Handwritten Bible Project

The Handwritten Bible Project has been completed and posted online. I hadn't heard of the project until today, but it's pretty cool - and some of the interspersed drawings are great.

http://www.deepeningdiscipleship.org.uk/?p=404&dm_i=BVI,I9WZ,3XYIAH,1HH00,1&tr=y&auid=9357518

Leviticus 15

Not sure if I would have rather the skin disease chapter that Kelly blogged on or this one.  Again, the Israelites are given a set of rules that likely promote proper hygiene mixed with some odd views on bodily functions.  Women get the worst of it here.  Once a month they are "unclean" for 7 days and are essentially cut off from society!

Leviticus 13

Skin diseases and uncleanliness....not very inspiring.

It does shed some light on why everyone went to show themselves to the priests after Jesus healed them.

And though I know that leviticus is primarily about living a holy life, this is one of the places where the book sets out some basic health laws for the people. I wouldn't want to be cast out from the community and shout "unclean!" every time someone came near me --- but I can't really think of a better way to enact a quarantine among an illiterate populace.

There are also some very interesting corrolaries between this chapter and race relations in the United States....segregation based on skin, shouts of "unclean".....

I'm also struck by how the priests are set apart not just as religious officials, but as the educated and knowledgeable class in this society. They are the authorities and the most knowledgeable. Things are changing now, but we still see ties to this mentality....the educated pastor who owned more books than other settlers - in the middle ages as the ones who could read and write - the Master's Degree required today in order to become clergy.

Leviticus 8

Coming from a family of preachers, both ordained and not, the ordination of Aaron and his sons seems very special to me. I can't say that any of the ordinations I have been to have had slaughtered bulls or rams, but one or two have ended in a barbeque. I know that one common story I have heard from many of the recently ordained is that it really hits them the first time they preside over communion. Something about being the physical link between God and the congregation is inspiring, energizing and real.

I decided to google the symbolism behind Leviticus and came across a very interesting one here: http://www.evidenceforchristianity.org/index.php?option=com_custom_content&task=view&id=5087

The writer talks about the ram and two bulls being symbols of Jesus and the two thieves which I find pretty interesting. But, I think it was what it was. A ceremony that captured the importance of what it means to be a leader of the flock. Sacrificing these animals and staying at the entrance of the tent for 7 days would have been a big undertaking. In the Lutheran church, our services of ordination are done in large gatherings and the ceremony is a service of the whole church, not just the local congregation. In the written service, people gather around the candidates and read scripture that offer advice and guidance and even rules. It celebrates the importance of the role and asks that it be treated with the respect and humility that it deserves. Sort of like making someone sit outside a tent for 7 days...

Leviticus 2

This chapter gives further instruction on how the Lord requires sacrifice to be offered. It is laid out step by step for those who choose to gratify God for what has been offered to them. The people of this age have lived in bondage and now our on a journey that God is directing through
the leadership of Moses.

Leviticus 1

Leviticus starts where Exodus left off.  The tabernacle has been built and now God meets with Moses in the tent and God meets the people at the altar of burnt offering.  What I appreciate from this chapter is the repeating verse "It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the lord."  The verse makes me think of the presence of God with the people, the people just need a way of acknowledging the presece through thanksgiving.  The verse does not say "doing this will entice God into your presence.." as if we somehow need to conjur God up.

How often in my daily life do I forget God is with me, right next to me?  God is not just near me when I am thinking about Him, God is with me at all times. I should probably sit up straight...

Leviticus?

Think I will start with Leviticus tomorrow.  No idea why, just thought I'd go back to the beginning!  Any objections??

2 Corinthians 13

This is the last chapter of this book. Next?

As I was reading this chapter, I was struck by how harsh it seems - Paul talks about "not sparing" those who sinned, and calls people to examine themselves. It doesn't say much about mercy or kindness.

But in the midst of this, I thought about VBS today. Every time I turned around, it was the minor misbehavior of my son that caught my attention. He wasn't doing anything terrible - just being a young boy - and others assured me that he was really being quite good. BUT - it seemed to me that he was completely out of contol.

The more I have thought about it, the more I realize that I saw his behavior as so much worse than others because my expectations of him are so high. I expect him to know how to behave in church - while so many of the kids we have at VBS don't attend church and just don't know. And I have high expectations of him because he has had so many advantages in his life. And I just plain have high expectations of my children.

So it is with Paul. We (like the Corinthians) have been given every advantage in Christ's grace. We have been nurtured and taught and loved. We know how we are supposed to behave. So the expectations are high. "Examine yourselves, test yourselves" v. 5

2 Corinthians 10

Paul's passion and drive have less to do with a built up self image and more to do with spreading
the Gospel of Christ. His purpose and life's work since traveling that road in Damascus is to spread the Good News to all whether Gentile or Jew. The importance of bringing people to the Light of Jesus Christ can be read chapter after chapter in his letter.

2 Corinthians 9

I remember a game we played in high school in our ecnomics class.  It was a computer simulated "run your own company" game.  Each team started out with the same scenerio and same amount of money and had a choice of how to spend the money.  Either on R&D, reinvestment in the company (machines/upkeep,payroll), marketing etc.  My team decided to take all of our money in the first round and invest in R&D and the company.  Other teams took only small portions of their money, spent some in marketing and saved some assuming that there would a be a period where their costs exceed their profits.  We ran a simulation each week and redistributed our profits etc.

