My blog has moved! http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/
|
 |
Twitter Feed for My Recent Blog Posts and Other Tweets |
My blog has moved! http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/
|
Scot McKnight on The Three Bears
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I was browsing around one of my favorite websites, Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed, when, lo and behold, I found a post on “Three Bears of Reliability” of the Gospels. I was delighted to find that my book Can We Trust the Gospels? is one of the three bears. Scot, as you may know, is a recognized biblical scholar, prolific author, and top-notch blogger. He is also the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University.
I hadn’t seen this post before, probably becuase Scot put it up on Christmas Eve 2007, when I was otherwise occupied. I thought I would reproduce (AKA plagiarize) Scot’s post, adding a few comments of my own along the way. So here you go:
Three Bears of Reliability, by Scot McKnight
Every generation needs to examine for itself the reliability of the Gospels. Is the depiction of Jesus accurate? Can they be trusted? Are they reliable enough for us to anchor our faith in Jesus? There are now “three bears” in this battle, three books that argue for the reliability of the Gospels, three books that bring us good news at Christmas time. I begin with Mark Roberts.
Formerly a Presbyterian pastor in California and now heading up a ministry in Texas, Mark Roberts’ book, Can We Trust the Gospels?, will become the FF Bruce book of this generation. This book is personal, it is readable, it is wide-ranging, and it is incisive. And what I like about this book is that Mark proceeds by asking the kinds of questions students ask: Did the Evangelists know Jesus personally? Are there contradictions? If they are theology, can they be history? Miracles? Archaeology? Well, this is the book I will give my students if they ask … and they will.
[MDR: Thanks, Scot. This is high praise, indeed. If my book does 10% of the good that Bruce’s book has done, I’ll be pleased and grateful.]
Two Twin City scholars, Paul Eddy at Bethel and Greg Boyd at Woodland Hills Church, offer to us the most complete book now available on the historical reliability of the Gospels: The Jesus Legend. I was taken off guard by the buzz about this book at the recent academic conference. This book does something no other book does: it focuses on those who are most skeptical of the Jesus of the Gospels and the Church (like Robert Price). It is into method, ancient witnesses, the oral tradition, and assessing the evidence. If you need a complete study, this is it.
[MDR: I’ve purchased and scanned this book. It looks quite good. It’s especially helpful in response to those who go for the “Jesus was a legend” line.]
But I can’t go on without mentioning the book of my generation. A former fellow classmate of mine and now a distinguished scholar, Craig Blomberg wrote the definitive book that led the evangelical defense of the Gospels for twenty years. The book is now updated and it remains a fine study that focuses on the historical reliability of the Gospels in the face of critical methods. I’ll admit I’ll still turn to Craig’s book first because I’m so familiar with its earlier form. It is called The Historical Reliability of the Gospels.
[MDR: In Can We Trust the Gospels? and in my blogging I’ve praised this excellent book by Blomberg. I’m glad to know it has been updated and re-released. Thanks, Scot, for bringing this to our attention. I have, in fact, just ordered a copy of the second edition.
Thanks again, Scot, not only for mentioning my book, but for bringing these other resources to our attention. And have a Merry Christmas!]
Topics: Book Reviews, Can We Trust the Gospels? | No Comments »
Christian Voting
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, February 18, 2008
In this season of voting, many Christians are weighing in on their preferences. Near my office in Kerrville, Texas, I noticed a church sign that uses the voting metaphor to encourage church attendance:
Indeed, we do “vote” when we decide to join with God’s people for worship and/or Bible study. Now that I don’t have to go to church on Sunday, I am more in touch with the temptation to “vote” for the world by vegging out on a Sunday morning. But, so far, Jesus is beating the world in my Sunday morning polling booth.
I wonder, though, if we Christians don’t cast our votes for Jesus or the world many, many more times each week than simply three. Yes, we vote for Jesus when we choose to go to church. But don’t we also vote for Jesus when we choose to give a chunk of money to some Christian cause rather than spending it on ourselves? And don’t we also vote for Jesus when we decide to tell the truth at work rather than spinning things in a self-serving way? And don’t we also vote for Jesus when we choose to forgive a relative who has wronged us? And what about our goals? our daily disciplines? our use of our leisure time? our driving habits? etc. etc. etc. Aren’t these all opportunities to vote for Jesus?
