Do you experience God as a “noun” or a “verb?” Is God, for you, an experience or an idea? Do you have specific examples?
In what ways have we attached God to ourselves, rather than attaching ourselves to God?How are we participants in a system that “wrongfully uses the name of God” to justify our prejudice, our wars, our wealth, etc.?
How can we change that, as individuals and a community “called by the name of Christ?”
Read Exodus 20.7. How have you understood this commandment in the past?
In the ancient near east, words had power. A curse or a blessing was taken very seriously. Names were filled with significance. To know someone's name was to potentially have power over them. Do you know what your name means? Does it fit you well or not? If you could choose a name for yourself, what would it be?
With what kind of reverance do you approach God and God's name? Take a look at the article for further study above. Notice the extent to which some Jews go to be reverent to the name of God. Is this needed or unnecessary legalism?
What is the balance between being intimate with God in a familiar way (God is my best friend) and experiencing God's holiness (Awe?)
The prohibition aginst using God's name wrongfully is similar to the prohibition on images. How might "naming" God be an attempt to control him.
Micah 3.9-4.5 describes the leaders of Israel acting unjustly, appealing to the name of God. Do people take advantage of others in our culture and use God a cover for their injustice to others? Talk about examples of this.
In what ways might we attatch God to our agenda as opposed to attaching ourselves to God's agenda.
Exodus 3.14-15 tells of God's interaction with Moses. God says, "I AM who I AM." But this is not the name. The name is later, YHWH. It is unpronounceable, and associated with the verbs of being- "He Was," "He Is," and "He Will Be." Does thnking about God in terms of "being" and "verbs" give you a different way of thinking about interacting with God? What thoughts does this conjure for you?
Read and discus the reflection questions from last Sunday at the top of this post.
Idols, Images, and the Future
Monday, 07 May 2012 12:00
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
If you were to be completely honest with yourself, how much do you rely on God rather than other things to take care of you and give you what you need?
What are things you trust in for the short term that have long term, negative consequences?
What are some things that might be idols in your life? What can you do to wrest yourself from their control? Do you need help?
Idolotry in the Old Testament was an attempt by people to cause an effect in the natural world by submitting to the power of a supernatural force. So they would perform intricate rituals, and perform ceremonies, and make sacrifices to a god whom they believed would produce a desired result. What is wrong with this kind of thinking?
God wanted his people to trust him for their needs and their identity. To what things do we look to today to meet our needs and give us identity?
During the teaching this week, I made a case for being able to insert the term "addiction" for "idolatry." Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
The sacrifice of children to Molech is an especially gruesome and horrifying way for people to have tried to influence the god. Many addictions today lead to gruesome and horrifying behaviors. To sacrifice a child to Molech meant risking your future for present benefit. Discuss ways our addictions mirror this process. If not addictions, are there other ways we mortgage our future for present benefit?
Rachel Muers, professor of theology at the University of Exeter, broadens this discussion to include "war" as a kind of sacrifice to Molech:
War supplies "Molech," not merely with the blood of innocent victims, but more insidiously with the binding of successive generations to deathly patterns of existence, in the name of the present seizure of control over the future. Contemplating the the intergenerational sustainability of bitter warefare in the contemporary world-including, the sustainablity of warfare in which religion is directly invoked-provokes horror at the power of "Molech," and ever increasing horror at people's willingness to continue to sacrifice to it.
As Christians in the world, how can we stand up against the present day worship of Molech, and assist people in leaving behaviors and addictions that lead to death?
Read and discus the reflection questions from last Sunday at the top of this post.
"It Doesn't Sound Like a Commandment"
Monday, 30 April 2012 14:37
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
God saves us so that we can worship God. What has God saved you from? What could God save you from that would allow you to experience God in a more profound way?
What forms of slavery/bondage do you see around you? Can you imagine the spirit of God being a delivering presence in those circumstances?
The Ten Commandments have often been portrayed as a list and "do" s and "don't" s. What has been your experience with this?
During the teaching this week, there was a distinction made between the ten "sayings," or ten "words," and the idea of commandments. Does it make any difference to you whether they are called "sayings" or "commandments"? If so, why? Or does it feel like semantics to you?
Stanley Hauerwas says that you cannot understand the commandments outside of it's context of a community of people who are called to live a lifestyle of worship. Think about that for a minute. What does that mean to you? What could be the implications of this be?
Read Romans 12.1-2. We often think of worship in terms of things that take place on Sunday. What is Paul saying about the nature of worship? What does that have to do with the role of Israel and the commandments? What does it mean for the church? For Christians?
Read and discus the reflection questions from last Sunday at the top of this post.
"The Ten Commandments: Introduction"
Monday, 23 April 2012 13:07
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
As we enter into the next 50 years of Trinity Mennonite Church’s story, what part will you play in advancing its mission?
From where do you derive your moral center? What role do the 10 Commandments and the Sermon on the mount play in your daily life?
God called Israel a “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation.” What was so important about God dealing directly with his people, not through a king?