After the first week, our team was untouchable.  Because we invested fully in ourselves, we had the best product to sell and then, of course, the highest profits.  I don't know how much that really plays into the real corporate world, but it fits right in with Paul's words in chapter 9.  You reap what you sow.  If you invest in the good of people and in the God of people, you will see rewards.  You also need to invest in yourself.  Understand this "product" that we should be selling.  The few of us that are blogging and those others that are reading have found this as our personal investment.

I agree that we should keep on trucking with this blog and try and grab a few more people to help out.  What book do we want to blog next?  Personally, I like blogging the books and not the lectionary as it leaves out a lot.  And for someone like me who has never read through this whole thing, I want to dive into the dull parts as much as the good stuff.

2 Corinthians 7 comment

The church in Corinth was in danger of diluting the message of Christ with their immorality. Paul's joy is based on them getting back on track and dealing with a problem within their ranks.
His focus is on building the Body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 7

"Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one." - v. 2

Again, I find myself slightly annoyed by Paul's hubris.

Maybe it's true -- maybe they truly have not wronged, corrupted, or exploited anyone. But it doesn't seem to work that way in the world in which we live.

I earnestly try to approach everyone I know as a child of God. But I know that I have wronged others. I have unintentionally cut people off in traffic. I have not alway spoken kindly of some of my children's classmates. I have exploited more people than I could ever know - simply by purchasing items in a global marketplace. And that doesn't even begin to touch my sins of ommission - all the things I have failed to do and have left undone.

John Wesley (yes, Methodism again - sorry) told us to
- First - do no harm
- Second - do all the good you can in all the places you can and in all the ways you can as long as ever you can.

I work on the second - but I'm really really far from mastering the first.

Comment to Jordan's post "What to do?"

I am not sure that there needs to be a pause in the action more than there needs to be some sort of strategy to encourage more participation and dialog. I think that we should target the study and readings around the two lessons and the Gospel from Sunday each week. We can have someone post Monday related to the first lesson - Tuesday will be for comments on that posting - Wednesday a Post related to the second lesson - Thursday will be for comments to that post - Friday a post related to the Gospel - Saturday for comments. Sunday for church and maybe bible study related to the posting and comments. Just an Idea.

2 Corinthians Chapter 4

V18 While we look at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (KJV)

What a concept! If you only live in the now, the present, you will only know the things you can see and will have no perception of the existence of anything else. No yesterday, no tomorrow, all you will experience is the reality of the now.

Yet, God has given us a gift. He has given us the ability to not only live in the now but to remember what has happened in the near and far past and to forecast what we hope to see and do in the future. But even with this gift, God is saying here that what we can see is temporal, existing only in our minds the moment they happen. He is also saying that there are things not seen like the grace of His love for us that is eternal. All we need to do is accept His gift on faith and it will be ours for eternity, unseen yet very real.

2 Corinthians 3

v16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord from his sins, then the veil is taken away. Paul's
letter is without debate, the only way to the Father and the Glory that is prepared is through
belief and faith in Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross gives all the opportunity of everlasting life.
How will I praise God today for giving such a gift? A start is by reading His Word and then moving through my day with the presence of being in Christ in my thoughts and actions.
Easier said than done but my motivation is geared toward this.

Where do we go from here?

Although the number of participants has diminished what is the benefit of a pause? I believe as many Christians do that daily reading of God's Word is beneficial. As I had expressed previously
my hope is that more members may have an interest in participating. My concern is that a "pause" would bring an end to the blog.

What to do with the blog?

You may have read in the newsletter that council discussed the blog at their last meeting.  The discussion was not very in depth and no motion was made, but the question posed was whether the community of bloggers would like to consider a pause in the action?  The reason being that it seems to have dwindled a little bit and may need a fresh boost.  Again, council is not looking for any action, just posing the question.  What do people think?

2 Corinthians 2

Paul seems to be having trouble with these people in Corinth.  After that huge build-up in his coming to Corinth at the end of 1st Corinthians, it looks like his meeting with them was "painful" (v 2) and that he even wrote another letter "tearfully" (v 4).  You have to wonder what was going on there.  What I love about these letters is that there is so much raw human emotion in the words yet there is also an eloquence that transcends time.  Almost every other verse is something you can pin to your wall and live by, and this chapter ends with just such a verse:

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

1 Corinthians 16

The end of the letter....filled with all the details of everyday life. Travel plans, news of familiar friends and their plans, the nitty gritty of money collections.

And then this strange sentence in the midst of the benediction - "If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord[b]!" v. 22.

I'm not sure what to do about the cursing part....my general experience is that distance from God's love is its own curse.

But I also don't think I'd ever end a communication with "Come Lord!" Paul's expectaion for the end of time and the culmination of Christ's work is so intense. And my Bible notes state that this line "Come Lord!" was a common expresssion in the early church.

What would it be to be part of a church that cried out "Come Lord!" - with all the comfort and all the change and all the upheaval that such a cry implies? And when we use similar words in some of the communion liturgies, do we really mean it?