Archive for August, 2005|Monthly archive page
New Reading Material
Comments (2)Our local Christian bookstore is going out of business, and as much as I have helped them stay in business, I went there to buy their books at 50% off (which is just a little cheaper than I can get them on the internet!). Here’s what I bought:
The Bible Jesus Read, by Phillip Yancey. I have yet to read Yancey (shame on me, I know), but I bought this because it will help in my quest to understand the historical background in which the New Testament was given.
Living the God Life, by John Ortberg. I am 1/2 way through Get Out of the Boat, and I will now buy anything John Ortberg has his name on. I really enjoy him. GOOTB has really challenged me. I think it will be the same with this book.
Out of the Question…Into the Mystery, by Leonard Sweet. The two articles I have read by Sweet have been, well, sweet. I am hoping this book will be to.
The Jesus Creed, by Scot McKnight. I read McKnight’s blog by the same title, and enjoy his stuff, and a lot of people rave about the book…so, I’ll be jumping into it here soon.
There are a couple more I might get when the sign goes down to 75%! lol
Silks
Comments (2)Well, it appears as though I will be writing on Silklantern again. Silklantern is a site of Wheel of Time devotes living out their dreams of living in the realm of the Dragon Reborn, Rand al’ Thor. The site consists of forums discussing the WoT books, short stories to write in with your made-up character based on the books, or long-term campaigns to flesh out your character with others over the long hall and large landscape of the world created by Robert Jordan.
Here’s a pic of one of the Characters from the book, Thom Merril. Below it is a pic of my character, Taft Mayhue (two theologian’s names)…
The campaign I am writing on is called “Stalking the Lion Cubs” you can check it out here. I am writing in the section entitled “The Gate”.
The Circle Is Now Complete
Comments (2)My son likes to draw on our dry-erase board I use when I at teach at our gatherings. He always has. He likes to draw faces with hair, glasses, long arms attached to the faces with circles for hands. He’s not the bad.
When I was the same age I drew a dinosuar book which was put in our elementary schools library.
I was a better drawer at the age of four and five than most adults are. I have the pictures to prove it.
So when I saw my son’s “talent” I thought, well, it looks like my artistic talent may have passed him by.
Then he called me outside today to show me his “surprise”. I went, I’m always excited for him, but knowing the big piece of chalk in his hand meant a) he drew another face, or b) he was tricking me into drawing something for him. So, I closed my eyes and followed his lead.
And much to my suprise, when I opened my eyes, I saw a very detailed drawing of a Stegasoraus! It was incredible! The head, body, plates, tail and legs were all properly portioned. I mean, it look far better than I would have ever imagined coming from him! My first thoughts were that his mommy drew it, but that quickly disolved, because I don’t think even she could have draw it that good.
He must have drawn it.
He told me he did.
I picked him up and beamingly told him how proud I was and how good that picture looked! I was blown away (so much so that I had to come write about it!). It seems the circle may be complete (yup, may have to watch “A New Hope” tonight). It is like this artistic talent has just awaken inside of him!
Then, he went and drew a “long neck” (brontosoraus)…perfectly. He’s tried before, and they look like, well, they look like a normal four year old’s drawings. These two today looked like…
…mine.
Easing minds about McLaren
From an interview with Brian McLaren:
Question: Speaking believer to believer, do you believe there is salvation in any name other than Jesus Christ.
Answer: No. Not all all. Jesus is THE only way to God and salvation.
Question: Speaking believer to believer, is the Bible God’s inspired Word – is it the final authority in all faith and practice?
Answer: Yes, it is. I do doubt my ability to fully understand and apply it to my faith and practice, but that’s my error, not the Bible’s.
A Long Night
Our dog, Candi, went into labor last night. She had one puppy. The puppy didn’t make it. This isn’t an actual pic, but it might as well have been.
What’s Missing? You’ve all seen them. You know t…
What’s Missing?
You’ve all seen them. You know those creatively written church signs. Ones like, “God responds to knee-mail,” and others like it. One of my favorites is one that reads, “CH _ _ CH…what’s missing? U R” (get it, “you are”!). No matter what you or I think of them, these types of signs stick with us.
