Jeremiah 3-4

I am reading my way slowly through Jeremiah and its hard. I keep wondering if there are analogies to America. I guess any culture has its faults. There are long chapters about how the people of God will not repent. Then God says the whole land will be desolation.
Then I think about myself. Am I doing what God wants, desiring justice or am I lusting after disgusting things? Am I repenting when God shows me wrong?
How much does God hate my distractions? I play games, watch movies, and watch sports. None of that is sin in and of itself. If I gave that up what would I be doing with my time?
I am distracting myself. It's not sin. But perhaps I could be doing better with my time.
Jeremiah 5:1 - God was looking for one man who seeks justice and loves truth. Do we have people like that in our time? Am I such a one? I think we have some today but their voice is muted. They do not get much attention. People find them boring or embarrassing.
I know I try to be one who loves truth and justice. But how willing am I do be that man when things are going to be to my detriment?

Jeremiah 1 - his call

As I was doing the elliptical and reading a magazine article I was thinking about analogies for homosexuality. But I may never blog that. It is too personal.

Jeremiah 1 speaks of his call by God. This call is tender, touching, personal too. I find this interesting since Jeremiah is often called the lamenting prophet. He wrote Lamentations about how hard his life was. His call was hard. He was born in a tough time.

Do we sense a call in our lives? The commentator went deeper. Do you sense that there is a theme that God has emphasized in your life? I do sense a theme is the ministries that I have found myself involved in lately.

But I have always felt somewhat insecure, perhaps jealous of those who did sense a specific call on their lives. I never have. But I do believe God has guided my life. So the better question, as I look back over my life, have I ever sensed a theme that God emphasized in my life?

I need to spend time asking God about that. That would be encouraging to know.

Why have I never felt a specific call on my life? Is it because I am basically a proud person? God puts down the pride and builds up the humble. I am comfortable with that as part of it. I know God's was are not my way, blessed be God.

I say God has expected me to follow what I feel to be right and then he confirms it after the fact. If I waited for signs or people to ask me to do things I'd never do anything. That took me years to get comfortable with but I am pretty much now. I chalk that up to not being a very outgoing friendly guy.

Ryan Suenaga

I just heard that a man I knew as a sort of friend, whom I saw once a year for a week in KC has died suddenly in an accident yesterday. Yes on Easter Day.

He always lived in Hawaii, on Oahu. He was climbing some nearby hills with some climbing buddies. In a dangerous place he fell from the path and was killed.

It is a shock for me. He was only 44. It's hard to believe it.

He was one of these guys who did a lot of twittering. You knew when he got up, had breakfast, and got to work. He also twittered from his phone when he was out riding his bike or jogging.

He was doing this yesterday as he walked, or jogged, the path up and down the hills. In fact he twittered from the hill that he died from. I was skimming his blog just yesterday, perhaps after he had already died.

God is good. He does not wish evil on us. Yet he lets us do what we want. Ryan is no longer with us. He lived loud. I do not know where he is now. But I do know God is good and he loves Ryan as he loves all of us. He did not wish this to happen to him. And yet it did. I cannot explain it.

I am feeling pretty numb right now.

Leave a legacy

DW and I went to a weekday retreat at Camp Peniel, Monday thru Thursday.

Small world department: The pastor leading our retreat is the pastor of the church where my Greek professor goes. So I left after my Monday night Greek class to get to camp around 2 PM in the morning to see Pastor Bruce Baumgartner the pastor of his church.

He spoke quite a bit about Dallas Theological Society and various professors that I know by reputation. I have read some of their books too.

He spoke on Leaving a Legacy. It was pretty good, if short. Most of the time is taken up in recreation, sleeping, or eating.

I wonder if I have a legacy. I really love and am proud of my kids. Is that my legacy? I sometimes hope some of these blog entries might be compiled into a book, if it is any good. Some of it is OK. That would be up to someone else, not me.

We read in 2 Timothy. This a good place to look for legacy in the Bible. Paul hoped Timothy was part of his legacy. He hoped Timothy would take over his churches after he was gone. Paul felt he was about to be executed by Nero. Little is actually known about Paul's death but we think he was killed by Nero. We are not sure why he was rearrested after the first time recounted in Acts.

