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Category: Musings

Playing with Mud

Published by mhelbert on April 3, 2012

A few years back I heard a lecture by Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim. In it he spoke about God’s use of agency in the affairs of the world. One area, in particular, had to do with the creation story. He painted an image of Yahweh stooping down to play in the mud. Yahweh took some clay and molded it and fashioned it into humankind. One can visualize the care with which the great Creator God took. There is an intimacy present with this image. Yahweh, with dirt under the divine fingernails, breathing God’s own breath of life, the Ruach Elohim, into the clay bringing life to this carefully and wonderfully designed new creation.
Yahweh is still playing with mud. If not for the water of life poured out on the dust, which is humanity, we remain dust to be blown away. But, because of Jesus we can become clay in the hands of the great Re-creator God who molds and fashions new humans…while getting the divine fingernails dirty.

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Some thoughts on prayer and identity

Published by mhelbert on March 24, 2012

As I press prayer deeper, I find that there are more than enough distractions to try and keep me from pressing prayer deeper. I’ve read quite a bit about the experiences of others who have plumbed the depths of contemplative prayer. They all speak about these annoying, mosquito-like distractions. And, they agree that we must hold these things in the light of God’s presence so that a conversation with God can shed light on them.
One such ‘distraction’ is the recurring memory of certain sins in my life. These were dealt with through confession and repentance long ago. But, as I begin to pray, some of these memories just show up. As I have brought these before Yahweh, have rehearsed events in my life that may have some connection to these things. They seem to end with the fact that I was adopted as an infant. I have learned a bit about my birth parents. Enough to know that I was pretty much an unplanned for accident. But, this alone does not explain the continued interruptions of my time with God.
Then, I began to realize that who I am is strongly connected to the communities that I have been a part of. These groups and systems have shaped my life, perhaps more than I realized. Family, school, friends, co-workers, and others have created environments in which I have both flourished and foundered. I think, however, that God wants me to consider the larger group: the Human family.
I have known for many years the depths I am capable of sinking to. There is no sense in trying to fool myself. Jesus articulated some of these, “out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22). In a word…‘me.’ Henri Nouwen wrote in The Wounded Healer, “Through compassion it is possible to recognize that the craving for love that people feel resides also in our own hearts, that the cruelty the world knows all too well is also rooted in our own impulses. Through compassion we also sense our hop for forgiveness in our friends’ eyes and our hatred in their bitter mouths. When they kill, we know that we could have done it; when they give life, we know that we can do the same. For a compassionate person nothing human is alien: no joy and no sorrow, no way of living and no way of dying.”[1]
Perhaps, some of what I am experiencing is for my own healing. Maybe merciful Yahweh has seen fit to dust me off and polish me up a bit. No, lousy metaphor. Elohim has decided to crush me into dust in order to melt me and refashion me. Maybe other folks get dusted and polished, not me. But, I don’t think I’m alone. I am human! I stand in solidarity with humanity! I don’t know for sure where God is leading. But, what I do know is that God is completely trustworthy and faithful. Where ever this is going, I can trust Yahweh.

[1]Nouwen Henri J. M., The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society, (New York: Doubleday, 1972), 45.
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Do you take this woman…

Published by mhelbert on March 19, 2012

Ah, yes…the good old days. Ward and June Cleaver, Ozzie and Harriet, Archie and Edith. One man; one woman. What ever happened to those days? Why can’t people in the U.S. simply leave the biblical model of marriage alone?
My dear Dr. John Byron over at Biblical World has an interesting note today. I guess, when one asks what ever happened to the good old days, we can say they never really existed. Hollywood and Madison Ave. built an image that never had any basis in fact. At least, not a fact that could translate to anywhere else in the world. Before we continue to lift up some idealized image of marriage, perhaps we should see what God had to say.
You can read Dr. John’s blog here:
http://thebiblicalworld.blogspot.com/2012/03/is-this-biblical-marriage.html

