The Pastor's Pen - February 2012

I’ve fielded a few questions over the past week or two about the survey we were asked to take before and after the worship ser-vices two weeks ago. Perhaps "fielded" is not the right word…maybe "fumbled" would be more appropriate, or "juggled," or simply "listened." You see, I know some basics about what the Finance Team is hoping to achieve for us, but not all the details. I do know that I’ve heard comments all across the board concerning where Gravel Hill might be headed and how we are going to get there.

It reminds me a little of what the staff is currently experiencing. Over the last few weeks the staff has been excitedly talking about a little "test" the Senior Pastor had us take called the Enneagram. The Enneagram is a type of personality test that starts with the understanding that we all yearn to know who we are and why we are here. We yearn to soar but often end up crashing on the rocks below or into the people around us. This assessment tool reminds us that although we all want to discover the answers to life’s ques-tions, our restless yearnings are all expressed in different ways. Understanding these differences can help us understand ourselves and one another better, work together synergistically, and forgive one another more freely through acceptance of our acknowledged differences.

There are many such tools out there. They are fascinating and provide windows into our own behavior and thought processes. Perhaps the most well-known tool is the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment. A little known one is called "Theological Worlds."

Theological Worlds tells us there are five basic "worlds" of spirituality from which we all operate. It assumes that Christians pos-sess a basic, core set of beliefs. Theological Worlds shows us that even though we all possess these core beliefs, individuals empha-size, or hold some beliefs as more important than others. For example, one person may place an emphasis on transformation through prayer, while another emphasizes justice. No world is right or wrong, but our functional theology, that is, how we live out our beliefs in the world, are based upon our own preferred theological world. Knowing this can help us understand that even though we are the Church Universal, we’re simply not always going to see eye to eye. Here’s another example: one group in a congregation might believe a sum of money should be used for the glory of God to restore stained glass windows in the sanctuary, while a rival group may want to use that money to send a group for Africa to build a new well. Again, neither group is right or wrong; they are merely trying to live out their functional theology based on their own theological world as best they can.

Theological Worlds is not simply a tool that’s interesting to use, but has real impact for us as we come together as a congregation. As Gravel Hill continues to grow and seek new ways to reach out to the community, differences of opinion concerning how we should do this may arise because we all live and work out of our slightly different understandings of God’s will for us and how we should
respond to God. We’ve weathered these storms before and emerged as a stronger, more focused congregation because we found ways to resolve differences and work together. Always keep in mind that service to God can take many forms, and what we want may not be what is best, feasible, or necessary at the current time, or even what the majority of people or the church leaders have decided to do. Neither side may be right or wrong, but there must be a focus on one aspect of ministry for us to move ahead. I urge you to acknowledge and respect our differences while embracing our strengths as a congregation, because that is what allows us to learn together, share together, live together and love together. There is a depth and power in diversity that God can use well for his kingdom.

As Gravel Hill continues its spiritual journey, keep in mind that we all have our own lenses through which we view our purpose and the manner in which we would like to achieve goals for God. Individually, pieces of glass may all have different colors, differ-ent opacity, different thicknesses, causing light to scatter randomly in different ways. But when these pieces are brought togeth-er, they can form a mighty lens through which we can look to discern God’s will for us as a congregation, and through which we can magnify and focus the light of God in the world.

Video: Veteran's Day Celebration 2011

This is a video made for the Veteran's Day Celebration Dinner 2011 that was used.  It pays tribute to those who have served.  Again, love the music and video.  This artist is a veteran, which makes the music video even better because he "gets it."

Video: Gone

This is a video made for the Veteran's Day Dinner 2011.  It was not used.  I guess it was too "dark," or something.  Well...war is dark, but I guess that isn't really what we want to celebrate when we do a Vet's Dinner.  Lesson learned.

The "video" part of this I saw on YouTube and immediately thought it was one of the coolest videos I'd ever seen.  I love the song as well as the video that accompanies it.  I left the credit at the end so you know that I only added the beginning of the video for the dinner.  Though I would love to take credit for the music video, it is not mine.  If you watch it on YouTube you will see that I did edit out a rather long introduction at the beginning.  I apologize to the maker of this video for doing that.  I wanted to share this with other veterans but I thought the introduction was so long that they would lose interest and turn back to their meals.

The video talks about being "Gone."  Gone is a word that has lots of different meanings for a veteran.  Some are good, some are bad.  I guess it all depends on what mood you're in or what you're talking about.  But I'll shut up now so you can enjoy the video.

Video: I Am a Christian

A video for worship...