“C H _ _ C H”
What’s missing is the core definition of what a church is.“U R”You are. We are to be more exact.The church is saved people.The church is for lost people. The church is for God’s glory. The church is for each other. But the church isn’t a place it’s a people. A people who love God, love each other and love those who don’t love God. So remember this week when you leave here, you still are the church. When you are at work you are the church. When you are with fellow believers for coffee on morning, you are the church. Be the church!
What’s the word…?
Funk?
Duty?
Rut?
Lazy?
Tired?
Numb?
Burned out…?
Went to prayer meeting tonight. Felt like all of the above. I am looking forward to getting away Sunday night. I am looking forward to spending a day or so with my brother. I am looking forward to this “out of season” to end (Tim 4).
Until then, what’s the word…?
Reforming Evangelism
Joe Thorn has a great series of posts on reforming evangelism. Good stuff.
www.pigeonriverchurch.org
Well, our church site through E-zekiel.com is up and running. It’s a template driven site, but it works for what we want to accomplish. The packages offer a lot for your money, and working with the site is easy as pie (although I couldn’t make a pie to save my life!). If you haven’t already, check us out!
I set up a discussion board for people to share their thoughts and hearts with each other. Check it out, post, leave your mark…
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
On August 13th, 2004 I started blogging…what was once “Preacher’s Mind” has now become “Sojourner”. I never thought I would keep up with this, but I find myself compelled to blog regularly. 200 people have checked me out since then! As my good friend Tim would say, “Fantastic!” I hope you’ll journey with me for another year!
Bono: Grace over Karma
Buy this BookBono: Grace over Karmabook excerpt posted 08/08/05 (at Christian Music Today.com)
There have been a number of books written about U2 and their iconic frontman, Bono, arguably the world’s most famous rock star. But not till now has Bono himself come out to tell his own story. In the new book, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas (Riverhead Books), the rocker shares his thoughts on numerous topics with a French music journalist and friend who has been with the band virtually since the beginning. In a series of honest conversations presented in Q&A format, Bono discusses, among other things, his upbringing (including the death of his mother when he was a teen and the ensuing rocky relationship with his father, who died just a few years ago), U2’s beginnings, his bandmates, his marriage, fatherhood, his passion for social action, the effects of celebrity, and, fittingly, his faith and how it intersects all of the above.
The following exchange between Bono and Assayas took place just days after the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, an act of terrorism that left 191 dead and more than 1,800 wounded. The two men were discussing how terrorism is often carried out in the name of religion when Bono turned the conversation to Christianity, expressing his preference for God’s grace over “karma,” offering an articulate apologetic for the deity of Christ, and giving a clear presentation of the gospel message.
Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don’t let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that’s my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that’s not so easy.
Assayas: What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn’t so “peace and love”?
Bono: There’s nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.
Assayas: Speaking of bloody action movies, we were talking about South and Central America last time. The Jesuit priests arrived there with the gospel in one hand and a rifle in the other.
Bono: I know, I know. Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship. Why are you chuckling?
Assayas: I was wondering if you said all of that to the Pope the day you met him.
Bono: Let’s not get too hard on the Holy Roman Church here. The Church has its problems, but the older I get, the more comfort I find there. The physical experience of being in a crowd of largely humble people, heads bowed, murmuring prayers, stories told in stained-glass windows …
Assayas: So you won’t be critical.
Bono: No, I can be critical, especially on the topic of contraception. But when I meet someone like Sister Benedicta and see her work with AIDS orphans in Addis Ababa, or Sister Ann doing the same in Malawi, or Father Jack Fenukan and his group Concern all over Africa, when I meet priests and nuns tending to the sick and the poor and giving up much easier lives to do so, I surrender a little easier.
Assayas: But you met the man himself. Was it a great experience?
Bono: … [W]e all knew why we were there. The Pontiff was about to make an important statement about the inhumanity and injustice of poor countries spending so much of their national income paying back old loans to rich countries. Serious business. He was fighting hard against his Parkinson’s. It was clearly an act of will for him to be there. I was oddly moved … by his humility, and then by the incredible speech he made, even if it was in whispers. During the preamble, he seemed to be staring at me. I wondered. Was it the fact that I was wearing my blue fly-shades? So I took them off in case I was causing some offense. When I was introduced to him, he was still staring at them. He kept looking at them in my hand, so I offered them to him as a gift in return for the rosary he had just given me.
