Our readings for Sunday, February 1 are about prophets, demons and idols – all kinds of fun stuff! On Sunday we hear of Moses’ longing that all God’s people would be prophets, able to hear and share God’s word. Our readings from Deuteronomy give us some insight as to what being a prophet involves. On Sunday Crystal will be preaching and the New Testament focus will be the reading from I Corinthians, which focuses on the struggles the Christians in Corinth had when as they faced a culture filled with idols. For these disciples these idols were literal: idols to all kinds of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. While our idols may not be as literal, they are no less real. According to the Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin, we are all prone to be idolaters: we all offer our worship and allegiance to something, just not necessarily to the God revealed first through Israel and then through Jesus Christ. What idols do we make for ourselves (any ideas, Steelers’ fans?)? In our lives, what are the rivals that divert our attention and allegiance away from God? While we don’t struggle with eating meat because it may have been a sacrifice to a pagan idol, are there any areas of life that are difficult for us to navigate because of our allegiance to God? Here are readings that will help prepare us for Sunday:
Thursday 1/29
Deuteronomy 3:23-29
Romans 9:6-18
Friday 1/30
Deuteronomy 12:28-32
Revelation 2:12-17
Saturday 1/31
Deuteronomy 13:1-5
Matthew 8:28-9:1
Read Psalm 111 each of these three days
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Here Comes Everybody
Often when we think of God’s call we think of God’s call and claim upon individuals. But God’s claim rests upon communities as well. It can be easy to assume that churches are a collection of like-minded individuals who have decided to band together out of common convictions; God calls us individually, so we are part of a church. While few people join churches if they find little they agree with, this does not mean we can assume all members are in agreement about what the priorities and guiding convictions of a congregation should be.
While God does indeed call individuals, God also calls communities to action; we are part of a church, so God calls us to ministry and mission, especially to work that cannot be accomplished by any one individual. Our readings for this week, which help us reflect on the readings for Sunday, January 25, remind us that God’s call is not just to individual prophets and apostles, but to communities. God called Abraham not to be an extraordinary person, but to be the father of the Israelite community. God called all of Israel, not just Jacob, to settle in Egypt. God’s wisdom calls out to whoever will listen, not to singularly gifted individuals. Mark reminds us that Jesus formed a community of twelve disciples that evoke the memory of the twelve tribes of Israel. Paul reminds us of the surprising truth that God is much more likely to call us to remain where we are and as we are as we serve God; radical discipleship is possible even if we don’t sell all we have to become missionaries in the far corners of the world. Acts reminds us that God’s claim is not always obvious – sometimes only time can tell if we are going in the right direction.
What do you think God is calling TCPC to do? How is God claiming us as a community for service?
Monday 1/26
Genesis 12:1-9
I Corinthians 7:17-24
Tuesday 1/27
Genesis 45:25-46:7
Acts 5:33-42
Wednesday 1/28
Proverbs 8:1-21
Mark 3:13-19a
Read Psalm 46 each of these three days
While God does indeed call individuals, God also calls communities to action; we are part of a church, so God calls us to ministry and mission, especially to work that cannot be accomplished by any one individual. Our readings for this week, which help us reflect on the readings for Sunday, January 25, remind us that God’s call is not just to individual prophets and apostles, but to communities. God called Abraham not to be an extraordinary person, but to be the father of the Israelite community. God called all of Israel, not just Jacob, to settle in Egypt. God’s wisdom calls out to whoever will listen, not to singularly gifted individuals. Mark reminds us that Jesus formed a community of twelve disciples that evoke the memory of the twelve tribes of Israel. Paul reminds us of the surprising truth that God is much more likely to call us to remain where we are and as we are as we serve God; radical discipleship is possible even if we don’t sell all we have to become missionaries in the far corners of the world. Acts reminds us that God’s claim is not always obvious – sometimes only time can tell if we are going in the right direction.
What do you think God is calling TCPC to do? How is God claiming us as a community for service?
