The Questions I thought You'd Ask about Revelation...and some you really did ask.

As we come to the close of our Revelation study in The Bridge, I mentioned last week while talking about "The Judgment" that I would blog about some of the questions that arise from the book that we didn't have time or space to cover.  So here's a long blog post attempting to get to those.  Please feel free and post any further questions or conversations to start a dialogue (it's how we learn best).  For the sermons, please check out the Media tab, and search under Podcasts.

What happens to people who celebrate other religions?

This is the first question that always gets asked when Christians in the 21st Century start talking about judgment.  A while ago this wasn't even a concern because people of other faiths were so distant and far off that they weren't real.  Now they are our neighbors, our classmates, our co-workers...and some of the nicest, greatest people we know. 

And the truth is...that Revelation says very little about people of other faiths, and the very little consists of religious practices of false gods that glorify an emperor or an empire.  The only comparison that some could make would be "false gods", but in Revelation there is a very distinct emphasis against worshiping or abiding in the comfort of the human standards of rule.  Even worse, when those humans claim to be god themselves.  For people who follow Jesus and believe he is the Son of God...this is a no-no.

Other religions, for the most part, do not lift up humans as the divine solution but rather energies, spirits, communities/laws, or a hierarchial god.

So...Revelation doesn't really talk about these people.  It is important to note, however, that the rest of The Bible does, and as much as I don't like it, it says these other faith traditions are not complete.  (I just don't enjoy putting nice people down)  But while they are incomplete, I do not think The Bible says they are wrong.  In Paul's discussions of Judaism, he never says they are out and out blasphemous, he just says they have missed something.  This is called an "Inclusivist viewpoint", in that the people of faith are on the right track, but are not complete in their worship and practice.

What happens to people of no faith?

In the definition of hell that I gave during last week's message I claimed that Jesus came and died for ALL people, with their sins willingly wiped away and entrance to The Kingdom of God rolled out on a red carpet.  But I mentioned there are people who will never grasp this due to hurt in the past, over reliance upon humanity or their own pride.  Thus, due to complications with their viewpoint or their own decision they choose to stay on the outside.

As I talked about that heaven and hell are more about how we encounter God here and now, but also that in the hereafter heaven is supposed to be on Earth according to Revelation, thus I feel our experiences are similar now.  People of no faith are intelligent, nice, kind and productive to society...and many times even more conscious of evils in the world than Christians are.  But there is a bigger picture of meaning and purpose that I think they miss out on that allows for either pride to build up in their accomplishments or causes a faster burnout in terms of caring.  This is not true for all, as many people of no faith live by the influence of Jesus...they just don't claim him.

Revelation states (as does the rest of scripture) that without Jesus we are incomplete and will never grasp that we are found worthy to be saved.  I think their hell is not a burning pile of ashes but the incompleteness of not being whole inside of Jesus' love. 

I also think that for all of time and eternity, God is ready to have them join Him.

Do we go to heaven straight after we die or do we have to wait?

If I have ever done a funeral for your family...don't read any further.  Because in funerals we always take comfort that they are in heaven with God, and Revelation challenges that...as does Paul.  They both claim in a very Jewish understanding that when you die from earth, you rest in the ground, until your body is resurrected at the end times to be with Christ in his final coming of glory to establish the perfect Kingdom of God.  Doesn't sound as rosy does it?

Different interpretations have been made, and as long as we're willing to say that we interpret the Bible no matter how literally we read it, I think it's also safe to say that no one has any idea what happens after we die...even the people who saw God and came back.  (All 4-5 of the popular books right now have a different story...with the exception that they saw Christ and it was awesome)

Some have said that your body rests, but your spirit goes to be with God, and my understanding of how God speaks to us jives with this.  I believe God's Holy Spirit is embedded within each one of us, and it is in our spirits that we hear the Holy Spirit move and talk.  Whether there is an ascendence or rather it just stays linked with our physicality (like the resurrection), our spirits can be in perfect harmony with God because there are no more distractions or pride getting in the way.  Just peaceful rest in God's spirit. 

Then we get to be wakened up when Jesus comes for a second life of full glory and commuion with God. 

With 2 kids right now...sleep sounds like heaven.  Maybe Jesus will let me take a nap after I'm awake?

I hope these are helpful, if incomplete in themselves.  They are certainly mostly orthodox, if a little post-modern or progressive, and that's where I'd love to hear from you.

Revelations about Revelation: week 1

Last week we began a sermon series about the book The Revelation to John, which I'll be honest...I've never cared for that much.  But after having studied it, it really is an awesome book, and not just because of battles or lakes of fire or strange horsemen and plagues.

It's awesome because as you read it, there is a sense of something bigger going on.  Beyond the literal interpretation, beyond the historical interpretation, beyond any interpretation really...there is something bigger.

A commentary on the book that I've been reading as a more conservative voice in my sermon preparation says it best that "Revelation is written in a way to help us embrace mystery without needing to know all the answers."