Unachievable Cleansing

      I believe that as Christians we all yearn for a final or ultimate cleansing, a healing, that will take care of our attitudes, behavior, thinking, and our souls once and for all. A cleansing that will result in our once-and-for-all transformation into the person we want to be and who we believe God wants us to be. Yet no matter how much we yearn, it doesn't happen. It never will. Oh, perhaps we experience something that makes us feel like we have reached that ultimate state but we eventually discover that our feelings of wholeness begin to wane. Our humanness may allow us small steps toward transformation, and of course we are the better for it, but the big, final transformation frustratingly eludes us. After awhile and with reflection concerning all we know of human sinfulness, can we deduce that perhaps we are never meant to be totally transformed? Would a total transformation give us permission to stop seeking a higher level of righteous behavior, to stop seeking to act like Christ, to stop desiring a deeper relationship with the Creator? Is it possible that a total cleansing and healing would give us the illusion that we have achieved some form of presence or being that we are actually incapable of, given the nature of our humanness? Perhaps that would be something along the lines of Mormon belief, where, since Jesus was human yet became God, we are capable of the same?
      I have no answer for that, of course. I do desire complete cleansing, but my own sin consistently rears its ugly head, stuffing my own head back into the ostrich hole of reality. Yet immersed in God's creation, I have no difficulty perceiving my own fragility and inability, as Paul said, "to do what we want to do," because I consistently do that which I would rather avoid.
      I took a two hour walk today, back on the farm of one of our church patriarchs. It couldn't be termed an actual walk though. It was more like a plodding lurch as I trudged in the snow through the uninhabited sheep pastures and thick briers guarding the woods. I don't know what the temperature was but I believe it was in the 20s, with gusting winds that made the snow quickly snake atop the ice and cause it to suddenly rear up in great frozen clouds like an untamed thoroughbred. My cheeks are a burning bright red from the cold, wind, and bombardment with snow and ice crystals.

      I had my trusty camera with me. I downloaded the photos when I got home and was not surprised to find no "usable" images. There was beauty all around me but it refused to be taken capture by my camera. My lack of satisfactory photographic results did not diminish the walk in any way. Especially the part where I followed some deer tracks along a path that had let it's brier defenses down and emerged on a cliff overlooking Swatara Creek.

Swatara Creek

      Looking up and down the creek with its white banks and sporadically frozen waters granted me an expansive view of the creek that my camera was incapable of capturing. I started down the steep side of the foothill thinking I might have better luck if I could get to the side of the creek.  About halfway down I paused and turned around to look back up the steep hill I was descending.  

      That's when I realized, with the sun starting to set, that I was in an unenviable position. I wasn't sure I could get back up the hill, with the snow and ice laying atop a substantially unstable layer of dead leaves. As I looked back down the hill I wondered how Palmyra Rescue was going to get to my location should I continue down and not be able to get back up again.  So half-way down, I reversed course and went back up the hill, foregoing a beautiful close-up view of the Swatty in favor of a dry, warm evening at home.  Exhausted but victorious, my feet crested the hill and the ground became more level.  I hadn't fallen and hadn't broken anything.  But I lingered, not wanting to leave the beauty I had found.  Finding my own fragility and weakness among the cold snow and steep terrain was not fearful, but somehow comforting.  There were things greater and much more powerful than I, and that was as it should be. There was, and is, no question that I am not the center of the universe, God's, or even my own. That's a really good thing to come face to face with on a regular basis.  

Ken

      It took me awhile to get back to Ken's farmhouse but I eventually struggled in. He had the fire going in the wood stove and it was cozy and warm. I did a few things around the house for Ken, sat and talked awhile, and then came home to face the wrath of my too-long imprisoned dogs. I felt cleansed, not totally, but at least a little. I was put in my place and once again "put" God in God's. There is nothing that can do that like nature-a glimpse into the depth of God's creativity in the world and the cosmos in conjunction with the fragility of God's miraculous creation of life.

Christian Apologetics and the Ideal Life

Christian apologists were theologians who defended and advocated for the Christian message in the first centuries of the Christian Church as it developed in the first few centuries following Christ's death and resurrection. Obviously, their arguement and defense was in opposition to many of the held beliefs in that contemporary, Hellenistic Roman world.

The following is a paragraph titled "Chapter V - The Manners of the Christians" from The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus, believed to have been written in the 2nd Century. Describing the early Christian community, this description of Christian character and behavior stirs feeling of longing and desire within us; to realize that the community described was not simply a wished-for idealazation of what Christians should or could be, but a living entity that lived as we wish to live, but fail. How we wish we were a part of this community today. One wonders how the church could get back to this way of life, living, and testimony - a testimony by example.

