Tag: baptism

  • Placing the Message

    Joel 2:18–32, Acts 2:29–40,2 Peter 1:16–21

    Joel is an interesting book in that there are no definitive elements to place. There are many events and practices that put it within a few centuries, but that the prophet does not define himself, nor does he seem to be responding to a particular king, it becomes open to interpretation.

    Since it has withstood the test of time, however, we can presume that those that followed after the time of Joel recognized his words as and . As with many quotations of the Old Testament used in the New Testament, there were some liberties in context that were not out of the norm, nor was it viewed as inappropriate.
    Much of what we read from Joel was repeated by Peter to the Jews present at . Joel’s words were intended to reassure the Jews that God was not gone and that God would come in a new (and old) way. It’s pretty clear that Peter felt the event of Pentecost qualified. Peter utilized the stories of to tie in David (the precursor of the new) to the Messianic reality that he (Peter) and the disciples had been experiencing.

    There were obviously many hearts already softened to the , as the of, “what do we do,” led them repentance and . Again Peter’s message to the Jews already had the hint of going beyond the Jews. “All who are far off” “As many as the Lord our God will ” It was enough, however, for Luke (the writer of Acts) to stop repeating Peter’s words, for the message had been heard and responded to.

    Peter himself reflected on prophets. While he may have thought of Joel or David, he probably didn’t think of himself. This despite his own words being prophetic regarding to whom the would preach and reach.

    1) Why was Peter’s message so effective to the Jews who heard it?

    2) If it is the same message delivered today (which we it is), why has it become so ineffective?

    3) What are the similarities between the Jews hearing the message, and Peter delivering the message? What characteristic(s) might be the same?

  • Communal Sacrifice

    Exodus 12:1–20, Nehemiah 8:1–18, Psalm 133

    The Exodus story, specifically the first Passover, always comes up around Easter. Which makes perfect sense, as Holy Week revolves around Passover, along with the seemingly obvious linking of Jesus being the ultimate Passover lamb (i.e., the needed for Passover). All the Israelites were going to sacrifice a lamb for a household. This was a large communal thing. One could (and did) ignore it at their peril.

    Communal is something done or shared in a , such as a . An done by everyone creates a powerful effect. In the US, we’ve forgotten a lot of communal activities, much of this having to do with our culture of independence. We miss a lot. It is why communal celebrations such as Communion and Baptism are so important to the life of the church. There is something also very powerful—and community building—in sharing a meal .

    “If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat.” (Exodus 12:4)

    There are 2 important observations in this verse. The first is how important and sacred this sacrifice is. Sacrifices mentioned later do not have this built-in focus on not wasting the sacrifice; just properly disposing of it. This one mentions not wasting it as part of the sacrifice itself. It is to be part of the consideration when choosing the lamb to be sacrificed. There is a shared burden for neighbors to make sure that each other has enough, but not too much.

    The second observation is that by setting this boundary, extra emphasis is added to the communal nature of this specific sacrifice. This sacrifice and celebratory observation of Passover is not to be done in isolation.
    Isolation—the notwithstanding—allows us to not from , not to be in community with others, and not others. When the Israelites from exile, we read (Nehemiah 8:1-18) that the Israelites learned, mourned, and celebrated in community. Upon learning that there was supposed to be another festival—the Festival of Booths—they gather together (community) and celebrated it. Our celebrations, our learning, our mourning are (generally) more powerful in community, rather than in isolation. Fellowship and unity grow. Yet, we still tend toward isolation.

    Psalm 133 sums it up:

    How good and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony!
    It is like fine oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
    running down Aaron’s beard
    onto his robes.
    It is like the dew of Hermon
    falling on the mountains of Zion.
    For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—
    life forevermore.

    1) Do you find yourself tending more toward isolation rather than community? Why?

    2) If you are an introvert, how will you allow yourself to be drawn and actively seek community? If you are an extrovert, how can allow and encourage people to join the community without overwhelming them?