What thoughts come up for you when you think of the Ten Commandments? What is the role they should play in society? What are some inappropriate uses of them have you experienced?
Read Exodus 2.23-25. The story of the Exodus, and by extension the Ten Commandments starts with the cry of God's people. What is God's response?
How does knowing that God sees our situation and hears our cries make you feel? Has that been your experience? Share times you felt that God felt your pain and saw your situation. Share a time when you cried out but felt alone and unheard.
Does God need to act in order for us to feel that he sees and hears? Is it enough for him to suffer with us, or is rescue necessary?
Read Exodus 19.4-8 God wants to make Israel a "priestly kingdom and a holy nation." How is that different from the political situation in the ancient near east during this time? What kind of images or ideas to the words "priestly" and "holy" bring up for you?
As we look at the Ten Commandments over the next weeks, we will look at the following things:
What did they mean in their historical contexts?
What was Jesus’ perspective on them?
What can they teach us as we try and follow them and more importantly follow Jesus?
Read and discus the reflection questions from last Sunday at the top of this post.
"So, What Now?" April 15th, 2012
Monday, 16 April 2012 12:17
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
Has your encounter with Jesus changed you? In what ways are you a new creature?
In what ways has Trinity been a “light to the nations?” How might we take that further?
God has reconciled us to make us his ambassadors. How can you-personally, specifically- be an ambassador for Jesus?
Read II Corinthians 5.21. How does the love of Jesus compel you?
Read vs. 17. The image give is reminiscent of a caterpillar undergoing the change into a butterfly. What are some ways that a person who is "in Christ" changes? Is it habits? Behaviors? Priorities? All three? None?
What does it mean to be "in Christ?"
Why do you think God made us his ambassadors?
Read through the reflection questions above and discuss them.
Easter Sunday, 2012 "The Final Enemy is Death"
Monday, 09 April 2012 15:23
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
How do you feel about your own death? Do you even, ever think about it?
If the inevitability of death has been replaced by the reality of life, how might you now be freed to live, in light of the resurrection?
If the church is a witness to the resurrection, how are you-as part of the community- a witness to the resurrection?
Death is a reality that is all around us, and yet often, we are hesitant to acknowledge it, or deal with it directly. We separate ourselves from the dead and dying as much as possible and we do everything that we can to ward off the inevitable. Read through and talk about the reflection questions above. What is your experience with death?
How old were you when your first close relative died? What is your memory of that event?
Read Isaiah 25.6-9. What is the sheet and the shroud?
Despite the fascination with Satan, the Devil, etc. in our culture, according to the scripture text, the great enemy of God, man and creation is death. Had you ever thought of that before? What is your reaction to that?
As Paul interprets the significance of the resurrection in I Corinthians 15.20-26, he describes it as the defeat of death. What is the implication of that interpretation?
Reflect on the significance that the following paragraph has for the church in light of the resurrection:
"...we are driven back to that basic conviction that in the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the destructive powers of this world, prominent among them war, were radically overcome. " War and the American Difference, Stanley Hauerwas, pg. 41.
"Supersize My Heart," March 25, 2012
Monday, 26 March 2012 09:56
Sunday's Reflection Questions:Is it easier for you to focus on the inward aspects of faith or the inward? Do you feel more comfortable with “do” or “be?”
Imagine what God might write on your heart. What would you ask him to write if you could?
At the end of Lent, what are some things you might want to “sign up” for with God in terms of your spiritual journey?
Abraham is commanded by God to be circumcised, and all the males of his household. Israel is commanded that all her males must be circumcised. Why do you think God commanded this?
How do you react when you are forced to do something?
Later, after having given the Law to Israel, God says this:
"Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live."
Why do you think God was looking forward to this day? What's in it for him?
Read Jeremiah 31.31-34. What stands out to you? What are the implications for your life? For the world?
What is your earliest memory of wanting to be something when you grew up? (Click on the photo at right to revel in one young man's vision of his own future as told to a weatherman.)
David wanted to build a house for God (II Samuel 7.1-17.) But God had other plans. Was there a time when what God had for you was better than what you could planned for yourself?
It is nice to look back and see how God works. But when you are in the middle of it, it can be really frustrating and difficult. How do you/have you dealt with such times? How have you gotten through the times when nothing seemed to be working out?
In II Samuel 24. 20-24 David says, "I will not give to God something that costs me nothing." What has it cost you to follow Jesus? Has it been worth it?
For I Know Whom I Have Believed, March 4, 2012
Monday, 05 March 2012 15:03
The path ahead is rarely as clear as the path behind
Apollo, the Sun God, drove his chariot through the sky. Ixcacao, the Mayan Goddess of Chocolate, symbolized abundance and fertility. Based on the experience of God in your life and in the world around you, how would you complete the following phrase, "The God of Jesus and the Bible is the god of ______________." Be creative and use this as a discussion starter.
Pastor Hal made the case for "The God of Jesus and the Bible is the god of covenants." American ethicist Paul Ramsey said, "Never imagine that you have rightly grasped a Biblical idea until you have reduced it to a corollary of the idea of covenant.”
