Lenten Devotionals: Supporting the Spiritual and the Physical [Week 5]

Part of my Lenten discipline this year is going through The Thoughtful Christian (TTC)“Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem” Bible study and, as part of that, sharing my thoughts with you all based on the Scripture for the week and the study itself. A lot of this is just personal reflection, but I hope that maybe you can gain a little insight into your own faith and how these themes and ideas may apply to you, the larger community, the Christian church, and the world today. Click the following to see my reflections from Week 1 (Part 1 and Part 2), Week 2 and Weeks 3 & 4.

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This week's reading: John 12:1-8

Perhaps you see what you are looking for, but I found it really crazy (in a good, albeit bizarre, way) that I just pondered over what we are to do about our devotion to holy places in relation to what we do (or, as I have sometimes seen it, what we don’t do) in devotion to holy people...and then I read this study. Yes, it’s week five and I’m a little behind (which you might have noticed with the bombardment of all my Lenten blog posts; but I really did read most of them on the prescribed week, honest) but I’m glad this timing worked out. My previous post, Fleshing out the Temple, primed me to have questions already swimming around in my brain about the whole issue.

On to the study. Before I start, I want to disclaim that with this post, as with the others, most of the thoughts contained are either directly, or indirectly, from the Thoughtful Christian study which I recommend you look at yourself. I’ve tried to make mention at specific ideas that come from the study, and then note where my own thoughts come in, but I fear I may not have done the best job at it. Any plagiarism that may have arisen is completely unintended; I give credit to the study’s author, Michael A. Lindvall, who really has done an excellent job putting together this six part study. I will be looking to see if he’s done any other studies with The Thoughtful Christian company and I’ll let you know, if you’re interested.

Initial thoughts on the Passage

Basically, my initial thoughts when back to the questions I have pondered before about whether or not there are instances in which we should buy the “expensive perfumes” instead of “giving the money to the poor”. Whether or not Judas is genuine in his care about this issue, he raises a question that I would love answered. Not that throwing money at a problem makes it disappear (holy smokes is that a great topic for another post someday; I say that a lot, don’t I?), but I struggle with the idea of giving more money to our “upkeep” than giving it to those places that need it (and it frustrates me a lot when we argue and get so worked up with each other over the issues of the former, too).

On a completely unrelated note, the story made me wonder about Judas. I’m not saying what Judas did was good, but I often feel he gets a really bad rep. I mean, yes, he betrayed Christ and handed him over to get crucified (or, Satan took over his body; this is all so confusing), but I wonder what he was like before that, in the early days. Of course, the Bible paints him out to be a pretty nasty dude, but then again, you can’t really describe him as a nice guy who just “happened” to kill our Savior, our God. Was he really any worse than the other meanies and sinners in the Gospels? Is he any more to blame for what happened that any of us for our sinfulness?

In trying to grab some answers out of the passage (not that answers always come, but I certainly look for them; don’t we all?), I came to the realization that, even though it may not seem to be the most efficient in my eyes, Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet seems to be an extreme act of faith. She anoints, smears with perfumed oil, the one who is the Anointed One. “Messiah” literally translates as, “anointed one”. In one way, Mary is using all of that perfume to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah.

We Are Kinda Closet-Gnostics

The Thoughtful Christian study begins talking about the early Christian tradition started by the Gnostic community which was refuted by many of our early Church leaders and theologians. Nonetheless, what they had to stay has survived even until today and influences how we view our lives. Based on what TTC study has to say, here is a very simple breakdown of some of what the Gnostics believed and the implications thereof:

-There is a divide between the spiritual and the physical; the spiritual is intrinsically good and the physical is intrinsically bad.

This division leads to some interesting theological conclusions: 

-Since a God that is completely good could not have made something intrinsically bad, some other being, supernatural yet lesser than the Supreme God, must have created the Universe. Physical == bad and God =/= bad; therefore, God cannot make the physical Creation.

-A God that was all good would never come into a physical human body; that’s insulting and against this good God’s nature. Therefore, Jesus was not actually physical, but only appeared to have a physical body.

The Gnostics were SUPER spiritual, but “antimaterial”.

(I find the theological conclusions kind of funny because instead of saying that the physical could be good, the Gnostic tradition would need to bring in the need for a sub-god creator, and explaining away the Incarnation. Then again, I have the benefit of many centuries of theologians preparing these thoughts and context for me.)

The solution is...?

So then, while I don’t believe in theory what the Gnostics said about spiritual=good, physical=bad, sometimes I act like it. The paradox still lingers: How do I incorporate my belief that we should enjoy good food, travel, the five senses, etc. with the belief that others should have those same desires (or, whatever they want that is more needed/desired) met?

Conveniently, Lindquist gives three answers for how we can “deal” with the combination of the material and physical. The first two seem to be nice packages tied up with string but not completely filling. An delicious turkey sans stuffing, if you will.

He says first we can deal with the physical by addressing it in moderation (which, as we can guess, is relative to every person; what is moderate consumption in the top economic tier in the States is different than what is moderate in the lowest economic tier in the States is different than moderate for the middle-class in Afghanistan, etc, etc).

Secondly, we need to remember and acknowledge that the physical won’t fill us completely. There is a part of us that will only be complete when occupied with God. Of course, don’t let the physical become our idol. This is nice, but seems somewhat unhelpful.

The third answer Lindquist offers up is the most helpful place for me in this whole discussion, someplace I may set up a tent and stay for a while: offer up what we have and turn it back towards God. Like Mary, we can use what we have and offer it to God. TTC says, “She uses a material loveliness and sensuous act to give glory to God.”

This answer, while the most satisfying for me, still doesn’t answer it all. Even if we offer it up to God, is that what God wants? Does God want my money to go towards this building I use to worship God in (I pick on the use of buildings, but there are many things this could be) or does God want it to go towards that food pantry?

It reminds me of some recent controversy over a charity organization; there was question into what percentage of their budget went towards staff salary, media and public relations, and what went directly to the people they were trying to help on the ground.

I can imagine church leaders reading this now and hoping their fellow congregants don’t take what I’m saying too strongly and stop giving money to their building funds. I’m not calling for that! I’m just saying we should question how we steward our money, even if it ends up being that we use it in the same way. Obviously, there has to be time and resources put into keeping an organization running if that organization plans to produce anything. It's like pastoral care- as a pastor, you can't always give 100% without taking time to refuel, relax, and fill up your own emotional and physical reserves. It seems a bit similar with money, I suppose: we can't give 100% of it away and then expect it to just keep coming in without any organization behind getting it there.

