Godgrown

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  Mark 8:28 am on November 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Swords into Plow Shears, the USS Midway into a Dance Floor! 

  Isaiah 2

  

  Isaiah begins his book of prophecy with Judah and Jerusalem – giving almost 10 chapters to their fate as a broken nation.  It begins with an apocalyptic, yet hopeful picture of the last days – vision-casting a time when all people who joyfully go up the mountain of God – and that God would teach his ways to everyone.  That all nations will be ruled by God, and that weapons of war and destruction will be transformed into tools of peace and productivity.

  “They will beat their swords into plow shears and spears into pruning hooks” (2:4) is a beautiful picture of peace and prosperity and cooperation.  It is amazing how much you can accomplish when you are not focused on killing or being killed!

  I had an Isaiah 2:4 moment when I visited San Diego last summer.  I was walking by the Seaport Village, near an active navy base.  The ships and vessels were gargantuan!  And right in the middle of it all was the USS Midway – the longest-serving aircraft carrier in Navy history.  Now the deck of the boat has been converted into a dance floor, and another nearby area has been converted into a restaurant.  As much violence and wrath as this ship may have seen, I find it oddly beautiful that we can “beat our sword into a plow shear” and enjoy a peaceful meal while we dance on the face of war, praying for peace.

  That doesn’t mean we forget how peace was accomplished – in this world, it unfortunately has come through might and violence.  Until the US and every other country throws up the white flag, and until the lion lays down with the lamb, we continue to pray for the end of this madness. And we as Christians can be the voice of the prophet, like Isaiah to pray for peace while staring down the barrel of the Babylonian Empire.

  
   

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  Mark 11:00 am on November 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  Hebrews 12 

  It’s now or never.  The writer makes one last desperate appeal to the Hebrew audience to persevere. He draws the Christian life out like a long-distance run.  And similar to the Olympic games the Hebrews would have been familiar with, he makes it clear that “only together with us would they be made perfect…” Saying that another way – the heroes of faith mentioned in the last chapter would have run their race for NOTHING if we don’t continue to run. Like a relay race – we have to pick up where they left off – and why give up when we are so close to the finish line!

  There is a race to be run, but it’s a communal race – V12 says to “strengthen feeble arms and legs, and to make level paths for your feet so that the lame may not be disabled,” – it is the responsibility of the strong to make sure that the weakest don’t lag behind.

  Esau is framed as the anti-hero, taking a visible comfort (Jacob’s famous soup) over persevering for his birthright and inheritance; someone who went off on his own to seek his own provision and left the community of God.  He is placed over against the heroes from the previous chapter, as an example to be avoided.

  In the final push – the writer exhorts his audience to look at where they have arrived.  They have not come to Mt. Sinai, a place that can be touched with fire and smoke and ash.  They have come to Mt. Zion, and to the city of the living God! Often overlooked, the movement of the entire Bible begins in a garden and ends in a city. Here is another picture of that – they have moved from a wilderness to a city.  Similar to the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, this Christian community has run the race and have arrived at the spiritual-Jerusalem.  Why turn back when they are so close?  Why be like the Israelites who gave up and ended up dying in the wilderness?

  Instead – the writer calls on them to be grateful in receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and entering a city that will bring them into the presence of the living God.

  
   
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  Mark 9:18 am on April 7, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: afterlife, book review ( 2 ), moody   

  Book Review – Who Goes There? 

  Who Goes There? by Rebecca Price Janney is a tumbling book on how cultures throughout history have viewed heaven and hell.  Here’s an excerpt.  The book was sent to me by Michael Morrell as part of the Viral Bloggers portion of the OOZE e-zine. This is a report on the book.

  Much of the book is the America’s relationship with a Christian theology of heaven and hell.  Janney walks us through the earliest days of America, as it was finding its footing, and through grissling wars that forced people to question the fate of loved ones lost in combat.  The later chapters are full of quotes and analysis of some of the most culturally famous (or infamous) who passed away in the public spotlight.  Janney considers the public reaction in newspapers, or radio and TV broadcasts to be indicative of the broader culture’s position on heaven and hell.

  While it was great to walk through America’s history again, I found the book fairly predictable with nothing interesting to really catch or keep my attention.  Janney appropriately stays out of the realm of theology and instead reports on the historical events.  This makes for a great history lesson, but does little for a practical theologian.  Where are we today in our conversation about heaven and hell?  How does culture use or misuse the Bible to assume life after death?  Surprisingly little is unpacked on contemporary times, and it was disappointing.

  While there is little to take away from this book for those wanting to integrate it into their ministry or life, there was one point she made in the last chapter.  Quoting C.S. Lewis, she writes, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.”  If the whole book had been a history on the lives of such people and their understanding of heaven and hell  (Martin Luther King Jr., St. Francis of Assisi, etc) I would have devoured this book.  I chose this book because I believe that what we believe about our final destination helps our trajectory through this life.  I regret to say this book doesn’t do much for me.

  There was a pretty neat video Moody Publishers put out to promote the book.

  We do have wildly diverse beliefs about heaven and hell.  Mostly, we just believe whatever we want to, or let our theology slide when good things are said about ‘bad people.’  “He’s up there looking down on me.”

  But why not stop assuming people are one place or another?  What good does that do?  Why not begin to join Jesus in bringing heaven to earth, and send hell off in a hand basket?  Maybe I’ve been in too many conversations of guesswork, trying to figure out who the heretic was – my life will not be defined by judging “who goes where” but rather “where am I helping this world go?”

  

  Sean is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Sean 12:36 am on April 8, 2009 Permalink

    two things came to mind as I read this, your comment, “I believe that what we believe about our final destination helps our trajectory through this life.” Is an incredibly amazing statement. It says something about how we view human nature, and our individual persons as well. I don’t know the origins of this conversation but I think its probably from the beginning of time.

    I’ve always felt like the fire and brimstone argument negates the purpose behind Jesus description of heaven and hell. I think Jesus descriptions are about where you are in relationship with God. Fire and brimstone creates a selfishness that I’m afraid may push even honest intentioned people in the wrong direction. Its not about saving your ass! Its about enjoying and loving God.

    The other thing I got here is more of a question. I remember reading somewhere when “centered” was being worked on about the difference between a bounded set and spheres of influence. Does that sound familiar? Anyway it sounds to me like you have fleshed out that theology into a little praxis here.