Law is a guardian until Christ comes

Galatians 3 - 4:7. Paul develops the idea that the Jewish Law is nothing more than a guardian, a stopgap, until Jesus Christ can come and fulfill the law. God never intended to be revealed only to the Jews. He intended to be the God and savior of all peoples in the world.

Psalm 47 speaks of all nations praising God. From all time God intended this. Somehow the Jews lost sight of this. But the prophets, under God's inspiration, did not. Many times in the psalms and the prophets God speaks of all the nations coming to him, repenting, bowing the knee, worshiping him. And God spoke of blessing the nations. The Israelites, in their hatred of their neighbors, wanted to keep the revelation of the true God for themselves.

Don't we too tend to lose sight of the fact that God is for all people and not just my little bunch? Don't we stick with our church, our circle of Christian friends? We act as if we would like to keep the good news to ourselves.

We think others will not appreciate it. Or else they would have already believed. They might make fun of us or get angry if we share Jesus the savior with them. So we dare not try to evangelize, tell them the good news.

We rationalize that it is us versus them. But God does not. He does not see it that way. Like in the Psalms, God desires all to come to him and praise him. It is right that we all should gather as brothers and praise God. The Live Aid shows get it half right. We are brothers: red and yellow, black and white. But what we share in common is a creator who deserves our gratitude for life and all the good things he gives us.

All non-believers are potential believers. God desires that it be so. All of them would be immensely better off if they knew the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ. They have to be told, perhaps more than once. Advertisers know the value of repetition. Teachers know the value of repetition. Those who do not believe simply do not understand yet. If told another way they might finally get it. (Of course God gives the inspiration but we must be the feet of God.)

The Good News is that God does love us all, not just our little group, and made a way through the work of his Son for all to come before his throne to praise and glorify his holy name as is only right.

We who have accepted Him are carriers. Are we contagious?

Trinity Sunday

The Sunday after Pentecost is called Trinity Sunday in the liturgical tradition. Yesterday was Trinity Sunday. As our preacher said, "The only day named after a theological maxim."

Beforehand the worship leaders gather for coffee for 30 minutes. One of the singers made the comment that the concept of Trinity was too hard, implying that he need not accept it. Why keep trying to explain something that no one can understand?

Well I left that alone. I had nothing to share. Nothing came to me. So I left it alone. I feel no compulsion to defend God. He can do that very well himself.

We then heard a good sermon. The sermon was one that skirted the issue. JD did not try to explain it saying, "For me to try to explain the Trinity would be like a four year old girl trying to explain her parents' marriage." Think about that one a minute.

The scripture for the day spoke of the theophanies in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 14. The visions tried to visualize God in visual terms understandable by humans. Another singer beforehand had quipped "What was John smoking when he wrote this?"

In retrospect the only helpful (I think) comment I could made at the time was that the Trinity is important because it speaks of God's love and glory as active and inclusive. Love and glory are shared among the persons and more importantly for us, shared with us as well. God wants to include us in his fellowship among the persons of the Trinity. Jesus worked to explain that in John 16.

God is one, and a unity but he readily and eagerly and lovingly wants to share his fellowship with us. He also wants to share his glory with us too but we must do what he does and share it back. We must love him back as the persons do.

It's amazing. And really not understandable.

Galatians

I am reading Galatians right now. What should we take from this letter?

Paul starts right in with his message right there in verse one in his greeting. Paul wants his readers to know we please God, not man. We are to give glory to God and not to men.

Paul criticizes Peter for changing his behavior when the Jewish Christians come around. Privately he knows he need not live and eat like a Jew but publicly, he tried to please men by pretending to be a Jew.

The Jews were not eating with the Gentile Christians in Asia Minor. This was wrong. We are free. If we associate with sinners for the sake of the gospel this does not make us sinners. People do not have spiritual cooties. If we associate with homeless people for the sake of the gospel that does not make us homeless. If we work with prisoners or the poor to give glory to God this is a good thing. Jesus did the same thing.

Paul spends a lot of time explaining to the Galatians that he did not submit to the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem but to God. He had a separate call from God. He went to Jerusalem for a leaders meeting. He went as an equal. And they confirmed that God had called him and blessed his ministry.