I’ll end by quoting the study directly, as it explains some ways in which the material can give glory to God:

Do the material things in your life turn you away from the Creator or toward the Creator? Enjoyed in moderation, material things, objects of beauty, art, even the strange fruit of technology--automobiles, computers, toasters, and iPods--can give God glory if you mean that they should. Music, for instance, can glorify the performer, or it can glorify God. Lovely things, objects of art, should not glorify the artist, much less the owner, but should glorify God, the First Artist. Rightly cooked and carefully enjoyed, good food glorifies the God of Earth and Harvest, not the cook. Good architecture glorifies God, the Great Architect. A new organ--all those material pipes and valves and electromagnetic connections--can glorify God, the Music at the Heart of the Universe. Central Park on a glorious day can glorify God. Good design gives God glory. Good coffee glorifies the Creator. Thoughtful office furniture, a whimsical pair of shoes, all rightly fashioned and graciously received, can glorify God. Even sex, faithfully expressed, can glorify the God who seems to have devised it.

What material, physical items or acts do you use to bring glory to God?

Lenten Devotions: Repent, Mercy, and Seeking Each Other Out [Weeks 3 & 4]

Part of my Lenten discipline this year is going through The Thoughtful Christian (TTC)“Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem” Bible study and, as part of that, sharing my thoughts with you all based on the Scripture for the week and the study itself. A lot of this is just personal reflection, but I hope that maybe you can gain a little insight into your own faith and how these themes and ideas may apply to you, the larger community, the Christian church, and the world today. Click the following to see my reflections from Week 1 (Part 1 and Part 2) and Week 2.

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Well, I ended up doing the third and fourth Thoughtful Christian studies around the same time, and prepared to blog about them at the same time, too. Not surprisingly, I confused myself and meshed the ideas together. So the following is actually two studies pushed together. Looking back, they make much more sense to me used right next to each other, but they weren’t intended completely that way. For the sake of space, then, I will give you the links to the two Bible passages (NRSV) and what my Lutheran Study Bible uses for their subtitles:

Luke 13:1-9 (Repent or Perish; The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree)

Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32 (The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother)

Luke 13

At first, I didn’t understand how the first part of this part of Luke 13 fit in with the second half of that passage; or, perhaps it’s more honest to say I didn’t like how I initially fit them together. But we can’t just ignore the passages that make us uncomfortable, can we?

The answer is “no, we can’t.” I saw you thinking about it for a second! Yes, it would be nice and make things much less complicated...but being a Christian isn’t always a stroll down easy street.

Verses 1-5 are a bit of a downer, I think. Some people were talking to Jesus about their current events and how some bad things happened to some people and Jesus wakes us up to let us know that those people who suffered...they deserved it no more than we do. Stop trying to justify why bad things happened to these people, trying to figure out “why” they deserved it, and repent.

Bam. Jesus words. They always get me. Mainly because they are so true. Word to the Word’s words (a little John 1/modern slang humor, there).

The Thoughtful Christian Bible study lays it out pretty convictingly: Can any of us deny that, oftentimes, when we hear about someone getting hurt, maybe in an accident, and the first thing we want to know is whose fault it was? Was the driver speeding? Were they drunk? Were they too young/old? My Dad use to always joke when I was a kid that we have to lay blame and then we can move on. We do it, though, because it gives us some sense of comfort that there is a cause-and-effect pattern that we can use to control our lives. If we follow this set of rules, there will be this outcome. If we don’t smoke we shouldn’t get lung cancer; if you do smoke and get lung cancer, then somehow you had it coming.

But that’s where Jesus steps in and says, nope, we’re all in the same boat. Either we all deserve the bad, or no one does. I am not better than you, and we are not worse than anyone else. Life isn’t fair. If it was, we’d all be in the same boat.

Jesus goes from this first idea into the parable of in which a man tells his vineyard’s caretaker that the vine not bearing fruit should be cut down. Yet the caretaker asks for one more year to see if something can be produced. Mercy.

This last part was what really caught my attention in the passage. As much as I, too, look for control from a cause-and-effect style justice, I am so thankful for the concept of mercy. Probably because I realize how much I have benefitted from merciful friends, family, and co-workers. Imagine if we were to start acting merciful in more areas of our lives? Whoa. Is your mind blown at how much more love there could be going around?

Luke 15 Passage

A few quick points from The Thoughtful Christian study that I won’t elaborate on for the sake of not making this post unbearably long (and also my own attention span writing it), but that I think are worth noting.

--The parable draws some attention “to the unwillingness of ostensibly righteous people to welcome those who they believe to have placed themselves outside the reach of God’s grace.

--We can interpret the younger son’s thoughts upon returning to his father as rather self-serving, although his planned words give a tone of “genuine repentance”.

One of the coolest points, I got out of studying this parable, though was that whether or not the younger son was truly sorry or not (and prepare yourself- this is AWESOME) the father doesn’t even get to hear what his son planned to say. As the study says, “The father is not just waiting; he is apparently searching the horizon, and at the first hint of his lost son’s return, he becomes proactive in unbecoming extreme. Judaism, even Pharisaical Judaism, made plenty of room for those who confessed their sins to be forgiven and welcomed home. But the act of running, the embrace before confession is ever offered, the ring, the robe, and the fatted calf seem overly indulgent.”

What!? I will be the first to admit that when someone hurts or wrongs me, I want an apology, in clear action if not in word. I want some type of tangible repentance at that exact moment, as well as in their actions in the future. I have a feeling I’m not alone, too.

How often have we conditioned someone being welcome (back) in our churches or our view of who is included in Christ’s salvation requires their repentance (even if it is something we  view as a sin, but they do not)? I know, I know-- some of you will refer me to passages such as Acts 2:38, in which Peter says “Repent, and be baptized...so that your sins may be forgiven...” And if we look back to earlier in our readings here to Luke 13, Jesus says “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” And yet, while we are initially told we all need to repent, a few chapters later we are shown by Jesus that it’s a little more nuanced than what we may imagine: before the son can repent, his father welcomes him back into the fold and celebrates. Not even that but the father is *searching the horizon* to bring back his son. 

WHOA AGAIN! How often have I searched for the person who has hurt me in order to bring them back into community with me? Answer: not nearly as much as I should have. What if, when that person on the church committee you’re on really ticks you off, you sought them out? Maybe give each other some time to cool down, but then actually talk about it, regardless of whether you will agree afterwards.

This all blows my mind. I love it! Go Jesus! These are the ideas that encourage me and get me pumped about the Body of Christ.

Now, I’m not saying there isn’t a need or call for repentance and the act of formally forgiving someone (in fact, I think, ideally, we should repent a lot more with the accountability of our friends and family, but that’s for another post), but I’m saying it’s bigger than that (isn’t it always? But at the same time, it is all so simple: love). It’s all characterized by love.

