Today I would like to talk about the Prodigal Son study from the The Parables of Jesus in the Deeper Connections series. After an introduction from the Gentile city of Susita, on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the scene switches to Ben Witherington III (Asbury) sitting in a boat in Gloucester Harbor, north of Boston—where the movie The Perfect Storm was filmed. Fishermen left this harbor on their ships, and many never returned. Witherington talks about how the women and children would sit in “widow’s watches” on the tops of their homes, looking out to sea, wishing, longing, hoping for their husband’s return.

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Witherington paints the helpful first century background that enables us to grasp the parable’s deeper meaning. When the prodigal asks his father for his share of the inheritance, he was wishing that his father were dead. When the father runs to the son, he shames himself (first century Jewish men never ran!). Witherington mentions that it is possible that the father ran so that he could meet the son on the outside of the village, before the townspeople could harass him for what he had done to his father.

When we understand these background issues, the Parable comes to life. God (the Father) goes to extraordinary lengths to show forgiveness to those who turn to them—even “sinners” with a very shady past. The Father—with the intensity of the women in Gloucester Harbor waiting for their husbands—looks for those who are lost, longing to restore them….. God is “a father who is prepared indeed, willing to go out to those who will even make a step in the right direction, and turn and be renewed and be restored.”

How can pondering our relationships to parents or children or spouses enliven this parable?

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First of all, I am glad by God’s grace that we can’t “begin all over again!” Once around is enough for me. I’ll never understand why reincarnation appeals to so many!

For context, I’m 61 years old, and Linda and I are in our 30th year in our current parish. I was at my first congregation, a church plant, for nearly three years. And that would be my first suggestion to someone starting out: don’t try to start a new church right out of seminary! In fact, knowing what I know now, I would have looked hard for an assistant/associate position to get several years of seasoning. That first church just about finished me off, and only my wife’s faith in me and a return to seminary for an advanced degree kept me in ministry.

It’s almost impossible to answer the question, “What ONE thing would you have focused on more?” because the pastorate (at least in smaller and medium-sized churches) won’t let you do that (and I don’t have the iron will of a Eugene Peterson to stay focused!). With the exception of an incredible half-time youth director (who’s been with us for 15 years and built an amazing youth ministry), I am the only paid ministry staff member. Because we’ve invested our personnel dollars in youth ministry, we don’t even have a secretary (though a volunteer does put the Sunday bulletin together). So I am the classic “jack-of-all-trades” pastor — and I love it! It has forced me to lean heavily on the ministry skills of my people (and made me wish I were a better mentor/trainer than I am).

But if I could go back (now) and talk to myself as I was first starting out, I would say to myself, “Relax! It’s all going to turn out not just ‘fine’ but way better than fine!” As I confessed to my church members (and to my wife and grown children) a while back, I spent so much of my early ministry years living in fear. Fear that I wouldn’t be a good enough pastor. Fear that I wouldn’t be a good enough parent. Fear that I wouldn’t be able to financially support my family adequately. And all of that energy that I invested in fear (and a fair amount of corresponding inner anger and depression) was so unnecessary. If only I had listened to my own sermons on God’s grace and faithfulness.

Perhaps these are lessons that only age and experience can teach; but for a long time I found it very hard to live in the kind of grace that I was offering to my people. Sad to say, I’m not sure I was truly content with my ministry, my life, or myself until my late 40s.

So what wisdom would I give to a new pastor if were asked the question, “What should I focus on?” Focus on God’s grace and faithfulness — for your people, but especially for yourself!

Bob

I’ll try to post a little about what we did Monday and Tuesday in South Africa. We are staying at an absolutely lovely home west of Rustenburg — a lovely garden that looks up into the hills and mountains. We get up early, spend some time in the sun and fresh air and look into the hills. Great way to begin our day. Our hosts, Nic and Magriet, outstrip the meaning of the word “hospitable” and Pastor Attie and Renate have taken care of us like royalty … I could go on … oh, the flowers are amazing.

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This is Pentecost. Unlike what I’ve experienced in the USA, many churches have a Pentecost week of services in the evening — Sunday through Thursday. I think this custom goes back to Andrew Murray, but anyway … that’s why we were invited. I’m doing a series on Pentecost called ‘Power to…’ and I took my central theme from a line by Jimmy Dunn in his Acts commentary: God’s Spirit gives us the power to transform human ability and to transcend human inability. So each evening I’m preaching on a theme about “power to …”. The talks are online at Attie’s website.

