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Obscure passages: Isaiah 6

31 Aug

Isaiah 6 isn’t exactly obscure; you may remember reading the line “Here am I. Send me!” at some point. But, I contend that the rest of this passage falls in the realm of things we don’t read much, and certainly don’t give much thought to.

So, why in the world do I have it memorized?

I don’t really remember the circumstances when I decided to memorize this passage, but I do remember that it wasn’t for the “Here am I” line; my reason was entirely about what leads up to that response from Isaiah. I think the 6 verses starting the chapter are among the most intriguing passages of Scripture.

Go read Isaiah 6:1-7 and come back.

This is a beautiful vision of the Lord, caught in a clear act of mercy (not giving Isaiah what he deserved – which would have been death). It’s a vision of perfect holiness, so holy that even the angelic beings couldn’t look at it (they covered their faces & feet). It’s a vision of that perfect holiness encountering perfect un-holiness (in the form of Isaiah). It’s a vision of redemption. It’s a vision of God’s grace.

Interestingly, many commentators contend that “Lord” as used here is a word not typically used for God (or “Yahweh”) in the Old Testament. Instead, it’s a word like that used for the “suffering servant” passage later in Isaiah. In John 12:41, this is explained further as being a vision of Jesus. Paul attributes the later part of Isaiah 6 as being spoken by the Holy Spirit. Interesting… since I find a whole lot of people who think Jesus didn’t exist until he showed up on the scene as a baby in a manger. Some commentators also contend that the repetition of “holy” 3 times in verse 3 says something of the trinity.

Fascinating stuff!

There’s a whole lot more to get geeked out on in this passage, but that’s enough for now. :)

But, just one bonus for any fans of The Chronicles of Narnia: does this image of a the live coal touching Isaiah’s lips seem anything like the scenes from Ramandu’s island from Dawn Treader? I always figure that C. S. Lewis was familiar with this Isaiah passage when he wrote that.

 
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in advance of Advance: Nehemiah 11-13

26 Aug

Names & numbers continue again in Nehemiah 11 & part of 12, but you should all be thankful that I will not revisit that fascinating topic today. Instead, as I read chapters 11 to 13, I found it interesting how, so soon after finishing the amazing task of rebuilding the wall, things started to go sour (or really, kept in that direction with a momentary pause). It seems that the people stopped to dedicate the walls, celebrate, sing, and read the Book of Moses… but then what?

Even after a great celebratory day, they went on their own way by…

  • Disrespecting God.
  • Neglecting to support those who were serving them.
  • Going against what God had deliberately and clearly communicated as important.
  • Marring people who didn’t share their faith.
  • Jeopardizing their culture and beliefs.

Does that happen with us? Do we take a day to celebrate, sing, read Scripture… and then go right back to the messed-up ways we live?

In each case, Nehemiah acted, and asked for God to remember…

  • to remember him and his devoted work to the Temple
  • to remember him and treat him with mercy
  • to remember those who defiled the priesthood
  • to remember him, with favor

How would we like God to remember us? How would we act, then ask God to remember us?

 
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In advance of Advance: Nehemiah 7-10

25 Aug

Today’s reading: Nehemiah 7-10.

Ah, one of those passages that is music to a statistician’s ears. (and prone to be boring to everybody else, I know)

Not that I’m a real statistician, but I love it when there are such detailed names & numbers in the Bible! Not that even I usually take the time to research and find the back-story on each family name mentioned in chapters like this (especially lists like chapters 7 or 10), but I love the idea that the individual people mattered enough to bother counting them up. (and in a time before Excel spreadsheets – shocking!)

I remember hearing a Q&A with a certain ultra popular pastor/author who talked about how he’s not ashamed to know the number of people who are involved in their church, because each number represents a real person. As the guy said that line, there were nearly tears in his eyes. He wasn’t trying to compare his number to some other pastor’s number — was just clearly humbled to think of the real people Jesus died for.

I think that perhaps Nehemiah (as governor) and also Ezra (as priest alongside him) likewise knew that each number represented a real person… 49,942 real people (total of 42,360 + 7337 + 245).

One of my jobs often involves trying to add up those sorts of numbers. It can be a pain to get accurate numbers and convey why it matters to get counts like that. It mattered to Nehemiah because “God put it on his heart” (7:5). Maybe I’ll just say that the next time I’m asked why we do reports. :) haha

Of course, there’s a whole lot of other content in those chapters, that’s far more interesting than statistics, but you’ll have to read them for yourself! Be sure to read chapter 9, a great example of true recognition of God’s faithfulness.

(If the lists bore you, I give you permission to skim… though do come back someday and look them over.)

 
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In advance of Advance: Nehemiah 4-6

24 Aug

In advance of this weekend’s event, I continued reading Nehemiah 4-6 today. To set the stage… Nehemiah (from his position in Persia) heard that the walls of Jerusalem were in bad shape (leaving the city vulnerable). He mourned and prayed (honestly, as I saw in yesterday’s reading) and God answered by the Persian king not only giving his OK for Nehemiah to go, but materials as well. He went to Jerusalem, enlisted people to help the cause, and the wall was starting to take shape.

