Prayer for 2008

Some one posted this to a yahoogroup I am in and it seemed very fitting. I have always felt a bond with Francis of Assisi because of the artists' portrayals of him with animals.

Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

I finished the A. J. Jacobs book: final thought

I have just completed A. J. Jacobs book, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. I found it on the "Our Staff Recommends" shelf at Barnes and Noble. The title was intriguing. It brought up the question: What does it mean to live Biblically? I almost didn't buy it, but after reading the jacket decided it might be interesting.

A. J. Jacobs is an agnostic Jew. What could an Agnostic Jew have to say about the Bible that would benefit someone who has had a theological education and grew up in a church? The truth is, Jacobs had some profound insight. His journey to explore the Bible's laws, as well as his many trips to learn more about various groups' beliefs on the Scripture, have proved both fascinating and transformative.

Oddly enough, most people consider this book to be quite funny and it is even labeled as a "humor" book. I found it more thought provoking than humorous, though I see how some might get a laugh. I found myself in agreement on numerous occasions with Jacobs conclusions and found that he oft quoted some of my favorite persons as well as Bible passages.

I'd like to close out my thoughts with a quotation from his book. It is regarding a subject that has been of some interest to me lately and comes form a verse which is part of my favorite passage. In speaking of First Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances..." Jacobs had this to say:

• Day 263. I feel myself becoming an extremist--at least in some areas. Like with my obsession with gratefulness. I can't stop.
• Just now, I press the elevator button and am thankful that it arrives quickly.
• I get into the elevator and am thankful that the elevator cable didn't snap and plummet me to the basement.
• I go to the fifth floor and am thankful that I didn't have to stop on the second or third or fourth floor.
• I get out and am thankful that Julie left the door unlocked so I don't have to rummage for my King Kong key ring.
• I walk in, and am thankful that Jasper is home and healthy and stuffing his face with pineapple wedges.
• And on and on. I'm actually muttering to myself, "Thank you...thank you....thank you."
• It's an odd way to live. But also kind of great and powerful. I've never before been so aware of the thousands of little good things, the thousands of things that go right every day.

I was challenged by his journey to make changes in my own life. I have been doing this exercise a lot lately, especially when I am starting my day off on the wrong foot. It is very helpful.

Now I have to order some of the books he referred to, as I believe I will find them enjoyable as well. He apparently wrote a book called The Know-It-All in which he chronicles his goal of reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. I might have to pick that one up too.

Shema Yisreal

I am constantly reminded of things I had forgotten about as I read A J Jacobs book. The Shema is one such example. Wikipedia has an excellent article on the matter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisrael

The Shema relates to the Commandment to Love God which Jesus spoke of in Matthew and which I wrote about earlier in the week. It was to be recited morning and evening or when you rise and when you lay down. It also gives instruction on teaching the commands to your children and posting them on your doorpost. I have actually been considering the later recently. No idea why it appeals to be but I feel like it would be meaningful in some way.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. ⁶Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. ⁷Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. ⁸Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem

on your forehead, ⁹and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 11:13-21

13 If you will only heed his every commandment that I am commanding you today—loving the Lord your God, and serving him with all your heart and with all your soul— ¹⁴then he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil; ¹⁵and he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you will eat your fill. ¹⁶Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away, serving other gods and worshipping them, ¹⁷for then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain and the land will yield no fruit; then you will perish quickly from the good land that the Lord is giving you.

18 You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. ¹⁹Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. ²⁰Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, ²¹so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

Numbers 15:37–41

37 The Lord said to Moses: ³⁸Speak to the Israelites, and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the fringe at each corner. ³⁹You have the fringe so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. ⁴⁰So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God. ⁴¹I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.

What Child is This: a summary of Christmas

I was sitting in a service of hymns and carols at church yesterday and one of the hymns was: What Child is This? I know the hymn and like it a lot, but I have never notice how succinctly it sums up Christmas, even the sometimes forgotten prophesy of things to come. Most hymns focus on part of the story but all of it seems to be captured in this one hymn by William C. Dix (1865).

May the story of the Christ child bring you JOY this time of year!

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring Him Laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christian, fear; for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the Cross be borne for me, for you;

Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh; come, peasant, king, to own Him.

The King of kings salvation brings; let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise the song on high! (The Virgin sings her lullaby.)

