Apocalyptic Comfort

In her book Inspired, Rachel Held Evans says:

"The point of apocalyptic texts is not to predict the future," explained biblical scholars Amy-Jill Levine in the meaning of the Bible; "it is to provide comfort in the present.  The Bible is not a book of teasers in which God has buried secrets only to be revealed three millennia later." Rather, she argued, apocalyptic texts "proclaim that a guiding hand controls history and assure that justice will be done."

If you consider that John wrote The Revelation to John to an audience of marginalized Christians in the Greco-Roman culture, then the book makes so much more sense.  At least, I think so.  To me, to consider that John was writing to encourage the Christians around him rather than provide a prediction of the end of the world that we are to read as if it were a puzzle is so much more believable.

The book of Daniel was probably written during the religious persecutions of the Green ruler of Palestine and Syria, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  

I think we can see the general theme - justice will be done, even though it doesn't seem that it is possible right now. That's a message for the target audiences of the apocalyptic works, but also for us.

*Information about biblical texts from The New Interpreter's Study Bible.

Light

In Disciple last night, we talked about Revelation.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. (Revelation 21:22-25)

This picture was taken standing on our balcony of our ship -- at 9:53 PM. PM -- as in night time. On the same day, the sun came up at 4:15AM. Night-time was very short.

What would it mean for there to be no night?

• For me, problems are bigger at night. I'll wake up and worry when it's dark. Once morning comes, the problem seems much more managable. Worries are always smaller in the daylight.
• If I'm up at night, I'm usually by myself. Night can be a lonely time. (I don't mind the quiet at night; I can see, thought, how it could be lonely.
• Night -- darkness -- can be frightening. If I'm home and Steve is on the road, I usually keep the television on during the night. The sound covers all the strange, frightening noises that I want to ignore (and don't hear if he is here).
• We might not be able to see at night. We can lose our way, not know our direction.

God's presence doesn't mean that it is daylight. He is the light.

Image: Taken from the back of the ship (our stateroom was at the back) at 9:53AM on Wednesday. We had left Skagway and were on our way to Glacier Bay.

Taking them to the streets

I took down my office tree this morning. As I was packing away the ornaments, I noticed that many of the ones that I had purchased this year were words -- silver 'hope,' 'peace,' and 'joy' ornaments, a nativity 'noel' that sat under the tree. Even the nativity scene I bought for the office was the word "Joy" with Mary, Jesus and the Baby. I didn't do that on purpose -- I just purposefully set out to add Christian thoughts to a tree which previously (because of its location) been almost a non-Christian tree.

We sometimes talk in church about the words we use -- words like epiphany, liturgy, eucharist, redemption, and justification. We talk about how those words must be foreign to someone on the outside, who doesn't know the lingo.

I was reading a devotional this morning based on Revelation 21:1-6a. One of the verses says, "Now, the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them." The Disciplines devotional talked about God dwelling among us, and how we have seen it. The author talked about South Africa, and said it was "where the language of the church was moved into the streets as reconciliation took on flesh."

We worry about words like justification and sanctification. I wonder if we should instead be focusing on words like peace, joy and hope. How are we, as Christians, bringing these words into the world? How do we enable this essential language of the church to move into the streets and take on flesh? How do we allow God to be incarnated through what we do, and brought into the world? It seems to me that people need to know the power of these words. It seems to me that these words could make a difference in lives, on the streets and in the world.

Are we taking these words to the streets?

Image: Frost on the car window yesterday

Mother God, Father God

I was reading a blog this evening which spoke to the idea of the "choir being sick." I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "preaching to the choir," and this blog was addressing that concept -- that the choir needs preaching.

I'm not going to address that question, but one phrase in the post raised an issue with me that I want to address this evening (I'm going to ignore the Methodist Wiccan connection). Take a look at this sentence, written by Ann Tatlock:

Did you hear about the Presbyterian church that sponsored a retreat for women, inviting them to get away and worship the divine goddess within themselves?

Perhaps I misunderstand Ann's concern about this conference, but it seems to me it is the idea of an "inner goddess" which is troubling to her. I am incorrect?

What if the sentence said, "a retreat for women, inviting them to get away and worship the divine God within themselves." Would that be problematic for her?

Do we not believe that God is within us (and outside us, and around us and between us?)? So is it only the idea that that God might be female troubling to her?

