Growing Disciples

First of all let me start by saying I am in no way a great gardener. I remember working in our family garden when I was a little kid. I've had a garden the last couple of Summers with varied success at growing different things. We've had our garden as a part of the farmer's field at the house we were renting. It was great ground. We never had to till anything. Last Summer we moved into our own home. So this year I'm trying something different. I'll be building some raised beds for my garden. I'm also trying some different things.

So what's this all about and why I am writing blogs about it? My hope this Summer is to learn more about gardening, but in the process learn more about God. Gardening seems like one of the most natural ways to learn about the Kingdom. After all, it begins with a Garden, Jesus talks about the kingdom being like a seed, harvesting and all kinds of agricultural examples of the Kingdom and faith. This is an exercise in faith hopefully as much as it is an education in gardening.

From my garden I'm hoping to provide my family with good, nutritional food and lower my grocery bill. Hopefully my trash can potatoes will turn out ok. I'd be delighted if I manage to get a few peanuts. And I'm looking forward to making my own salsa from my tomatoes, onions and Jalapeno peppers.

I'm also hoping that my garden can help teach me about patience, cultivating faith, how the Kingdom spreads and more. Over the Summer I'm hoping to post progress on my garden with pictures and some insights and Scripture that I'm coming across that pertain to the garden.

I would encourage your comments and insights along the way.

Isaiah's Prophecy

Yesterday Pastor Jim had a great sermon on Isaiah 7:1-17. In this section of Scripture is the often quoted prophecy of the virgin birth of the Messiah. Pastor Jim talked about the immediate context of the text from Isaiah. Israel and Syria were coming against Judah to coerce Judah into joining their side against the Assyrians. Isaiah gives the sign from God, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Pastor Jim pointed out that there are two meanings in this prophecy. There is the immediate context of Judah receiving a sign as well as the larger context of the Messiah being born of a virgin. What we didn't get into was the fulfillment aspect of the two prophecies. Because of the Advent season our focus of course was on the Immanuel and the meaning of "God is with us." God is with us no matter where we are or what situation we find ourselves in whether relying on God when nations come against us as in the case of Ahaz, king of Jersusalem, or dealing with some every day situation today.

But I want to dig deeper and come back to the two prophecies for a minute. Prophets were true prophets because what they predicted always came true. Prophets whose messages didn't come true were known as false prophets. So I must assume that Isaiah's prophecies came true. My question is, "Are there two fulfillments of this prophecy?" Is there an immediate or close at hand fulfillment of Isaiah's words which was recognized by his first hearers and also the larger prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus? Or is there only one fulfillment of the prophecy and in that case how was that a comfort and sign to Ahaz 700 years earlier?

Either answer draws me to a few deeper issues. If there is an immediate fulfillment what does that mean for the "virgin birth." It has been suggested by some commentators that "virgin" can also be translated, "young maiden." Perhaps Isaiah meant this in his immediate context. The Gospels point out that Mary and Joseph did not consummate their relationship until after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:25). Is there historical evidence of an immediate fulfillment? Some suggest that Hezekiah (son of Ahaz) or Sheab-Jashub (son of Isaiah) as the immediate fulfillment. Both pose some problems.

Any thoughts?

This is what fascinates me about the Bible. So much going on. I also ran across a note that asked, "Why Ahaz?" Why does this message of the Messiah come to Ahaz who is not the best example of a king? God's message of love, hope, and redemption comes to use no matter who we are or how imperfect we are. So when we read the Bible, even familiar texts, read with open and new eyes to see what the Word is telling us.

Thank You

I suppose most people are writing about what they are thankful for at this time of year, but I wanted to add a special word of thanks for my faith family. This has been an interesting year for Katie and me. We are currently getting ready for the birth of our first child which we are so excited for. We have both been so blessed by our church family which has cared so much for us. Back in July we bought our first home. Our realtor (a member of the church) was extremely helpful in the process of buying our home (from someone in the church). Then we had several people from the church help us move on the hottest day of the year. I promptly left for 2 weeks of work camps with our youth. Katie was supposed to join me for the second week but wasn't feeling well. Our church family was so helpful. Several people took special care of her that week. It was such a blessing to be a part of a family that took that kind of care of us. Thank you.

