Good Advice

I wrote a paper recently about the virtue of humility, in which I explored those who proudly justify themselves and those who humbly convict themselves. The message within Luke's Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, is that the lack of humility did not allow the Pharisee to recognize his own sin. A friend of mine asked “How could the Pharisee’s prayer have been improved”, and I wondered if there are examples in the Bible, where man acknowledges his own goodness in prayer.

One example that avoids the sin of pride is, “I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin” (Psalms 18:21-23). Another example is, “I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked” (Psalms 26:1-5).

The difference between the Psalmist’s prayers and the Pharisee’s prayer may be subtle, but notice that the Pharisee put down the tax collector. Essentially, when we over evaluate how good we are, especially in comparison to others, we are not dealing with the sin in our own lives and we under evaluate God’s work in the lives of others. When you pray do not be like the hypocrites giving thanks for yourself; instead give thanks to others and acknowledge the works of God in your life. “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2), seems like good advice to me.

Merry Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus."
"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

"Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you
who is Messiah and Lord."

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

Lectio Divina

Lectio divina is a slow contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God, to become a means of union with God. Its only goal is to bring you into the presence of God by praying the Scriptures. The art of lectio divina begins with cultivating the ability to be silent and to listen deeply. Allow yourself to hear the still small voice, the “faint murmuring sound” (1 Kings 12:12) which is God touching our hearts.

Read - What is going on in the text?
Pick a reading or a text that interests you; read and re-read it slowly, attentively, and quietly, listening to discover a word or phrase that holds your attention.

Meditate - What is the text saying to you?
Allow the word or phrase to become God’s word for you at this moment, and repeating it gently let it touch you and affect you at your deepest level.

Pray - What do you want to say to God about the text?

Allow the word or phrase that you are pondering to change you, by offering to God those thoughts or parts of yourself that you have not previously shared.

Contemplate - What difference does this text make in your life?
Return to silence, let go of the word or phrase and simply enjoy the experience of being in the presence of God’s transforming embrace.

Together with our daily labor, time set aside for this simple liturgy enables us to discover the underlying spiritual rhythm in our daily lives. Within this rhythm we can offer more of ourselves to our relationship with God, and more fully embrace what He is continuously extending to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

Options

My sister responded, via email, to my post titled "Wish List". She was very kind, and her point was that giving to others, especially at Christmas, has made the holidays more enjoyable for her. She and her family have adopted the giving of donations in a big way, as others have I'm sure. There are a lot of options when you choose to help, and here are a couple more suggestions that I've just learned about.

HomeBoy Industries assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth to become positive and contributing members of society through job placement, training and education. I heard Father Greg speak recently, about his successes and challenges, and I can tell you that everyone in the auditorium was moved to tears. Please check out his speaking schedule, buy his book Tattoos on the Heart, donate via their virtual car wash, or click the Donate Now button on their website at HomeBoy Industries.

The Heifer Organization gives you the power to change a life forever. Your gift of cows, goats, sheep, chicks, bees, or trees give people hope and a way out of the cycle of hunger and poverty. These are living gifts that provide families with the dignity of feeding themselves, and also with the means to pay for clothing, education, doctor visits, and decent shelter. You can donate or order a catalog on their website at Heifer Organization.

Certainly, there can be no more meaningful way to celebrate the giving spirit of this special season than to give to those in need. Remember to reach out to those near and dear to you with gifts of compassion and support all through the year. Jesus taught us to take care of those in need, and like my sister it'll change your life forever.

Synoptic Synergy

There doesn't have to be confusion about the Synoptic Gospels. Even though they "don't seem" to agree on some of the details don't get caught up on the differences, because the differences within the stories don't matter. What does matter is that although the authors of each of the Gospels are speaking to a different audience, they are presenting aspects of the same Jesus. So whether the stories being told in the Gospels agree isn't important, because it is the Truth of the person of Jesus.

For the writers of the Gospels, as it is for us today, their experience of Jesus was different because of their personal histories. The material used by the writers may or may not have actually happened, or may have happened one way and not another, but nevertheless, what is written is true to the spirit of Jesus' character. Jesus is the Truth that we find in the Bible and Tradition, so the question is "What did this story mean in its setting", and it is not "Did this actually happen". We should be thankful that whoever selected the four Gospels wanted to celebrate the diversity and not preserve just one version.

Catholic understanding has always been allegorical, and not literal or fundamental. The Gospels are a single message of the story of Jesus' life and teaching recorded by different authors and presented to different audiences. The truth is the message in the words and stories found in the Bible, and not in its historical details. The Bible "contains" the Word of God with a message that is as important today as it was yesterday. Jesus "is" the Word of God who continues to proclaim God's message for us.

Eddie

I met a guy named Eddie yesterday. I've spoken to him before, even though I didn't know his name, as he stood near a bus stop that I walk past twice a day. Some days I see him in the morning as I'm going to work, and some days I see him in the evening on my way home. He always greets me with cheerful eyes and a big smile and he always says, "Hello my friend". Although I've never stopped to talk, I usually asked how he was doing, at which he would reply, "Oh, I'm hanging in there", and I would respond, "Me too".

This morning was different. As I left the parking lot where I park my car I could see that someone near the bus stop was in trouble. The person was on his hands and knees, facing away from the street, as if he had tripped after getting off the bus. His black duffle bag was on the sidewalk next to him, and as I approached him I could see that it was the person I've spoken to before. He was trying to stand up, and as I offered to help him a very nice park ranger lady showed up to help both of us. We got him to his feet, but he was unable to walk, so we let him hold on to us and we waited. Although we didn't try to engage him in conversation, he repeated, "I haven't done anything" over and over, and I'll admit that it wasn't convincing because it was obvious that he had been drinking. He kept saying that he couldn't understand why his legs felt paralyzed, but my guess is that he just didn't have any feeling in them.

