Devotion.al

Tag: bride

  • God’s Earthly Love

    God’s Earthly Love

    Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24; Song of Solomon 3:1–11

    If there ever was a book of the Bible that was inappropriate for younger audiences it would be the Song of Solomon (or the Song of Songs). In some traditions, the Song of Solomon is not permitted to be read until adulthood. That should tell you something, indeed.

    It definitely dances around avoiding certain specifics. On the other hand, it is quite open about the intimacy between the male and female main characters.

    This is one of those books that both Jewish and Christian interpreters actually interpret mostly the same thing…this is about the intimacy between God and God’s people. Some people struggle with this (self included). It seems a little odd to think of our with God in this manner.

    The that both Jewish and Christian interpreters think the same allows us to strip (pun intended) us of our American Puritanism. American Puritanism isn’t all bad, but when it conflicts with the plain reading and even allegorical reading of the Scriptures, it needs to be confronted and removed. Wrestling with the Scriptures is not a bad thing. Often we Christians look at the words of as challenging and life-changing (they are). We will dismiss (unwisely) the books that discuss the violent mess that birthed the Promised Land. We will also avoid the books of Law and Purity, even though they provide insight into the heart of God once we look beyond the words of the Law.

    What does this have to do with the Song of Solomon? A lot. The Jews view this book as the love story of God for his people (the Jews). Christians view it as the love story of Jesus and his (the ). The intimacy of husband and wife should be embraced as the view of God’s love for us. We, on the other hand, seem to be more of the wandering away type.

    What would our Christian lives be like if this described us…

         I will rise now
          and go all around the city,
          through the streets and the squares.
     I will look for the one whom I love
          with all my heart…
     I held on to him
          and now I won't let him go,

    On the Evangelical side, we’ve largely dismissed a whole group of people whose life is defined by being “married” to God, the monks, and (more often) nuns of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It seems that we evangelicals are finally maturing to the point where we are able to honor those who walk this path willingly or not.

    One of the side-effects of this is that we can remove the pressure to “get married” (for solely getting married, not talking about other moral issues). This means we can open our concept of a and fulfilling Christian life. Married and single life both provide valuable reflections on this loving God that called the Jewish people his wife, and the self-sacrificing Son who calls his church his bride.

    ※Reflection※

    • What do these verses in the Song of Solomon tell us about God? How do the words from Psalm 118 affect your thoughts in comparison to the Song of Solomon?
    • What have you learned about love from Christian singles in your life? What have you learned about love from Christian married couples in your life? If the same questions are asked in regards to non-Christians, do any answers change?
    • The Song of Solomon isn’t the only Scripture that challenges our remote/separate/pure view of God. Which other verses or stories in the Scriptures do that? How do they affect your view of and relationship with God?

    ※Prayer※

    O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in the fullness of his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the of the , one God, now and for ever. Amen [Wednesday of Easter Week Collect, Book of Common 2019]

  • Strange People

    Strange People

    Exodus 20:1–17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25; John 2:13–24

    ‘ “cleaning” of the is often focused on how the Jews “corrupted” the House of God. There is in it. The scary part is that it often seems to be a, “look at them” moment, rather than what it should be, “look at us”. On top of that, the last 2 verses in this chapter of John are often skipped in the Lectionary (from which each day’s are determined). They, too, are “look at me”. In fact, these last 2 verses fit very well with the passage from 1 Corinthians, and even Exodus, so I added them to today’s readings.

    We usually look at the 10 Commandments as a list of don’ts. The 10 Commandments can also be looked at as a list that makes us different. Culturally, the commandments regarding the proper of God set the Israelites apart from those around them.

    This carried . What Jesus did? It was not totally outside of the norm for the Israelites, insofar as the history and heritage of prophets. The prophets were known to do odd and strange things, as we are told the disciples remembered.

    As notes, the oddness of Christianity then goes beyond the oddness of Judaism, to the point where Jews and Gentiles struggle with it. For anyone with a heart for those who don’t Jesus, this is a hard and brutal truth.

    We US Christians have a particular struggle with this. We were so accustomed to a cultural majority (almost superiority) that we are only slowly beginning to see our “strangeness”.  Many of us are negatively responding to what we believe was “the way” of “our” country.

