The Kingdom founded on a Rock



Al Khazneh (The Treasury) at Petra

Matthew 16:13-19

There is an ancient kingdom found in the midst of an unforgiving desert. Petra is an archaeological treasure found in southern Jordan. Cut from the mountainous rock surrounding it, it is equally a ready made National Geographic photo-shoot and backdrop for an Indiana Jones sequel. Petra was created by the Nabataeans, which Wikipedia describes as:

"an ancient Semitic people who inhabited northern Arabia and the Southern Levant, their settlements in CE 37 – c. 100, gave the name of Nabatene to the borderland between Arabia and Syria, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. Their loosely-controlled trading network, which centered on strings of oases that they controlled, where agriculture was intensively practiced in limited areas, and on the routes that linked them, had no securely defined boundaries in the surrounding desert."

This mysterious oasis of both water and creativity is analogous to the Kingdom of God, the mysterious oasis of living water that feeds our spirituality. We will use this ancient Nabataean city as our visual guide as unlock Christ's explanation to his Disciples of his own Kingdom. 

Revealing the Face of God


Betyls (Baetylus) from Petra



When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Like many of the ancient archaeological treasures of Egypt and Greece, anything that wasn't bolted down in Petra has been taken away to museums in far away lands. Luckily. most of the treasures in Petra were bolted to the ground: or rather carved out of the mountain. Among the things that could be chiseled away (like this Nabataean sculpture now in Basel) was there idols. Like many Arab groups in the pre-Islamic world, the Nabataeans were polytheistic. Yes they did go through years of being influenced by Greco-Roman religious ideas and even had a Christian period but their early indigenous notions about deity were very much so tied to their rocky environment. Unlike most of the idols of the ancient world, the Nabataeans left their depictions of deity as close to an unadorned block of stone as possible. Often their idols (properly termed Betyl or Baetylus) would just be minimalistic details of a face in stone. Though the Nabataeans were the most simplistic, several ancient cultures have places featuring a Betyl: places with a sacred stone where the local deities were worshipped.

Now even though the Israelites of scripture were the theological polar opposite of the Nabataeans (being monotheists) they also had their own experience with a Betyl experience... you may know it as Bethel. In Genesis 28: 11-19, Jacob (later known as Israel) had a mysterious dream in which he encountered God. We usually call this vision "Jacob's ladder." In it God introduces Himself as the god of his forefathers. Then Scripture says that "Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel." In Hebrew "Beth El" means "House of God. Jacob was slowly discovering what had gradually been becoming apparent to God's throughout Scripture: the God of Israel was not a local deity equal to any of the other idols of their neighbors, rather the God of Israel was the God of the Universe... the only God.

So Christ brought his band of Disciples to Caesarea Philippi to question them about the image of God. They were far away from Bethel but they would have an experience like that of Jacob. They were far away from Petra but Christ would tell them of the great city built on a rock that they would form. For at this moment the God of Israel incarnate would ask them about his identity. This was a culminating point in Salvation history, where all of God's efforts to reveal Himself would come to a head. Christ asked the Disciples collectively who the multitudes believed him to be. They responded John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah... all holy men and prophets who had guided Israel in the gradual revelation of God's fullness. But then Christ asked his Disciples who they had intimately come to know him as. And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Simon Peter had come to know him as the One whom the prophets foretold and Scripture promised. The image of the invisible God. And in response Christ told Simon Peter who he understood him to be.


The Rock and River of Revelation

Ad Deir ("The Monastery").at Petra



Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

The name of the ancient city of Petra comes from the Greek word Πέτρα meaning "rock." Simple enough. The foundation of the buildings are rock...and the walls and the ceilings. Actually rock seems to be the primary building supply for the whole town. But why would anyone decide to live in a rock in the middle of a desert (even if it is a beautiful as Petra)? The answer is a river... or at least a waterway. Specifically one named Wadi Musa. As I stated earlier Petra was an oasis. The Nabataeans were a clever people who had created a system of channels through the Wadi Musa from the Ain Musa. Any of you who are familiar with Arabic may recognize that "Musa" in both words is the Arabic name ( موسى  ) for Moses in Scripture. Wadi Musa refers to the valley of Moses that the Ain Musa, or Spring of Moses, flows through. Local legend connects this this site to the place in Numbers 20:1-13 where Moses struck the rock and water flowed out.