Covenants are about promises made between two parties. God has promised us many things. We have faith that God will see us through and that as we follow God, God will provide what we need in order to follow. What are some things that we need in order to be able to follow God?
Read Genesis 17.1-2. Why was it difficult for Abram and Sarai to continue to trust in God?
Walter Brueggemann says, “Our text is situated in that long, uncertain season before fulfillment, where faith in the promise wrestles with loss of confidence in the promise.”
Have you experienced a "long uncertain season" where trusting was difficult?
The story of Abram is the story of God establishing covenants with his people. God pursues us! How do you feel about the God of the universe pursuing you?
Any kind of covenant requires trust. We talk about having faith in God, but GOd has faith in us. What could it mean in your life that God has faith in you?
What things can you see behind you that can carry you forward on your path?
Blood of the Dragon:Blood of the Lamb
Monday, 30 January 2012 14:18
When the empire presents the cross, Jesus presents himself
When you read the Matthew Paul Turner article, how do you react to this type of church discipline? How does it differ from the accountability we promise to participate in when we become members at Trinity?
At what point does church discipline become controlling and abusive? What criteria might you use?
Read Mark 1.21-22 In your understanding, what is the difference between “power” and “authority?”
Jesus teaching in the synagogue was a challenge to the religious control the Scribes and Pharisees had on the people. Why do religious institutions often feel the need to exercise power over its members?
In what areas of your life do you experience the tension between “power” and “authority?”
Read Rachel Held Evans’ blog post. “Being right is not enough, but it is living out the vision of a new way of living that will eventually overturn the powers of this world.” As followers of Jesus, how can we exemplify his example of persuasion over coercion?
"Unity By Any Other Name" January 22, 2012
Monday, 23 January 2012 13:02
What is unity? And do we have to agree on everything before we can achieve it?
Read John 17.20-21. Why was it important for Jesus to pray for the unity of his disciples? What differences did they have?
Jesus prayed for unity for the disciples “so that the world may believe that you (the Father) have sent me.” How could unity be a sign that God is present in a group of people?
Read Acts 2.44-47. What differences were present in the early church? What was the result of the unity that they displayed?
“Unity as commonly used, is really a veiled appeal to orthodoxy.” What are some subjects that some churches can promote orthodoxy around?
Orthodoxy is a barrier to unity. Read I Corinthians 2.2-5. What one thing should we be building our unity around?
In your journey of faith, are there boundaries about which you feel strongly?
What are areas where you feel disconnected from other followers of Jesus?
What might your role be in fostering more conversation and unity?
"Here I Am," January 15, 2012
Monday, 16 January 2012 16:01
Is God speaking in the world today? If yes, through whom, and why is it that we often can’t hear him?
"God has no other hands than ours. If the sick are to be healed, it is our hands that will heal them. If the lonely and the frightened are to be comforted, it is our embrace, not God's, that will comfort them."
Do you agree or disagree?
3. To whom have you yet to listen that might teach you something about God? Yourself? Yourself and God?
4. What do you do when God’s message is unclear? To whom do you go for clarification? Are you part of a discerning community?
5. Are there ways that you hear the voice of God more clearly than others? What are some things you might do to help you hear better?
1. Are things better now or in the past? In terms of violence, war and suffering, are things getting better or worse? Why do you answer one way or the other? What do you think is the dominant opinion of the larger American culture? The American Evangelical culture?
2. Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University makes the case in his most recent book, The Better Angels of Our Nature, that “The world of the past was much worse. In fact, we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species’ existence.” Some of the reasons he gives for this include:
(Negative) (Positive)
Aversion to dominance Empathy
Aversion to revenge Self-control
Rejection of sadism (cruelty) Morality
Rejection of ideology Reason
What, if any of these, sound like they have a connection to the teachings of Jesus? Share specific examples.
3. Pastor Hal made the statement, “When violence goes down to zero, and is able to be enjoyed by all people everywhere-that is essentially the definition of the “Kingdom of God.” Do you agree or disagree with this? Why or why not?
4. Jesus tells his disciples to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” The “good news” is that we as followers of Jesus, get to be a part of his work in the world If living out the “way of Jesus” is bringing about a better world, what are some concrete things that you can do to advance the “Kingdom of God?” What are way you can partner with and involve others as well?
1. What has been your experience with sharing your faith, or “evangelism?” Are there positive stories? Any negative ones?
2. The word “evangelism” comes from the Greek words meaning, “good news.” It is sometimes translated as “gospel.” In what ways is the message of Jesus good news? Are there some ways that it is communicated that can come across as bad news?
3. When the message of Jesus is truly good news in your life, you should not feel guilty about sharing it. After all, you have received a gift that is meaningful to you, and you should want others to experience it as well. What are some barriers people encounter to sharing their faith?
4. Often times, the “gospel” is narrowly defined as “salvation,” by what happens to you when you die. Jesus said, “I came they might have life, and have it abundantly.” What are the ways that your life is better and more abundant for having followed Jesus?