Eddie eventually recognized me and said, "Hello my friend", and I responded with a smile and a simple, "Hi". He was still on his feet and he still couldn't walk, and so we let him hold on to us. As we waited I found myself hoping that he wouldn't remember our visit that morning, because his greeting wasn't accompanied with his usual cheerful eyes or his big smile, but instead tears covered his face. I tried to help him understand that everyone needs help at some time, that this was his time, and that it was OK. Eddie said he was tired and I don't think he's slept recently, so we tried to convince him that he should go to a shelter. He didn't want to go to the shelter because they "always make me leave". Eventually he was able to move off by himself, towards his black duffle bag.

I left him with the park ranger lady and walked toward my office, thinking I would have felt better if he had gone to the shelter. Something else he said to me, slowly and carefully, and more than once as he looked into my eyes was, "You have no obligation". I tried to tell him that I think he's wrong, because we do have an obligation to help others. God's command regarding the poor can be found in Deuteronomy 15:7, "If one of your kinsmen in any community is in need in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand to him in his need." I hope I see Eddie standing at the bus stop again, and when I do I'm going to stop and talk to him for a couple of minutes.

Sandwiches

The other day while studying the Gospel of Mark I was introduced to something very interesting, called Markan Intercalations. According to Webster's Dictionary, an intercalation is the "insertion or introduction of anything among the others, as the insertion of a phrase, line, or verse in a metrical composition". This is similar to a sandwich (ok too obvious) or a triptych painting, in which three separately framed panes make up one painting by the fact that each is related in some way.

In Markan Intercalations, the writer of Mark begins a story about one thing, pauses in the middle and tells a different story, and then completes the first story. This in itself would be interesting to discover, but what makes these especially interesting is that each of the three pieces is related in some way. Here are six examples of the literary triptych found in the Gospel of Mark;

3:21               Jesus' family
3:22 - 30        Conflict with authority
3:21 - 35        Jesus' family

5:21 - 24        Jairus' daughter
5:24 - 34        Bleeding woman
5:35 - 43        Jairus' daughter

6: 7 - 13         Apostle's mission
6:14 - 29        Death of John the Baptist
6:30               Apostle's mission

11:12 - 14      Fig tree
11:15 - 19      Temple action
11:20 - 25      Fig tree

14: 1 -  2        Conspiracy against Jesus
14: 3 -  9        Anointing woman
14:10 - 11      Conspiracy against Jesus

15:54              Peter in the courtyard
15:56 - 65      Jesus' interrogation
15:66 - 71      Peter in the courtyard

This suggests to me that the writer of the Gospel of Mark was not only inspired by the Holy Spirit, he was also a clever fellow. Read these sections of Mark and see how each of the pieces are related. Some scholars have suggested that the entire Gospel of Mark makes up one overall triptych, beginning with Jesus teaching in Galilee, then about Jesus traveling and teaching the Disciples, and finally Jesus teaching in Jerusalem.

Nietzsche is Dead

The cover of Time magazine once asked the question “Is God Dead”. In the April 8, 1966 Easter issue the article began with the sentence, “We must recognize that the death of God is a historical event: God has died in our time, in our history, in our existence".

These words were written by an associate professor of religion at Atlanta’s Emory University, a Methodist school. The author, Altizer, was not alone in proclaiming his atheism, and took his starting point from Nietzsche who wrote in The Gay Scientist that, “God is Dead; but given the way of men, there may still be caves for thousands of years in which his shadow will be shown". The Time article went on to explain that the death-of-God theologians didn’t argue merely that Christianity’s traditional image of the Creator is obsolete. They said that, "it was no longer possible to think about or believe in a transcendent God who acts in human history, and that Christianity will have to survive, if at all, without him".

Although it was argued that modern science had eliminated the need for religion to explain the natural world, and that God took up less and less space in people’s daily lives, the immediate reality did not indicate a death of God or religion. While only 27% of Americans called themselves deeply religious, as many as 97% declared a belief in God. The article led to a public backlash, and by the end of the decade the ‘death of God’ movement had lost much of its momentum. Later, in The Death of God, someone named Vahanian concluded that “God is Dead”, because “modern secular culture had lost all sense of the sacred, lacking any sacramental meaning, no transcendental purpose or sense of providence”.

I'm glad to report that Nietzsche, Altizer, Vahanian, and everyone else that "thinks" God is dead are (dead) wrong! Catholic sacramental liturgy is alive and well in my life, and the lives of at least 1 billion Catholics around the world. Non-demoninational mega churches are springing up almost everywhere, the Christian music world is main stream, and Christian schools, TV, and Radio are doing well. I found the cave Nietzsche referred to in his article, and on the wall below his hastily written signature a shadowy hand has written;

God is Dead!  (Signed) Nietzsche.

Nietzsche is Dead!  (Signed) God.

Introduction to the New Testament – Class 4

Tonight we discussed the Gospel of John which was probably written in the 90s, and as with the other Gospels, was probably not written by one person. The final editing of the gospel and arrangement in its present form probably dates from between A.D. 90 and 100. This gospel is quite different in character from the three synoptic gospels. It is highly literary and symbolic, and it does not follow the same order or reproduce the same stories as the synoptic gospels. To a much greater degree, it is the product of a developed theological reflection and grows out of a different circle and tradition.

The Gospel of John begins with a magnificent prologue, which proclaims Jesus as the preexistent and incarnate Word of God who has revealed the Father to us. The gospel narrative contains a series of "signs", and because the author is primarily interested in the significance of these deeds, they are interpreted for the reader by various reflections, narratives, and discourses. The fourth gospels narrative has been organized and adapted to serve the evangelist's theological purposes as well. Among them are the opposition to the synagogue of the day and to John the Baptist's followers, who tried to exalt their master at Jesus' expense, and the desire to convince Christians that their religious belief and practice must be rooted in Jesus. Such theological purposes impelled the evangelist to emphasize motifs that were not so clear in the synoptic accounts of Jesus' ministry, such as the explicit emphasis on his divinity.