"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of ther own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of the birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all[others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not like after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishounoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and blessed; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet they are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred."

He later says, "Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life by true knowledge inwardly recieved."

Yup. I think we could all live with that!

Revelation Study - Lesson 10

Week 10: Daniel - part 1

Of the two biblical apocalypses, Daniel and Revelation have a few things in common. Each book was written in response to a specific crisis - Daniel to the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century BCE, and Revelation to what the writer believed to be impending persecution of true Christians by the Roman Empire in the first century BCE. Each text provides apocalyptic solutions to a crisis. In each, a human seer tells of visions of the supernatural world. The visions are partially interpreted by an angel. What occurs in the supernatural world determines what happens in the human world and in human history. The earthly adversary of God's people (God's people being the Jews in Daniel and Christians in Revelation) will be defeated by God through God's intervention, and God's people will live with God forever after. Both texts anticipate resurrection, and both attempt to convince the reader of the same. Because both texts reveal insight into the heavenly realm and God's decisions, they are considered "divine revelations."₁ All of these points should sound familiar since we've talked about them all in previous lessons.

Daniel: An Overview

Daniel is considered by many to be the most unusual book of the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament), in part because there are problems with the text that cannot be easily resolved. It is also a "notoriously dangerous book that has fueled religious speculation as well as contributing to social unrest and even revolution," especially during the English civil war, but also at many other times throughout history. People who believe the world is not as it should be are drawn to Daniel because the book shares that same conviction.₂

The book of Daniel severely judges human rulers and empires, and assumes that people of faith will always and eventually find themselves at odds with the state, its "political loyalties and idolatrous patriotism."₃ It is a subversive text and leaves no space for "good citizenship." Daniel calls for loyalty to God which will result in treason.₄

But this subversiveness raises some interesting questions for us. Although we usually read Daniel assuming that we are the underdogs, we must ask ourselves if we are the oppressed, or if, in reality, we are the oppressors. "If the Christian faith is to be one that challenges the modern world, then it must accept a certain alienation from the dominant culture and its religious traditions of dominance."₅ Do we embrace or reject our society and culture? Do we live in the kingdom of God or in Babylon? If we want to live in the kingdom of God, we must embrace a theology of Christ over and against culture, especially when culture is based on the economic abuse of other peoples or nations, or on military might.₆ This is something you might want to think about further.

It is hard to overestimate the importance of Daniel to early Jewish and Christian literature. First, in the Hebrew Scriptures, Daniel is the only text that "contains an explicit expression of resurrection hope."₇ Second, Daniel's vision of the Son of Man influences the ideas of apocalyptic messianism for both Jews and Christians. Third, Daniel's vision of the four kingdoms are reflected and reused throughout Jewish literature and in the book of Revelation.₈

Although one book, the book of Daniel is in two parts. Chapters 1-6 form a prologue to chapters 7-12, while chapters 7-12 form the apocalypse proper. The first half of the book has 6 stories about Daniel told in the third person. Chapters 7-12 are Daniel's visions told in the first person.₉ At this moment, we're not really concerned about the first six chapters of Daniel, but we do want to take a look at Daniel's visions so we can try to understand what is going on in them and compare Daniel to Revelation.

When Was Daniel Written?

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

 Initially, we must understand this about the Book of Daniel--it was not written when it appears to have been written. It appears to have been written during the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE, but it was not. The Babylonian exile merely creates a literary setting for the stories. Although parts of Daniel were probably written in the fourth through third centuries BCE and circulated independently, these writings were redacted (brought together, edited, added to and finalized) in the mid-second century BCE. Scholars believe this because Daniel specifically speaks of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid ruler from Syria, who was responsible for a focused persecution of the Jews in Judea. Persecution of the Jews under Antiochus began with the desecration of the Temple in 167 B.C.E., therefore, scholars assume that the book of Daniel came into its final form around the mid 100s BCE.₁₀

Understanding when Daniel was written makes another issue clear: although Daniel appears to be making predictions about the future, the writer (or redactor) of Daniel already knows about what Daniel is predicting, because the predicted events occur in the writer's past. It would be like one of us writing a novel about the Civil War and making a character accurately predict the future. We know what happened, so our character would appear very wise or spiritual indeed when his or her prophesies came true. The writer or redactor gives accurate predictions to Daniel as a literary character. However, the writer does not know what will occur in his own future. When the writer tries to do this, he errs in inaccurately predicting the end of Antiochus' reign and death. This inaccuracy helps scholars pinpoint a short span of several years when Daniel most likely first appeared as a text in its entirety. The change from accurate predictions to inaccurate ones indicate that Daniel appeared as a completed text slightly before 164 BCE.₉ This puts Daniel smack dab in the middle of the Jewish persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, after the desecration of the Temple but before the death of Antiochus.₁₁

Why is this so important? Because if apocalyptic literature was written as a message of hope as well as to convince a community of something, then the assumption must be made that Daniel is a text that spoke to the writer/redactor's contemporary Jewish community which found itself under persecution in the mid-second century. We will approach our survey of Daniel with this in mind.