Monday 1/26
Genesis 12:1-9
I Corinthians 7:17-24
Tuesday 1/27
Genesis 45:25-46:7
Acts 5:33-42
Wednesday 1/28
Proverbs 8:1-21
Mark 3:13-19a
Read Psalm 46 each of these three days
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Tough Love
Our readings for Sunday, January 25 focus on the call of Prophets (Jonah) and Apostles (Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John). It is common for us to assume the Old Testament prophets are about God’s wrath while the New Testament apostles are about God’s grace. But the readings below, from both Testaments, tell of proclamations of judgment. These are not easy or comfortable words for us to hear – there seems to be no “Good News” in them.
Some have likened the spiritual disciplines to the practice of medicine because they focus on curing the soul of all that would pull it away from God. In many ways the readings that prepare us for Sunday are like a dire diagnosis, for they reveal to us the dire condition of the world. The theologian Karl Barth likened the cross, which is the ultimate revelation of the world’s rebellion against God, to a notice that a building has been condemned because it is no longer safe to live in. A building often needs to be condemned before it can be rebuilt. In a similar way prophets and apostles reveal the faulty foundations of the world not so they can gloat or point fingers, but to prepare the world for God’s new creation. What ills and faulty foundations do these readings reveal to you?
Thursday, 1/22
Jeremiah 19:1-15
Revelation 18:11-20
Friday 1/23
Jeremiah 20:7-13
2 Peter 3:1-17
Saturday 1/24
Jeremiah 20:14-18
Luke 10:13-16
Read Psalm 62:5-12 each of these three days
Some have likened the spiritual disciplines to the practice of medicine because they focus on curing the soul of all that would pull it away from God. In many ways the readings that prepare us for Sunday are like a dire diagnosis, for they reveal to us the dire condition of the world. The theologian Karl Barth likened the cross, which is the ultimate revelation of the world’s rebellion against God, to a notice that a building has been condemned because it is no longer safe to live in. A building often needs to be condemned before it can be rebuilt. In a similar way prophets and apostles reveal the faulty foundations of the world not so they can gloat or point fingers, but to prepare the world for God’s new creation. What ills and faulty foundations do these readings reveal to you?
Thursday, 1/22
Jeremiah 19:1-15
Revelation 18:11-20
Friday 1/23
Jeremiah 20:7-13
2 Peter 3:1-17
Saturday 1/24
Jeremiah 20:14-18
Luke 10:13-16
Read Psalm 62:5-12 each of these three days
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
TCPC Visioning Process Begins
A word about the TCPC Visioning Process:
Many of you know that we are embarking on a visioning process with Barry Watkins, faciliator and chair, along with Barclay Bradshaw, Anna Bryant, Sean Healy, Cecil Martin, Bruce Osborne, and myself as the staff resource. As our visioning process continues I would like to share with you an excerpt from the resource we have been using entitled Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations, published by the Alban Institute. I am summarzing this excerpt, which points out the important of both flexibility and structure in the planning process as well as the importance of both vision and management in the task of leadership!
The story of Exodus reminds us that leadership is a dance in which we focus on the future while we simultaneously manage the specific realities of the present day. The relationship of Moses and Aaron points to the need for balance in this “dance” between a focus on the future and a focus on the tasks of the present moment. Moses’ task was to envision the future.
It was Moses who went off alone to encounter Go d face to face. He would return with new energy, a sense of direction, and a visible radiance from the encounter. Aaron, on the other hand, was the voice of management. He structured the trip from day to day, organizing task, assigning responsibilities and making decisions. It was the visionary Moses who, alone on the mountain with God, received the commandments. It was Aaron who waited below with the people, organizing daily life and trying to address the needs and anxieties of the people.
The irony of this story is that just as Moses was receiving the commandment not to make graven images, Aaron was working below with the people busy creating the very same images in an effort to offer a visible leader. (Exodus 32:1-35). One of the lessons here is that both Moses and Aaron were needed for the journey. Leadership needs to search for vision and ask the big questions of purpose and identity. Management needs to take care of the travel – determining the steps to take, giving people appropriate tasks, and making clear decisions.
The risk is in letting Moses and Aaron get too far apart. It was when Moses and Aaron, vision and management, got disconnected that things fell apart. A planning process cannot be all vision without structure and direction. Neither can the planning process simply be a list of tasks or exercises that will magically lead somewhere. The leader and the planning team must be willing to dance between Moses and Aaron – to slow down enough to allow vision to take shape while also structuring a plan that will assist the people to move toward a future. Being flexible about the planning process allows the congregation to be open to discernment. Being structured about the planning process allows the congregation to move ahead and make progress on the journey. In other words, a planning process cannot be all vision without structure and direction. Neither can the planning process simply be a list of tasks or exercises.
