Our "Disciple IV" class has been enjoying a semester break over the Christmas holidays. We're back to work now reading the Song of Songs. We're coming down the "Old Testament homestretch" as we race toward the New Testament Gospel According to John.

Reading the Song of Songs (also called the Song of Solomon), it's easy to see why the book did not garner universal acceptance as holy scripture! It's quite erotic in places. This book is definitely rated R in spots. But when the book came to be seen as a poem of love between God and His people, it found its place in scripture. Both Jewish and Christian interpreters came to similar conclusions, although Christian writers saw it as a description of the love between Christ and His Church.

The 12th century mystic, Bernard of Clairveaux, actually preached 86 sermons on the Song of Songs!! (If you're interested, these can be found at http://glorifyhisname.com/sys-tmpl/stbernard1/.) I would be hardpressed to come up with one!

Reading Bernard's first sermon (which is on the TITLE of the book), in this pre-critical age, I find his interpretation of the place of the SOS in the wisdom book genre fascinating. Bernard says there are two main enemies of the human soul: love of the world, and love of self. He sees the Book of Ecclesiastes as directed to the former, and the Book of Proverbs to the latter. Once one has applied the lessons of these two books to these twin enemies of the soul, one is ready to feed on spiritual bread, having moved beyond milk.

That gets us to the Song of Songs. If one complains that he or she is not getting anything spiritual out of the SOS, Bernard would reply, "before the flesh has been tamed and the spirit set free by zeal for truth, before the world's glamour and entanglements have been firmly repudiated, it is a rash enterprise on any man's part to presume to study spiritual doctrines."

Are you spiritually ready for the Song of Songs?

Taking a break from the Book of Job for a rant and rave...

I saw an article on CNN.com today (read it here) about several megachurches cancelling worship services on Christmas Day. (Is it fair of the secular media to hold the Church accountable to it's own standards?) It's a matter of resources, says one. They're having their "21 services" on Christmas Eve, and Christmas is a "family day," so they don't want to impose on their staff and volunteers to come in on Christmas Day for another worship. Plus, their target audience is a "seeker" crowd, an audience that is not likely to attend church on Christmas Day. The last time Christmas was on a Sunday was 1994, and not many folks showed up.

To me, this is clear evidence that the camel of secularism, particularly the 12-ton camel of secular marketing, has gotten it's nose into the tent. Would you expect celebration of your birthday to be cancelled when it falls on Sunday? Not me! This reveals to me what I've suspected all along, that Christmas is not about CHRIST for most folks -- apparently, even some Christians -- but it is about marketing.

Do you know the difference between the versions of the Christmas story in Matthew and in Luke? Check out Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-20. In Matthew's version, there are Wise Men who, having seen cosmological evidence of the birth of a King, search Him out to "pay Him homage." Upon finding Him in a house, they "offered him gifts." In Luke's version, there are not Wise Men bearing gifts. In fact, there is no gift giving. It is shepherds who come, and they come only with praise for what God has done. Even in Matthew's version, the only reference to gift-giving, the gifts are given TO JESUS. But, it is from this gospel account that our tradition of Christmas gift-giving comes.

I think this CNN article points to the need for a reality check. With Christmas on a Sunday this year, perhaps it is time for a little more of a Lukan Christmas! Maybe a little more focus on praising Christ, especially on THE DAY -- Christmas Day -- and a little less focus on the gift-giving, secular marketing focus.

Permit me to tell a personal story. When I served the First United Methodist Church in Mineola, TX, something eye opening happened for me one year after a meeting of our Ministerial Alliance. Several of us pastors were "lamenting" how busy we were at the Christmas season that year. Father Dan, the Catholic priest, was telling us all his parish was doing to celebrate the birth of Christ. Then he asked, "How many worship services are you having Christmas Day?" (which was NOT a Sunday that year). I was ashamed. All of us Protestant pastors had to admit that we were planning NO services Christmas Day, most were not even planning a service for Christmas Eve. Father Dan, surprised, simply said, "You are having NO worship Christmas Day? But that is THE day that this is all about!"

Father Dan was right. Starting that year, and every year after that I was there, we had worship on Christmas Day at First UMC, Mineola. We only had 15-20 people show up. But it wasn't about the number of people. On this "family day," we worshiped Christ because it was His birthday.

Will YOU be having a Lukan Christmas this year? Will YOU be in church worshiping Christ this Christmas Day?

Job is convinced he is innocent, despite the increasingly hostile responses of his "friends." He begins to get an idea. Justice demands a trial. In 9:15, Job states, "Though I am innocent, I cannot answer (God. For He is far too powerful.) I must appeal for mercy to my accuser."