This year has been such a blessing to be a part of Mechanic Grove C.O.B. It is a place that has helped me grow in the relationship with Christ even as I serve as the youth pastor. The Believer's Bible study, Men's Bible study and our Youth Bible Study have been important opportunities of growth for me. I am thankful for our church leadership which has also been an encouragement for me growing.

There are so many things for me to be thankful for when it comes to Mechanic Grove. Thank you to those that are a part of this community of faith. Thank you for the part you are playing in our lives. You are a blessing!

Theology of the Hug

What would Jesus have been like as an older man?  Have you ever stopped to think what it would have been like if Jesus would have waited to ascend to the Father?  

I imagine he would be a lot like my friend Bob.  Brother Bob seemed a lot like Jesus.  There have been few Sundays that those that have come to Mt. Zion Road Church of the Brethren haven't been greeted upon entering the Sanctuary by Brother Bob.  Handshakes weren't enough for Bob.  Handshakes are for those you just meet or barely know.  When I came into the sanctuary I was greeted with a big hug.  As Brother Bob hugged you he would whisper, "Oh, I needed that."

Now I enjoy good discussion/debate on theology and the finer points of the Bible.  Bob and I never had one of those conversations.  Instead what I learned from Bob was the power of the hug.  When I went away to college I received few hugs (just not cool for guys in a guys dorm to hug each other, I get it).  But when I would come home I always looked forward to one of Brother Bob's hugs.  Now that I am at Mechanic Grove those hugs from Brother Bob became a precious experience that became too rare.  Too often we debate with each other.  Theological discussions are good, and they have their place.  But the embrace from a brother has power in it that sometimes theology lacks.  

I can see Jesus being like Brother Bob.  Your soteriology, ecclesiology, escatology, (google them) are all fine and well but without love they are just a lot of noise and hot air (1 Cor. 13:1).  Brother Bob's hugs spoke of love in ways theology can't.  We called each other Brother because we are family.  He may have been the one to say, "Oh, I needed that," but every time my heart said the same.  I imagine Jesus often thinks we're silly for trying to figure it all out.  I imagine he gets frustrated when our theology gets in the way of showing love to each other.  I imagine Jesus would be the kind of person to greet everyone with a giant hug.

Brother Bob passed away this past Wednesday.  I will miss his hugs.  I look forward to the day I will be able to squeeze him again and whisper "Oh, I needed that Brother."  Perhaps we all need to learn the theology of the hug.

Kingdom: Part 3

This week I want to continue looking at the Kingdom in the Gospel of John.  John does not make many references to "kingdom."  The content of the Gospel of John is quite different from the parables found in the Synoptics.

I found only three references to the kingdom in John.  The first two come in a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisee Nicodemus.  Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night.  Night in the book of John is a significant detail.  John often uses the motifs of light vs. dark to signify those following Jesus and those not.  The implication of Nicodemus coming at night is that he is coming to Jesus not yet as a follower and with probably less than pure intentions.  He wants his interaction with Jesus not to be discovered.  Later Nicodemus is seen coming to Jesus at day time (John 19:38-40).

Jesus tells Nicodemus that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  The word Jesus uses for again can also be translated "from above."  Nicodemus misunderstands what Jesus is saying (another common theme in John) thinking he must re-enter his mother and be born again.  Jesus is telling him that he needs to be born from above and have a new spirit.

The second reference to the kingdom in John comes in the middle of Pilate questioning Jesus.  Pilate asks if Jesus is king of the Jews.  Jesus responds, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.  But now my kingdom is from another place."

