Sunday morning prayer March 8, 2009

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Here is the third prayer in the series...

"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord of Hosts. Our souls long, yes faint for the courts of the Lord; our hearts sing for joy to the living God." (Psalm 84:2)
We love to be in your presence God. Thank You Lord for bringing us here to worship you. We are mindful today God of the many people who have not heard your word, and do not know to worship you. We ask that you bless the missionaries You have sent out to bring your word to all those who have not yet heard.

Again we ask Lord that you continue to bless our little Church. Bless our children. Grow them into men and women who love You. Make them wise and make them holy.

This week Father we found out that unemployment is at record levels, and our stock indexes are at long time lows. Father you have showed us again and again not to trust in the institutions of men, now give us reason to trust in You. For "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea." (Psalm 46:1-3)

Our country is involved in a multi-front war against a group of people with a world view opposed in every way to ours. Some of our own children Lord are in uniform fighting this war. Keep them safe. Give our generals wisdom to make right decisions in theater and on battlefield. But most of all Lord, bring our enemies to You. Send brave messengers, and use miraculous circumstances to persuade our enemies to lay down their arms, and to embrace Your Son.

Many of us feel that our nation is in more than just financial decline. We worry that the culture in our society is downright pagan. Bless the leaders whom you have given us, help them to make right and wise decisions. And mold culture to You. Raise up people who love you, perhaps even some in this room, to places of influence, so that we can become a nation pleasing to You.

You know God that for us living a life pleasing to you comes down to daily battles. Sometimes, with your help, we win those battles, but many times we fail by succumbing to temptation, sloth and sin. We know that we are forgiven and made holy by You, but we hate our sin. Motivate us Father to put forth the good fight and help us to overcome our sin. Remind us of your word in I Timothy, which says; "But as for you oh man of God; flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called." (I Timothy 6:12)

We still have the terminally ill among us God. Our families are still in strife. Each week all of us are burdened by new worries. We constantly seek your comfort. "Be merciful to us O God, be merciful to us, for in you our souls take refuge; till the storms of destruction pass by." (Psalm 57:1)

Make us strong Lord. Help us to win our daily battles. Help us to make everything we do, and everything we are, Yours. And next week when we gather before you again, help us to be able to say; "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." I press on. (II Timothy 4:3)

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Sunday Morning Prayer, March 1, 2009

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The second in a series of prayers I've done for my church, minus a few specifics, enjoy, and discuss if you please.

"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the world, from everlasting to ever lasting, you are God." (Psalm 90:2)
Our God, we cannot conceive of the words to give you proper praise. "How great are your works Oh Lord." (Psalm 92:5)

Father we are a blessed church in a blessed nation. Let us not take for granted our freedom to gather and worship You. Please protect our brothers around the world who are even now persecuted for doing just the same. Please continue to bless this church Lord. Make us rich with knowledge of you. And make us overflow with love for one another.

Another week has passed God and we are weary. Sometimes it seems that the tasks you have laid out for us are impossible. Remind us God that it is You that assign us these tasks, and that we are to complete them to Your glory. "And that with God, all things are possible." (Matt 19:26)

You know God that our nation's, and most of the world's economy is in dire straights. Remind us that it is You that determines when nations prosper, and when nations decline. Nonetheless, many of us have watched the value of our homes diminish over the last year, some of us have faced cuts in pay, still others have lost their jobs completely. Despite Your words about the sparrows, and the grass of the field we, worry. Comfort us God, and teach us not to worry. "We will say to You Lord, 'Our Refuge and our Fortress, our God in whom we trust." (Psalm 91:2)

Our congregation ails Lord. Some of our families are facing divorce, and some of us have been treated unjustly in our jobs. We don't know why you have allowed this tribulation into our lives God. Please end our sorrows Lord. Lend us your strength and make us mighty in our pain and our persecution. Let us learn to need you. Others among us Lord are ill, some terminally so. Remind us to fear not those that can kill the body, but cannot harm the soul. (Matt 10:28a) Some here are worried about their loved ones who are fighting our nations battles in foreign lands. We know God that Your legions of angels are more powerful than any improvised explosive device, or suicide bomber. Keep those we love safe Lord, and bring them home swiftly. Bless their efforts God, and make our nations military to do your work in that troubled region.

