Connecting With Our History

Time for an update:  I have finished Genesis and read through Exodus 15, which includes the story of Moses and the freeing of the Israelites.  Once again, I am moved by the fact that the greatest characters in the Bible have their moments of doubt and insecurity.  I think that is so far, one of the greatest things I am gaining from reading the Bible myself.  I am reminded that every single one of us is imperfect.  Sometimes, this is missed in the telling of the stories of the Bible, or maybe I just didn’t “get it” like I am reading it for myself.  The Bible really focuses on these imperfections and struggles, which is reassuring to me.  If the most well-known people in the Bible are imperfect, then certainly it is okay that I am as well.  I know, we are taught this in Church all the time, but I find I am connecting with the people I am reading about much more now.

Of course, reading about the freeing of the Israelites and the beginning of Passover makes me think of my Jewish friends. One of my first experiences I had with Jewish holidays was when I was dating a Jewish guy in high school and was invited to Passover Seder with his family.  I was in awe the entire dinner and to this day am just as in awe.  Sadly, this was my first realization that the stories in Judaism are a lot of the same stories in Christianity.  I guess prior to that point, I didn’t really have any real interaction with Jewish families or knowledge of their religion.  Passover was a fantastic experience from me.  It was so interesting to hear the story from their perspective, as the people who were freed from slavery.  The part that really struck me about Passover is how the dinner was so steeped in history. All the details were in some way related to the escape from slavery and had a purpose.  It was inspiring to see how connected to their past they were and how this special holiday was all about celebrating that history.  At the same time, it made me a little sad.  As a Christian, I don’t feel that I am as connected to the past in that same way.  We celebrate Easter and Christmas and while we do try to focus on the real meaning of those holidays, there are still so many things that we let get in the way.  Santa, presents, Easter baskets, hunting eggs and the Easter Bunny are just a few.  Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy those things, but sometimes, I wish we focused more on the rest, on the history and meaning of the holidays. I think my goal for this year will be to find more ceremonial ways to focus on the history and spend more time teaching my children the real meaning of those holidays.  I think next year at Easter, we will celebrate the Passover Dinner, as both a way of celebrating Easter, but also to teach my children the historical significance of the holiday. What do you do to focus on the real meaning of the holidays?  Are there any special ceremonies your family does? I’d love to hear about it.

Also, for the record, I still picture Charlton Heston when I read about Moses. 

Lapses in Faith and Listening More

So, I am still working my way through Genesis and figured it was time for an update. I have to say that other than the more difficult reading, Genesis reads a lot like a soap opera.  I know, I probably shouldn’t make light of it, but it does when you think about it.  There are multiple wives, men offering up their wives to other men, lying, half-truths, swindling. I know that we often talk about worrying about what our children see on TV, but I have to be honest, I wouldn’t be completely comfortable with my soon to be 8-year old reading the Old Testament, or at least the uncut version.  So, she’ll be sticking with her children’s version for a while. 

For inquiring minds (not that there are many), I have read through Genesis 33, or from Adam and Eve to the reunion of Jacob and his brother, Esau.  I have read through a ton of “begats” and I have to be honest here, I have to keep going back and forth to make sure I have all the relationships straight.  People had A LOT of children back then and with the intertwined families, I am struggling to keep up. Do they make one of those “for Dummies” readers for the Bible? I feel like I might need one.

Now, in all seriousness, there is one great lesson that I am learning through my reading.  Even the most faithful of us have lapses in faith and screw up.  Abraham (and then his son, Isaac) both showed a lapse of faith when they said that their wives were their sisters because they were fearful that they would be harmed because of their wife’s beauty. Abraham even repeated this lie. They didn’t have faith that God would protect them. 

However, these lapses in faith are in direct contrast to the total faith Abraham showed when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac and the faith Isaac showed in his father when he didn’t resist.  In hearing this story, I have always thought of Isaac as a child, but after researching it seems that the most popular thought is that Isaac was actually an older teenager or young adult.  So, with this thought in mind, it would seem that Isaac could have probably very easily resisted his father.  However, instead, he allowed his father to bind him, knowing what the end result would be.  As for Abraham, he was being asked by God to sacrifice his child, the miracle that he and Sarah had waited so long for.  He was told, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love.” (Genesis 22:2)  I think there is definitely a parallel here between the sacrifice Abraham is asked to make and the eventual sacrifice of Jesus.  Abraham and Isaac showed the ultimate Faith in God’s plan and in the end, Isaac was saved.  WHEW!  I have to say that I am glad I already knew the ending to that one. 
I have to admit, I don’t think my faith is anywhere near the level of Abraham’s faith.  If asked to sacrifice my child by God, I don’t think it would happen.  Of course, if God ever speaks to me the way described in the Bible, there is a good chance I will pass out.  Don’t get me wrong, I know I have heard his voice in decisions throughout my life and admittedly, I have ignored that voice more times that I would like to admit. I’m a work in progress…I’m working on listening more and talking less, both in my relationship with God and everyone else.  However, I have most definitely not heard his voice in the way it reads in Genesis.  Or, if I did, I was distracted by something else, probably chocolate.  The good thing is that I am working on being more faithful.  I really do try to be better every day and I truly know that I am God’s work in progress.  I am comforted by the fact that even Abraham, who is known for his faith and obedience to the Lord, also had lapses in faith and didn’t always do the right thing. It just reinforces my belief that there is Hope for me and everyone else in this world.