Zophar is the "friend" who is the most blunt. Unlike Eliphaz, he makes no attempt to soften the blow of his words. "God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves." (11:6)

Job is reaching the breaking point. No longer just an idea at the back of his head, the trial -- the opportunity to plead his innocense before God -- now becomes a necessity. Job even is willing to risk life and limb: "See, He will kill me..., but I WILL defend my ways to His face." (13:15)

When bad things happen to good people, when the righteous suffer -- and I see it every day -- we demand justice, we require fairness on God's part. Even two year olds understand the idea of fairness with the cry "It's not fair!" The idea of indescriminate suffering we cannot fathom. So our demand for justice comes out in the form of the "why" question -- Why is this happening, God? The implicit idea beneath the question is that there is some good answer which will make us say, "Oh, now I see." Just as implicit in Job's demand for a trial is the idea that he can successfully defend himself, and make God say "Oh, now I see."

Job will get his face to face with God later in the book. But the result of his "trial" will not be what he expects.

Job. The Bible says he is from the land of Uz, southeast of Israel. But actually, he is every nationality, every religion, every race. Job is every person who has ever suffered and demanded to know "why, God?"

Job is everything the conventional wisdom tradition said he would be given his blameless and upright living. He is wealthy, with just the right blend of camels, sheep, and donkeys. He is blessed with seven sons, and three daughters -- to the ancients, a perfect balance. Job has been blessed by God. Life is as it should be -- there is predictability, order. Peace.

Then Job loses it all. Property. Family. Health. Biblical tradition has called Job "patient." He is NOT patient. He is persistent, but not patient. Job protests his innocense, and demands and audience with God to right this wrong.

What Job does not and cannot know is what has happened in the heavenly council that has preceded his suffering. But we, the readers, know. We are given the privilege of being a fly on the proverbial wall, glimpsing the heavenly council. As the heavenly creatures gather before God, one them, known as ha-satan in Hebrew -- the Adversary or the Accuser or the Obstacle-- comes also. This is not the Satan of popular culture, or "the Devil." He is a shadowy member of the heavenly court, whose job seems to be roaming about, testing the motives of people. The Hebrew words ha-satan are used to describe the Philistine assessment of David in 1 Sam 29:4, and even of the "Angel of the LORD" being an obstacle, a ha-satan, to Balaam in Num 22:22.

God is in a good mood. He "brags" to ha-satan about Job. "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth..." We want to shout, "NO, GOD! Don't say that!" as if God has just put His divine foot in His mouth. "Does Job fear God for nothing?" the Accuser replies? "Oh no," we flies say, "that's what we were afraid of. Now God has gone and done it!"

Ha-satan raises one of those ultimate questions -- Is it possible for Job, who is everyman, to love and obey God simply because of Who God is? Or is our love and affection for God, is our obedience to God, simply the result of what God does for us and we don't want to tip the apple cart? If everything God does for me is taken away, can I still love God for Who He is?

God agrees that is a question worth answering. God wants to know, is Job -- who is every man, every woman -- able to say:

Though the cherry trees don't blossom
and the strawberries don't ripen,
Though the apples are worm-eaten
and the wheat fields stunted,
Though the sheep pens are sheepless
and the cattle barns empty,
I'm singing joyful praise to GOD.
I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. (Habakkuk 3:17-18, The Message)

Are you?

Surfing the net yesterday, I came across NPR's "I Believe" web-site. One credo caught my attention -- that of Penn and Teller's (the magic act duo) Penn Jillette. He is an atheist; actually he says he is BEYOND atheism. And in his "I Believe" credo essay, he spells out the reasons why he thinks that makes his life better. It's fascinating reading, I suggest you read it by clicking here.

Bascially, Jillette says, “I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows, and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough… It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. ” And in that, I hear echoes of Qohelet, the Teacher. "This is what I have seen to be good: it if fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun for the few days of life God gives us; for this is our lot." (Eccles. 5:18) While Qohelet would not regard himself as an atheist, he has declared that his search for meaning in life has revealed that to do anything other than find joy in our toil TODAY is a chasing after wind. When it all comes down to it, say both Qohelet and Jillette, it's just a matter of "eat, drink, be merry, enjoy your work, love the wife of your youth."

If one does not believe in God, as Jillette does not, and if one has not discovered an afterlife, as Qohelet has not, is this what it all comes down to - eat, drink, and be merry, for it's rude to want more?