His conclusion was that his teachings had equal weight with any emissaries from Jerusalem. No matter what they said, he was equal in authority.

The Jewish Christians had trouble breaking out of old habits. Paul knew he was CALLED to break out. He was free to live as a Gentile to serve the gospel. He knew that it served God and helped the Galatians if he did so.

In summary (2:16) a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus. We may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law. No man is justified by works of the law. Paul repeats it for emphasis.

This is a direct condemnation of the Judaizers who are trying to get people to live more like Jews. Paul directly condemns that. Righteousness does not come through the law. If it did then Christ died needlessly (2:21).

today

walked to store and got some groceries. Walked back with my canvas grocery bags.

Ate a breakfast of egg, bacon, homemade bread toast and milk.

Then to gym for a workout. Watched an old movie on the personal TV.

Went to the bank to get a cashier's check to close a loan.

Then off to Turbo Tuesday for the final school party. Found out my tutee is a Christian. In two years it never came up. Then we said goodbye. Likely I'll never see him again. I pray that our short relationship helped a little. Maybe it helped me more.

Then home and soon after to Life Group.

Oh, DD2 is leaving for camp in a couple of days. She is cooking for us for the last time for over two months. We had salmon tonight. Tomorrow we arer hainvg chicken tetrazzini.

Life Group was pretty good. Talked on John 14 some. Then took a couple of guys home and told them about a movie we saw. They were more familiar with Irton Man 2 and Robin Hood (Robin deBois to them).

Home to catch up with Farmville. ;-)

Pentecost

Cool MP spoke on the Holy Spirit Sunday morning. Finally, at the end, he mentioned it was Pentecost. But just as an afterthought.

In the evening I was the substitute reader since Rocky was out of town. Rocky is in a wheelchair so he has to know whether the reader is there or not. I can be more spontaneous. This certainly would look very spontaneous since I came out of the choir and crossed the nave to walk up and read.

I looked over and notice no one was in the "ready" position, just under the epistle side reading box. So I did glance at what was being read in the bulletin. The new bulletins, since the beginning of the year, have all of the service including all the reading. I saw that we had a fairly short psalm and decided that we would read in responsively.

Then an older couple came in and sat near the front. I thought maybe one of them would read. I tried to decide whether I was relieved or disappointed. It was mixed.

But after the collect no one moved towards the lectern so I grabbed the bulletin and headed over to read. I am tempted to start to watch myself but I tried to be in the moment, enjoy the situation, feel what I feel. I did find enjoyment in reading.

We read a few verses of Psalm 32. I knew there was one lesson, not two. That was interested. What I did not know until just now what that I was reading Acts 2. All of Acts 2. Well up to verse 41. I read the coming of the Holy Spirit and then all of the description of Peter's sermon.

The Pentecost story is a great story and I wished to do it justice. I wished I could look up and connect with the audience but really that would not work since I had not rehearsed this. If I looked up I would lose my place. But I tried to pause at the commas and inflect the questions and exclamations a little. This is a reading, not a one act play, so no overdoing it. Try not to rush it. Take it easy. I read it from the bulletin. That seems bad manners somehow but I can be excused since I am emergency reading.

I had to turn the bulletin page twice. On the second turn I was wondering how long more. It did seem long. But I think it turned out well. There is not a high bar for satisfaction yet I'm sure all lectors try to make it special. I think it was special.

Afterwards I noticed some special people in the congregation. Jokingly I mentioned, Ric from AD Players with what looked to be his mother, and said "maybe I'll be discovered". But it was not to be.

Also Mary Frances, our former alto who has written one novel and is editing her second one. She may be successful with this one. The first one was not bad. It was fun since it was partially set in Houston. She says this one is much better.

I got some nice comments. It was a pleasure to do it. It was nice to be complimented. Again I try to experience the moment and enjoy the praise. It's not rocket science but it is nice not to fall flat on my face. hehe

The two Nancys

Following up on last two blogs. I mentioned the bff the two Nancys.

