Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. – 1 Timothy 2:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 6, 2015): 1 Timothy 1 & 2

If there was a list of the most sexist men in history, to be honest and despite of what you may have heard, the Apostle Paul probably wouldn’t even come close to the list. There are just too many male chauvinist examples to choose from. The rise of the equality of woman is a relatively recent historical event. And I recognize that as a male writing on this subject, I am doing nothing but inviting criticism. But anything written more than 200 years ago is likely to contain views on what a woman should or should not do that would be out of step with what is culturally acceptable today. (Okay, I don’t have to go back that far, just returning to television programs from the 1950’s is enough show how drastically our cultural mores have change with regard to sexism.) And if I want to travel to other parts of this world that we share, I can see a drastically different idea of what it is to be a woman even in today’s world just by changing my geography. So the problem we face is simply one of translation, recognizing that what is right for me right now, may not be right for others who are displaced by either time or space. In the cartoon, neither of these woman would have been comfortable wearing what the other woman is wearing - and many other women would be in favor of an alternative that is in between.

So Paul writes to Timothy, a young Pastor in training, words that if they are taken directly into our culture in our century can be viewed as nothing but sexist. It is hard to write on anything in this chapter without entering into the sexism debate. And even if the words, like the ones in this verse, sound like maybe they aren’t that bad, if we dig down to the core of what is being said, the sentiment is foreign and offensive to the culture in which I live. In this verse, Paul is saying that men – and only men – should pray in every circumstance in which they find themselves. And that they should do so without the male sense of competition that seems to infect everything that men do. And this is not suggested by Paul, it is commanded and demanded by Paul. According to these words from Paul to this young pastor in training, there is no other way that is acceptable in the day to day life of the church – none.

But this was in part just the culture from which Paul and the Christian Church had emerged.  There is nothing that is found in the writings of Paul that would not have been echoed, and often magnified, by other secular writers within the prevailing culture. The world of Paul is not our world, as hard as that sometimes is to understand. And our cultural understanding is very different from the cultural understanding that has existed throughout most of recorded history. Our views on the equality of the sexes, which makes so much sense to us, is still the minority view. And that is not likely to change soon.

But, if actions truly speak louder than words, then maybe we need to read the words of Paul, but see his actions – because at least in this area the two don’t seem to be matching up. While Paul speaks of a male led and male dominate church culture, a read through his letters reveal the important role of women fulfilled throughout his ministry – even getting mentions within his very public letters, something that was almost unheard of outside of Paul. And, at least in the case of Priscilla but probably others as well, Paul had surrounded himself with female leaders. And Paul seemed to understand that the church, while ministering at that moment in time to a male dominated culture, needed to pass beyond that culture and toward one that was dominated by a male-female equality.  

And Paul’s actions would propel the church in just that direction. There have been many women who have played an integral part in the development of the Christian Church. And while we may study the words and teachings of the Desert Fathers who lived a couple of centuries after Paul, we need to understand that there were Desert Mothers as well. The church owes a debt of appreciation for all of the women who have ministered in the church throughout its history. We would not be the same without them.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 3 & 4

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. – Philippians 4:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 5, 2015): Philippians 4

Did you know that there is currently a fight in American politics over light bulbs? Okay, fight might be a strong word, but I am betting that Thomas Edison never dreamed his invention could ever be anywhere near the heart of a political discussion. The problem seems to be over the plan to phase out traditional incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy efficient – and more expensive – alternatives. Senator Rand Paul seems to be firing the initial shots in the current battle over the bulb, warning anyone who will listen that President Obama and the “liberal elites” want to decide what kind of light bulb you are able to use in your home. But before you scream ‘how dare they,” the “liberal elites” would like you to know that it was George Bush, a leading member of the “unliberal elites,” who actually signed the energy bill back in 2007. It was then passed by both the Senate and the House without even working up a sweat. However, that was when the energy bill hit a snag – and implication of the bill was delayed. And, therefore, we are left with a political argument – over light bulbs.

We have no idea who Euodia or Syntyche were, except that they were co-workers of Paul and that they were fighting. And it seems that, at least as far as Paul was concerned, this was a fight over something as small as our current dilemma over light bulbs. All that Paul wants is for the fighting to be done.  So Paul makes a direct plea to the ladies.

It should be noted that Paul makes no judgments on who was right or wrong in the argument. In fact, the double use of “I plead” probably means that Paul thought that both women were in the wrong. So Paul reminds the women that what unites them is much more important than what separates them – that it is possible to “be of the same mind as the Lord.” And for this reason, and the unity of the church, the feud needs to end.