Tuesday morning we left the home about 6:30am to drive from Rustenburg to Pretoria. I taught the Pauline theology class at the University; the teacher is a friend, Stephan Joubert. Then we had a splendid breakfast with some friends we’ve met here — including Tom Smith and Drees (can’t find his surname). Then lunch — get this — at a bird sanctuary with some professors in the Theology school and some pastors. Bird heaven, I’ll tell you — wild Ibis and all kinds of birds both like what we have (kingfishers) but so distinct in coloration. Great conversation … and lots of fun chat.

It is Wednesday am — we’ve breakfasted with Attie and Renate and now we are at the church where I will soon speak to some pastors about postmodernity, Bible reading, and the missional church.

We’d like to post pictures but we’re not using our computer and don’t want to load pictures into someone else’s computer.

This series is by RJS as Scot and Kris enjoy South Africa

Chapter 2 of Tim Keller’s book The Reason for Godbroaches the problem of pain. Given the pain and suffering in the world – either God is not good or God does not exist. This argument has many variations but there is an underlying thread of continuity. Certainly there is a great deal of pain and suffering in our world, not to mention out right evil – from a tsunami that wipes out a quarter of a million people in a day, a disease that takes the life of a child or young parent, or a drunk driver who kills a family in an instant, to intentional and premeditated exploitation, abuse, and murder.

We cry out - If God is great and transcendent – why hasn’t he stopped evil and suffering?

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Or is there a reason for evil?

Keller offers the usual platitude – who are we to think we know God’s ways and perhaps we don’t see the good reasons for what appears as evil in the world. After all God used suffering in the life of Joseph to save the Israelites from famine. … Of course this doesn’t address the issue of why there is famine (an evil) in the first place, or why a salvation that results in captivity and then the killing of first born sons of the Egyptians is in fact a “good” outcome. Come on – the real question here is - if there is a God why do we live in this story that includes, integrally, pain and suffering?

But Keller moves beyond this – to point out that we don’t worship a God aloof from the evil in the world – but a God who came himself incarnate in Jesus to experience and ultimately to conquer pain and suffering in the world. Resurrection, initiated by the resurrection of Jesus, is “not a future that is just a consolation for the life we never had but a restoration of the life you always wanted.” (p. 32) and “Jesus insisted that his return will be with such power that the very material world and universe will be purged of all decay and brokenness.” (p.33)

So…Far from disproving the existence of the Christian God – the existence of pain and suffering, however it came about, is the reason for the story we find ourselves in. The Christian story is the story of evil conquered.

Which leads to my questions:

How would you respond to the proposition that pain and suffering demonstrates that an all-good and all-powerful God does not, cannot, exist? Why did God – does God – allow pain and suffering?

And… What has helped you most in struggling with evil and injustice in this world?

In the introductions to each of the Deeper Connections 18 Bible studies—shot in various locations in Israel—one can see the hills from which Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, see the desert in which he found refuge from the crowds in order to pray, ride on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, walk the crowded marketplaces of Jerusalem, and pray at the Western Wall.

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It is easy for us to forget that Jesus lived in another culture, which was very different from ours. These introductions try to connect Jesus’ 1st century culture to our 21st century culture. The hope is that as we understand Jesus’ culture and background better, we will better understand Jesus’ teachings and live as better disciples.

Here’s a sample introduction: We’ve all read about how Jesus touched and healed the woman who was bleeding for 12 years. What we often forget is that in first century Judaism, a hemorrhaging woman would have been unclean. In the introduction to the study about this woman (taught by Gary Burge in The Miracles of Jesus), we find Jarrett Stevens hustling through a crowded marketplace, trying not to touch—or be touched—by anyone.

As the camera weaves its way through the crowd, we begin to sense the tragic nature of this woman’s condition—perhaps for the first time. We see and experience that it is not just a physical problem, but also a social and religious problem! She would have been an outcast of society: unable to enter a marketplace, a synagogue, or anywhere where other people were.