We went forward and the rest of my homeroom went back. So I did not see them for a whole year.

I suppose I was sort of interested in one of the Nancys. I wondered if one of them was mildly interested in me. That is another story. I think I have told it from another angle. Perhaps it should be told again. But not now.

This about seeing her again the next year. Now she was a 10th grader and I was an 11th grader. Over the summer or sometime in the previous year she had a makeover. She dyed her hair, cut it differently and learned to use a lot of make-up. She probably lost some weight too. I liked the older Nancy but the newer Nancy was a hit at least with the other girls.

She also changed her behavior. From fairly quiet person with one main friend she became an outgoing vivacious girl who aimed to be popular with the popular clique. As far as I can tell she succeeded pretty well. To her credit she did not totally drop the old Nancy. But they were drifting apart. The other Nancy looked about the same as she did in junior high.

But that was not my interest. She was no longer someone I could deal with. Not that she would have been interested with me. My rep in high school was "out of it nerd". She would have hurt herself by associating with the likes of me.

But I was very interested in observing a person who totally remade herself for high school. Obviously she did not like who she was in junior high. So she went out to change that. High school is a time to find out who you are. Or in this case to create a whole new you and then live in that new body. She set out to improve herself and she did.

Midtermers no more

I mentioned I was a mid-termer yesterday. I was born in January. Why they let January kids start in January, maybe earlier than my birthday I don't know. Did we start later that year. I know I was born January 20 and two of the girls were born on January 21. Cool huh?

Anyway I went on like this going through the school year "backwards" all through elementary and into junior high. Then there were rumors that mid-term was going to be eliminated. The school board decided to do it gradually, not abruptly. So those left in elementary school would switch over as they moved on to junior high (7-9). Those like me who were in junior high would continue as a mid-termer until moving on to high school. So it was a three year transition for junior highs.

There must have been a meeting at our junior high of the group of us still in mid-term. I think there were two homerooms with mid-termers. There were some 12 homerooms of regular kids. They often did not know what to do with mid-termers. When we moved over to the junior high in January they did not expect so many. So as an emergency they put a homeroom in the girls health room. Our lockers were right by the entrance to the girls' locker room. hehe. Did the boys try to peek in? Sure they did. But not me, I don't think. The woman coach who got this duty was never happy about it. She was often not in the room at all in the mornings. She never took pride of ownership in our accomplishments. We won the 7th grade soccer intramural championship. She never came out to watch us play.

Our home room stayed together for three years though I cannot say I got to know many of them. The boy in front of me, C.A. regaled me with stories of his exploits with the ladies in the last couple of years. But I had one bff in D.M. I was jealous when he tried to have other friends. So for the most part he didn't have other friends. We stayed friends throughout high school too. Another outstanding duo were the two Nancys who were also bff. I wonder if they stayed friends during high school. I'm not sure.

Anyway this is about the transition. When it came to going to a regular schedule they gave us two options. After the May-June semester of 1965 we could opt to stay back and take 9th grade over again. So the kids who did that would take the first semester classes over again in the fall and continue with the second semester in the spring graduating the next June and coming to high school in 1966. Or we could go to summer school and skip H-9 and immediately go to 10th grade in the fall.

Most of the kids decided to stay back. But my friend DM decided he wanted to go forward. And he encouraged me. He did not want to do it by himself. I agreed to do it with him.

That meant taking three classes in summer school, the maximum possible, quite an undertaking then going on to high school in the fall of 1965. There we would have to take one ninth grade class and take another class the next summer to finally catch up. There were six periods and four "solids": math, science, English, and history. We did not have to take an extra PE class or extra elective. So it was just one ninth grade class in the fall. I remember it was Algebra. All these classes were filled with failing kids, kids just barely hanging on. I don't think we quite realized what we had gotten ourselves into.

These kids were scary. The second semester summer school was basically for kids who flunked during the first summer school session, meaning they had now flunked twice. There was only one place where that was held, at San Jacinto High School downtown. The neighborhood was scary. The kids were scary. We could assume they were all carrying knives, cigarettes, maybe even dope. The teachers felt it best to take a don't stir up trouble approach. After all they were outnumbered. We were a couple of clean cut suburban kids. We stood out.

