I've been too busy to blog much lately, but I've been following all the latest political developments. I think the best move made by either candidate so far is Obama's decision to move his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field. This will allow the speech to be delivered to a crowd of 70-80,000 people rather than the 19,000 or so who could fit in to the Pepsi Center. The image of a huge crowd going wild during the entire speech (which I'm sure will be as eloquent and inspirational as it is vague and platitude-laden), will help to further the image of Obama as a political phenomenon. It should stand in stark contrast to the more typical, boring McCain acceptance. This could have a greater impact on the electorate than the boring political positions of the candidates or their governing philosophies, things I like to call "substance". This kind of thing could go a long way toward making up for his inexperience, doctrinaire leftism, and utter lack of legislative accomplishment.Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Power of Imagery
I've been too busy to blog much lately, but I've been following all the latest political developments. I think the best move made by either candidate so far is Obama's decision to move his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field. This will allow the speech to be delivered to a crowd of 70-80,000 people rather than the 19,000 or so who could fit in to the Pepsi Center. The image of a huge crowd going wild during the entire speech (which I'm sure will be as eloquent and inspirational as it is vague and platitude-laden), will help to further the image of Obama as a political phenomenon. It should stand in stark contrast to the more typical, boring McCain acceptance. This could have a greater impact on the electorate than the boring political positions of the candidates or their governing philosophies, things I like to call "substance". This kind of thing could go a long way toward making up for his inexperience, doctrinaire leftism, and utter lack of legislative accomplishment.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
CHOW Outline for 7/09/08
(note: this is the one I was really looking forward to teaching. I took a bare bones approach to the outline because I like the way the message tells the story and needed room on the page. I like to throw a little Hebrew at them early on to establish my credibility. As such I'm going to ask several questions and throw in some background that I didn't bother to print on the handout. I thought i'd throw the Hitchens quote at them in order to rile up the room a bit. I'm also going to spend some time going into how this story is viewed differently in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. I was able to pull a lot of good quotes from all three from the book: Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths, by Bruce Feiler.)
The Akedah
Genesis 22:1-19 (MSG)
1 After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!""Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." 2 He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you." 3-5 Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together. 7 Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father?" "Yes, my son." "We have flint and wood, but where's the sheep for the burnt offering?"
8 Abraham said, "Son, God will see to it that there's a sheep for the burnt offering." And they kept on walking together.
9-10 They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood. Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son.
11 Just then an angel of God called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes, I'm listening." 12 "Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me." 13 Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham named that place God-Yireh (God-Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of God, he sees to it." 15-18 The angel of God spoke from Heaven a second time to Abraham: "I swear—God's sure word!— because you have gone through with this, and have not refused to give me your son, your dear, dear son, I'll bless you—oh, how I'll bless you! And I'll make sure that your children flourish—like stars in the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies. All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants because you obeyed me." 19 Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba.
· What is your first response to reading this story?
· Consider the following quotes:
· “"It is the strongest illustration of faith, undoubtedly, which has ever been evinced in our world."-Albert Barnes
· “… celebrating a father who puts a knife to his son’s throat because that’s how much he loves the dictator. I find that wicked.” -Christopher Hitchens
· I think all of us in this room would agree with the first quote, but on first reading the story, does Hitchens have a point or has he missed the point of the story?
· All three monotheistic religions share this story, but with different emphasis.
Read Hebrews 11: 17-22 (NIV)
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned”. 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
· Does this passage change your initial view of Abraham’s ordeal?
· How about Isaac’s?
Read Romans 4:13-25
· If you had to sum up the meaning of this story in one sentence what would it be?
I forgot to include a question about similarities between Isaac and Jesus, but will hit that point when I actually do the lesson.
The Akedah
Genesis 22:1-19 (MSG)
1 After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!""Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." 2 He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you." 3-5 Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together. 7 Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father?" "Yes, my son." "We have flint and wood, but where's the sheep for the burnt offering?"
8 Abraham said, "Son, God will see to it that there's a sheep for the burnt offering." And they kept on walking together.
9-10 They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood. Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son.
11 Just then an angel of God called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes, I'm listening." 12 "Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me." 13 Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham named that place God-Yireh (God-Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of God, he sees to it." 15-18 The angel of God spoke from Heaven a second time to Abraham: "I swear—God's sure word!— because you have gone through with this, and have not refused to give me your son, your dear, dear son, I'll bless you—oh, how I'll bless you! And I'll make sure that your children flourish—like stars in the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies. All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants because you obeyed me." 19 Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba.
· What is your first response to reading this story?
· Consider the following quotes:
· “"It is the strongest illustration of faith, undoubtedly, which has ever been evinced in our world."-Albert Barnes
· “… celebrating a father who puts a knife to his son’s throat because that’s how much he loves the dictator. I find that wicked.” -Christopher Hitchens
· I think all of us in this room would agree with the first quote, but on first reading the story, does Hitchens have a point or has he missed the point of the story?
· All three monotheistic religions share this story, but with different emphasis.
Read Hebrews 11: 17-22 (NIV)
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned”. 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
· Does this passage change your initial view of Abraham’s ordeal?
· How about Isaac’s?
Read Romans 4:13-25
· If you had to sum up the meaning of this story in one sentence what would it be?
I forgot to include a question about similarities between Isaac and Jesus, but will hit that point when I actually do the lesson.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
CHOW Outline For 7/02/08
(This was supposed to be my outline for a Bible study I tought, but I messed up and didn't have it printed out. So I was forced to go from my notes and memory. I wasn't sure how well it would go, but we got a lot of good discussion out of this passage. Next week is the one I am looking forward to. It's about the time Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac.)
The Heavenly Hope- Hebrews 11: 13-16
Hebrews 11: 13-16: All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
· What were the promises referred to here in verse 13?
· Does your faith ever make you feel like an “alien and stranger”?
· How is this experience the same today as it would have been for the patriarchs and the Hebrew believers this was originally written to? How is it different?
· Does the fact that they didn’t receive the promises make them a stronger example for us?
Read Hebrews 11:39-40: Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.
· We, along with those this letter was first written to are a continuation of their legacy. Do you find that encouraging? Or is it kind of scary?
Read Psalm 39:12. What stands out to you about David’s words here, considering who is saying them?
· Verse 14 (and the end of 13) suggests that they embraced their uniqueness, their “foreignness”. (Genesis 23:4) Does the church do this too much today? Too little? The right amount?
Read II Corinthians 5: 6-9
· Verse 15 is reminds us that they could have given up at any point, and that they were volunteers.
· They knew there would be hardships ahead. (Gen. 15:11-13) Wouldn’t giving up have been the much easier option? Especially in light of the fact that they personally would not live to see the fulfillment of the promises mentioned in verse 13?
· How does going back to our old ways work out for us when we try?
Read Mark 8:38, Romans 1:16, and II Timothy 1:8
· In verse 16, we are reminded that ultimately they weren’t just promised an earthly nation, but that ultimately their goal was the same as ours.
· Given some of the things they did, wouldn’t God have every right to be ashamed of them? Doesn’t that go for us as well? I find it encouraging that God was willing to over-look their boneheadedness as long as they sincerely trusted Him and tried to follow him, even allowing Himself to be known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Read Habakkuk 2:3-4, and Hebrews 10:35-39
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