Famous First Lines...pt. 2
Wow. You did very well on that last one so I have decided to up the ante a bit. The two selections below are a bit more obscure. However, I know one is a favorite of a Wheatland Mission member.
"Early this morning, 1 January 2021, three minutes after midnight, the last human being to be born on earth was killed in a pub brawl in a suburb of Buenos Aires, aged twenty-five years, two months, and twelve days."
"For some time now I have noticed that something strange is ocurring in our region."
Rumor has it that some of you have googled for the answers. That is ok. However, you won't have google with you Saturday night! I am going to see if I can find these on the web myself.
By the way, our Scripture text for this weekend is Genesis 1:1-2. You might want to read the entire 1st chapter to prepare for the next couple of weeks.
Famous First Lines...
Saturday night is our monthly family service and we will be beginning a series on Genesis. (Do you see the pun in that sentence?) This week's message is called
Famous First Lines... We are starting with a little quiz. Can you tell me what famous books these famous first lines came from? Here are two hints: Both are very famous and written before anyone at the Wheatland Mission was born.
"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
"The family of Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex."
Post a comment and be the first to get the answer right. By the way, this little quiz is open book. (We are going to do this again Saturday Night and we will include a few more "kid friendly" questions.
Kite Without Tails and the Da Vinci Code
Here is an article the contents of which I tried to quote this past week. Mike Metzger is a consultant with businesses and churches. Some other church planters met with him this past fall in Kansas City.Kites without Tails
by Mike Metzger
May 19, 2006 Old bed sheets.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I'm highlighting two surveys released this week citing how The Da Vinci Code has undermined faith in the Roman Catholic Church and badly damaged its credibility. A British survey revealed that readers of Dan Brown's blockbuster novel are twice as likely to believe Jesus Christ fathered children and four times as likely to think the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei is a murderous sect. The second survey -- an American one -- found evangelical Protestants are more likely to be shaken than Catholics. If you've ever flown a kite, you can see why.
For the uninitiated, the traditional triangle pattern kite is pretty difficult to fly -- if not down right impossible -- without the proper tail attached. The tail adds stability and balance. Without it, the kite will lurch, dart about, and ultimately crash. I know -- the first kites I bought as a kid came without tails. We learned to cut old bed sheets into strips and attach them to base of the kite.
A great many people are attracted to evangelicalism because I believe it's a kite stripped of the tail of history and tradition. Evangelicals rely solely on "The
B-I-B-L-E... yes that's the Book for me." Isn't it ironic, then -- when you read the Bible -- the gospels themselves begin by tethering the good news about Jesus to the tail of tradition and history? The next time you happen to come across a Bible, pick it up and open to the first gospel, written by Matthew. Read the first 17 verses. It took me 47 seconds this morning. It begins like this: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. To Abraham was born Isaac; and to Isaac..." It's hundreds and hundreds of years of history and tradition. It's the tail on the kite of the good news.
This is why The Da Vinci Code undermines the confidence of so many evangelicals. It's a skewed version of church history. And that's exactly what most evangelical Protestants know little or nothing about. In our imagination, the church was launched by Jesus, furthered by the Apostle Paul, resuscitated by Martin Luther, enriched with a series of books written by John Calvin, and extended by evangelists like Billy Graham. Boom! Here we are in the 21st century!
But I would be hard pressed to find an evangelical who could describe how the church flourished in the 2nd century, or how the canon of Scripture came together, or what were the contributions of Origen, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Dionysius, Clement of Rome, Mathetes, or Polycarp. How many people can tell you about the Iconclast Controversy in 1054? What happened to the church under the rule of Islam in the 9th century? These are mostly black holes. We have no tail on our kite.
Evangelicals -- and I am proud to be one -- mostly study the Bible and emphasize expository Bible teaching. And we should. But we're not known for book and film clubs or discussions of history. Our kites are not tethered to the tail of tradition and history. Some even believe history and tradition is a drag on the kite -- we want to be relevant and up-to-date. Who needs old bed sheets?
Perhaps we do. This is not a call for Protestants to become Catholics. But a richer appreciation of church history and tradition might anchor the flopping kites of evangelicals.