The teachers assigned these classes were fighting a losing battle. We really tried to get our work done but the bedlam around us was distracting. I'm sure we were verbally abused for trying to actually do the work. One thing I learned from DM was how to organize time so that we could get it all done before going home. He was a genius at that and showed me a vision of how it was possible. Before that time I had not really believed it possible. Much of my abilities in college to later take 18 or 21 hours per semester has to be credited to the mentoring I got from DM.

DM and I devised a special code for communicating. He was a bit more excited about it than I was. I understand that he still uses it. A few years ago I communicated with him and he insisted that I "read" a coded message that he sent me. I could still but just barely. Essentially it evolved over time as variation on the actually English alphabet. We kept changing the letters to things not likely to be identified by a casual observer. But they looked enough like the original letter that to us, who had been involved with its evolution, there was little problem reading it. I was never caught with a note but DM was once and he got a good laugh at the teacher's confusion.

That first year in 10th grade was OK scholastically. I don't think I ever fit it though. Some of it had to do with my being a year younger than the rest of them. But probably a lot of it had to do with my not being confident around people. Anyway it solidified the relationship with DM and I. It was us against the world a lot of the time. Later I would try to get dates with girls but that was almost entirely a failure. I guess if I had been willing to settle for a not so good looking girl but I wasn't. So when I finally did get dates it was with girls at other schools. I ruined my rep in my own school. But I did not mean to speak on that. I have covered it before.

I may have covered this before too but it is more appropriate here. My ninth grade Algebra class, called Algebra 1B was a class for those who got an F in the class in the spring semester. There must have been more than one class as D.M. was not in this class. I am sure teachers hated to teach this class. But the woman who taught my class was sort of an exception. She said she was involved with the college group that developed MAD magazine. She developed a crazy character where she described herself as a witch. She had ditties for each day of the week. The most famous were for Monday and Friday. We were to sing them in class. She had a souped up broom with stick shift and other silly ad-ons. Some of these kids would make her a new one to try to get brownie points.

That was another class where I felt out of place. There may have been a few others who were serious about trying to learn but here I think even the teacher had given up teaching seriously. That was really weird to me. I hate to waste my time. If I am there I might as well do my best. I guess that applies mostly to learning anyway.

excellent teachers

Our own Geetha Thomas is an excellent teacher. She is in our life group and I saw her last night. Wow. She has some interesting stories. And she has a lot she deferentially keeps between herself, her husband, and God. Each year they give her a most difficult class. She asks us to pray for her. She works especially hard. She cares for each one. Each year they all pass the TAKS test which means she has raised them all several grade levels in one year.

There is no one way to become a master teacher. This is taking me down memory lane.

I remember my Low Second Grade teacher Miss Woods. (She would be Ms. Woods today.) After close to 50 years I actually can remember most of my elementary school teachers. It helped that when I was in high school I used to make lists. But I can do it from memory.

Miss Woods claim to fame is that when we would play "Seven Up" she used to tickle us. Now I don't think anyone would stand for that today. Modern ideas say do not touch a child. There are several reasons for that. Not all have to do with ideas about child molestation.

Anyway we loved being tickled. And we loved her. We loved it so much that we lobbied with Miss Woods that she should be our teacher for High Second Grade. It was not done but probably a mixture of Miss Woods and our parents lobbying the principal got it to happen. I think we had an exercise where we wrote letters to the principal asking that she let us stay with her. I cannot imagine that it was her idea. She actually seemed very reticent. She got us to agree to work very hard and not disappoint her if she agreed to try to get an exception.

One of us must have volunteered us to do it. We all thought it a great ideas and she, seeing a wonderful teacher opportunity, allowed us to write these compositions.

OK, so much in those past paragraphs to define. First High and Low. That came from the practice of mid-termers. Second grade is second grade now, fall and spring semesters. But I was a mid-termer. That means I started in January. My first days of first grade started during the spring semester. Our little elementary school had three classes of regular termers and one class of mid-termers. The regular termers started their year in September just as all kids do now. Our class was much the same for six years. We were probably together in kindergarten too but that I really do not remember.

