Tag: John

…Opening To…

Anger…fear…aggression. The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will… (Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back)

…Listening In…

When the wind had driven them out for about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the water. He was approaching the boat and they were afraid. He said to them, “I Am. Don’t be afraid.” (John 6:19-20; context)

…Filling Up…

The opposite of trust is not distrust. It is fear. Fear is the mind-killer, says the book Dune. Fear leads to the dark side, says Yoda. And in the Gospel according to John, there’s a wonderful little story about fear.

After the feeding of the 5000, the disciples leave Jesus on the mountain, apparently expecting him to catch a cab to Capernaum, for they take the boat and begin rowing across the sea. A storm blows up and the waves rise. Then the disciples see Jesus walking towards them on the water, and they are terrified. (This is the Greek word from which we get the word “phobia”). The story is unclear whether they are afraid of the storm or afraid of seeing Jesus unsupported by any sort of watercraft. Either way, they are afraid.

And Jesus says to them: “I am” and then “do not be afraid.”

Remember, this “I am” is the most fundamental affirmation of being. (We’ve talked about this before.) It is a complete thought in itself, though we usually expect a word to fill in the blank space after “am.” More often than not, Jesus’ “I am” statements are followed by such a word, but some are not. The ones that are not, such as this, do not leave room for me to fill in the blank. Indeed, they remove my need to fill in blanks.

Here’s how I see it: I can say I am…afraid. But as Jesus walks on the water toward his disciples he says, “I am.” That’s it. His “I am” leaves no room for an extraneous word at the end of the phrase, no room for afraid. Simply because Jesus is, my fear finds no purchase, no handhold. He takes my afraid and expunges it. I am free of fear because Jesus has taken my fear into his identity and voided it.

When inevitably I am afraid (of _____________ ) I can close my eyes, bow my head, breathe deeply, and know that Jesus is.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you provide meaning to the concept of trust. Help me put my trust in you so that fear cannot make me crumble. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, thankful that you have faith in me, because your faith in me enables me to have faith in you.

…Opening To…

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. (St. Augustine)

…Listening In…

In Capernaum there was a certain royal official whose son was sick… The royal official said to him, “Lord, come before my son dies.” Jesus replied, “Go home. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and set out for his home. (John 4:46, 49-50; context)

…Filling Up…

With Lent starting in two days, today and tomorrow’s devotions will be “one-offs” rather than part of a weekly grouping. Today, we are going to look at a certain way that belief works. We’ve talked about “belief” in these devotions before, but what follows is a quick, new take on it. Belief is not something that we “have.” It is not a possession. Nor is belief a static thing. When you get right down to it, belief is a relationship.

Belief is a relationship between God and believer; trust, faith, hope, and love all play parts in this relationship. In moments when my belief is haggard, hope may take center stage, sustaining me through a time when God seems far away. Note that in the book of Psalms, the poems often have verses expressing the desire to praise God in the future but acknowledging that the praise isn’t possible quite yet.

On the contrary, in moments when my belief is strong, trust may come to the fore, assuring me that God is true and constant. The same psalms often have verses recognizing the steadfastness of God. This steadfastness is God’s faithfulness to me, which provides a foundation for my own faith. And the bond God creates between God and me is love, from which I can never be separated. This bond enables the relationship of belief, which grows and changes and transforms upon the foundation of God’s faith. As I grow, my belief grows with me. Some seasons see little rain, so my belief stagnates. In others, my belief takes root in the fertile ground and flourishes. Through all the changes and chances of life, however, the relationship with God continues, for God never breaks a bond of love.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are the foundation of all belief; help me to sustain my part of the relationship and help me to except your love in my life. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, thankful that you have faith in me, because your faith in me enables me to have faith in you.

…Opening To…

We say we read to “escape.” …A book so excites our imagination that we “consume” it… What would it feel like to consume the sacred book? Or to be consumed by it? To eat it, chew it, swallow it, digest it, to make it a part of you? (Roger Ferlo)

…Listening In…

One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ). He led him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). (John 1:40-42; context)

…Filling Up…

Last week, we discussed five things you shouldn’t do when you read the Bible. You can probably guess what we are doing this week. You’re right! We are going to discuss five things you should do when you read the Bible. I’m not saying you must do these things, of course, but I think your Bible study will benefit from them.

First, you should probably read the Bible in its original languages.

Woah, wait a minute, you say. I don’t know Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic.

That’s okay. I don’t really know them that well, either (and good for you for knowing all three languages the Bible is written in). Barring your extensive study of ancient languages, how can you approximate studying the Bible as it originally was? For most of us, this approximation lies quite far from the original, and that’s okay, too.

