SLOW DAWNING

It's funny how slowly my life's "big picture" sinks in to me sometimes. 

For instance, at the end of my weeklong introductory trip to Haiti, our small mission team sat in a circle and gave each other affirmations - which is somehow both highly cheesy and deeply moving. When tasked with describing each of our teammates with a single word, one man said his word for me was "teacher". 

I thought, "Really? I have never thought of myself as a teacher." 

This was about 7 years into my stint of teaching high school English!

These days, I recognize teaching is at the very core of my being. It's a major part of what God created me for.

My latest realization - as fresh as today - and dawning only after ...

• Two years putting together weekly sermons
• 1,994 blog posts on this site 
• Two marketing emails each week for Mission Resource over the past month for a major fundraising campaign along with the weekly email newsletter the previous 30 months

- Is this: 

I am a writer as well as a teacher. 

In fact, I write professionally. 

I get paid to write.

And tonight, this dawning thought - "I am a writer" - seems poised to throw new color across the landscape of my 50s.*

*Maybe I'm one of those pretentious, melodramatic writers. 

Lord, I hope not. 

WHAT THE HECK IS MEANT BY "OBSCENE TALK"?

I'm in a pickle.

This coming Sunday I will be preaching on a passage from Colossians 3 which commands believers to "put away":

• Anger
• Wrath
• Malice
• Slander
• Obscene talk from your mouth

It's the last item on that list that makes me nervous. 

I have to admit that now and then - usually for comic effect or shock value or after stubbing a toe - I let a choice four-letter word slip from my lips. I'm just being transparent here.

And I can work on it, but honestly I'm not sure I could eliminate them entirely. (Especially upon toe-stubbing.)

More to the point, I'm not sure that is what Scripture has in mind.

Does the Apostle Paul have a zero-tolerance policy on bad words?

Afterall, there is quite the continuum of cuss words. Some strike us as rather mild. And others are absolutely unspeakable. Where would Paul draw the line?

My seminary roommate once pondered breaking up with a girl when she said that she had "gotten screwed" on a test in one of her classes!

Consider, too, that the taboo level of particular words may change over time. Anyone my age or older has to admit that the F-word is much more shocking to the older generations than it is among young adults these days. 

Tolerance for the "n-word", on the other hand, has gone the opposite direction. 

(For the record, that's one I can claim complete innocence of!)

I have much study yet to do on this passage, but two thoughts for now on the "vice list" offered by the Apostle in Colossians 3:8:

1. Paul is obviously speaking of serious, ongoing patterns of behavior here.

2. At least one commentator speaks in favor of the final phrase being translated as "abusive speech" rather than "obscene talk" since "this list points to expressions of anger that prevent one from participating in the community of God's people, which is characterized by unity and love." (David Pao, p.224)

So maybe Paul has in mind something like cussing someone out in their front yard more so than screaming "Sh*t!" when you smack your thumb with a hammer. 

If so, I'm sure I can claim to be 100% free of "abusive speech" in good conscience. 

What do you think? 

Am I just finding a way to justify my own speech or is there something deeper going on with Paul's list. 

THE SHROUD OF TURIN

In recent weeks I have gone down a YouTube rabbit hole on the subject of the Shroud of Turin.

If you're not familiar with it, the Shroud is the most famous of religious relics. It is a 14-foot length of finely woven linen which has a faint full-bodied image of a man who apparently died of crucifixion. For centuries it has been promoted by the Church as the same burial cloth mentioned in all 4 Gospels. 

I remember the Shroud being in the news sometimes during my formative years, but it dropped off my radar in the 1980s when scientists carbon dated a fragment of the cloth and announced it was a forgery. 

They said it was made no earlier than the Middle Ages. 

What remained a mystery was the method of creating the image. ALL the scientists agreed that no paint was involved. And real human blood was present. Furthermore, the image appears as a highly detailed photo negative and exhibits all of the wounds associated with Jesus' death: scourging, crown of thorns, nails through wrists and feet, and a spear wound through the ribs. 