I look forward to taking this journey with you!
Pastor Brenda
Many of you know that we are embarking on a visioning process with Barry Watkins, faciliator and chair, along with Barclay Bradshaw, Anna Bryant, Sean Healy, Cecil Martin, Bruce Osborne, and myself as the staff resource. As our visioning process continues I would like to share with you an excerpt from the resource we have been using entitled Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations, published by the Alban Institute. I am summarzing this excerpt, which points out the important of both flexibility and structure in the planning process as well as the importance of both vision and management in the task of leadership!
The story of Exodus reminds us that leadership is a dance in which we focus on the future while we simultaneously manage the specific realities of the present day. The relationship of Moses and Aaron points to the need for balance in this “dance” between a focus on the future and a focus on the tasks of the present moment. Moses’ task was to envision the future.
It was Moses who went off alone to encounter Go d face to face. He would return with new energy, a sense of direction, and a visible radiance from the encounter. Aaron, on the other hand, was the voice of management. He structured the trip from day to day, organizing task, assigning responsibilities and making decisions. It was the visionary Moses who, alone on the mountain with God, received the commandments. It was Aaron who waited below with the people, organizing daily life and trying to address the needs and anxieties of the people.
The irony of this story is that just as Moses was receiving the commandment not to make graven images, Aaron was working below with the people busy creating the very same images in an effort to offer a visible leader. (Exodus 32:1-35). One of the lessons here is that both Moses and Aaron were needed for the journey. Leadership needs to search for vision and ask the big questions of purpose and identity. Management needs to take care of the travel – determining the steps to take, giving people appropriate tasks, and making clear decisions.
The risk is in letting Moses and Aaron get too far apart. It was when Moses and Aaron, vision and management, got disconnected that things fell apart. A planning process cannot be all vision without structure and direction. Neither can the planning process simply be a list of tasks or exercises that will magically lead somewhere. The leader and the planning team must be willing to dance between Moses and Aaron – to slow down enough to allow vision to take shape while also structuring a plan that will assist the people to move toward a future. Being flexible about the planning process allows the congregation to be open to discernment. Being structured about the planning process allows the congregation to move ahead and make progress on the journey. In other words, a planning process cannot be all vision without structure and direction. Neither can the planning process simply be a list of tasks or exercises.
I look forward to taking this journey with you!
Pastor Brenda
Monday, January 19, 2009
Jonah: Not Too Hard to Swallow
Friends,
The passages for this coming Sunday are from Jonah and Mark.
The calling of Peter and Andrew, James and John in the gospel of Mark contrasts with the call of Jonah. The four fishermen follow immediately, while Jonah rebels and follows only reluctantly and only after God has chased him down. Interestingly, Jonah knows exactly what God wants him to do and turns away from it. The fishermen, on the other hand, do not have a clu as to what their lives are about to come, yet they are ready to follow Jesus.
Together the texts speak of God's claim on our lives and our responsibility to answer when God calls.
We don't know that it was a whale that swallowed Jonah. However, we do know that whales communicate with one another. Can you imagine the convesation? "Yeah, I caught a man. But you should have seen the one that got away."
Jonah was a "good catch" for God. It is as if the further Jonah runs, the more he convinces God that he is worth chasing after! If Jonah has such will and determination to ignore God that he will go to such extremes to run in the opposite direction, imagine the passion with which he would follow God, once his energy was channeled in the right direction? The very qualities that make Jonah run fast in the opposite direction are what make him desirable to God.
We can make ourselves as ridiculous as possible in our efforts to escape God. But the very intensity and absurdity adn even the painfulness of our flight shos God just how much potential passion we have locked inside us. God may laugh, but God will not abandon us.
Jonah 3:1-10
3The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2“Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
5And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. 6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.” 10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
Mark 1:14-20
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
The passages for this coming Sunday are from Jonah and Mark.