Any for us spring semester was called the "low" semester as in Low - 1st or (L-1st). The fall semester was High - 1st, just backwards from the regular classes.

So I had Miss Woods for the spring semester of 2nd grade. And then after the summer vacation we got her back again for H-2nd grade. Actually four students were deemed too smart to stay with us and they moved to another class. This brought on a lot of tears by us (this was mostly girls) and the girls themselves. I think the four moving out for the semester were all girls. This is not as surprising as you might think because our class only had six boys and probably twenty girls. I am pretty sure at least one of the girls soon came back as she was not working too well without her regular friends. I cannot remember, they may have all come back eventually. They did after this one semester anyway. I do remember the big scene. I'm sure I did not cry. Hmmm. Maybe I did. ;-)

Think about the tickling teacher reminded me of "Seven Up". Anyone remember that wonderful game? I was actually never any good at it. The girls got to giggle at me. I was mortified. For those who do not remember this is how it goes. Seven people are "up", standing in the front of the class. The rest of us are supposed to hide our eyes. We would lay our heads on our desks and sort of wrap our arms around our head. This way our eyes were not showing. Even if we had our eyes open we could not see. So then the seven people would tip toe around and tap one person and then run back to the front. Then the teacher would say, "open your eyes" and the seven people tapped would stand. Then each would try to guess who touched them. If you could guess you got to replace them up front. As I said I was never any good at it. If I was tapped I never could tell who did it. If did get to be up front my poker face was awful. The person I picked could look into my eyes and I would break up. I rarely made it a second round. Still I loved the game. I got just enough attention. Yeah the ham in me was coming out. Does anyone play Seven-Up any more? Does the touching make it verboten in a modern classroom? Is it felt that this would wasting valuable time? I wonder.

I should ask Mrs. Thomas about that next time I see her.

Sunday sermons

I am emotionally coming down from Sunday. There was a lot of excitement. I think the service at the retirement home went well. DS and DW were wonderful to work with. DS did great at leading worship. DW opened and closed with prayer. She also stepped up to give a different example during my message. I do have trouble calling it a sermon. FWIW my sermon was based on Matthew 11:29-30 and Psalm 131. It was very personal.

Both sermons I heard had something to do with John 17, the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. It is a bit like the words used at communion to prepare us for the meal. Jesus is acting as a representative before God in our behave, what a priest does at a sacrifice. That is what communion commemorates, a sacrifice.

MP spoke in the morning and used the first part of chapter 17. His point, as clear as I can remember, was that we will have persecution. We are to persevere. Without looking at my notes, that is what I remember. Now that I think about it I think I have it all wrong.

The evening sermon including the final part of John 17 in the lectionary readings. But RC spoke mainly on Revelation 22. For the third time he asserted that Revelation was written to warn the Christians about the impending destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem itself. Jerusalem and all the inhabitants with put to the sword in 70 AD. It is said that many Christians knew to get out beforehand and were thus saved from the slaughter.

Anyway RC was interested in the penalty sections of Revelation 22 which are passed over in the usual appointed readings.

verses like: Revelation 22:15 (ESV) Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

and like: Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, (19) and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

These verses, especially the last two are pretty unsettling. One does wonder who John thought he must ad this strong curse.

Perhaps it was because he felt it so important that believers take this vision seriously and get out before the great judgment that God is about to take on the people of Jerusalem and the Jews in general.

RC read a little from Foxes Book of Martyrs specifically about how tradition tells us some of the disciples died.

Most know that John was banished to Patmos. But it is reported he finally left there and finally died of old age in Ephesus. But Foxe says that before he was banished he was boiled in oil which did not hurt him. So they banished him as an alternative.

RC mentioned that the famous seven cities of Asia Minor that he addressed specifically were places where he established the first churches.

We had a substitute leader in the evening choir since J&J F went to the graduation of a grandchild. That is a good reason to be gone. It went without a hitch. I got there late, as did several others I found out later, since I was the last to arrive. It was a great service for me to participate in.

