Musings of a peripatetic wannabe-sage: 12.07

SOMETIMES "GREY SQUIRREL" IS THE WRONG ANSWER

Another bit of insight from The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus:

What's a grey squirrel?

Tag(s): get a tag

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

FAITHFULNESS--AN ELECTRONICS METAPHOR

Realizing that three of my friends are electrical engineers and that I have only very basic knowledge of electronics, I am stepping into dangerous territory. Therefore, if any of my engineer friends feel the need to correct or enhance this metaphor, they are encouraged to do so.

Here's my flow of thought:

1. From the definition of faith in The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon, four descriptors rise to the surface:

believing
trusting
fervent
convicted
confident

2. From this a trial balloon definition of faithfulness: consistent and intentional tending toward God and God's desires.

3. From this definition arose the analogy of the feedback circuit:

Faithfulness is a self-correcting system with at least three sources of feedback: self-reflection, the faith community, and, most importantly, God the Spirit dwelling in the believer's heart. The initial decision to follow Christ forms a hard-wired intention. When the signal goes awry, the various sources of feedback bring the signal back to the original intention. There is still response to inputs, but the responses are within pre-determined parameters. The particular parameter for faithfulness is conformity to Christ.

In addition to providing essential feedback, the Holy Spirit also acts as a dead man switch, insuring that there is no permanent damage to the hardware (that would be us).

Remaining Questions

What are the inputs and how do they affect faithfulness?
What can we do--as individuals and as a faith community--to increase faithfulness?
What happens when the dead man switch is triggered? What does recovery look like?
Can we or circumstances block the feedback? What happens when we do so?

Tag(s):

faithfulness

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

THE DITHER OVER THE WISEMEN

There's quite a dither flying about the blogosphere about Rowan Williams calling the nativity a legend. It appears this claim is taken wildly out of context by those whose primary theology sources are Christmas cards and Christmas carols. Here's the full "offending quote"--which, in context, is not at all offending to anyone who has read and understood the account in Matthew.

Well Matthew's gospel doesn't tell us that there were three of them, doesn't tell us they were kings, doesn't tell us where they came from, it says they're astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire. That's all we're really told so, yes, 'the three kings with the one from Africa' - that's legend; it works quite well as legend.

Full text of the interview: Archbishop's interview with Simon Mayo

Full text of Matthew's account of the wise men (Matthew 2:1-12)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Tag(s):

rowan williams

nativity

christmas

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

WHEN YOU KNOW THE ARTIST

Any one can revel in beauty.
To do so is a human trait.
On the other hand,
it is all together different
when the artist is one you adore.

Tag(s):

beauty

worship

theology

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

FAITHFULNESS--A MARITAL METAPHOR

Definition 2 in the American Heritage Dictionary defines faithful as "Engaging in sex only with one's spouse or only with one's partner in a sexual relationship." The first command(s) of the Ten (Exodus 20:1-3) say, "And God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am [Yahweh] your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.'"

Questions come to mind:

In a culture that holds physical, emotional, and experiential pleasure as inalienable rights, how do we translate the marital faithfulness metaphor?
Is it possible that the idea is so countercultural as to be out of reach?
Can we cross over to the reality that we belong to God alone and he belongs to us?

Tag(s):

IN TODDLERS' WOBBLE

Matthew 26-28
So what?

Decision made.
Now what?

Halting steps
in toddlers' wobble,
we trust
and stumble;
broken when we realize.

Certainty
is not nearly as certain
as we would like.

================

NOTE: This is the final Matthew splat (at least as far as the eye can see). January 8, Sanctify TNBS begins a paragraph-by-paragraph study of James (Tuesday nights, 7:30, 2118 W Carson, Torrance, Room 202). If you live in Souther California, you are welcome to join us. In the meantime, splats will vary between absence and the faithfulness question.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

"new testament"

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

PONDERING FAITHFULNESS

Collegium just started pondering the question, What does it look like to be faithful?

In yesterday's discussion, we discovered that the topic is huge, definitions are crucial, and our grasp of the subject is wanting. The definitions below are for my own thought fodder (readers are encouraged to ponder along with me). Some splats or other ponderings are to follow.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, faithful means

Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, cause, or idea; loyal.
Engaging in sex only with one's spouse or only with one's partner in a sexual relationship.
Having or full of faith.
Worthy of trust or belief; reliable.
Consistent with truth or actuality: a faithful reproduction of the portrait.

and faith means

Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust.
Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
often Faith Christianity The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.
A set of principles or beliefs.

According to The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon, faith (pistis) means

conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
the religious beliefs of Christians
belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
the character of one who can be relied on

and faithful means

of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust
believing, confiding, trusting
in the NT one who trusts in God's promises
one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead
one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation

BIT OF ME

Generous Inventor

Tag(s):

personality test

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

STUMBLING AND FOLLOWING

Matthew 26-28
Character Set: Disciples

We live in the crowd,
we of faith
and not faith,
ever mixed,
ever following
and stumbling
and following
again.