Rather than taking several graduate level courses in ancient Greek, I’d suggest either amassing several English translations of the Bible or logging on to a website that has several translations on file (like this one or this one). Then, when you begin studying a passage, read it in several versions. Note the important words that versions translate differently. What do you suppose accounts for the variation? What are the shades of meaning of a word of the original language that you notice when three or four different English words are used to translate it? Which makes the most sense to you? These are great questions to ask when studying the Bible because they can help deepen your understanding of the text.

Adding this step to your Bible study will also help you avoid one major pitfall – forgetting that the Bible was not written in English. This seems like a silly thing to warn against, but it’s a remarkably easy thing to forget. You don’t need to read in Greek to know that English-speaking scholars funneled the text into our language. But always keep in mind that what you are reading is not the original. Remembering this can keep us humble as we seek to understand the English text, just as the translators sought to understand the original languages.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you speak your words of life to people of all languages. Help me to interpret the Bible in ways that lead me to accept of your life-expanding grace. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, gladdened by the prospect of meeting you in the Bible.

…Opening To…

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means. (George Bernard Shaw)

…Listening In…

Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life. They also testify about me, yet you don’t want to come to me so that you can have life. (John 5:39-40; context)

…Filling Up…

The second thing not to do when you read the Bible is to think you already know what it says. Going into Bible study with a clear picture of what you want to find when you read will guarantee two things. First, you will find what you are looking for. And second, you will miss what is looking for you.

You’ll find what you’re looking for because the Bible is a compendium of human experience stretching thousands of years. If you are trying to prove a point, some verse in the Bible will help you out. It may be a single verse tucked into the corner of an obscure chapter or a famous verse from a well-read book, but you will be able to appropriate it for your own ends. This, of course, is not a very good way to read the Bible.

Unlike other books out there, the Bible is special because when we read it, we encounter the Holy Spirit breathing life into its pages. That life flows into and out of us in the ongoing dance of God’s movement throughout history. And so, when we think we know what the Bible says, we will often miss what’s looking for us in the text. When we come to the text, we should come with open minds and open hearts. We should open ourselves up to the possibility for God to surprise us when we read.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are the source of life that weaves its way through the library of the faith. Help me to be open to the possibilities in store for me when I delve into that library. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, trusting that you will grant me the patience to study the Bible slowly and keep my eyes and heart open for your presence in my life.

…Opening To…

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means. (George Bernard Shaw)

…Listening In…

When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten. When the people saw that he had done a miraculous sign, they said, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.” (John 6:12-14; context)

…Filling Up…

The fourth thing not to do when you read the Bible is to read only the “ordinary parts.” This practice is similar to the third in that it warns against removing parts of the text. But rather than removing the parts that make us feel uncomfortable because of violent imagery (like Psalm 137), this practice removes the things that we can’t understand. It removes the “miraculous” stuff from the Bible. Thomas Jefferson did this when he published an edition of the Bible. His Gospel was full of holes because every one of Jesus’ miracles was missing.

The trouble with this approach is that it lacks humility. When we edit out the parts that we can’t understand simply because they don’t fit into the way we think the world works, we set ourselves up as the final judges of that world. But as Hamlet reminds his friend, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy” (Act 1, Scene V). When we decide on our own that miracles can’t happen, then we will automatically miss the miracles that do happen everyday. Truly, miracles aren’t aberrations in the natural order: they are part the natural order, just a part that we can’t explain except through faith.

So don’t excise the miraculous from your Bible like Thomas Jefferson did. You may have trouble believing that they happened, and that’s okay. Just don’t get rid of them. Over time, let the miracles wash over you and fill you with hope. Let them open you up to all the possibilities that God has for this world, all the things that have yet to be dreamt of in our philosophy.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you infuse the natural order with your miraculous presence. Help me to be humble in the face of the unknown and unexplainable. Help me to locate all of my answers in you. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, trusting that you will grant me the patience to study the Bible slowly and keep my eyes and heart open for your presence in my life.

…Opening To…

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means. (George Bernard Shaw)

…Listening In…

God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17; context)

…Filling Up…

Last week, we discussed a few things you may not have known about the Bible. Continuing in our Biblical theme, this week we are going to discuss five things not to do when you read the Bible. The practices we are going to talk about lead to (a) poor interpretations of the Bible, (b) ungracious and uncharitable opinions of other people, and (c) misunderstandings both of the texts of the Bible and misunderstandings among people who read the Bible in different ways.