Often when we practice a tricky musical passage I end up not remembering what was corrected in the service. But for once I actually did remember, praise the LORD.

John 8:48-59

Read all of Chapter 8 if you have time.
John 8:48-59 John calls them “Jews” the Jewish “man on the street” or the Jewish crowd, multitude of other gospels. This distinguishes them from the Pharisees, Sanhedrin, the leaders These men and women saw what Jesus was doing The Jews were discussing this man Jesus. He had his 15 minutes of fame, at least in their eyes. He taught so well. He healed people. He was so interesting. Who was he?
8:31 “The Jews who believed in him”. John does not say what they believed. I do not think they believed he was the Son of God. This last section of chapter 8 proves that. They do not believe he is the messiah. That person would look different more angry and political. But they did believe he was someone special.
In historical terms this is how I see it. Strangely there is little writing left to verify this or much of anything else. I think it likely those in control destroyed any documents. And the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD would also have done that too.
This is what I think Jesus was speaking to historically. As Jesus approached his crucifixion all Jerusalem was a buzz. The man on the street found Jesus fascinating. He was all anyone could talk about. The majority of people believed in some fashion. He was Harry Houdini and Winston Churchill all boiled into one. But it did not affect their lives. And when Jesus was put to death and then the stories when round that he had risen from the dead they marveled. Peter was preaching about this Jesus that he was the Son of God. Many thought it true. But they never let it affect their lives. They never truly understood what it meant, as Jesus said of them.
Jesus told them that they must believe in him to live eternally.
Believing that he is the Messiah means taking his side. It means standing up and being willing to be called a follower of Jesus. Of course after Jesus died it meant repenting in your part in his death. We all must do that because we all have sinned and he died to justify us before God.
But soon after this after the leaders saw that most of Jerusalem was presupposed to accepting that this unusual man was the sought after Messiah, even if they could not quite understand all the consequences, they stamped it out. Anyone who believed in Jesus was no longer a Jew. Now you can believe most anything and still be a Jew. You can be an Essene, a Sadducee, a Herodian, a Zealot, or a Pharisee and still be a Jew. But if you were a disciple of Jesus, a Christian, you were immediately kicked out of the synagogue and the Temple. And you were likely to be persecuted. The Romans gave Jews freedom not to worship the state gods. But as a non-Jew you had no such rights.
Nowadays you can practice your Judaism just about any way you want. Most have decided God does not exist or at best is not very involved. Many Jews do not believe in an afterlife. But it is still true today that if you affirm that Jesus really was the long lost messiah and he died 2000 years but rose from the dead and now lives next to God the Father in heaven, you are kicked out of the synagogue and other Jews consider that you are no longer a Jew.
This brought the Jews back in line. They did not have enough invested in Jesus to stay committed. They never truly understood what they were committed to. This is what Jesus was saying to them and prophesying about them. This is what Jesus condemned in Chapter 8. Jesus knew what would happen in the near future. They did not understand his words. But they loved the side show. It was interesting.
Rather than consider his words and look at their hearts (as I do when I read this chapter) they began to argue with him. They called him names right back. They called him a Samaritan and demon possessed. This argument culminates with Jesus openly declaring to them that he was God. He used the phrase “I am” a well known expression that is how God describes himself. They knew what it meant and their reaction was to try to stone him.
So whatever it was that they began believing (this dialogue, discussion, debate, argument, whatever it was), they did not believe him to be the Son of God. Jesus did not convince them here. Jesus never wanted people to be left sitting on the fence. He wants us to commit one way or the other. The responded by rejecting him, even trying to kill him.
But the man on the street was fickle. They were still fascinated.

John 8:31-44

This is a hard passage for me. Jesus is speaking to those who believe in him (vs. 30-31). He is being very hard on them. So what does this passage mean?

Jesus is speaking against those who would smile and say, "Jesus is a good person." or "Jesus is a great teacher." Admiration and intellectual ascent is not enough. In fact they are deadly to the soul. If they were just mildly good Jesus would not call them evil as he does.