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No Fear

Published by mhelbert on March 14, 2012

Henri Nouwen wrote in Turn My Mourning into Dancing about how people are many times driven by fear of losing something that they have. We fear burglary, so we spend thousands on home security. We fear losing status, so we try to paint a face on ourselves that elevates our standing. We fear this and that, so we focus on taking whatever measures we deem necessary to protect and hang onto these things. The scripture teaches that God is not a God of fear. Yahweh is all about love and security. Nouwen’s argument leads us to try and simplify our lives by letting go of things. When we realize that we cannot hang onto them anyhow, where is the sense in tenaciously clinging to stuff that is going to pass away? Jim Elliot wrote, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” True words.
I’d like to take this idea a step further. There are many people in the U.S. who make the argument that this country was built on “Christian” ideals and principles. This allows them to equate anything patriotic with the “Judeo/Christian ethic.” (Whatever that is.) This includes the concept of Manifest Destiny, unfettered capitalism, white patriarchy, and American Exceptionalism. It also creates an environment where we need to have the biggest, baddest military and economic system so that we can protect what is perceived to be ‘ours.’ And, whatever is ‘ours’ is our right to claim as Americans. We live in constant fear that some country or power or terrorist organization will try to take what is ‘ours.’ We justify these actions by quoting some scripture taken out of context.
When I read the scriptures, however, I find a different view on things. I see what Nouwen wrote about. I find Jesus as a servant calling others to service. I find that detachment from stuff is the road to happiness and contentment. I find a rich guy who was told that he lacked one thing. He should go and sell his stuff and give to the poor. Then, follow Jesus. Perhaps if the U.S. was to actually take a Judeo/Christian view and, say, forgive the crippling debts of developing countries, particularly in Africa that we could, as a nation, make a positive impact in the world. Maybe, if we took Jesus’ words to forgive and pray for our enemies Iran and others would not consider us the Great Satan. We could become a true expression of Jesus’ love for the whole world. This was evidenced by his obedience to the Father in laying down his life for the world. What better example of “letting go” is there?

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The Second Garden

Published by mhelbert on February 28, 2012

The other morning I was meditating on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Much ink has been spilled on what took place that night as Jesus prayed and the disciples napped. Jesus asked the Father to let the cup pass. Why? What cup? Some think that it was the cup of God’s wrath that Jesus was asked to drink to the very dregs. These people say that Jesus was aware of what was coming that night and the next day. He would be tortured and killed. Some, if not most, believe that Jesus was also aware of the purpose for this. He was to be the sacrifice, the ἱλαστήριον;  the means and the place where forgiveness, or atonement was offered. I’m not convinced that he was aware of this. But, that’s a topic for another day.
One thing that I am sure of was that Jesus was convinced that he was being faithfully obedient to the Father. Paul made this clear in Philippians 2. It was the Father’s will that Jesus move forward to the cross. 
I think that there was something else happening that night that sometimes gets overlooked in the search for theological truth. That thing was the grief that Jesus felt about leaving this life. Although, he knew that something far better was coming, I think that he experienced a sense of loss, too. From what I can see in the gospels, Jesus enjoyed life. He was accused of hanging with drunkards and gluttons because he “came eating and drinking.” He was a prophet who enjoyed working with the outcast and marginalized. I’m sure he had joy in healing people and restoring lost family members. Children seemed to hold a special place in his heart. And, we must not forget his parting words to his most intimate associates. “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” John 15:15 NASB. These were important relationships that had been forged over 3 years of living, eating, drinking…being together. He was leaving Peter, James, John and the rest. Did he know that they would respond favorably to his absence and the Spirit’s presence? He may have had his doubts, especially if we take Mark’s portrayal of the twelve. Jesus had experienced joy and laughter; testing and fulfillment; everything that life in Palestine at that time could offer a person. I think we should consider these things. Jesus was, after all, human. He can relate to our concerns about loss. And, we must learn to identify with his faithfulness in order to move forward in our own lives.

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The Kingdom Within

Published by mhelbert on February 23, 2012

As I was reflecting on God’s reign in our lives, I was struck by a couple things that we, in our fast-paced, immediate gratification culture may miss. We look for the so-called Kingdom of God in the world around us. Opportunities to serve and bring God’s dominion to bear with the poor, the beat-up and those others with needs that we can help to meet. These are all GREAT! As Christ followers our job description includes Luke 4:18-19.
But, there is another thing to consider. Jesus also that his disciples should love God with all of their heart, mind and strength. Then he said, “And your neighbor as yourself.” I wonder where that love will come from when all of our resources are to be directed toward loving God. I think part of key to this is that Jesus also taught that we should seek first the kingdom of God. In another place, he told a group of religious leaders that the kingdom of God was within them. Some translations have this as the kingdom is in the midst of you, indicating something external. But, for some contemplatives the idea of kingdom being within a person resonates. As we seek the reign of God within us, God can then love our neighbor through us. Rather than an external “doing the work” of the kingdom, it, (the kingdom), wells up from deep within us as living water to care for others and the cosmos. God is all and in all.

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