Mike King

Reading Scripture Against Ourselves

I have participated for a couple of months in a reading group with several guys.  We have read  Reading in Communion by Stephen Fowl and Gregory Jones which has led to some great dialogue.  Tomorrow we wrap up with the last chapter called Living and Dying in the Word.  Our discussions have been honest and informative.  We have challenged each other to be willing to read the Scripture against ourselves.  We are so prone to read the Scripture in ways that conform to our opinions, philosophies, and dogma.  We use Scripture to control people instead of allowing Scripture to change us, convict us and form us.  I'm excited about our discussion tomorrow because this chapter looks at how Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived deeply in the Scripture.

Bonhoeffer points to a time in his life when he was more Theologian than a Christian.  Bonhoeffer had always been a student of the Bible but he acknowledges that he had primarily read Scripture for himself instead of over-against himself.

Bonhoeffer writes, "Has it not become terrifyingly clear again and again, in everything that we have said here to one another, that we are no longer obedient to the Bible?  We are more fond of our own thoughts than of the thoughts of the Bible.  We no longer read the Bible seriously, we no longer read it against ourselves, but for ourselves."

It is cool to me that Bonhoeffer makes this comment at a youth conference.  Bonhoeffer has an awakening that helps him realize that he had been inculturated into readings of the Bible that were very nationalistic and overly conformed to his church upbringing.  Bonhoeffer begins a spiritual journey that seems very similar to many people around me.  Bonhoeffer begins to spend more time meditating on Scripture, engaging in communal spiritual practices and reading Scripture over-against himself.  Bonhoeffer came to Harlem in New York and is profoundly impacted by becomming a part of an African-American Community.  He realizes that many ways he had read certain Scriptures took on new depth when read in context of his new community.

Another one of our discussions (especially in context of youth ministry) has to do with evangelism and proclamation.  According to the authors of Reading in Community, "In Bonhoeffer's view, the presentation of the gospel is best achieved not through methodological principles or through the attempt to make Scripture 'relevent'.  It is achieved when people are willing to learn to allow the present age in general, and our lives in particular, to be interrogated by the Scriptures."

Reading in Communion

We have a group of mostly youth workers, led by Erik Leafblad, who are meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss the book Reading in Communion by Stephen Fowl and Gregory Jones.  I wrestled through Chapter One uninspired but Chapter Two is very thought provoking.  Chapter Two is entitled Reading in the Communion of Disciples: Learning to Become Wise Readers of Scripture.  The authors emphasize the role practical wisdom plays in the interpretation of Scripture.  Interpretation of Scripture involves a "lifelong process of learning to become a wise reader... capable of embodying that reading in life." 

A community that reads and interprets Scripture together is necessary because "our complicity in sin leaves us captive to destructive patterns of life.  Such captivity undermines our ability to read Scripture well.  Liberation from our captivity requires an ongoing process of being formed and transformed by God's grace in and through the friendships and practices of Christian communities."

The authors stress the importance of Christian communities to hold each other accountable not to read Scripture in a way that ends up supporting "our agenda."  We must be virtuous and disciplined to read the Scriptures "over-against ourselves"  Fowl and Jones offer suggestions to help communities to read "over-against ourselves."  "...we must be willing to be interrogated by Scripture in addition to interrogating Scripture... Scripture's interrogatory power will come to any community through the voices of interpreters with well-formed character within the community and concerned outsiders."

I read this chapter on Saturday, the day after experiencing a great example of the thoughts in this post.  Eleven Youthfront ministry staff gathered in the Wilburforce Conference Room at the Demdaco Headquarters.  We were working on the spiritual content for camp this summer.  We will be living all summer in Luke 15, more specifically, the story of The Prodigal Son.  We have spent months discussing these scriptures, praying through them, meditating on them, and discussing how to bring young people into the transformation power of this sacred text.  On Friday we were discussing ways to create applied learning experiences with Luke 15:17 "And having come to himself..."  We had a dialogue about this phrase that I believe is a perfect example of wrestling with Scripture in a communal fashion that leads to the fleshing out of the power of Scripture.  I don't really believe it is possible to describe what happened in the context of our community as we encountered together the living Scripture but I know that this kind of communal interaction with Holy Scripture is essential for vibrant Christian Communities.  I wonder why so many people working in ministries and churches speak often about how little time they spend together as a staff praying, reading scripture, discussing theology and seeking the Holy Spirit's leading. 

Christian communities, churches and ministries are legitimately empowered as spiritual communities through the Scripture because the Word of the Lord is our source and context for discerning what it actually means to be a people seeking to live faithfully in the way of The WORD, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mercy

While reading the Matthew’s Gospel this morning I came to the account of Jesus having  dinner with tax collectors and sinners which led to criticism from the Pharisees (Matthew 9:10-13).  Jesus responds by saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”  Jesus then challenges all assembled to “go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”  When Jesus asks them to “go and learn what this means,” he is referring to the Old Testament reference from Hosea 6:6 which he quotes. 

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

Obviously, Jesus thinks this passage from Hosea is important because he refers to it again in Matthew 12:3-7.  In this text Jesus is walking through grain fields on the Sabbath and his disciples pluck heads of grain, rub them in their hands to free the kernels to eat.  They were hungry.  According to the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law (which of course, they were convinced, was always right) the disciples were breaking the Sabbath by working (harvesting the grain.)  Jesus responds and again refers to Hosea 6:6.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

I would do well to heed these words of our Lord Jesus Christ and order my life to be first and foremost about mercy, love and passion for God and others instead of allowing myself the smug place of the Pharisee who measures faithfulness to God by categories of “rightness” and the self-appointed responsibility of guarding the “TRUTH.”  Yes, truth is important but Truth is manifest perfectly in a person – Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The magnificence of reading through the Gospels (for the ???? time) reminds me of the beauty and compelling life of Jesus Christ who perfectly manifests the reality of Hosea 6:6, the human way of acknowledging the Father through a life of mercy and love.

