The Challenge of the Bible

Christians tend to fall into two groups. The larger is those who don't read the Bible and the smaller is those who read the Bible inaccurately. 

The pastor recommends The Jewish Approach to God by Rabbi Neil Gillman. (It's written for Christians and I though Matt might like it.)

We know many things through science; but, science cannot show us God. 

For Paul, the Fall was turning away from true communication with God. Jesus taught knowledge of God the most important thing. But we cannot find God - God finds us. 

Jesus is God finding us. The Bible makes Jesus known. 

The first challenge the Bible presents is that it's the way we meet God. 

The second challenge the Bible presents is how to read it. 

The Bible is not an easy path to God. You have to set aside time - Bible study is not an easy fix. The meaningful things in life take time. 

The first principle of Bible reading is that we understand God by looking at Jesus. The entire Bible is about Jesus. We don't look at the violence in the Old Testament as insight into God - we start and end with Jesus - the Alpha and Omega. 

The second principle of Bible reading is that we need to know as much about what it meant to the original audience as we know about what it means to us. 

The third principle of Bible reading is that we always have the possibility of encountering God when we read it. 

The fourth principle of the Bible is that we need a plan to follow. 

Read a short passage. Put it into your own words. Journal about it. 

1 Corinthians 13 

As the pastor read this and then shared what he wrote in his own words, he said even an 100% commitment to social justice is nothing without love. This reminds me of the song, Easy to Be Hard from Hair. 

Writing prayers out is really helpful. 

If you choose to live by love, then you live into a life where you are known and completely know. 

Knowledge of the timeless grows out of understanding the timebound. 

Assignment:

Read Galatians in NIV and the Message. 

Put into your own words. 

What the Bible Is and What the Bible Isn't

"Do you read the Bible?" How? When? What? The Bible is vitally important for Christians. If we aren't engaging this book in a real way, what does that say about us?

We took a test. Although I only missed one, I discovered I know the Old Testament far more than the New Testament. Guess I know where to start reading. 

The Bible is God's written word. It is not God's direct dictation. 

Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. - Romans 10.4

The word telos, translated culmination, means destiny. The verse basically means that following the law in faith leads to Christ. 

There was a lot of human interaction in action that led to the Old Testament. We are closer to originals with the New Testament; but, none agree entirely. The Bible also came together over a long period of time. 

Humans have had a big hand in putting the Bible together. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is important here. The Holy Spirit moves through the people of God. The community is important. 

The Bible is time bound and timeless. We need to be able to divide the timeless from the time bound. I wonder if culture bound and cultural universal would be another way to look at it. 

The Bible is the story of God's work to establish the Kingdom. Knowledge of God is progressive - deepening as the pages turn. The Old Testament ends with unanswered questions. 

The Bible is very special and unique because the Holy Spirit worked within the Community to create it. 

As an introduction to inductive Bible study, read Luke 15.1-7, write it out in your own words, and answer:

Who is speaking?

Who is the audience?

What's the story? 

What's the point of the story?

A Theology of Salvation for Christians

We have a guest speaker, Dr. David Moore, pastor of two churches and author of Making America Great Again - Fairy Tale? Horror Story? Dream Come True? A Challenge to the Christian Community. Dr. Moore is an African American who grew up in a predominantly white church. Even today, his Oxnard congregation is a lot "browner" than his Santa Barbara congregation. 

The sermon starts with a sharing of scriptures about the last days with a bit of exegesis. How can people believe what is clearly false? How can they embrace a powerful delusion? 

Dr. Moore talked about how changing his diet was a challenge. Likewise, just as junk food can be addictive, believing certain things can be addictive and ultimately fatal. 

One of Dr. Moore's closest friends is a rabbi. They disagree on many issues, but their love surmounts their disagreements. The rabbi's congregation has visited Dr. Moore's church for two services. 

When a person carries their scars gracefully, it makes them trustworthy. 

No one's story should be wiped away. Everyone's story is important. 

The early Christians were non-violent resistors. Even in the midst of resistance, non-violence brings healing. The message of non-violent resistance to the empire appealed to non-Jews who were poor, oppressed, and had their back against the wall. 

Bayard Rustin, person who organized the 1963 March on Washington and many Freedom Rides was gay. He said, "When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him."

When a religion loses its ability to protest, it loses its ability to stand for the dignity of life. 

Dr. Moore went to Standing Rock. Santa Barbara stands in solidarity with Standing Rock. He told the city council that you cannot protest a system you profit from. 

Protest is dignity. The struggle is real. We told each other that in greeting because society was telling them the struggle was all in their head. 

Richard Allen was born a slave in 1760. He became a Methodist and an apostle of freedom. He purchased freedom for him and his brother and became a minister in Philadelphia. He had a mixed congregation and when whites insisted blacks sit in the back, he and his brother walked out with the black congregation. This was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The black church has existed in part in opposition to the white church. 

His book's title went from Bad Religion to God's not an Asshole to the current title. Three people told him about Nehemiah 8 as a word of prophecy and that encouraged him to write the book. 

The book is his olive branch, his way of reaching out. It is his way of saying we do not want to give into exclusion. The role of the Church is to shepherd people and counsel people. The Council of Bishops for the AME Church stands in opposition to the policies of Donald Trump and sent out a statement shortly after Trump's inauguration. When Dr. Moore read this, he wanted to join the AME denomination; but, you can't always just leave. He stayed with his current denomination and vowed to stay there until they kick him out. Like Pope Francis, he wants to stay and be an agent for change. 

He doesn't believe it's the end of the world, but he does think it's the end of the world as we know it. This is not a reason to fear, it is an opportunity. 

Protest is dignity. Do not reduce it to petulance. 

Too often the Church legitimated the system it is supposed to challenge. 

We have to be a part of the world of those who are different from us. If we are part of their world, then we will never be against them.