And, that’s when the opposition came.

Nehemiah was aware of the opposition. He was aware of those who were spreading rumors, ridiculing the work. He was aware of those who believed the rumors and thought things weren’t going well, like the lines go in chapter 4 verse 10:

“The builders are pooped,
the rubbish piles up;
We’re in over our heads,
we can’t build this wall.”

Nehemiah didn’t put his fingers in his ears and say, in a sing-song voice, “nananana, I don’t hear you!” He was aware of what people were saying.

He was aware when it was more than just rumors of bad PR… he was aware when it became threats against the work & the workers, when simple rumors turned into threats of death and violence.

And, as the narrative goes, “if we heard it once, we heard it ten times.” Nehemiah wasn’t a novice when it came to facing the opposition.

How did he respond? He stationed guards, he gave a pep-talk, and went back to work – each worker with a sword at his side. The threats continued, but it didn’t stop Nehemiah – and 52 days after they started, the wall was finished. Finishing the work despite rumors and bad public opinion and (worse) threats of violence communicated to anyone watching that God was behind it.

When we see something – as Nehemiah did – which God calls us to do, how do we respond to opposition? Do we put our fingers in our ears and try to ignore it, hoping it will go away? Do we pack up and go home? Do we push on blindly? Do we push on, trusting? Do we start doubting that maybe, just maybe, God didn’t give us this vision in the first place – and that maybe this opposition is his way of getting our attention or helping us see the logical way out?

I feel caught in a little bit of this myself right now – knowing some things God wants me to do (not nearly as big as building a wall), but not totally knowing how to respond to what seems like opposition. Is this, like Nehemiah knew, a time to be fully aware of what’s out there but push on? I think it is — knowing that God is pushing me on.

What about you?

 
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Post-game prayer

24 Aug

44 seasons. 10 games a season. 444 games.

(Or something like that.)

Gateway has had a men’s softball team for somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 years. Last night (for the-I-don’t-recall-th time) they won the church league championship. I was even there to watch. (I used to go to almost every game… but then we got married…)

My college church had a softball team and I thought the main point of church-league softball was to give guys something to do that exercised their bodies, promoted interaction with people from other churches (building unity in the body of Christ and all that), and build camaraderie with other guys (all in a safe, swear & alcohol-free environment).

Those certainly aren’t bad goals.

I think that some many church sports teams live out those goals really well. I’m happy for them.

But, after 44 seasons of observing the Monday night men’s league, I see another goal: helping *be* the church in different ways, to guys who wouldn’t normally *go* to church. The Monday night team has never really been Gateway-centric. It’s pretty much always been a mix of a few guys from Gateway and various others who know somebody who knows somebody, usually from playing in another league around town. Many aren’t people who would likley show up to a Sunday service, but on Monday nights, they get a little taste of community… a healthy dose of friendship… a workout… people to share their struggles with (and over the years, the team has faced a fair number of struggles)… and even a bit of prayer (often led by my husband – he’s the guy in the red shirt to the left of the photo above).

Brian, the team’s coach, cares about these guys… not as evangelistic projects, but as friends and real guys. I like seeing that.

I couldn’t begin to tell you the team’s ERA, win-loss-record or on-base percentage. I also can’t tell you any numbers (if there are any – these aren’t the kind of guys who keep statistics) of people who have found faith. But, I know that there are guys out there who have had at least one positive experience with people who love Jesus thanks to the Monday night league.

And, there have been at least 444 post-game prayers. :)

 
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Leadership Weekend – Why don’t we…

23 Aug

I love hearing suggestions from people about leadership events. Many suggestions from past years have clearly shaped what these events look like now. So, to start giving you more info about the Leadership Weekend, let’s look at some common suggestions…

Why don’t we get out of town for an overnight retreat?

  • The simple answer is size. I’ve called and visited every retreat center I could find within reasonable driving distance, and there simply aren’t any that can hold all of our leaders anymore. We could do a hotel, but that’s a whole new level of complexity.
  • Staying on-campus helps with cost as well.

Why don’t we just do the same as last year?

  • I hear this question every year, regardless of what last year was like. :)
  • The simple answer is that every year is different. Every year, God is giving us, as a church (by which I mean people!), different ways of seeing the vision and different ideas. Every year, we have different needs and different resources available, So, the event changes every year.
  • Changing it up also allows us to cater to different spiritual pathways, different learning styles, different interests, etc.

Why don’t we make it free?