The whole gospel is a progressive revelation of the glory of God's only Son, who comes to reveal the Father and then returns in glory to the Father. The author's purpose is clearly expressed in what must have been the original ending of the gospel at the end of John 20: "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name."

Wish List

My children have begun their annual quest to determine what I want for Christmas. I'll admit that this is very difficult for them, mostly because I just don’t need anything. Well, that and the fact that what I want is usually too expensive for Christmas. So this year I figured out what I want everyone to buy me, and it's early enough to help them with their shopping.

Specifically, anyone that wishes to buy me a Christmas gift this year should make a donation to your favorite charity. You do not need to make the donation in my name, or even have a notification sent to me, although I would appreciate it. I plan to open the thank you cards that I receive from the various donations while others are opening their Christmas gifts. That way I'll have something to open too.

If you would prefer to know my suggestion for a tax deductible donation please send it to my niece, Holly Shippen, who is a missionary in the Philippines. She is a teacher and a mother, who needs the money for living and travel expenses for herself and her two children. Please make the check payable to Arden Church of the Nazarene, and mail it to 3337 Arden Way, Sacramento, Ca. 95825. Please include on the memo line, Shippen – Philippines, so that your donation will reach her.

Thank you for your generosity, and thank you for making my Christmas special this year. May your Christmas Season be special for you and your family too, and may God bless us ... everyone!

Introduction to the New Testament – No Class

There was no class tonight. In the Acts of the Apostles, the second volume of Luke's two-volume work, Luke continues his presentation of biblical history. He describes how the salvation promised to Israel in the Old Testament and accomplished by Jesus, was now being extended to the Gentiles under the guidance of the holy Spirit. Luke was preoccupied with the Christian community as the Spirit filled bearer of the word of salvation, and thus only the roles of Peter and Paul serve Luke's interest.

Luke provides a broad survey of the church's development from the resurrection of Jesus to Paul's first Roman imprisonment. In telling this story, Luke describes the emergence of Christianity from its origins in Judaism to its position as a religion of worldwide status and appeal. Originally a Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem, the church was placed in circumstances impelling it to include within its membership people of other cultures: the Samaritans, at first an occasional Gentile, and finally the Gentiles on principle. In tracing the emergence of Christianity from Judaism, Luke is insistent upon the prominence of Israel in the divine plan of salvation and that the extension of salvation to the Gentiles has been a part of the divine plan from the beginning.

In the development of the church from a Jewish Christian origin in Jerusalem, with its roots in Jewish religious tradition, to a series of Christian communities among the Gentiles of the Roman empire, Luke perceives the action of God in history. His approach to the history of the church is motivated by his theological interests, and his history of the apostolic church is the story of a Spirit-guided community and a Spirit-guided spread of the Word of God.

Finally, an apologetic concern is evident throughout Acts. By stressing the continuity between Judaism and Christianity, Luke argues that Christianity is deserving of the same toleration accorded Judaism by Rome. Part of Paul's defense before Roman authorities is to show that Christianity is not a disturber of the peace of the Roman Empire. Moreover, when he stands before Roman authorities, he is declared innocent of any crime against the empire. Luke tells his story with the hope that Christianity will be treated as fairly.

Faith Formation Conference - 2010

The Saturday morning multilingual prayer service was presented by Santiago Fernandez, and included readings, music, and his personal reflection and testimony. I really enjoyed one of the songs, This Little Light of Mine, that was sung like a Spiritual and was very upbeat. I remembered this song from my childhood, but I don't remember singing it sinse. It was very inspirational and everyone was on their feet, clapping and singing.

The Keynote Talk entitled, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, was presented by Father Greg Boyle. His premise was that boundless compassion becomes transformative in Christ's abundant love. His talk was very powerful and centered on Kinship, which means, "no us and no them". I really connected with his statement, "If kinship was our goal then we would no longer need justice", and later when he said, "The measure of our compassion is the depth of our relationship with each other". He also said, "Don't hold the bar up and ask people to measure up. Just show up and hold a mirror up." This is an exceptional man doing an exceptional job of being Christ to his community.

The late morning session (5-20) entitled, Beyond Doctrine: How to hand on Catholic Identity in the RCIA, was presented by Nick Wagner. He began with Jesus' statement on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise", and pointed out that Jesus may have been talking to the thief next to him but that he was speaking to everyone. His discussion was very informative and outlined various approaches to informing and transforming adults in the RCIA program. Adults can be engaged through question and answer sessions, as well as faith sharing, but it's especially important to listen to what the Catechumen has to say and then to tie it back into the teaching of the Church.

The early afternoon session (6-01) entitled, Engaging People in Ministry: The Power of Positive Leadership, was presented by Leisa Anslinger. My wife found this talk especially interesting, which asked the question, "How has belonging or not belonging changed you or someone you know"? Whereas normal leaders may build teams by recruiting others with similar personalities, a positive leader will build teams by recruiting others with complementary talents. She felt that those who offer their talents and are using their talents positively are more likely to be engaged and stay on the team. Two questions for self evaluation are "How do you use your talents" and "How do you partner with others".

The late afternoon session (7-15) entitled, In the Midst of the Community: An RCIA Job Description for the Whole Church, was presented by Nick Wagner. Here he stressed the importance of engaging the community in the process of encouraging adults in the RCIA program, and that in fact, the RCIA program should influence how the Parish works. Community involvement was the key to preparing and supporting the Catechumens before and after the Easter Vigil. As he said, "Everyone should be involved in the initiation of the faith for Catechumens.

Introduction to the New Testament – Class 3

Tonight we discussed the Gospel of Luke. I didn't read Luke, but instead attended a proclamation of the Gospel in the oral tradition. This presentation was the result of the hard work, dedication, and Christian commitment of two men, Michael Reardon and Patrick Lane. Michael Reardon, a native of Anaconda, Montana, proclaimed the complete text of the Gospel, and Patrick Lane, a native of Morrill, Nebraska, acted as Director, Musician and Lighting Artist. Filled with a desire to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they have given over 1000 performances in cities throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Republic of China, Europe, and Israel.