I’m pleased to be part of a ministry that stresses “the high calling of our daily work,” which includes both work for pay and all of that in which we invest our personal effort. Yes, it’s part of our calling to attend church and Bible study. But working in the world in service to the Lord is equally part of our high calling. (For more encouragement in this regard, be sure to check out http://www.thehighcalling.org/.)
So, yes, by all means vote for Jesus when you have to choose between being with God’s people and frittering away your time on inessentials. But be sure to vote for Jesus, not just three times a week, but every time you choose to do anything!
Topics: Faith and Work, High Calling | 1 Comment »
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, February 17, 2008
The God Who Initiates
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-shaddai—’God Almighty’.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.”
In most pagan religions, human beings initiate relationship with the gods, usually by offering sacrifices in the hope that the gods will respond favorably. But the true God does not wait for us to approach him. Rather, he initiates relationship with us by revealing himself. Thus our faith is not a shot in the divine darkness, but rather a response to the light of God’s self-revelation.
Yet God does not reveal himself to us simply that we might know who he is. God makes himself known to us so that he might have relationship with us, so that we might live our lives in service to him.
God continues to make himself known to us today, in Scripture, in sacrament, in service, in the Spirit. He initiates a relationship with each of us individually so that we might know him, serve him, and love him.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How has God initiated relationship with you? How have you responded?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, how wonderful that I don’t have to pound on heaven’s door in order to know you. You have made yourself known to me in so many ways, most of all in Jesus Christ, who embodies all that you are so I might know you and live my life with you. Thank you, gracious God, for initiating relationship with me. What an amazing thought . . . that you seek relationship even with me!
All praise be to you, O God, for being the one who initiates, for reaching out to us in love and grace so that we might know you, serve you, and love you. Amen.
God also makes himself known in the beauty of a stunning sunset. I took this photo about a year ago from the H. E. Butt Foundation property, where Laity Lodge is located.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »
Lily’s Hiding Place
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, February 16, 2008
My cat found a good hiding place a couple of weeks ago: a bag from the Apple store.
Do you ever feel like just crawling into a bag and hiding from life?
Topics: Fun | No Comments »
Some Links Worth Checking Out
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, February 15, 2008
Tod Bolsinger of It Takes a Church has a helpful piece on icons and the Trinity. Check this out, especially if you’re inclined to be skeptical of the role if icons in spiritual life.
Sometimes Ben Witherington, New Testament professor and prolific author, just cracks me up. Check out his piece on “Old Wisdom” and enjoy a good chuckle.
Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, weighs in on the value of hymns in “Hymns as Compacted Theology.”
Brandon O’Brien, writing for Out of Ur (Leadership Journal of Christianity Today) asks “Is the Pastorate Pagan?” in his brief review of Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna).
Laity Lodge has begun to post video clips on YouTube. Check out this short clip featuring J.I. Packer, a frequent speaker at Laity Lodge. You can find other Laity Lodge clips of Packer here.
And from the sublime to the ridiculous, my most popular YouTube video, “Journey to Atlantis, Sea World, San Diego, CA” just passed 50,000 views. You can view it here. Sorry about the obnoxious music. My other videos are here.
Topics: Links | 1 Comment »
You Know You’re in a Small Town When . . . .
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, February 14, 2008
From the police blotter of the Boerne Star News:
January 7
100 block of First Street, 2:40 p.m., An officer was flagged down by a man who said he gave $900 to two men who said they were taking his money to the bank and would return with a check for him. [MDR: Note to self: Never give money to strangers who promise to take it to the bank for me.]
Jan. 6
500 block of Roosevelt Avenue, Comfort, 11:45 a.m., A woman reported that her neighbor is mowing his yard and deliberately throwing the cuttings on her car. [MDR: As if it were possible for the man to be throwing the cuttings on her car without doing it deliberately?]
Jan. 8
200 block of Lohmann, 7:53 p.m., A caller reported kids in the area setting off fireworks. Police were unable to locate the children. [MDR: You tell your kids, “Don’t play with fireworks, you’ll blow yourself up.” And then one day it happens.]