Joy, joy for Christ is born, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Law, Love or No Law

As I read A J Jacobs book, I am thinking about this topic more and more. I actually came across a question on gaychristian.net yesterday that is tied to this question.

One argument pro-gay Christians use is that Christ did away with the Law. This is a concept which I have always been taught and which I still believe based on my understanding of Scripture. And yet, I feel like there has to be some standard. No Law at all would make for a very bad world to live in.

Perhaps the standard is the “Two Greatest Commandments” as outline by Christ? Love…for God and for your neighbor. If this is true, how do we know with any certainty that what we do is not violating the Law of Love for God? It seems easier to know if you are doing what is right in loving your neighbor.

It’s one of those questions that you will find a million answers to, and never know which is right. Paul said to us that all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial. I have never found this to be of much help either. The concept is that you want to prevent your brother or sister from stumbling. While a good idea, I find that in some cases, such as the discussion of homosexuality that this principle is difficult to apply. If this is the guideline, Christians should live and let live, but rather they want to impose their practices and beliefs on others. This not just limited to the fundamentalists, but often even their opposition...there is a word which proves the point…Opposition…among Christians even.

I am reminded of the quote from Isaiah, which appears on my parents’ front door: “As for me and my house we shall serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 I would very much like to add the phrase, “as God leads me” or “in the way I deem appropriate.” Certainly I will serve the Lord, but perhaps my understanding of the Word and the Law, if there is a Law now, is different than yours and as Christians we should respect that or risk causing someone to stumble.

Ashley in the movie, "June Bug" sums it up best:

"God loves you just the way you are, but God loves you too much for you to stay that way."

Good News: Luke 2:14

I was making out a Christmas Card to my church last night and all that came to my mind was Luke 2:14.

Glory to G-d in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom G-d’s favor rests!

To you and yours during this season as well.

Micah 6:8

It continues to amaze me how often I sing a song or use a quote and forget that it came from the Bible originally. Despite the fact that I memorized a lot of Scripture in days gone by and have read the Bible in its entirety several times in my life, this still happens.

Case in point: Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: ¹ He wants you to ² promote ³ justice, to be faithful, ⁴ and to live obediently before ⁵ your God.

A.J. Jacobs quoted this verse in his book and my first thought was of a song I had heard. I had to look up the verse.

I am finding his book interesting, though not as humorous as people had led me to believe. I am also finding, to my surprise, that I have a lot in common with this secular Jewish man who is a self proclaimed agnostic. We could not be further apart in some ways, but on the Bible and the understanding of it thus far, we seem to agree. I am looking forward to finishing this book and seeing what the ultimate outcome of it is on his life and mine as well.

Switching gears

So, I kinda got bogged down after I finished reading about King David and have found it hard to get back into my 52 day challenge. So, yes I failed, but it was not a complete wash. I did re-familiarize myself with some things and learned some things. However, I have moved on. I am going back to my Lectionary readings for the time being.

I am also beginning a new book: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. In some ways, it has already begun to complement the reading I did accomplish during my 52 day challenge, as it is all about those laws we often forget about in Leviticus, etc. I have been looking forward to this book and I hope that it will challenge me in my study of the Bible.

Psalms: Thematic question

As I have been reading the Psalms and in particular as I read 103, I have been wandering how much of the themes that are repeated in the Bible are base on access to previous material and how much is a result of individual inspiration. Not that I think someone could not be inspired to write very similar themes, but that I wander sometimes if they referenced other materials as they wrote much like we do today.

Just something to ponder…

¹Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

²Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—

³who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

⁴who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

⁵who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.

⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

⁹He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.

¹⁰He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

¹⁴For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;

¹⁶for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

¹⁷But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

¹⁸to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.

²¹Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.

²²Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Reading the Bible in 52 Days

I felt like I should post an update, as I have not had anything to say in a while about my readings. I will say that some of this is proving difficult. I find it very hard to read the Psalms in such great bulk and as a result, I have decided to skip them and come back occasionally to pick up one here or there. I will also admit that I tend to skim those passages that are repetitive.

However, I feel like I am still accomplishing my goal, which was to re-familiarize myself with the Bible as history, as a story, as a timeline of our faith development even.

I am getting to the end of King David’s life and entering into the time of Solomon at the moment.