Does our life consistently show what we profess?

Paul mentions three examples of hard workers: soldier, farmer, and athlete. Laziness is not a Christian virtue!

Paul repeatedly mentions suffering to Timothy. A disciple must expect suffering. We must not be surprised nor get discouraged when things get hard. People may misjudge us.

Take life seriously but do not take yourself too seriously.

Mark 14 "Well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful in a few things, I will give you responsible for many." What does it mean to be faithful in a few things? Are we faithful in a few things?

There should be no celebrities in Christianity. Paul would not have considered himself a celebrity. He worked hard, expecting his recognition to come from God, not from man.

Ephesians 5:22-33

This is my final paper subject due May 2. Yeah.

As I struggle with the Greek, I wonder what is the "mystery" Paul speaks of in verse 32. Anyone have a great idea? Is the mystery about God and his church? Or is it about how married couples are to relate to one another?

Most would probably say it is about God and his church. So what specifically about God and his church? Is it how he saves the church through Jesus? Or is in how Jesus will purify his church? Or something else I can't think of right now?

I suspect they were as selfish and unlovable as we are today. Is that what the mystery is? How did they get pure and by washing with the word? That expression is a bit of a mystery to me. Different translations might imply different things. But most don't try to explain it. It is still a mystery.

Verse 21 introduces this section on specific roles Paul wants to speak on, first marriage, then child parent relations, they slave master relations "give way to one another". He must know these are places where the Ephesians need help.

Notice in verse 22 submission is only about wives to their own husbands. Paul advises wives to do this. And he gives reasons. But when he comes to husbands he gives a command. It's a polite command no doubt but the tone is different. Twice when he tells husbands to love their wives, this is a command in Greek.

But at least here, this is not about women submitting to men in general. And I'd read other passages carefully too. We are not to overgeneralize this passage here. Wives are to submit to their own husbands, not to any other man. Paul makes this crystal clear.

I think the difference in tone may be significant. And then Paul explains how to do these things by using the analogy to Christ and his church. We learn about submission in how we submit to God in Christ. We learn how to love by seeing how Christ loves us, sacrificially.

Of course a wife has no fear in submitting if her husband is loving her sacrificially as Jesus did for us. How rarely does that happen though. Paul has set a high bar to reach. Husbands really do not have the right to demand such submission if they cannot say they are loving like Jesus does us.

Paul's illustration about love to men is so great. We are to love our wives as we love ourselves. And before we object, "But I don't love myself." - I've heard this objection and even tried to use it - Paul cuts that off. He says, "Yeah you do, you feed your body and take care of it!" No matter how depressed you might get you still eat and get dressed in the morning.

I'd say this passage is about interpersonal relationships mainly. He draws in the analogy of Christ and his church to show us how to love and how to submit. Paul does not want to give them the excuse of ignorance.

Mark 14: 1-11

A woman, using very expensive perfume, anoints Jesus' head. The smell must have been wonderful.

But it provokes some negative reactions. It looks like such a waste. My commentator thinks, (drawing from John's version) that this woman is Mary of Bethany. After Jesus brought her brother back from the dead, she is convinced that he is the savior of the world, the promised messiah spoken of in Isaiah.

She knows that he must now suffer. So Jesus knew her heart. Jesus knew she really was meaning to anoint him for his burial. She knew he would soon die. And she believed he would come back from the dead. That is why she was not in the group of women who went to the tomb early Sunday morning. (This is an interesting theory, the words do not directly say this.)

This is extravagant giving. The grumblers said this perfume cost a year's wages. It was like the widow's gift that we read only a few days ago. Here people do not understand or approve of it.

Do you understand extravagant giving when others feel called to it? Perhaps a loved one feels called to lifetime of missionary service. Do you feel that it is a waste of talent? Maybe someone bequeaths all their fortune to a charity in their will. Are you losing out? It may be a charity you do not like. Can you accept it joyfully knowing the person is doing what they feel called to? And as with the widow, Jesus commends it. God approves it and loves to see a person giving joyfully from their heart.