The calling of Peter and Andrew, James and John in the gospel of Mark contrasts with the call of Jonah. The four fishermen follow immediately, while Jonah rebels and follows only reluctantly and only after God has chased him down. Interestingly, Jonah knows exactly what God wants him to do and turns away from it. The fishermen, on the other hand, do not have a clu as to what their lives are about to come, yet they are ready to follow Jesus.
Together the texts speak of God's claim on our lives and our responsibility to answer when God calls.
We don't know that it was a whale that swallowed Jonah. However, we do know that whales communicate with one another. Can you imagine the convesation? "Yeah, I caught a man. But you should have seen the one that got away."
Jonah was a "good catch" for God. It is as if the further Jonah runs, the more he convinces God that he is worth chasing after! If Jonah has such will and determination to ignore God that he will go to such extremes to run in the opposite direction, imagine the passion with which he would follow God, once his energy was channeled in the right direction? The very qualities that make Jonah run fast in the opposite direction are what make him desirable to God.
We can make ourselves as ridiculous as possible in our efforts to escape God. But the very intensity and absurdity adn even the painfulness of our flight shos God just how much potential passion we have locked inside us. God may laugh, but God will not abandon us.
Jonah 3:1-10
3The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2“Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
5And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. 6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.” 10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
Mark 1:14-20
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
Claim Check
During the season of Epiphany the stories of God appearing to and calling people to serve remind us that God continues to call and claim us for God’s service. The readings from Sunday, January 18 were the story of God calling Samuel to be a prophet and of Jesus calling disciples to follow him. Another related theme in Epiphany is that of anointing and baptism. The word Christ means “anointed one,” and in our baptism we are anointed for service in the name of Christ. The first Sunday of Epiphany is always the story of Jesus’ baptism, and the prophet Samuel is a key figure because he anointed Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David. The Readings from I Samuel speak of the sometimes stormy relationship between Samuel/God and Saul. How does the sometimes challenging relationship between God and God’s anointed, such as Saul and David, help us describe and navigate our own relationships with God?
The New Testament readings on Monday and Tuesday remind us that Christ’s claim upon us is indeed significant. II Corinthians 6 reminds us of this, as does the hard story of Ananias and Sapphira, who, in the presence of God, claimed to be something they were not. Both these readings are sobering, reminding us of the seriousness of God’s claim upon us.
When God called Samuel, Samuel was still a child and Wednesday’s readings remind us of the way God welcomes and blesses children, even those in very difficult situations, such as Ishmael, who we hear about in Genesis 16.
How do these readings help us understand God’s claim upon us? What questions do they raise for our own discipleship?
Monday, 1/19
I Samuel 9:27-10:8
II Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Tuesday 1/20
I Samuel 15:10-31
Acts 5:1-1
Wednesday 1/21
Genesis 16:1-14
Luke 18:15-17
Read Psalm 86 each of these three days
The New Testament readings on Monday and Tuesday remind us that Christ’s claim upon us is indeed significant. II Corinthians 6 reminds us of this, as does the hard story of Ananias and Sapphira, who, in the presence of God, claimed to be something they were not. Both these readings are sobering, reminding us of the seriousness of God’s claim upon us.
When God called Samuel, Samuel was still a child and Wednesday’s readings remind us of the way God welcomes and blesses children, even those in very difficult situations, such as Ishmael, who we hear about in Genesis 16.
How do these readings help us understand God’s claim upon us? What questions do they raise for our own discipleship?
Monday, 1/19
I Samuel 9:27-10:8
II Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Tuesday 1/20
I Samuel 15:10-31
Acts 5:1-1
Wednesday 1/21
Genesis 16:1-14
Luke 18:15-17
Read Psalm 86 each of these three days
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Surfing the Edge of Chaos
There has probably never been a generation that has not imagined itself to be facing some kind of crisis, whether this crisis be economic, moral, political, social, or international, such as wars. When we face a crisis our instinct is to seek out safety, to find safe harbor before the storm hits. When the crisis is upon us we tend to circle the wagons and hunker down for safety. We expect God to lead us to safety in such times, and if not spare us from the crisis, then at least minimize its impact upon us.