    3) What other communal rituals (including secular ones) can you think of? What power do they have in people’s lives, and why?

  • The Proper Guest

    Psalm 104:1–15, John 6:53–58, 1 Corinthians 11:17–11:27

    From the , God breathed life into us. We’re not just talking about the lungs, but the spiritual life, too. God is the great sustainer. While there are those whose perspective of God is the Clockwork God (the concept that God started the whole thing and “walked away”) and others for whom it is only biological life and no spirit, most people seem to be between. The two “extremes” operate within the framework that God is not active, and God does not interact with . Again, because one perspective has God off who knows where, and the other perspective has no God (or other “force” for that matter). There is an odd in-between version of the Spirit as a non-personal “force”, but that is even harder to comprehend.
    From an orthodox Christian perspective, without God’s spirit, we would truly be nothing more than mere biological machines. When we look at humanity, despite its often horrible state, we cannot help perceiving that there is something far more significant than just being a machine.

    What happens, though, when someone takes normal things and makes them anything but normal? .

    When Jesus calls on people to eat his flesh and drink his blood, let’s be honest, it isn’t normal. The church has long held the view that there is definitely something going on here. On one hand, there are those that believe that when we take , we are literally (not just spiritually) eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus (called transubstantiation, if you want to know). There are those that believe that it is merely (and only) a memorial, we do it solely because Jesus (and Paul) told us to (which are good reasons), and because the church has done it for centuries ( is not a bad reason either). There are two other major perspectives. Consubstantiation is a belief that it is both body and bread, and blood and wine. The last belief is that while it is “just” bread and wine (in the Nazarene and other denominations, grape juice), it is far more than “just” that. There is an understanding that Jesus is present at the table presiding over communion, in the same spirit as the Last Supper.

    Think of that. You’re eating in the presence of Jesus, as a guest.

    Regardless of your perspective on communion, the church (Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Protestant) calls it a sacrament. What is a sacrament? It is something instituted by an act of Jesus. Within the larger Protestant grouping, it is one of two sacraments, the other being baptism. Other traditions count additional acts as sacraments, but communion and baptism are universal.

    There is another aspect that is crucial to the sacraments…ourselves. Sacraments are instituted by God, so we don’t make them holy. However, Paul warns everyone to take them seriously. This is why an understanding of at whose table you are eating is so important. Not only are you eating and drinking with your local church , there is the larger denomination, the church as a whole (again, across denominations), and with the church universal (both before and after us). It should never be something approached flippantly. This does not you cannot be joyful. In fact, joyful and thankful should be the exact perspective we bring to the table.

    1) For some communion should be done rarely; at most, once a month. For others, communion is weekly. For others still, it is every (which can be many times in a week). What is your perspective? Why? Can you see why others might have a different perspective?

    2) Do you ever think of Jesus hosting your table during communion? Does that impact how you view communion, and your participation in it?

    3) Why do you think Jesus and Paul emphasize the body and blood? What is the significance of those two words?

  • The Nudging

    Moses is in need of help. He can’t do it all. What’s odd is that it would seem that Moses didn’t maintain the lesson learned from his father-in-law (see Exodus 18). It’s not entirely the same. In Exodus 18, it was the “priestly” judges who were selected. This is more along the lines of a professional judiciary, such as we have from local, to district, to appellate, to supreme judiciaries. We have something different here. What has occurred is the selection of senior spiritual leaders. They are family leaders, too, but it is the application of the that makes this important. There are a couple of story-lines occurring here, and that can lead to some confusion. It is often assumed (and has often been taught) that Eldad and Medad remained in camp because they were disgruntled, putting them with the grumbling people. The text does not make that clear. It is our . We do know that Eldad and Medad were selected by Moses (so, much less likely to be among the disgruntled). What if they just hadn’t made it, yet? Or, what if they did not feel worthy or were scared? Both reasonable based upon experience God’s miracles. They had been chosen…and the fell on them anyways.‌