5. In John 3.14 and 12.32, Jesus talks about being “lifted up” and how he will “draw all people to” himself. If we see evangelism as “lifting Jesus up,” we don’t feel the pressure to “save” anyone, or “win” anyone to Christ. Talk about ways that we can “lift Jesus up,” in such a way that it is good news to people, and he can draw people to himself.
Vessel
Monday, 19 December 2011 12:24
Mary stands at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel as an example of discipleship. In accepting the call of God, Jesus literally grows in her just as the Spirit of Christ can symbolically grow in our life if we surrender to God.
1. Think of different kinds of vessels. What are they used for? How are they used? What makes a good one? Or bad?
2. Read Luke 1.26-38. In addition to it coming from angel, how would you have received this message from God? What is Mary’s response (there are two, one in vs. 29, the other in vs. 38?) The word for “perplexed” can also mean “terrified.” What is there in the message that could be considered “terrifying.”
3. At very least, this would have been disruptive to the direction Mary’s life was headed. In what ways can the call of God, if answered, be disruptive to your life?
4. In Jeremiah 18.1-4, God takes a vessel unsuited for a task, and remolds it, making it useful. What are some things that you struggle with that you would like God to help you change?
5. A vessel needs to be emptied sometimes in order to be re-filled. What are some barriers in your life that keep you from being used by God? Mary is a model of discipleship in that her answer to God was “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Describe a time when you were able to respond to God in that way.
The Gospel is about transformation. But there isn’t much transformative power in the baby Jesus, maybe that’s why so many people like him. But for the good stuff, the hard stuff, you got to let him grow up; and then in a sense he helps you grow up as well.
1. When you think of the “true meaning of Christmas,” what comes to mind? What do you think of the “war on Christmas?” Why are both of these concepts important to people?
2. Read Isaiah 61.1-4. The word “anointed” in Hebrew is the same word for “Messiah.” What are some of the things the “Messiah” is going to proclaim? What, if any, of these groups do you feel like a member of? What would “good news” look like for you?
3. The “anointed one” has something for “those who mourn.” Are there things you grieve? What would it look like to have “ashes” turned into “a garland;” “mourning” into “gladness?”
4. Read Luke 4.16-30. Jesus selects this passage (Isaiah 61) to announce his ministry in Nazareth. What does he mean when he says, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing?”
5. At first the crowd welcomes the arrival of the “anointed one.” They turn on him once he challenges them. (The challenge has to do with the “exceptionalism” of the people of Israel.) There is a parallel to Christmas. Everyone loves a baby. But people lose interest, or get uncomfortable when faced with discipleship. It is easier to demand public nativity displays than care for the poor. It is easier to insist that others do thigs exactly as we do than work for justice for the oppressed. What are your reflections about this?
6. What are ways you can be challenged by Christmas this year?
1. After David, Hezekiah was the greatest King of Israel. What were some of the things that garnered favor with God (II Kings 18.1-7)
There are two miracles associated with Hezekiah: The delivery of his kingdom from Assyria (Isaiah 37.14-20,) and his personal healing (Isaiah 38.1-6.) Read the cry of Hezekiah to the Lord in each passage. What stands out to you? About Hezekiah’s prayer? About God’s response?
Between vs. 1 of chapter 38 and vs. 5, God seems to change his mind. We don’t generally associate “change of mind” with God. What are the implications of that? How do you feel about a God who changes his mind? How could this affect the way you pray?
2. Isaiah’s encouragement to Hezekiah/Israel echoes the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt (Isaiah 40.1-5.) How does looking back, give us hope for tomorrow?
Remember a time when God was there for you. Can he be there for you again?
3. God made a way for the children of Israel in the desert. Isaiah refers to this with a series of images:
“prepare the way of the Lord,” “make straight in the desert a highway for our God,” “valley shall be lifted up,” and “mountain and hill be made low”
God goes ahead of his people and removes obstacles. What kinds of obstacles in your life need to be moved out of the way for you to go forward?
4. At the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, the author uses similar Exodus imagery to give context to the ministry of Jesus (Mark 1.1-3.) Jesus is sent to rescue God’s people as they had been rescued time and time again. This time it is not only the Jews, but all people of every race, language, and culture. Does this help you think of the Christmas story differently? How?
"The Treasure and the Pearl" November 20, 2011
Monday, 21 November 2011 10:39
Discipleship is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. As God sets out to re-create the world, the discipleship project is the means to that end. But there is a cost to discipleship-and failing to take into account the costs, can lead to discouragement and ultimately failure.
1. What difference does it make when something has a high price? When it costs nothing?
Discuss some things in your life that have come at great personal sacrifice? How do you feel about them? What emotions do you associate with them?
2. When Jesus says to the crowds, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple,” (Luke 14.26) what do you think he means? Is he serious? Is this meant to be taken literally? If not, why not?
For Jesus, the cost of obedience was the cross. Jesus invites his followers to “carry the cross.” (Luke 14.27) What does it mean to “carry the cross?”