Are you willing to give extravagantly for the sake of God, whom you love?

Are you too calculating in your giving? I know I am. Sadly some examples of that have come recently in my life. They are very small, but seemed so big at the time that I got very very mad.

I am much too sensitive in taking offense when I am being used. It's to the point where I see offense where others see nothing.

Why should I take it so seriously? After all my savior was used much more than I ever likely will be. God help me to be able to give up total control especially in my giving and in my serving.

If you think to pray for me, this would be a good place to start.

Jesus is like wisdom personified in Proverbs 8

I Proverbs 8 wisdom is personified by a woman beckoning to all who would be wise. She stands in the lane, at the intersection where everyone comes, inviting people to listen.

Jesus was like that too. He went everywhere the people were. Jesus took all the questions and tests and returned wisdom.

That is what makes me think of think. Jesus was so wise when the Pharisees came with a denarius and asked whether they should pay taxes. When the Sadduccees came to ask a common question about the woman who was widowed successively and marriage seven brothers. He answered their questions much more wisely than they deserved.

Jesus lived with prudence and discretion (Proverbs 8:12). Jesus also hated evil as wisdom does.

Chapter 8 goes on to say wisdom was always (8:23). She was there at the creation to set up the earth. That is what we know about Jesus. He was with God and he was God. Wisdom too is from God.

Jesus told the truth. He modeled truth, wisdom, and discernment.

As with Jesus, those who find wisdom, find life (8:35).

Yes Jesus is like wisdom personified in Proverbs 8.

Mark 12:41-44 - widow's mite

Jesus sat next to the treasury. I always picture a box with a lock on it and an opening for people to slip in an offering. I'm not sure how true that is.

Do you think Jesus knew the teaching he was about to get from being there? Certainly Jesus was always ready to find teaching material in everyday life, whenever it occurred.

This wonderful teaching moment occurred and he called his disciples over. "Come close." I admire his creativity and boldness.

Was this a new idea? This idea that God did not so much look as the amount given but the ability to pay? God was concerned more with the heart of the giver. Was this a new idea? If so it has certainly become a common idea today.

God loved her faith. She gave, not from her excess, but into her hurt. Jesus may not be able to observe who puts what in the temple treasury but God can, all the time. God sees how we give, both time and money and how are heart is. God loves a joyful giver. The one who comes to worship is to do it happily.

Jesus tells us she has nothing else. She has given all she has. We are not told how she got along that day. Hopefully God provided that day. But we know God noticed and approved of her gift. He loved her for being generous.

Is this a new idea that Jesus is giving them? This is another example of Jesus turning the world up side down. I think the disciples thought that those who gave a lot would get the most praise. In the world they would certainly. Those today who give a lot to charities get praised. They get their names prominently displayed, placed on benefactor lists with level names like Gold, Platinum, etc. Some charities might make regular large givers members of boards, committee members, give them titles.

So the disciples may not have considered it from God's point of view. But they probably assumed man's point of view was God's until Jesus explained it. Again we get an example of how God does not see things the way man does. This is very important for us to remember.

I have a lot of trouble with the person who might say, "Take it literally, give all your money away!" Such a person would also cite Jesus' advice to the rich young ruler. I do not think anyone is called to do that. I think Jesus was trying to show the RYR that he could not be righteous on his own. God asked him to do something he knew he could not do. If he had Jesus would have taken care of him. But I do not think he truly expected him to. Nor was he condemned for not doing it.

Perhaps I am lacking in faith here. I do not believe most people are called to make such an extreme sacrifice. If you feel like you are, only do it if you can do it cheerfully, with great joy. If you cannot, then I suspect you are not called to do it.

hypocrisy (and me)

Jesus knew hypocrisy when he saw it.

My scripture schedule started with Mark 11. We are winding towards the cross as on the calendar we move towards Easter. We are in Mark 12 now.

Mark 12:35 says Jesus taught this here as he taught this in the temple. I am struck by the fact that he repeated these teachings many times. Here he speaks of David called the Son of God "lord". He asks why a king would call his son lord. The implication is this son must be very special.

