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We Christians claim the Bible as the rule of faith in the life of the church, and use it as a guide in forming moral values and making moral decisions. How it is then, that there can be such tremendous differences in the way the Bible is interpreted?
One of the reasons for our diversity and outright disagreements is the process we use. There are some folks use scripture to justify what they already have decided. It is a relatively easy task to find a verse which supports our view, take it out of its context, and string it together with other verses to build an argument. We cannot always tell the historical or cultural context of a passage of scripture, admittedly, but many passages are addressed to particular situations and cannot be understood as "always and everywhere" dictates. Other passages contain metaphors and symbolic language, and Jesus himself was fond of hyperbole, an exaggeration to make a point. So while we always must take the Bible seriously, it cannot, by itself, always be taken literally.
One of the clearest examples of how difficult it can be to interpret the Bible in order to sort teachings which are "timeless" from those which are "time-bound" can be seen in the so-called "Holiness Code" of Leviticus 19. The chapter is grounded in the command to Israel to be holy, just as God is.
Verses 9 and 10 contain instructions on the harvest with the command to care for the poor and the alien among them. The agricultural language may not directly apply, but the implications of the teaching certainly do.
Verse 18: "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord." This is certainly a timeless teaching, and picked up both by Jesus and later Paul.
The next verse: "You shall keep my statues. You shall not let your animals breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two different materials." Oh my gosh! I checked the label on my shirt and I sinned just getting dressed this morning!
The next two verses contain injunctions about sexual relationships with a female slave--the woman should be put to death while the man should bring a ram as a guilt offering! The implications from our current day perspective are deeply disturbing to say the least, and it is troubling for some this attitude is even found in the Bible.
I love verses 27 and 28: "You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you; I am the Lord." I've seen your last haircut, and that tattoo--"you got some 'plaining to do!"
"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." (verses 33-34) These verses would do much to inform our attitude in our nation over our immigration policy, if we didn't simply ignore them.
Remember, all of the above are drawn from ONE CHAPTER of twenty-seven chapters in just one book (of sixty-six books) of the NRSV of the Bible! Now wonder it's hard to understand what God expects of us!
Borrowing from The Rev. David Lawton's thoughtful column in a recent publication of The St. Thomas Steeple, I want to offer several guidelines for us to use as we prayerfully evaluate whether a particular biblical passage might be useful in helping us make moral decisions in our day:
- does the passage seem to fit with the cover-to-cover biblical themes of God's righteousness, justice, and steadfast love?
- does the passage reflect God's special concern for the poor, weak, outcast, and vulnerable?
- does the passage exemplify God's care for the whole creation, including every living thing?
- finally, and for Christians, most importantly, how is this passage seen through the "lens" of Jesus--his love and compassion, his humility, his respect for the "unrespectable," and his demand that people be put before rules, customs, and social conventions?
Pastor Lawton concludes his article with these words: "Taking the trouble to try to answer these questions won't guarantee that we will always make the right decision or that we will always agree on what the right decision might be. I think it will, however, help us avoid some of the many misuses to which the Bible is so often put and it will help us become more faithful Christian moral decision makers."
Solid words of guidance as together we seek to discern God's will revealed to us in the words of our Christian scriptures, which in turn shapes our lives and living.
In Christ,
The Reverend Doctor David Charles Smith
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"Buenos dias. Me Ilamo...." I never thought I'd be learning Spanish, but I've spent the past several Monday nights at neighboring Hope UCC in a introduction to Spanish conversation class with a community college teacher. Why? Because I am part of a five member delegation, Amigos de Guatemala partnership team of the Penn Northeast Conference, and we are preparing for a exploration trip leaving April 10. Two other pastors, one lay man and one lay woman, all from different churches in our Conference, were selected to participate in this experience with the goal of establishing a relationship with Christian communities in this Latin American nation which has had many challenges through the years, but where the church is vibrant and strong.
Through the United Church of Christ Wider Church Ministries, we have been invited by Concejo Ecumenico Cristiano de Guatemala, an ecumenical Christian organization based in Guatemala City. They have an incredible program laid out for the week we'll be with them, including staying at a church run guest house, worshipping in both the National Presbyterian Church and the Metropolitan (Catholic) Cathedral on our first full day, when they continue to celebrate Easter (see, I still have TWO services a Sunday!), a visit to Chimaltenango, "Old" Guatemala, and an overnight trip to Zacapa, to learn more about the native peoples, and the issues of water supply and deforestation in that area. We will be hosted by Lutherans, Episcopalians, Catholics, and Presbyterians along the way. We hope to be able to build a foundation of friendship and trust, based only on our common commitment to Jesus Christ, and trust that we can host some of our new friends at some point back here in Pennsylvania, and that others from our churches will make future visits to deepen the connections we can only begin. Since this is Elizabeth (Lizzy) Brown's country of birth, we have some special ties already in place!
As the Chair of the Conference's Interfaith and Ecumenical Committee, this is an exciting and wonderful opportunity to establish a new global partnership. We have a long history with partnerships, including one I was very involved with between PNEC and churches in the former East Germany during the late 1990's and early years of the 2000's. I'll tell you some of my initial reflections about our visit during worship April 18, and you'll hear more as we see what God has in store for this venture.
Please keep us in your daily prayers during this absence from our families and friends, that God might keep us safe and well, and guide us in all we do.