    We had “all” the cards. We had the opportunity to plant the seeds that would develop into a Christian . Instead, we deceived ourselves with a masquerade. As we face our mortality in , perhaps we should face the mortality of the Christian nation that we have held onto for so long.

    Also, it is hard to ignore the mortality of the church as we have understood it for so long. The church—the bride of Christ—is just fine. Half of the US church is bedridden. The other half is prepping the fields for planting.

    ※Reflection※

    • What ways have you found being a Christian “strange” in comparison to non-Christians?
    • When you read the Scriptures, do you focus on “them” rather than “us”?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you have called us to change from working in submission to Spirit and being the Spirit-infused influencers of the world. Amen.

  • Life Giving God

    Life Giving God

    Isaiah 46:1–13

    Much of the tells through visual stories. Sometimes that imagery is disconcerting. It can also be mind-altering.

    Many of us struggle with some of that imagery. Being the of Christ can seem odd. Or there is the thought of being the clay pot.

    Most of us are very familiar with God as (in particular, God the Father, God the , God the ). So, when it comes to this passage in Isaiah it could be jarring. If you read this passage in the NIV, it won’t seem so, but most of the other translations have God being pregnant.

    Yes, God is pregnant. Of course, it is an image. Yet, it is an important one.

    One of the great mysteries (and, as a guy, great honors) that women have is the ability to bear children (definitely not saying pregnancy is easy). With God as Creator, perhaps we should be surprised that God isn’t identified more often this way.

    The imagery in the context of this passage is critical. The comparison is between God (-bearer) and idols (no life in them).

    God addresses the reality that the Israelites have “treasured” their idols, and that they put so much value upon them. They put their to escape the surrounding powers. Instead, they are hauling their idols with them to exile. As the idols were often covered or made of precious metals and gems, the likelihood is that idols would be destroyed as part of the exile.

    The idols that the Israelites made and worshiped so that they could maintain the lives they had…did nothing. The God they had abandoned promised to remain with them and to rescue them.

    While carrying their empty, lifeless idols into captivity…God reached out. God said—in effect—I am here to carry you…and give you life.

    ※Reflection※

    • What other symbols (i.e., pregnancy) can you associate with the life- aspect of God?
    • What modern idols do people believe “give life”? How do they mimic life?

    ※Prayer※

    God, thank you for your life-giving nature. May we embrace all that it means. Amen.

  • Wolves Invisible

    Wolves Invisible

    Psalm 62:5–12; Jeremiah 20:14–18; Luke 10:13–16

    Do you know the story of “The Boy Who Cried, Wolf”? The shepherd boy who falsely cried “wolf” so many times that after some time no one would come to his aid. Of course, as the case with moral tales, the real wolves came, he cried “wolf”, and no one came. He died.

    This could be a tale of bearing false witness (the 9th Commandment). It also could be because not everyone has the same .

    We see that all the time from politics, to businesses, to churches, to families. Each person has a slightly different “vision” of the . Often, we criticize, minimize, denigrate, and insult those that have a different vision. It can be hard, especially if they’re family, yet those differences are the “spice” and “flavor” of life.

     The 11 Apostles (, one of the original 12 died) received their commission, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” [Matthew 28:18–20, CEB]

    Go into the [whole] world. Such a small thing. It’s kind of like a commencement address, full of a huge concept that sounds awesome and inspiring, then (just like commencement) on the other side, reality hits.

    It is what is on the other side that reveals the foundation of our life.

    The Psalmist that God is “rock and salvation”, a “stronghold”. If indeed humans are nothing but a , nothing but lies, and don’t even register on a scale (all from an “absolutist” infinite deity perspective), what little remains of a human’s worth is based upon their foundation.

    Jeremiah mourned the event of his birth. His grief was based on a couple of things. First, he was a “messenger of doom” for Israel. That was pretty rough.

    Second, he mourned the hardness of heart of the Israelites. He couldn’t understand how the Israelites could be so heart- and -less toward God. The entirety of the story of Israel revolved around what God did!