    Joshua was offended on Moses’ behalf, but Moses noted that it is God’s spirit, not his. Many, many years later, has a similar experience with his disciples. Within in the context of arguing which disciple was greater than the other, and Jesus shutting that conversation down well, John ups the game reporting that a man who was not among the disciples are successfully driving out demons. John then states that they (in other words, “I wasn’t the only one, Jesus.”) tried to stop the man, but Jesus stopped even that. The disciples were “offended” by the man driving out demons, but were they upset on Jesus’ behalf or their own. Jesus’ response would indicate that this was about them, not him.‌

    Often we can become overly concerned with the “right” way of doing things. With the Holy Spirit, the right way can often not be our way. This is not to say the God is a god of chaos. God makes and creates order. However, our concept of order and “right” can be at odds with God at times. Joshua and John (yes, with some pride in there) assumed they were doing the right thing by saying “this is wrong.” Yet, God did it, so it wasn’t wrong. It just didn’t fit their idea. Philip may have learned a lesson by the point of this story in Acts. The of the Holy Spirit didn’t hurt either. Philip obeyed and went to the “desert” road for a divine appointment. Nudged further, he approached an important chariot. There is a lot in this story that is missing, but the essentials are there. Philip in obedience approached a chariot that would have been awkward for him normally to approach. Through obedience to the Holy Spirit, Philip then leads the Ethiopian to Christ. After the Ethiopian’s something strange happens, the Holy Spirit “carries” (in Greek, it’s more of snatch) Philip away. The Ethiopian goes on his way rejoicing. The way the journey from Jerusalem to Gaza is , it sounds immediate, but it was actually quite a journey by foot. We don’t get that from Luke’s words, we just have to know geography. This is important as the way Luke writes this gives us an idea that Philip teleported from Gaza to Azotus (a.k.a., Ashdod). While it is quite possible for God to do such, a better way to think of this is that Philip did what was needed and did not stay there rejoicing in the victory. He continued on the .‌

    Far too often we get comfortable with the and want to “stay” there in the happy time. The Holy Spirit is always calling us on to the next thing. The next thing may not be immediate (and often isn’t). Sitting with our victories and successes, though, makes us stagnant. The same can be said of sticking to the old known formula. It worked for its time. The Holy Spirit may have stamped “expired” on it. We need to be ready for the Holy Spirit is doing.‌

    • 1) In the last week, how have you seen the Holy Spirit move in your life? How about the lives of others?‌
    • 2) What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do? Who is the Holy Spirit nudging you to speak to?
    • 3) Often times we may think the Holy Spirit is nudging us to talk to someone so that they can be “fixed”. This isn’t always the case. When have you had a Holy Spirit encounter where you were the one that learned rather than being the one who taught?‌
    • FD) Have you ever said something to defend the efforts of others? Why did you do that?
  • Transitioning

    Psalm 29; Isaiah 43:1–13; Matthew 3:13–17

    Many people claim to have heard from God. Often in culture, we about Elijah and the “still, small, of God” (1 Kings 19). In Psalm 29, however, the voice of the Lord is anything but quiet. Massive trees break, the earth shakes, deer giving premature birth, the woodlands stripped bare, all due to the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord can be quiet or loud, depending on what we need.

    Through Isaiah, God calls out to the Israelites. The Israelites are in exile, and in . God reminds them that it is God who made them. It is God who formed not just humankind, but the people of Israel, reminding them of the promise made to Abraham.

    After the reminder—which is also a statement of reassurance—comes the challenge. As the Israelites walk through the waters, rivers, and . God will be with them. It is not insignificant that God says, “…when you pass/walk through….” God is not talking about avoiding trials (waters, rivers, fire). God accompanies in the midst of trouble. It is not just the accompanying, though. The figure of of “through the waters/floods” is one of into new life: Jacob became Israel; Israel leaves Egypt; Israel enters the promised land; Elijah’s last walk; Elijah’s prophetic beginning.