The study goes on to say that this idea is quite scandalous, it speaks “of a grace too excessive to make sense, the scandal of a God who is beyond ‘fair’.

My study went on to explain that some of the above, and what our natural/cultural/less-than-divine instincts may be telling us is that, like the Older Brother, who stayed by his father the whole time, we have a “desire that our father should love us because we deserve to be loved, our hope that he would love us because we were loyal and worked hard and did the right thing from the beginning.” Our reaction, however grateful for the grace extended to the Young Son, is that it’s not fair. At some point or another we’ve identified with the Older Brother who has seemingly done everything right, only to see someone who put in less work/screwed up major/has bad intentions/[insert how you’ve been hurt here] get the same love or recognition that you deserve, or sometimes more. And we’re right, “it’s not fair; it’s better than fair.”

It reminds me of hearing someone, somewhere explain that we all call for a “just” God, but what we really want, when it comes to ourselves, is a God of mercy and compassion. I think about this in the context of Palestine. I want justice for the Palestinian people, but I pray that justice is tempered with compassion and mercy.

To end, I’ve included the son “If We Are the Body” by Casting Crowns which I thought of while writing parts of this post, particularly about seeking out each other on the horizon to bring us together as one Body of Christ and how we, like the Older Son, sometimes judge who is “worthy” of this family.

Jesus paid much too high a price

for us to pick and choose who should come.

And we are the Body of Christ.

Lenten Devotions: The Cross [Week 2]

Part of my Lenten discipline this year is going through The Thoughtful Christian (TTC)“Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem” Bible study and, as part of that, sharing my thoughts with you all based on the Scripture for the week and the study itself. A lot of this is just personal reflection, but I hope that maybe you can gain a little insight into your own faith and how these themes and ideas may apply to you, the larger community, the Christian church, and the world today. Click the following to see my reflections from Week 1, Our Temptations: Part 1 and Part 2. I started this post immediately after doing the study, but then forgot about it (oops!). Thus, it is very short. But worry not, I make up for it in the next four studies ;)

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This week’s study is based on the Luke 13:31-35

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ 32He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’

Initial Reaction

Upon first reading the passage for this week, I could only say, "whoa"! I'm usually not a fan of taking Scripture out of context and applying it directly to a current situation with very little study, but I immediately thought to my context in Jerusalem and the West Bank/Palestine and, in particular, the recent Christ at the Checkpoint conference held here in Bethlehem. I recently posted on hearing Shane Claiborne speak at the conference. What you may not know, however, is how much flack the conference, its organizers, and speakers got for the event they put on. I recommend reading this very interesting article from Ma'an News, and the 2012 Press Release and conference manifesto. There were charges of speakers being anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli, pro-terrorist, but as someone who both attended and reviewed such claims (in fact, I posted a tweet on Twitter about something Shane Claiborne said received a reply tweet from someone who wanted to claim that Claiborne, a non-violence peace activist, was somehow extremely anti-Semitic and pro-Hitler...which is so far from the truth) I can assure you that the Christ at the Checkpoint conference included various evangelical Christian perspectives (Messianic Jewish and Palestinian Christians alike) and had an overarching theme of non-violent resistance (the images of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were brought up many times, for what it's worth). Anyway, my main point is that there was certainly an element of people trying to squash the prophetic voice of the Palestinian Christians, who spoke about both the Occupation as well as problems their own churches face. I couldn't help but think of how attempts were made to kill this prophetic voice and stone those who are sent to it (I talked to a couple from the States who were criticized for making the trip over). I'm not saying there aren't things to be criticized about what some of the speakers said, but I am saying that using the same false accusations that all  Palestinians are a threat to our safety and therefore have nothing to contribute to the conversation about their own fate and how we live together in this world doesn't seem too Christ-like. Just sayin.

Fleshing out the Temple

For the past seven months I've been mulling over the idea of "sacred space" and what value holy sites have for us as Christians, as well as their place in our discipleship. I haven't come up with any clear answer, or even fully summarized my thoughts for my own benefit. Perhaps when I get back home I can give you a better wrapped idea. Until then, I'll keep collecting ingredients to add to the stew.

A cathedral I visited in Belgium, near Ipres.

Enter: the following poem. I stumbled upon this poem written by Jonathan Martin, a Pentecostal preacher from North Carolina. He wrote it in response to visiting some cathedrals in Europe and it looks at the idea of the t/Temples. Not that Pastor Jonathan brings up this idea, but do we sometimes believe (in action, if not in theory) that God inhabits our "holy places" more than our bodies? In my present context, should we care as much about the Divine inhabiting our buildings as we do about our God existing in our bodies?

(Yes, this is particularly relevant for me, living in the "Holy Land", but it is equally important for those of us in the States with our concerns, often legitimate, for our church buildings. How should we care about our bodily temples? Our brick-and-mortar ones? Are they equal? Do we treat some better than others? This hits close to home, I know. But these are things we must talk about, whether or not we come to an agreement on what it all means.)

Enjoy the poem; I hope it gives you as much to think about as it has for me.



It is only good and proper that a deity so great
would demand a temple as great as we can build you.
We are well suited for this,
as our species is quite partial to building buildings.
We build cathedrals of stone and gold,
able to survive the centuries,
even a good sacking from the Vikings now and again.
We build sports arenas with state of the art sound and lightning,
able to change the ambiance at a moment’s notice.
We can do gymnasiums and multi-purpose rooms.
We can do kneeling benches or stadium seating.
Both if you like.


Yet in our buildings you are restless, unsettled, agitated,
Even buildings intended for your rest chafe you like the coarsest of ropes.
Indeed for all splendor, your taste in real estate remain most peculiar.
For where we are partial to buildings, you are partial to bodies.
Where we are partial to houses, you are partial to housing within us.


This is curious, even disturbing.
For while our buildings are hardly indestructible,
compared to our bodies they seem almost impervious.
Bodies of such eclectic sounds and smells and colours,
bodies that are shocking in their simplicity and their sophistication.
Bodies that are fearfully and wonderfully made perhaps,
Yet bodies so fragile and finite.
Bodies that we are so at home in,
Bodies we can’t begin to understand.


These bodies that house and enable
All of this heartbreak
All of this tenderness
All of this temptation
All of this affection
All of this DNA
All of this chemistry
All of this duplicity
All of this blood
All of this bone
All of this marrow
All of this joy
All of this brokenness
All of this wanting, aching, hurting, dying;
All of this hoping, rejoicing, receiving, living.


How could it be that you are so infinitely interested
in all of this breathing and digesting and touching?
That you could be so enamored with these bodies you made,
not merely to call us art, but to make us a shrine?
To take these fragile tents
and make a temple of the Holy Ghost?