    Jesus’ reprimands to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum echo what Jeremiah said. “Doom is coming. The consequences of your decision to harden your hearts and reveling in that hardness is coming.” (Ian’s summation)

    The reprimand is a result of cities not welcoming the harbingers of the (it’s more of an advance warning for when it happens). The disciples of Jesus were to be completely dependent upon the towns and people they would come to.

    They were not sent with massive amounts of , food, clothing, or protection (no weapons). They were sent as they were. They might have had a drachma or denarius or a few. They had a pair of sandals (which they were wearing). They had the clothes (again, that they were wearing). That’s it.

    And off they went, the commencement of the first missionary event.

    Most of us are uncomfortable with being missionaries. Regardless, the Great Commission is still our mission. You are a missionary right where and when you are now.

    If you think there is no one that you are and are to be a missionary to, pray that God gives you the spiritual eyes to see who is before you. Perhaps why the church is so weak right now isn’t because we are “” or are “unimportant”. Perhaps we have long forgotten that we are to not just be missionaries to the world; we are also to be missionaries to each other (the “bible-ish” word is edify).

    Many of us are looking for that special answer or that perfect argument. of us want to be an example yet realize that compared to Jesus we are not much to look at.

    We are called to cry, “wolf”, and the world doesn’t believe us. It’s hard to explain the wolves coming that they cannot see.

    ※Reflection※

    • When we looking for the special answer, perfect argument, or being the example, what is the real foundation of that?
    • Why is it necessary to be missionaries to one another (to edify)?
    • The example of the disciples’ first missionary journey is not burdened with “stuff”. How can that be an example of our journey? What could be a wrong application of this lesson?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord Jesus, you have called us to go into the world. Help us be the encouragers of others, that all your church—your bride—will reach the world for your name’s sake. Amen.

  • Flame Bright in the Dark

    Flame Bright in the Dark

    Matthew 25:1–13

    The Creed (one of the statements of belief that cross all Christian denominations) is as follows (maybe even read it aloud):

     We believe in one God,
        the , the Almighty,
        maker of heaven and earth,
        of all that is, seen and unseen.
 We believe in one Lord,  Christ,
        the only Son of God,
        eternally begotten of the Father,
        God from God, Light from Light,
        true God from true God,
        begotten, not made,
        of one Being with the Father;
        through him all things were made.
        For us and for our salvation
                he came down from heaven,
                was incarnate of the Holy  and the Virgin Mary
                and became truly human.
                For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
                he suffered  and was buried.
                On the third day he rose again
                in accordance with the ;
                he ascended into heaven
                and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
                He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
                and his kingdom will have no end.
 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
        who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
        who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
        who has spoken through the prophets.
        We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
        We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
        We look for the resurrection of the dead,
                and the life of the world to come. Amen.

    In the Church of the Nazarene, we don’t say this creed much. Which really is too bad. It is the basics of the universal Christian faith.

    In the light of today’s Scripture, it is “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end” that is our focus.

    Today’s Scripture is a warning to be for the of Jesus. We lose a lot of this story because so much of it is cultural. The bridesmaids are to escort the (and essentially the groom) to the groom’s home for the marriage ceremony.

    There would be dancing and singing along the way. Sleeping was wise. However, part of the situation is that there was often last-minute negotiations between the families of the bride and groom.

    So, the announcement of “the groom comes” could be done, and then something else would come up, and the whole thing would begin again. The reality was that “the groom comes” could be said many times without a groom actually coming.

    The coming of Christ has been that way for 2000 years. “He’s coming…oh, …He’s coming…oh, wait…” That cycle has been repeated for generations. Many of us recall multiple times in our lives when people have been convinced that Jesus was coming back.

    We are the bridesmaids. We are the bride (the church). It’s weird, I know. We are both bridesmaids and bride and yet still ourselves.

    Christmas wasn’t that long ago. Part of the story is the glory of Heaven that shined down and declared the birth of the Savior. Epiphany (less than 2 weeks ago, and still the church season) is about a star that led unbelievers to venerate the new King.

    Whether a thief in the night, a baby in a manger, a choir from Heaven, somehow Christ will come in glory. We are called to be prepared.