Assessed by trial,
we repent;
distance traveled,
we fail.

Still,
all is in him,
and by him,
and for him,
even when
we fail
to recognize this
fact.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

CALLED INTO THE FICKLE

Matthew 26-28
Character Set: Crowds

Following the wind,
drawn by comfort and
all-too-easy
persuasion.

At one moment,
dressed like disciples;
at another,
like mockers.

It is to this crowd
that the commission
sends
to make disciples.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

EMBEDDED DISTRACTIONS

Matthew 26-28
Character Set: Religious Leaders

What were they worshiping?
Temple?
Torah?
One must wonder,
what with
refusal to believe,
compromising values,
breaking laws for "law's" sake.

Embedded distractions,
soul corrupting.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

DEEP THE HEART IS TENDING

Matthew 24-25
So What?

In between time
is where we live,
hard and easy,
focused and distracted,
faithful and doubting.

Yet deep
the heart is tending
toward God,
despite surface ripples.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

EZER: SEPARATING ASSUMPTION FROM TEXT

Complegalitarian: Assumptions, Ezer, and the Pyramid Game

MATHEMATICAL BEAUTY

Culturally-Situated Design Tools

ht: TED (do watch Ron Eglash on the TED blog)

Tag(s):

theology

TED

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

DESCRIBING GOD pt 1

In his Summa Theologiae, Aquinas suggests that our linguistic descriptions of God are always by analogy. His argument goes thusly:

A word is used univocally when it means the same thing in all instances (for example, vampire bat and long-eared bat).
A word is used equivocally when it means different things (for example, vampire bat and baseball bat).
When a descriptive term, like "wise," is applied both to God and to humans, this use is neither univocal (for human wisdom is not divine wisdom) nor equivocal (for human wisdom has its source in divine wisdom).
Such a use is by analogy, for the two uses are similar but not equivalent.
Therefore, while all creaturely attributes find their source in God, the creaturely presentation of these attributes is not the same as their divine presentation.
Our speaking of God is, therefore, a creaturely analogy for a divine reality.

How might certainty/assurance be explained/justified in light of analogous language for God?

In other words, if we cannot speak of God directly, how can we know we are speaking of him at all?

Tag(s):

historical theology

IT'S MORE THAN WE IMAGINE

Matthew 24:45-25:46

Obvious fruit,
visible,
and fitting--
wisdom
and
faithfulness--
true disciples.

What is false
is less than
useless.

What is true
is more than
we imagine.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD pt2

Pondering through The Christian theology reader by Alister E. McGrath

1.9 In his Summa Theologiae, Aquinas sets out five "proofs" for the existence of God:

the argument from change
the nature of an efficient cause
the nature of possibility and necessity
the nature of gradation
the nature of the governance of things

All five have one element in common: the nature of ultimacy (my phrase). Basically, Aquinas theorizes that if there is a continuum, then there is a beginning/end.

While this certainly seems correct, I wonder if ultimacy is logically necessary or an assumption?

Tag(s):

historical theology

SINCE WE ARE DISCIPLES

Matthew 24:29-44

Time
draws the face
away,
distracting,
making signs
into passing shadow,
unseen.

And since disciples
are watching
and ready,
are we disciples?

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

Pondering through The Christian theology reader by Alister E. McGrath

1.7 In Proslogion (~1079), Anselm puts forth his famous argument for the existence of God:

If we define God as "than which no greater can be thought"
and we can think of such a God,
the God surely exists
for existence is greater than non-existence.

1.8 Writing in the late 11th century, Gaunilo (in Responsio Anselmi) counters Anselm by applying Anselm's logic to the existence of the greatest possible island, thereby showing the logic to be faulty.

How would you answer Anselm? Gaunilo?

Taking Anselm's argument as one point in an argument for the existence of God, does Gaunilo's critique still stand?

Tag(s):

historical theology

THE PLACE OF PHILOSOPHY IN THEOLOGY, pt 2

Pondering through The Christian theology reader by Alister E. McGrath

1.4 Writing around 397 (in de Doctrina Christiana), Augustine gives yet another perspective on the philosophy-theology issue. using the exodus from Egypt as a template, Augustine calls Christians to redeem from philosophy what is useful, for philosophy has mined these things from the providence of God, just as the Egyptians had mined their gold.

Of the four perspectives (Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Augustine), I lean most assuredly toward Augustine.

You?

Tag(s):

historical theology

ALL THE RITUAL WILL NOT SUFFICE

Matthew 24:1-2, 3-28

Once the center,
at least alleged,
this structure
now
decentered,
recentered
in the One
who is the center.

All the ritual
will not suffice.
Only awareness
and faithfulness
suffice.

Tag(s):

gospel of matthew