Tuesday 19 March 2024

So we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8

Today's Scripture Reading (March 19, 2024): 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2

Saladin laid siege to the city of Jerusalem on September 20, 1187. In the actual siege of Jerusalem, Saladin demanded a ransom for each person in Jerusalem whom he was willing to set free. The price was the equivalent today of about $50. Considering the price he could have demanded, the ransom was small, almost insignificant. But even this price was beyond the capability of some of the inhabitants of the Holy City. However, the ransom was paid, and the people left Jerusalem, turning it over to Saladin and his Muslim army.

This idea of ransom is something that we make a lot of within the Christian community. We were bought at a price, a ransom. As I stand before God, there is nothing I can do, no sacrifice I can make, and no price I can pay. Not even my life is enough to pay the ransom price that is hanging over my head. But God was willing to pay the ransom that I couldn't pay, much like the rich of Jerusalem paid for those who could not pay Saladin's price.

The Church's response to Saladin's taking of Jerusalem was the Third Crusade. Part of what made the Crusades so wrong was that they argued that you could put a price on salvation. The religious structure promised that if the knights joined the battle for Jerusalem, all of their sins committed in the past, the present, and the future would be forgiven. The religious elite seemed to miss that forgiving sin wasn't within their power. Our sin is forgiven because Jesus died on a cross on the receiving end of the violence of the Roman guard, not because we were willing to be the instruments of violence that was bestowed on Jews and Muslims and anyone else who might stand up against the will of the Church, and even some who were part of the Christian Church. And today, the list of people we are taking a stand (sometimes violent) against is way too long.

The Bible says the grand result of sin is death, but the gift of God is life. But if the result of sin is death, then it is a debt so high that I cannot pay it. It is a cost much higher than the ransom Saldin demanded in Jerusalem and even higher than the gift that the Church promised the Crusaders; the cost is all of us. The price is the complete surrender of our lives to God.

Paul begins this section of the passage with these words, "Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much" (1 Thessalonians 2:7b-8a). And sometimes our response, if we are honest, is that we don't feel like loving that person. And my response should be, too bad, salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of God comes at a cost, which is Paul's point. We shared with you our lives because that is the cost of our faith. Jesus gave his life on a cross for me, so my only response is to lay down my life, my wants and desires, and love you with everything that I have. Sometimes, that is an arduous task, and I fall short of the goal. But the only reason any of this is possible is because God's love flows through me and us, flowing in and out of our lives from God to those who accompany us on this sacred journey we call life.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3 & 4

Monday 18 March 2024

Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. – Acts 18:18

Today's Scripture Reading (March 18, 2024): Acts 18

As I write this post, Lent is well underway. I think that Lent is a strange season; it is the only time when the Christian Church seems to gather and at least pretend to take some kind of a vow. Many people try to stay away from something during the Lenten period; I have many friends who have chosen to abstain from caffeine this Lent and a grandchild who has given up sugar. But it is also possible to vow to add a practice during Lent. Another friend has committed to reading through the entire New Testament during the 40 days (forty-six if you count Sundays, but that is a different story) of the Lenten fast. If you add a practice during Lent, the hope is that you will build a habit and be able to keep up the added practice even after the Lenten period has ended. I can't think of another time when we will do something like this.

In ancient times, there were many vows that a person might want to take at various times of the year. For Jews, one of those vows was the vow of the Nazirite. The full description of what a Nazirite was committed to is given in Numbers 6. Essentially, it was a vow that, for a specific period, a person undertook as an obligation before God. The vow involved, among other things, not cutting your hair, abstaining from alcohol of any kind, and not going near dead bodies. The vow was taken for a specific period, although there are a few who took the vow for life like Samson; his hair was long because he had taken a lifelong vow to live as a Nazirite, Samuel, and maybe even John the Baptist.

It seems likely that the vow Paul had taken was the Nazirite vow. The reason for the vow was two-fold. First, it was a connection with the Jewish community, recognizing that although Paul was considered "The Apostle to the Gentiles," he still celebrated his Jewish heritage. But it was also a vow of thanksgiving. God had promised an extended time for Paul to visit and teach in Corinth.

