How-to books and the Christian life

Somewhere along the way we got saved and our sins were forgiven. And we wanted to live this thing called the Christian life, but we didn't know how to live out of our new spirit. So we fell back upon our only other resource: the false self. It knew how to get along in the world. We just made a few adjustments to fit the Christian scene. We were sitting ducks for the how-to books, which told us how to manipulate the false self to make it more effective in getting along.

Although having the Holy Spirit in our spirit, we didn't know about the Holy Spirit living the life of Christ through us. So our mode of operation was the same as for the unbeliever: self-reliance. That's what the false self is: our attempt to independently operate our own lives. As Christians, the false self even tries to do it for the glory of God.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 100-101

<idle musing>
This statement: We were sitting ducks for the how-to books, which told us how to manipulate the false self to make it more effective in getting along sums up too much of the current religion that passes for Christianity in the U.S. today. We claim to believe in the power of God via the Holy Spirit, the inability of a person to reform themselves, but we sell how-to books that say the opposite. What's wrong with that scenario? (rhetorical question)
</idle musing>

Long weekend

Yes, a long weekend here in the United States. We call it "The Fourth of July" and, unfortunately, all too often glorify a country above God. Some good thoughts on that were posted today on Out of Ur. Here are a few snippets, but please read the whole thing for yourself:

Tony Campolo puts it this way: “America may be the best Babylon the world has, but it is still Babylon nonetheless.”

We are exiles living in Babylon, folks. Our corner may be called “America,” or “Canada,” or “France,” but it’s still all a part of the same thing: a world system that transcends borders, is dominated by materialistic consumerism and exploitation, and is fundamentally opposed to the Kingdom of God. And while love and affection for the people living in that system is entirely necessary, and while we should certainly pray for the peace and well-being of the place where God has set us, we need to avoid the mistake we see over and over in Scripture: becoming so enamored with our temporary dwelling—whether that’s called Egypt, Babylon, or even America—that we lose sight of what Hebrews calls “a better place.”
...
But most important, be careful what you pledge allegiance to this Fourth of July. Caesar is owed your obedience, your prayers for his health and well-being, and, as Jesus and the IRS both agree, your money...[ellipsis his] but your allegiance belongs to Someone Else.

<idle musing>
I would argue that what he calls patriotism is actually nationalism, which is a blinder form of idolatry than patriotism, but that is just a minor side issue. Otherwise, he is on the money. So, "Amen! Good preaching!" And may his tribe increase across the land so that people see true Christianity instead of a culturally diluted narcissistic nationalism dressed in christian clothing.
</idle musing>

July sale at Eisenbrauns

From the latest BookNews:

BookNews from Eisenbrauns

For the month of July, Eisenbrauns is featuring selected
Harrassowitz titles at 20% off retail. Choose from ICAANE
proceedings, dictionaries, monographs, or serials; there's
probably something you need in this list. If not, I'm sure
there is something you want.

As always, all sales on this web sale are final; no returns will be
permitted. Offer good only on orders placed at www.eisenbrauns.com
through July 31, 2010.

To easily access all the sale items, please visit:
http://www.eisenbrauns.com/pages/SPECIAL
================================================================
"Sonne der Gerechtigkeit: Studien zur Solarisierung der Jahwe-
Religion im Lichte von Psalm 72"
by Martin Arneth
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur Altorientalische
und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte - BZABR 1
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2000. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447042635
List Price: $74.00 Your Price: $59.20

"Tell Halaf:: Vorbericht uber die erste und
zweite syrisch-deutsche Grabungskampagne"
Edited by Abd el-Masih Hanna Baghdo, et al.
Forschungen der Max Freiherr von Oppenheim Stiftung - FMFOS 3/1
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2009. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447060684
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"Historiographie - Ethnographie - Utopie: Gesammelte Schriften:
Band 1: Studien zu Herodots Kunst der Historie"
by Reinhold Bichler
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Paper. German.
ISBN: 9783447056168
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"A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian"
Edited by Jeremy A. Black, Andrew George, and Nicholas Postgate
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2000. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9783447042642
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"Fundstellen: Gesammelte Schriften zur Archäologie und Geschichte
Altvorderasiens. ad honorem Hartmut Kühne"
Edited by Dominik Bonatz, Rainer M. Czichon,
and Florian Janoscha Kreppner
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447057707
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"Kanaanaische und aramaische Inschriften, Band 1"
by Herbert Donner and Wolfgang Rollig
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2002. Paper. German.
ISBN: 9783447045872
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"Mittelassyrische Rechtsurkunden und Verwaltungstexte VIII"
by Helmut Freydank and Barbara Feller
Wissenschaftliche Veroffentlichungen der
Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft - WVDOG 119
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447056786
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"Kleines Lexikon des Christlichen Orients"
Edited by Hubert Kaufhold
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447053822
List Price: $105.00 Your Price: $84.00