An old friend of mine used to say, "A lot of people are inoculated to the Christian faith. The got just enough of it to make them immune to real contagious fruitful faith." So true. And so challenging. Where do I sit on this?

The commentator notes he just heard an old interview with John Lennon where he spoke of his belief in Jesus. He then added he also believed in Mohammad and Buddha, etc. This is only a surface ascent. Jesus is telling the Jews in John 8 that this will not do.

Your life must change. "The truth will set you free." Their reaction to this comment shows he is right.

"Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin." That is the opposite of "The truth will set you free."

Jesus speaks the truth. He tells them they cannot handle the truth. They hate him for it. Without faith we cannot handle the truth. We must allow God to change us or we will never handle the truth and be set free.

Jesus is rough on this group because he wants them fully in. Mental ascent only will not save them. While Jesus seems to be rejecting them he is hoping to convince them. I see a strong parallel to the OT prophets trying to convince the Israelites of their sins, to repent or God will bring judgment on them. Jesus is also saying to repent or God will bring judgment.

Weekend events

Friday, for a date I took DW to a session at Main Street Theater. I saw an ad on Facebook for Baker Street Irregulars. It was at their children annex on Montrose. It turned out to be the showcase for a children's acting class. These kids were 11 to 16, most in the 13 age. They tackled a fairly full length play and did it commendably. The boy who played Sherlock Holmes had a lot of lines to memorize.

I think we were the only paying customers ($5 per ticket). The rest of the audience was family and friends. There were a quite a number of flower bunches to award the actors after the play.

We had a sermon by Beth Hoover on Fierce Love in the morning. She was doing the Mother's Day sermon. Larry Hall did the evening sermon. He spoke on Lydia as a strong woman who was the first European convert. Then he linked it two Mother's Day and made the comment that Lydia's whole household was baptized. This likely included children and even grandchildren. He commented that these children had no say so in their baptism. They were children. Children need to be guided to make correct decisions for their life.

I am very peaceful after finishing my Greek final I have had to strive to make sure I am doing things.

I decided to fire up my never used grill and I cooked so chicken and sausage. It works great. It is easy to get started and it is fairly easy to add new wood to. Yes I use fallen wood branches, not usually charcoal. I did burn myself fairly severely on my fingers because the handle gets very hot. That is a part of this being a new grill to me. Now I know why the special tool they give you.

John 8:1-11

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,
4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.
5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"
6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more."]

Question: Why did the older people leave first? John found it important enough to include this detail in the story. Why were the older people less inclined to condemn first?

This is considered by modern critics to be a later insertion. A lot of Bible versions will include this information in a footnote. People think a later editor inserted the story. And yet this part has been accepted and been a part of the gospel of John from very early. If it was added others who knew about it agreed that it belonged.

This story is so good that if John left it out at first, perhaps the story was passed around orally and someone felt it just must be written down and included. Maybe even John himself at a later date.

John 4 , little Greek trivia

I am studying for my Greek final that I will do as a take home tomorrow. So Greek is on the mind, worrying about Greek, obsessing about Greek. Soon it will be over.

Any, in John 4, we had to translate the story of the woman at the well. A trivial point that I never did get a chance to get my professor to respond to. In verses 4 and 15 the same verb is used.

It is "διερχεσθαι" in verse 4 and "διερχωμαι" in verse 15. Can you see the similarity?

Is there a word play going on? One that Greek speakers would pick up on and appreciate? But the contexts are a bit different.

In verse 4 the word refers to Jesus' "crossing over" from Judea to Galilee by passing through Samaria. The word, at it's root, means to cross over.

But in verse 15 the verb is used by the woman who hopes to no longer have to "cross over" to the well to draw water. Jesus has promised her special water. After she drinks it she will be thirsty no more. She has special reason to want that.

Usual English translations include the idea that she is coming from a distance. But more accurately the parallel is between Jesus who is crossing through unfriendly territory. She, as a woman of unsavory character, has to cross the property of people who disdain her and probably express their disdain out loud on a regular basis. She has to cross over unfriendly territory just as Jesus has and wishes to avoid it if she can.

So there is an interesting word play in the Greek. It's trivial I know but interesting just the same.