Then here he says beware of the scribes who love to be given respect. They are hypocrites. When it judgment they judge unfairly against those who are powerless to do anything about it, like widows.

They are hypocrites. A hypocrite is one a who shows pretense in front of others. In the person doing it it leads to self deception and this is the most difficult barrier for God to dissolve. So true. That is why God hates it so much. He wants to reach us for the better.

At Life Group I blew up as I left, leaving it unresolved. It was cowardly as my DW so aptly said. I heard about it from DW all the way home and to a lessor extent for the rest of the night.

From what she said it seems I am self deceived. But I don't think so. So am I still self deceived? My wife is likely right. But I just don't see it. That is truly sad and truly scary.

Is that from being a hypocrite? So that I start to believe my own pretensions?

I've got a day of reckoning come, I guess. In a way I hope so. People will have to love me enough, or love God enough to go through it. Maybe they won't. But anyway it has to wait.

Vocal recital time

I went to the recital of a young lady I only met once. It was last Saturday over at Rice. It was pretty cool. No offense to anyone but if I sit quietly, no matter what the diversion, even a movie, I am tempted to fall asleep.

So I fight it. This time I spent time listening and reading the program notes trying to figure out what each foreign word, German or Italian meant what English word in the translation. Usually I could figure it out. It was fascinating.

The music was interesting too. I just have trouble sitting still. It is nothing personal.

The English selection was saved for last. I was struck by her selection. She sang four poems by Sister Helen Prejean set to music by Jake Heggie.

But the strength of the selection were the words. The music was simply there to help to emphasize the meaning of the words. I would like to believe that this young lady picked them because she admired the woman (Prejean) and planned to try to live her life as these poems suggest Prejean does.

The first poem is called "More is Required". In it she describes the road of an active disciple, trying to bring love into the world in the way God specifically asks her to. By extension we all, who call ourselves Christians, are to express God's love in our own special way.

Then she introduces the expression "when I pray, I catch on fire". When I pray, I catch on fire! To me this is an act of God, not of myself. She uses this expression again in her final poem. To me God always catches us on fire when we pray. So often we let other distractions, other voices deflect us from praying. But praying should be an episodic thing that happens a lot during our days. We should stop and pray sometimes. But we can pray as we think of a person, as we drive by an accident on the freeway, as we listen to a news report. If we are alone we can speak it out loud. I think that gives it more strength.

The third poem is about doing more than praying. Prejean feels she must act out her prayers, specifically for justice. And she recounts ways that she has acted out her Godly concerns.

As an aside, if you don't know, Helen Prejean is a strong advocate for abolition of the death penalty. I do not particularly share her opinion but I believe people like her are very necessary. While I'd hate to see death penalty abolished I think it should be used very sparingly and we need to realize how serious it is when we as a society do use the death penalty. Some people act in horrific ways and this solution is also awful. But some people probably should suffer death for what they have done.

Anyway, the last poem is a wonderful way to close this:

Primary Colors
I live my life in primary colors.
I let praise and blame fall where they may.
I hold my soul in equanimity and leave the fruits of my labors to God.
At night, when I pray, I catch on fire.
And when I put my head on the pillow,
I fall instantly to sleep.

How wonderful. Let us aspire to live like this too.

Saturday walk

Saturday walks are always eventful.

This morning the plan was to scope out all the dewberry patches towards town. I got about seven ripe ones. They are about a week away. We need to go next week, but to keep my plans current it needs to be early. I want to actually open up the beehive next week and actually clean it up.

There are three really good patches. It might be two weeks but I know dewberries have a very short ripe season.

On the way home I saw the results of a car versus house. At the corner of Dallas at Sidney the street jogs. Someone didn't jog. There is about twenty feet of skid marks. Then you can see where the truck went over the curb through the wrought iron fence and into the red brick frontage of the porch.

Whoever it was was able to back out and take off. I am amazed that after doing all that damage the engine was still working.

There were quite a few people standing around. That is how I found all this out. I heard the fact that the truck that hit the house was white. It also had a company name on the side. Somebody might be able to identify it.