Jesus does not deny being a king.  His statement is not about the location of the kingdom, but rather the origins of the authority of which his kingdom is built on.  Jesus' kingdom is not built like kingdoms of the world.  Kingdoms of the world rule through domination over subjects (whether through military force or elections).  Jesus' kingdom comes from above.  He has the authority of God, but rather than ruling through threat of sword he rules by loving, sacrificial service.  Jesus followers do not expand or protect the kingdom through violence.  They expand by serving and loving those around them.  Jesus doesn't seem to be concerned about protecting the borders of his kingdom the way kingdoms of the world do.  Rather Jesus talks about destroying the Gates of Hell (Matt. 16:18).

For more reading on Jesus' kingdom, here are a few places to start:
The Myth of a Christian Nation by Greg Boyd
Mere Discipleship by Lee Camp
Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
The Upside-Down Kingdom by Donald Kraybill
Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder (if you get ambitious)

Kingdom: Part 2

In Part 2 of my study of the Kingdom of God I want to look at some of the characteristics of the Kingdom. Perhaps this is nothing new, but it's helpful for me to see them all in one place.

• Kingdom will have no end (Lk. 1:33)
• Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:3, 10).  Interesting that in Luke's parallel (Lk. 6:20) he writes "Blessed are you who are poor (no spirit) for yours if the kingdom of God."  Also Jesus says "is the kingdom of heaven" and not "will be" indicating the immediacy of the kingdom.
• The entire Sermon on the Mount speaks to the characteristics of the kingdom.  It speaks of enemy love, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, seeking the kingdom and more.
• Not just about a set of beliefs but also about action (Lk. 7:21)
• Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13:1-23; Mk. 4:1-20; Lk. 8:1-15) The kingdom grows like a seed.  Unfortunately it doesn't grow everywhere it's planted.  Like planting a seed and watching it grow, spreading the kingdom takes patience and care.  Mark especially points out this characteristic of being patient in the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mk. 4:26-29)
• Parable of the Weeds (Mt. 13:24-30)  In the kingdom the good and bad are allowed to exist for a while as the weeds grow in among the wheat.  God separates at the end.  Sometimes it seems like the church is in a hurry to get to this part and wants to start the separating before its proper time.  Our job is to bear witness to the love of Christ and be Christ to the world.  Let God do the separating when he's ready.
• Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt. 13:30-32; Mk. 4:30-34; Lk. 13:17-19)  The kingdom starts like a small seed but grows.  In Jesus for President Shane Claiborne points out that growing mustard in a Jewish garden was forbidden.  Mustard starts small.  Slowly but surely it takes over the garden.  The kingdom certainly starts small with Jesus and his disciples but it grows and grows.  
• Parable of the Yeast (Mt. 13:32-34; Lk. 13:19-21)  The Jews were no big fans of yeast either.  Jesus says the kingdom is like yeast.  A little bit works it's way in and changes everything around it.  Jesus seems to have in mind the kingdom expanding and affecting everything around it.  We don't see a massive forced take-over, but a slow and steady spreading of the kingdom.
• Pearl of Great Price (Mt. 13:43-45) Kingdom is like a pearl that is worth giving up everything to pursue.  
• Parable of the Net (Mt. 13:47-50)  The kingdom draws in everyone and the good and bad are separated out at the end.
• Those that are teaching about the kingdom are talking about something new in the world and at the same time something that God has been building and is very old (Mt. 13:52)
• The greatest in the kingdom is like a little child (Mt. 18:1-3; Mk. 10:13-15)
• The Kingdom is a place of mercy and grace (Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Mt. 18:21-35)
• Must be willing to give up everything to pursue the kingdom unlike the rich young man (Mt. 19:16-30; Mk. 10:17-31; Lk. 18:18-30) Jesus also talks about the renewal of all things.
• Parable of the Two Sons (Mt. 21:28-32) Jesus warns that "tax collectors and prostitutes" are entering the kingdom ahead of those who think they are in.  The parable warns us about saying we believe and actually following Jesus in our actions.
• Parable of the Wedding banquet (Mt. 22:1-14; Lk. 14:)  The wedding banquet is populated by people off of the street; those that were thought to be lowly, poor and outcast come while those who had been invited don't come.