  • Every year, I work up an estimated budget to see if that would be possible, and, every year it comes down to two main things: impact on other vital ministry initiatives if Gateway’s main budget were to pay for it all (which has never happened) — and — attendees placing value on the event.
  • The reality is that the main budget can’t pay for it all. One side benefit of that is that people take more ownership when they pay a small fee to attend an event. I’ve done a lot of research in the past into people who got full-ride scholarships. People who didn’t pay (and also didn’t volunteer at the event in exchange for the scholarship) more often are no-shows and more often report that they just didn’t get much out of the event. They didn’t put anything in, and didn’t get anything out. When people contribute something towards the event, they really seem to care more.
  • We *always* have options for people with demonstrable financial need, and we *always* watch the budget carefully.

Why don’t we use a speaker from within Gateway?

  • Great suggestion. :) We’re doing just that this year!
  • This year (other than some short videos), the speakers and on-stage interviews will all be people within our body. Some will be staff members you recognize, others will be new faces (staff or volunteers).
  • This is another thing we change up each year. Some years, we need an outside voice to help us look at things differently. Some years, we need one of our own to help speak to what he (or maybe someday she…) sees God doing around us.

There are other common suggestions, but I think this covers the typical ones. :) If you have a question and it’s keeping you from registering, let me know. I’d be happy to work through any questions with you.

 
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Leadership Weekend: Another kind of compexity

23 Aug

A few months ago I wrote about complexity evident in the form of childcare. This week, I’m realizing that there’s something even more complex than childcare: assigning close to 350 people to 25 different host-homes for the Advance Leadership Weekend.

The numbers could have been higher, certainly (and we still may have people signing up) – but this has been complicated enough. There are spouses to keep together and spouses who want to be put in different homes on purpose. There are families who need childcare and others who list kids on their registration but don’t actually need childcare. There are people who want to be put with friends and people who want to be put in homes away from particular people (thankfully, so they can meet new people, not because of conflict). There are homes where we have to assign extra men to even out the male-female balance. There are people from Leander who want to drive downtown, for some reason I’ve yet to identify. There are multiple host-homes who all requested the same person, who certainly can’t be in two places at once. There are host homes we don’t wind up needing and others we had to add to get enough space in a particular region. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Yes, indeed, this is the new definition of complexity!

In the end, I think most of us will have ample opportunities to meet new friends on Friday night (other than a few people who are going to ministry-specific gatherings; if that’s you, then you picked that option so you can’t complain about not meeting new people on Friday – OK? :). Most of us will also catch up with some old friends. It may not be exactly the mix of people you predicted, but I think that’s OK. I think God will show up in the complexity. :)

 
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In advance of Advance: Nehemiah 1-3

23 Aug

I woke up with the Leadership Weekend on my brain. I’d like to say that I woke up inspired about the spiritual content, but alas, that would be a lie. I admit I was more concerned to check my email and see what questions arose overnight and check the registration lists to see if people had registered to fill some of the host-homes for Friday night.

But, then I checked the twitter feed (#adv10) and seeing the ever-thoughtful q_dish talking about reading Nehemiah reminded me, “oh, yeah… I was planning to read Nehemiah this week.”

I tell you this mostly so those of you who had lofty goals like mine don’t feel so bad. I’m sure we’re not the only ones who made grand plans over the weekend and needed to be reminded today.

So, I read Nehemiah chapters 1 thru 3 this morning. I read it in the Message version, since I was more in the mood for reading a story than diving into the details. Click here and read for yourself.

Nehemiah 1:7 stood out to me – Nehemiah praying and laying it out there “God, we’ve treated you like dirt.” That certainly cuts straight to the point! Are we that honest with our prayers? I joke that some of my most honest prayers are at Rudy’s, being thankful for smoked meat. But, in terms of larger issues, do we pray with that sort of gut-level honesty?

What stands out to you?

 
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No regrettable food here

19 Aug

Tonight, I got my invitation to a particular host home for next Friday night’s in-home part of the Advance weekend. (Well, “invited” is a strange way to put it, since I actually made the assignment myself, but the host still sent me email inviting me – how nice!)


Frankfurter Delight

Originally uploaded by stu_spivack

Kendra, our creative host, came up with the idea for everyone to bring salad (whether that was an M&M “salad” or some kind of “guy salad” involving 3 types of protein – funny!). She joked that somebody should make jello with marshmallows. As some of you know, I grew up in South Dakota and as a graduate of midwestern church potlucks, I know a thing or two about jello salad.

I promise I won’t be making any. :)

Well… unless I get really sleep-deprived and caffeinated-crazy working on logistics next week. haha. Then, all bets are off!

But, for your internet browsing joy – completely related to jello but not at all to leadership – check this out: The Gallery of Regrettable Food. Don’t have time to read it all? This one page might do.

I found the picture here on flickr and is… yes, your worst fear: meat enrobed in jello! (hot dogs, apparently)

Don’t have your Friday evening location assignment yet? If you registered already, your host will be emailing you soon. Not registered yet? Why not register now? :)

 
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Are there new essentials of leadership?

18 Aug

With all this talk about Leadership this week, you need to head over to nikao (from Vince the great) for a discussion of new & old leadership essentials. What do you think? Add to the conversation there.

 
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