Book of Daniel: Chapter 7

When we look at chapter 7 of Daniel, were confronted with some interesting ideas. Some of Daniel's visions are actually explained later on in the same chapter, so trying to decipher what these visions are becomes a little bit easier. Of course, scholars cannot determine exactly what everything means because small pieces of history remain unknown to us, but they do have a pretty good idea based on what appears later on in the writing. Let's quickly go through Chapter 7 and explain what some of this vision more than likely means. We won't discuss everything that happens in this vision but we will hit the main ideas.

One of the first things we encounter in chapter 7 are four winds of heaven stirring up out of the sea. More than likely the four winds represent a chaotic world state. Winds usually come from one direction,₁₂ but here are presented as coming from all four directions at once. These winds may set the stage by presenting something out of the ordinary, something that is not normal, blowing up from the sea. The sea is also something else that we need to pay attention to. For the Israelites, the sea was not something to go to for a relaxing time. The ocean was viewed as dark and filled with beasts and creatures that made them afraid. The Israelites are not generally thought of as an ocean-going people although at times in their past they had used the sea for trade. The ocean was associated with foreboding and darkness. Heavenly winds stirring the seas created a chaotic and fearful setting, perhaps alluding to spiritual/mythical warfare.₁₃

If you turn to verse 15 of chapter 7, you will see Daniel's vision of four beasts coming from the sea. The fourth beast is described, as are the horns. The fourth kingdom is of great concern because it is the kingdom that the writer lives in, complete with a meniacle king bent on either subduing and changing the Jews or destroying them.₁₄

The Four Beasts or Four Kingdoms



The Four Beasts of Daniel

If we turn back to the fourth verse of chapter 7, we will see the beginning of descriptions concerning the four beasts who arise from the sea. "The sea is the enemy, chaos, the realm of Leviathan."₁₅ Therefore the beast are interpreted as world powers, empires or kingdoms associated with chaos and at odds with the power of heaven. The beast arise one by one to do battle and theologically represent the battle between good and evil.₁₆

The first beast is a lion with eagles wings who achieves a human mind. This first beast is thought to represent the Babylonian empire or kingdom. Winged lions are well known from Assyro-Babylonian art.

The second beast, appearing as a bear, represents the Midian empire or kingdom. This beast is associated with threats to human life from wild animals, and is already devouring something because it has ribs in its teeth. The question that arises concerning this beast is, who is telling the bear to devour many bodies? Many presume that this is being accomplished at God's command, however, God never speaks in this vision. If the writer is implying that God is the one commanding the bear, then he is also implying that the destructiveness of this empire is also under God's direction.

The third beast appears like a leopard and represents the Persian empire or kingdom. It is unknown what the four heads and four wings represent but it is believed they somehow represent the four Persian kings--Darius, Cyrus, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes. The text states that dominion, or sovereignty, is given to the leopard. This image seems to be more neutral than the other three, however, this leopard is hardly benign.₁₇

The last beast represents the empire or kingdom of Alexander the great. It is it is described as, "terrifying, dreadful, exceedingly strong, and devouring," and is therefore different from all the other beasts that have preceded it in regards to its level of malevolence. This beast has 10 horns, believed to represent the line of rulers in the Seleucid dynasty that ruled Syria after the death of Alexander. The first Seleucid kings had coins decorated with horns, symbols of their "divine" power. Also, verse 24 states that the ten horns represent ten kings, with the eleventh horn representing one that is different from the others.₁₈





The Little Horn

As Daniel watches, a little horn appears and uproots three other horns. This horn is different from the others not simply in appearance, but in that it has powers the other horns do not. This horn has eyes and speaks arrogantly. There is little doubt that this horn represents Antiochus IV Epiphanies. Although it is unknown exactly who the three plucked out horns represent, the most likely suggestion is that these represent the three men in line for the throne upon the death of Antiochus III--Seleucus IV Philopater and his sons, Demetrius and Antiochus. We know that Antiochus IV killed his young nephew Antiochus. History is unclear whether Antiochus IV had anything to do with the death of the other two. Even though Christians would later interpret Rome as the fourth and final beast,₁₉ it is pretty clear that it represents Alexander's empire and the Seleucid line of kings, culminating in Antiochus IV.₂₀