    Walking “through the fire “is a symbol of purification. This is similar to the burned sacrifices, which were performed for the cleansing of sin. Through fire, metals are refined, and the impurities removed. In these times, fire was also a sign of life and security.

    One can say when we perceive that God is with us and for us, we will walk through our trials and be transformed.

    Even for Jesus, baptism (i.e., walk through waters) is a transition from life to death to life. When Jesus is baptized, he goes from the life he had (probably that of a carpenter) to the life of , the of the . Just like us, Jesus “walks” through the waters. Jesus knows the things of our lives, for he walked them, too.

    1. Can you think when God has walked with you through times of refinement? What did you hear from God during this?
    2. When did you “walk” through a time of death into a new life (or way of living)? How did God walk beside them?
    3. What is similar between times of refinement, and times of death-to-life? What is different between them?
    4. [FD] What does baptism mean to you?
  • Worth or Hardly Worth Doing

    Psalm 1; 2 Kings 5:1–14; Luke 3:1–18

    Let’s reword Psalm 1:1

    How happy is the one who walks in the advice of the holy and righteous, who walks on the path set by God, and sits in the company of those who follow the Lord.

    Sometimes by writing the opposite in the /Poetry literature, it helps to better understand what the writer is conveying. In Psalm 1, the Psalmist is talking about a life filled with and by God. This is a life of with God, and those who choose to be called by his and be led by him, and in fellowship with other believers. This may often seem slow, monotonous, and unexciting. People will often avoid such a life, and look at things outside, which seem more dramatic or exciting.

    Naaman initially rejected Elisha’s instructions for not meeting his expectation. He was expecting at least a hand-waving! Naaman, at least, would have accepted miraculous healing (with the hand-waving), but whether it was geographic pride (my rivers are better than yours) or personal pride (Elisha didn’t come to see him personally), Naaman was ticked. What is particularly interesting is Naaman’s servants’ approach to the matter. They rhetorically ask him that if Elisha’s (God’s) requirement was some great feat (contextually, some military matter), wouldn’t he have done it?

    On the surface, Elisha’s hand-waving and a great feat are different. Truly, though, they both revolved around Naaman’s pride. His pride was a barrier to his healing. This is why the wisdom of Psalm 1 applies. Sometimes, the clean (righteous, holy, etc) life isn’t doing huge things, are having huge things happening to you, but resting beside the living water of God, and taking in the and goodness that it brings.

    There are other times when resting in your life, leads to other issues. When John starts baptizing people, he calls out to the comfortable and those seeking excitement. He calls them Brood (or offspring) of Vipers. It is not a stretch to believe that John was telling them that their bite (i.e., hearts and words) would lead to , as vipers are poisonous snakes. One could also infer the connection between the snake of Eden (tempting Adam and Eve into the first sin) and the viper (who leads to death).

    The people, both the general populace and the Pharisees, could claim that they were looking for the Messiah (or his messenger), or looking for a better life. Yet, John does put a result out there. Those who say they repent (and thus could be baptized) were to display “good fruit.” The implication being that no good fruit was being produced.

    Naaman and John tie the contradiction of the human condition. If we think it’s it, we’ll do really hard things that require sacrifice. However, sometimes the hardest thing is to do nothing exciting. On the other hand, we are also people of a culture who want to be like many of those baptized by John and just be done after that one thing. Yet, the true life offered through Christ is relational. is not meant to be “the end”. It’s not even meant to be the beginning. Baptism is the public profession of the faith in Christ inside our heart. It is another step along the road of life with Christ.

    1. How do you see the need for excitement or big events driving your personal life? How about your work or school life? How about your faith and/or church life?
    2. We seek both and excitement. Where do you find that contradiction in yourself?
    3. What would attract you to “sit” with God? What draws you away from it?
    4. [FD] What big thing would you like to do for God? What small things do you do for God?