But what if this is not the way God works in our lives? What if instead of fleeing from the storm God leads us into it? Our Scripture readings for Sunday, January 18 are stories about God calling the judge and prophet Samuel and about Jesus calling disciples. The readings below prepare us for these call stories by telling the story of why God raised up judges such as Samuel and leaders such as Jesus.
God called leaders and Jesus called disciples not so they could flee from the struggles of the people around them, but so they could engage these struggles and bear witness to God’s presence in the midst of struggle and need. In leadership theory deliberately engaging problems, issues and needs that have no easy answers or clear solutions is known as surfing the edge of chaos. The chaos generated by these crises forces organizations (and congregations) to either adapt to and face the crisis, finding energy and vitality as they do so, or to retreat and lose energy, risking death. The challenge is to engage chaos enough to find energy and vitality, but not so much that an organization will fall apart.
What crises are we facing? What kind of storm may God be leading us into? How can we find energy and life as we engage them? What risks may be involved?
Thursday, 1/15
Judges 2:6-15
II Corinthians 10:1-11
Friday 1/16
Judges 2:16-23
Acts 13:16-25
Saturday 1/17
I Samuel 2:21-25
Matthew 25:1-13
Read these verses of Psalm 139 each of these three days
But what if this is not the way God works in our lives? What if instead of fleeing from the storm God leads us into it? Our Scripture readings for Sunday, January 18 are stories about God calling the judge and prophet Samuel and about Jesus calling disciples. The readings below prepare us for these call stories by telling the story of why God raised up judges such as Samuel and leaders such as Jesus.
God called leaders and Jesus called disciples not so they could flee from the struggles of the people around them, but so they could engage these struggles and bear witness to God’s presence in the midst of struggle and need. In leadership theory deliberately engaging problems, issues and needs that have no easy answers or clear solutions is known as surfing the edge of chaos. The chaos generated by these crises forces organizations (and congregations) to either adapt to and face the crisis, finding energy and vitality as they do so, or to retreat and lose energy, risking death. The challenge is to engage chaos enough to find energy and vitality, but not so much that an organization will fall apart.
What crises are we facing? What kind of storm may God be leading us into? How can we find energy and life as we engage them? What risks may be involved?
Thursday, 1/15
Judges 2:6-15
II Corinthians 10:1-11
Friday 1/16
Judges 2:16-23
Acts 13:16-25
Saturday 1/17
I Samuel 2:21-25
Matthew 25:1-13
Read these verses of Psalm 139 each of these three days
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Half Baptized in Water?
The readings for Sunday, January 11 were about Jesus’ baptism, which marked the beginning of his public ministry. Our baptism marks the beginning of our ministry, where we share in Christ’s mission. As many of you know not all Christian denominations practice baptism in the same way. Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed (including the Presbyterian Church), Anglican and Methodist churches, among others, practice infant baptism, linking the practice of baptism to the practice of infant circumcision in Israel. For these churches baptism is a sacrament, where God does something in the life of a person (even an infant), cleansing them from sin and giving them the Holy Spirit.
Other denominations, the Baptists being the most prominent, practice “believer’s baptism,” where an individual is required to make an explicit profession of faith before they can be baptized. Baptism is not a divine action as much as it is a human response to God’s grace. In these traditions baptism is not a sacrament in which God acts, but an ordinance, something done because it is commanded by God.
But from the Reformed camp a prominent voice has called into question the practice of infant baptism. Karl Barth, arguably the most prominent Reformed theologian since the reformation, was a Swiss pastor and theologian who witnessed both world wars and the failure of the Church to prevent or oppose these wars. Barth also knew that many, if not most, of the German leaders who advocated war and the Holocaust were baptized as infants. Barth believed too many Christians were “half baptized,” never taught by the Church what it means that God has claimed them to be a distinct presence in the world. In his later years Barth became a critic of infant baptism because of its failure to create disciples who could renounce and resist the presence of evil in the world (click here for a summary of Barth’s view).
TCPC has been blessed to have celebrated many infant baptisms in 2008. How can we teach and train these infants to renounce evil and embody Christ’s presence? How can we prevent producing children, youth and adults who live as those who are “half baptized,” who instead embrace a full life of discipleship? How do these texts below enrich our understanding of baptism?