And the same reasoning as Paul uses with Euodia and Syntyche possibly should be applied to our current light bulb controversy. The reality is this, as Christians we continue with the same job that God has given to Adam – we are to care for what it is that God has created. And that means that things like energy saving light bulbs, and any other way that we can reduce our energy footprint, should be exactly what it is that we desire. Like Euodia and Syntyche, the “liberal elite,” “unliberal elite” and the many “unelite” are all wrong. This is an idea whose time has come, and not one that should be argued over, or one that causes both sides to point their fingers at each other. Because what joins us is much more important that what separates us – we are joined by the planet on which we live, and our joint responsibility, given to us by God, to take care of what he has created.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1 & 2

… circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. – Philippians 4:5-6

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 4, 2015): Philippians 3       

Theodore Roosevelt is often credited with coining the phrase “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Although there is some dispute over the attribution, in many ways these words seem to make sense flowing from the man who redefined what it meant to be the President of the United States in modern times. For Roosevelt, being President was more about the character of the man than it was about the policies of his administration – something that we still hold to today, but admittedly we seem to be moving away from. Roosevelt believed that character trumped everything else. If a person had character, then it was possible to trust his actions even when you disagreed with them. And historian Henry Adams proclaimed that Roosevelt “was pure act.”

And this is the danger of those who walk among us parading their education. The reality is that education is good and necessary, but what is even more critical is the character that stands behind the education. Character seldom calls attention to itself – and it is always revealed by actions, and never by education. I have to admit that I am suspicious of anyone who demands to be honored by an educational title because, albeit unfairly, it makes me wonder if there is any character within the person to hold up the title. Or is a stress on the degree a cry that there is nothing else within the person which can define them – the educational degree is all that they are. In a recent seminary class a prof addressed the issue of what his students should call him. And he said that he allows his student to call him Dr. (he has an earned PhD) or Pastor, but he prefers to be called by his first name. And from knowing him I can understand that, his actions continually reveal his character, so he has no need to be held up by his degree.

As Paul speaks of boasting in Jesus Christ, he reveals the things in his life that once he thought truly revealed who he was. The first four things he mentions were essentially accidents of his birth. He was circumcised on the eight day in accordance with Leviticus 12:3. He was a citizen of Israel by birth rite, a member of the chosen people of God on the earth. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, a proud group of people who had provided the first King of Israel, King Saul; a tribe who had backed Judah when the other ten tribes had abandoned her during the reign of Rehoboam, son of Solomon; and a tribe which held the Holy City, Jerusalem, within its ancestral boundaries. Paul adds to this that he is a Hebrew of Hebrews, which basically means that he was brought up to be proud of his Jewish heritage in a time when many weren’t – and many of Paul’s contemporaries tried to hide their Jewishness, even to the extent of cosmetically reversing their circumcision.

And then Paul adds his educational element. He was a member of the Pharisees, an elite Jewish sect known for their commitment to keeping the entire law. There were never many Pharisees within Israel, with 6000 being about the maximum number, but Paul had achieved this elite standard – he was one of the Holy Ones of Israel. And his journey to this elite group was never just an intellectual pursuit for Paul, he had zealously prosecuted those who undermined the teaching of the Hebrew Scripture, putting to death those who broke the law of God, and among these offenders stood the Christian Church. Paul was a man of action, his knowledge informed everything that he did. And because of that, Paul was proud that he could stand up and say that he had kept the whole law – all of it. He guarded his actions so that there would be no weak areas that could ever be exploited by his enemies.

Paul’s point was that if there was anyone who could claim to be child of the law, he fulfilled that qualification more than even his enemies and accusers had. And yet, he regarded all of this, both the accidental characteristics of his birth, as well as the work and dedication that he had infused into his life, as being worthless. As he had written to the Corinthian Church –  

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised —and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31)

Paul understood this, and would boast in nothing other than Jesus – even though others with less qualifications boasted in themselves. But Paul saw clearly that others were wrong, and the only one Paul could boast in was Jesus.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Philippians 4

… for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. – Philippians 2:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 3, 2015): Philippians 2

Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist who was known for his drawings of unnecessarily complex machines designed to accomplish simple tasks. And since Rube Goldberg started drawing them, people have been trying to make them. There was even a board game - Mouse Trap - that was built around the idea of creating a Rube Goldberg machine, and building a better Mouse Trap. Rube Goldberg machines often feature rolling balls down track, and elevators and levers, and in the end a bell rings or a light switches on – or some other extremely simple event is accomplished. The term Rube Goldberg has come to mean any plan that seems to be overly complex.

