 17th century writers John Locke and Francis Bacon.

Quote for the Day
“When the Holy Scriptures serve as more than a source for sermons, fires of awakening begin to burn. We have shown how Enlightenment methods of biblical interpretation have led to treating Scripture primarily as an object to be dissected and analyzed. Being on the cutting edge means receiving from these ancient texts a word from God for today.” [2]

Website for the Day
www.dtour.com.au/articles/article.cfm?id=89
This article will set you to thinking!

Thought for the Day
When Alexander Campbell and others embarked on the journey that we call the Restoration Movement he believed one could arrive at Biblical truths in the same way one calculates the period of a pendulum or the orbit of a planet. The facts are there, just waiting to be discovered. The Age of Enlightenment was upon us and the logic of rationalism impacted our ancestors’ Bible hermeneutic more than they could have ever realized. But not everyone agreed with Campbell’s adherence to a faith based on the Word only. One man who dared to oppose Campbell was Robert Richardson, a close personal friend of Campbell. Richardson “argued that one does not properly interpret the Bible by a merely ‘formal’ or rational reading of it.”[3] He went on to argue that the Baconian logic employed by Campbell had ignored the role of the Spirit in fully restoring New Testament Christianity.

As one can imagine, this view was promptly attacked by Campbell’s camp. In this case Tolbert Fanning, an ally of Campbell, responded in part by calling Richardson’s views “purely metaphysical”[4] and an open door to mysticism. And so the role of the Holy Spirit became the flash point for one of our earliest debates. Articles continued to fly back and forth in the Millennial Harbinger and the Gospel Advocate during 1857.

Richardson said, “it is not organization that can impart life. It is not the election of officers or the giving to them titles of pastors or elders that can reanimate a dying church.”[5] He feared that Campbell’s (and Fanning’s) view reduced faith to “little more than an intellectual assent to the truthfulness of facts rather than a person.”[6] I believe that Jesus put it this way, “You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”[JOH 5.39] Does that statement not indict us today just as surely as it did the Pharisees of the first century?

In those days Campbell and his successors, rather than Richardson, dominated the thinking in what became the Church of Christ. As recently as 1966, the same question sparked debate when raised at the Abilene Christian University Bible Lectureship. Once again, the brotherhood periodicals exchanged articles on the dangers of deviating from a Word only theology. And so for about 100 years our fellowship has not embraced a full and active role of the Holy Spirit in modern believers. That began to change during the last quarter of the 20th century as we transitioned into the post-modern era.

The application of rational thought would ensure that every student of the Word who approached it “with an honest heart, common sense and the proper inductive methods would arrive at the same truth in all matters of Christian belief and practice.”[7] And we in the Church of Christ remain the recipients of that way of thinking. Hence, our dependence on command, example, and necessary inference to support our doctrines. Different conclusions meant that one was intellectually flawed or dishonest. Today we put it this way, “Don’t you know that God won’t save anyone who thinks the way you think and does the things you do?”[8] And yet, we believe that God calls us to take risks for the kingdom just as our spiritual forefathers did.

Today we again stand at a crossroads of theological direction. Everything is being reexamined or called into question. The same question disturbs us once again - which path to choose. We find ourselves called back to the Bible to read it afresh. We can relate to Pilate who asked, “What is truth?” [JOH 18.38] In the next issue we will examine some of our inconsistencies with the “command, example, inference” hermeneutic and consider an alternative to that. May we continue to grow as the Spirit leads us.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
clw, ed.

1. Osburn, Carroll, Women in the Church, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2001, p.xviii
2. Johnson, Ben Campbell and Andrew Dreitcer, Beyond the Ordinary -Spirituality for Church Leaders, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids MI, 2001, p. 160
3. Allen, Leonard and Danny Swick, Participating in God’s Life, New Leaf Books, Orange CA, 2001, p. 38
4. ibid., p.38
5. ibid., p.41
6. ibid., p.45
7. Childers, Jeff and Doug Foster and Jack Reese, The Crux of the Matter, ACU Press, Abilene TX, 2002, p.87
8. Montgomery, Robert, “The Greatest Questions Never Go Away” found at www.gal328.org

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