3. Jesus uses the example of a builder and a king to demonstrate the importance of counting the cost of being a disciple. He then mentions possesions (Luke 14.27-33). Is discipleship just a matter of wealth and possesions? How does that speak to us in our materialistic culture?
4. In the Matthew passage, Jesus contrasts a pearl merchant and a man who found a treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13.44-46.) What is the difference between the two? Who made the better choice?
What percentage of North American Christians do you think have actually counted the cost of discipleship?
What is the danger of entering into the discipleship project without fully anticipating the cost?
"With his declaration that “God hates some of you,” Driscoll is simultaneously relieving the burden of weary Calvinists and providing shining examples for critics to use as evidence that the underpinnings of Calvinism lead to dangerous and hurtful outcomes." - Zack Lind, Finding Rythm
1. What is the most difficult time you have ever had to go through?
What are some things people say to help others feel better during times of sorrow and trial?
Read Psalm 88. Have you ever felt like this?
Which are the most unfortunate and misguided? Which, if any, have you found helpful and comforting?
Is there something in your life right now that causes you to have doubts about God's presence or love for you?
2. People seem divided in their response to God's answer to Job in chapter 38. Do you find it comforting or frustrating? Discuss why. (Job 38. 1-11, 40.2-5)
Are you the kind of person who needs answers, or are you comfortable with uncertainty?
3. There is a subconscious assumption that if we do right, if we obey God, then things will turn out okay. Why do you think that is?
Read Psalm 44.17-26. Why does the writer express such despair?
4. When you read through Luke 15, what are the similarities between the three stories that Jesus tells?
What are the stories a response to?
What behaviors of the woman, the shepherd, and the father are unexpected, even unexplainable?
"God loves us so much, it's stupid." What does this mean? What does this mean: "Jesus is God's wound in the world?"
5. Faced with a decision to rescue us or join us, God joins us in the person of Jesus. How is this different from the popular idea of omnipotence?
6. This week, we saw the church rally together to support one of their own and each other. How has God reached out to you in the midst of this horrifying event?
November 6, 2011 "Clean and Unclean/Inside and Outside"
1. What do we know about Jairus? Why might he have been reluctant to go to Jesus on behalf of his daughter? (Mark 5.21-24, 3.1-6)
In the end, what drove him to Jesus? (vs. 23) How are motives important when responding to God?
Are there conflicts in your life that keep you from experiencing God more deeply? What kind of things pull you in competing directions?
2. What was the significance of the plight of the woman? (Mark 5.25-26, Leviticus 15.25-27)
What are some practical aspects of purity codes of ancient societies?
When have you felt on the outside?
Was there a time when you felt "unclean?"
Think about the healing that is needed in your life.
3. When Jesus is touched by the woman, and when he touches the young girl, he invites uncleanness upon himself (Leviticus 15.25-27, Numbers 19.13). What does that say about his ministry and what was important to him?
What is the challenge to us, as his followers, in reacing out to the unclean, outsiders, impure? Discuss specific examples, as well as our successes and failures in those areas.
Who do you have a difficult time reaching out to? Are there barriers and borders you maintain in your life?
What are specific ways you can transcend differences and reach out to those looking in?
Loving God and Neighbor on 9/11-Rod Cardoza
Thursday, 06 October 2011 13:21
Rod Cardoza, Founder and Executive Director of Abrahamic Alliance International, preaches at Trinity on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
This followed a powerful seminar called "Loving Muslim Neighbors." That afternoon, participants in the seminar partnered with members of a local mosque to prepare and serve a meal to the homless in Phoenix.
Reflecting the Nature of God
Monday, 20 June 2011 13:58
There is an old story that goes a little something like this:
Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. One night during a campaign, he couldn't sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds.
As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty - a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it. The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him.
Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life. "Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?" Alexander the Great asked the soldier. "Yes, sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice. "Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great. "Alexander, sir." Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What is your name?" "My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated. A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is your name?" A third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir." Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye.
"Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change your conduct!"
Last Sunday we talked about how you will know a tree by its fruit. In one sense, we can know if a tree (or person, or organization, or ministry, etc) is good if it produces good fruit.
But in another sense, the fruit carries on the heritage of the tree to the next generation. The peach delivers the “peachness” of the peach tree, the apple the “appleness,” and so on.
In the same way, as followers of Jesus, we should reflect the nature of God in our lives. Now, that might sound like a no brainer. Of course people should look at our lives and see Jesus, and in so doing see God. But unfortunately this is not the always the case.
In a recent study, people were asked “"Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can . . . be justified?"
You would think that people who called themselves by the name “Christian” would have a clear conviction against the use of torture. But only 31% of “White Evangelical Christians” said it was “never” justified to use torture. This was less than the “Total Public,” both Christian and non-Christian combined (32%,) and significantly less than their “Secular” counterparts (41%.) 1
When self identified followers of Jesus are 10% less likely to oppose the use of torture under any circumstances than their secular neighbors, something is out of line.