Even the “Big Bang Theory” has an episode where the guys are involved in building an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine. They created a program that was able to send a signal around the world and eventually turns down the stereo. And when Penny asks them why they would bother, the answer is as simple as the goal of their electronic Rube Goldberg machine – they did it because they could.

But the church might be the original Rube Goldberg machine. Consider this, what God could have accomplished through his own power, he has chosen to instead accomplish through the actions of his people – people willing to be used by him. We sometimes wonder why God does not change things on our planet, but the answer is delightfully simple – God is waiting for us, his Rube Goldberg machine. First with Israel, and then by adding the Christian Church, this world is supposed to be a better place because of our presence in it – and because God is working his plan through those who love him.

If God’s purposes are going to be accomplished on the earth, it will be because we have decided to allow God to work through us. God will never force his plan on us, but if we want this world to be all that it can be, it is time for us to allow God to work his plan through us. He is waiting for our reply. What is your answer?      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Philippians 3

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 2, 2015): Philippians 1

Maybe one of the most famous lines ever written by William Shakespeare appears in the play “Hamlet.” In the play, Shakespeare writes these words as the Prince of Denmark (Hamlet) ponders life.

To be, or not to be, that is the question—
Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep—
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end …

C. S. Lewis argues that this is the real tragedy in Hamlet - Hamlet himself seems to be undecided about life. The role that death plays in Hamlet, at least according to Lewis, is greatly underestimated. And it is in this passage, as well as a few others, that the protagonist reveals his ambivalence with regard to life. The truth is that Hamlet is not sure that he wants to live, but he is also very afraid to die.

It is not a reaction that Paul shares. Some have wondered if Paul might have been suicidal as he wrote the opening lines to his Letter to the Philippians. But the reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. Paul is quite willing to go on living, but he has simply become sure of what is on the other side of the curtain we call death, and that has changed his understanding of life. It is as if Paul has completed a pros and cons list. On the pros list he has listed all of the things that he could accomplish. It is where his friends – like the Philippians – are. Paul imagines a world where, with the power of Christ, he gets to continue to be an encouragement to the churches. On this side of the ledger are things like his desire to go to Spain and minister Christ there – and from Spain there was no telling where Paul could have gone. Maybe he could have even carried Christ to the Barbarian tribes to the North of the Roman Empire. With the power of Christ in him, there truly was no limit. To live was truly Christ – centered on Christ and powered by Christ.

But to die would be even better. With all of the great things that could happen if he lived, to die and be physically with Christ flipped the chart. What should have been loss, was gain. For Paul, there was no ambivalence about life and death, and there was no loss. Whatever it was that Paul’s future may have contained, for Paul it was all gain. And Paul was comfortable with that.

In Paul’s mind, the Shakespearean phrase “to be or not to be” ended with Christ. Whether he lived or died, Christ would always be the answer. And because of that, it simply didn’t matter what the future held. All Paul needed to know was that it held Christ.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Philippians 2

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 1, 2015): Ephesians 6

In 1969, Johnny Cash recorded “A Boy Named Sue.” Cash recorded the song at a concert that he gave at San Quentin State Prison. At the time of the concert, Cash was still very unfamiliar with the song lyrics and was often seen looking down at a sheet of paper on which the lyrics had been written. The song was written by Shel Silverstein and was thought to have been inspired by the life of humorist Jean Shepherd, who was often made fun of during his youth because of his feminine sounding name. Apparently the song went over well at that first concert, much to the amazement of Cash.

The song tells of a young boy named Sue. The boy is made fun of and in his anger he learns to fight to maintain his honor. Then late in the song he comes face to face with his father, although at the time he doesn’t know it. He fights the man and wins, and is about to kill the man when his father admits that he is the “son of a gun” (the original word was a little stronger) who named him Sue – a name that dear old dad had chosen for him because he knew he would grow up without a father, and he wanted to make sure that he grew up tough. At the end of the song, father and son are reunited and the boy named Sue says that when he has a son he will name him “anything but Sue.”