Gnip Gnop Gnosticism: II . . . AKA Gnip Gnostic
gnosticism - is a religious and philosophical system loosely based upon Christianity and Greek philosophy. - Darrell Bock
The Da Vinci Code is certainly not the first, nor will it be the last book to promote or suggest that Christianity, in its earliest forms, was a form of gnosticism. This is a "trendy" point of view held by some modern religous scholars but it doesn't have sufficient basis in fact. Frequently, such scholars will ignore the most reliable and most early sources for an understanding of Christianity which are the documents of the New Testament. It is almost universally held, by both conservative and irreligious scholars, that the Apostle Paul wrote Romans, Galatians, I Thessalonians, and many of the other letters traditional Christians believe he wrote. Some of these non-traditional scholars even suggest that Paul was the real "founder" of Christianity, not Jesus.
That being established, there is no hint of gnosticism in Paul's writings. Paul clearly and forcefully endorses Christ's literal ressurection. For him, Christ did not simply "appear" to arise nor did he first appear as a ghostly being that couldn't die. According to Paul's testimony, one which he received on the road to Damascus and that was confirmed by other early believers, is that Christ had died (according to the Scriptures), that he was put in a tomb ("buried" - according to the Scriptures), and that he rose again on the third day (according to ... you got it, the Scriptures). [I Corinthians 15:1-8] Gnosticism was a dualistic religion that held a strict separation between the physical and the spiritual. A bodily resurrection would not only be unnecessary but it would be distasteful to their supposedly "enlightened" senses.
He is anxious to communicate the Gospel story wherever he goes and does so with equal openness. For Paul, there is no "hidden" knowledge. He eagerly seeks to share it all. In Acts 17 Paul seeks to reveal the knowledge of Christ that appears to be hidden to those on Mars Hill. He doesn't reveal this to initiates only. He shares it even with those who boldly reject it.
Jesus is too Jewish to be a good gnostic. He follows the rules of Judaism and participates in Jewish culture to such an extent that there would undoubtedly be some hint of gnostic thinking or tendencies in his teaching and in his actions recorded in the Gospels. Any such record of anything like this does not appear until well into the 3rd and 4th centuries. There is no sign of it in the Gospels nor in the early records of Jesus life and ministry as expressed in the rest of the New Testament.
I John and I and II Timothy seem to combat what might be a form of gnosticism that existed within the early church. However, these letters were written well into the second half of the first century and the false beliefs they were attacking seem, according to most scholars, to be a newly developing heresy rather than one that had been around for very long.
Why are gnostic leanings so prevalent in modern religious thought? It appears to me that a religious or philosophical system that, 1) appears to be very ancient and traditional; and 2) requires little sacrifice or faith commitment; and 3) considers the difficulties of our present world something only to be "put up with" not redeemed, has a certain appeal. One can mix and match a number of religious and philosphical points of view to create your own spiritual composite with no need for support and no for accountability.
Instead, Christianity offers a religion that is 1)
in fact ancient and traditional; and 2) requires a great deal of faith and sacrifice; and 3) considers all of the problems in the world potential subjects for God's healing and redemption (including but not limited to: personal and corporate lust and greed, physical and psychological disease, economic and enviromental degradation, personal and national alienation). It is a religion that not only makes more sense but one which couldn't be invented or dreamed up by the minds of men.
Lastly, Gnosticism is a religion for escapists. If one doesn't want to face the hard truth about one's spiritual condition then gnosticism is an appealing option. If one doesn't want to deal with human suffering and misery at home and around the world then gnosticism, with its emphasis on the
spiritual over the physical is a good option. But, ultimately, this type of psuedo-faith falls woefully short.
Let's cautiously and graciously confront "escapist" Christianity when we see it our lives and in the life of our Church.
Happy, Happy Birthday!
Jim, Paul, Kelly and Cooper!
Gnip-Gnop-Gnostic: I
OK, I thought it might be good to make a couple of quick comments about Gnosticism since I raised the issue Saturday night. (In spite of my title above the "g" is silent.)
I'll mention some key things to understand about gnosticism and then offer a summary of why I assert that gnosticism wasn't around when Jesus was alive and why he couldn't have been gnostic. I think it is important for us to have a little bit of understanding about gnosticism because it rears its head in our current setting but rarely is it called by name. With the recent interest in all things religious (such as
The DaVinci Code and
The Jesus Seminar it is useful for us to recognize where gnosticism clearly departs from biblical Christianity.)
(a gname of Gnip-Gnop anyone?)