Palm Sunday

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

In our Gospel readings that usually fall on Palm Sunday, this verse (or condensed sentiment of verses) refers to Jesus [as far as I know, I'll admit I haven't gone back to the Greek translation on this one yet]. Yet today I experienced this in a broader way: Blessed are those who carry the name of Christ.

I worshipped at the Lutheran Church in Beit Jala today and was thrilled to experience a local Palestinian tradition. Like many of us at home in the States, the children processed in with palms, but these were no dinky leafs. These were palm frond sculptures. 

The children processed in with their palm leaves. If you look carefully the palms are at least two feet tall and hold carnations (and have candy in them as well)!

After church I went to a family's house for lunch. This family has invited me and the other volunteers over for lunch quite a few times and they are such a blessing. They have really become friends, and showed me today how "blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord".

After a full day of visiting with this family, playing games (Dutch Blitz, anyone?), much laughter, and some delicious knafeh (basically melted salty-mozzerella-like cheese covered with what I can best describe as the stuff you put in baklava), I returned home. 

I then heard one of the more beautiful Muslim call to prayers I've heard this year, which is saying a lot since they are often quite wonderful to hear. I'm not entirely sure why this particular prayer was being sung, as it wasn't one of the five usual times to hear the prayer, but it was amazing. Since it wasn't a regular call to prayer time it wasn't competing with the sounds of other minarets. I was so moved by the sound (and knowing that it is a prayer to God gives me chills) I went out to my porch to attempt to capture it. The following video is a short snippet of the prayer, with the bleating interjections of a sheep nearby. [As an aside, I've gotten a kick out of hearing this particular sheep, or goat, the past week or so. There aren't usually sheep nearby my house, so I think this may be an Easter sheep. Or, it could be that it is finally getting warm enough for this sheep to be out wherever it is. I suppose I will find out in a couple weeks...] The low audio quality doesn't do the experience justice, but then again, any recording can't capture the beauty of this prayer; it was quite sublime.

I hope you all had a blessed Palm Sunday (and April Fools Day) and that you experience our Divine Creator in the most unexpected of ways this Holy Week. As for me, I will be doing so through the two-part Jesus Christ Superstar album (which was actually a present from my Confirmation mentor).

It's Spring, right?

I just learned the Arabic word for Spring yesterday: ربيع (rah beeya).


Slightly ironic since the weather lately has been less than "Springy" (it hailed on Tuesday). Nonetheless, it's starting to feel more and more like the warmer weather is coming about, and you know what that means! BABY ANIMALS!

I haven't really seen that many baby animals, yet, but I did catch a glimpse of new life today. My host brother knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted to see something. Somehow I instinctively knew what he was going to show me...KITTENS!

Ok, ok. Those of you who know me well know that I'm not exactly a cat person (ask me to tell you about my saving Barnaby/Eleanor story sometime, though). Don't get me wrong, I love animals and think they are a wonderful, blessed part of Creation...but I just don't trust cats. I think a far more realistic film than "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" would be "Rise of the Planet Ruled by Cats". Yet, until they come to the age of understanding, baby cats are adorable. Who wouldn't want to cuddle one...unless you're allergic.

Anywho, here are some pictures from around the house of the family pets. I'm not sure you can consider the rabbits "pets", but I don't know that they are food either (I've never been around when there has been rabbit for lunch/dinner). If that thought bothers you, just pretend they are Easter rabbits that lay colored eggs. That's what I do ;)

Are those new leaf buds I see?! Looking in you can just barely see the little fuzzy ball that is the white kitten.

I don't want to name the kittens and get too attached, but this one may be called "Flopsy". There are three, you can guess the other two's names.

Bella, who has her winter coat making her about double her normal size.  She's pretty adorable, and my favorite part is that she doesn't bark incessantly at 2am like some of the other local pooches!

Easter bunnies! No, really. (Ohhhh...bad pun.) As I was checking out the kittens, Grandpa came out to feed the rabbits fresh lettuce. They were hoppy. (Never-ending puns!)

Shades of Gray

I have been thinking a lot about the burden of knowledge, lately. I think this quote sums up where I am at the moment:

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

America?

Today, as I was leaving the school, one of the first graders I often help in class came up to me, very excited:

"Miss Courtney, Miss Courtney!"

"Marhaba, shu?" (Hello, what?)

"America?!"

"Uh...ah...ana min America...min New Yo---" (Uh, yes, I'm from America...from New Yo--)

The boy then proceeded to talk about 500 words per minute, something which I'm sure had to do with the fact that I am from America. Don't have the slightest clue what it was, but I'm really excited that he was so excited about something that had to do with me.


One of the moments in which I realize, daily, how blessed I am to be here in Palestine  :)

"But we're not talking about that..."

This morning on the way to school, one of the teachers was telling us about her weekend. She had gone to visit Jerusalem--this is a big deal.

For Palestinian's to visit Jerusalem, even East Jerusalem, which is technically West Bank territory, they need a permit. Most are only able to get day short-term permits, which means that every time they want to go into Jerusalem they need permission from the Israeli government. Sometimes my friends are lucky and get permission, sometimes they are not; no matter what, a drive only 20 minutes away (I could easily walk across the border from my usual stomping grounds in Bethlehem). So, I was excited for this teacher was able to go to Jerusalem, it's a big deal.

She had gone with a friend who wanted to try and find her old house. Twenty years ago they had been moved out by the Israeli government, like many other Palestinians made refugees in their own country. When the two women went back to this area to find out where the house was now, they couldn't find it.

Imagine that: you are moved out of your home, perhaps where your family has lived for longer than family memory, and you can't recognize your home when you finally go back to visit it. I could tell you the house I lived in before my family moved to New York and we lived there less than 10 years, and I was only alive for three of them. How much more important, then, would it be to have the ability to go back and visit, or even recognize, your ancestral home?

One of the laides got into a discussion with a store owner over this fact. The fact that Palestinians had been driven out of their homes, sometimes promised the ability to return. They left their homes and most, if not all, of their possessions. They still hold refugee cards, and bear the scars that such upheaval causes economically and emotionally.  The laides in the market area


The store owner argued his point: "[The State of Israel is] better than other Arab countries. It is a democracy."

The Palestinian lady responded, "We're not talking about that. These houses were stolen."


The poignancy of that statement really hit me because of how true it is. How often do we complicate things by bringing in other aspects that we aren't actually talking about? Debates and conversations snowball and we end up talking about a million other things but the issue at hand. I'm not saying that these issues aren't complex, but that we can't just throw everything in a pot and expect to come out with a neat, solid block.


Someone recently was telling me a story about this restaurant that had a competition, and if you solved the puzzle you would get a free pizza or something. The challenge was to unravel a giant ball of knots, like the messiest snarl you've ever seen, without cutting the string, of course. People would attempt to untie the knot, but no one could get it. They would try to pull a string out, but it would tighten other areas, making it harder and harder to get the knots out.

