September 7, 2022 – Martin Luther, The Funny Shape of Faith

“To discuss it briefly, misuse of the divine name occurs most obviously in worldly business and in matters involving money, property, and honor, whether publicly in court or in the market …” Martin Luther

“It’s not hard to spot an improper use of God’s name. We can find plenty of examples in the media. Come to think of it, maybe we don’t need to look any further than ourselves. It’s harder to spot a proper use of God’s name. For this, we need to look at places where people are praising, thanking, teaching, serving, and praying in God’s name.” (Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Locations 268-269). Kindle Edition.)

Oh Jeez!

It was a problem in Luther’s time, it is a problem in our society: the lack of respect and misuse of G-d’s name. If you are not aware, the reason I hyphenate “G-d” is my own personal attempt to respect the name of G-d. It is a personal devotion that I have adopted which I do not expect anyone else to do. It just helps me remember the holiness of G-d’s name and presence. In the Old Testament, they would abbreviate G-d’s name as YHWH. They respected G-d’s name so much they would not write it out — let alone speak it.

It is too easy to disrespect the Lord’s name in our society because the Lord has so little respect to begin with. Too many people think this “bible stuff” is all make-believe. They would rather believe in pure science than a higher power.

As people of G-d we need to continue to praise G-d’s name and respect G-d’s name. If we are good examples, perhaps others will come to respect the name of G-d as well.

Let us pray,

Lord G-d, Lamb of G-d, you take away the sins of the world. I’m so glad to be on a first-name basis with you. Thanks for introducing yourself to me every day. Amen.

Pastor Dave

September 6, 2022 – 2 Timothy 3:16, The Funny Shape of Faith

“All scripture is inspired by God.” 2 Timothy 3:16

“What if the Bible were written like People magazine? Here are some possible headlines: Adam and Eve Start a Nudist Colony; Baby’s Father Is 100 Years Old; How Mary Lost That Pesky Baby Weight. The Bible and People magazine are similar in that they contain stories about real people (and some of those stories are scandalous). The similarities stop there. People is about people. The Bible is about God loving people. People contains fashion advice. The Bible contains the saga of God’s love for us. The Bible is more than a collection of stories. It reveals God’s love. Its pages don’t carry juicy gossip-they carry Christ.”  (Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Locations 263-264). Kindle Edition.)

Jesus is Real People

I am not a fan of most magazines you find on the grocery isle shelf. I find them to be intrusive and vindictive most of the time. Therefore I find the premise for the above note from Laurie Hanson quite instructive. On the news sites that I peruse for quick updates on the events of any day, I find the headlines are written for one purpose: to get me to click on the story.

We know the people of the first century had a sense of humor – and to see their stories in the form of tabloid headlines is quite eye opening. Just imagine the people of Jesus’ day opening up the latest edition of “Palestine People Magazine” and reading these headlines:

Local Bethany man Comes Back From the Dead; Blames Community

Local Woman Sited For Exceeding Sabbath Restriction on Travel; Pictures of Stoning Inside.

Local Blind Man Sees Again; Mud Facials All the Rage

Fortunately the stories of the Bible are not the products of “Rag Magazines.” The stories give us a glimpse into the life and times of Jesus and His followers. But they also give us a glimpse into the human condition – they struggled with the same issues we struggle with today. As Laurie Hanson states: “Its (the Bible) pages don’t carry juicy gossip-they carry Christ.”

Let us pray,

Lord Christ, we thank you for your words that are our source of eternal life. Give me the strength today to meditate on these words. Amen.

Pastor Dave