Question on John 7: 1-5

John 7:1-5 ESV
(1) After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
(2) Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand.
(3) So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.
(4) For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world."
(5) For not even his brothers believed in him.

Now I want to ask you. What about the first five verses clues you in that his brothers do not believe in him?

Hmm. perhaps in this translation it is a bit more clear. I used the NASB for my devotional time. In that one it is not so clear.

Is it clear to you? Respond with an answer if you like. I'd like to read it.

musings on John 6

Jesus says "I am the bread of life. He who eats of me shall live because of me." He spoke this in Capernaum. Many left him as a result of this. Why? They took it too literally. He then tried to explain it to them. He explained this was a spiritual saying. He was not saying it was about eating his flesh.

"It is the Spirit who gives life the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." This could be translated, "It is the spiritual that gives life, the flesh is of no avail."

He was trying to tell them that they would feed on his spiritual body, not actual flesh. But he still uses imagery, he does not tell them plainly. He leaves that for his disciples. For others he leaves room for faith.

Peter explains faith in the next section. Jesus then asks the twelve if they too want to go. It hurt his that so many left. His response to the disciples shows his hurt. Peter responds, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Peter expressed true faith here. Reading that always reminds me of my days at Redeemer Episcopal in the 70s. It was not always fun and a recent book listed a lot of the sins and deficiencies. Nevertheless God's Spirit was there. It is the spirit that give life, the flesh profits nothing. We supped at the Spirit of Life. Accept no substitutes. I'll always hunger for God. I got a taste of God at Redeemer. I still get a taste of Him in quiet and in church community. I still have not found a perfect one but God still comes and inhabits his people.

Peter showed faith when he said, "To whom could we go, YOU have (YOU ARE) the words of eternal life." He hungered. I hunger too. I hope you hunger as well.

Sunday highlights

In the morning the pastor spoke on the world hating Christians using John 15 (?) as his text. I tend to think that is obvious, otherwise why wouldn't we be more willing to share our faith with people. We know it makes people mad, one way or another.

Jesus knew it would happen too, that is why he prepared his disciples. "They will hate you, remember they hated me first." "They will think they are doing God a favor when they kill you."

In the evening the preacher spoke on Revelation 19, that was the text. His theme was obliquely related to the morning since Revelation was written to a persecuted group to explain what was going on in the spiritual realm and how God saw all of this.

The preacher went on to summarize Revelations and take an older approach. Revelation is not some premillenial dispensational text. The whore of Babylon is not Rome but Jerusalem. The leaders in Jerusalem were in deadly rebellion against God.

He states that Revelation was written before the destruction of the temple and it predicted that destruction. It would mean that God had judged Israel and that the church has replaced Israel and God's family. The temple sacrifices are no longer needed and have been replaced.

A couple of weeks ago this same preacher said people do not understand Revelation rightly. Today he went into much more detail as to why.

I am not sure his idea totally fits all that Revelation says. And Paul seemed to say, especially in Romans, that the Jews are not totally replaced, they have been temporarily removed to let the Gentiles in. But they are still God's beloved and will eventually come back. I think Paul can be read that way and so can the Revelation of John.

Dispensationalism, in some forms, says that the Jews have been simply placed in a new relation to God. The church has been added in, wild grape branches added to the vine, that is God. But the domestic branches, the Jews, can still be re-grafted in if they repent and come back.

Barbara called during her break in KC around 5 PM. We were practicing the anthem so I let her hear our soloist practicing. She stayed on the line for two minutes listening. Then after we were done I called her back. She is getting a lot out of it and working very hard.

Deborah drove in from San Angelo and arrived at 7 PM Saturday. We hung out Saturday night. She made the dewberry pie. In the morning she helped me man a communion station. That was very nice. Then she went to the wedding shower. That was the reason she came into town. We got to pray together last night and worship together today. She was going to head back to San Angelo as soon as the shower was over. She planned to stay over in Marble Falls tonight and drive the rest of the way tomorrow. She sounded like she was being very safe. I got a text saying she made it in to Marble Falls.

Deborah will be back for the summer in two weeks.