non-metaphysical stephen

Some questions I had on reading today’s lectionary passages:

Genesis 16.15-17.2:

• And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
• When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”

There’s a thirteen year gap between these two (consecutive) passages, and yet the scriptures pass over them completely. What especially strikes me is that God is not shown correcting Abram of his mistake during this time. Is it not a frightening thing to think that we might misunderstand God’s will and not be told our error for thirteen years?

Hebrews 10.8-9:

• When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

Throughout this section on the law, I was thinking of the Reconstruction and Theonomy movements. When the scriptures are so clear about the inefficacy of the Mosaic law and the superiority of the Gospel, why do Christians want to impose the law onto the nation?

John 5.34b:

• I say these things so that you may be saved.

There are a few places in John where Jesus implies that our salvation is prior to his death and resurrection and is instead found in his own words to us. Elsewhere he claims that the disciples are clean because of his words (John 15.3). What is the connection between his words, i.e., his teachings, and our salvation? Could we be ignoring a crucial aspect of our redemption by focusing so much on his Passion?

John 5. 45:

• Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.

It’s interesting that Moses is the accuser here, since accusation is the name and function of Satan. If Moses does Satan’s job, what does that tell us about Satan?

In Genesis 14.14, we are told:

When Abram heard that his kinsman [Lot] had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

I immediately thought of the the “kinsman redeemer” role, as seen most famously in the book of Ruth. Although Abram is here not so much a redeemer as a rescuer (since he won back Lot in battle rather than with money), it seems to me that there is a connection between being a kinsman and a redeemer. It was natural for Abram to go to Lot’s rescue, both as his closest relative and for the sake of Abram’s deceased brother Haran, Lot’s father.

I wonder if this passage helps explain the importance of the Father metaphor in scripture. God calls himself our Father because he takes upon himself the role of our kinsman, our rescuer and our redeemer. The terms establishes not only an intimacy with us, but a responsibility for us and for our safety. The passage above makes me think of Christ, coming to earth to redeem his people, even descending into hell to rescue those who have gone before us.

God loves us not only as Creator, but as Father, with all the responsibilities that go with that title for raising us up, protecting and providing for us, and granting us our share of the inheritance. Thanks be to God!

Amen.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Renee reminded us that after Jesus was baptized, he was led to the Wilderness where he was tempted. What struck me about hearing this again was that Jesus was led by the Spirit of God! He didn’t end up in the Wilderness by being unfaithful or by misunderstanding God’s call. No, it was God himself who led Jesus there.

I suppose for most of us, the Wilderness is something to be avoided. And when we find ourselves there, we wonder 1) where we got off-track and 2) how to get out. But this conception is not biblical. When God led the Hebrews out of Egypt, they had to first go through the Wilderness. And it was in the Wilderness that their doubts and fears got the best of them: they wanted to return to slavery, they tried worshiping other gods, they accused God of leading them to their deaths.

But God was fully in charge during that time. The Wilderness was a necessary place between slavery and the Promised Land. God had great plans for them, untold blessings and freedom. God was their safety and their refuge in their wanderings. If only they had trusted that the God who rescued them from bondage could (and would) provide for them in their journey.

Aren’t we like this today? We want to avoid the Wilderness, when sometimes that is exactly where God would lead us. The Wilderness may look scary, like the Valley of Death, but in God’s hands, we are perfectly safe. Why are we so afraid of the Wilderness? Why do we trust God so half-heartedly?

Do with us as you will, Father. Your Love for us is so great that we know you will never let us be ashamed of following you, even when you lead us into the thickest forests, the most barren deserts and the darkest and coldest of nights. Lead us where you will, that we might be fruitful for the sake of your Kingdom.

In Christ,
Amen.

Gracious God,

This life is Yours.
It comes from You,
Your tender gift.
It does not belong to me,
Nor have I any right to it.
I have done nothing to deserve it.
Yet you sustain me in Your Lovingkindness.

Thank You, Father. And
Grant that I
May glorify You in all things,
May testify to Your love in all that I do
And all that I say,
May be a witness to You in this world. And

Grant that I may take no credit
For any good that I do,
For any aid that I give,
For any use that I am.
I have no righteousness of my own;
It comes solely from Christ our LORD.
May He receive the honor He deserves.

Grant that I may decrease that He might increase.
Grant that I would not be in the way of His glory.
Grant that all that people see of me
Is my finger pointing to Him.
Grant that all that people hear from me
Is the testimony of His Love.
Grant that all that people know of me
Is His reflection.

Let me not stand in His way
Nor receive any praise,
But may all glory go to Him
Who lived for us and died for us,
And who lives again on high,
Praying for us before the Father,
Giving Himself to us through all eternity.

To Him alone be all honor and glory and praise
For He alone is worthy.

May it so be according to Your Lovingkindness,
Most gracious God,
In Christ,
Amen.

Likewise, souls who can recognize God in the most trivial, the most grievous and the most mortifying things that happen to them in their lives, honor everything equally with delight and rejoicing, and welcome with open arms what others dread and avoid. ~Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Gracious God,
Giver of Life.
You have created me

Show me what you would have me do,
that I may be fruitful for your kingdom,
salt for the earth and a light to the world.

Help me to trust in your Lordship,
that all the world is under your watch

Help me to trust in your provision,
as you have promised us
through your Son, Jesus Christ.

He is your glory and your radiance,
not in worldly splendor,

but in Grace and Truth,
Humility and Love,
Peace and Obedience.

He is the image of what we are to be,
Humanity in fellowship with you,
your Children, your People.

Grant, O God, in the precious name of Christ,
that I may trust in you and in you alone,
that I may abide in you and in you alone,
that I may seek you above all things,
to serve you as a faithful son,
to love others with your love,
and to be known by you.

In Christ my hope,
amen.