Years passed and no one could win the challenge, people had long since decided it was impossible. No one even wanted to try anymore. Then, a younger child came in and decided to have go. The people in the restaurant didn't even bother to look on, they knew how it would end...with a ball of knots even stronger than before.

Then the child began. She worked on one area for about a minute, loosening the string...and then she moved to another area of the ball, loosening the string. Again, after a minute or so, she moved on. She went to another section of the ball, worked on it, loosened some strings, and moved on. Over and over this happened, but no one bothered to watch. In fact, it didn't look like it was helping because the ball of knots was getting bigger! With each string loosened, the ball expanded.

And yet, the child kept on, working with each section, and then moving to another small section. Until she finished with a pile of untangled string around her.

Therein lies my point.

So often we add to the noise, making the issue at hand about much more than it really is. Palestinian's having been moved from their homes in what is now the State of Israel and their now being refugees is a complex issue and we can't take away from that. We can't ignore all of the factors that play into the current status quo here in the State of Israel and Palestine...but sometimes we have to act like the child unraveling the ball of knots and work at one part at a time. Of course we need to keep the bigger picture in mind, but we can't always use the bigger picture to solve one section.

Palestinian's were forced to leave from their homes, often with the promise that they would be allowed to move. The State of Israel being a democracy or better than the governments of other countries in the region has very little to do with the initial argument, and is up for debate as it is. We can't ignore the human rights violations and problems that have arisen at the hands of the Israeli government just because we think they do some things right.

It'd be like saying, when we are talking about people in the United States who are killed (physically and emotionally) because of their religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender, "Our Constitution allows us to be one of the freest countries in the world. We are much better than some of those other countries. Our people live in relative safety." We're not talking about that...

So let's live in paradox, shall we? Let's acknowledge that issues such as the unequal access to water, economic disparity, freedom of movement and unequal governmental representation are all connected and, in fact, evidence of much deeper-seated problems of racism, religious intolerance, economic injustice, and gender inequality. But we can't pull it all in together and expect it to be solved in an instant; it needs to be worked on over time, unraveling the small knots to realize the places where they are connected with the larger picture.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's Mother's Day over here in Palestine and there have been a lot of celebrations at the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour. Students have handed out flowers to their teachers and the kinder-garten all dressed up in "Halloween" costumes, performing songs, dances, and poems for their mothers.

The highlight of my day, though, has been watching one of our teachers with a tiny squirt gun. He was poised at the window looking into the kinder-garten quad, carefully hidden behind the trees that grow in front of the windows. Then, with expert precision, he managed to squirt some of the older students helping the kids with crafts. The looks on their faces as they tried to figure out where the water was coming from was hilarious (my favorite being when one girl kept looking up at the sky, and then at the tree closest to her)! Then the teacher turned his attention on the other YAGM I work with, Alma. I giggled like crazy! I was amazed at how well the teacher was able to get the girls on their heads and arms. Methinks this squirt gun is not a new toy :)

Happy Mother's Day to all those who mother us, both biologically and emotionally.

My mom and me :) Love ya!

Intellectual Empathy

John Fea, one of my former history professors, recently blogged about the concept of "intellectual empathy" and I would like to share some thoughts that he passed along from Michael Jinkins, president of  Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I recommend reading Dr. Fea's original post here; additionally, you can see the entirety of Michael Jinkins' post here. [As an aside, Dr. Fea mentions that he is working on a book manuscript entitled, "The Power to Transform: Reflections on the Study of the Past," which is based, in part, around the idea of intellectual empathy. I haven't read any parts of it, but I can assume it will be a good read with important thoughts for those who seek to voice their opinions and especially those interested in history, both professionally and personally. The following (in italics) are parts of Jinkins' post as collected by Fea:

Isaiah Berlin argued that genuine intellectual empathy requires creativity and commitment -- a commitment and a willingness to imagine others’ ideas from within, even if you disagree. 

This capacity for intellectual empathy is essential to those who wish to live generously and with integrity in a pluralistic society. Perhaps it is even more essential today than in times past, given the social and cultural forces that presently foster division and encourage peremptory dismissal of opposing views -- not to mention our enhanced capacities to destroy one another.

Practicing intellectual empathy is a kind of spiritual discipline, because it necessitates that we put aside our belief that the lens through which we view the world is the only right one (see Rom 12:3). In intellectual empathy we do not sacrifice critical thinking, but before we move to offer critique, we first hear others thoughtfully and try to imagine what it would be like to share their convictions.

He adds:

In some sense becoming educated -- and this is certainly true of becoming theologically educated -- is a matter of taking our own place in the vast, centuries-spanning conversation about what it means to be human. It is a conversation that began long before we entered the room and will continue long after we have exited.

How might the debates that polarize our churches and our society today be different if students were practiced in such intellectual empathy?

I can be fairly idealistic when it comes to having hope for the future, but I think that optimism is not  completely unreasonable. I believe that through the power of the Spirit, humanity is capable of great things. Jesus called twelve regular people to be his apostles, and commissioned all of us, in our imperfections, to carry out his message of love, compassion, and justice-seeking.

So, think of the possibilities if we practiced intellectual empathy. I say this as someone who tries, but often fails. Imagine the massive positive change that would happen in society and in our churches (and, as a result, the positive change our churches could do in society) if intellectual empathy were practiced even more.

From my personal experience here and back in the States, using intellectual empathy allows us to listen and understand where another person is coming from. This doesn't mean that we all agree at the end of the day, but we can see the issue from another's perspective. Once you see from behind another person's eyes, it's difficult to ignore their voice and hate on them. I think intellectual empathy has much to offer the peace process around the world, and especially in regards to the conflicts between Palestine and the State of Israel. Also, what would our political debates look like if our candidates in BOTH parties (especially, though, when different parties come together to talk in our major branches of government) used intellectual empathy. My guess is that, over the course of a few decades, it would lead to a dramatic decrease in frustration with the way our government operates and a significant increase in the amount of participation. Because when people start listening to others with intellectual empathy, we are less afraid to share our voice.

"I Will Follow" by Chris Tomlin

Where you go, I'll go

Where you stay, I'll stay

When you move, I'll move

I will follow you

Who you love, I'll love

How you serve, I'll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow you

I will follow you

-"I Will Follow" by Chris Tomlin

During the worship time the other day at the Christ at the Checkpoint conference we sang this song and the lyrics really resonated with me. I think one of the most powerful things is how music can be such a heartfelt prayer. For me, singing allows me to better express my prayers.