Eugene Peterson, author and translator of
The Message, identifies five elements of gnosticism "all of which carry the virus . . . and threaten the health of the Christian gospel." (from
Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places pg. 61)
"First, gnosticism works out of a deep metaphysical alienation. The cosmos is a colosssal error. Creation is alien to rou deepest and truest soul. God, the true God, had and has nothing to do with it, and so the less we have to do with it the better.""Second, there is a secret lore, a knowledge (gnosis) that can save us from this hopeless condition. But it isn't open knowledge; it has to be acquired by initiation and intuition. A certain spiritual aptitude ahs to be developed and nurtured.""Third, escapism is a strategy for survival, beginning with an escape from the God of creation. The escapism is nearly total: we exape from everything except the self, we excape from the world into the self.""Fourth, the few souls who learn this secret lore and embark on this escapist life consititue an elite, each a divinity in herself or himself.""Fifth, each person is free to assemble any ideas or stories or techniques at hand to accomplish this way of life; no institution or authority is permitted to interfere or tell the "gnostic" (the one "in the know") what to believe or do."This summary highlights some important aspects of what might best be described as a religious system as opposed to an actual religion. The gnostic train of thought bled into Christianity in the centuries after Christ and had an influence on various parts of Christianity but was not truly a separate religion in and of itself.
Biblical Christianity is different than what is described above. Consider these brief points:
1) Christianity is a physical religion and does not endorse a separation of body and spirit. This is highlighted most emphatically in the incarnation, the life of Christ. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus became "flesh." The humanity of Christ takes our humanity very seriously and, in fact, is a key part of the redemption of all creation. (Romans 8:19-23)
2) Scripture is hardly secretive, nor is the message contained within it. While there are parts of Scripture that are hard to fully understand, the overall message is clear. Not only that, but Romans 1:18-20 makes the point that the "secrets" of life with God are actually made plain to all men.
3) Biblical Christianity does not teach escapism. Again, look at the example of Jesus. He sought neither to escape his humanity nor the difficult and painful death on the cross. It was precisely his life and death that bring us life and hope in the resurrection. In the same way we should not seek to escape the challenges of living as brothers and sisters in Chist. Fellow Christians aren't there simply for us to "put up" with until our time comes. They are present in our lives to love and honor as Christ.
4) Christianity is anything but an elite religion. One need only read the Gospels and you recognize those whom Jesus made a special effort to reach. Jesus teaches us that those who wish to exalt themselves will be humbled and those who wish to humble themselves will be exalted. Jesus followed this pattern himself (Philippians 2:1-11). Not only that, but as followers of Christ we do not become 'little gods' but we do grow in Christ-likeness.
5) Christianity is bound to history. Jesus really lived, died and rose from the dead. No reasonable historian, Christian or not, claims that Jesus did not exist, though many struggle with the plausiblity of the resurrection. If we are Christ-followers we cannot simply pick and choose what aspects of Jesus we want to cling to. Nor are we allowed to disregard parts of his message and ministry as if they didn't apply to us. Christianity is not a cut and paste religion but a dramatic whole. It can be known and understood.
Learning about religions or philosophies that stand in contrast to Christianity is one way of learning more about our own. This type of exercise causes us to reflect more deeply and seriously on the what we believe and what we do. This is one important favor Dan Brown and his
DaVinci Code has done for us.
In the next Gnip-Gnop-Gnostic post I will discuss why Jesus could not have been a gnostic.
Mother's Day: Reprise
Way to go guys! You did well sharing your thoughts about your wives for Mothers Day. If you weren't able to catch your comments on the screens the other night here they are again. By the way, thanks to Rich, John, Damon and Dave for helping out with our kids ministry."Our children are blessed to have you as their mother and I am blessed to have you as my wife."
"I appreciate you for many things, some of which I don't even realize yet. One of the things that truly blesses me is your efforts to grow in your walk with Jesus and how that positively affects you in your roles of wife and mother. I'm excited for you as you discover untapped gifts that God intends for you to use for His Kingdom. I love you."
"To my Wife and my children’s Mother: Your give self-less devotion to my most precious possessions-all 6 of them! You still have time to still make me feel like I am her most precious possession."
"When I look at my life, there has never been a more obvious example of God's blessings on me, than the fact that He has allowed me to be married to you. You are a wonderful mother and wife. I can not imagine life without you. You will always be my Angel."
"Your strength of character has long been an inspiration to me. You are beautiful and strong."
"My beloved wife - A gift from God to me and our children,My best friend and our children’s best friend,A woman whose love knows no bounds!"
"She is as beautiful in spirit as she is in looks. She knows me better than any and takes care of me...and our home. Seeing her with my child is more than I can ask out of life. She has the patience of God. She looks great in a clown suit."