Monday 1/12
Genesis 17:1-13
Romans 4:1-12
Tuesday 1/13
Exodus 30:22-38
Acts 22:2-16
Wednesday 1/14
Isaiah 41:14-20
John 1:29-34
Read these verses from Psalm 69 each of these three days.
Other denominations, the Baptists being the most prominent, practice “believer’s baptism,” where an individual is required to make an explicit profession of faith before they can be baptized. Baptism is not a divine action as much as it is a human response to God’s grace. In these traditions baptism is not a sacrament in which God acts, but an ordinance, something done because it is commanded by God.
But from the Reformed camp a prominent voice has called into question the practice of infant baptism. Karl Barth, arguably the most prominent Reformed theologian since the reformation, was a Swiss pastor and theologian who witnessed both world wars and the failure of the Church to prevent or oppose these wars. Barth also knew that many, if not most, of the German leaders who advocated war and the Holocaust were baptized as infants. Barth believed too many Christians were “half baptized,” never taught by the Church what it means that God has claimed them to be a distinct presence in the world. In his later years Barth became a critic of infant baptism because of its failure to create disciples who could renounce and resist the presence of evil in the world (click here for a summary of Barth’s view).
TCPC has been blessed to have celebrated many infant baptisms in 2008. How can we teach and train these infants to renounce evil and embody Christ’s presence? How can we prevent producing children, youth and adults who live as those who are “half baptized,” who instead embrace a full life of discipleship? How do these texts below enrich our understanding of baptism?
Monday 1/12
Genesis 17:1-13
Romans 4:1-12
Tuesday 1/13
Exodus 30:22-38
Acts 22:2-16
Wednesday 1/14
Isaiah 41:14-20
John 1:29-34
Read these verses from Psalm 69 each of these three days.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Christ Identity
I read far too many spy novels and watch too many spy movies. Among my favorite are Robert Ludlum’s Bourne trilogy, which have also been made into movies (the movies differ in many ways from the books, and I’m that much of a geek that I saw the movies, read the books and saw the movies again to compare). In the movies water plays a significant role. The first time we meet Jason Bourne he is floating in the Mediterranean Sea, near death, and his injuries have caused memory loss – he does not know who he is, and in the movies he both searches for his identity as a CIA covert operative and assassin and rebels against this identity. In the second movie Jason, along with his beloved Marie, is on the run, living for the moment in India. His enemies find him and his car is driven into the sacred Ganges River. Marie is killed in the crash and Jason gives her one last kiss, to say goodbye and to draw oxygen from her to survive. In the last movie we find that as a recruit Jason Bourne (whose real name is David Webb) was water boarded to break him down so he could be trained. In the last scene of the movie Jason, escaping from his enemies, plunged ten stories into the East River in Manhattan. For a time his body seems lifeless, but the theme music begins and he starts swimming through the waters. In the Bourne movies the waters are dangerous – Jason nearly died in the waters in each movie, the waters took his beloved Marie – but they also give him a new life. By losing his memory and the Bourne identity drilled into him Jason Bourne/David Webb is able to embrace a new life free from the violence and loneliness of his past. As he swims away in the third movie he passing through the waters and beginning a new life.
The Readings for Sunday, January 11 tell the story of Jesus’ baptism. For the Hebrews water was dangerous. In the beginning the world was a watery void unfit for life. In the flood God returned the world to a place of watery chaos so God could begin the world anew. When the waters raged on the Sea of Galilee, little wonder that the disciples were so terrified – they were shaped by stories of the fearfulness of the waters. These waters of baptism are deadly waters, waters through which we share in Jesus’ death, where we die to the power of sin within us and in the world. They rob us of our identity as sinners and those who stand outside of God’s promise and God’s kingdom. The waters of baptism are life giving. They give us a new identity as those redeemed by God. Through them we share in Jesus’ resurrection and are made alive to God and God’s good purpose for us and for the world. They are dangerous waters, making us friends with God but enemies to the fallen powers that have so much power in the world. The Old Testament readings for the next three days tell the story of God calling and anointing kings; “Christ” simply means anointed one. They remind us of the political nature of baptism, that baptism is about being part of a visible community living under God’s rule and not the rule of sin and death. The New Testament readings remind us that baptism is an entry point into discipleship, that in baptism we are given the grace to hear and to follow Jesus. The texts below prepare us to understand the story of Jesus’ baptism/anointing. How do we hear God’s dangerous, deadly and life giving voice and call in baptism? What do we die to in baptism? What are the dangers of being aligned with God while in the midst of the fallen world?