 

Hearing the Gospel

This evening could likely be one in which I look back many, many years from now and point to as a pivotal moment in my life. I'm not sure where to start, and I am nervous that my words won't do this experience justice.

I guess you could say it was sublime.

This week is the Christ at the Checkpoint  conference in Bethlehem, orchestrated by Bethlehem Bible College. I had signed up to attend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, so today, after school I headed over to the Intercontinental Hotel where the conference was taking place. I was there for the whole afternoon session and the speakers were interesting; it was neat to have some academic religious perspectives on the issue of the Occupation and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Of course, I've heard many stories about these issues over the past few months (six to be exact, where does time fly), and these stories are *so important*  in helping others to understand what life in Palestine is like (the good and the bad), but there is definitely part of my mind that really soaks up the more theoretical, big picture theological, and abstract. It's nice to touch the sides of the box that is holding all of these stories and experiences.

After a couple speakers, with whom I agreed and disagreed on some points, I had a delicious dinner with my friend Meredith, who works at the Bible College. I was hoping for seasoned rice (I'll need a whole other post to tell you about how I have discovered the joy of rice) and labneh (like Greek yogurt), and I was not disappointed. Then we returned (Meredith was actually working during most of the event) and I got a seat in the second row for worship and the final speaker. Those of you know have met me in person would understand how a second row seat is more than nice...it's a matter of seeing over everyone who is not 5'2"! So, I sat down in my seat, quite proud that I had scored a seat in which I could see! There was a really great time of worship; four contemporary songs with two guitars and a Palestinian drum accompaniment. It was just what my soul needed for worship. I'm a huge fan of contemporary worship music (a concept which doesn't always come naturally at times because of the church style I have grown up in, which I also appreciate and love). While I was worshipping I kept thinking how I'd love to combine this with the Lutheran service. How can we do that? That, too, is a thought for another post.

Then Shane Claiborne got up to speak.

I've heard Shane Claiborne speak before- when he was at Messiah College, and spoke during one of our biweekly chapel services- but I couldn't tell you what he spoke about. In fact, I only really remembered that he was part of a movement of Christians that lived together in intentional community in Philadelphia. I knew that he was a big deal in a lot of Christian circles, particularly more evangelical ones that some of my college friends and classmates ascribe to (note: If you're getting a bad image when I say the word "evangelical"--I admit I do when the word is used at times--, you're thinking of it a little differently than how I'm intending it. Yet another topic for another post!), but I am not familiar with his writings or much of his theology. But I thought, what the hey! I'm in the Middle East and someone from around where I live in the States is speaking- how can I not go?!

Let me tell you, I was blow away by what my brother in Christ had to say. For the sake of length and so that I can get to bed at a reasonable hour, I'm going to list the points I took away from his speech, which was entitled "Barriers that Divide". I came into the talk thinking he may touch on the physical barriers, seeing as this event was taking place only a few yards from the Separation Barrier between the State of Israel and the West Bank. I learned so much, and the stuff I had heard before or agreed with I heard with new ears. The Spirit was running circles around this room, it was amazing! (Disclaimer: don't be surprised if I use some of these ideas/stories/images in sermons in the future!) Again, the following are all ideas and stories presented by Shane Claiborne, if I put in any of my own thoughts I'll note it as such:

-How good are we at excluding and building walls? Shane gave the following story as an example: One Sunday a homeless man went to a church carrying a giant pack with him- filled with his few belongings- and covered in his dirty, ragged, and slightly smelly clothes.. He sat down in the first row of the church as people in their Sunday finest began to fill in for the morning service. Upon seeing the homeless man, the pastor approached him and spoke to the man: "During the next few days I have some homework for you: I want you to go and pray to God. Ask God what you should wear to our church." The next Sunday the homeless man appeared again. He sat down in the front pew, wearing his same dirty, ragged, and slightly smelly clothes, with his giant pack beside him. Again, the pastor walked back up to the man, asking, "Did you do what I asked you to do?" "I did," the homeless man replied. "I asked God what I should wear and he said he didn't know- he's never been to your church!"

-Jesus didn't just come to say how bad this kingdom is, but that a new kingdom could come.

-The Christian church has had a tendency to talk about how promise is life after death, but there are so many people around the world who are wondering if life will come before death.

-The parable told by Jesus in Luke 16 where there is a rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus lies outside the rich man's gates and the dogs lick his sores. When they die, Lazarus goes to heaven at the side of Abraham and the rich man is suffering for eternity. The rich man, who we realize is a religious man (he knows the names of the prophets, he knows to call to Abraham), asks Lazarus for help, but Abraham says "It ain't gonna happen, bro." During his earthly life it wasn't just Lazarus who suffered from the Law (without grace, I may add), but the rich man as well. Lazarus was pushed out and blocked by a wall, and the rich man was sealed in, blocked by this wall he helped to build.

-Another cool point made was that in the parable mentioned above, Lazarus is the only person in the parables of Jesus to be named. This poor, suffering man has a name, and is distinguished. Shane Claiborne said, "If we really know the poor, we know their name. If we know their name, then we have a responsibility to those names."

-The Gospel should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comforted. We should have the kind of love that keeps us up at night knowing another person is in pain. My note: This made me come to the idea that part of our vow as Christians should be to accept this discomfort. Personally, I think I try to get rid of some of this pain; it can be too much, overwhelming. But if we keep it, it will help us to work towards justice, to not become apathetic. I've always justified it saying that you can't worry about everything at once, which is true. However, we need to be worried about something all the time; we cannot simply justify apathy for the sake of not wanting to feel guilty.

-Shane talked a lot about his time in Iraq visiting with one village in particular. After being treated beyond hospitably, the group Shane was travelling with asked what they could give the village. The villagers didn't want anything, just that they would accept their hospitality and share their story. Instead,  a pastor in this village said that they would be praying for the Americans, "praying for them to remember who they are." WOW. Who are we? In my last blog post I talked about the temptation for us to seek success in the eyes of the world at the cost of our integrity causing us to lose sight of who we are called to be.

-"All of our doctrines and ideas have to get really fleshed out in love and compassion."

-Shane again mentioned the village in Iraq he visited around 2001, and then again, seven years later. When he returned (and managed to get through a strong line of military personelle on the border) the village was very excited to see them, both because they had returned, but also because they were the first visitors in seven years to visit without a gun. Imagine that: you're a child and you grow up with the only visitors being those who carry weapons. Through this meeting many ideas came to blossom: this specific town became a sister town with a location in the States. When people come together, ideas can flourish.

-A doctor in Iraq, holding a girl who had shrapnel in her small body, said, "This violence is from a world that has lost its imagination." Shane added, "These walls are from a world that has lost its imagination."