    ※Prayer※

    Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. May we be continually preparing for his return. Amen.

  • Inconceivable!

    Inconceivable!

    1 Samuel 16:1–13; 1 Timothy 4:11–16

    In the movie, The Princess , Vizzini the Sicilian ( me, it’s part of the plot) faces against the supposed Dread Pirate Roberts. The Dread Pirate Roberts defies Vizzini’s plans and expectations. Each time, the , “Inconceivable,” escapes Vizzini’s lips. Finally, the “dumb” “brute” (again, a tongue-in-cheek part of the plot) looks at Vizzini and says, “I do not think that word means what you think it means.”

    In stories of God, “inconceivable” is often the underlying response. Even to this day, “inconceivable” is that thought that God would become a human being (we all know how bad of an idea that is) and then die for them. It’s, a Vizzini would say, inconceivable.

    That God would promise a mere a place and a massive group of descendants, it’s well…inconceivable. That God would rescue these (now) slave descendants from the most powerful military in the world, walk them through standing water, create a covenant with them and, call them God’s people. It’s inconceivable.

    If we Christians, our Jewish predecessors, and even our somewhat related (though tenuous at best) Muslim fellow Monotheists were really honest regarding the faith that we have been handed, we should be able to sympathize and even empathize with those who do not believe that God would do this. To them it makes no sense! It is inconceivable!

    That’s part of our problem. We are so close to the issue (not, sadly, necessarily God) that we are often unable to see just how inconceivable our faith is. This is especially true for those who claim to only hold onto the “” they can see before them.

    For Samuel, it had been inconceivable that people would not choose God. The reality was that the people themselves, had insight that Samuel may have forgotten. People are fallen, and even those bestowed with the duties (e.g., priests, seers, etc) from God can be bad people. Their choice of King was logical (to a point).

    King Saul was, really, a valiant king. He did a few unwise things. He did play “priest”, which was a career (i.e., king) limiting move. God called the next one. The next one? Was a shepherd boy sent out to the far fields and not quite forgotten by his . The selection of David was…inconceivable.

    There is a reason why God talks to Samuel about seeing as God sees. Samuel thought it was inconceivable that the sons of Jesse who were present were not satisfactory.

    This is also the underlying message of Paul to Timothy. Paul told Timothy that while it may be culturally and religiously inconceivable that such a young man (scholars put him at around 35-40, at this point) should be the “pastor-in-charge”, it was Timothy’s charge to fulfill.

    While Paul supported the presbyters (we’d say elders, and Paul really did mean AARP elders who were deep in the faith), Timothy’s call was not to be taken lightly. In fact, what we know of Timothy was that he was likely a little sickly, and almost definitely the “quiet as a church mouse” type who avoided conflict. Paul was telling him that these people were his responsibility. He must not hide away from it.

    Think on that. Paul, who was not shy about conflict, had “raised up” a person to fill his shoes who was not like him. Paul who got in the proverbial face of Peter, who had to have dramatic confrontation with to take the right path…Paul “chose” that timid guy? It’s (yep) inconceivable.

    ※Reflection※

    • Why is it important to not only recognize, but to also embrace, the inconceivable-ness of God?
    • You might be offended (or know someone who is) that thinking about God as inconceivable. Why would such be offensive? Why might it help to understand God’s inconceivable-ness when it comes to explaining your faith?
    • If you were to take “the brute’s” words of, “I do not think that word means what you think it means,” and apply it to the inconceivable-ness of God, what happens?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, there is something to be said and to be grateful that we are finite. We cannot understand the depth of your or . We also cannot understand the depth of your sorrow, , and mourning that you have experienced. Help us to be grateful for the mystery that is the inconceivable-ness of you. Help us to be grateful for what we do know. That you love us so much that Jesus came to die for us. Amen!

  • Dancing in the Streets

    Dancing in the Streets

    Luke 10:17–24; Revelation 19:6–10

    One of the greatest joys a parent can have is the of their children. This isn’t necessarily financial nor even survival. The best times are watching them succeed when they do not think they are capable.

    That’s Jesus’ when the 72 disciples . They recognized that through Jesus they could now do amazing things. They went out with almost nothing. They came back changed.