Assayas: Didn’t he put them on?
Bono: Not only did he put them on, he smiled the wickedest grin you could ever imagine. He was a comedian. His sense of humor was completely intact. Flashbulbs popped, and I thought: “Wow! The Drop the Debt campaign will have the Pope in my glasses on the front page of every newspaper.”
Assayas: I don’t remember seeing that photograph anywhere, though.
Bono: Nor did we. It seems his courtiers did not have the same sense of humor. Fair enough. I guess they could see the T-shirts.
Later in the conversation:
Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that’s normal. It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.
Assayas: I haven’t heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.
Assayas: Well, that doesn’t make it clearer for me.
Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “as you reap, so you will sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.
Assayas: I’d be interested to hear that.
Bono: That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s—. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.
Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.
Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled… . It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
Assayas: That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that farfetched?
Bono: No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: “I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.” And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because, you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews” on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched …
Bono later says it all comes down to how we regard Jesus:
Bono: … [I]f only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. …When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s— and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.
From Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, by Michka Assayas, copyright © 2005 by Michka Awwayas. Used by permission of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. For online information about other Penguin Group (USA) books and authors, see the website at http://www.penguin.com/.
(Note: While the book includes numerous passages of Bono discussing his Christian faith, it also includes occasional salty language from both parties.)
Copyright © Christian Music Today. Click for reprint information.
Blue Like Jazz
Just got the paperback in the mail today…looking forward to curling up with it tonight…er, I mean with my wife while I read it…
Has it really been a week?
Wow.
Sorry.
For some it’s good that I haven’t written…some people like my wife wish my computer was gone. Bye-bye. See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya! She even prays for it!
I’m still here tough.
Thought I’d keep it real by saying church was alright this morning. I think I’d ready for a little break again. We’ll see. Everyone enjoyed the message though. People who haven’t complemented me in enons complemented me. I started our series through Proverbs. I am looking forward to it.
I got a invite in the mail by Zondervan to go to a breakfast/dialog between Rob Bell and Brian McLaren the morning after the Talking Points Conference in September. You know I RSVPed right away on that one. I’m planning on visiting with my brother for those days. He’s newly located near Kendell where he’ll be going to school this fall on a 40,000$ scholarship (yeah, he’s that good at what he does!). What can I say, I taught him…
Peace & Chicken Grease…
Bloody Sunday
Today was a hard and yet rewarding day for me, as a pastor. I really believe that today was a “break-through” day for our church. This Sunday morning I preached about what I wrote below. I think it went over well (my wife even said it was a good message…!). I really felt down, though afterward…spent maybe is a better word. Spiritually drained (can you be like that?).
Did I mention my wife thought the sermon was good?
Tonight we met in a members home to have Bible study and communion. I was exhausted this afternoon. I put the kids down for their nap, and my wife went into town for a couple of needed items. I woke up when she got home, and told me that if I needed to rest more she’d listen for the kids (she’s sweet like that). I tried to go back to sleep. Honestly I didn’t have anything prepared for the Bible study, and I didn’t care. I was just going to say something flowery about communion. I didn’t care. I’ve been feeling pretty fried on the Sunday night thing, and “church” in general.
So, I made the mistake of praying about it!
God led me to see that our church isn’t really a church in the sense that he wants it to be. I’ve known that, but I think for the first time I was really ready to hear from him on why, and I think perhaps we were ready to hear it.
Maybe not. I don’t know. I hope so. And on some levels, I don’t hope so. But I think so anyway.
I talked about true repentance being “returning” and how that applies God’s plan of restoration. I spoke of it in terms of being able to return because we have been forgiven. I spoke of it in terms of being baptized to wash away all that we are and think, and taking upon us the yoke of our Master, Jesus. Be like him. Walk like him. Think like him. Return to what we are supposed to be.
I spoke of this in light of what a church should be in Acts 2, 4, 5, 6, 15. The early church was what it was because they had returned to God’s way, had consecrated themself to the Lordship of their Master-Rabbi, together. Together they lived out what it meant to be under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, together.
And it was awesome! Read Acts 2:42-47 some time and tell me you wouldn’t die for that (to be apart of it?).
