Heaven

I'm watching the Barbara Walters special on heaven right now. So far I'm not very impressed with any of the views that have been expressed, save for perhaps the Jewish view. In my understanding heaven is about God not us. It's not a place primarily of reward for human behavior. It's about being in perfect relationship/friendship with God. The triune God is the reason that heaven won't be boring even though it goes on forever. God is the only one who's depth is inexhaustable. And God is the one who makes this life worthwhile. My goal in this life is the same as my goal in the next life, to live with God. Gold streets and huge mansions don't attract me at all. But being with the Creator seems to be the only thing that might satisfy me.

Shame or guilt

In an online group of colleagues a friend reminded me of something that I think would help Alan in his search to understand how Adam and Eve's sin has anything to do with him. Alan is right to say that he is not guilty of the sin of Adam and Eve, however Adam and Eve(and others) have brought shame on the human race through their disobedience of God. Shame is communal and therefore we all share in that shame and need our collective honor restored. Since Jesus lived a perfectly human life in relationship to God He has restored/redeemed human honor from the shame of sin. Does that makes sense? I owe thanks to Brian for reminding me of this aspect of sin that we learned in seminary.

The Bible and Faith

This is a response to Alan on a discussion started by Rob at www.straightshot.blogspot.com

Alan you wrote "It's really a question of how do I get started and how can I place my trust in the Biblical documents...." Let me outline one way of starting. I think the place to get started is not with the Bible at all but rather with the historical event of Jesus. Was Jesus literally/historically raised from the dead? With that as starting point the whole conversation about the Bible changes. You're not asking 'is the Bible true?' but rather is one of its claims true. Then you would investigate the various books of the New Testament first, since they deal primarily with Jesus. Initially, I would keep these books separate from one another. They weren't written together and if your dealing with them apart from faith then it makes more sense to take them one at a time. The church decided they belong together, and I trust that decision. But since you're not asking the question 'is the Bible true?' you are now free to ask 'is Luke true," "is John true" etc. Do the Gospels according to John, Luke, Mark and Matthew provide evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and are they trustworthy?

Jesus came before the New Testament. The message about Jesus came after Him, but before the New Testament. The church was established by those messengers of Jesus before the New Testament was written. That's partly why I think it's important to answer the question about Jesus, before you dive into the question about the Bible. If God raised Jesus from the dead, then Jesus' claims about Himself have been vindicated by God. Jesus claimed that He was the fulfillment of the law and He often quoted the Old Testament in refrence to Himself and what He was up to in the world. That's why we read the Old Testament at all. And whenever we read it, we ought to be looking for Jesus.

Now this is a long way around at getting at your question regarding Adam and Eve and original sin and the need for salvation at all. But I think the starting point is so significant to where we end up in the discussion. Let me know if this different way of approachiing the question changes anything for you.

You also write "Pretend I am a Hittite, you don't have any other Biblical writings available, and you are coming to me to explain to me what sin is and why I'm condemned to an eternity in Hell..." I suppose in that situation I would explain sin as being separated from God. None of us know God like we know each other, talking and hearing and walking with each other. Sin is the situation of separation, we're born into it. The story of Adam and Eve is an explanation of how all this started, but it's a universal explanation not a particular one. Humans want and have wanted since the beginning to decide for themselves what's right and wrong. This is a fundamental rejection of God's rule in our lives. God gave us over to this decision and we are born to parents caught up in the results of the decision every human makes. Even the Hittite :). But God loved us so much, and wanted to bring us back to Himself that He became human in Jesus and lived a human life that submitted completely to God deciding what's right and wrong. "If possible take this cup from me, but not my will but yours be done" prayed Jesus. Jesus then becomes our way back to God, when we're united to Jesus in Baptism(Rom 6). As far as being condemned to an eternity in Hell, I would never frame the question of salvation that way. I don't think salvation is primarily about not going to Hell. I think it is primarily about a return to a relationship with God made possible by God through Jesus. I don't know much about Hell and it is not fear of Hell that motivates me to encourage people towards Christianity.

You also say something I used to say pretty frequently "If one part (of the Bible) is in quesiton, it throws everything in question and we don't have much to talk about;..." I don't think that's true. I don't think that Biblical innerrancy is necessary for the truth of Christianity. Actually, I think that it gets in the way of Christianity by making the Bible the central focus of faith rather than the ressurrected Christ. The Bible is a witness to Jesus and everything in it should be judged accordingly. The problem comes when in order for Jesus to be true the Bible has to be. That's backwards. Jesus is true in and of Himself. The Bible is true in so far as it gives witness to Jesus. The Bible gets its truth from Jesus, not the other way around.

Anway, I'll stop now. My goal is to urge you to reframe the questions and have you start from Jesus rather than from scripture. What do you think?

Fidelity

We had our annual budget meeting today. About 70 people from a congregation of almost 600 families showed up. Normally I'd be a little bitter about that wondering why more people don't take an interest in their congregation. But today I've been moved in another way.

I looked around at who showed up. They were young and old, those with kids and teenagers and others who have long sinced retired. Just a small group compared to the over 200 people who were there just moments ago in the same sanctuary for worship. They went about their work quietly, listening to the budget presentation, asking a few key questions and then voting to approve next year's ministry funding. I think God's work has always been done by a small faithful group.

ORLC is their church, they are the body of Christ making a difference in the world. That little vote will pay the salaries of 9 people including mine for the purpose of telling others about Jesus. Everything we do as members of the church staff is made possible by this quiet work of 70 people. Highschool students will have the gift of Kathy for another year, kids and sundayschool teachers will be blessed by Julie. Pastors will preach, the sick and lonely will be cared for, worship will be carefully crafted. Hundreds of people will hear the gospel this year, some for the first time, because of this tiny little action that most people avoid.

I don't know why I'm overcome with it this time. But I see the Church at it's best in the small quiet ways it goes about being Christ's body in the world. Everything Our Redeemer's is or will be owes it's success to a small body of Jesus followers, led by the Holy Spirit, doing work that they don't get paid for, and are rarely thanked for. It's not just ORLC, but every church and in fact the whole of Christianity. I'm humbled by the methods God chooses to make His difference in the world. -PT