One missionary scholar writes, “The results of these various polls suggest not only that self-identified Christians do not reflect Christian values but that they do not fundamentally think as Christians to begin with. Perhaps it is time to start over, and Matthew's theme of discipleship may be just the place.” (Thomas Haverly, Currents in Theology and Mission, April 2008, p.126)
If we are going to bear his name, our conduct should reflect his character. As we continue to study the teachings of Jesus, through the end of the Sermon on the Mount and on into his parables, let us continue to find ways to faithfully live out the gospel in our lives.
1.According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press [PRCPP], "Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987- 2007" (March 22, 2007), p. 25, this question was asked in five polls taken between July 2004 and January 2007
Bridges to the Cross
Tuesday, 14 June 2011 14:08
This Sunday we talked about the word chesed; the single most commonly used adjective to describe God in the Old Testament. Sometimes translated, "lovingkindness," "mercy," or even "kindness," the best translation is "covenant loyalty." God's nature is to help us as covenant partners to keep the covenant, even when we fail to do our part.
As we prepare for the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Pittsburgh, even if you can't physically attend, I encourage you to read this article that appeared in the Mennonite about reconciliation, and about this Sunday's text, II Corinthians 5. It is by Ched Myers, who is a member a First Mennonite Church of Pasadena.
This Sunday, we talked about how Jesus is the purest expression of who God is. So when he taught, "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets" this expresses something primal about the character of God.
At the heart of all the world's faith traditions stand a common formulation: treat others as you would like to be treated. And in a world that has the capacity to destroy itself 100 times over, it is this commonality upon which we can begin to make peace.
I mentioned a couple of ways that you can be involved in this process, both locally and globally. These are certainly not comprehensive, and I would not want anyone to think that by merely buying a liscense plate or signing a declaration that one has done one's duty. We must strive to live the Golden Rule daily. These are just some ways to remind ourselves and others of what following Jesus is all about.
Next time you renew your tags, consider spending the extra $25 and getting the "Live the Golden Rule" Arizona liscence plate.
Link to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department is here.
Read about the project to unite people around the globe around the foundational principle of the Golden Rule.
A couple videos are below, one that I showed in church this week, and another cool one where people of all faiths, shapes and sizes, genders and nationalities read from the Charter.
I hope you will consider signing the charter and then living out the way of Jesus.
The Faults of Others
Monday, 16 May 2011 17:53
This last Sunday I talked about how easy it is to see the shortfalls of others, and miss our own. You can listen to it here. It's as universal as anything that makes us human. Social scientists have found the mechanisms that create the inate bias that cause us to be hard on others while giving ourselves a pass. A Japanese proverb goes like this:
Though you see the seven defects of others, we do not see our own ten defects.
This is why the metaphor of the log in our own eye is so brilliantly absurd. Something so huge should be at once be obvious and blinding to this things around us. But instead, we are blind to the log while our neigbor's splinter is amplified.
One of the things that makes this easier is "the myth of pure evil." One of my favorite social scientists, Jonathan Haidt, lays out this hypothesis in his book The Happiness Hypothesis. If we can ascribe evil motives to our physical and/or ideological enemies, we can entrench ourselves in our already held conclusions about how the world works, and our own self righteousness.
The trick, here, is to be aware that we tend to do this and to, whenever possible, place safegaurds agaianst it. One of the greatest safegaurds is radical humility, the willingness to acknowledge that we may be wrong. This is something we have done well, here at Trinity Mennonite Church, and it will continue to serve us well in the future as we navigate difficult issues, together as a community.
Last thing. I quoted an article yesterday entitled "The Myth of the Myth of Moderate Islam." Click on the link if you would like to read it in its entirety.
God's Hands
Monday, 18 April 2011 11:57
This is the short video from the end of our teaching time on Sunday. As Jesus commits his spirit into the hands of God, I was thinking of how God commits his Kingdom into ours. As Paul writes in II Corinthians 5, Jesus has reconciled us to God, but God has entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation, making us his ambassadors.
The questions for reflection are in the video as well as in the liner notes of the video which can also be found on Vimeo.
When, on the cross, Jesus committed His spirit into the hands of God, He set the scene for God to commit His Kingdom into ours. How does knowing that God has faith in us make you feel? How differently would you act if you knew/believed that the fate of the world depended on you? How can you be the hands of God, the feet of God?
This weekend, I talked about the difference between goodness and happiness.While often times the culture encourages the "pursuit of happiness," the things that make us happy, often don't make us good, and the things that make us good, often don't make us happy. i first heard this concept in an illustration used by Tony Campolo. He referred to his good friend, Columbia Bible College President, Robert McQuilkin, who had resigned his position with the college in order to care for his wife of forty years who was stricken with Alzheimer's disease.
The story is a powerful one-one of commitment, love and integrity In a now famous article for Christianity Today, he wrote:
This was no grim duty to which I stoically resigned, however. It was only fair. She had, after all, cared for me for almost four decades with marvelous devotion; now it was my turn. And such a partner she was! If I took care of her for 40 years, I would never be out of her debt.