This week we're still reading Ecclesiastes, but this time for hints of joy. What a challenge! E has to be one of the "downest" books in the Bible, even attempting to knock the "Wisdom School" of Proverbs off the shelf with its notion that good in life can be extracted by living well. E says life is a lot more random and living well does NOT guarantee a good life.

But the author of E does raise an interesting question. Because time and chance DO play havoc with our neat religious platitudes and because no one really knows what will happen tomorrow (astrology fans take note), what SHOULD we do today?

E seems to answer, just because we can't understand life doesn't mean we can't enjoy it -- at least some of it. He has a great point here. Many of us are always living for "someday." Only 5 more days until the weekend. Then life will begin. Only 11 more months till my VACATION!! Then life will begin. Only 20 more years till I RETIRE!!! Then life will begin. But the fact is, tomorrow may never come. It has not come for countless thousands who keep putting their joy of life off till "someday."

E says... "So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God." (Eccl. 2:24, NLT) Eat. Drink. Enjoy your work. Find pleasure in life TODAY. Don't wait for "someday."

Pretty wise advice. Even for E.

Wow. Qohelet sure dismantels the "conventional wisdom" of Proverbs! "Again, I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all." (9:11, NRSV) His verdict, after all his observation, is that the same fate awaits us all, no matter how fast, strong, wise, rich, or skillful we are. Death awaits us all.

Yet, in the face of such desperate news. Qohelet does not despair, nor advise us to do so. His advice? Carpe diem! Sieze the day. Live for the moment. "Go, eat your bread with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. ... Enjoy life with the wife whom you love..." (9:7,9)

Qohelet tells us to enjoy life TODAY (for there is no certainty of a living tomorrow) for 3 reasons:

1. God has approved it -- a remarkable statement that suggests that God not only enables enjoyment, but also delights in it.
2. It is the portion granted to us as human beings.
3. The possibility of enjoyment is time limited, so enjoy life while you can.

So -- go sieze the day!

"Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher (Qohelet), all is vanity."

Job. Lamentations. And, Ecclesiastes. Such depressing books of the Bible! (But life is like that, isn't it?) The Teacher says it's all like chasing after wind ("vanity of vanities" refers to vapor or a breath, a phrase he applies 38 times to different experiences of life). You can spend lots of effort -- physical, mental, and emotional -- but in the end, you come up empty-handed he says. So why bother?

The title "Ecclesiastes" comes from the Greek transation of the Hebrew Qohelet, which in turn is derived from the word qahal which means to assemble, or to gather. So the Qohelet is the leader of the assembly. That's why he's sometimes called the Preacher. The idea of this author being a Teacher comes from verse 12:9, "Qohelet also taught the people..." There's little doubt that Solomon did NOT write this book, which probably appeared around 300 B.C.

Qohelet's observations are all "under the sun," i.e., he thinks only in the framework of this earthly existence. When bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people, where is God? He lived in a time when a full orbed belief in the afterlife, or heaven, or eternal life, did not yet exist in Hebrew thought. Without such a belief in the final justice of God, you can see how he gets so cynical. He questions the assumptions of Proverbs that the righteous are rewarded by health, wealth, and happiness in this life and sinners are punished by illness, poverty, and early death. To raise a modern question, what about 9/11? The righteous died, the sinners still live. Where is God's justice? The grave is the destiny of all. No matter how hard you work and how much you accumulate, it all passes into your children's hands, who may themselves be fools! No matter what you do, they'll forget your name in no time after you're gone. So why bother?

There's much truth in what he says. Though this is certainly not a PROOF of an afterlife, it shows the importance of belief in the final justice of God.

I like Agur! He's found in today's readings in Proverbs, in chapter 30. My Bible footnotes call him "graduate school." He's for those who think they have succeeded in applying all the wisdom found in chaps 10-29. Agur says, after all these chapters of wisdom on poverty/riches, righteousness/wickedness, wisdom/foolishness, etc. -- "I have NOT learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One."

I really think it's true that the wiser we become (with age?) the more we realize how foolish we are. The wiser we become, the more easily we detect how fickle and self-centered we can be. The wiser we become, the more "righteous" we become (thought of as spiritually mature), the more we realize how far from Godliness we are.

Despite his recognition that he hasn't really become very wise, Agur says in verses 8-9: "Remove me far from falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God."

Here is REAL wisdom. After chapters of wisdom comparing the rich and the poor, in which it is generally agreed that to be poor is bad, Agur realizes that it is not good to be EITHER rich or poor. Both have their traps. Both can lead us away from God. What I really appreciate is Agur's realization of the danger of riches. When we are full, when our appetites are satisfied, when we are getting our own way, then we forget God. We think WE did it.