The plan of the Gospel of Luke, which follows Mark's outline as a rule, was written for a Roman audience and uses titles for Jesus, like Lord and Savior. The narrative is controlled and edited to bring in teaching and parables, and to omit episodes that would not interest Luke's non-Jewish readers. The originality of Luke is in his religious mentality: he is the faithful recorder of Christ's loving-kindness, he emphasizes the necessity for prayers, and he is the only one of the synoptic authors to give the Holy Spirit the prominence which we find in Paul and in the Acts of the Apostles. These qualities, combined with joy in God and gratitude for God’s gifts fill the third gospel, and are the ones that make Luke's achievement the warm and human account that it is.

The third gospel's distinguishing quality is due to the attractive personality of its author, which shines through all his work. Luke is at once a most gifted writer and a man of marked sensibility. He set to work in his own way with an eye to exact information and orderly narrative, but respect for his sources, together with his method of juxtaposing them, meant that even Luke was not in a position to arrange his traditional material in a more chronological way than Matthew or Mark. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11:28)!

This Gospel invites us, who have "ears to hear," to listen deeply to what the heart is also hearing. The news is good! Enjoy, reflect, ponder, listen. Whenever the Word of the Lord is heard, it is heard as though for the first time; always new, always alive, always filled with power, delight, healing and wonder. Those who hear the Word are as essential a part of the Word as those who speak the Word. All are one in the Word that unites them, just as all are one in the Word that became flesh. This Gospel is the Good News of our salvation. Jesus is both its messenger and its message.

You Are What You Eat

California is known for having happy cows. You may be familiar with the advertisement that includes some of these happy cows, milling about smartly in an idyllic green pasture, and interacting in perfect harmony with nature. They’re ruminating thoughtfully and discussing little of consequence (which is typical of most advertizing anyway). Of course what happy cows do in California is eat grass, and I’m fairly certain that’s what happy cows do everywhere.

As the cows eat the grass they slowly absorb the nutrients that the grass has absorbed from the soil. Essentially, the nutrients from a lower form of life, the plants in the field, are taken up by a higher form of life, the cows in this example. This process continues when we eat the cows. The nutrients from a lower form of life, the cows, is again taken up by a higher form of life, us. I realize that there might be some argument concerning the ranking of cows and humans, but I’m sticking with the analogy for now.

On Sunday morning recently, the homily talked a bit about nutrition and the idea that you are what you eat. At Mass something different is taking place. During the Celebration of the Eucharist we consume the body and soul of Jesus Christ, who is fully present in the form of the bread and wine. In effect a higher form of life, Jesus, is being absorbed into a lower form of life, us. He gave His life for us to save us from our sins, and He is the life giving nutrition that sustains us.

Introduction to the New Testament – Class 2

Tonight we discussed the Gospel of Matthew which presents a living Jesus. The book of Matthew isn't a history of Jesus, but is instead a faith proclamation of a living Jesus. It was written for the Jews, and the stories are intended to suggest the fulfillment of the story begun by Moses and continued by David. Matthew treated Mark as a good outline, but he developed that outline by filling in the details. For instance, in the Gospel of Mark it is unclear what Jesus was teaching (Mark 1:22) but Matthew spends most of chapters 5, 6, and 7 on the details of Jesus' teaching (Matthew 7:28).

Matthew honors and adapts previous traditions by redacting the earlier written and oral works known to the author. Redaction is the process of editing, deleting, correcting, combining, and adding that results in a new work. The author was aware of and used the Markan documents as well as another common tradition known as "Q". We have no copies of “Q”, and it's unclear whether it was written or oral, but the two-source hypothesis does make sense of the similarities and differences between the two Gospels. It's interesting to note that although Mark spread the guilt around, Matthew focuses the guilt on the Pharisees. This may be because by the time that Matthew was written, the Temple had been destroyed and the Scribes and Sadducees were gone; only the Pharisees were left.

Matthew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah expected by the Jews. It was obvious to him that Jesus was the fulfillment of Jewish scripture. Whereas Mark had depicted Jesus as a conduit of God's power, Matthew depicts Jesus' Word as the power of God. Matthew presents a living Jesus, using phrases such as "As it was written ... ", and "This was to fulfill ..." to show that Jesus was not only a great teacher, but the ultimate interpreter of the Torah.

Prayer and Ministerial Leadership – Workshop

The first session provided information on five common types of prayer, such as blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise, and some common forms of prayer, such as litany, antiphonal, acclamation, mantra, and contemplative. What I found especially interesting, because I am uncomfortable with spontaneous spoken prayer, was a formula that included You-Who-Do-To-Through. My attempt to create a prayer for guidance resulted in; Dear Lord (You), you share your Grace with us (Who). Lead each of us to be the person you want us to be (Do), so that we may share your love for us with others (To). We ask this in the name of your Son (Through). Amen.

The second session was on Ministerial Leadership. While talking about cultural considerations and the perception of power we reviewed cultures that feel empowered and cultures that don't feel empowered. Low Power Distance cultures believe that inequality in society should be minimized, that the existence of a hierarchy is only for the convenience of accomplishing tasks, and that changing the system by redistributing power includes giving the powerless the ability to make changes, such as a fair vote. High Power Distance cultures assume that there should be an order of inequality, that the existence of a hierarchy should be accepted as a fact of life, and that changing the system by redistributing power is restricted, which eventually results in the use of force.

We discussed the differences between leadership and ministry, and talked about a leadership model that included vision and mission. The vision should answer the question, "How will the world be different as the result of what we do?". The mission should answer the question, "What is our unique contribution to achieving the vision?". A good culture for leadership creates systems for participation that includes articulating the vision and mission, listening to feedback, and exchanging information. It should also include decision making skills and accountability that establishes expectations and a clear sense of responsibility.