    In his book, Rings of , Leonard Sweet says that, “Jesus celebrated, danced, prayed, and let the loose.” That’s the kind of rejoicing that Jesus did.

    This is the kind of rejoicing that occurs in Heaven when the and the . The same kind. This is the joy that Jesus had upon the return of the 72.

    In the days ahead, we will watch and experience friends, , and much of the US population apparently lose common sense as the US Presidential election looms. No one knows what will happen this year, as both political parties have already gathered their legal forces to challenge the results.

    There will be gatherings that mourn the electoral losses. There will be gatherings that celebrate the results. The political talking heads will have their day full of predicting what will happen.

    No matter the result of the election, we will still be able to be rejoicing as we are part of the party in Heaven. We cannot let the ways of the world get the party down.

    ※Questions※

    1) What’s your when you think of Jesus dancing or leaping for joy?

    2) How does Jesus’ joy for the 72 impact you? Does it matter?

    3) How will you keep your “dancing” joy over the next few months with the tension and animosity that will be building?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, thank you for us lives that rejoice. May we live in such a way that people see the joy of our hearts. Amen.

  • Bound Emotion

    Bound Emotion

    Bound Emotion

    4 September 2020

    Ezekiel 24:15–27; Jeremiah 16:5–9

    There is something unusual about marriage. For whatever reason, a man and a woman have a special kind of that transcends logic. There is a deep spiritual aspect to it that is part of the marriage ritual, “what God has joined let man not .”

    While this is the ideal, we are all far from the ideal. As much as there are men and women who are “2-become-1”, there are a great many couples were 1 plus 1 equals neither 1 nor 2. In most such cases, barring miraculous intervention, the couple separates.

    A few decades ago, the concept of “no-fault” divorce was invented. In reality, it mostly seems to have been an “agreement” that the reason for the divorce was something other than infidelity (whether of sexual or other nature) and that it was okay. This was a “thumb the nose” at the , but it was also a recognition that the church often failed to understand this sacred institution.

    The deep deception of “no-fault” divorce was the perception that “no-fault” meant “no hurt”. Divorce hurts. Sometimes it is the path to divorce. Sometimes it is the event. Sometimes it is the result. Sometimes it’s all of it.

    There is something deep within us that understands marriage is not to be trifled with. This is why younger generations are putting it off, even while cohabitating. This is also why same-gender marriage became a cultural phenomenon.

    Despite powerful and public peoples’ often peculiar and sometimes alliance driven marriages, most normal people see something transcendent in marriage. Even in this day and age where divorce in the church is as high (if not higher) as the culture around. There is still something.

    Imagine then what it would be like to receive the message as Ezekiel did. While you may have received, for example, the news that a loved one was going to die, or even suddenly died, you had the ability to . Ezekiel was commanded to not grieve. Just as he would soon bury his wife, he would bury his feelings.

    Males are, granted, more likely to tuck their feelings away. However, just as we are often tempted or even driven to disobey when commanded to do (or not do) something, imagine Ezekiel being commanded to not grieve, which probably made the loss of his wife even more pronounced on his .

    While the do not say that Ezekiel stands figuratively in the place of God, it does make sense. The precious bride (Israel) is about to die (conquered and exiled). This is a result of and corruption. God, therefore, cannot grieve for God’s holiness was denied. If God were to grieve, God might protect Israel once more, allowing it to fall even more deeply into depravity.

    This gets even darker in Jeremiah’s words. Jeremiah is banned from lamenting with any family who has lost a loved one. In other words, lamentation has become a luxury. The of lamentation has been taken away. The gifts of consolation, commiseration, and sympathy have also been taken away. Through their disobedience, the deepest loss is now only a fact. Hearts and feelings must be set aside.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Father God, we are thankful for your never-ending mercy. Give us the wisdom and discernment to be bearers of your compassion, mercy, and love for all of those who are grieving in these days. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) What does it mean to lament, to you? How is that different from being sad or grieving, if anything?

    2) Have you ever repressed really strong emotions? Why? What were the lingering effects?

    3) In Jewish/Israelite society, and lament were semi-public community events. How did that work in the church pre-COVID? How does it work now?