I remember how much prayer and appealing to God was on the news in the days right after 9/11. Even news media were referring to it. (I remember one particularly odd outburst on the day of 9/11 by CNN's Judy Woodward about turning to God, however one understands Him. It sounded like SHE was groping for God, but she didn't know how. I may have been wrong, but it struck me that way.) There were national day of prayer services -- and people CAME! Church attendance soared. We had a need for God. But then came the invasion of Afghanistan. And military victory soon after. We were satisfying ourselves. Church attendance dropped. No more talk of prayer. "We've got it now, God. Sorry to have disturbed you!"

At least it's good to know that this kind of foolishness has been around a very long time!

OK, this isn't from Disciple IV. It being Sunday, a Sunday I preached, it's been one of "those" days, leaving little time to do my Disciple study.

But rather than write nothing today, I thought I would post a devotion from Lamentations 3 that I prepared for our equipping staff retreat this week (I won't be posting Mon or Tues!). Here goes...

The theme of our retreat this year has been Lamentations 3:21-22, which you heard read earlier. I find Lamentations to be one of the most amazing books in the Bible.

First, if you need some decorations for a pity party, look no further. This is the most depressing book. Just listen to some of its verses:

How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal. (Lament. 1:1, NRSV)

God has right on his side. I'm the one who did wrong. [Can you hear the SHAME?] Listen everybody! Look at what I'm going through! (Lament. 1:18, The Message)

I called to my friends; they betrayed me. My priests and my leaders only looked after themselves, trying but failing to save their own skins. (Lament. 1:19-21, The Message)

Oh God, look at the trouble I'm in! My stomach in knots, my heart wrecked by a life of rebellion. Massacres in the streets, starvation in the houses. (Lament. 1:19-21, The Message)

No one listens, no one cares. When my enemies heard of the trouble you gave me, they cheered. Bring on judgment day! Let them get what I got! (Lament. 1:19-21, The Message)

I mean, this stuff is utterly DEPRESSING!

But isn’t it safe to say it describes just the way we feel when...
- not one, not two, but three of our staff members get cancer within a year and two of them die of the disease?
- when a church member gets cancer and we pray for them, and we anoint them, and we celebrate with them when the doctor announces them post-surgically "cancer-free!" and then, a year later, they die from the recurrence of the disease?
- we bust our butts mobilizing to help Hurricane Katrina victims at the Reliant Complex; collect and distributing toys, diapers, food, bottles, clothes, we collect almost $500,000 in cash; we train and organize 700 volunteers to serve food; and then, 2 weeks later, TWO WEEKS LATER!we’re all running from another category 5 storm aimed right at us?
- an addict has been loved and nurtured at Mercy Street, he’s gotten sober and into a life group, he’s even living with a church member. Then, after we’ve poured so much love and trust into him, he steals from the people he’s living with gets high again?
- one partner of a married couple we’ve loved and shared life with suddenly and unexpectedly announces he or she is getting a divorce because there’s been an affair?

I could go on and on. All of these examples are real incidents that happened to us as a church staff recently. Like the writer of Lamentations, we can pour on the "poor, poor, pitiful me" stuff. Life gives us plenty to complain about, plenty to be downright depressed about. And I haven’t even mentioned the constant threats to our well being in the culture around us, stuff like...
- terrorism
- bird flu
- economic inflation and recession
- high oil prices
- apparent government incompetence or uncaring in the wake of disasters
- global warming and the thinning ozone layer
- living on the HIGH side of the hurricane cycle

If I go on – and I could – we would ALL need Liza to give us counseling! All of these are real threats currently around us. I’m not making any of this up.

But then, then, in the very midst of this "pity party" stuff, in the very middle of this depressing list of real life happenings, comes these absolutely AMAZING verses. This INCREDIBLE declaration of faith comes literally sweeping in out of nowhere. Smack dab from the center of all the complaining, and weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, comes this incredible statement:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will HOPE in him." (Lament. 3:22-24, NRSV)

"I will HOPE in Him." You know, they say that hope is stronger than memory. Where does this hope come from? Where in the depths of this pity-party-writing Lamenter does this hope bubble up from? And what I REALLY want to know is – where can I get some?

I don’t want to give you the "Jesus" answer here – you know, the "preacher I know the answer is SUPPOSED to be Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel!" answer. I don’t want to over-simplify here. But we know that this Lamenter, when times got really, really tough, reached down deep, deep into the fortress of his or her faith. It comes from the bedrock belief that no matter how bad things get – and they DO get bad – that God is love. And though we may wail and moan and complain, we will not let go. Because we know that God will not let go. So we will hope in God.