Sometimes I wonder if we do not understand our responsibility with regard to our kids. The whole idea of the years that they spend with us is that we will train them and shape them so that when they do leave us they will be equipped to meet the world that awaits them. And that is what we don’t seem to understand. Too often we seem to want to take the easy way out. We want to be their friends and we seem to give in way too easily to what they want. Or we seem to make life impossible for them, provoking them to anger. We belittle them and drive them toward resentment. In the Cash song, dad seemed to have straddled the line. While it was his intention to get his son ready for the world, for most of his life what he had succeeded at was the task of exasperating his son. But the story of the song that we maybe sometimes miss is that it is really about an absentee father. And it could be argued that the father exasperated his son because he could, and because it was the easy thing to do.

And our reality is that this is the real truth. Whenever we find ourselves exasperating our children it is because it is the easy out. Paul tells the Ephesians that they are to bring up their children, a phrase that originally meant the giving of physical nourishment but had come to mean that they are to be cherished by us, by our presence, and not exasperated by either our presence or our absence. And we are to bring them up with the ability to live in this world in a way that honors themselves, and our God.

Paul’s words here are revolutionary. In his world, a child could be brought up in any way that dad saw fit. They had no rights. But Paul seeks to change that. Father’s, don’t exasperate your children. Don’t drive them into anger. Cherish them and get them ready to live in our world.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Philippians 1

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. – Ephesians 5:21

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 31, 2015): Ephesians 5

Quiz time. Which popular 70’s sitcom is thought to be the first show to have contained the sound of a toilet flushing? Following its first appearance, the flushing toilet actually became a running gag on the show. The answer: All in the Family. I can still hear the toilet flush and then Archie come bounding down the stairs. “All in the Family” was a funny show, but it was also an important show. It was the first sitcom to take on issues that the society of that day was struggling with, but also felt were incompatible with a comedic format. “All in the Family” took a swing at issues such as racism, rape, the Vietnam War, breast cancer, miscarriage, homosexuality – and, of course, the flushing toilet. The comedy really changed the way we thought as a society, and it did it for the better.

But the show also taught us about the idea of submission. We almost hated Edith for the way that she would allow Archie to push her around. Archie would order her like a slave, call her dingbat, and when she did want to speak, often with a message that we really needed to hear, Archie would tell Edith to stifle. It was almost too much, even for that day and that age. Yet, Edith rose above all of that. And according to Paul, Edith got it right. In fact, if you are married and you want to make the most out of your marriage, watch “All in the Family” and pay close attention to Edith – while ignoring Archie, who was the only real dingbat on the sitcom.

Submission is a ten letter word. Obvious, I know. But it is a ten letter word that we just don’t like. In Contemporary culture there are two ten letter words that we treat as if they were swear words. And submission is one of them – and maybe the preeminent one. (If you are curious about the other one, it is discipline – we aren’t much of a fan about that word either.) But we see no reason why we should ever be submissive to anyone. After all, we have rights and we deserve respect. We are the talented ones – if there is anyone who should be submissive, it is others to us. All of this revealing that we would make very good Archie’s.

The problem is that we connect the idea of submission with the idea of being talented or worthy of respect, but those two concepts are totally unrelated. Submission is a military word that carries the meaning of being one of lesser rank. There is absolutely no doubt that a private fighting on the front line could be more talented and have a higher intellectual ability then one of the general’s guiding the battle from behind. But that private, as talented as he is, exists in a chain of command – and he is submissive to the less talented general through that chain of command. And it is quite possible that if the private learns the lesson of submission, he will rise through the ranks and one day share the rank of General with some other less talented soldiers. But if he doesn’t learn the lesson, he will remain exactly where he is – a private – until the day that he washes out of army.

This is the image that Paul wants us to understand. Submit to one another does not mean that they are smarter or more talented than we are; it means that we have learned the military lesson. And really, that we are willing to recognized Christ in each other. The unfortunate truth of Archie Bunker is that because of the way that he behaved, he never really realized the worth of this jewel to which he was married.

But Edith got it. It didn’t matter what was happening around her, she showed how much she valued this oaf who was ordering her around through her submission. Could you imagine how great this television marriage would have been if Archie could have mirrored Edith. It was the scene that we never saw on the show. Archie coming through the door, home at last from work. Edith racing in from the kitchen, coming through that swinging door with supper in her hands. And at this point Archie races to her side and moves into the kitchen wanting nothing more than to take some of this weight off of the shoulders of his bride. That would have been a beautiful picture of mutual submission.

And it is a picture of what the church is supposed to look like. We are to submit to each other, racing to value others more than ourselves, not because the other is smarter than we are, or more likely in our society because they are richer than we are, but because we are following the example that has been set down before us by Jesus Christ.

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:6-8  

And through our submission, we begin to understand the Christian Faith, and show that someday we will be read for a promotion.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6