Let me tell you what I think. It's my blog, and I will if I wanna.

I do not think that God is a female. I also do not think that God is a male. I think he is beyond both of those gender specifications. It is easier for me to grasp God if I consider him to have a gender, because to think otherwise, for me, pushes him away -- makes him less personal. But I don't think that He is any more correct that She when referring to God.

I taught a lesson from Revelation last month which talked about heaven, using symbolism, relating the concept of the Kingdom of God to ideas which we could grasp. The pronoun 'he' and the word 'father' do the same thing for me -- they help to make the indescribable a little bit more describable.

There is a hymn called "Bring Many Names," written by Brian Wren, and pointed out to me by JtM. Here are verses 2 and 3:

Strong mother God, working night and day,
planning all the wonders of creation,
setting each equation, genius at play:
Hail and hosanna, strong mother God!

Warm father God, hugging every child,
feeling all the strains of human living,
caring and forgiving till we're reconciled:
Hail and hosanna, warm father God!

Why does the idea of a mothering God alarm us? Why is it so difficult to understand? We are very willing to believe that God can have male characteristics, and can be the very best father that we have ever heard of. Why can't we think of a God that has the very best of the characterstics of a mother?

JtM also sent me the interpretation of the hymn from UMCworship.org. Read this, "The author has made use of a poetic device -- referring to God's nature and actions in human terms -- that helps us to understand the nature and work of the divine." This is the same technique, in a way, that was used in Revelation. How can you explain sound to a deaf person, or color to a blind person? You have to use a frame of reference that the person understands. By comparing God to human characteristics, we can come to understand him more.

The last verse from this hymn says:

Great, living God, never fully known,
joyful darkness far beyond our seeing,
closer yet than breathing, everlasting home:
Hail and hosanna, great, living God!

God is never fully known, and yet he wants to be closer to us than breathing. Why do we judge the way other people accomplish that relationship? If is is easier for some people to draw closer to God if they use a frame of reference which shows them God through female characteristics, then why would we object?

Am I right?

As I mentioned yesterday, I drove to Point Pleasant for a lay speaker training session. Pt. Pleasant is a little less than an hour from here. I have, of course, been there before, but yesterday was the first time that I have driven it on my own.

I knew the way -- it was straight up Route 2. I knew what to do when I got there -- I had good directions to find the church. What I had failed to do was to find out how many miles it was to Pt. Pleasant from home. It wasn't that important -- I knew if I kept driving I would get there. Steve had told me to allow 50 minutes for the trip, and I knew that I had left Starbucks in Barboursville at 8:10 -- 50 minutes earlier than the class was to start.

What occurred to me as I drove was that I had no way to gauge along the way how I was doing time wise. I didn't want to be late, but all I could do was to keep driving, and hope that I would make it on time.

I wondered if this were a good comparison, in some ways, to life. We travel the road. God has pointed out to us the right directions and the right Way, but we don't have any idea how long the trip will be. We have a vague idea of our destination, but no real grasp on what it will be like. We don't know what will happen along the way -- what stops might be necessary or called for. We just trust that God is with us.

I taught a lesson today in Sunday school based on Revelation 21:9-22:5. It is a section of scripture dealing with heaven -- what will heaven be like. I wish I had written down the list we made in class. I may try to reconstruct it for the blog.

We got to this verse (21:27):

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

I asked the class if that verse made them uncomfortable. One class member said that he wondered just how big the abomination had to be to prevent entry. When I read it, I worry that same kind of thing. I have a picture of heaven growing up that had gates, with a gatekeeper, and a book of life. If I've not done well enough, then I don't get to enter. That's a pretty common image, isn't it?

I told the class today that no abomination was too big to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I told them that we had nothing to worry about. We had already made our choice to follow God. He has given us grace, and he will keep his promise. We have ALREADY entered the kingdom of God, and death has been made inconsequential. I've told this same kind of reasoning to our Wednesday evening class.

I look at the Wesley quadrilateral, and I feel as I'm relying pretty heavily on the "reason" part of the 4-square. I wonder tonight if I am right. I wonder tonight if I've been leading them in the wrong direction. If it is the wrong direction, it's a huge mistake to make on my part. I say that I am relying on the "reason" portion of the quadrilateral because if seems right to me. It feels like the God that I think I know.

This being a teacher is tough.