I liked this theme for our retreat when it was first proposed because I find that this weaving in and out of the threads of despair and hope creates a tapestry that looks a lot like work on a church staff. There are incredible highs. And there are unbelievable lows. Often coming one right after the other. There are times when we want to get up on the roof of the church and shout for joy! And there are times when we want to bury our head and hide for days. There are times when we say, "This is the greatest job in the whole wide world! I should be paying the church for allowing me to do this!" And there are times we feel, "They can’t pay me ENOUGH to keep on doing this." This is church work.

Deep down in the bedrock of our souls, down in those unplumbed places where the Lamenter retreated in a time of dark despair, there, there we find faith. Faith like the Apostle Paul had in mind when he said in 1 Corinthians 15:58...

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. (1 Cor. 15:58, The Message)

Yes, hope is indeed stronger than memory.

As we look at chapters 16-31 of Proverbs this week, our author says that while Christians have long associated Wisdom with the Logos, the Word made flesh in Christ, Jewish scholars have understood Wisdom to mean teaching or instruction as embodied in Torah. He suggests we read this week with an eye toward matching the proverbs with the Ten Commandments.

I thought I'd give that a try today with the 1st Commandment, "I am the LORD your God... Worship no god but me." (Deut. 5:6-7, TEV)

The LORD alone is God, the Sovereign, the Almighty One, the Captain of the ship we sail called life. The consequences of this fact are many, according to Proverbs. We may put lots of effort and energy into making our plans – nothing wrong with that – but God, as the Sovereign, always has the last word (16:1, 9, 33). But if we will commit whatever we do to the LORD, He will see to it that our plans succeed (16:3). Most of us usually do what seems right to us at the time, but God – who alone is Almighty – is the One who judges the real motives of our hearts (16:2, 17:3). God, as Sovereign, works things out to achieve HIS goals, not ours. Even the wicked will eventually get theirs (16:4). When we trust in the LORD and live a life that is pleasing to Him, God blesses us and even makes our enemies live at peace with us (16:7, 20).

Has this been your experience?

Still in Proverbs, today we look at chaps 13-15. I see more proverbs extolling the virtues and warning of the vices from yesterday's list, but some additional ones are added:

Respect for the Word/Despising the Word

Hanging out with the wise/Hanging out with the foolish

Disciplining one's children/Sparing the rod

Action/Talk

Truthful witness/Lying witness

Being slow to anger/Having a quick temper

Glad in heart/Sorrowful heart

Yesterday I confessed to being bothered by 12:21. It just seems to be not true in my experience. There is a similar thought expressed in 13:21: "Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous" (NIV). I've seen many a sinner who, for a time at least, prospers. The writer of Psalm 73 was quite troubled by the same observation: "For I was envious of the arrogant: I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people." (Psalm 73:3-5, NRSV)

Proverbs assumes some connection between our character or behavior and the outcomes we experience in life. And in the long haul, my experience would agree. But it doesn't always work out so neatly in the short term. Sometimes the wicked/foolish DO prosper for a season, and the righteous/wise suffer. Biblical faith has always maintained, however, that in the LONG TERM, there is justice (i.e., the Last Judgment).

What do you think?

Today we look at Proverbs chapters 10-12. This begins a new section, for now we're not looking at Wisdom speaking like a parent to a child, but from 10:1-15:33 is a collection called "the Proverbs of Solomon." These are two-line ditties which contrast the way of Wisdom with the way of Foolishness. These can be hard to read in large chunks because there is no narrative story line or even connection between them.

Here's my summary of what values are lifted up as coming from Wisdom, and which are put down as coming from Foolishness:

WISDOM'S WAYS/FOOLISHNESS' WAYS
Careful speech/Loose tongue (including gossip, lying, chattering too much)
Hard work/Laziness
Righteousness/Wickedness

Integrity/Crookedness

Honesty/Falsehood

Aggression/Timidity (11:16; this is surprising!)

Kindness/Cruelty (especially to animals)

Generosity/Stinginess

Trust in God/Trust in riches

Love of discipline/Hatred of discipline

Listening to advice/Spurning advice

I have to say I am puzzled by 12:21 -- "No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble." This is the theology/philosophy espoused by Job's 3 friends, but which is so clearly repudiated in that book. In my Oct 28 post, I said that Proverbs presents life as essentially "fair." But it is not, at least in my experience. Bad things DO happen to good people. "Why?" is a whole 'nother blog!

Be that as it may, to what extent have you found the left side of the above ledger to bring life to your world, and the right side to rob life from it?