I think this is genius, as I've been trying to piece together the math of different numerical codes, as well as the different historical figures and situations behind the emphatic tribulation for which the book was written.  It's hard...let me tell you that.  It's a confusing book.

But what I appreciate most about it now is not even the good conquering evil or Jesus wins at the end and has an open door to the kingdom...it's the stuff I know I won't figure out.  It allows me to step back from the facts of God and experience the presence of God through scripture, which I know will lead to the same kind of behavior with my friends, family, co-workers, etc. 

Imagine if you didn't need to know everything about someone in order to decide whether to give them your heart.  Sounds a lot more freeing.

So embrace a little mystery when reading Revelation, and know that it's supposed to be that way.  For one, so any Roman soldiers didn't threaten the whole movement with insider knowledge, and two, so that we might not be convinced of what is to come, but would have faith that God will rule the day.

How to prepare for Genesis 38 this week

There was an article, I believe in the Wall Street Journal, a few weeks back that suggests "the conversation" about sex with your children should be more of a life-long dialouge rather than an awkward 30 minutes surprise attack on your very uncomfortable 12 year old.  A controlled exposure over time leads to less fear, less intrigue and a more healthy view and respect for sex.

That being said, regardless of when you start...they are going to find out.  They are going to watch violence on TV or in the movies and they'll probably hear a cuss word at school.  It's a decision of how, as parents, we prepare kids for those experiences rather than letting them happen at random.

This week in The Bridge we'll be talking about Genesis 38, a weird chapter in Genesis that appears thrown in to the middle of the Joseph story.  But as awkward as the placement is, it has a strong message about casting people aside and not caring for them when it is inconvenient to do so, all revolving around issues associated with sex.

As most often occurs, sex is not even the main topic, but it might be the only word people hear.

Bible Notes:

• Having a son is paramount in ancient Israel for a widow.  It ensures them social stability and legal status. 
• Levirate marriage is the law/custom that if a woman is left without a male heir, then the deceased husband's brothers are to sleep with the woman (marriage) until a male heir is provided, who will then bear the deceased husband's name and gain his inheritance.  Tamar is forced to go through this, but the brothers are not willing to help (breaking the law).
• Prostitution was a legal profession, and not openly questioned it appears in the ancient world.
• "Come into you", "Knew Her", etc., are all ways of saying they had sex.
• A signet ring would have been unique to each wealthy male figure.  For Tamar to have that is as good as a DNA test or video tape.
• Punishment for adultery was most often stoning, but burning was allowed as well.  Tamar is still legally married to her dead husband, because she is forced to marry his family who will not marry her.
• Judah is going to punish Tamar until he realizes that he'll be outed for adultery as well.

How to prepare before worship:

• Read the chapter with your child.  It's a good jumping off point for the conversation.
• Explain sex...in an age appropriate way.  In this passage sex shows up as a pro-creation tool, and a lustful passion.  For young kids, just explain that God uses a man and a woman to create a baby.  For older kids, explain that as you grow you begin to experience feelings where you want to reach out and touch another person, and those feelings should be reserved for the right person in their future, someone they might want to have a family with. 
• Explain sin.  Most kids know they get in trouble, but explain that adults often do things that God doesn't approve of too.  Most often those involve hurting someone else and making that person feel inferior.  Do not explain that sex is the sin here, it is the lustful attitudes and actions that follow that are the sin, combined with the disdain towards Tamar and tossing her aside. 
• Explain bad reactions.  When someone is made to feel inferior, they often will continue to act in ways that get them attention or make them feel important.  They want to uplift themselves, not follow God and accept God's love.  Many people will use sex to make themselves feel good or make others want to like them.  This is not what God wants, God wants us to love ourselves and have others love us because He loves us.  We can help people who do these things by loving them as God loves them.
• Explain prostitute.  For older kids.  Someone who has no other option (imagined or reality) than to sell themselves to please another person.  Explain that the people who hire prostitutes do not appreciate the pleasing and therefore they are taking advantage of the prostitutes.  Explain that no person should have to submit to someone else unless they choose to.

During worship:

• Watch your child during worship to see what they are intrigued about, and listen for talking points that might be brought up later, or perhaps words they would be embarrassed to say (there won't be many, but prostitute will be mentioned).
• Remember in the back of your mind that this chapter is not about sex, it is about sin and redemption.  That's hard to remember when you hear sex sitting next to your 8 year old.
• Remember that this is a perversion of sex, and that sex is a beautiful thing in the right context, and your kids need to know the difference.

After worship:

• Engage your child in dialogue about times they see people get left out or made to feel inferior to drive home the point of the sermon, ask them how they can help?  How does Jesus see and act towards these people?
• Ask them if they had any questions about the message or any words or concepts they need help with.  It might just open up a great conversation for you two.
• Read the Bible with them on a regular basis and when you reach another messy, non-Disney passage go through it slowly with them to pick out the wrong way of acting and how God redeems the people who are sinful.

This is a great story to make a point how people use good things for bad purposes, and how people who are left to rot often do desperate things to feel loved, included.  It's a wake-up call for us to ask how we can help those people, rather than worry about the sin they are wrapped up in.