-Sometimes we have a tendency to avoid dialogue (or maybe visiting certain places) because "nothing good can come from there". Yet, they said this about Jesus: "Nothing good can come from Galilee." So then, let us think twice before saying that no good can come from something, or a people from somewhere. "No good can come from Gaza." Our God is bigger than that.

-"If we believe a terrorist is beyond redemption then we should rip out  half of the New Testament." Saul from Tarsus (aka: Apostle Paul) was a huge persecutor of Christians- killing, torturing...and yet, look at all he did for Christ. [Personal note: I think this is a tough quote to take in, especially for Americans during this time in our history. However, I think Shane has a point, not only on a specific example, but with the larger implication that we can't make the assumption of whether or not someone is valuable. Again, God is bigger than that and continually shows us how the unredeemable are redeemed.]

-We act like we have it together, but people think Christianity is a scam and that we're all hypocrites. But if we own up to this from the get go and are honest we can share that we don't have it all together.

-"Good things happen to those who wait, and sometimes good things happen to those who get up and go out." We will sit and ask, "God, where are you?" and God is asking, "Where are you!?"


Those are some of what was talking about during Shane's talk tonight. It was beyond amazing and really left me realizing my own apathy as well as setting my heart on fire to work towards justice and the restoration of the Kingdom (and not simply out of guilt). I hope that you may have found a nugget or two of truth and light in some of the points I outlined. I bought a copy of the talk on DVD and will definitely be having times when  I get back to Gettysburg when people can visit me to watch the DVD and discuss some of the points. If anyone wants to borrow it at that point, I'll certainly lend it out. This evening has had such an impact on me and my view of justice and the work needed for that justice, that I want to share it with as many people as possible!

Hamdulillah (Praise to God) for the Holy Spirit working through Shane Claiborne tonight!

Let us pray that we can remember who we are. Followers of Christ. Not perfect, but striving toward restoring the Kingdom. These are all verbs. We are not defined by what we believe, but rather what we do because of what we believe. Because what we believe is all about the call to action.

Lenten Devotions: Our Temptations [Week 1, Part 2 (of 2)]

Part of my Lenten discipline this year is going through The Thoughtful Christian (TTC)“Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem” Bible study and, as part of that, sharing my thoughts with you all based on the Scripture for the week and the study itself. A lot of this is just personal reflection, but I hope that maybe you can gain a little insight into your own faith and how these themes and ideas may apply to you, the larger community, the Christian church, and the world today. Here is Week 1, Part 2 (of 2). Click here to read Week 1, Part 1.

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This week’s study is based on the Luke 4:1-13

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” 5Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.6And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 9Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ 11and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 12Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”13When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

“The Opportune Time”

Our passage ends with Jesus having not fallen to the satan’s temptations...but the devil waits for “the opportune time”. What?! You mean it keeps going?

As the study says, we read later in Luke that “the opportune time” is the final temptation: when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemene and he has the opportunity to avoid the cross. Here are my questions, though:

-Did Jesus know another temptation was coming? If he knew exactly what the temptation would be, he would actually be tempted with it his entire life. Would that be worse than just having it happen?

-Was Jesus life filled with more temptations beside what we read about? My guess is yes, since he’s human. Plus, if we think of Jesus as “sinless” we have to admit that there must have been the opportunity for Jesus to sin if he had chosen to, right? What accomplishment would it be for Jesus to be perfect, but not actually have had to struggle with it? For me, the importance of the Incarnation seems to be that God experienced humanity, in its joy and sorrow.

The TTC study mentions a Martin Scorsese film based on a book by Nikos Kazantzakis, “The Last Temptation of Christ” in which Jesus’ last temptation is not simply the choice to avoid the cross or not, but to completely forget it all, maybe get married and have a family. (Have any of you seen this movie? Comment on what you thought!) [As an aside, in CPE we talked about grief and how it is not just losing someone or something, but all the future plans that went with it. For me, I’ve dealt with the grief on what giving up an immediate future as a historian means, and it’s a surprisingly tough thing to deal with. So, Jesus probably had some grief over giving up the possibility of one future for another.]

Temptation vs. who we are meant to be

TTC then goes on to say that, “Each of [these temptations] is a temptation to be a “success” but in the process to forget whom he was meant to be.”

That hit home for me.

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the reasons I’ve participated in YAGM has been to step outside of the whirlwind at home and get some space from the track my life was on. Everything was going well back home, but I was worried about getting caught up in my MDiv studies and the progression of life and not be able to get perspective on whether or not what I was doing, what I am doing, is the best decision for everyone. I  am very determined to try and serve with integrity and make sure I’m not forgetting who I am meant to be.

This is where it get’s tricky for me to explain. And honest. I go through stages of thinking it could really rock to be a pastor...and other stages where I wonder WHAT IN THE WORLD I AM THINKING!? When I decided to participate in YAGM I was stuck in the latter stage, but feeling as if I had to put on the face of the first. I want to make sure I live and serve with integrity because for me, it’s not just a job. Whereas I was practically born to go through interviews, I didn’t want to approach my Candidacy Committee, with whom I go through the process of trying to figure out if I am called to be a pastor (or other rostered leader), and say the right answers, ace the interview, but not be completely honest with myself. I needed more time.

The temptation for me was to take what seemed like the easier route: to keep going at status quo and not mess up my academic schedule (and, for a while, I wasn’t sure if financially I could make it all work) or, even worse, figure out maybe I wasn’t ready to pursue ordained ministry at this point and have to start from square one with the rest of my life. Scary business.

By the grace of God, it is all working out- challenging but exciting and fulfilling. Yet that temptation weighed on me heavily- “the temptation to be a success in the eyes of the world but at the cost of integrity.” I could make everyone think that I was keeping it all together and Little Miss Perfect...or I could risk it for the sake of, hopefully, following a path to better know who it is I am meant to be (or already am).

So how do we deal with these temptations?

I don’t think our temptations will go away in this lifetime, but our passage (and the rest of the Bible) gives us some ideas on how to deal with them: arm ourselves with Scripture, reach back into our traditions and the witness of the saints, and rely on our community. 

[I use the verb “arm” as my dictionary defines: “supply or provide with equipment, tools, or other items in preparation or readiness for something”, rather than using the verb to mean providing someone with weapons. I feel this is necessary to clarify. I think of it as a knight who wore a suit of armor to protect himself from the blows of the outside world, not as a knight who uses a sword to attack others.]

I think it’s amazing how the Spirit continues to work through Scripture and helps us to relate it to our lives. It’s similarly amazing how reading a passage, or even a single verse, can give us a new perspective and challenge/lift/convict/enlighten us and even keep us from taking a temptation and lose sight of our who we are meant to be, or could be, or already are. 

TTC study ends with some Scripture that may be helpful equipment for when we are tempted. Perhaps you can and a verse or two that help you (these are copied from the study, I’m not sure of the exact references or translation, but if you need it I can look it up for you):

“Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.”