In Proverbs, today's reading being chapters 7-9, Wisdom is obviously a good thing to have. In her is life. Without her is Sheol (death). But how does one obtain Wisdom?

Proverbs depicts Wisdom as both actively calling to us ... and as something which we seek out.

CALLING: "Does not Wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 'To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.'" (Prov. 8:1-4)

TO BE SOUGHT: "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me." (Prov. 8:17) The New Testament Book of James would seem to agree ... "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you." (James 1:5)

What has been your experience? When you have a decision to make, does Wisdom "call out" to you? Or do you have to diligently seek the wise choice? Or is it a little of both? I suspect that we don't often see the wise choice until we're looking back, and by then, the wise choice seems obvious. "How could I have missed that!" we moan.

My apologies for the long interlude between posts. Since my last post, I've: 1) Endured the trauma of Hurricane Rita. (We attempted to evacuate. Drove 15 hours and got 60 miles north. We spent the storm at First UM Church, Montgomery, just outside of Conroe. It only took us 1 hour to return home. It was a terrifying experience, even though the storm eventually went east of us.) 2) Made trips to San Diego for a niece's wedding and a two-week trip to France with the church's learning ministry.

But I'm back and settled down now. In Disciple IV we're beginning a look at the Book of Proverbs.

The core theological claim of Proverbs, one of 3 "wisdom literature" books in the OT (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes), is that fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, or wisdom. The theology of Proverbs -- which never mentions the Exodus, or Jerusalem, or the Temple, or the usual key stuff of OT theology -- is grounded in creation. Divine revelation in Proverbs is for the most part embedded in the created world. To discern the order "built in" to creation, and reflected in the social order, and to learn to live within that order, is both wisdom and righteousness.

Here's something to ponder -- Proverbs presents life as essentially "fair." (Something another wisdom literature book, Job, takes issue with.) Life is better for those who are wise, righteous, and diligent than it is for those who are foolish, wicked, and lazy. Job will argue and say that EVEN WHEN you are wise, righteous, and diligent, life can stink.

One can certainly understand both arguments. A mother looks out the door and sees one of her son's friends chatting on the street with a beautiful neighbor woman (Prov. 7:6-27) The mother knows this woman's husband is away on business. She sees her take the boy by the hand and go into the house. They don't come out. The mother knows what is going on. And she knows what pain is lurking at the door of their lives. So she urges her son to avoid such a path. "Do this and pain will result, don't do this, and avoid such pain." There's truth in that. And yet, just this week, a 32-year old, church-going high school principle with epilepsy had a seizure while taking a bath and drowned. Where is the fairness in that?

What has been your experience? Is life fair? Is life better for you when you make wise choices?

10 Days Since Last Blog!
Where HAS the time gone? Maybe I can be forgiven since we've been through a full-scale hurricane evacuation since I last posted! After cancelling Bible study, and doing the best we could to prepare our house for the then-category 5 storm headed right for us, we left Wednesday night at midnight, headed for our daughter's house in Arlington, TX. That trip would normally take around 4 1/2 hours. But after 15 hours of GRUELING travel, we were only about 65 miles north of where we started. We ended up taking shelter at Montgomery United Methodist Church, along with about 50 other stranded motorists, most of whom spoke no English. The folks at MUMC did a TERRIFIC and GRACE-FILLED job of welcoming and housing us. It was great to be a United Methodist.

As I woke up Friday morning, I couldn't get over the irony that one week ago I was helping Katrina evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Now, I am one.

Tomorrow I leave for San Diego and a family wedding, and from there it's on to Paris, France with our Learning Ministry. I'll post again on this Disciple IV blog when I return.

Can Historical Inspiration Be More Than Spin?

1 Chronicles 13-18: The bringing of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, a psalm of praise, God's covenant with David to establish his throne forever, David extends the boundaries of the kingdom. If you compare this account with that in 1 Samuel, gone are David's adultery with Bathsheba. Gone is Absolom's rebellion. Spotlighted is David the shepherd king, concerned about his people.

Was the Chronicler simply a "paid hack," attempting to "spin" the news to put his boss in the best possible light? (Sounds like something that might happen today.) Or was he simply trying to paint with a whitewash historical brush?

The Chronicler had a different purpose. If our author is right is saying that the Chronicler wrote much later in the history of Israel, that this book was written to encourage those returning to Israel from exile in Babylon, then he is claiming David's kingdom is the ideal and the gold standard for rulers so that Israel could again be great. If Israel would learn lessons from its past, the future could be bright. There are key historical details left out, yes, but this is more than face-saving "spin."