When Jesus heard Simon Peter's testify of his being the Christ, he shared the living water from his own well. This was the revelation of whom Simon Peter was in Christ. He did this with a play on words. He called Simon Peter by his Greek name Peter (Πέτρος) rather than Hebrew name Simon. This is because in Greek Peter meant the same thing as the town Petra. To put it another way, Πέτρος = Πέτρα. Jesus was saying that Peter was a rock. And much like the Nabataean architects of Petra, Christ found rock to be a suitable foundation to build his Church on. One that the powers of evil and death could not prevail against. But what did he mean by this?

Moses carries great significance in all of Scripture for several reasons. Moses was the first miracle worker. He also was a leader in forming the people of God into a free national identity... which would lead to them eventually claiming a land/state and later on becoming a kingdom like Nabataeans in Petra. However his most significant aspect may be his being the first person to commit to writing the revealed word of God. Peter has great significance throughout Christian history. He would eventually go on to found the Church in Rome, becoming its first bishop. Roman Catholics believe that this is the foundation of the primacy of Rome, the idea that the sitting Bishop of Rome (the Pope) leads the worldwide Church in the same way the Peter lead the Apostles after Christ's ascension. This is a point of contention between Roman Catholics and other Christians such as the Orthodox Churches and Protestants. No as a Baptist (Protestant), I obviously have an opinion into this matter, but I think that we all may be missing the greater truth in this matter: The tie between Moses and Peter (the river and the rock) in the Kingdom of God. The rock that Jesus honors in Peter is the same thing that allowed Moses to make rivers run from rocks: divine revelation. Both Moses and Peter had ears to hear what God was speaking or as Jesus said "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." God was not just honoring Peter or Moses for being their own faulted selves but rather for being vessels that He could work through. Vessels of the revealed Word of God. Moses gave us the first five books of Scripture and Peter lead the Apostolic generation that delivered to us the culmination of God's saving message to humanity. They are the the Law and Grace. The revelation of the truth of God that is a rock upon which to build God's kingdom (Church) where God's nation is feed by the river of life.

Accessing the Kingdom



The Treasury at Petra, as seen from al-Siq, right before the passage ends.

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Wadi Musa has carved away at the dessert over the millennia, leaving a rocky, cavernous terrain. In one of these areas it actually just smoothed the path of a natural geological fault split apart by tectonic forces, shaping it into a natural road. This area is known as The Siq, or al-Sīq السيق‎, to the locals. This narrow gorge serves as the main entrance to Petra. It is the metaphorical key to entering this mysterious ancient city.

The Bible is no stranger to metaphors. Jesus was known for his extensive use of parables, but he also continued the biblical tradition of using idioms and other forms of colorful depictions to explain spiritual truths. His proclamation of Peter's future was no different. Jesus said that Peter possessed the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. And just like The Siq, these metaphorical keys were symbols of a greater truth. Both keys represented the limited, narrow access to a kingdom. Both represented access to an oasis that is the salvation of pilgrims: travelers who grew weary from traversing the desert. The key to the Siq is a passageway through steep rocks. What are the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven that God gave to Peter? What are these keys with the miraculous powers to bind (lock) on earth and in heaven and loose (unlock) on earth and in heaven?

I will keep you in suspense no longer because I believe that discovering the nature of these keys will help you discover the nature of the Kingdom of God. Just as the Siq is a crevice between rocks that creates a passage way to Petra the city made of rock, the keys of the Kingdom of God are made of the same substance of the Kingdom of God. The keys of the Kingdom of God is forgiveness. When Peter decided to forgive someone on Earth he was echoing the mercy that was given them in Heaven. When Peter retained the sins of someone on Earth it was only because God in heaven had retained them...and forgiveness of one's sins is what gains one admittance into Heaven. The keys to the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God are made of the same substance. The Kingdom of God is forgiveness. God's reign in our lives (and the universe) is all based on a relationship of mercy, grace and love. For mankind, God's Kingdom is known in the forgiveness that we receive through Christ. This forgiveness is the key that Peter wielded in his preaching. It is the same key that we the Church share with our brethren, neighbors, strangers and enemies. Forgiving one another and being forgiven by God opens up the Kingdom of God.