Joseph and Mary find their "lost" son...

Last Sunday Tim Keel preached on Luke 2:41-52, the account of Joseph and Mary finding their lost son Jesus in the Temple.  The learning moment for me was the importance of us finding Jesus and being where Jesus is at work instead of expecting Jesus to follow us around endorsing our activities.  Jesus was in the temple (vs 46) 1) sitting 2) listening 3) asking; which are three important aspects of discernment and learning.

Tim posted on his blog a poem by Billy Brame and a meditation from Sunday's text by Daniel King.  I've known Billy through his involvement with Youthfront and of course Daniel is my son.  Billy's poem set the stage and Daniel's meditation had my tears flowing.  Yes, I'm proud and moved... read Tim's post and you will see why.

A Pericope from Jeremiah for today...

Jeremiah 7:1-15 - The Temple Sermon

Jeremiah 7:1-15 is often called The Temple Sermon.  This pericope is very relevant to the contemporary conversation concerning justice and the manner in which the Church of Jesus Christ should respond to issues such as poverty, oppression and immigration.  The theme of God’s preferential option for the poor; taking care of orphans and widows; and embracing the “least of these” was not a new concept that Jesus introduced during his earthly ministry.  These issues are revealed throughout scripture as an integral aspect of the character of God. 

The beginning of this text states that this is a word that came to Jeremiah directly from God.  Jeremiah is instructed to proclaim this message at an important and symbolic location – “the gate of the Lord’s house.”  Those who came to the temple to worship were expected to embrace “powerful ethical demands.”  Those who enter the temple to worship are worshipping a God who insists on obedience to God’s covenant commands.  Jeremiah makes it clear – God’s people needed to amend their ways and reform their allegiance to God’s covenantal requisites.  God’s promises and blessing for his people were contingent on their faithfulness to his commands.  Jeremiah’s fellow Jerusalemites held the erroneous view that they were protected because God’s Temple was in their city.  This thinking is not unlike many North American Christians who view their favor with God being correlated to the idea that somehow North America is God’s country, a new Israel.  God speaks through Jeremiah to set them straight, calling for a reformed attitude and a renewed behavior.  Jeremiah sets forth the conditions that should be met in verses 5-6.  Jeremiah addresses the propensity of God’s people to foolishly chase idols and foreign gods. The end of the text deals with the reality that judgment would come.  What God had done to Shiloh was the same thing God would do to Jerusalem and all of Judah.

This text focuses on the sin – corporate sin – of the people of God.  So many negative effects surface when we focus our preaching only on “individual” sin.  “Assuaging individual guilt encourages a privatized faith, and a merely privatized faith runs counter to everything in the Judeo-Christian Canon.” (Passion, Power, and Purpose; Coleson, pg 30)  The Church of Jesus Christ must respond with a more biblical responsibility to the needs for justice.  This text reminds us that God will judge us based on these issues (Matthew 25).  

I think many North American Evangelicals assume that the idea of justice is something liberals schemed up and even more believe the concept of taking care of “the least of these” was first initiated by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry.  Addressing these issues from the Old Testament broadens the scope of understanding.

  <-- Jeremiah, the Prophet by Rembrandt

The Text

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ^2 Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah, you that enter these gates to worship the Lord. ^3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and let me dwell with you in this place. ^4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.”

^5 For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, ^6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, ^7 then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors forever and ever.

^8 Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. ^9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, ^10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!”—only to go on doing all these abominations? ^11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the Lord. ^12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. ^13 And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently, you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, ^14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your ancestors, just what I did to Shiloh. ^15 And I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out all your kinsfolk, all the offspring of Ephraim.  Jeremiah 7:1-15 ^[1] 

---

^[1]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

Mary's Song

                             Mary’s Magnificat

And Mary^ said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  Luke 1:46-55

Supremacy of Christ

I LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE...

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.  And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.  Colossians 1:15-23

24/7

Over the last three years we, YouthFront, have increasingly seen the renewed desire by youth to enter into the Presence of God and seek Jesus in a passionate and holistic way, with mind, body, spirit, heart, will, and soul – you get it – with all of who they are. 

The Holy Spirit is calling this generation to take the words of Jesus as if He meant what he said.  They will not prop-up our tired church institutions that don’t take the work of God’s Kingdom seriously.  All over the world, youth are leading a movement of prayer.  Church history shows that great movements of the Holy Spirit are led and embraced by youth. 

24-7 Prayer is a major international expression of this phenomenon.  God is at work!  Pete Greig is an awesome young man that God has used to inspire hundreds of thousands of young people in 57 countries to pray radically.  This leads to living radically – a Kingdom life that engages culture, works for justice and expresses mercy. 

God is doing something special in Kansas City. I believe it is something that has worldwide consequences. 

Please come (pastors, youth pastors, and church staff) on Thursday, April 7 from 7:30-8:30 a.m., to Colonial Presbyterian and let’s explore how we might cooperate with God and His intentions for ourselves, our youth, our churches, our city, our world.

Peace,

Mike King

He is Risen...

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. ^They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ^but when they went in, they did not find the body.^  While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. ^ The women^ were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men ^said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.^ Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” ^Then they remembered his words, ^ and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. ^Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.  ^But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ^ But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.^

                                                                                                                    ^{Luke 24:1-12}