i was thinking about this one line in galatians that is tacked on to paul explaining a summit with the jerusalem leaders concerning his ministry out on the edge of the map....
the jerusalem church asked him to, "remember the poor." (2:10)
they have been discussing and exploring paul's ministry and theology and as they affirm his calling to follow God into the mission to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of grace...then there is this one thing they request...remember the poor.
paul was completely comfortable carrying that concern and doing something about it (see 1 Corinthians 16, 2 Corinthians 9, Romans 15).
i am thinking how important it is to understand that theology must get practical. theology must be lived. beliefs will give birth to actions; so can we embrace the preoccupations of Jesus and his church for the poor.
only someone who is blind or is looking at the bible through a broken or cloudy lens won't see God's concern for the poor. it is talked about so much in the bible as to be a little disturbing how it can be overlooked or devalued.
paul was eager to help.
td
Monday, October 5, 2009
religious apartheid
i enjoy n.t. wright and he opens some work on galatians this way...
"Imagine you are in South Africa in the 1970's. Apartheid is at its height. You are embarked on a risky project: to build a community centre where everybody will be equally welcome, no matter what their colour or race. You've designed it; you've laid the foundation in such a way that only the right sort of building can be built. Or so you think.
You are called away urgently to another part of the country. A little later you get a letter. A new group of builders are building on your foundation. They have changed the design, and are installing two meeting rooms, with two front doors, one for whites only and one for blacks only. Some of the local people are mightily relieved. They always thought there was going to be trouble, putting everyone together like that. Others though, asked the builders why the original idea wouldn't do. Oh, said the builders airily, that chap who laid the foundation, he had some funny ideas. He didn't really have permission to make that design. He'd got a bit muddled. We're from the real authorities. This is how its got to be."
this may be a good way to understand what happened after the apostle paul left the galatian province and these others came in and challenged what he had been building.
paul is fighting for something. i wonder if we can appreciate what matters here. our faith is not some new system...it is not about being religious...it is not some new way to be moral. our faith is the announcement of a new kingdom through Jesus the savior and lord of a new worldwide humanity. a new humanity founded on Jesus and everything promised to us through him.
we understand rivalry, racism, seperation, division, pride, and various ways to determine who is an indsider and who is an outsider. do we understand how big this kingdom announcement is and the barriers it destroys? do we understand the gospel? do we care about the things heaven cares about?
td
"Imagine you are in South Africa in the 1970's. Apartheid is at its height. You are embarked on a risky project: to build a community centre where everybody will be equally welcome, no matter what their colour or race. You've designed it; you've laid the foundation in such a way that only the right sort of building can be built. Or so you think.
You are called away urgently to another part of the country. A little later you get a letter. A new group of builders are building on your foundation. They have changed the design, and are installing two meeting rooms, with two front doors, one for whites only and one for blacks only. Some of the local people are mightily relieved. They always thought there was going to be trouble, putting everyone together like that. Others though, asked the builders why the original idea wouldn't do. Oh, said the builders airily, that chap who laid the foundation, he had some funny ideas. He didn't really have permission to make that design. He'd got a bit muddled. We're from the real authorities. This is how its got to be."
this may be a good way to understand what happened after the apostle paul left the galatian province and these others came in and challenged what he had been building.
paul is fighting for something. i wonder if we can appreciate what matters here. our faith is not some new system...it is not about being religious...it is not some new way to be moral. our faith is the announcement of a new kingdom through Jesus the savior and lord of a new worldwide humanity. a new humanity founded on Jesus and everything promised to us through him.
we understand rivalry, racism, seperation, division, pride, and various ways to determine who is an indsider and who is an outsider. do we understand how big this kingdom announcement is and the barriers it destroys? do we understand the gospel? do we care about the things heaven cares about?
td
his love is based on nothing
i am a fan of brennan manning when it comes to thoughts of grace and lives worn out by trying to be more than Jesus...
"God's love is based on nothing, and the fact that it is based on nothing makes us secure. Were it based on anything we do, and that 'anything' were to collapse, then God's love would crumble as well. But with the God of Jesus no such thing can possibly happen.
People who realize this can live freely and to the fullest. Remember Atlas, who carries the whole world? We have Christian Atlases who mistakenly carry the burden of trying to deserve God's love. Even the mere watching of this lifestyle is depressing.
I would like to say to Atlas: "Put that globe down and dance on it. Thats why God made it."
And to these weary Christian Atlases: "Lay down your load and build your life on God's love."
We don't have to earn this love, neither do we have to support it. It is a free gift. Jesus calls out: "Come to me, all you Atlases who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you."
i enjoy today on this day reading 'the message' and the way the phrase turns in jeremiah 31:3 - "God told them, 'I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!'"
td
"God's love is based on nothing, and the fact that it is based on nothing makes us secure. Were it based on anything we do, and that 'anything' were to collapse, then God's love would crumble as well. But with the God of Jesus no such thing can possibly happen.
People who realize this can live freely and to the fullest. Remember Atlas, who carries the whole world? We have Christian Atlases who mistakenly carry the burden of trying to deserve God's love. Even the mere watching of this lifestyle is depressing.
I would like to say to Atlas: "Put that globe down and dance on it. Thats why God made it."
And to these weary Christian Atlases: "Lay down your load and build your life on God's love."
We don't have to earn this love, neither do we have to support it. It is a free gift. Jesus calls out: "Come to me, all you Atlases who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you."
i enjoy today on this day reading 'the message' and the way the phrase turns in jeremiah 31:3 - "God told them, 'I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!'"
td
no one will trust jesus
how can we learn to trust and begin with the foundation of what galatians proclaims: grace and freedom from God, through Jesus, and accelerated by the Holy Spirit.
we trust ourselves...our efforts...our regimen...our work. we embrace our faithfulness as the thing we will trust to be good with God. we are not taking actions prompted with gratitude because of grace...we are making sure we have all the bases covered, as if there was something Jesus has not accomplished.
i was reading something about God's love and our experience of it in the work of julian of norwich. she wrote back in the 1300's and cared significantly about grace.
"We pray to God because of his holy body and precious blood, his blessed Passion, and his most dear death and wound. As the body is clad in clothes, and the flesh in skin, and the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we clothed, body and soul, in the goodness of God and enfolded in it. Our lover desires that our soul should cling to him with all its might, and that we should ever hold fast to his goodness."
i want to cling, to live life that way...enfolded in the love of God. in that experience i may discover what it means to live free and to trust the lover of my/our soul.
--td
we trust ourselves...our efforts...our regimen...our work. we embrace our faithfulness as the thing we will trust to be good with God. we are not taking actions prompted with gratitude because of grace...we are making sure we have all the bases covered, as if there was something Jesus has not accomplished.
i was reading something about God's love and our experience of it in the work of julian of norwich. she wrote back in the 1300's and cared significantly about grace.
"We pray to God because of his holy body and precious blood, his blessed Passion, and his most dear death and wound. As the body is clad in clothes, and the flesh in skin, and the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we clothed, body and soul, in the goodness of God and enfolded in it. Our lover desires that our soul should cling to him with all its might, and that we should ever hold fast to his goodness."
i want to cling, to live life that way...enfolded in the love of God. in that experience i may discover what it means to live free and to trust the lover of my/our soul.
--td
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