Are you loved?

How important are you to God? how much does he value you? How much are you loved? How aware is he that you hurt or that your burdens are heavy?

Does he walk with you through tough times? Does he ever leave you alone?

Is it possible that he looks the other way? Could it be that he is not focused on you or that you do not matter to him?

Are you loved by God?

For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
he will lead them to springs of living water
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. --Revelation 7:17

You are remembered.

What moves us to worship?

I taught Sunday school today based on the the scripture of Revelation 4. I wasn't thrilled when I first heard that the Sunday school curriculum for the next several weeks would be coming from Revelation -- I certainly don't feel equipped to teach from Revelation.

Chapter 4 of this book is the descirption of a vision John has of worship. It lead the author of the curriculum to write a lesson based on worship. As I was reading it, and wondering how to approach the lesson, I was impressed with the idea that the vision of worship in Revelation is of a "congregation" that is very diverse.

What is our response to diversity in our congregations?

At first look (and at many other looks) our congregation is no very diverse. But as one examines it, diversity in age, diversity in talent, and diversity in economic status make themselves known.

If we believe that God is worthy of worship, and we believe that that means that we work in obedience to him, then what is our response to diversity in worship?

I think that it means that we love God and that we love each other. I think that that means that we place the needs of another person ahead of our own.

So when the youth are moved to worship by music which does not appeal to us, we still support the effort, because the youth are placed in our minds ahead of us. By supporting the youth in our worship, we are showing them that we love them. Notice the picture above. It's from a beautiful sanctaury, but notice where the organ is located. The organ has been built above the cross. We should not let our comfort in a particular type of music override our ability to love others -- over our ability to be Christ-like.

Image: Altar area at First UMC, Ashland.

God's many facets

Think of a diamond. What makes it beautiful? What makes it sparkle? A diamond is faceted -- cut to create many surfaces.

The lectionary reading that I read this morning was Revelation 1:8 --

I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

The Disciples devotion that I read this morning, written by Barbara Bate, says that there are 7 different words for God in this one sentence.

She lists them as:

1. I am -- Rememeber that one from the burning bush?
2. alpha
3. omega
4. Lord -- which she says is "often used in the Old Testament to denote the personal deity, ruler of the Hebrews, with sometime capricious qualitites "
5. God -- a more transcendent diety
6. who is and who was and who is to come -- God of past, present and future
7. The Almighty -- an Old Testament word for God

John is presenting a God who is multifaceted -- he is presenting God to his readers in a way that will "strike a chord" for many of them, even though it might be a different "name" of God for different hearers.

Do we do that? Do we present the various facets of God to people, or do we limit him to what it is about him that speaks to us? For example, if God to you is a Father, do you insist that other people relate to him as a Father, and as nothing else -- not as a brother or a friend or even a mother?

God is much bigger than any of us can imagine, but God will speak to each of us differently. How do we go about presenting the many names of God?

• Ironically, an uncut diamond -- the rough crystal -- is called a habit. Traditionally, the diamond habit was studied for its natural formation, and then cleaved with a hammer. Perhaps the best way to begins to present God to others is to break our habits. We need to stop and remember that the God we know is smaller than the God who is.
• Diamonds are the hardest substance that is known. Maybe. Sometimes I wonder if we are the hardest substance known. Perhaps if we take the time to soften our hearts -- to become more accepting of another's viewpoint, we can move forward to present God to others. Our softness -- our love for others -- is vital.
• The only thing which can cut a diamond is another diamond. It takes one human to present God to another -- We have a role to play in God's mission.
• When diamonds are cut with a saw blade, it can take several days of cutting to get the job done. Sharing God with someone else is not instantaneous. It takes time, and most of all, patience.
• The large facets on the top of a diamond are called a crown. Perhaps that will remind us that the largest part of the job is done by the King himself. Don't leave God out of the equation.
• When a diamond is cut correctly, from the bottom, it creates a heart pattern. When we share God with each other, and do it well, when the other person looks at God, he will see love.
• Do you know what faceting accomplishes? It creaes a stone of great brillance -- brillance is the return of the light which enters the stone. It takes acknowledgement of the many facets of God for us and those around us to see the light.

God is God, and he is bigger and has more facets than anyone can image.

Images: Diamond; A rough crystal, called a habit; a diamond from the bottom, showing its hearts.