General view of Petra

There is an ancient kingdom found in the midst of an unforgiving desert. This city is the Kingdom of God. It is a mysterious oasis of both water and rock, Law and Gospel, justice and mercy. In it reside both Peter and Moses... Old Testament and New Testament...Jew and Gentile... Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox... all of God's people throughout the ages that were "strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

This Kingdom of God... of God's people... of the Church... of forgiveness, is the body of Christ.



New Testament Word & Image: 2 Timothy 4:6-18 & the Art of Libation Vessels



Ancient Roman bronze statuette of a priest, his head ritually covered, extending a patera in a gesture of libation.

2 Timothy 4:6-18



Libation using patera at a symposium (Attic red-figure cup, ca. 480 BC)

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.


A small rhinoceros horn libation vessel, ca. 17th/18th century. In the form of a lotus leaf, the exterior carved and pierced with a crab crawling beside prunus and lotus branches forming the handle and base, the horn of a rich honey tone

Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.


Golden rhyton (libation vessel) from Iran's Achaemenid period. Excavated at Ecbatana. Kept at National Museum of Iran.

Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.


Ancient Egyptian Libation Vessel of Manuwai, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose III

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.  And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

A MESOPOTAMIAN SHELL LIBATION VESSEL EARLY DYNASTIC IIA, CIRCA 2550-2400 B.C.
Formed from the fasciolaria trapezium (trapezium horse conch shell), the spiral formations hollowed towards one tapering end, the polished exterior with fine incisions along the edge, decorated with a linear motif across the upper surface, an open notch below, and a head in profile to the right on one side, with an aquiline nose, an almond-shaped eye with the pupil indicated, and a slightly upturned mouth, the hair bound in a fillet and undulating behind in one thick lock

 

New Testament Word & Image: Acts 12:1-11 & San Pietro in Vincoli

The Miracle of the Chains in San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter In Chains) Church in Rome, Giovanni Battista Parodi

Acts 12:1-11

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Reliquary containing the chains of St. Peter in San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter In Chains) Church in Rome,

And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

Interior basilica, San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter In Chains) Church in Rome,

Fan Art, Football and Faith

Tim Tebow oil painting, Unknown artist from TimTebowFanClub.com

John 3:16-18

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This may be the one of the strangest posts that I have written but I feel moved to write it. I don't select which Scriptures to post on but rather I follow the Liturgical reading cycle that many Christians use. So any given Sunday I am chose an artistic image that I feel speaks to the Gospel reading. This week I have one of the most famous and quotable bible verses: John 3:16. I really should be doing my greatest writing for this one since it basically a ready mad sermon. But I cannot get my mind off of that other tradition that practiced on many Sunday mornings: Football. And even though we are in the middle of the World Cup Games I do not mean Futbol (if you are American read "Soccer"). No I mean good old, Super Bowl Shuffle dancing, concussion educing, standard of Texas high school masculinity that is American Football. Why? Well because at football games all throughout my life I have always seen some guy walking around with a sign that says "John 3:16." Football is known for its crazy costumed fans with their homemade signs. But those fans are usually showing their devotion to their home team. The John 3:16 guy is showing his devotion to God. The fact that for decades there has always been some guy at any given football game evangelizing with John 3:16 only set the stage for the Great Evangelical Hope: Tim Tebow. For those of you who don't follow NFL football (and can't follow my hyperlink) is a quarterback who had a legendary college career and problematic professional one. Tim Tebow's has the most devoted fan base of any football player that I have seen in modern sports. Much of it is due to his football skills but an even bigger share seems to be due to his public display of his Christian faith. Besides praying after making touchdowns and speaking at churches, Tim Tebow garnered much attention when he started writing Scriptures references in his eye block. One of these being John 3:16. So in the career of this one Evangelical Christian the efforts of John 3:16 poster guys through the decades was finally legitimized. One of Tim Tebow's fans created the  fan art oil painting that I found on a Tim Tebow fan club website. Actually I just picked the best one. The Internet is crawling with all types of strange Tebow fan art depictions. I chose this image because I think that fan art and football can teach us a lot about the faith discussed in John 3:16-18.

Fan Art

For God so loved the world that He gave...