Introduction to the New Testament – Class 1

Tonight we discussed the Gospel of Mark which is the shortest of the Gospels, and was probably the first of the Synoptic Gospels to be written. The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, about 70 AD, sent shock waves throughout the Mediterranean and influenced the writers of Mark. What did it mean if the place where God was to be found no longer existed? Had God rejected his people and canceled his covenant with them? The story also seems to be hurried, moving feverishly from one event to the next. Were the authors of Mark concerned that the oral traditions of Jesus' life and teaching were in danger and needed to be put in writing?

The writers of Mark were crafting a story of the life and teachings of Jesus for their own community, which was probably Gentile. It was written within the community, probably by more than one author, by the community and for the community. The writer or writers of Mark included oral tradition in circulation at that time as well as other local materials. Copies of the document would have originally been circulated anonymously, and it was probably edited and adopted for use by other communities as it was circulated. Later, in the second century or so, the name Mark was attached to the document to establish its authority, and to identify the community or the principle author from where it came.



Mark attempted to stress Jesus' message about the kingdom of God breaking into human life as good news, and that Jesus himself was the gospel of God. Although the final ending was added later, the original story ended with a cliff hanger, with the women who discovered the empty tomb bewildered and trying to understand what it meant. Like the people in the Gospel of Mark, the living voice of God speaks within our lived experiences, and those who endure to the end will be saved.

The Question

During class the other day one of the students asked a question that developed into a very interesting discussion about the nature of God. He believes, like most of us, that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are one. In reading the Bible, however, he pointed out the God of the Old Testament is very different from the God of the New Testament. Although most people find this one God difficult to reconcile, he said that for him "it is not inconsistent to believe that the God of the Old Testament was a God of judgment", who alternately protected and punished His people, while "the God of the New Testament is a God of love", who offered His people unlimited mercy. Although most of us in the class believe that the God of the Old Testament was a God of justice, we didn't believe that he was a God of judgment.

In the stories of the Old Testament the people of Moses and later the people of Israel experienced God's direct punishment for their lack of faith, disobedience, and sin. Most of us believed that these stories were infused with a limited understanding of who God was, and they were also enhanced to impress outsiders, keep aggressors at bay, and make the stories memorable. It is important to understand what was happening to God's chosen people and to everyone else. They began as a loose collection of emancipated slaves from different back grounds, with very little in common except for a belief in the God of Moses who led them to freedom, and after crossing the Red Sea they probably didn't get along with each other. They would most likely have traveled in separate groups, following their own leaders and making their own rules. They were a small population compared to the inhabitants of the areas they were passing through, and as a homeless people they struggled constantly with the local populations. They would have banded together only when necessary to ensure their safety.

As they traveled they would have recited the stories of national and local gods who did battle with each other, and attempted to understand and explain the struggle in their own lives caused by one god or another. Their beliefs in how the many gods behaved would have been applied to their understanding of the God of Moses. It was important to believe that their god would protect them and the idea of an "all powerful" God capable of smiting the forces of all other gods was very important. Later, the people of Judah and Israel also struggled with their neighbors and their understanding and relationship with God continued to evolve. For example, it wasn't until the period of exile to Babylon, and the loss of the Temple, that their God became for them the One True God. These stories were eventually collected and written down, and a God capable of severe punishment (as they understood him) was used to explain the obvious and very real effects of disobedience, etc.

The message that the Holy Spirit wishes to convey to us as readers of the Bible is that disobedience to God results in pain and disappointment. The stories about God smiting those who disobey him is intended to help us understand the severity of poor decisions and the lasting penalties of disobedience. The continuous and consistent message of the Bible is that God loves us, God will protect us, and God is waiting for us. Thankfully, the writers of the New Testament continue our understanding of who God is. Jesus is, for us, the "Face of God". Jesus is, in fact, God. Jesus taught love, mercy, and tolerance, and He is the example by which we come to know God. He said that, "no one comes to the Father except by me", which means physically and spiritually. Jesus is the source of knowledge to help us understand who God is and how we are to build a relationship with Him; to be worthy of spending eternity with Him. Ask yourself the question, “Who is Jesus?”, and you will know God.

Introduction to the Old Testament – Class 6

Tonight we discussed the importance of a remarkable group of men and women. It is to the prophets that Western civilization owes its convictions that the future of any people depends in large part on the justice of its social order, and that individuals are responsible for the social structures of their society. If for the Hebrews the generic meaning of the word prophet was "one who speaks on the authority of another", its specific meaning was "one who speaks for God".

The prophets argued against the moral delinquency of Jewish political life at the time. The danger from within, however, was matched by danger from without. Israel and Judah were in danger of being crushed by Assyria and Babylonia to the east, Egypt to the south, and Phoenicia and Syria to the north. In similar situations other peoples of the region assumed that outcomes rested on the relative strengths of the national gods involved. In other words, on a simple calculation of power in which questions of morality were irrelevant.

The Jews resisted this reading because of their unquenchable passion for meaning. They refused to concede that any event was meaningless, in the sense of leaving no room for a creative response involving a moral choice. Thus what other nations would have interpreted as a simple power squeeze, they saw as God's warning to clean up their national life. Stated abstractly the prophetic principle is; the prerequisite of political stability is social justice, for it is in the nature of things that injustice will not endure. Stated theologically the point reads; God has high standards, and he will not put up with exploitation, corruption, and mediocrity.

The prophets of Israel and Judah are one of the most amazing groups of individuals in all of history. In the midst of the moral desert in which they found themselves, they spoke words the world has never been able to forget. The prophets came from all classes. Some were sophisticated and others were as natural as the hillsides they called home. Some heard God roaring like a lion, others heard the divine decree in the ghostly stillness that follows the storm. Yet one thing is common to all of them; The conviction that every human being, simply by virtue of his or her humanity, is a child of God and therefore in possession of rights that even kings must respect.