There are other verses that could be added here as well.  These characteristics are taken from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke).  Let me add a few observations.  The kingdom is seen as a place that is expanding slowly but surely.  Unlike the kingdoms of this world which expand through force and subjugation of people, the kingdom of God expands through love and mercy and small mustard seed-like actions.  Several parables seem to indicate good and bad people existing in the kingdom for a while until God separates them.  Jesus warns about the dangers of assuming you're "in" and not following Jesus in action.  Instead the outcasts, poor and "sinners" are often seen joining the banquet.  The kingdom of God is something so unlike what normal kingdoms look like.  In my next post I'll take a look at what John has to say about the kingdom and John's introduction of one of the most powerful symbols of the kingdom.

The Kingdom

I haven't written in quite a while.  I've had a lot of stuff happening in the Grove and out.  I haven't been idle , however.  Recently I've been hearing so much talk about "The Kingdom."  It's a phrase we often use in Christianity.  I've heard and read it in different contexts and with different ideas as to what the Kingdom is. A few weeks ago I decided to start studying what the Bible has to say about The Kingdom.  I have been looking so far at the New Testament.  I have my own ideas but part of what's great about the internet and social media is the ability to interact on ideas with different people.  So this post is as much to get feedback and comments as much as tell you what I think.  So here goes...

I'm going to start with the Synoptic Gospels and add the rest of the New Testament over the next couple weeks.  I started by going to biblegateway.com, typing in "Kingdom" into the search and then noting every mention of the Kingdom in reference to the rule of God/Jesus.  The question I had going into this was, "Is the Kingdom primarily a future destination or a present reality?"  In other words should I be waiting to go to the Kingdom, or participating in the Kingdom that has already started.  I must confess by bias going into the study.  No one just reads the Bible and does what it says, even if that's what they claim.  We all interpret because we all come carrying our own baggage when we read the text.  We also have 2000 years of history to overcome to get to the original text.  I'm also reading an English NIV Bible so interpretation is just part of life.

One of the first things I noted looking through Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Synoptic Gospels) is the language used.  Matthew calls it "the Kingdom of Heaven" while the other two call it "the Kingdom of God."  Matthew is writing primarily to a Jewish audience who would not even write the name of God let alone speak it.  Mark and Luke, however, write to a more Gentile audience who are alright with writing God.  The three writers are all talking about the same thing as evidenced by the similarities in stories.  Matthew's "Kingdom of Heaven" is not so much a statement about the geography of the kingdom as it is where the Kingdom comes from, where its authority originates.

Matthew 5 (Sermon on the Mount) speaks of the characteristics of the kingdom.  The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 Jesus says, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  I'm no Greek scholar, but my question here is if Jesus is asking for only God's will to be done on earth, or if he is also asking for the kingdom to come to earth as well.  Luke simply writes "Your Kingdom come."
There are several clear references to the Kingdom in the future but there are also references to the Kingdoms existence and presence now.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:32-34 (Luke 12:30-32) "Seek first His Kingdom."  I would assume Jesus is not telling them to seek the Kingdom unless the Kingdom has already broken in on the world.  Matthew 16:27-28, Mark 9:1-3 and Luke 9:26-28 Jesus says that some in the group listening to him will not die before they see the kingdom come.  The original audience to which Jesus spoke expected to see the Kingdom.

This is a start.  Enough to introduce the study and get me thinking.  Some theologians refer to the kingdom as "already but not yet."  The Kingdom has started and we can see glimpses of it but it is obviously yet to be completed.  I'm open to discussion, criticism, or other comments.  In the coming weeks I'll write some more about the Synoptic Gospels, look at the few references in John, take a look at Paul's view and lastly do a little with Revelation (although that's a whole other study that I've started).