“The Lord your God you shall fear; God you shall serve, and by God’s name alone you shall swear.”

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Help the suffering, honor all people.”

“Love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.”

“Strive first for the kingdom of God.”

What are some verses or passages from Scripture that arm you against temptations and help you to remember to live with integrity, seeking who God has made you to be? Post in the comment section!

So here are my take-aways from week one:

-We have to retreat into the desert every once in a while, whatever that may look like, and try to listen for God’s voice. This practice looks different for everyone but, I think, takes a conscious effort.

-Sometimes we have to look out for our temptations. If we wait until they are obvious it could be too late; old habits are hard to break and some of our temptations can cause pain to others. Of course, we also need to grant ourselves grace for those inevitable times.

-Scripture can be a useful tool for dealing with temptations. Perhaps memorizing a few key verses could ground us and remind us of a larger picture.

-One temptation that is easy to overlook is that which convinces us to seek success in the eyes of the world, rather than to live with integrity for ourselves.

This Lenten Devotional Series is published by The Thoughtful Christian and was written by Michael A. Lindvall who, at the time of publishing, was a Presbyterian pastor in New York City. All Bible passages and verses are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Lenten Devotions: Our Temptations [Week 1, Part 1 (of 2)]

Part of my Lenten discipline this year is going through The Thoughtful Christian (TTC)“Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem” Bible study and, as part of that, sharing my thoughts with you all based on the Scripture for the week and the study itself. A lot of this is just personal reflection, but I hope that maybe you can gain a little insight into your own faith and how these themes and ideas may apply to you, the larger community, the Christian church, and the world today. Here is Week 1, Part 1 (of 2).

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This week’s study is based on the Luke 4:1-13

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” 5Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.6And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 9Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ 11and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 12Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”13When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Temptation and testing

One of the first things that caught my attention about this passage actually didn’t involve Jesus directly. While reading in my Lutheran Study Bible (highly recommended), one of the side notes said that  in verse 4:2 “tempted” could be translated as “tested”. I also noticed that “the devil” was mentioned, but not with a capital D. The side notes mentioned that this satan was developed out of the satan from the book of Job. Again, it is satan with a lowercase S. The side notes finally mention that it is as if this satan character “examines all of creation to check construction quality”. So this got me thinking immediately about the whole story of Jesus being tempted or tested. When I hear those two words, they hit me differently. “Tempted” sounds evil, conniving, set up so that we will fail; “tested” sounds a bit more neutral- certainly none of my professors would say they gave us final “temptations” at the end of a semester.

This past week my host mom, who is giving me Arabic lessons, taught me a new word,   صبر (sabr) which means either “patient” or “cactus”. It is the word used to describe Job in the Old Testament,  صبر آيوب, sabr yaoub. Now, Job goes through some pretty tough stuff during his life. It is a test or is it temptation? “Patient” makes me think of one waiting through a test; “cactus” makes me think about pain and maybe being tempted. I don’t know the answer to this (I should probably go back to studying Greek...next Fall, next Fall).

So at this point I can’t articulate exactly what satan with a lowercase S is, or what it means to be tempted, but I think this passage reminded me that it’s not so cut-and-dry. The satan character in the history and literature of the Bible as well as the history of the church is very complex. Sometimes we see the satan as an evil being that is completely opposed to God and all goodness; but sometimes I see the satan as a part of our life- offering us the choice to go closer to God, or to choose our own will over Gods. With this last idea, the satan gives us the choice, but we choose ourselves as the idol--so we’re not really choosing the satan, but rather anything that is not God.

For the sake of the rest of my study, and for these posts from week one, I have gone with the traditional idea of “temptation”.

...and these thoughts were all before I actually started looking through the Bible study for the week! *Phew*

If a disciple cries in the wilderness, will anyone hear her?

TTC study started off looking at Jesus going into the wilderness. They have this great line on how “the desert has always been that place of material privation, free of distraction and austere, where people go to encounter God”. Immediately, I thought of my current year serving with Young Adults in Global Mission here in Palestine and the State of Israel. I first approached this year as an opportunity to to encounter God, with the hope of being free from some of my typical distractions back in the States. I’ve been striving to hear God’s voice for my life, for the world, and for how those two can breathe life into each other. Of course, even in “the desert” (I laugh at how literal that is in some ways) I have my distractions and temptations.

In the passage Jesus has three temptations: making bread from the stones, having power over all the kingdoms in the world, and being caught by the angels lest Jesus be harmed. Basically, the satan offered Jesus three things: provisions, invincibility, and power. The Bible study said: materialism, power, and manipulation of faith. This immediately got me thinking: what could these three temptations look like for me?

1. Money. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can purchase things that often excite me and provide things I find important for life: education, travel, food, clothes, gifts for friends, crafts. I try not to stress about money and I use a budget, but that is often easier said than done. I wouldn’t say I lust after money, but I have serious hobbies and loves that require it. Perhaps it’s not pretty, but it’s honest. Like Jesus, I could be tempted with  the satiation of my desires with something material.

2. Knowing the future. You read earlier how part of this year of service is a time for me to try and figure out how I can serve God in a way that meets the needs of the world, fits with my gifts, and excites me, right? You can guess how many times I’ve uttered the words, “If only I knew what the heck God was thinking!” If you answered a number higher than 100, you win. And that’s from the past two years. I would love a nice, clear answer to some of my “big life questions”. Love, love, love an answer (Do you hear me God?!). Like Jesus, I could be tempted with the ability to not have to stumble in the darkness.

3. Certain personal qualities (without the work, of course). Eloquence, quicker wit, quicker reading skills, to not procrastinate, patience. Sure, I could probably cultivate these skills in myself, but it would be so much easier if I just had them. I could try to convince you that I want these qualities because it would help me serve the world better (and, indeed, I need to build on these traits so that I can), but I can’t deny I would like them because they would make me more confident, or make me feel like a more “valuable person”. Like Jesus, I could be tempted to be awesome and above others.

So what are some of your temptations? Leave them in the comment box...(Anonymous if you’d like.) I think the church would be a much more comfortable place if we were honest about our temptations. We all have them and it’s almost always much easier to deal with them in community. Plus, if we’re honest, I think eventually we can break down the barriers that keeps us from really connecting with each other- you know, those “but what will so-and-so think?” barriers.

To continue reading, go to my next post, "Lenten Devotions: Week 1, Part 2 (of 2)"

This Lenten Devotional Series is published by The Thoughtful Christian and was written by Michael A. Lindvall who, at the time of publishing, was a Presbyterian pastor in New York City. All Bible passages and verses are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

March Newsletter out!

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Peace,
Courtney