The basis of the Christian faith is about fan art. Wikipedia explains the phenomenon of fan art this way:

Fan art or fanart are artworks created by fans of a work of fiction (generally visual media such as comics, movies, television shows or video games) and derived from a character or other aspect of that work. As fan labor, fan art refers to artworks that are neither created nor (normally) commissioned or endorsed by the creators of the work from which the fan art derives.

I would agree with this definition but add that it does not have to be about a work of fiction. It could be that kid at the high school lunch table constantly drawing pictures of Aaliyah in his notebooks, or the man who wrote the fan fiction book about Abraham Lincoln battling Vampires or this extreme sports fan who has taken oil to canvas to express his undying support to Tim Tebow. Fan Art is when someone works to create something to show their love for the object of their interests: a way to create new beauty to reflect the beauty that they already perceive. Even though it is not commissioned or asked for by the subject, it is offered as a gift of admiration. So you are probably thinking that I am about to draw a parallel to all of the Christian art that has been created in devotion to God over the millennia. You are wrong. The fan art that that is the basis of the Christian faith is expressed in the opening line of John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave..." God's created salvation because to show His love for the world. He gave His Son as a way to complete the beauty the beauty that He had already created in Mankind. Even though you never commissioned or asked God for this love, it is offered as a gift of admiration: a Grace. One day Tim Tebow will die (just like Aaliyah and Abraham Lincoln did) but this Art will live on to testify that he once lived and he was loved by his fans. God's gift to us surrounds and corrects this same dilemma. It recognizes our mortality but instead of serving as a record of our prior existence and love it continues our existence through love. Eternal life is made possible by love.


Football

...His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life... 

Like any American boy, I was reared on football. I never was talented at it but I still developed a love for the game. Most people who dislike football think it to be a disorganized pastime of brutes, however it may actually be one of the greatest thinking man's games. It is filled structure and strategy that only grows more interesting as you age and the NFL occasionally changes the rules. One of my childhood classmates took a keen interests into the structure, strategy and rules of football. He even told me when we were 8 years old that he wanted to grow up to be a referee. He grew up to be the creator of FootballGameplan.com which not only covers almost every level of American/Canadian style football in the world but they also regularly break out the dry erase board and analyze the game.

 

 

 The analysis of Scripture is the same way. Let's break down the rest of verse 16 to understand God's structure and strategy. We have already established that "God giving" is the overall theme of this particular scripture but how does it relate to the rest of Scripture as a whole and our lives?

His only begotten Son
If you are familiar with the Old Testament then you probably have heard of the story of Abraham (the father of the Judaism) and his son Isaac. Abraham and his wife Sarah were a righteous elderly couple who were also childless. God promised them a son and after some years they finally conceived. Yet some time after the son was born God asked Abraham to sacrifice the child to him as an offering. To make a long story short, God stopped Abraham at the last minute and provided an animal sacrifice as a substitute. It is agreed by all readers of this story that God was testing Abraham's faith. However their is an additional lesson in this story: one that is a foreshadowing of Christ. 

that whoever believes in Him should not perish
The lesson is that God did and will provide a substitution sacrifice. Christianity holds that even the best man is sinful by nature and that this sinful nature separates him from God. The thing that established a friendship between God and Abraham was Abraham's faith. That is also what establishes a friendship between us and God. Belief isn't the total definition of faith but it is the beginning. The other part of faith is obedience. Hence God tested Abraham's faith by testing his obedience. The sacrificial system as a whole was a system by which to worship God and a way to atone for sin. The sacrifice of Isaac would not be enough to atone for any of Abraham's sin (plus it would be more sin, i.e. murder) but God used this as a teachable moment. Abraham's son's blood could never atone for anyone's sins but God's Son's blood could. Christ was not only the substitute for human (or any) sacrifice but he was also our collective substitute. In sacrificing his life he took our eternal punishment for Sin. There now stands no barrier between God and Man.

but have everlasting life
The sacrifice of Christ's mortal life brings his followers the provision of eternal life. Why? Because Sin equals separation from God and separation from God leads to spiritual death. So when Christ rose from the dead to new life he set an eternal precedent of us rising to new life and a new friendship with God.

Faith

...For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved...