Gird us for the trials that will come next week. Keep us grounded in Your word, in Prayer and in fellowship, so that we may emerge victorious from all that challenges us. Remind us of your promise in Psalm 91 that says "Because he holds fast to Me in Love I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in times of trouble. I will rescue him and honor him." (Psalm 91:15)
Amen

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Pastoral prayer 2/22/09

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Lately, I've been doing the Sunday morning prayer for my church. I've decided to post them here as I've worked hard on them, and I'd like to place them in the public domain. I've tried to remove all the specifics, so they can be viewed as appropriate for any church. Please use them as you see fit.

We praise you God for the magnificence of your creation. When you rode into Jerusalem and were rebuked for the praises Your disciples sang to You; You said "If they were silent, the very stones would cry out." On a day like today, the very mountains cry out to your Glory.

We thank you for the freedom you've given us to worship you together and openly, and we ask that you not let us take this freedom for granted. In that vain we ask for your protection over the 1800 Christians who are believed to be in Prison in Eritrea. You know much better than we how harshly those believers are treated, please intercede on their behalf, give them strength and hope, and soften the hearts of their captors.

We want to remember those doing your work around the world. We ask you to bless those who you've called to be plowers, sowers and reapers, and to go to all corners of the world to spread the good news.

Lord; we are a new Church and a small church, but we want to be a mighty church. Make us Your church. Make us a church which abounds in Love. Love for one another, for the rest of your church, and for all those who are lost, in Tucson and around the world. Make us a church which goes forth boldly when and where commanded in great faith, a church which clings to Your word uncompromisingly. Make us Lord, a church who knows You, and Knows Your Son. We cry out to you God, and we know that you will answer our call.

Father; when we call to you, we call because we are hurting, we are confused, and we are scared. There are some among us whose families are fracturing. Oh God be the Great Physician we have called you and heal our broken hearts. Many feel the pain in these trying financial times. There are many here who are seeking a job, and several others who are underemployed, furthermore, many of our retired brethren who live on their investments have watched their savings diminish. Oh Abba give us comfort. Heal our broken families, and give us assurance that you will always provide for our needs. Lord we read of your fulfilled promises throughout scripture, yet sometimes our problems seem bigger than the stories we read of Your love. Show us oh Mighty God just how mighty you are. Spread your wings, so that we might take refuge beneath them.

We remember the chronically sick God. Give them peace, be with their families and comfort them. Help us to learn Lord that our time here is temporary, and that eternal glory awaits us. Lord several families here are anxious about their sons and daughters who are in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Give those solders strength and comfort God. Go before them with a troop of angels and keep them safe. Remind those young men that they are mighty in You, and that they are there to fulfill your mission, not just the missions of the United States.

Father; we lay before you all that troubles us. Many times we don't understand why things happen the way they do, we feel anxious and afraid. But we know that You are sovereign, and that You are good. We believe Lord, help our unbelief. Thank You for hearing our prayers, and thank You for loving us. Go before us next week. Like Peter when he walked on the water towards You, keep our eyes focused on You. In your, loving, gracious and Holy name, Amen.

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What is the Christian's Role in Politics?

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Following is a proposal for a discussion I am moderating with a group of men from my church. I am interested to hear what my readers (haha) think on the subject as well. If you are interested in coming, email me and I'll fill you in.

Question for discussion:
What is the Christian's role in politics ?

Background:
During the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, the republican campaign teams relied heavily upon the so called "Christian Right." Indeed were it not for the efforts of many pastors and well known Christian leaders, such as Rick Warren of The Purpose Driven Life, and James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who gave weighty endorsements to candidates and issues, George W. Bush may not have won these close elections. Issues such as abortion and gay marriage are often enough to mobilize Christians to voting booths and sometimes make them into political activists. Meanwhile, there has emerged a minority voice inside of Christianity that laments the idea that Christians have been reduced to a voting block. These pastors and theologians argue that Christianity should not be so involved in politics. How should we then live? Ought we as Christians strive to create a theocracy of the United States, or should we work to glorify God via other avenues such as culture and art?
Other Details:
The goal here is to come to a better understand of how Christ would have us conduct ourselves and our church. With that in mind please do research to support your view point. There is ample material in support of each side on the internet and at the public library. Of course Biblical references that reinforce your ideas are highly encouraged. At any discussion among intelligent Christians there is bound to be strong opinions on each side. Remember that the fellow disagreeing with you is your brother. With that in mind bring your sharpest wits and leave your ego at home. Oh, and bring a pipe or cigar to smoke if you like.