I can't help but think of those returning from "exile" back to New Orleans. What would encourage them? An honest accounting of the failures of their government leaders to prepare? An accurate assesment of how many died? A brutally honest calculation of how much rain the levees in their present condition can hold back? Probably not. What the returnees need is encouragement. Jazz music. Neighbors to greet. The lights to stay on. And maybe just a little bit of nostalgia about the old days of New Orleans' greatness. Then, if New Orleans would learn lessons from its past, the future could be bright.

The Genealogies of 1 Chronicles (Cont'd)
Whew, more genealogies (chaps 7-12). I notice that wedged in the midst of all the Chronicler's "begats" are little tidbits of life. Buried in the begats are all the little stories of people, like Jabez, who had to live as one named by his mother "pain in my neck!" In chap 7, in between some begats, is the story of a battle between the people of Gath and Ephraim's sons over some ... cattle. Ephraim's sons died. Not the first time someone died in a robbery as life plays out. So a father mourns his children. Lots of little tidbits about the lives of people who were a part of some bigger picture. Just a little bit of the life of ordinary people can be seen oozing through the lens of the big picture story. And in it all is God.

I volunteered at the George R. Brown Center yesterday. My job was hauling laundry and used bedding for evacuees who were "moving on up," mostly into their own apartments. I had a chance to talk with several evacuees of Hurricane Katrina and hear their stories. Two fathers , Edward and Alvin, had sent their families out of New Orleans ahead of the storm. Both endured a harrowing night of terror in their homes. Both came to Houston in search of their families. Alvin told me he didn't know where his family was. The George R. Brown was the first shelter he came to. Not knowing his family's whereabouts, he walked inside and starting calling his children's names. Suddenly, he heard, "Daddy!" Just a little bit of the life of ordinary people seen oozing through the lens of the big picture story. And God is in it.

A woman whose name I can't now remember worked at New Orleans Children's Hospital. I helped her pack up her brand "new" $1,500-car as she made her way to her newly assigned apartment. She was excited about beginning a new life in Houston. Just a little bit of the life of ordinary people can be seen oozing through the lens of the big picture story. And God is in it.

Edward had been waiting for days to receive his housing assignment. The call came as we sat and talked. "You're good luck, man!" he said to me. Just a little bit of the life of ordinary people can be seen oozing through the lens of the big picture story. And God is in it.

The Genealogies of 1 Chronicles (Yuck!)
Today we read 1 Chron. 1-6, which is part of the larger section of chaps. 1-9 which contain a long, very long (!), extended genealogy of Israel. It's always a challenge to extract some meaning out of all the "begats," whether here or in the Gospel According to Matthew. (Although the so-called "Prayer of Jabez" occurs in this section, 4:9-10.)

What purpose does all this "begat-remembering" serve? Most scholars believe the Chronicles (originally, one book) was written when Israel had returned from its exile in Babylon. The questions on everyone's mind were: Who are we? Are we still the people of God? What do God's promises to David and Solomon mean for us today? The genealogy section, long as it is, tries to establish the unity of Israel. Israel is one people, God's people, divided as they have become.

I read yesterday on CNN.com that a federal judge in San Francisco has once again ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because of its inclusion of the phrase "under God." This, the court ruled, is an unconstitutional establishment of religion. (Read about it here: http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/14/pledge.ruling.ap/index.html.) In some ways, I wonder if we, the American people, are asking the same questions as Israel. Who are we? What do the beliefs of the American founding fathers (and mothers) have to do with us? (I recognize that the phrase" under God" was not part of the original pledge, but was added in the 1950's. But still, my questions stand.) Now that we are becoming a country with no majority culture, can we still be "e pluribus unum," out of many, one, as the Chronicler said of Israel?

The Chronicler attempted to answer Israel's questions by saying, "Yes, we ARE still the people of God. God's promises BACK THEN are STILL God's promises to us. We are linked to those promises through this genealogy."

Maybe we need a long American genealogy!

Thoughts on Psalm 146

In "Disciple IV," we have a Psalm that we spend the entire week of study with. This week, it is Psalm 146.

"Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! ...(God) executes justice for the oppressed; (God) gives food for the hungry... The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow... The LORD will reign forever... Praise the LORD!"

It's hard NOT to read this week's material on Ruth, and this Psalm, in light of the events in the storm-stricken areas and in light of what's happening here in Houston. Reading these same passages at other times in life, I get different thoughts. But I guess that's part of the beauty of reading Scripture -- it seems to speak into all of life.

I was really troubled the other day to hear of a very serious fight that broke out between New Orleans high school students and local students at an HISD school. Apparently, the fight was bad enough to put 3 in the hospital. I have no clue what it was about. Some sort of gang turf thing? Simple teenage rivalry? Who knows!