Thursday 1/8
I Samuel 3:1-21
Acts 9:10-19a
Friday 1/9
I Samuel 16:1-13
I Timothy 4:11-16
Saturday 1/10
I Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
Luke 5:1-11
Read Psalm 29 each of these three days
The Readings for Sunday, January 11 tell the story of Jesus’ baptism. For the Hebrews water was dangerous. In the beginning the world was a watery void unfit for life. In the flood God returned the world to a place of watery chaos so God could begin the world anew. When the waters raged on the Sea of Galilee, little wonder that the disciples were so terrified – they were shaped by stories of the fearfulness of the waters. These waters of baptism are deadly waters, waters through which we share in Jesus’ death, where we die to the power of sin within us and in the world. They rob us of our identity as sinners and those who stand outside of God’s promise and God’s kingdom. The waters of baptism are life giving. They give us a new identity as those redeemed by God. Through them we share in Jesus’ resurrection and are made alive to God and God’s good purpose for us and for the world. They are dangerous waters, making us friends with God but enemies to the fallen powers that have so much power in the world. The Old Testament readings for the next three days tell the story of God calling and anointing kings; “Christ” simply means anointed one. They remind us of the political nature of baptism, that baptism is about being part of a visible community living under God’s rule and not the rule of sin and death. The New Testament readings remind us that baptism is an entry point into discipleship, that in baptism we are given the grace to hear and to follow Jesus. The texts below prepare us to understand the story of Jesus’ baptism/anointing. How do we hear God’s dangerous, deadly and life giving voice and call in baptism? What do we die to in baptism? What are the dangers of being aligned with God while in the midst of the fallen world?
Thursday 1/8
I Samuel 3:1-21
Acts 9:10-19a
Friday 1/9
I Samuel 16:1-13
I Timothy 4:11-16
Saturday 1/10
I Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
Luke 5:1-11
Read Psalm 29 each of these three days
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Word of the Father Now in Flesh Appearing
The festival of Epiphany is celebrated on January 6. This is where we get the twelve days of Christmas, marking the twelve days between the Christ Mass and the celebration of Epiphany. The focal story of Epiphany is the visit of the magi who bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus and his family. The reason this is an important event is because it is seen as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that speak of the nations bringing their wealth to Israel. All the Sunday texts for Epiphany are focused on encounters with Christ: Jesus being declared by God as God’s Son at his baptism, Jesus meeting and calling disciples to follow him, the sick encountering Jesus’ healing.
The texts below help prepare us for this season of Epiphany. The texts for Wednesday are particularly revealing, helping us see the connection between Pharaoh, who ordered all newborn Hebrew males to be drowned in the Nile because he feared the Hebrew population was growing to large, and Herod, who at the time of Jesus ordered all male infants and toddlers in Bethlehem be killed because he was afraid of the newborn king of the Jews. While Christ’s presence is gracious, it is also disruptive.
Monday 1/05
Proverbs 22:1-9
Luke 6:27-31
Tuesday 1/06 (Epiphany of the Lord)
Scripture Readings for Epiphany
Wednesday 1/07
Exodus 1:22-2:10
Hebrews 11:27-28
Read Psalm 110 each of these three days
The texts below help prepare us for this season of Epiphany. The texts for Wednesday are particularly revealing, helping us see the connection between Pharaoh, who ordered all newborn Hebrew males to be drowned in the Nile because he feared the Hebrew population was growing to large, and Herod, who at the time of Jesus ordered all male infants and toddlers in Bethlehem be killed because he was afraid of the newborn king of the Jews. While Christ’s presence is gracious, it is also disruptive.
Monday 1/05
Proverbs 22:1-9
Luke 6:27-31
Tuesday 1/06 (Epiphany of the Lord)
Scripture Readings for Epiphany
Wednesday 1/07
Exodus 1:22-2:10
Hebrews 11:27-28
Read Psalm 110 each of these three days
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