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An Angry Jesus

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Over the past few weeks I have been reading Bart Ehrman's book Misquoting Jesus. I think Ehrman is wrong on his most basic premises, but will debate that later. Yesterday I read that, according to Ehrman, there is a mistake in the passage; Mark 1:39 - 45, which describes Jesus' healing of a leper. All English translations of the Bible, and the two Greek translations I have access to, use the word "Splangnistheis," which most translate as "filled with compassion." to describe Jesus' reaction when confronted by the leper. However, the most reliable manuscripts, the context of the passage, and Mark's writing style indicate that a different word was used. The word that may have been original is "Orgistheis," which means "becoming angry." Presumably towards the leper. Ehrman goes on to state how devastating the picture of an angry Jesus would be to the fundamental beliefs of evangelicals.

I think that in this case Ehrman makes a good point, and that there is sufficient evidence to cause us to question which word was actually intended by Mark. But an angry Jesus would certainly not cause me to doubt my beliefs. In fact, I think that an angry Jesus here would fit perfectly with the gospel message of who Jesus was. The root of Orgistheis is orgizo. Orgizo means to be angry. It is used eight times in the new testament, but never in reference to Jesus. Often, however Jesus uses the word in His parables to describe the character who represents God the Father. (See Matt 18:34, 22:7 and Luke 14:21) This is not completely compelling, but I think it is significant that Jesus is not bashful about describing His Father as capable of anger.

Certainly Jesus' Father, the God of the Old Testament, displays anger at times. The Hebrew (by my uneducated research) equivalent to Orgizo is Ka'ac. It appears 54 times in the old testament. Of which 42 refer to the anger of God. Throughout Jesus' ministry He frequently identified himself as God. Why do we expect Him to be different from the God described in the Old Testament, who is clearly capable of anger.

Often Jesus rebuked the pharisees in a way that was certainly not gentle. See Matthew 23:23-29, for an example of Jesus' language towards the pharisees. Likewise, Jesus rebukes His disciples for their lack of faith. Poor Peter was often the target of this criticism. Click here for the most common example. I think that it is very important to examine the way in which the leper approaches Jesus in order to understand His response.

Christians are given a picture of Jesus as a gentle man, who carries baby lambs and holds the hands of children. But consider Matthew 21:12, and Mark 11:15. Both passages describe Jesus on a rampage, overturning tables and driving out merchants. Perhaps our ideas of Jesus are flawed. Perhaps Jesus is not the gentle pushover that is pictured in all of those Sunday school flannel board figures. Perhaps Jesus is at times a raging lion, perhaps He is like His Father after all.

Ehrman offers the explanations of a few evangelicals regarding the possible use of the word "angry" in Mark 1:41. These examples (as represented by Ehrman) are weak and wishy-washy. I don't know which word Mark actually used, but what is the matter with Jesus being angry once in a while? Maybe a little appropriately applied anger would suit today's church well.

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A Humble Rebuttal:

Over the last few months I have undertaken a study of certain contemporary books which seek to attack Christianity. The first was Sam Harris's "Letter to a Christian Nation," Which I discussed on this blog, the second was Christopher Hitchens's "God is Not Great." This I did not post on because his arguments were almost identical to Harris's, and his tone was patronizing and belittling. In short, I found Hitchens to be a jerk. Many of his "arguments" against Christianity came in the form of backhanded snipes which implied that only a complete idiot would believe the teachings of Christ. I have not yet justified him with a response, and probably won't. The third book in my anti-canon is Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus.

I have addressed Ehrman before on this blog here. He is different from the other Authors I have thus far encountered as Ehrman is not an atheist, nor is he a hater of religion. He is the chair of the religion department at the University of North Carolina and the default religious "authority" for many news outlets including NPR. In Misquoting Jesus Ehrman presents the case that the scriptures we have come to rely on as the New Testament are not so reliable. He shows, or attempts to show, that over the centuries scribes and other ne'r-do-wells have changed the original meaning of the documents so that we cannot know what they originally meant. This is a reformed and sophishticated (please pardon the pun) version of the old "telephone" argument, which goes: The Bible is like a centuries old game of telephone, in which participants make a line and whisper a phrase into one after an other's ear. By the time the last person gets the message, and announces it to the group, it has completely changed from the original. I do not have the intellectual tools to confront Ehrman head on. As I make my way through his book I will do my best to pick apart his argument. But what strikes me on first glance follows:

God was active in the writing of the scriptures. One of the crux's of Christianity is the "inspiration" of scripture. In other words; while the specific words of Paul, Luke, Moses etc were their own, the ideas behind those words came from God. This idea is represented in II Tim 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21 and Deut 29:29. The Bible is God's special way of revealing himself to us. It was written over a period of 2000 years, by more than 40 different authors. God was not only present when the ideas were put down, but He has been present throughout time, ensuring that those ideas remain accurate into every time and every translation. Ehrman obviously does not subscribe to this belief. He must believe that immediately after having inspired each of the scriptures, God abandoned them and left it up to fallen, sinful human beings to preserve them for generations. This is not consistent with the sovereign God represented in both the Old and the New Testaments. Just as God was sovereign in the time of Abraham, Moses, King David, and Paul the Apostle, He was sovereign in the time of Socrates, Ceasar, Charlemagne, Henry VIII, and Napoleon, and He continues to be sovereign today. And just as the scriptures were important to the people of the first century, so are they important to us today. God would not have abandoned His inspired, special revelation, just as He has not abandoned us.

Here are a few better rebuttals to Ehrman. I have not read them, but will try and figure out which one is best and purchase it. Look for a review later on.

Misquotes in Misquoting Jesus

By Dillon Burroughs from Dallas Theological Seminary

Misquoting Truth: A Guide to the Fallacies of Bart Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus"

By Timothy Paul Jones, published by Inter Varsity Press

Can We Trust the Gospels?

By Mark D. Roberts

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On Religion and Science:

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about evolution and creation. In the past I have held firmly to the rare belief that God did not create the cosmos in a literal six days, but took His time. I based this belief on the poetic nature of Genesis 1, the timelessness of God evidenced in verses like II Peter 3:8, and the piles of geological evidence that my father, a Christian geologist, showed me. While I am certain that this belief is consistent with scripture, many Christians are appalled by my interpretation of facts.

Many feel that I am not trusting God, by looking to science instead of the Bible for answers regarding the nature of how the universe was created. Now I am beginning to study biological evidence for evolution, and I am, quite frankly, overwhelmed by how convincing a case can be made for biological evolution. This evidence is not from "bad" science, bent on disproving God, (although there is lots of that), but from good scientific work dedicated to finding a real understanding of the world we live in. This has been very convicting for me, and has prompted a real examination of Genesis 1:1 in order to really find what in the creation account excludes evolution. I am troubled, and relieved to report that I have found very little in Scripture to dissuade me from buying into evolution. I am not completely convinced yet, and must undertake more study before I make my mind up.

I fear though, that many Christians will chastise me for "abandoning" the Bible in exchange for science. Thus here is my answer:

God has revealed Himself to us in two ways; through Scripture and through His creation. Romans 1:20 Science is a tool that God gave us to better understand His creation. As it would be foolish to neglect the study of scripture, isn't it also foolish to neglect the study of creation? I don't understand why so many Christians are "afraid" of Science. When Science provides evidence for a new understanding of the universe Christians often resist it. When Copernicus came out with his theory that Earth and the other planets revolved around the sun, instead of everything in the universe revolving around Earth, the church was outraged. Now, everyone accepts this theory as fact, and nobody questions weather or not it is consistent with scripture.

The trouble is that radicals on both sides of the evolution debate have polarized the issue so much that the truth is clouded and hard for anyone to see. (We live in the Shadow Lands). Atheists such as Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens have seized evolution from the real scientists and screamed that it shows how foolish belief in God is. I can assure you that nothing in the science of evolution explains away God. Meanwhile, aggressive Christians, many of whom know nothing of science, try to discredit evolution because it threatens what they believe. Many times this belief is based on a poor understanding of scripture. I think that we Christians need to relax. Complaining about evolution only shows our fear of it. Evolution is a possible explanation of how the universe became the way it is today, it can never explain how the universe became. Is God so small that He could not have created the universe through a process?

I've listed a few references to help if anyone else is curious about evolution.

Darrel R. Falk, Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology

I can't find a Google Books page for this reference, but it looks like it's on Amazon

Francis S. Collins, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

Keith B. Miller, ed., Perspectives on an Evolving Creation

Michael J. Behe, Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution

Finally, there is a movie coming out soon about the politicization of evolution that looks very interesting:

See the trailer:

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