Do you Understand the Burden?

This past week I've officially been sucked into election coverage as I scanned through tweets from friends reacting to the Republican debate in Iowa (I don't get Fox News at home, so yes, tweets had to do).  I listened to a lot of rhetoric on conversative and liberal radio programs, and numero uno on everyone's minds was the budget deficit and national debt. 

Foreign policy entered into this, as people argued that we wouldn't be spending so much if we weren't fighting so many wars, but this wasn't the main issue...at least in my hearing.  The main issue was, I want to do with my money, what I want to do with my money.

And even in this there was a genuine concern on both sides of the aisle about those without money.  And yes...even the Republicans were concerned about people without money.  (They just don't seem to express it as much as they feel it)

This exploration into politics led me to find a story on the website The Huffington Post from a minister who argued that from a classical liberal standpoint the church was always the main priority of care programs, education and health care (and no I do not mean "I'll pray for you" health care).  But somewhere along the line we decided this needed to be detached from faith-based organizations and put in the hands of the government, as it was a body of the people, for the people and by the people.  Or at least they had the most wide-ranging influence.

Since this joining, churches have engaged in the political debate in hopes to do the most good (or stop the most evil).

Again, I genuinely feel that everyone is trying to do good at their core.

But here's the question.  When I posted this, and when I read the posts from the article, I knew everyone was going to agree with it. 

"Yes, we should have the choice to give or not to give!" (fair point)

"Yes, the church is guided by The Spirit!" (again, check +)

"Yes, the government is corrupt!" (...insert own caption here)

I'm all for the task of education, uplifting the poor and figuring out social reform falling to the church.  I'm sure we'd make a mess of it, but I do think that's where the responsibility lies, and apparently many of you do too.  God charged us to do good, avoid evil, help the widows, orphans and poor and bring justice to the nations.  It's a faith-based iniative. 

But do you understand what you're in favor of?  If we take this ball from the government and understand our responsibility given to us by Christ, then a $10 in the offering plate every week isn't going to cut it.  It's going to take investment not only in terms of finances, but we'll have to interact with people we don't want to talk to or who make us uncomfortable.  We'll have to figure out how our own life styles might be inducing evil of sorts and taking advantage of others.  We'll have to actually transform...

Do you understand what that burden will entail?  Are you ready to take on the world that Christ took on his shoulders?

The Language of Sacrifice

I don’t like to lose stuff.  Even worse, I hate it when someone takes something from me.

With a 2 year old, my car keys have been lost several times, my wallet goes missing and in general I’m a person who may not be not be neat, but I leave things in the same place all the time.  It’s my way.

Having my house broken into I felt violated, stolen from, cheated.  That was my stuff!  But through the process of replacing items and upgrading many the excitement of getting my stuff back and waned to the feeling of, “I didn’t need that anyways.”

All of that leads to…I like stuff, at least I think I do.

As much as I don’t like it when my wife uses my car keys (they’re mine!), I find the most meaning and inspiration in those that freely give and are blessed with the spiritual gift of generosity.  This giving being of money, time or other resources.  I’m extremely inspired when they actually give themselves.

I believe I secretly speak a language of sacrifice.  I believe we all do.  We respond positively when we hear of a heroic act of giving or laying one’s life down for the good of others, and we make movies out of people who lay it all on the line for the chance at a dream.

This past Sunday I preached on Genesis 22, the mountain top experience in which Abraham is asked to give up his future in faith by sacrificing his only son Isaac upon the altar.  Whether good or bad…this passage strikes us.

In seminary the professor questioned, “how could a God ask us to give up something so personal?”  “Why would God need us to suffer like that?”

But the same professor also questioned, “how can we say no to God?” 

After The Enlightenment (1800’s) in Europe and around the world, a mature, responsible, enlightened person represented absolute self-control, self-responsibility and self-awareness.  Any need for “the other” was considered weakness or immaturity.  But as one of my college professors said, “the Enlightenment as the worst thing to happen to humans…if it hadn’t been for all the good things that came out of it.” 

What turned out great accomplishments in science, medicine and scholarship also turned human beings away from their true fascination with sacrifice, and ever since we have really loved our stuff, our families and ourselves above everything else…even God.

But God speaks our true language.  God knows we cannot fully be disciples and cannot fully bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth without giving up those things that distract us.  And secretly, we know that too.  We know that there is something bigger than us, our families, our stuff out there.  We know that when we take a little hit in the pocketbook to enable a family to eat…we feel good about it.  Crazy?  Not in God’s world.

The best feelings we’ll ever get are when we follow God.  And following God goes back to sacrifice, which does not just mean giving something up.  Sacrifice means acknowledging that you are not the center of the universe, and in fact you exist to make the universe more complete and whole. 

So imagine a world in which we love to lose our stuff.  Imagine a world in which we love to give our lives away.  Jesus said there is no greater love than this.  Who doesn’t love to love and be loved.  To do this…we have to speak a language of sacrifice, and be willing to take a loss for the greater good.