Adios. Hasta luego.
The Rev. Doctor David Charles Smith
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Borrowing the title from Leo Tolstoy's famous work, The Power of Darkness, a former Lutheran pastor writes: "The late Dr. Kent Knutson said 'On the Saturday before Easter, I and my family got up early to visit my mother who lives in a small town in Iowa. She is 82 and in ill health. We expect she will die soon. In reality the Knutson family went to see her to say their good-byes. While we were visiting with her, we received the sad news that my sister's son had a terminal illness.
'Late that evening we returned to Minneapolis. It had been an emotional day for us. The next day was Easter. That was a great day for the entire Knutson family. Early on Monday morning we took our daughter to the bus so she could return to Luther College. At 1:00 the call came. The bus had overturned and some of the students were injured several had been killed. At first we thought it was our daughter who had been killed. But with in hours she was able to phone to assure us that she was all right.'"
Kent Knutson concluded this personal story with this insightful observation: "And that's the way life really is."
Later on in the year, the church where Kent Knutson preached this message replayed the tape of these words, "And that's the way life really is." These words rang home even deeper as the congregation knew as well as the whole denomination knew that Kent Knutson was fighting for his life in a Rochester hospital a struggle which he was to loose in a few short months from an incurable illness he contracted while is Asia seeing how the American Lutheran Church was establishing mission congregations.
"And that's the way life really is."
Most of us have heard about Ally Armstrong' sledding accident several weeks ago. As I write these words, Alyssa is still at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in south Allentown. No matter what the outcome of her therapy, life will be different for this family with deep roots of faith. It is a difficult journey, but with the amazing outpouring of support from Jordan, neighbors, extended family, and countless friends, we are taking it together. At her baptism, and again at her confirmation, Ally was named for who she really is: a child of God, a disciple of Christ, and a member of the church, and we will do all we can to love and support her and her family--because for Christians--that's the way life should be!
Earlier this week Josiah and I previewed the very first DVD in the Nooma series featuring Rob Bell. In it, Bell recounts being with family at a cabin by a lake and going for an early morning walk with his young son, Trace. Trace was in a carrier on his Dad's back as it rained harder and harder and the lightening and thunder were terrifying. It was all Trace could see--nothing but this storm raging all around him and his crying and screams revealed how frightened he had become.
Finally Bell took Trace from his carrier and held him tightly in his arms, whispering to him all the way: "I love you. We'll get through this...."
When all you can see is the storm raging around you, remember those words and don't give up---"I love you, my child. We'll get through this....together."
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you...Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you...Do not fear, for I am with you." Isaiah 43 selected verses
You are not alone.
The Reverend Doctor David Charles Smith,
Senior Pastor |
A woman in her nineties had a visitor from her church come to see her at the nursing home. How are you?” the visitor asked.
“Oh,” said the elderly woman, “I'm just worried sick!”
“You look like you're in good health. They take good care of you here, don't they?”
“Oh, yes, they take good care of me here.”
'"Do you have any pain?” the visitor asked.
“No, I can't say I do,” the woman replied.
“Then what has you worried sick?” the visitor asked.
The woman leaned in and explained, “All of my closest friends have already died and gone to heaven. I'm sure they are all wondering where I went!”
We worry about may things, don't we, and often needlessly so. Our worry and anxiety can lead us to fear a host of experiences, people, or possibilities. Some fear insignificance, others worst-case scenarios, layoffs, violence, or even death itself.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; what shall I fear?" the psalmist asks. "The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?'"
These verses are two of the more than 300 references to fear in the Old and New Testaments. A wide range of emotions are captured in the Hebrew and Greek words for fear, from a sense of awe and immense respect to heart-pounding fright. In the context of Psalm 27, the inducers of fear are identified as slanderers, adversaries, breathers of violence, and betraying relatives. To respond to their threats, the psalmist doesn't appeal to a simplistic platitude, such as "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Rather, we must begin to trust more fully in the grace and goodness of God. It will not happen overnight, but it can happen over time, and we are here to help you understand and begin that process for yourself.
I'm inviting you to participate in a study of Max Lucado's new book, Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear. Lucado is a pastor and popular author, who has an easy-to-read style, so even if you're not an avid reader, I think you'll enjoy his writing. We'll begin Sunday, January 3, 9:15 a.m., in the Sara Harting Classroom on the lower level near the elevator.
We'll provide you with a copy of the book, and although there is no fee for the study, we would appreciate a donation to cover the cost of the paperbacks we are purchasing off Amazon.com. Even if you've never attended Sunday Church School before, we invite you to make a new year's resolution to personal and spiritual growth with the church's help. We'll continue through mid-February, ending as the Lenten Season begins. Most weeks, not only will we discuss the book together after watching a brief DVD clip, I'll also be addressing themes from the book through a sermon series in worship at 8:00 and 10:30.
If you are unable to attend the Sunday morning class, we'll also have another session Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Church Library beginning January 7.
If you were part of last year's, If You Want to Walk on Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat series, this study will be a great way to continue and broaden the discussion we have already begun.
This is my personal invitation to you to trust God even more through the challenges of life and living. This study and the series are a New Year's gift from the church to you. May it bless your life with the fullness of God's love, which casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18)
Desiring the abundant life God intends for us,
The Reverend Doctor David Charles Smith
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