Jan. 10
29000 block of No Le Hace Drive, 6:14 p.m., A woman reported being approached in a bank drive-through by a man selling steaks. The woman refused to buy any and followed the truck to the parking lot at Anytime Fitness where the driver and a passenger again offered to sell meat to her. [MDR: First, notice the street name: No Le Hace. That’s Spanish for “It doesn’t matter.” I wonder if we have “Hakuna Matata Street”? Second, we don’t learn what kinds of steaks they were. Nuts. Third, after the woman declined, she followed the truck so the people could hassle her again. Huh? Note to self: If somebody tries to sell me steaks, don’t follow him to the next place.]
Jan. 14
N. Front Street, Waring, 4:46 p.m., A man reported that his granddaughter was attacked by a turkey when she got off the bus. [MDR: Hey, no name calling. Just because some guy attacked a girl, that’s no excuse for calling him a turkey! Oh . . . . What? . . . . I guess it was a real turkey. A city boy mistake. Never mind! Photo: Copyright © Rod Pasibe (Rights purchased from iStockphoto.com]
Jan. 15
100 block of S. Main St., 7:49 p.m., A caller reported a white Dodge Dooley in the parking lot behind the Benefit Planners building doing doughnuts. Officers contacted the driver and gave advice. [MDR: Now there are some fine cops! No threats. No tickets. Just free advice. PS: A Dodge Dooley is a kind of truck.]
Jan. 16
Highland and Water streets, 8:15 p.m., An officer observed a suspicious vehicle parked at the Optimist Park with fogged windows. Officers contacted a 40-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman who told police they had been making out. Both were released. [MDR: No comment.]
Jan. 29
29000 block of Ralph Fair Road, 6:28 p.m., While on patrol, police were notified of a vehicle that was being sought by Kendall County deputies after the driver reportedly slashed the tires of another vehicle at the Bergheim Store. An officer observed a vehicle, which matched the description, leaving the Exxon Market. Police stopped the vehicle and questioned the driver, who admitted he slashed the tires because the driver was “driving reckless and endangering his life, his girlfriend’s life and the lives of everyone on the road.” The man was turned over to county deputies. [MDR: Note to self: Don’t be a vigilante, even if someone is endangering the lives of everyone on the road.]
Topics: Small Town, Police Blotter | 7 Comments »
Gordon Fee on Rejoicing in the Lord
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Part 13 of series: Sharing Laity Lodge
Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Recently Gordon Fee came to speak at Laity Lodge. He is now a Professor Emeritus of Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. Before retiring, he taught New Testament courses at Regent, and before that at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Gordon Fee is a highly regarded New Testament scholar, and an expert in the field of textual criticism. He has written several books, among them How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (with Doug Stuart). (Photo to right: Dr. Gordon Fee holding forth in the Great Hall of Laity Lodge.)
Gordon Fee spoke for a retreat of people from the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio. He focused on Paul’s letter to the Philippians, doing, as one might expect, an excellent job of interpreting the biblical text. (By the way, Gordon has written the best seminary-level guide to the interepretation of the New Testament: New Testament Exegesis.)
I won’t summarize Gordon Fee’s teaching here. But I do want to mention something he said almost as an aside. He was dealing with Philippians 3:1, which says, “Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.” Gordon explained that this is not a command to feel happy feelings. Paul is not saying, “Rev yourself up and be joyful.” Rather, this is a command to praise the Lord, to worship God. It may well be that when we do this, we will feel joy. But that’s not the main point. Paul is repeating in Philippians what can be found throughout the Psalms: calls to praise God through joyful expression.
Gordon Fee has nothing against feeling happy, I’m quite sure. But his take on Philippians is a helpful one. Perhaps you have wondered how you’re supposed to make yourself feel joyful when your down in the dumps. It can almost seem as if Paul is telling us to do the impossible. But when we understand that he is calling us to praise God, then we’re released from the task of having to make ourselves feel a certain way, a task that often leads to denial and pretending.
Topics: Sharing Laity Lodge | 3 Comments »
Does John McCain Have a Secret Identity?