The Good Fight

Although our new pastor has been with us for a couple of months, he was officially installed by the Bishop on Sunday. I always enjoy these special events, because they are usually inserted into the middle of the Mass, which extends the service from about one hour to about one and a half hours. I love the liturgy that develops around these events, especially the music; which I’ll admit causes a sympathetic reaction in and around my tear ducts.

Our new pastor began his homily by quoting the Special Olympics Athlete Oath; “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”. After a few thoughts, he followed this with St. Paul’s message from prison, “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). His homily was inspiring and very close to my heart, because I am no longer concerned about winning the race; I just want to be brave in the attempt to do what I can.

We sang the song Christ, Be Our Light , by Bernadette Farrell, during communion that emphasizes what we can do for others. The refrain is;

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Sometimes when the present looks bleak, it’s important to focus on Jesus Christ and the future will look bright. We are not alone, but we do need to be brave. God isn’t asking us to win; he just wants us to do our best, keep the faith, and help each other do the same.

Introduction to the Old Testament – Class 5

Tonight we reviewed the talk from our last class, concerning the Jewish people and their Master Story. The story of Jacob holds another key to Jewish identity. Jacob was born holding the heel of Esau as he comes out of his mother’s womb. She favored Jacob, and helped him steals Esau’s birthright through deception. Esau was furious and threatened Jacob, who ran away. Eventually Jacob marries Rachel and Leah, and years later he’s about to meet his brother again.

Jacob wants to reunite with this brother but he’s unsure about whether Esau will accept him back after what he had done. He divides his people into two camps, so that if Esau strikes one camp the other will remain, and he sends gifts to Esau hoping to appease him and earn his forgiveness. Nevertheless, for safety he moves his family across the river. At this point Jacob “was left alone” and he “wrestled with a man until the break of dawn”. This man turns out to be a messenger of the Lord in human form as Hosea suggests years later.

Notice that Jacob holds his own and will not let the “man” go until he blesses him. Jacobs name is changed to Israel or “one who wrestles with God and man”, and he names the place Penial; “because I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared”. He realizes that he has been wrestled with men, especially his brother Esau, and that now he has wrestled with God. As dawn is about to break Jacob acquires his new name, Am Yisrael, which means the People of Israel.

Esau arrives and all Jacob’s fears are unfounded as Esau kisses Jacob and weeps. There is no anger, animosity or revenge in Esau’s behavior. Jacob bows down to Esau 7 times, has each family member bow down three times, and five times he calls Jacob my Lord. Of course Esau does not accept the gifts from Jacob, saying, “I have plenty”. But Jacob insists that he accept the blessing that he offers (returns) to his brother! He repeats what he had said after the wrestling match, “To see your face is like seeing the face of God”.

Jacob spent much of his life wrestling with his identity. He did not know who he was, and how could he? Jacob wanted to be Esau, and he took all from Esau because (he thought) Esau was everything Jacob was not. He had stolen what was not his, and you cannot have a true identity through theft. You will always be something else, and as Jacob discovered, he always saw Esau in the mirror and not himself. To receive the blessing Isaac gave him, the blessing intended for him and his descendants (the Children of Israel), he did not have to dress in Esau’s clothes. He only needed to be himself.

The blessing is that we can be ourselves when we come face to face with God, and our lives will be spared. Who we really are, truly is in the “the image of God.”

Rosary Rally

Today I attended a Rosary Rally, held in a public square on a street corner in my home town. About 25 people met at noon to pray for the "Expiation of Public and National Sins".

We received a very informative handout which begins, "As a member of society and a citizen of your country, you must unite with the rest in making the atonement and reparation which Devine Justice requires for the public and national sins committed in the community in which you live." This makes sense to me and fits my concept of sin; that we are all in this world together and we are all responsible for each other. Sin, whether it's mine or someone else's, affects all of us. The handout goes on to explain, "By public and national sins we understand certain sins of a graver nature which are committed on so large a scale and by so many persons in a community, be it a city, or a province, or an entire nation, that they are attributed to the community as a body and not merely to this or that individual." The handout goes on to provide a very long list of what might qualify as public and national sins.

Here is where, I think, their message swerves off track. The third paragraph begins with, "God is exceedingly patient and long-suffering, and does not willingly inflict general chastisements, however richly they may be deserved by a community". This is followed by examples in which God inflicts punishment because of disobedience. This group, The Public Square Rosary Crusade, states in paragraph four that, "God acts in this way still". Evidently, they believe that after a suitable waiting period, God will cause some "visitation which will fall heavily on the guilty community as a just punishment of its long, continued transgressions ..." such as "destructive floods or storms, epidemics and pestilences ...”.

This doesn't match my concept of God, because I do not believe that God is responsible for the pain in the world. I believe that accidents happen, floods happen, earth quakes happen, epidemics happen, etc. but I don't believe that God causes these things in order to punish individuals, groups, or nations. Nevertheless, even though I don't agree with everything this group proclaims, nor everything on their list of public and national sins, the large banner message was positive, those who passed by didn't seem offended, and it was a positive experience for me. I think that next year I would be willing to attend another Rosary Rally, held in a public square on a street corner in my home town.

Introduction to the Old Testament – Class 4

Tonight we listened to a guest speaker, a retired Jewish Rabi, lecture on the Jewish people in light of their Master Story. A master story informs and forms a world view that forever influences how people see and interpret events. He, as well as our class instructor, is involved in a program called C-JEEP, which stands for Catholic – Jewish Education Enrichment Program. In this program a Jewish instructor will talk to a Catholic class and a Catholic instructor will talk to a Jewish class. I found this lecture fascinating!