Pigeon River Baptist Church is a great group of Christians…who are living independently of the Lordship of Jesus collectively. And until we collectively submit to what we are supposed to be, and return (repent) we will continue to be a great group of Christians.
A great group of Christians isn’t a church, though.
A church is a group of Christians who, together, have submitted themselves to the Lord whom they have returned to because of the forgiveness and salvation they have been given by him.
They are a body.
Our church isn’t. Great group of Christians. Not a body, though.
This is why people have left. Perhaps they should not have been there. What I mean by that is, some Christians do not want to be apart of a body of believers who are collectively fleshing out the Lordship of their Master. They want to be apart of a group of Christians. If we were what we were supposed to be there would be no room for those who want to “play” Christianity.
So some have come and joined and have left, because we aren’t a body. Some have come and gone because they wanted to be apart of a body, but we were just a group of good Christians.
In my opinion, this is where divisions come into play. In a group of Christians you’re allowed to have you own view of how the Christian life is to be lived out. In a group of Christians you can even persuade others to follow your view; even if it goes against the pastors. Which, by the way, is going to happen. Most of the time the pastor is trying to lead people in his way of living the Christian life. Others disagree. Divisions come, as they must, because it’s a group, not a body. Divisions come because collectively they are not under the Lordship of Jesus.
In a group various families live their lives their way, inspite of the church. In a returned, submitted body, they together try to figure out how their Master wants them to live life. Together. Not the pastor’s agenda. Not the deacon wanting it done the way it was done in his old church. Not the big family wanting it done the way their favorite radio preacher says it should be. Not the aspiring preach wanting it to be done the way his favorite Christian influence thinks it should be done.
A body of returned submitted believers, together seeking their Master’s will in how things should be done.
After all that’s what they returned to him for. That’s why they washed away in the waters of baptism all their thinking and views. That’s why they have come together under him. He is their head. What does the head want the body to do and be? That’s what a church wants to do and be.
1 Corinthians 1:10 tells us that they were a group of Christians, but not a church. Some of them wanted it done the way Rick Warren said it should be done. Others were of the Fundamental movement. Others rang in saying they were middle-of-the-roaders, but they wouldn’t mind it if we still keep the old music. Others chimmed in, wearing tee-shirts and spiked hair saying their were of the emergent crowd. See what I mean?
Paul says, “None of you were baptized in my name”. None of you are disciples of Rabbi Paul.
You’re supposed to be disciples of Rabbi Jesus. Therefore, there should not be any divisions. But, since there are, there must be “heresies among you” (1 Cor. 11:19). He was right of course. They had the doctrine wrong. They forgot that they were forgiven. They forgot that they together had taken the yoke of Rabbi Jesus.
They needed to return.
This is why they were sick and weak and even dead. They had failed to discern that they were a body, not a group of Christians. Paul reminds them in 1 Corinthians 11 that Jesus’ body was broken so that they, his body, could be whole. One body. Together. Returned. Under the yoke of Jesus. Togther living that out.
Of course groups of Christians that are not a body don’t realize they are sick and dead. They think that applies to the bad Christians in the group who took the waffer and the stale grape juice while still holding on to a little sin in their lives. They don’t know that they don’t have life, because they aren’t a body.
Only bodies have life.
It was so bad in the Corinthians church that they even had the simple event (in layout) of communion screwed up! Why shouldn’t they, after all this group of individual believers wanted wine in it, no – wait, no alcohol here! Some of them wanted it closed off to the members only. Others thought that was silly. Some of them balked at the idea of it being in a building. Others wouldn’t come when it was held in homes (afteral the chuch is the building, right?). So Paul butts in and says “I delivered unto you that which I also received from the Lord Jesus”.
Hey guys, remember Jesus? Yeah, your LORD. HE says you’re supposed to do it this way. Since you are supposed to be a returned, forgiven, submitted body, don’t you think you should probably do it his way – afteral, isn’t that what being a disciple is all about? Doing and being what your Rabbi is and does? Isn’t that what being his body is all about?
Of course people are going to be sick, weak, etc in a “church” that isn’t a retuned, submitted body! It’s not what it’s supposed to be! No wonder people come and go. No wonder there are fights, power stuggles, politics, resignations, sin, war and death.
We need to return.
The only way I see this happening is if God’s Spirit gets ahold of people’s hearts, and brings them back, and together they submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and then together live that out as a returned, submitted body of disciples following their Rabbi.