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A recent edition of the San Antonio Express-News contained a curious bit of information. The paper’s website was supposed to feature a column by George Will, in which he would explain how John McCain has rejected Republican principles. BUT, if you look closely, paying attention to the captions, you see something altogether suspicious. We hear a lot these days about collusion between the media and political candidates. But now we seem to be witnessing something new, something scary. This looks more like The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Who is the real John McCain? And what does he really look like? Are John McCain and George Will interchangable? Are they really one person? Perhaps a space alien who can change forms at will? Could John McCain/George Will be a new Terminator? Who knows? (Photo to the right: A page from the San Antonio Express-News, January 21, 2008. Photo below: An unedited closeup of the bottom of the page.)
Topics: Fun | No Comments »
Pangs, Pain, Thorns, and Thistles
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, February 11, 2008
Part 5 of series: Being the People of God
Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In my last post in this series, I began to explore the impact of sin on human relationships. Genesis 3 reveals that sin corrupts human community, thus complicating our efforts to be the people of God together.
This chapter also shows that our efforts to do the work of the people of God will also be complicated and frustrated. Remember that God had given the first people the assignment to “be fruitful and multiply” and to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1). The man, with the woman as his partner, was to be the gardener in God’s Paradise (Genesis 2). But then the first humans disobeyed God, and Paradise was lost (Genesis 3).
In Genesis 3, God reveals to the woman and the man the sorry results of their sin:
16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten of the tree
about which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
Notice that the man and the woman will still do as commanded by being fruitful and filling the earth. Yet now the woman will experience pangs and pain in childbearing. God’s people will do as they were told, but with difficulty and suffering. Similarly, the man will continue to be God’s gardener. But because of sin, he will now have to do battle with thorns and thistles. He will work the ground as commanded, but now with difficult and suffering.
I expect you don’t need to be convinced about the fact that work is hard, no matter what your work might be. If you manage people, you struggle each day with relational challenges. If you are a parent of teenagers, you know how much wisdom you lack and how much resistance you receive. If you are a literal gardener, then you confront literal weeds and pests. And if you’ve ever given birth to children, you know quite a bit about the pangs and pains. (Photo: Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden, in Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel paintings.)
Of course there are times when work feels wonderful and when success comes as if by magic. I’m now in my fifth month of my new position at Laity Lodge, and there are times when I think I died and went to “work heaven.” As much as I enjoy these times and thank God for them, I’m fully aware that there will be other times, times when I’ll be exhausted or frustrated or discouraged, times when my best efforts fail, times when I wonder if I can keep on going. I will face my thorns and thistles down the road a piece. Knowing that these are inevitable helps me not to be shocked when they come. It prepares me to lean upon God’s grace for the strength to carry on.
Although we don’t share in all of the details of Genesis 3 (eating forbidden fruit, covering ourselves with fig leaves, etc.), we do experience the brokenness that comes as a result of sin. Our relationships are tainted with conflict and shame. Our work happens with plenty of sweat and frustration. In the end, we know from experience that we no longer live in Paradise, where being the people of God happens with relational wholeness and rewarding fruitfulness.
Yet God did not give up on humanity. Nor did God abandon his plan to create a people for love and work. Rather, his plan began to show its unexpected complexity. More next time . . . .
Topics: Being the People of God | 3 Comments »
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, February 10, 2008
Doing the Right Thing
When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan.
In Genesis 13, conflict between Abram’s herdsmen and the herdsmen of his nephew Lot led to a generous compromise on Abram’s part: he let Lot choose the best land for himself, while Abram took what was left. Then, in Genesis 14, Lot is captured when his part of the land is invaded by enemy kings.
It’s easy to imagine how Abram might have felt when he heard of Lot’s capture: concerned for his nephew, scornful that he didn’t elude capture, perhaps even angry at the inconvenience this would be for Abram himself. Honor demanded that he pursue Lot and try to set him free, even at considerable cost and personal risk. Abram did what was right, even though he might have been tempted to do otherwise. God rewarded him handily, protecting Abram and helping him to be victorious.
Have you ever experienced a situation similar to that of Abram, when doing the right thing was costly or dangerous, and something you would have loved to avoid? What did you do? Why?
QUESTION FOR REFLECTION: Is God asking you to do something today because it’s right, even though it’s inconvenient, perhaps even risky?
PRAYER: Gracious God, it’s easy for me to read this story quickly without thinking about Abram’s experience. Yet when I pause and consider, I realize how hard it might have been for him to do the right thing. But Abram did what he knew to be right, even at considerable cost and risk.