Do you think that the people in your church understand what the culture of Jesus was like? Do you think that such knowledge helps us understand the Bible better? What do you think we can do to help understand the Bible as a cross-cultural experience?

Cindy Nicholson, Asst. Pastor, Vineyard Christian Church of Evanston; Cindy is also on task forces and committees at the national level of the Vineyard; she responds to our pastor’s wisdom question:

If you could begin all over again, what one thing would you have focused on more?

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I started leading in college 37 years ago and I have never stopped. I love this calling and I am so grateful to God that I am still pastoring all these years later. When I reflect on that time, the one thing that I would have focused on more has nothing to do with the art of pastoral ministry – and everything to do with it! I would have more diligently protected my times set aside to sit quietly before God, scriptures in hand, and to listen, to think long, slow thoughts and to let him inform my mind, soften my heart, and open the doors of my spirit to be filled again with the Holy Spirit .

When I think of the men and women I admire who are still practicing their calling in their elder years, I notice that they are not easily drawn into making quick moves or speaking without thinking. I watch them and I can almost see them doing what Jesus did – asking the Father, “What are you doing?” and then only doing that. The ability to do this on the spot comes out of years of doing it when no one is watching. I’ve had good seasons of cultivating my quiet, reflective times with Jesus, and I’ve had seasons when I’ll do almost anything not to listen to him. If I had it to do over, I would be fierce about keeping that discipline in place.

We arrived in Johannesburg after a 14 hour flight — safe and sound. I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I was awake long enough to see the first sight of Africa — Ghana area — and then slept until we got to Namibia’s coast … so it was fun to see Africa for the first time.

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Our hosts have been extraordinary — fabulous — words like that. Attie and Renate Nel picked us up, drove us through Pretoria on our way west to Rustenburg, and then we found our way to the home of Nic and Magriet on the western side of Rustenburg. All I can say about our place is that it is gorgeous — and we’re told there are baboons in the hills behind our home. Not seen any yet, but it isn’t because we haven’t looked! Birds galore — a birding paradise for me.

Sunday morning I preached at a Dutch Reformed Church (Protea Park), where we experienced our first service in South Africa. And then in the evening again — at Bergsig DRC. Wonderful service with a marvelous worship band, and our Pentecost services through the week are combining several local DRC churches and missional plants. I’m doing a series on the “Power to…” from Acts 1-5 and will look at Peter, John and Mary and then one on Fellowship.

Today our gracious hosts permitted us to entertain Tom Smith and Trevor Hudson for a morning of conversation; both are pastors in Johannesburg. My learning curve on what’s going on in South Africa is very steep, so I’ll avoid entering into the many issues I’m learning about. Magriet and Nic, with their very fine chef Lees, invited both Tom and Trevor to a splendid lunch.

They say there are lions in Africa, but we’ve seen no signs of their presence — reminds me of those folks in Seattle who say there are mountains in the area (maybe not seeing them has something to do with the fog and clouds!)

I’m counting on the Jesus Creeders to keep everyone in line on the blog.

As a former doctoral student of Scot’s, I’ve been asked to write about a new DVD Bible study series that I edited called Deeper Connectionsfor the next five days. There are three DVDs (and participant’s guides) in the series: The Parables of Jesus, The Miracles of Jesus and The Prayers of Jesus. Its aim is to help busy pastors, Sunday school teachers, and small group leaders by providing visually exciting and interesting Bible teaching.

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Have you ever used DVD Bible study curriculum? What have you experienced as you have used DVD Bible studies in your Sunday Schools and small groups?

The Deeper Connections series aims to help our churches become more biblically literate. Sixty percent of Americans can’t name five of the Ten Commandments. Fifty percent of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married! Bible knowledge is also a battle in our churches. Barna research has said that one of the most widely known Bible verses among believers is “God helps those who help themselves”—which is not in the Bible.

Each study begins with an introduction from Israel by Jarrett Stevens (North Point Church, Atlanta), followed by a passage of Scripture taught in various locations (Chicago skyline, California beach, Rocky Mountains, Boston, etc.) by some well-known Bible communicators: Gary Burge (Wheaton), David Garland (Truett), Mark Strauss (Bethel), Michael Wilkins (Talbot), Matt Williams (Biola), and Ben Witherington III (Asbury). The teaching is divided up into 3 sections, so that in a 60 minute group session, there is about 30 minutes of DVD teaching on both the Bible passage and application, including time for 30 minutes of group discussion (group discussion questions are included in the participant’s guide).