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God (Acts 18:9-11).

It seems likely that Paul maintained his Nazirite vow throughout the year and a half that he was in Corinth. When he was ready to leave, he cut his hair.

The one significant difference in the vow that Paul celebrated was that tradition said the vow should be undertaken only in Israel, and the cut hair would be burned as a thanksgiving offering in Jerusalem when the vow ended. Paul finished his vow in Cenchrea, a seaport of Corinth, meaning that Paul essentially started and ended his Nazirite commitment in Corinth in Greece. We are not told what he did with the hair that was cut off after his vow had ended as he finished his time in Corinth. But in taking this vow, he identified as a Jew even as he spoke to the Gentiles of the Empire.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2

Sunday 17 March 2024

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here. – Acts 17:6

Today's Scripture Reading (March 17, 2024): Acts 17

The residents of Thessalonica are stirred up and go searching for Paul and Silas. Like many mobs, they are willing to substitute who they can find for their intended targets when they can't find them. And so they arrest Jason and some others, intending to kill them. Senseless, maybe. But these men and women, changed by the power of God, are causing turmoil all over the city of Thessalonica; they are enough of a disruption that something has to be done.

At first, Thessalonica's residents believed that Paul and Silas were just trying to sell them something, but now they can tell it is something more; it is something dangerous. The Christian faith that had been carried to their town by Paul and Silas threatened to change Thessalonica into a drastically different city. It was a risk that some of the residents didn't want to take. And so they decided to destroy the risk by destroying the change agents, Paul and Silas.

Erwin McManus, Founding Pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, mentioned many years ago that he was on a personal mission against a saying that he believes the contemporary church has bought into; "The safest place is at the center of God's will." He says that the phrase is so beautiful, it is so encouraging, it is so lovely, and it is so unbiblical.

Then McManus tells a story about his child. He had just become a Pastor and sent his boy to a Bible camp. However, when his son came home, Erwin realized he had a changed kid on his hands, and the change was not good. Erwin's child had left home confident and ready to engage with the world. But this self-assured child came home and seemed to be afraid of his shadow. Erwin says this change became really apparent at night. Now, his boy had to have a light on when he went to bed, something that never had been necessary before.

And so, Erwin openly wondered what had happened. I mean, they wouldn't have told them ghost stories at a Bible camp, would they? That didn't seem right. One night, soon after his son returned from camp, it happened. Erwin entered his son's room and found his boy hiding under the covers. It was then that the story emerged. They hadn't been telling ghost stories at camp; they had been telling demon stories, and demons were everywhere. Then, the question Erwin had been dreading came from his little boy. "Daddy, will you pray that God will make me safe?" Erwin says, in that moment, there is nothing that he wanted to do more than to pray that God would make him safe. He wanted to reassure him that God was close and would not let him go. But he looked down at his child and said, "No, I won't pray that God will make you safe."

McManus says the look in his son's eyes broke his heart, and tears almost started to flow. But Erwin drew close to his little boy and said, "But I will pray that God will make you dangerous, so that the demons run whenever you come into the room." I have to admit that I like that thought. And it has become part of my prayers for my friends and associates. God, don't put a hedge of protection around us to keep us safe; make us dangerous to all of Satan's schemes. Make us change agents in this world. Let us be the Jasons, Pauls, and Silases this world needs.

After all, we are Christians, changed by God's power. Anything less is a fraction of what God wants to do in our lives. God has a plan for your life. It may not be the one of your dreams, and it's probably not a safe plan, but it is God's, and I guarantee that it will make you dangerous.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 18

Saturday 16 March 2024

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. – Acts 16:13

Today's Scripture Reading (March 16, 2024): Acts 16

I freely admit that most of what I know about Judaism has been learned from Jewish educational groups like "The Maccabeats" and "Schlock Rock." Don't judge me; I am just glad that there is somewhere that a Gentile can go to get a Jewish education in an enjoyable and memorable way. But one of my favorite Jewish educational songs exists at the crossroads between these two groups. "Minyan Man" is a great song that explains a "minyan" and is sung by "The Maccabeats" and Lenny Solomon (Schlock Rock).