O Lord, you know how hard it is for me to do this sort of thing. Though I’m not chasing after my captured nephew, I often need to do things that are uncomfortable, time-consuming, and inconvenient. How hard I can try to rationalize a way out of doing what I know to be right! Help me in these times, dear Lord, to do the right thing, and to trust you with the results. Even this very day, at work or at home, may I be less concerned about my own comfort and convenience, and more concerned about others, and about doing that which is right in your eyes. Amen.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »
Excellent Interview with Francis Collins
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, February 9, 2008
My friend and colleague, Marcus Goodyear, has recently posted an excellent interview of Francis Collins on The High Calling.org. If you’re not familiar with Collins, he’s one of the world’s leading scientists and also an articulate Christian. Just to entice you, here are three excerpts:
But in the scientific community, there’s a kind of taboo about talking about faith. That topic will empty the seminar room about as quickly as anything you could bring up. There’s a sense that it’s not an appropriate topic to discuss at work. (Photo: Francis Collins)
As a scientist who is also a believer, virtually everything that we uncover day after day about the human genome and how it works is also a glimpse of God’s mind. My work is a celebration of our understanding of nature, but more importantly a celebration of what God has done.
The Human Genome Project was an international team effort unlike anything that had ever been done in biology before. The challenge was to convince people to work together in harmony, to divide up the labor in an equitable way, to try to be sure that the hundreds of people working on this project all were given some credit for what they were doing. They weren’t just cogs in a wheel. We had to take full advantage of the incredible intelligence brought to the table by some of the best and brightest scientists of our generation.
Be sure to read the whole interview. And stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon.
Oh, and while you’re at it, you might check out this humorous and ironic piece from Ramblin’ Dan. If you’ve ever had you’re phone call answered by somebody in India, you’ll appreciate Dan’s honesty and perspective.
Topics: Recommendations | No Comments »
Reflections on Fasting in Lent
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, February 8, 2008
I grew up hearing about Catholics fasting during the season of Lent. No meat on Fridays, only fish, which in my school cafeteria was something to be avoided at all costs. This always seemed to me to be one more good reason to be a Protestant. But, in the past fifteen years or so, I’ve sometimes decided to join my Catholic sisters and brothers in giving up something during the 40 days (46, including the Sundays) prior to Easter
People in my theological tradition (the Reformed tradition, pioneered by John Calvin) tend not to emphasize Lenten fasting. Partly this had to do with the conscious rejection of Roman Catholic practices that were not clearly based on Scripture. Many Reformed folk, and other Protestants, chose instead to add some spiritual discipline to their lives as a way of preparing for Easter. It’s quite common today for churches that don’t have midweek Bible studies, for example, to offer a Lenten Wednesday Evening Study or something like this. Special Lenten spiritual retreats are also increasingly common in Protestant and Roman Catholic circles.
Throughout church history there have been different kinds of Lenten fasts. Nobody, to my knowledge, expected anyone to give up all food for the whole season. In the Middle Ages it was common for Christians to give up certain sorts of food, like meat and/or dairy products, for example. Many Catholics still refrain from eating meat on the Fridays of Lent. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lenten fast is taken even more seriously than in the Roman Catholic church, with many Orthodox folk eating vegetarian meals during the season.During the past fifteen years I have sometimes given up something in Lent, perhaps chocolate or watching television. The latter was particularly hard because I enjoy college basketball, and March Madness (the NCAA bastketball tournament) always falls in the middle of Lent. This year I decided to give up something I enjoy. It don’t think it would be appropriate for me to speak in detail about what I’m doing at this time. But I would like to share some reflections on what I experience by my version of a Lenten fast.
First, giving up something allows me to make a tangible sacrifice to the Lord. Although certain sacrifices are already present in my life, I don’t often experience giving up something for God on a daily basis. The act of sacrifice reminds me of my commitment to God and my desire to make Him first in my life.
Second, by giving up something I usually enjoy on a daily basis, I have sometimes found myself yearning for that thing. Frankly, I’ve been tempted to give up my Lenten fast at times. I could easily argue that it’s unnecessary (it is optional, after all) and certainly not taught in Scripture. But, though I don’t think my effort at fasting makes God love or bless me more, I do think it raises my awareness of how much I depend on other things in life rather than the Lord. I see how easy it is for me to set up all sorts of little idols in my life. Fasting, in some way, helps me to surrender my idols to God.