It's funny that Christians of all stripes are seen as some of the most judgmental people to walk the face of the earth. Now I am not one to take the "Judge not" verse in Matthew ch. 7 out of context. Just by the nature of things a Christian has to remind people of the rules, but not so they can be oppressed by the rules but rather so that they can enjoy/appreciate grace and the fullness of a renewed life. Just like football there are rules. So maybe as a  Christian I should take a lesson from my classmate and aspire to be a referee. As a young child I viewed referees as the fun-stoppers, or better yet player-haters. They where old guys dressed up as zebras trying to find faults with how the football players performed. They threw flags and blew whistles all in the effort to give penalties and revoke touchdowns. They were judges there to condemn the players. Yet with the addition of 25 years of wisdom and the recently unfolding concussion scandals I now understand that these referees are working for the benefit of the players. They promote fairness in the sport, the health of the players and a balanced and enjoyable game for the viewers. Referees save the game from being too destructive. The Christian is called to be like this referee because Jesus was like the referee. He came not to judge the world but to save the world from judgment and destruction. Faith in Christ may not always mean that play the role of a young star quarterback who receives glory for winning the game. Most of the time faith in Christ means that you are the humble old referee, mostly unnoticed but effective in promoting the good of the players and the game.   

...He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God...

Tim Tebow's NFL career has not been perfect. It's lasted about the same length as Jesus' earthly ministry. He has had moments of greatness (leading the Denver Broncos in the playoffs) and other awkward moments that look like bad fan art. He has bounced around to a few NFL teams over the years. Currently he is not signed to any NFL team but he keeps trying and his fans keeps loving him. In fact the subject of Tim Tebow never dies because his fans keep bringing him up. God has that type of undying love for us. The question is: do you believe that he does? To those who believe in his love, in his ultimate "fandom"of Mankind and His giving of Jesus as a testament of His adoration (in a non-theological way) of us, there is no condemnation. To those who believe in His love there is no separation from God. To those who understand that God's commitment to you at your worst is stronger that Tebow-mania their is no more spiritual death. To the believer their is only eternal life with their number one fan: God. 

Can you believe in that kind of Love?




 

New Testament Word & Image: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 & Shepard Fairey



Peace Elephant print, Shepard Fairey

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

 

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete.


Peace Fingers, Shepard Fairey

Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace;


Vivi La Revolucion, Shepard Fairey

and the God of love and peace will be with you.


West Hollywood Library Peace Elephant, Shepard Fairey

Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the saints greet you.








 

Old Testament Word & Image: Exodus 34:4-9 & The Brick Testament by Brendan Powell Smith

Replacement Stone Tablets, The Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith

 

Exodus 34:4-9

 

So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.

Replacement Stone Tablets, The Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Replacement Stone Tablets, The Brick Testament, Brendan Powell Smith

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

Psalms Word & Image: Psalm 104 & John James Audubon



Rough-legged Falcon, John James Audubon

Psalm 104

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.

 

The Fish Hawk or Osprey, Detail of Plate 81 of The Birds of America, John James Audubon,

You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.

 

American Stork, John James Audubon

He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.

 

American Badger, Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, John James Audubon

The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.

He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its going down.
You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work

And to his labor until the evening.

 

The Osprey and the Otter and the Salmon, John James Audubon

O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.

 

Red Texan Wolf, Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, John James Audubon 

These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

 

Iceland or Jer Falcon, John James Audubon

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!

New Testament Word & Image: Acts 2:1-11 & Jean II Restout,



Pentecost, by Jean II Restout,

Acts 2:1-11

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”

 

A short video explaining what Pentecost is from BustedHalo.com.

The "C" Words: Crazy Christians, Comics, Commission, Conversion and Controversy



A Demon's Nightmare, pg 22, Jack T. Chick

Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

  

The following events actually occurred. All names have been changed to protect the identity of the innocent:

It all happened about a year ago on Facebook. One of my friends (who is a Christian), let's call her "Diane", posted an evangelistic tract that someone had placed on her windshield. You know the type: a booklet filled with cartoon/comic figures that at the end tell you that you that you are going to hell if you do not repent by saying this prayer and accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Then "Diane" asked if we as Christians are trying to scare people to Heaven. Then everyone chimed in. Another friend (who is a Christian), let's call him "Oswald" said that these were the same tactics that his grandma used to no avail. He shared that if this was how he was originally presented the gospel then he would have been an atheist. Then "Oswald" linked me into the conversation and asked if I could discuss this on my blog. I said that it was a tricky issue because I understood both sides but I would address it whenever a Scripture that discusses evangelism came up (like Matthew 28:16-20). So that brings me to today's blog entry about the sometimes controversial methods of Christian conversion tactics. Actually we will discuss two controversial things because the artist who creates the majority of those evangelism pamphlets/comics is very controversial himself (even amongst Christians). His name is Jack T. Chick and he is the main artist at Chick Publications. He is an Independent Baptist and like many Evangelicals and Fundamentalists he felt the call to personally be involved in spreading the message of Jesus Christ. The problem was that he couldn't overcome his personal shyness in talking to people. So he created these evangelistic comics and used his talent and creativity to share the Gospel. Kudos to him, right? Well... things never come out perfect in practice even when they seem perfect in theory. Jack T. Chick started being active when Conservative Protestantism was at one of it's worst stages of mixing Religion, Politics, Conspiracy, Internal Christian Polemics and Feuding,  Extreme Right Wing Paranoia and a good dose of Rock & Roll-Is-The-Devil-ism (even when it's Christian Rock). To put it short, he blames every sin, political movement, religious movement, social movement and every other thing that he disagrees with on a conspiracy between the Devil and the Catholic Church. His attraction to conspiracy theories and disdain for Catholicism often led him to be duped by certain characters with wild accusations and fantastic stories. In his defense, he seems to have been enlightened in the area of race relations at a time when many in the Church were bigoted. The negative aspects of Mr. Chick's comics appear to be the embodiment of what most outsiders dislike about Christian Proselytism... it can be too simplistic, impersonal, politically charged, divisional, anti-intellectual, anti-advancement and anti-cultural. The making of Disciples and the methods used can be a very controversial thing... yet Christ calls us right there in Scripture to do it. Should we continue to be embittered by our rejection as we enlist others to share our "us versus them" mindset? I believe that the answer may be hidden in the term that we use for our conversion campaigns: Evangelism. Wikipedia shares that it comes from the Koine Greek word εὐαγγέλιον, which was translated to English as "gospel." At it's heart the Gospel is the story of Jesus. We share Jesus's story because it is the introductory way of sharing his presence with others. But I believe that in Matthew 28: 16-20 Christ is asking that we not only share his story with others...Christ doesn't just want people to make mental assent of him and become rule followers who know how to stay in line. He wants us to share all of him. Full evangelism is sharing all of Jesus.  



The Awful Truth, pg 9, Jack T. Chick

Finding Jesus

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

I understand Jack T. Chick's approach to evangelism because I was raised in in a similar approach. I am a Preacher's kid and my childhood was filled with episodes of neighborhood evangelism, handing out homemade church invitations (hand lettered and illustrated by mom and duplicated at the local Kinko's) and singing background vocals as my dad did his best John the Baptist impersonation while street preaching on the corner or median of a busy street. This method of sharing the message is based both on pursuing people and being prepared for chance encounters. Though this method was very annoying to the childhood version of myself I don't necessarily disagree with it. Christians have done this for millennia in some form from St. Paul to St. Francis to Billy Graham. When their has been any adjustment to this standard it has been in a case like Jack T. Chick. An adjustment has been made for effectiveness and/or personal/cultural considerations. So my following comments are not to refute prior methods but rather to expand them into a fuller presentation of the Gospel. The beginning of sharing the gospel is knowing the gospel. I mean all the definitions of the word gospel. The word εὐαγγέλιον literally means "good news." The English word "Gospel" derives from the Old English "god-spell" (yes, like the play) or "glad tidings." The most popular usage of this word is the name of the four New Testament books chronicling the life of Jesus. The books (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are named after the assumed author. Two of these authors are Apostles, former Disciples of Jesus who were eye witnesses of the events in their narratives. The other two were early Christians (Mark is even believed to be one of the seventy other disciples sent out by Jesus) who received much of the details from the Apostles. So anyway you slice it our gospel accounts were passed down from these remaining eleven Disciples who went to the mountain in Galilee to meet with the resurrected Christ. Like them our commission to spread the gospel begins with us finding Jesus. How does one find/encounter Jesus? This question has dumbfounded great men like Lieutenant Dan and Forest Gump. The formulation of classic-modern evangelism is based of the "born-again" experience that Jesus tells Nicodemus of in John 3:1-18. This scene mirrors the Lieutenant Dan and Forest Gump one in its comedic response: 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