Minyan Man tells the story of a traveler coming through Mobile, Alabama, just before the Sabbath, searching for a place to worship. He meets with a man who "looks like him" and takes him to the back of a hardware store where nine men had come to start their Sabbath worship experience. But as the song highlights, they were "nine men looking for one more." According to the Sabbath Law, a Minyan, recognized as ten men, must be present to have a legal Jewish worship experience. Once, ten men had met at the back of this hardware store, but one of them had died, so the nine men waited for one more. Incidentally, some modern synagogues operate with what they call a "double minyan," or ten men and ten women. But that is a contemporary adjustment.

Paul came to Philippi, and as was his custom, he looked for a synagogue in which to worship on the Sabbath. But the town doesn't have a synagogue, not even one at the back of a hardware store. The problem wasn't that they didn't have ten people, but that they didn't have ten men. And no number of women could make up for even one missing man.

There was no synagogue, so several women gathered at the local river to worship. A minyan wasn't available, but these women gathered for worship anyway. For everyone who believes that Paul was a misogynist, it is essential to note that these women, meeting at a river in Philippi, were important enough to Paul to get his attention. They were worth him coming to teach. And that is precisely what he did. He went to the river and began to speak to the women about Jesus Christ. This isn't the only occasion that Paul taught women, but it proves that Paul valued female Jewish believers. He came and stayed with them, he taught them, and many of them became missionaries for the fledgling Christian Church. Over the centuries, that really hasn't changed. Women have been key Christian leaders, especially in areas that don't have a church. And we owe these pioneers a debt of respect for all of the trials through which they suffered as they advanced the cause of the Christian Church. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 17

Friday 15 March 2024

He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. – Acts 15:41

Today's Scripture Reading (March 15, 2024): Acts 15

Barnabas and Paul had a disagreement over Mark, so Barnabas took Mark to Cypress, and the two of them ministered there. Paul took Silas and another young man named Timothy, and the three of them ministered in Asia. Paul and Barnabas, even through the disagreement, remained friends. In fact, according to some of Paul's letters, Mark eventually joined him, and he came to admire and value this young man. And the gospel was advanced because God's grace won the argument.

 I have to admit that I am afraid for the North American Church. I am not sure that we are allowing God's grace to work in our churches so that we have a chance to win the argument. Instead, we demonize each other, and our circles of influence get smaller and smaller.

Many years ago, a church hosted an "Ask Anything Day." They invited their congregation one Sunday morning to ask anything of their Pastor. And they did. Their Pastor took the time to talk about theology, belief systems, and the current direction of the church, all from actual questions asked by those who come to church for a Sunday worship service. Their Pastor didn't get all of his answers right. In response to one question, he said the Indianapolis Colts would win the football game that day because of Peyton Manning (as I stated, this was many years ago). The Pastor got the outcome wrong, but the reason right: on this day the Colts lost because of Peyton Manning.

But it was an excellent time for a pastor to meet with his Sunday Morning Congregation and answer the questions on the minds of his people. Not everyone was thrilled with the opportunity. Someone chastised the church for the sin they had committed by allowing a Pastor to step into the pulpit unprepared. But I don't think the Pastor was unprepared, although I wouldn't advise every Pastor to step into the pulpit and answer questions. I don't believe all of us could do it effectively. And some people wouldn't enjoy a "question and answer" period for the morning message. But I think saying that the service was a form of sin is more than a little over the top.

What would have happened had Paul told Barnabas that Barnabas's trip to Cyprus with Mark was a sin because Paul wasn't involved with it? I think I know. I believe the church would have died because God's grace wouldn't have had a chance to move.

Author Jeff Shinabarger walked into his house a few months after he moved in, and everything was a mess. Drawers were turned upside down. He noticed a broken window and glass everywhere. Among the missing was the new Mac Notebook he had just bought for his wife and some older computers.

Jeff fixed the window and had coffee with one of his neighbors that night. He felt violated. His first question to his neighbor was, "Has your house ever been broken into." The reply he received was that his house had been broken into four times the previous year.

Jeff sat and stared at his new friend. He hadn't been prepared for the response or ready for the next question. Jeff's new neighbor asked, "So, are you moving?"