As we look further in this chapter, we see in verse 21 the little horn has not only gained great power, it wages war against the holy ones and soon starts to prevail over them. This statement marks the beginning of Antiochus IV persecution of the Jews. In verse 25, he speaks against the Most High and attempts to change the sacred seasons and law. It is known that Antiochus IV banned the observance of the Sabbath and Jewish feast days.₂₁

The Fifth Kingdom

Because it is not specifically stated, we should note that there is actually a Fifth kingdom that follows the other four. The symbol for this kingdom is a human figure. This contrasts with the first four kingdoms who are represented by animal symbols from the sea, or abyss, and is associated with the heavenly realm.₂₂ Although verses 9-14 have to do with heavenly judgment, not all of the symbolism is well understood. Why is thrones plural? Perhaps a heavenly counsel is suggested. What is clear is that we are in the realm of political sovereignty once again, but this throne room is the one that possesses the true authority. The one referred to as, "Ancient of Days" has the greatest authority. His description resembles that of the Canaanite God, El, as well as other biblical images representing God. Thousands attend him, many more than attended Belshazzar in an earlier story. A court is held and the beasts are dispatched. The fourth beast with the horns is not only dispatched, but is immediately burned in judgment. Take note that there is no emphasis on a Great Battle; when the ancient of days arrives, judgment is dealt out. (Likewise note that in the book of Revelation, the "Great Battle" is also easily missed because it is not the emphasis of the text, although modern Christians seem to try to make it so.) Those not destroyed or allowed to live without power because a "Son of Man" is given authority to rule, and those whom he rules over follow his wishes. New Testament writers drew on this image as a powerful authority under God. Irrespective of the precise origin or meaning of the "Son of Man" figure, what is important is that he is a heavenly representative, appointed by the Ancient of Days. This person comes from heaven but rules as an earthly figure.₂₃ Some scholars believe this figure represents the whole of Israel₂₄ and current day readers assume this figure is Jesus. However, the majority of scholars believe this figure represents the Angel Michael, a figure who does battle for Israel in later visions. Michael is also well known in the New Testament (see Matt 16:27; 25:31; Rev 12) and in the Dead Sea Scrolls, so he was known to ancient believers. It is through this person that heaven claims the right to rule on earth.₂₅

In verses 15 to 18, Daniel is distressed by the visions and is therefore given a simple summary of the vision. The gist of it is this: earthly powers will arise, God will conquer them, and God's reign will last forever. The fate of the holy ones reflects the fate of the Jewish people themselves. Although it appears that the fourth beast is about to conquer the holy ones, the holy ones will triumph and rule in God's everlasting kingdom. All nations will bow to them. This final kingdom will be one of peace and worldwide healing. Enemies will worship together and share equally in the blessings of God, side by side with the Israelites.₂₆

Thinking About It

We'll talk about the last remaining chapters of Daniel in the next posting. If you haven't already, read chapter 7-14 of Daniel. What do you find that supports what we've talked about concerning apocalyptic literature in general. You should see apocalyptic themes present throughout the last 6 chapters of Daniel. What ones are the most obvious? Was anything in today's posting new for you? Post your thoughts, ideas or feelings and please feel free to comment on someone else's posting.

I'll attempt to cover the remaining chapters of Daniel in the next lesson, unless they become to unwieldy. The goal is to progress to Revelation, the heart of our study. Please encourage each other to continue with this study. Our next lessons will hopefully be interesting as well as enlightening.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Notes                                                                                                                                                              

₁Murphy, Frederick J. "Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature," The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VII. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996. p. 8.
₂Ibid, 33.
₃Ibid, 34.
₄Ibid, 34.
₅Ibid, 34.
₆Ibid, 34.
₇Carey, Greg. Ultimate Things. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2005. p. 38.
₈Ibid, 38.
₉Murphy, 8.
₁₀Meeks, Wayne A. et al, editors. The HarperCollins Study Bible. New York:HarperCollins, 2006. p.1168-1169.
₁₁Meeks, 1168-1169.
₁₂Ibid, 1182.
₁₃Murphy, 100-101.
₁₄Meeks, 1168-1169.
₁₅Murphy, 101.
₁₆Ibid, 101.
₁₇Ibid, 102.
₁₈Meeks, 1183-1184.
₁₉Murphy, 102.
₂₀Meeks, 1183.
₂₁Ibid, 1183-1184.
₂₂Ibid, 1183.
₂₃Murphy, 103-104.
₂₄Meeks, 1183.
₂₅Murphy, 104.
₂₆Ibid, 104-106.