We prayed for this to take place.
Dirty little Secret
Probably not going to get into it.
See, I feel I am being lead rather to go through where I am at spiritually in my thinking, heart, etc. I am going to do this. I need to do this. I need to continue to be honest with my church about where I am at and where I am going.
God has been working on my heart in ways that I have never known before, and opening my understanding in ways I never dreamed I would go.
I am going to be talking about Abraham’s call to kill Isaac. Of course, this call is unbiblical, but who wants to be the one to tell God that? The conclusion I have come to is that when God stretches someone’s faith, he does so in …unbiblical ways. Ways that are not consistent with how he has done them. Ways that don’t seem to match up with the God we know.
Could it be that God, as much as he wants to be known, doesn’t. Or can’t?
Just when Abraham thinks he has God figured out, God says, “Go stab your son, chop him into pieces and burn his as a burnt offering for me.”
God doesn’t want us to know him in the way we think – he wants us to believe him, and depend upon him. He wants all of our hearts, soul and mind. He can’t have that if our understanding is hindering it. I know that sounds crazy, and I wish I could articulate it the way I am feeling it. Basically, if our understanding of God is hindering us from doing what God wants so that our relationship of faith & dependence is stretched, grown, etc, then we will never grow. We’ll never be able to love God fully. We’ll love what we know of God, sure, but we wont love God.
Consider that how God dealt with Abraham is how he dealt with all those whom he drew closer to himself and used in ways that were awesome for his glory and you’ll begin, I think, to see what I mean.
“Abraham, you’re out of your mind! That isn’t Biblical! That violates one of the commandments!”
“But, I have to do it, because at the very fiber of my bones I know the voice of God spoke to me and told me to do this. To you it doesn’t sound like God because you have only know his voice to here, but it is God, and I have to do and be what he says or else I will die. No, he wont kill me, but not being what he is speaking will…”
I think Christians in our day are comfortable, lethargic, inauthentic, and pathetic. I think they are content with what they know is what they know, and anything is…wrong, unbiblical, and unsetting. It upsets the very place where they are.
Which is what God wants.
Can you imagine what Abraham’s wife would have done if ole Abe would have came back, successfully killing her son?
Can you imagine who would still want to follow this Abraham after he tricks you into following this God that is unlike any of their pagan God’s only to find out…he’s just like them!
But, he does it, doesn’t he?
At this point I know some Christians are thinking: Well, God could ask him to do it because he knew he would have to. Wrong! Abraham did it! Oh the knife didn’t fall, but it might as well have! God stopped him because he knew that what Abraham was going to do with the knife is what he already did with it in his heart.
“Stop, my son! Don’t put the knife into Isaac. Now, I know you love me seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”
“You have not withheld…”
The deep, awesome (in the truest sense of the word) thing that is going on here is that Abraham does what is unbiblical because God told him to! Abraham was so consumed with the love for his God, and the thing God was working in the very fiber of his soul, that he had to kill Isaac. Abraham was a man of faith. Sure he believed God would raise him up, but that was the rational faith. That was faith we can all understand.
“I can give this because God’s word says he will give it back to me. I can tithe because God says I will be rewarded.”
What if God didn’t resurrect Isaac?
Abraham was doing it anyway.
That’s faith. That’s following God. That’s what it means to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. That’s what Abraham had to do because that’s who Abraham was.
What I find interesting is that there is nothing in the text to support Abraham thought this was odd or unbiblical. In fact, it was anything but that. It was the norm. It was normal for Abraham’s gods to request their children as sacrifices. It occurred regularly in Abraham’s world.
God became a god.
God requested of Abraham to do what all the pagans did. Jehovah was no different than the others.
What I want to share with my people this morning concerning giving (it is Pledge Sunday afterall) is that God speaks to us according to our cultural understanding. If you were God and wanted to know if Abraham really loved you, totally loved you, how would you find out. Ask him to do the act that Abraham knows from his culture that would prove his love: slaughter and burn his kid, in worship. God asks. Abraham does.
God challenges us the same way, today. Abraham’s story is our story. Today we worship money, consumption, comfort, etc. So God speaks to us in terms we understand. Give your money.
Kill your Isaac.