According to the Rabi, prior to about 1300 BC all religions saw the world as controlled by fate, or destiny. Picture a circle to represent all of nature, moving around the edge from spring (birth), to summer (youth), to fall (adult), to winter (old age and death). Everything that existed was imagined to be inside that circle, including water, people, animals, plants, and even the gods. There were gods of the sea, gods of the air, and gods of the land, etc. Inside the circle people might attempt to improve their conditions by influencing the gods, for better crops, protection from sickness, safe passage, or bigger catches of fish, but absolutely everything inside the circle was controlled by one force; fate.

The key to understanding Judaism is the Exodus from Egypt. Prior to the Exodus the gods were part of nature. After the Exodus God was part of history. Around 1300 BC Moses was an Egyptian prince, although he connected with the people, and particularly the Hebrew slaves. Moses had a very personal relationship with God, and he is the most important figure in Jewish history. He was appointed by God to deliver the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, he received the law from God and it is through him that the covenant between God and Israel is made. As the story goes Moses led his people out of Egypt, breaking the cycle of slavery, and the Exodus becomes their Master Story. Everything from that time forward is viewed in light of that event.

A Living Example

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama was in town today. Although he spoke less than a block from my office, I was unable to attend the two hour event. The guy that works for me asked first, and we didn’t feel that both of us should be gone at the same time. He did bring me a pamphlet however, and printed on the welcome page is;

Your Holiness,

We thank you for giving us this precious teaching on Eight Verses for Training the Mind. We are humbled by your kind generosity and fortunate to be in your gracious presence.

Thank you also for your tireless efforts, unbounded love, and compassion for all sentient beings. You are not only our hope and inspiration, but a living symbol of loving kindness, tolerance, and forgiveness. May we be blessed with many opportunities to receive your teachings, and may you live long.

May we become better human beings by following your example.

Sincerely,

Ven. Thupten Donyo
on Behalf of all Participants

The Dalai Lama’s travels have taken him throughout the world to share his pragmatic approach to a more peaceful future and engage in dialogue with religious, political, and scientific leaders. I, like so many others, am grateful for his enduring efforts as a humanitarian and advocate for peace and non-violence. We should praise and thank everyone who, like him, work tirelessly for peace and justice in the world.

An Evening of Prayer

Tonight I met with other students from the ILM community and experienced a wonderful evening of prayer that offered us an opportunity to be attentive to our spiritual formation. We gathered at Most Holy Trinity church in San Jose, to pause as a community of faith, to give thanks, and to praise God! Students and alumni prayed together through meditation, scripture and song, with music provided by Institute alumni.

Two people acting as prayer leaders read the Parable of the Sower from Mathew 13:1-23, and later inspired us with their personal reflections. Everyone was invited to reflect (privately) on our talents and how we are being called to develop and to use them. We were asked to consider four questions; 1) What are the gifts that I am called to recognize in me? 2) What kind of soil have I prepared? 3) Have I created a space where God’s gifts can grow, or have I rejected these gifts or jeopardized their cultivation? 4) How have I responded to the gifts that God has given me?

We were also asked to turn to the person next to us and discuss our answers to these questions. That was hard, but after a couple of uncomfortable thoughts like where's the nearest exit, I turned to the guy next to me and we started talking. It turns out that he is also a first year student and the guy who, like me, had missed the first Wednesday and Saturday class. He had not been able to attend the first two lecture classes either, and he was feeling a bit lost. Of course he turns out to be a really nice guy and we enjoyed discussing each others responses.

Paper or Plastic

Three of us decided to eat deli sandwiches for dinner a few nights ago, and we went to a local market together. The deli crew had begun to clean up for the evening, but they agreed to our orders and we were very grateful. A few minutes later, with sandwiches, drinks, and chips in hand, we stepped up to the checkout counter.

The checkout guy noticed the softball jersey that my granddaughter was wearing and started up a conversation, quickly learning that she was on the traveling team. Evidently his niece was also on a traveling team, or had been recently, and he had spent a lot of time at her practice and games. Up until now I hadn’t paid too much attention to the conversation, but then he mentioned that his niece played for a local Catholic high school. We were familiar with the school and in fact we know and like the team chaplain very much, so we mentioned him by name hoping to stimulate the conversation further. His response was a surprise, because he charged into a short monolog about how he “used to be Catholic” but was now “a born again Christian”, that he “was no longer guilty”, and that we “shouldn’t feel guilty either”. Needless to say, we passed on the paper or plastic options and chose to hand carry our food to the car.

I’ll admit that I’ve only been Catholic for a few years, but I don’t feel guilty. Why are Catholics supposed to feel guilty? What are Catholics supposed to feel guilty about? As a new Catholic am I supposed to feel guilty about something, or do I get a pass on the guilt options?

Introduction to the Old Testament – Class 2

Tonight we discussed various cultural influences found during the period of the early Old Testament writings. We discussed Standing Stones, Oral Tradition, and the Ancient Hebrew’s World View.

Eyewitnesses did not write the books of the Old Testament as the events occurred. The Biblical stories that we have were originally passed down by word of mouth. Family after family of the Hebrew people told and retold the stories of their religious faith experience; stories of how God had saved his people and was still saving them. Although the details of stories were changed or even lost, the basic religious meaning remained. This process of preserving stories, known as oral tradition, kept the stories meaning and value for the people. All civilizations have stories of the past that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Careful research of the first 5 books of the Bible, or the Pentateuch, reveals that it was probably assembled from 4 separate sources. In the Yahwist source (J), written in the Southern part of the Kingdom, God interacts directly with humans and has human qualities. God is passionate, relational, personal, social, and merciful. Later in the Elohist source (E), written in the Northern part of the Kingdom, God interacts indirectly with humans, through dreams and manifestations, and He is less vivid and less concrete. Later still in the Priestly source (P), written during the exile in Babylon, God is represented as transcendent and holy. This source emphasized genealogies, pilgrimages, festivals, worship, and ritual. Finally in the Deuteronomist source (D), written in Israel, God is the Lord of Israel. It is primarily concerned with the history of Israel.