I would encourage you to read the piece in its entirety. It is an inspirational call to all of us to seek that which makes us good over what may make us, at least for the time being, happy.
There are also some remarkable resources on YouTube, for those who would like to get to know this man better. One is the resignation speech when he stepped down to care for Muriel. The other is a more comprehensive biography of a man, who without the decision to care for his wife, would have been remarkable nonetheless.
I hope these stories encourage you to follow the calling of God in your own life.
Love Wins
Monday, 21 March 2011 11:19
Yesterday, I made reference to the controversy surrounding Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Becuase our former Lead Pastor, Shane Hipps, is now the co-teaching Pastor at Rob's church (Mars Hill Bible Church, Grand Rapids, MI,) and because we enjoy a quais-sister church relationship with MHBC, I thought it was important to address the situation and give some context to what is going on in the larger Christian culture.
If you weren't able to be here, I encourtage you to download, or stream the teaching while driving, cooking dinner or washing your cat. My hope is that we at Trinity can be a different type of community, one that is equipped to deal with questions, and is centered enough in Christ, to not be intimidated by different ways of looking at faith.
In the teaching, I quoted a review to Rob's book by Dr. Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary. Money quote:
Some folks zeroed in on that one story to condemn me as a heretic. I find their attitude puzzling. Maybe they think that folks like Rob Bell and me go too far in the direction of leniency, but what about folks who go in the other direction? I just received an angry email from someone who pulled a comment out of something I wrote a few years ago in Christianity Today. A prominent evangelical had criticized those of us who have been in a sustained dialogue with Catholics for giving the impression that a person can be saved without having the right theology about justification by faith. My response to that: of course a person can be saved without having the right theology of justification by faith. A straightforward question: Did Mother Teresa go to hell? My guess is that she was a little confused about justification by faith alone. If you think that means she went to hell, I have only one response: shame on you.
I encourage you to follow the link above and read the entire article. I also encourage you to read Rob's book, and discuss it with friends. Last week, someone asked me was going to agree with everything in the book. I said, "I hope not! I don't have time to read books with which I already agree. It is interacting with new ideas and ones that challenge what you think that give way to growth and developement.
FASCINATION
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 10:56
In ancient Pompei, the "evil eye" was never far from the thoughts of the people.
When archeologists excavated the ruins of the city, centuries after its destruction by the volcano Vesuvius, they found some intriguing features that were unique to it.
Built into the walls, streets, ceilings and door posts, were huge representations of sexually explicit images. They were everywhere. Scholars did not know what to make of these images and what it said about the city and its inhabitants. Were they sexuall deviants who had developed an early form of extreme pornography, or was there another explanation?
John Elliot, of the University of San Fransisco, is one of the most prominent experts on the subject of the evil eye. "Protection against the Evil Eye is naturally a major preoccupation in Evil Eye cultures, ancient and modern. Devices and strategies for deflecting or distracting the Evil Eye were numerous and varied. All public places, thoroughfares, city walls, public squares, work places, holy sites, and graves were protected..." Among the devices and strategies were these images that would be impossible to ignore. They were called fascina, and to be distracted by them was to be fascinated.
Fascinating!
Jacob And Esau redux
Sunday, 23 January 2011 19:04
For those of you who enjoyed the graphics from this week's sermon, I'm linking to the original G-d Cast video from which I borrowed it. These are amazing short films that take a Torah portion and then interpret it with the help of various artists and thinkers.
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner is you.” Lewis B. Smedes
We have a fascination with forgiveness. In literature and film, we are inspired by stories of selflessness portrayed as forgiveness. The nation was captivated by the grace and forgiveness offered by the Amish community after the horrendous killings at the school in Pennsylvania.
Maybe it is because when we forgive, we are most like God-the best of him is on display in us.
But it is hard. If it were easy, we wouldn't need to be encouraged to do it.
So in light of this week's sermon, I thought I would post a few practical resources for those who might be struggling with being able to forgive.
The late Lewis B. Smedes was an ethicist and theologian who taught ate Fuller Theological Seminary for 25 years. He is best known for his works on the ethics of sexuality and the practice of forgiveness. His two main boks are here:
One of the things that I have been thinking about a lot lately, has been the overwhelming desire most people have for certainty and assurance. I think it is part of what makes us human. Especially in times of trouble, we tend to look for an anchor to tether ourselves against the storm.
But just because we want something, there is no guarantee that we necessarily get it. Where else in our lives do things work like that?
Spiritual teacher Pema Chodron says, “We can try to control the uncontrollable by looking for security and predictability; always hoping to be comfortable and safe. But the truth is that we can never avoid uncertainty. This not-knowing is part of the adventure. It’s also what makes us afraid.”
Fear comes about because we may not believe in God as much as we think we do. When we trust that God walks with us through the uncertainty, it is an act of faithfulness.
She goes on to say that when we realize this, we “grow up.” So the central question is not how to avoid uncertainty and fear, but how we relate to it. This becomes the very definition of faith.