You can imagine a rim shot playing behind Nicodemus after his response. Even though the spiritual metaphor was initially lost on Nicodemus, Lieutenant Dan and Forest Gump they all would come to understand it's truth: you must start a new life. The unintended consequence of following this metaphor of the spiritual rebirth too tightly is that one assumes that the moment of "spiritual conception" occurs once...that finding Jesus consists of that initial consent that he is Lord and Savior. I would argue that finding Jesus happens several times...maybe even daily. I base this on the lives of these eleven disciples. They had been "called" to follow Jesus a long time ago. He even chose to send them out as his Apostles a long time ago as well. Nathanael declared him to be the Son of God and King of Israel upon meeting him and Peter later confessed that Jesus was the Christ. But they all still had their moments of betrayal, denial and doubt. Their spiritual development continued into the book of Acts long after Jesus had left. They continued to find, encounter and discover Jesus' truth throughout the rest of their lives. Christ knew this about them and he knows this about you. Still he enlisted for the long haul. He is the one who called the Disciples to follow him in three years of ministry, then called them to be commissioned on the mountain in Galilee and continued to call and develop them throughout their lives. He showed them mercy, he shared his love, he provided them food, he healed their afflictions, he befriended them, he forgave them, he taught them and he listened to them. He did all of these things for these eleven who would found the Church. And he did the same things for the one disciple (Judas Iscariot) who would betray him...knowing that he would betray him. Christianity isn't based on a one time event but a life long pursuit. Evangelism isn't an investment in those that will one day yield returns. It isn't about reciting a magic spell that will solve all of your problems and serve as a hall pass out of hell (poverty, failure, marital problems or fill in the blank). It is not a sales gimmick for church growth. Christian evangelism is about sharing all of Christ with all of Mankind in all of our lives. It is about being a follower of Jesus around other people.  



The Death Cookie, pg 1, Jack T. Chick



The Death Cookie, pg 6, Jack T. Chick

The Death Cookie, pg 10, Jack T. Chick

Making Disciples 

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

So how does one make a Disciple? Well like most good things it's comparable to being in the Mafia... Look, just go with me here and it'll make sense. I mean they both deal with "Made Men," When I have time to myself I like to paint but that's only when their isn't a good Mafia movie or documentary on. And of course after watching them I think that I'm an expert on everything about the Mafia. So if you don't mind humoring me, allow me to share what I have learned about the Mafia through watching films:

1) The Mafia doesn't internally refer to itself as "The Mafia." It is called "Cosa Nostra" or "our thing" in the Sicilian Italian dialect.

2) As shown in the film Good Fellas you have to be 100% Italian to get into the American/Sicilian Mafia. Ray Liotta's character was just a regular White guy so he never became a Made Man.

3) Being a Mafia member is about more than being initiated. It is about putting in work and living daily to advance the enterprise of the family.  

When Christians follow the Jack T. Chick model of evangelism it can be eerily become its own Mafia. Christian groups become their own families that are in competition with the other families. They compete for converts and territory. Things can even go so far as to question the salvation of other Christians based on varying degrees of difference from your theological and/or organizational family. The focus turns to "our thing." That is what I think of when I see polemical pamphlets like Jack Chick's "Death Coolie." It is a brazen attempt to attack the Catholic teaching that Christ is present in the Eucharist. Now I am not against preaching or teaching against things that you disagree with from other Christian groups. What I am against is doing it from Conspiracy theories and straw man arguments as opposed to Scripture, Reason and Church History. If you disagree with another brother reason with in the same manner that Christ would: from a foundation in Scripture and from a heart filled with Love. That is where making a true disciple starts. You share your life, practices and attitude that is based on Jesus with others as to replicate it in them... even if they begin or end with different theological conclusions than you. You must maintain the foundation of your actions in the character of Christ. That is one that seeks to show love, mercy and kindness to all to display the truth. That way your faith goes from a small sectarian "our thing" to a grand inclusive "Our thing" that seeks brotherhood with all (especially those who claim Christ). A disciple of Jesus is not just one who desires to learn about Jesus but rather one who wants to apply those lessons to be like Jesus in all of his/her life. We are called to facilitate the construction of these re-born people. The Great Commission was to go to all, show Christ to all and then self replicate.