In the next four days, we will talk about the introductions from Israel, and then give samples from each of the DVDs.

This series is by RJS (so blame me not Scot)

With this post we start our series looking at Timothy Keller’s new book The Reason for Godand using this book as a resource to grapple with the questions and issues confronting Christian belief in our educated and skeptical age. Timothy Keller was educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. For the last two decades he has ministered in Manhattan to reach an educated and largely unchurched urban population. The church he founded, Redeemer Presbyterian, currently sees an average attendance of ca. 5000 and has given rise to a dozen or so daughter congregations in the immediate metropolitan area.

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In his book Keller draws on his experience to discuss seven common questions posed to deconstruct Christian belief, demonstrating that none of these need be “deal breakers.” He then spends the second half of the book reconstructing “The Reason for God” and of course, the orthodox Christian faith. In this and subsequent posts we will work through many of the issues in both deconstruction and reconstruction.

So – to begin – it is often stated that given what we know about the world today it is simply not possible to believe that there is one true religion. Religion is culturally conditioned – Moroccans are Muslim and Americans are Christian. In addition, the arrogance arising from the conviction that one has access to absolute truth is responsible for much of the evil in our world. Many believe that religion should be outlawed, condemned, or at least relegated to a purely private sphere. It is easy to show that outlawing religion is generally ineffective; condemnation of religion is only possible if one holds to some belief system – and all such systems require a “leap of faith” resulting in an inherent inconsistency; and privatization is never possible as everyone, no matter what faith or creed, brings a value system into the public discussion.

Religion is here to stay in one form or another – be it secular materialism, New Age philosophy, or orthodox Christianity.

How can we make a claim that Christianity is the one true religion and we are the people of God?

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Hindsight is 20/20 but it often comes at less than productive moments but sometimes it does make a difference. I have served churches in Iowa, Michigan and Illinois; in rural, small town and suburban environs. I have dealt with everything from murder to suicide to sexual abuse to goofy boards to cranky members to bats in the church to you name it. Knowing this - the one thing I would make sure of if I was starting over again is this – read the Bible.

Oh I read the Bible regularly with some systematic method, but what I mean is to read through the Bible repeatedly every year. Make it a high priority practice. About 12 years ago I began to read the Bible from front to back three times a year. I read it in 20 chapter segments and this takes about an hour a day. I do this 4 - 5 time a week. I change version each time read through it, NIV, NRSV, KJV, NASB, Jerusalem, the Message, whatever. I mark the Bible up and have cheap notebook to jot down my thoughts and questions. There are times when I take a break for a month and do something else but this has been my foundational practice for years.

Why do this? In every other element of my position I know that there are people in the church who know more about leadership and vision casting, finances, building construction and maintenance, pedagogy and the care and feeding of copiers. But I need to know the Bible. I need to know it intimately, its themes (large and small) the people who populate it and its flow. I need to know it personally to be able to carefully use it professionally. The more I read it the more I am drawn to it. And I discover more about myself in reading the Bible. I love Leviticus and its lessons. Judges is the most contemporary book for our land. David is always in trouble in Psalms. The personalities of the gospels are amazing, and Revelation can be breathtaking.

My regret is that I started this practice after 15 years of ministry. But if I were starting over again among all the choices I would have to make, reading the Bible through would be #1.

We’re sensing we are a long way from our home, but “TK” is there remodeling our kitchen. So, hello to TK. Speaking of far away distances … this is some 450 light years from here…

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We are in Rustenburg, South Africa, north west of Johannesburg. Many folks see the terrain this way … we did not get here this way and we won’t likely be seen in the gandola anytime soon.

I begin with our prayers for John Michael Talbot and the community at Little Portion Hermitage.

And prayers for June Bug.