Third, when I give up something I like and then feel an unquenched desire for it, I’m reminded of my neediness as a person. And neediness, I believe, is at the heart of true spirituality. Jesus said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. . . .Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”Matthew 5:3, 6
Of course feeling hungry for one of life’s pleasures isn’t quite the same as hungering and thirsting for righteousness. But when I feel my hunger, when I sense my neediness for some other thing, I can use this to get in touch with my hunger and need for God.
Fourth, as I continue with my Lenten fast, I find myself less eager for the thing I’ve given up. Ironically, this makes my fast easier. It’s almost something I can take for granted, thus dulling the spiritual impact of the fast. But I’m also gratified to know that one of my little “idols” is being set aside in my heart, as I learn to depend more upon God. I’m experiencing a bit of freedom that makes me gladly thankful for God’s grace at work in me.
So, as we enter the season of Lent, I am grateful for the saints who have gone before me, who discovered the blessings of giving up something in Lent. I pray that God will use this season to draw me closer to Him, and to prepare me for a fresh experience of Good Friday and Easter. May God’s peace be with You!
(Edited and expanded version of a post from last year)
Topics: Holidays | 2 Comments »
New Post on the Gospels
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, February 7, 2008
Check out the latest entry by my guest blogger, James Arlandson. It’s called: “Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels”. This is an extraordinarily detailed and helpful piece. You may not check every cross reference today, but you’ll want to save this information for later. Thanks, James, for your continued excellence in your series on the gospels.
Topics: Guest Bloggers | No Comments »
Lent: A Season of Preparation
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Well, we survived another Super Bowl. This year’s game turned out to be an thrilling one, unless, of course, you’re a New England Patriots’ fan. Nevertheless, last Sunday evening we watched the culmination of years and years of training, as top athletes displayed their wares in the “big game.” Win or lose, they can always say they played in the Super Bowl, which counts for a lot in American life today.
So here’s my question for you and me: Do we train for the things that matter most in life? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, I think. Most of us trained extensively for our professions, sometimes for multiple years after college. Yet, at the same time, most of us trained very little for parenting. These days, people often spend more time preparing for childbirth than for what to do afterwards. Similarly with matters of faith. I know some Christians who have prepared carefully for certain acts of discipleship, like going overseas as a missionary, for example. But others of us approach our faith rather like parenting, as something we can do just fine without much intentional preparation. Yet this, I would suggest, isn’t a helpful approach to faith. I didn’t make up this critique. It’s inspired by the New Testament, specifically by Paul’s first letter to Timothy:
Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
(You might be interested to know that the verb “train” and the noun “training” in Greek are gymnazo and gymnasia, related to our word “gymnasium.” You might be even more interested to know that these Greek words come from gymnos, which literally means “naked.” Ancient Greek athletes trained and competed without clothing. But I digress . . . .) Scripture says: “Train yourself in godliness.” Even as an athlete prepares for excellence in sport, so we should prepare for excellence in spiritual things.
There are lots of dimensions of spiritual preparation. Today I want to focus on one, and it’s one that Paul didn’t have in mind as he wrote to Timothy. Nevertheless, I think it reflects the basic intent of this Scripture passage.
I’m talking about Lent. Lent is a season of spiritual preparation. In days gone by, it was a time for new Christians to literally prepare for baptism and for joining the church. I know of some churches that continue this practice today. But, for most of us, Lent isn’t about getting ready for baptism. Rather, it’s about training our hearts for a deeper relationship with God. And, in particular, Lent is a time to prepare our spirits for the Super Bowl of the Christian year, Holy Week and Easter.
In the season of Lent, many Christians participate in a fast of some kind, setting aside certain foods or non-essential activities. Yet the point of the fast isn’t deprivation so much as dedication of oneself to God. If I give up television for Lent, for example, I shouldn’t replace it with extra hours playing video games. Rather, I should devote additional time to various spiritual disciplines, maybe even to good ol’ fashioned rest.
Some Christian traditions emphasize, not so much giving up something in Lent as adding something. Here the focus is more directly on doing things that will help us draw near to the Lord: a Bible study at church, special service to the poor, reading C.S. Lewis, or . . . . But whether you give something up, or take something on, or both, the point is to help you draw near to God, so as to prepare your spirit to invest more deeply in the worship of Holy Week and Easter.