"Doubt and faith are brothers. We are the in between time where the truth as it is has yet to be revealed. but in the mean time we have to have faith that not only is the path we are on the right one, and will lead us where we want to go, but that our guide knows what he is doing and there is someone to greet us at our destination."
It is during this season that we think of Emmanuel, "God with us." God doesn't deliver from the suffering, but is with us in the midst of the uncertainty. The good news is that He is also working tirelessly to bring about his purposes.
"It may seem to the soul that everything is moving in the contrary direction to what it has been led to expect, and yet, even if many years go by, it never loses its belief that, though God may use other means incomprehensible to men, in the end what He has said will come true; as in fact it does." Teresa of Avila
Panem et Circenses
Wednesday, 01 December 2010 11:39
I want everybody to know that my sermon on Sunday was not an indictment on technology, but of the problems with the un-reflective use of the same. It is interesting that anytime you begin to talk about the downside of our interaction with technology, people automatically think that it is a blanket condemnation. Part of that, I think, is a larger cultural narrative that usually goes down that path. It is a familiar story arc that people are used to. Terminator, The Matrix, Battlestar Galactica, and the classic Mary Shelly story are all cautionary tales of our creation (read "tech") turning against the creator (read "us".) But anyone who knows me knows I love technology, and its ability to be cretive and make connections in ways unimaginable before.
My point was, with technology and life, a lack of reflection leads to a kind of sleep walking existence that is more like being entertained to death, than really living. The strategy of pacification of the populace by "bread and circuses" was wildly successful by the Romans who were the first to distract their population from their wretched existence. It is no less successful today. Gadgets, celebrities, big time sports (yes, even football) are very effective means of distracting us from boring and complex problems like poverty, war, the environment, and sustainability. The key to resisting the "bread and circuses" effect is to, like Paul urges us in Romans 13 and Ephesians 5, is to wake up, realize we were created for more than to just wander our way through life, and to join God where he is at work.
Baptism, Ministry and Goodbye
Monday, 22 November 2010 11:45
This really was an amazing Sunday! If someone happened to have been visiting with us this week, I wonder what they thought.
The doxasoma has been a wonderful way to involve our bodies in the experience of the Lord's Prayer. Thanks Rachel. And congratulations to her mother, Cheryl Paulovich on her ordination. It fit in well with the beginings that baptism represent. We recieved new people into the community through baptism, and we said goodbye to some longtime members as they move on to Oregon. Paul Davidhizar and I shared a stage early on during my first months at Trinity. Shane was interviewing a few people one Sunday, individuals that had different connections to the Mennonites, and different entrances into the community. I had found the Mennonites later in life, but Paul had been one his entire life. I remember being struck by hs story of what it had cost him to follow Jesus, as he understood it, and the humility to, at the same time, be able to say, "But, I might be wrong!" That phrase made its way into Shane's second book, and has been incredibly influential to me, as a leader and a follower of Christ.
Thank you Paul and Ellen, for your lives, your encouragement, a what you have meant to this community.
In the future, I will try and post things here that didn't make it into the sermon, but might be interesting for some of you for further study. Some times it will be a .pdf of a scholarly journal article, an Amazon.com link to a book I'm reading in preparation, or a simple Wikipedia link that sheds some light on something I said.
This week is it is a Wikipedia link about the name of Jesus.
Hat tip to Aaron Woods for getting me thinking about this.
Daily Bread
Friday, 12 November 2010 07:59
There are few metaphors for sustenance that ring true like "bread." Chela is the wife of Camillo, a peasant farmer who lives in the south of Chile. Chela would help us with food when we would bring groups of North Americans to work on projects in the area. It was Camilo who taught me how to kill a sheep or young bull, depending on the size of the group we were feeding. But Chela made the bread.
Technically, bread is a formed loaf, containing a leavening agent, and baked in an oven. Chela had a stove, but no oven, and it was in the coals of a fire in the larder, a fire whose smoke preserved various foodstuffs in the rafters, that she baked her bread.
At the beginning of the week, I would buy a 50 kilo sack of flour, drop it off at Chela's home, and three times a day, Chela would bring fire blackened loaves of bread that she would slice into biscotti like portions. The bread looked like a long, wide ciabatta, and had a dense crumb. Spread with jam squeezed from a bag, or with manjar, a Chilean version of dulce de leche, it was a perfect breakfast, providing energy for the morning's work.
I loved to watch Chela bake bread. She knew just when the coals were ready. She would throw the dough into the coals, and at precise moment, with her bare hands, extract a perfect loaf, fully formed, from the ashes.
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
Sunday's Reflection Questions:
This Week's Text: 
Mary stands at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel as an example of discipleship. In accepting the call of God, Jesus literally grows in her just as the Spirit of Christ can symbolically grow in our life if we surrender to God.
There is an old story that goes a little something like this:
Fear comes about because we may not believe in God as much as we think we do. When we trust that God walks with us through the uncertainty, it is an act of faithfulness. 
My point was, with technology and life, a lack of reflection leads to a kind of sleep walking existence that is more like being entertained to death, than really living. The strategy of pacification of the populace by 