All of this was enough to keep the mystery alive - even though science had "proven" it a fake.

In the past year now, it seems the Shroud is "back in the news" - or at least there is renewed interest among podcasters.

And it turns out that the infamous carbon dating had been performed on a bit of the cloth which turned out to be a patch. The Shroud had survived a fire and someone had expertly repaired some of the burn holes with cotton thread. 

The Shroud proper is linen. The carbon dating had been done on cotton fibers.

Recent developments have gotten less press than the carbon dating of the 80s. Newer (and less destructive) dating techniques have been used lately and they all confirm the material to be around 2,000 years old.

Plus, the fabric holds microscopic bits of pollen and dust native to Jerusalem.

Plus, the image has been proven to be 3-dimensional. 

And the only working theory on what could produce such an image is this: a very brief but very intense flash of light.

Emanating from the body itself.

The Romans crucified quite a few individuals. But crowns of thorns were not standard practice. And as shameful as crucifixion was, most bodies were never claimed.

They didn't get wrapped in burial cloths. They got dumped in a mass grave.

And even if they did receive a proper burial, it would be very unusual for the dead man to be honored with a very expensive piece of cloth. (Though Joseph of Arimathea seemed to have the means.) 

One commentator said that if you put all the evidence on two tables, the pile in favor of the Shroud of Turin being the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Himself would stretch to the ceiling while the table labeling it a fake would have nothing but the faulty carbon dating tests from the 80s.

Curiously, one of the Christian podcasters I watched held her hope of the Shroud's authenticity at arm's length, saying that she didn't need it to be real to bolster her faith. All she needed was to believe the word of God.

Fine, but the biblical accounts go out of their way to offer good evidence for the resurrection as a historical reality. And Jesus Himself made sure that the original disciples SAW Him, so that they would believe. Plus, He had no issue with granting Thomas' request to put his fingers in the nail holes even. 

It's OK to have tangible, scientifically vetted evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

Take the win. 

BEHOLD!

Matthew's account of the resurrection of Jesus and the aftermath is fairly brief, comprising only 20 verses. 

The first ten verses have "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary" going to "see the tomb" just before dawn on Sunday morning and there experiencing an earthquake followed by an angel descending and rolling away the stone. 

The guards tremble and "become like dead men". (Did they pass out?)

The angel addresses the two Maries, inviting them to see the place where Jesus' body had been laid and saying that Jesus would be heading to Galilee. 

As they are leaving the tomb "with fear and great joy", the two women encounter Jesus Himself. They grab his feet and worship him. Jesus tells them not to be afraid, but to go and tell the disciples they would see Jesus in Galilee.

Five of the twenty verses are then devoted to the guards being paid by the chief priests to lie about the disappearance of Jesus' body.

The final five verses tell of Jesus meeting the disciples in Galilee and giving "the Great Commission". 

Curiously, there is no mention of the Ascension. In fact, Jesus' final words recorded in Matthew's Gospel are "I am with you always"!

It is often revealing to take note of repeated words in any biblical passage. Here, the key words which get repeated are "see" and "fear" (4 times each) and "disciples" (5 times) and "behold!" (6 times). 

This was an event of heightened drama for the disciples. (That's quite an understatement, I suppose.) And it's clear from Matthew's perspective that what they SEE after Jesus' death is as important as what they are told. 

There's really no way to make sense of the Gospel accounts if you want to spiritualize Jesus' resurrection or make it metaphorical. 

AN AI PALM SUNDAY

There are only 11 or 12 events in Jesus' life recorded in all 4 gospels and Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem is one of them.

The details are a bit different across the 4 accounts, of course, but they all highlight the fact that Jesus rode into the city on the back of a donkey.

If the audience WAS confused about the nature of Jesus' Kingdom, maybe his mode of transportation should have been a major clue.