As I read this Psalm, I hear that God works to lift up those who are bowed down. God watches over the stranger. But the way of the wicked, God will bring to ruin. What a contrast to that news story. I am dismayed when I hear stories like that. How does God react?

A Tainted Genealogy
The story of Ruth ends with the birth of baby Obed, who, we're told, will become the grandfather of King David. The genealogy looks forward to the birth of David and backward to Perez and -- remarkably -- shows that neither of Obed's parents has an impeccable line of descent! Ruth is a foreigner, a Moabite, whose ancestry is traced back to an incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters (Gen. 19). Boaz is descended from an illicit union between Judah and his Canaanite daughter-in-law, Tamar (Gen. 38). In Matthew, we learn that Boaz' mother was Rahab, the harlot from Jericho (Josh. 2:1-21).The point of all this is not to discredit David but to emphasize the grace of God that is offered before any human action or worthiness. God chooses to use those who seem unqualified according to human standards of judgment to accomplish God's purposes in the world.We human beings get ourselves into all sorts of bad situations because of our inability to control sexual desire. Witness President Clinton as a recent historical example. And it happens closer to home all the time. My tendency is to want to shun these people because they have shunned God's holiness. "Be ye holy as I am holy." I feel like I'm defending God's ways when I do this. Yet, incredibly, here is the story of God working God's way IN SPITE of all this illicit begatting going on!! God chooses to use those who seem unqualified according to human standards of judgment to accomplish God's purposes in the world. Maybe God doesn't need my defending!

As it happened...
Naomi is bitter. She feels the Lord has dealt harshly with her. She went away full, but came back empty. She is bitter.

And she has reason to be. She left Bethlehem (house of bread) in a famine. Left house and property. She lost her husband. She lost her two babies. Life has been harsh to Naomi.

But imbedded deeply in the harshness are signs of Emmanuel, "God with us." First, there were her two daughters-in-law, especially Ruth, who is loyal beyond reason. When the two women return to Bethlehem, Naomi in her bitterness, the author hints that no matter how bitter the circumstances, there is always hope: "They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest." (1:22) Harvest time is always a time of hope, and barley was the first crop harvested. Things are about to get better.

The signs of hope get better for Naomi the bitter. Ruth goes out to glean in the fields. The scripture reports, almost tongue-in-cheek, "As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz..." Co-incidence? Just dumb luck? Must be, for Naomi has it in her head that God is out for her. But I find God in that phrase. "As it happened..."

I've had so many "as it happened..." incidents in my life. String enough of them together, and the hand of God becomes visible. And our bitterness turns sweet. I suppose that is the point!

When was your last "as it happened..." moment with God?

The Book of Ruth
Today we read the entire book of Ruth. The story is not really about Ruth, and certainly not about "you should be more loving like Ruth." She is quite admirable, and there's value in learning from any admirable person, certainly. But the story is not about Ruth.

The story is about NAOMI and her redemption from bitterness.

"Naomi" means "sweet" or "pleasant" in Hebrew. Yet her experience losing her husband and two sons in the land of Moab reduced her to bitterness. "Call me Mara," she says, which means bitter. Ruth's extraordinary faithfulness is the instrument God uses to "redeem" (a word that appears 20 times in the 85 verses of this story) Naomi from bitterness through the birth of the child named Obed, who would turn out to be the grandfather of David.

I can't help but read this through eyes filled with images of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States. A mere 2 or 3 degree deflection to the west, and it could have been Houston. Certainly, there are those who share the devastation Naomi experienced. Property left behind. Husbands gone. Wives torn away. Sons and daughters dead or missing. My daughter, Michelle, is torn up over the number of pets separated from their owners. There is all the blaming going on. Was it racism? Incompetence? Just bad luck? There is plenty of bitterness to go around. To some extent, we are all Naomi.

Yet this story would say to us that it is through extraordinary acts of kindness and faithfulness that our bitterness will be redeemed. It is absolutely amazing to me -- and hopeful, too -- that 30,000 people in the faith community in Houston (Christian, Jew, Moslem, Hindu, and "other") turned out last weekend at Second Baptist Church to be trained how to wash our thumbs so that we could serve food to the evacuees in the George R. Brown Convention Center, which now numbers just 1,300 folks. 30,000 people willing to extend acts of kindness to 1,300. So much food and clothing has been donated that the city warehouses filled up in just days.

Let's pray that God would again use Ruth-like acts of kindness to redeem Naomi's bitterness.