"My wife is a bit like Martha Stewart. My wife is crafty, creative and a great cook. But my wife is so much more than that! She is genuinely nice, cares for others and is a wonderful wife and mother. It seems like everything she does, she does well - except for the "meatloaf experiment"."
"Life without her would be like a gorgeous sunset hidden by clouds, a piano very out of tune, or a check book not balanced for a very long time....in other words - just not right. My life has been painted with a beautiful palette; soothed with a relaxing melody; and joined in a perfect balance all by a God that chose to bless our home with the person that is my wife."
"My wife makes others around her better, including myself. Why God chose me to bless her with is a mystery, I'm just glad he did."
"You are my slowly, slowly."
"When my kids are grown they will think of my wife's tireless commitment and selfless service....they will follow her example proudly...they will be comforted by her unconditional love. With her own two hands she has sewn up for them a legacy they call their "mom." They love her now, then they will understand the depth of that love. They will thank God for her and pass on that legacy for generations to come."
"You’re the best “freedom gal” and a wonderful mom."
"My wife is an awesome mother because she doesn't care how much mess the kids' fun will make. The most important thing is that they are having fun. Fun is meant to be messy and messes can be cleaned up later."
"I know there were times when you wondered how you would feel on this day. Would you celebrate or would you mourn inside while congratulating others? Your faith has been tested and God has given you His blessing in His perfect time. Happy Mother’s Day!"
"My wife’s unconditional love for our children shines bright each and every day. She will happily make any sacrifice for them, yet never loses her own identity. She is a role model, teacher, great listener, inspirational, kind, loving, honest, compassionate, and is always their biggest fan."
"I was blessed to have married the only girl I dated that didn't call me weird. That is important in a relationship, not to be considered weird. I think that you should feel complete security and safety with your mate, as I do. She is the strongest example of acceptance, encouragement, and honesty that I have seen. Everyone should be so lucky... but I'm not willing to share!"
"You are the sunshine of my life."
"Abraham Lincoln once said, "No man is poor who has had a godly mother." Because of my godly wife, my children are truly rich and will understand God's love and mercy. I could have never have found such a wonderful mother for my children on my own; it could only have been the Lord and His perfect wisdom and grace."
"Sweetheart, I am overwhelmed every day by the way you empty yourself into these little lives. You're a beautiful woman and an amazing mom. God bless you. I love you."
"Hers is a peaceful, patient, and forgiving love that she unselfishly gives fully and graciously to myself and our children. I thank God for her always!"
"A better wife and mother I could never find, thank you God for choosing us, one for the other."
"Thank you for being the mother of my children."
"Children who follow God, excel in school, love people, persevere in work and enjoy life – the results of a prayerful, enthusiastic Mother. Thanks for prayerfully and enthusiastically pouring your life and love into our children. Your time spent wiping noses, cheering at games, teaching, talking late into the night, comforting, cooking and cleaning will bless generations."
"She gives generously without thought for herself. She really holds our family together through constant attention to our needs. Our hearts are warmed by her laughter and her acts of kindness. We can always depend on her."
The Paschal Candle
On the weekend of Easter we celebrated the resurrection of Christ in several different ways. However one important way was through the lighting of the Paschal Candle. We gathered together to worship and pray around a table with a candle in its center. We were reminded once again of Christ's suffering and death and then rejoiced in his resurrection. We symbolized his resurrection not only through the sharing of communion but in the lighting of over one hundred small candles on the center table. These candles were lit from the flame of the Paschal candle in the center. It represented the victory that Jesus had over death through his resurrection and the celebration of light was a symbolic means for us to enjoy Christ's victory.
We light the Paschal Candle each week until Pentecost. It serves as a reminder to us of the joy and power of the resurrection. The small flame from this candle is a symbol of the resurrected Christ who is dwelling now with his people. Don't just look at the candle as something pretty, a mere decoration. It is rich with meaning and reminds us all of Christ's resurrected presence.
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the wya that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy SPirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen. from
The Book of Common Prayer
Staying Close To Jesus
For the next few weeks we are going to talk about "staying close to Jesus." There are a lot of things that can blunt our ability to discern who Jesus is and how he is working in our lives. In order to help us keep in touch with the "real Jesus" we will be studying three important passages about him. These are the oldest stories about Jesus in the New Testament.
Read Colossians 1:15-20, Philippians 2:6-11, and I Corinthians 15:1-9. Each of these passages were written prior to the Gospels and they each shed some special light on the uniqueness of Jesus.