Myth is “an imaginative story that embodies the beliefs and values of a group of people”, or contains “symbolic stories that express a spiritual truth or a basic belief about God”. Its purpose is to reveal many meanings or levels of understanding contained in a single story”. They perform four functions, including Theological, what God is like and how God relates to humanity; Cosmic, how the world works and what it’s purpose is; Social, how society should be organized and who is in charge; and Ethical, what values we should have and how we should behave.

Connections

I wasn’t exposed to sports as a child. I played grade school and high school softball and football in PE class as most of us did, and I was one of those kids that was usually picked last. My parents weren’t interested in sports at all so I didn’t go to evening and weekend games, and I wasn’t encouraged to join leagues or play summer sports. In fact, no one that I knew paid any attention to professional sports. When I went to college I noticed a lot of other students were focused on sports, and that they kept track of school teams and professional teams, but I didn’t understand what it was all about.

After college, I wasn’t even aware of sports until I met my wife. She is the sports nut at our house, and when we first met she knew the names of all the players and could quote statistics, for both football and softball. I was very impressed to say the least. Eventually, as I began to meet and pay attention to other friends and sport fans, I became aware of a peculiar reality. Professional sports seemed to tie people together in a way that politics and governments were not able to do. Once I heard the statistic that more people watch soccer in one day than watch football all year long, I realized the power of sports and how impressive this reality was.

As a child and before I knew anything about sports, my small town church connected me with other likeminded people. But as I grew older I realized that this was fairly limited in population and location. Quite a few years later, although I was still Protestant, I came to believe that it was the Catholic Church that connected almost everyone in the entire world, and that it was even more impressive than the power of professional sports. The Catholic Church connects people into one group, with similar beliefs all around the world. The Catholic Church connects people with a long history, going back thousands of years. The Catholic Church connects people in continuous worship, in the form of the Mass.

Almost every hour of every day, almost every day of every year, almost every year for centuries, the people of the Catholic Church have been in continuous worship to God. The Mass of the Catholic Church has been, and continues to be celebrated every hour somewhere in the world, and it connects us directly to Jesus Christ.

Introduction to the Old Testament – Class 1

Tonight we were presented with the question of how do we come to know God? The presentation suggested personal prayer and meditation, spiritual direction, communal prayer, ritual, sacrament, reading and study, and the Bible as answers to that question. We explored what is the Bible, divisions of the Bible, what kind of book is the Bible, and religious truths in the Bible.

The Bible is ancient, obviously, and it was written in Hebrew and Greek (obviously), not English, German, or even Latin. It came from a very different time and culture, which means that to read it out of context, is dangerous, which in turn makes it difficult to read. As we read we must try to understand the culturally conditioned experiences of God that the writers convey. Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and Jesus, although historical figures did not write anything in the Bible; they were written about. Still, we believe that there is Truth to be understood, interpreted, applied, and passed on to contemporary people of faith.

The Bible contains fact, myth, and truth. Examples of historical fact include David, who was king around 1000 BC, and Assyria, who destroyed Israel around 722 BC. Examples of things that are not fact, include the stories of creation found in Genesis, and the number of men leaving Egypt during the Exodus. Still, we are confident that God’s love and care for humanity is preserved in the Bible, whether buried beneath factual inaccuracies or not.

Here I am Lord

I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin, my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them, whom shall I send?

 

Here I am, Lord, is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

 

I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them. They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone; give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them, whom shall I send?

 

Here I am, Lord, is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

 

I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them, my hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide, till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life for them, whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord, is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

 

Text based on Isaiah 6, Dan Schutte, 1981, 2003, OCP all rights reserved

Welcome

I am a convert to Catholicism although I feel like I've been catholic all of my life. I grew up in a small town evangelical church called the Church of the Nazarene, attending church regularly; earning a ten year perfect attendance pin while I was in High School. During college I went to church occasionally even though I attended religious schools for the first two years, and after college I searched for a church that was exciting, vibrant, and uplifting, but I couldn’t find what I needed. Eventually I quit altogether, and although I missed attending church and sometimes considered attending church on my own: I just never got around to it. My wife and I attended church with my Mother on visits to my home town although we never attended church otherwise, even though we seemed to share many of the same religious beliefs. I knew that my wife was Catholic, but it seemed to me that we should be attending a small local protestant church near our home, since I hadn't found anything better and it couldn't hurt. She, on the other hand, felt that the protestant church of my youth seriously lacked the level of worship that she desired, and I don't believe that being protestant was ever an option for her.

 

While preparing one of our daughters for marriage, my wife responded to a personal call and returned to her Catholic faith. She began attending Mass on Sundays, and joined the RCIA program as a team member. With her renewed interest we returned to our discussions about church and religion and I discovered that I was agreeing with her most of the time. She would come home after her RCIA meetings and we would talk about the subject for that evening, and during those conversations I began to realize that what I had believed about Catholicism was not accurate. She eventually invited me to attend the RCIA meetings with her and since she would be there it seemed like a good thing to do. I already knew that we both believed in Jesus and the Trinity, but this was the first time I understood that I could be Catholic and still be a Christian.

 

During these meetings I slowly realized that I was (in fact) a closet Catholic, since what the Church was teaching was what I believed to be true. I began attending weekly Mass with my wife, and after some hesitation I went forward during communion for a blessing. Once I did that I was hooked, amazed by an overwhelming sense of well being that lasted all week. I quickly became dependent on my weekly blessings, and that became a desire to be in full communion with the Church. I joined the next RCIA group as a participant and looked forward to my confirmation. Although I had stopped searching for a long time I never lost my faith in God. He used my wife's hope to bless me, her charity to convince me, and her love to lead me to his Church. I believe that the Catholic Church is teaching the Truth, and I want to learn all that I can so that I can help others, by being an example of his love. I am grateful for this opportunity to deepen my relationship with God, to learn more about his Church, and to contribute to His Kingdom.