Angels?, pg 22, Jack T. Chick

Being Observant

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;   

To some (believers and non-believers) being a Christian is about following rules. Do's and Don't Do's and Should's and Should not's.  Women should always wear dresses (and long ones). Pastor's should always wear a tie. Don't play sports on Sunday. Do not question your pastor. Do not trust scientists. And if you subscribe to Jack T. Chick's notions don't ever listen to Rock n' Roll...not even Christian Contemporary music, because it's still Rock n' Roll... because it's still 1950 and people still say "Rock n' Roll." In truth Christianity does have rules (like most things, such as Gravity... and Fight Club) but the rules are there to highlight the greater freedom that you have. Being a disciple/being a Christian is all about living out the fullness of Jesus' teachings. You can subdivide his teachings in to several different parts if you'd like. There is the  Practical/Worship side. This includes Sacraments/Ordinances that Jesus has asked us to perform in observance of what he did with his life for our life. It is the type of stuff we most often do in a Sunday church setting (or Saturday if you are a Seventh Day Adventist or Messianic Jewish believer) and at minimum it is Baptism and Communion. Then there is the Theological/Belief system. This includes the sermons we hear in a church service, the things we learn in Bible Study class or Catechism but also our own personal study of Scripture, theology and Apologetics. Then their is the Lifestyle/Holiness part. This section starts with our prayer time and devotional life but spreads into abstinence from Sin and our pursuit of good in the world around us (taking care of the poor and needy, comforting the lonely, forgiving others). When Jesus covers all of these he highlights baptism and then covers the others in "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." To be observant is an old school way to say that one is practicing the tenants of their Faith. Well I have another observation to make about Jesus' call for us to be observant. We spend a lot of time in our study of Scripture observing Jesus' teaching and preaching and his teaching through his actions but their is yet more to be learned in studying Jesus' attitude. Jesus was teaching deep theological truths in his way and his manner of doing things. It is not just what Jesus said and did but how he said and did it. What can we learn from Jesus' attitude? Jesus attitude is how he acted out his greatest commandment: to love. Jesus was patient and kind and loving. Yes Jesus was confrontational with the Pharisees but the end game was not to destroy them as people but rather to show them the destructive nature of pride and show humility and grace. Observing and adopting Jesus' personality leads to observing the commandment to love.



A Love Story, pg 9, Jack T. Chick

and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

And that leads me to the end of the story that I started earlier. I told the same group of Facebook friends that I would be posting about the pamphlet incident this week. Then yet another friend (who is a minister), let's call him "Keith", added his two cents to the conversation. He commented that these types of pamphlets had been wildly successful over several decades, usually bringing in converts to Evangelical and Fundamentalist Protestant churches. "Keith" was right. Protestants had done this type of stuff since the Reformers. Martin Luther is one of my heroes but he even got a little wild with printing caricatures of the Pope when he distributed arguments criticizing the vices of those in Church leadership. "Keith" also said that in the end the risk of hellfire that these tracts spoke of was harsh the truth. The only criticism that he could share was that it was done coldly without love. Now the literalness of Hell may be a controversial topic for some of you but I find that most positions on that debate believe in their being a place that is outside of God. Even if you remove the flames from it this place of judgment is a place of torment and unrest. This lack of peace is due to it being absent from the love of God. The opposite place is paradise because it is filled with God's presence. It has been describes various ways in Scripture and sometimes it is hard to delineate what is metaphor and what is literal truth but there is one this that for sure. It is where Christ is. In Jesus is where we find God's love and fullness. Even before we pass on to eternal life, Christ has promised to be with us in this troublesome life. And he has promised to bring God's love and fullness with him. This is the kind of God that I am a disciple of. This is the kind of love that I pray that I share with others. This is the fullness of the Gospel message. True evangelism and disciple making isn't complete in sharing a pamphlet. It is sharing your life and God's love.