Emergi-Week:

One of my favorite bloggers is Eugene Cho, pastor of Quest in Seattle. His off-beat humor and clear-headedness keep that blog rolling. Like this post … which ends with a picture that is not likely to win him any awards. He passed this one on too; I hadn’t seen it until he posted it. And, just in case you didn’t realize this, this whole weekly meandering thing derives from one of the most consistent bloggers ever, an early emerger, Jordon Cooper. Tony Jones, a chaplain, weighs in on carrying guns and the Anabaptists. It’s Tony’s old song and dance. Bob Robinson, holding hands with Tony Jones on this one, has now weighed in on whether or not the Anabaptists get it right on government: is it designed to deal only with cracked Eikons?

One of the more insightful pieces I’ve seen on the malaise now infecting the Democratic party’s run-off. This piece explores a similar theme. And this piece by Weisman and Mosk points to a growing and worrying concern by African Americans. I don’t know if this link will get us there — so if not, please don’t write me about it — but CNN.com had a little video that shows Obama’s got game when it comes to hoops. David Brooks seems to have it about right on this one.

We’ve wondered how Christine and family were doing; thanks for posting this Christine. Our prayers are with you.

Read this about the opponents helping this young woman round the bases for her first homer. (I hope the link works — thanks to ksz.)

British Museum Library, which I used a few times, now permits more into its sacred spaces and it is creating a row. The put downs by the intelligentsia are worth the read.

We’re do for new phones … what do you know about the new iPhone?

And this little bear is already ready for church.

God and business — nice read by Moses Lee.

1. The world’s youngest professor.
2. Ansel Adams — a wonderful photographer.
3. Ed Gilbreath comments on the Jeremiah Wright interview.
4. Thanks to Mike Bird for the nice review of my atonement book.
5. Korean academies preparing students for Ivy League schools.
6. Barna’s new study on the use of technology in churches.
7. Ed Gilbreath sees a change in tone in Jeremiah Wright.
8. Any experience with cyber-bullying?
9. Did you see this picture?
10. Anyone (who is still reading) been to hear this singer of late?
11. Just got this one: Billy Kangas has a set of observations about intelligent design and how to talk about creation and science.

Sports:

Now that we are here in South Africa, I ought to mention that Rustenburg will host the 2010 World Cup. If you’ve got Google Earth the stadium is one of those little purplish lights. Looks like a cricket pitch is next to it. We’re staying near a golf course, but I’ve got no yen to cart clubs across the world or to play when we’ve got so much here to explore.

Say what you want, Wrigley is #1 – hands down.

Julie Bogart, a regular reader and commenter on this blog, has a story about forgiveness worth reading at her site. You can interact there or even here. Here’s how it begins:

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I remember when my parents got divorced, people used to tell me, “Time will heal your pain.” I hated that rhetoric. Why should my dad and his new wife get away with wrecking our family by virtue of time’s ability to heal, to make us forget, to help us move on? So I vowed that time would not heal, that I would not forget, that, in fact, the pain would last…. [Please click on her name above to read the rest.]

We come to the end of our series. We are flying today to South Africa where I will be preaching a series of sermons on the themes of Pentecost. (Our home will be looked after by TK and our daughter, Laura.) Pentecost, I believe, empowers us to transcend our human inabilities and to transform our human abilities. One central element in the Spirit’s empowerment is to create a community where the Jesus Creed sets up shop and calls the shots. But, there’s an issue here that lingers over all these discussions. We fail. That, too, is involved in the Jesus Creed. I call it Jesus Creed grace.

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Mary, John and Peter made serious mistakes in learning to love God and others: Mary rushing down to Capernaum in a rush only to be told that the word “mother” was being redefined (Mark 3:20-21, 31-35); John in thinking he and his brother — encouraged by mom Salome — were top dogs among apostles (Matt 20:20-28), and Peter failed miserably in Jerusalem while Jesus was being tried (Mark 14).

They failed; Jesus told them so; he then asked them to get back in the saddle. Nothing captures this like the words of Jesus to Peter:

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

The call to be restored is the summons to love Jesus again — to restart the cycle of Pentecost-empowering love for God and others.

When Peter gets restored, he sees John and — true to form — Peter has to ask about how long John might live. Now that Peter’s life would not end gloriously, Peter wants to know about John — and we sort of think Peter might be hoping John won’t get to go out in a blaze of glory. None of your business is Jesus’ remark to Peter.

Just follow me, Peter. That’s your task.

Pentecost makes discipleship possible.

[Next series: we’ll take a look at the meaning of “wrath” in the Bible.]