According to AI, He looked more like this:

Than this: 

I do like how AI reimagined the cross as an offensive weapon for the earthly king Jesus. 

Not sure why the horse has one leg up front and three in the back though.

Just for kicks, here are a few other Palm Sunday images from AI.

One-armed Jesus:

6-Legged Horse, armless Jesus:

2-Headed Horse:

Jesus wishing He had some reins:

Jesus coming AND going on a donkey:

Jesus leading a whole herd of donkeys and giving a thumbs up:

Jesus on something halfway between a donkey and a horse while giving 2 thumbs up:

Jesus on a horse and giving three thumbs up:

And finally, Jesus riding a majestic 2-headed horse while holding a rocket launcher with his third hand:

THE MOST REPEATED SERMON

Palm Sunday is coming - and with it comes the most predictable and oft repeated sermon of all time.

Generally, the Palm Sunday sermon is a 2-pointer:

1. The crowds wrongly assumed Jesus was about to establish an earthly, political kingdom - which they were all in favor of.

And 2. The crowds were fickle, proclaiming Jesus as king on Sunday and calling for His crucifixion by Friday ... because they wrongly assumed He had intended an earthly kingdom and was failing. 

But is that all there is to the story?

I don't recall ever hearing a sermon on the triumphal entry which considered the surrounding literary context. But that's what I am exploring this week.

And there's much more going on than I've ever suspected. 

WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

At first glance, it might not seem like a particularly profound difference. 

But contrary to what most believers have been taught, the Bible makes it clear:

You are not going to Heaven when you die. 

Heaven is coming to you.

And that makes a world of difference. 

(When you stop and think about it.)

2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.” - Revelation 21

THE RIVER IS WIDE

Right in the center of my 25-minute drive to Sardinia Baptist Church the road hugs a small creek for a quarter mile. 

With all the flooding around Columbus, as I drove to worship yesterday morning, I had my doubts the road would be passable.

But I drove right past the little creek. 

It was swollen but still flowing within its banks. 

Columbus was flooding because a sizeable river, the Flatrock, cuts through its heart. Two other streams join the Flatrock near downtown. Countless others join up north before its waters ever reach Columbus. 

Maybe this is another workable metaphor for American Christianity.

For 2,000 years now, various streams of thought and philosophies - some small and others significant - have added their waters to Biblical Christianity.

These creeks and streams join forcibly and now the whole river is murky and overflowing its banks. 

And the "river" has become a mile wide and a foot deep.  

Meandering rather than flowing.

And causing damage.

Now, in the midst of the floodwaters, it's difficult to discern the path of the original river.

But you can locate it with some effort - you just have to find where the riverbed is deepest. 

TOO SERIOUSLY?

Fresh out of college I found myself living and working in LeMars, Iowa - a small town about 30 minutes north of Sioux City and known primarily for being the home of Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

I was hired to be the youth pastor for the two United Methodist Churches in LeMars and I shared an apartment with an earnest little guy named Ray who had been hired to be the youth pastor at the local Presbyterian Church.

Ray connected quickly with a core group of the teenage boys in the youth group and soon they were doing Bible studies together on a regular basis, even outside of the regular youth group schedule. Ray was excited about the deepening of these boys' faith.

But one night Ray slouched into the apartment completely dejected. I couldn't believe what had happened. The mother of one of these young men had confronted him on behalf of herself and the other moms. She wanted Ray to back off from the Bible studies and the extra time outside of church.

Why?

Because the moms had decided that their boys were starting to take their faith "too seriously"!

Ray was absolutely wrecked. 

Satan got a two for one out of that deal: he derailed any discipleship progress in those young men while also deflating the youth pastor's zeal for making disciples.

When Paul writes to the Colossians these lines in chapter 3 -

 "1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God",

- it is clear that he has no concept of a believer taking his or her relationship with Jesus too seriously.

There's simply no such thing. 

HIDDEN ABOVE

Colossians 3:1-4

1 Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Paul says so much here in just a few words.

