Theology Friday… Psalm 8

Today we live in world where many humans have lost their identity and purpose. Many are seeking to understand who they are and what they are here for. It is not surprising that we can turn to Psalm 8 in our struggles of identity and purpose. Philosophical anthropologists point out that, historically, human beings have sought their identity by comparing themselves to animals, to others, and to God. Only the second is absent from theis psalm. Here the human is not known by comparison to other races, nations, cultures. The omission is not accidental, and its absence must be emphasized. The notion of universal humankind has been around for a long time, but the drift of history does not favor it. Tribalism, nationalism, racism, (all the ways of being human in distinction from others and in hostility to others), govern the self-consciousness of the majority of the species. Yet in every crisis of culture and at every transition in history, we have to learn again how to say “human being”. The biblical view of our relationship with God is critical to our understanding of this and the identity of us being human.

Theology Friday… Ecclesiastes

Life is more complex than good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people, something that may have been consistent with the general view on life at the time of the writing of Ecclesiastes (it certainly is a philosophical world view that is prevalent in many cultures today). A revelation in this strange, Biblical book, is the fact that life is more complex than that. Life is a concept that develops from the abstract, moving to the practical outcomes, and culminating in leading us to finding meaning in a divine God. The questions through which this revelation is found outlined by Ecclesiastes, questions written well over two thousand years ago, are the same questions many of us are asking today.

Within this framework the author views human beings living in a world that is in every way out of human control (a rallying cry for our own generation). Nothing that people do or have is ultimately lasting. All things that happen in the world are confusing and incomprehensible. Yet, in all of this, Ecclesiastes acts almost like an observation tower, reflecting on the people and the world in which they lived. They were preoccupied with all sorts of social and economic issues, much like us today. Although they were confronting new economic possibilities and perils, the real issues that they faced were, in fact, nothing new (Ecc. 1:9-10). Others had already wrestled with life’s inconsistencies, contradictions, and absurdities. People in every generation and every place had always been, and always will be, caught in a world that is beyond human control. In such a world, Ecclesiastes proclaims the absolute sovereignty of God, who freely gives and freely acts. How much more does that apply to us today? Some of us feel like we are jelly fish, caught helplessly in the tide of life, with little or no control.

In summary, what Ecclesiastes is saying is this: enjoy all the material things of the world. There is nothing wrong in that. They are gifts from God. However, remember that these things cannot last forever nor can they give real lasting happiness. The purpose and meaning of life cannot be found in any of these things. So, acknowledge God as the source of all enjoyment; He alone can give meaning to life; He alone can give eternal significance to our lives. That in itself brings joy and eliminates any sense of pessimism.

Word of the Day – May 6

The one constant thing of our times is that nothing is constant. Being a change agent I truly enjoy change, but there are many things that change that don’t sit well with me… losing friends, moving away, death… It reminds me of something I heard a while back:

There is one constant in life though… 

When Pigs Fly…

It is estimated that 36,000 people die every year in America alone from the “regular” flu… and yet we are more afraid of the swine flu that has a far lower death rate. Why?

It is not a political agenda as most here in America would like to think (Health Care being a sensitive issue right now). The fear is worldwide… in Australia, Europe, Asia… We would not close down schools if a couple of kids came down with the regular flu, but if one of them has the swine flu, then let’s close down the whole school district!!! 

Today we are told that the swine flu is not particularly dangerous and that it is “very similar to the seasonal flu“.

…And tell me that the media doesn’t control our social behaviour!!!

Word of the Day…

I love G. K. Chesterton, anyone who could gracefully where slippers in public is worth noting. He was also a relatively large man and when, during World War I, a lady in London asked why he wasn’t ‘out at the Front’; he replied, ‘If you go round to the side, you will see that I am.’ His words were poignant though, and I love this quote of his:

 

Kentuckey Fried Church

The one thing we, as a Christian community, have forgotten all about is the sin of consumerism.

We’ve got an eye on the rise of Islam. We’re well versed in diverse eschatological, end time, views. We analyse every word a presidential candidate says, doing a deep exegetical thesis on every word, being able to identify whether the newly elected president is the Antichrist or not. We’re well versed in our superficial, middle class, values. Yet, how did the sin of consumerism run away so unchecked in the church? 

Mike Frost, in a series of sermon messages on Youth Ministry, calls consummerism, the most pervasive religious world view, and the largest, unchecked threat to youth. It offers everything a religion offers:

• A community to belong to
• A sense of well being
• A purpose
• Something to do with your time, money and energy

Mike’s words really bite, and though his talk was on Youth Ministry, I can really see how it is even more pervasive from the standpoint of a church service worship leader. In youth ministry, you can argue that there is a level immaturity that we’ve all been through, but in worhsip, there’s no one to blame but mature, Christian adults.

Our church environment has been literally co-opted by the spirit of the age. You can see it very evidently at the end of any given Sunday morning church service:

“What did you think of the service?“

“I wish they played more hymns“

“The pastor should really be wearing a tie“

“The worship minister should play this or that song“

It is even more evident in the minds of Christians choosing a church. Their decision is based purely on their own well being (and that of their family’s) and not on the direction of where God wants them to be (or they convince themselves that their well being is God’s direction). There is a list of expectations that need to be checked before we choose a church, and that list is based, in most cases, on purely personal motives. It is about being served in manner that is worthy for me to pay for it. If the product is not good, or not to my satisfaction, I express my dissatisfaction and expect either a refund or an apology along with a prompt adjustment to the service. If we don’t feel that our satisfaction was met, we then enlist people around us to our cause. Even though we may not see it as such, we undermine the product (or leader/s) by expressing our feelings to those who we feel understand our plight. It’s not about being a servant, it’s about being served!

And then we wonder why our kids grow up to be self serving!

Paul says in Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit..”

 

Selfish ambition and vain conceipt are mortal enemies of unity and harmony in the church. They are the main reason kids fight with their parents and why husband and wives fight. They are the instigators of ugly arguments during church meetings and the lingering gossip in the church halls. They are also the pillars of consumerism. 

 “…but in humility put others before yourself”

Paul tells us what our attitudes should be… humility and putting others before ourselves. If we set that standards, everything changes. Church becomes place where our first thought is:

How can I serve?

And not:

What about me?

Welcome to the New Down 2 Earth

Welcome to the new Down 2 Earth