Lent is often a season of penitence, that is, a time when we remember our sins so that we might feel genuinely sorry for them and truly repent of them (turn away from them to God). Some Christians make a special effort to confess their sins each day of Lent. This is not about wallowing in guilt. Rather, it’s a way to experience in a deeper way our need for God, and to receive His forgiveness more extensively.
No matter what you do or don’t do in Lent, I would encourage you to let this be a season of preparation for Holy Week and Easter. (Technically, Holy Week is the culmination of Lent, which ends at midnight on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.) The fruit of Lent is both a deeper relationship with God now and a more exuberant and mindful celebration of Easter in six weeks.
If you’re not sure what to do in this Lenten season, let me once again suggest a simple Lenten discipline. Read one chapter of a gospel each day during Lent. Before you begin, ask the Lord to speak to you through his Word. Read slowly and prayerfully. Let the text sink into your mind and heart. When you’ve finished reading, pray about whatever has touched you. If you begin with the Gospel of Mark, you’ll have enough time to read it and one other gospel during Lent.
May the Lord bless you in this season of Lenten preparation!
Topics: Holidays | 5 Comments »
What is Ash Wednesday?
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Many Christians, mostly Protestants and independents, had never given Ash Wednesday a thought until four years ago. Then, in 2004, Ash Wednesday became a huge day in American Protestant consciousness. Why? Because on that day Mel Gibson released what was to become his epic blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ. For the first time in history, the phrase “Ash Wednesday” was on the lips of millions of evangelical Christians, not just Catholics and other “high church” Protestants.
I grew up with only a vague notion of Ash Wednesday. To me it was some Catholic holy day that I, as an evangelical Protestant, didn’t have to worry about, thanks be to God. During the spring of my first year of college, I was startled to see a woman who worked in my dining hall with a dark cross on her forehead. At first I wondered if it were a bizarre bruise. Then I noticed other women with similar crosses. It finally dawned on me what I was seeing. Here was my introduction to Ash Wednesday piety. I felt impressed that these women were willing to wear her ashes so publicly, even though it seemed a rather odd thing to do. It never dawned on me that this would be something I might do myself one day.
Fast forward sixteen years. During my first year as Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I learned that this church had a tradition of celebrating Ash Wednesday with a special worship service. It included the “imposition of ashes” on the foreheads of worshippers. I, as the pastor, was expected to be one of the chief imposers! So I decided it was time to learn about the meaning of Ash Wednesday. I wanted to be sure that the theological underpinnings of such a practice were biblically solid, and that it was something in which I could freely participate.
Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday (holy day) that is not a biblical requirement (rather like Christmas and Easter!). Nevertheless, it has been honored by Christians for well over ten centuries at the beginning of Lent, a six-week season of preparation for Easter. In the earliest centuries, Christians who had fallen into persistent sin had ashes sprinkled on their bodies as a sign of repentance, even as Job repented “in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Around the tenth century, all believers began to signify their need for repentance by having ashes placed on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. Even this sign of sinfulness hinted at the good news yet to come through its shape.
Today, celebrations of Ash Wednesday vary among churches that recognize this holiday. At Irvine Presbyterian Church, where I served for sixteen years as pastor, and at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Boerne, Texas, where I now attend, ashes are placed on our foreheads as a reminder of our mortality and sinfulness. The person who imposes the ashes quotes something like what God once said to Adam after he had sinned: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). This is the bad news of our sinfulness that prepares us to receive the good news of forgiveness in Christ.
What I value most about Ash Wednesday worship services is the chance for us all to openly acknowledge our frailty and sinfulness. In a world that often expects us to be perfect, we can freely confess our imperfections. We can let down our pretenses and be truly honest with each other about who we are. We all bear the mark of sin, from the youngest babies to the oldest seniors. We all stand guilty before a holy God. We all are mortal and will someday experience bodily death. Thus we all need a Savior.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of Ash Wednesday is that it begins the season of Lent. This is also a foreign concept for many evangelical Christians. In my next post I’ll explain the meaning and practice of Lent, and why this can enrich your experience of God’s grace in Christ.
Topics: Holidays | 6 Comments »