The first thing not to do when you read the Bible is the act of reading it a single verse at a time. As I mentioned last week, the verse numbers were added less than five hundred years ago. They artificially divide texts that were always meant to be read each in its entirety. Bumper stickers, signs at ball games, magnets, and greeting cards that point to or quote a specific verse do a disservice to the rest of the text, from which the verse comes. Take John 3:16 for example. Most folks know what it says: “For God so loved the world…” But do you know John 3:15 or John 3:17? What about the beginning of chapter three, which builds to a climax at 16 and 17 before transitioning into another passage? Reading the rest of the story helps us interpret John 3:16 as a part of a larger dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisee Nicodemus. The verse was never meant to be taken by itself.

When we read verses individually, we run into the tendency of stringing together all of our favorite single verses until we have a fortune cookie faith. The Bible was never meant to be tweeted. The books of the Bible were meant to be heard and read, pored over and digested. Single verses out of context might go down easily, but they will never fill you up.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you infuse the Bible with your presence and give me the opportunity to encounter you whenever I read it. Help me to find the patience to read the Bible as it was written. Help me to resist the urge to boil down the Bible into tiny pieces that are easy to recall but tell little of the story. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, trusting that you will grant me the patience to study the Bible slowly and keep my eyes and heart open for your presence in my life.

…Opening To…

When you read God’s Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, “It is talking to me, and about me.” (Søren Kierkegaard)

…Listening In…

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16; context)*

…Filling Up…

The second thing you might not know about the Bible is that the chapter and verse numbers are nowhere to be found in the original texts. The chapter breaks became fashionable in the early thirteenth century (over a thousand years after the last New Testament letter was composed), and the verse separators weren’t added until the mid 1500s, well after the printing press had started churning out Bibles. (Of course, our modern Bibles have many things that the original texts did not have: spaces in between words in the Greek portions and vowels in the Hebrew portions, to name a few.)

So why, you might be wondering, is it important to know that the chapters and verses are not original to the texts? Think about it like this. When you go to the theater and watch a (non-digital) film, the movie projector runs one frame at a time, 24 frames a second. Because the frames flit by so quickly, your eye doesn’t register that each one is a discreet unit, a single snapshot in a line of thousands of other single snapshots. Reading the Bible verse to verse is something like watching a film frame by frame: you get the gist of what’s going on, but it’s certainly not the way it was intended to be watched.

You see, when we give undue weight to the verse separations, we run the risk of taking single verses out of context simply because someone 500 years ago decided that, for convenience, it would be nice to divide the texts of the Bible into smaller units than the chapters. Of course, the verse numbers are great in that they tell you where you are, but that is as far as folks should ever use them.

When the Bible was broken down into individual verses, it became even easier to take a verse out of context and use it to prove a point you are trying to make. This is not a good way to use the Bible. It’s better to let the verses live and breath in their own natural environments — the chapters and books to which they belong. When we encounter our favorite verses “in nature,” as it were, maybe they will encounter us differently than they ever have before.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you gave countless people the grace to be witnesses for you in the texts of the Bible. Grant me that same grace so that I may be a graceful, grace-filled witness today, always proclaiming your love. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, hoping for an encounter with you as I read about your presence in the lives of your people.

* (the most famous verse taken out of context everyday)

…Opening To…

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. (J.R.R. Tolkien)

…Listening In…

After this, knowing that everything was already completed, in order to fulfill the scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was nearby, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, placed it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed.” Bowing his head, he gave up his life. (John 19:28-30; context)

…Filling Up…

The end is far off, and the end is also very near, for walking on this road with us is the best of all traveling companions, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is the end of our journey in the sense that he is the reason we are journeying. He is, in a sense, the goal, the conclusion, the culmination of our journey.

Right before he died, Jesus called out from cross, “It is completed.” What was completed? You could answer this question in all sorts of ways, and scholars and theologians have, let me tell you. One way you could answer it is this: When Jesus called out, “It is completed,” he was proclaiming that he finished the road that he was working on, the path that leads all of us back to the God who created everything.

Of course, earlier in the Gospel according to John, Jesus also said, “I am the way.” So not only did Jesus complete the path; he is the path. Christ is the end of our journey and our partner on it. This means the end is always moving with us. If we can find Christ on our journey then it is ended. Not ended in the sense of finished, but ended in the sense of “completed.”

I know it sounds like I just said the same thing twice and told you it was different, so I understand if you are confused. Here’s an example. When I met the woman I ended up marrying, my journey was not at an end, although it felt like perhaps I was beginning to travel down a new path. Rather, I felt a sense of completion that encouraged me to keep going – now with a partner by my side. Likewise, when I find Christ I am encouraged to keep struggling, to keep striving, all the while knowing that I am by Christ’s side…

…Praying For…

Dear God, you sent your son Jesus Christ to show us the way to you. Help me to walk with him on the way that he paved to you, and along that road, let me discover the person into whom you are making me. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, rejoicing that you walk with me on the road, you stand at the end of the road, and you, indeed, are the road.