A few early notes on the passage I will be preaching this coming Sunday ...

Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 

Verse 1 - The verb "strive for" is the same word Jesus uses in Matthew 6:13, there translated as "seek": "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

The image of Christ seated at the right hand of God is significant. "In Jewish traditions, God alone sits in the heavens, while the other subordinating angelic beings (i.e. the divine council) stand before him. Christ's being seated at the right hand of God, therefore, points to his sharing of God's sovereign rule." (Pao, p.211)

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

Verse 2 - If the main feature of "the things above" is Jesus seated in power - as King - alongside the Father, then "setting your mind on things above" has to do with giving serious thought to God's will. In contrast, "the earthly things" are "practices that refuse to acknowledge Christ as the sovereign Lord of all". (Pao, p.212)

"Believers are not to escape from this material world; rather, they are to focus on Christ as they live faithfully on earth." (Pao, p.213)

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Verse 3 - In Colossians 2:3, Paul has already asserted that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden" in Christ. Now, he says the believer himself is hidden there. This is a place of safety, security, and fulfillment, as well as identity.

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Verse 4 - This "hiddenness", and the security which it brings, lasts right up until the moment Christ returns - when He is "revealed". When His glory is revealed, we who were hidden with Him will also erupt into glory! 

THE SECOND ACT GOSPEL

I've been looking for a metaphor to explain the shortcomings of the typical American "gospel": i.e., "You're a sinner so Christ died in your place to enable you to someday go to Heaven." 

Here's one that came to mind today that might have some potential: the Gospel as a Three Act Play.

In your typical play, the acts fall along these lines:

Act 1 = Exposition. All the relevant background information is established and the conflict is introduced.

Act 2 = Complication. Something stands in the way of the hero's achievement.

Act 3 = Resolution. The hero succeeds. He reaches his ultimate goal. 

So for the Gospel, my rough draft of the layout would be something like this:

Act 1 - Jesus is introduced. He is the Son of God and announces Himself as the King of the coming Kingdom of God (with the entirety of the Old Testament as exposition). This is Good News - this Kingdom is the very place every man and woman ultimately desires - it is fulfillment of Purpose. Although a small group hang on His every word and soak up His teachings about the nature of this Kingdom, most people have grown accustomed to the dark and they reject both the King and His Kingdom. 

Act 2 - Even for those who desire to join God's Kingdom, there's a major problem: sin cannot coexist with God's presence. Sins must be washed away and forgiven once and forever. But this requires a perfect sacrifice. There is only One on earth who can serve as that sacrifice and it is the King Himself. Even as humanity does its worst to the Creator God, He uses their violence to provide the Blood which will cleanse them. Death - the ultimate consequence of sin - seems to have won, but it cannot hold the perfect Son of God. Jesus rises from the dead!

Act 3 - The King returns (temporarily) to Heaven but sends the Holy Spirit to enable the birth of God's Kingdom on Earth, the Church. Many who had rejected Jesus as King are now eager to join His Body. They enter the Kingdom by following Jesus' example: they die to self, are cleansed of their sins, and are raised to a new life, becoming a new, unstoppable creation. 

Epilogue: The Kingdom spreads and grows but finds resistance at every turn since much of the world continues in darkness. But the King has promised that He will return one day and put everything right, fully establishing His perfect Kingdom on Earth. 

Now, if the biblical Gospel is a 3 Act Play, then the American "gospel" is a "Second Act Gospel". 

It skips over Act 1 and focuses on Act 2. 

And because it has skipped Act 1 and all the Kingdom exposition, it largely neglects Act 3 and then goes on to misunderstand the Epilogue - having Jesus whisking His followers off to Heaven instead of joining them on the earth as their King. 

Too many modern American Christians are Second Act believers, missing the flow of the overall Story. 

No wonder they can't adequately explain the Gospel - Act 2 doesn't really make sense without the context of the whole play.

What a mess.