Jeff shook his head. "No. But I am going to need to get the window fixed."

His neighbor replied with a smile, "Welcome to the neighborhood."

He was the first one to welcome him. Is it possible that we have to go through the intersections with people different from us for genuine faith to grow? We need to offer grace even when grace seems inappropriate, and sometimes conflict is unavoidable, but that grace can help us move into a future that we can share together. Intersections are essential in life because it is there that we find real encouragement. What are you doing with your intersections?

Oh, and by the way, Welcome to the neighborhood.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 16

Thursday 14 March 2024

But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. – Acts 14:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 14, 2024): Acts 14

As someone who has been involved in a bad church split, I know how emotionally destructive splits can be to all who are affected. I admit this, but I also understand that I am not alone. It amazes me how many pastors, in moments of honesty, have been through similar circumstances. One of my colleagues has been through two splits during his ministry. It is easy to blame the Pastors involved, but, as with almost every conflict, the blame must be placed on both sides of the fight.

As with every conflict, both sides also often try to stir up people who aren't actually part of the disagreement so that they can feel validated or win the argument. I don't think they realize that there are no winners in church conflicts, only losers. In my case, there was a vote, and what hurt the most was watching people who had not been to church for years walk into the church so that they could vote, not because they were part of the disagreement but because they had been stirred up by one side to take a stand against the other.

A denominational leader said it takes a decade for either the pastor or the church to recover from the conflict. He might have been mistaken. It has been fifteen years since I experienced the split, and there are times when it feels like it happened yesterday. I am still struggling to recover from the fight. And it is something I never want to have to go through ever again.

All of this only proves that I don't measure up to Paul. Paul seemed to meet with church conflict almost every place he went. And yet he repeatedly stayed and faced the fight, regardless of the personal cost.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

At Iconium, there is a move of God that resulted in many believers among both the Jews and Gentiles of the city. But there is also opposition. The unconverted Jews at Iconium decided to stir up resistance among the Gentiles who previously wouldn't have had a position in the fight. I might have decided (or was forced) to leave the place of conflict, but that wasn't Paul's decision. He and Barnabas chose to stay. "So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders." (Acts 14:3).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 15

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. – Acts 13:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 13, 2024): Acts 13

Psychologist B. F. Skinner asserted that he could take a baby, and depending on the way he cared for the child, he could mold him into a doctor or a thief. Skinner strongly believed that who we are largely depends on the environment in which we are raised. Theorists like Skinner believed that we start as a blank slate, like a whiteboard waiting for someone to come and write on it. The writing for our blank slates comes from our experiences, weighted more by early experiences and less as we grow older and our personalities become more fixed. The opposite view would say that experiences are unimportant and who we are depends on our genetic makeup. We refer to this debate as being nurture vs. nature. And, like many of our arguments, our reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

Luke begins to list some of the prophets and teachers who had come to Antioch. Barnabas had been sent to Antioch by the church in Jerusalem and likely made many trips back to the city. Barnabas was present along with this friend from Tarsus, Saul, who was also called Paul (the Apostle), Simeon, who was called Niger, was there and, because Niger means black, Simeon was likely a black African who was part of the congregation at Antioch. Lucius of Cyrene was one of the founders of the Antiochene church.

But maybe one of the most fascinating people listed here is Manaen. Luke says that Manaen was brought up with Herod the Tetrarch. It is an interesting comment, indicating that there was somehow a connection between Manaen and Herod very early in their stories. Because of this connection, they would have shared several experiences during their childhood. But the paths their lives took after their childhood ended were very different.

Herod the Tetrarch was Herod Antipas, and Antipas ruled over Galilea and Perea. He began his rule with his father's death, Herod the Great. Antipas was responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist and was part of the trial and execution of Jesus. Herod Antipas had made himself an enemy of the Christian Church. Manaen grew up with Herod Antipas, but he became one of the founders of the Christian Church in Antioch, and Luke lists him as a significant teacher in the Antiochene Church. It is hard to imagine two men who seemed to have similar beginnings, yet their lives took such divergent paths.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 14