Disclaimer:  My levity is in no way meant as disrespect or in any other way as negativity.  It is just me.  I try to not take myself too seriously, as hopefully any of my friends reading this already know.

From Creation through the Flood

When I first started reading, I thought I might do a weekly "recap" of what I read every week.  However, I am finding that I may need to do it more than weekly.  We'll just have to see how it goes.  I have already realized the genius of doing a 365 day study, rather than trying to read through the Bible on your own.  When I have tried to read the Bible in its entirety in the past, I read a good bit each night and then end up stopping pretty quickly.  However, with this study, I am only reading a few chapters a night, so I am actually left wanting more and have to make myself not read ahead.  Also, I have to say that I am really enjoying Professor Kalas' style in leading you through.  He doesn't seem to aim to try to tell you what you should think, but just helps explain it all.  The daily response book is also a very helpful tool.  It asks questions for how the scripture impacts your life or when you have been in similar situations.  I am using the New International Version of the Bible and while it is much easier to read, the verse isn't near as "pretty" as the King James Version.  I may find myself going back and forth between versions.

As I read the Creation story again, as always, I find myself amazed.  It is just so awesome to know that God created everything.  Of course, this is also one of the things that tends to be a point of controversy between those that believe in Evolution vs. Creation.  I personally have never felt a conflict between the two like a lot of other people do.  I've never understood why people think evolution means creationism can't be true or vice-versa.  I don’t think one has to discredit the other.  Kalas says, "Science speaks increasingly of a Big Bang at creation.  Genesis tells of a big conversation.  But of course, science is talking about how, while Genesis is telling us who.“  That pretty much sums up how I've always felt about the two. There are actually many more ideas out there regarding how to reconcile the two than I ever imagined with descriptions such as, Old Earth Creationists, New Earth Creationists and Theistic Evolution and the beliefs between them vary greatly.  I think each of us has to come to our own personal beliefs on how the two mesh, or if they do at all.  I know some people feel that we must take the Bible literally, but I also know there is room for interpretation.  If there wasn't, I doubt we would have so many different denominations in the Christian religion.

A question posed in the daily response journal was, "How will my attitude toward the environment be affected if I seriously believe in God as Creator?"  Take a minute and think about that one.  If you believe that God created everything, every animal, every plant, every person, how should we treat his creation?  Are we doing it justice?  Do we appreciate it like we should?

In reading about Noah and the flood, I am once again amazed at God's power, but also about his love for us.  While it would be very easy to get stuck on the destruction and God's wrath, that isn't what I get from this scripture.  What I get is a story of second chances and new beginnings.  He wiped the slate clean and gave Noah and his family the opportunity to start over.  If he were truly a wrathful God, wouldn't he have just wiped out everyone and everything?  And then, in the end, He made a promise, to never do it again and let a rainbow be a symbol and reminder of that promise. 

The response journal for day 5 says, "Describe a rainbow experience in your life-- that is, an occasion when a time of suffering or trial concluded with a bright new hope."  What a great phrase that is, "rainbow experience."  I think it will become a part of my vocabulary from here on out.  What a great idea that at the end of any storm in our life, there is a rainbow and hope for a better day on the other side.  One day soon, I will have to write about mine, but that is a story of its own.

I kind of feel like I'm off to a slow start. I guess that is mostly because I am very familiar with what I am reading right now.  However, I am trying my best to focus on what I am reading and taking time to reflect, rather than being too anxious for the next chapter.  I am excited about continuing and all the things I will learn along the way.

Prayer from Week 1, Day 5, "When I face judgment, dear Lord, help me see it as redemption at work."

365 Days to the Truth

There is a lot of debate in the world today about what the Bible says and what it means.  With all the recent political debates on topics such as gay marriage and abortion, this divide is even more apparent.  I have heard some people both for and against various topics based on their beliefs and what the Bible says.  A lot of people use various Bible verses to support their beliefs, which is what we should do.  However, I have also seen these verses used out of context of the book and chapter from which they are pulled.  People also quote the Bible for things that aren’t actually even in the Bible.  I know that even among different sects of Christianity, the interpretation is different. I have a difficult time during these discussions because, to be quite honest, I haven’t done as much reading of my Bible as I should outside of whatever verse we are studying in Church on Sunday.  Recently, I have found myself craving answers and being led to do something about my lack of knowledge.  

So, this is my goal.  I will read the Bible from cover to cover in the next 365 days.  I am using J. Elsworth Kalas’ , The Grand Sweep, as my guide.   Being the analytical mind that I am, I will also do research as I read.  I am sure I will spend time looking up translations and how we arrived at certain words in English from the original languages.  I am sure I will have lots of questions and may ask for each of your opinions if you have them.  I plan to blog on what I read and my thoughts along the way. The goal of this journey for me is not debate or political discourse.  The goal for me is to find the Truth and I pray that God speaks to me and guides me along the way so that in the end, I arrive the person he wants me to be.  In some ways, I hope that I come out at the end of this journey the same, but on the other I would be disappointed if I do. So please, join me on my journey, be privy to my thoughts and feelings, share your thoughts, but know that in the end, this is my journey and I have to come to my own conclusions and interpretations. Say a prayer that I allow God to lead me where he wants me to go.