"Proceedings of the 4th International Congress of the Archaeology of
the Ancient Near East, vol.1: 29 March - 3 April 2004, Freie Universitat
Berlin: The Reconstruction of Environment: Natural Resources and
Human Interrelations through Time; Art History: Visual Communication"
Edited by Hartmut Kuhne, Rainer M. Czichon, and Florian Janoscha Kreppner
International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Cloth. English and French.
ISBN: 9783447057035
List Price: $159.00 Your Price: $127.20

"Proceedings of the 4th International Congress of the Archaeology of
the Ancient Near East: 29 March - 3 April 2004, Freie Universitat
Berlin: Social and Cultural Transformation: The Archaeology of
Transitional Periods and Dark Ages Excavation Reports"
Edited by Hartmut Kuhne, Rainer M. Czichon, and Florian Janoscha Kreppner
International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Cloth. English and French.
ISBN: 9783447057578
List Price: $142.00 Your Price: $113.60

"A Coptic Grammar: With Chrestomathy and Glossary-Sahidic Dialect"
by Bentley Layton
Porta Linguarum Orientalium - PLO 20
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2004. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9783447042406
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"Graber des 3. Jahrtausends v. Chr. im syrischen Euphrattal:
3. Ausgrabungen in Samseddin und Djerniye"
by Jan-Waalke Meyer
Schriften zur Vorderasiatischen Archaeologie 3
Harrassowitz Verlag, 1991. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447055710
List Price: $55.00 Your Price: $44.00

"An Introduction to Comparative Grammar of
Semitic Languages: Phonology and Morphology"
by Sabatino Moscati
Porta Linguarum Orientalium - PLO 6
Harrassowitz Verlag, 1980. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9783447006897
List Price: $60.00 Your Price: $48.00

"Modern Hebrew for Biblical Scholars: An Annotated Chrestomathy
with an Outline Grammar and a Glossary"
by T. Muraoka
Harrassowitz Verlag, 1998. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9783447040822
List Price: $52.00 Your Price: $41.60

"Volker und Sprachen Altanatoliens: Aus dem Polnischen
übersetzt von Cyril Brosch"
by Maciej Popko
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Paper. German.
ISBN: 9783447057080
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"Schrift und Sprache der 4. Dynastie"
by Simon D. Schweitzer
MENES - Studien zur Kultur und Sprache der agyptischen
Fruhzeit und des Alten Reiches 3
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2005. Cloth. German.
ISBN: 9783447051378
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"Kleines Worterbuch des Ugaritischen"
by Josef Tropper
Elementa Linguarum Orientis - ELO 4
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. Paper. German and Ugaritic.
ISBN: 9783447056380
List Price: $49.00 Your Price: $39.20

"Origin and Transformation of the Ancient
Israelite Festival Calendar"
by Jan A. Wagenaar
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur Altorientalische
und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte - BZABR 6
Harrassowitz Verlag, 2006. Cloth. English.
ISBN: 9783447052498
List Price: $102.00 Your Price: $81.60

Thought for today

I received the monthly update from CCEL today and it included a snippet from Thomas a Kempis. Here's a relevant portion:

JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him...

Do not those who always seek consolation deserve to be called mercenaries? Do not those who always think of their own profit and gain prove that they love themselves rather than Christ?

<idle musing>
Take that, "name it and claim it, stomp on it and frame it"!
</idle musing>

Who is in control here, anyway?

The two-nature belief results in misery. It puts us right back in Romans 7: “The good I want to do, I don't do, and the evil I don't want to do, I do. Oh, miserable person that I am, who shall deliver me?” That's where most of us have found ourselves, trying to beat down one of these masters and help the other one to ascend. Who was in control of that? We were. We were trying to do that. As I said before, this leads to nothing but endless self-effort and failure. And then the answer finally comes: Christ is my life!— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 96

<idle musing>
As always, the fruit of self-effort is failure—or self-righteousness. The latter, if we manage to delude ourselves that we have managed to attain the standard; the former if we are honest with ourselves.
</idle musing>

identity theft

It's a devilish trick to say, “put off, put off, put off,” when you really don't know who you are. You think that you're a duality, both good and bad. You're being told to put off something that you've been taught is one of your natures. You're not settled yet in who your nature really is. You still think you are two. And you get frustrated and think, “Why tell me to put off something that is natural for me to do? I've had this habit for years. Why tell me to put it off, if it's my nature?” So you get mad at God. You think He is telling yo to suppress part of your true self. It's all because you don't know yet who you truly are.

You only have one nature. It's natural for you to put off sin, because sin is not your nature. You are already dead to it.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 94

<idle musing>
Why do we allow the enemy to steal our identity? Well, he can't really, but we allow him to lie to us, which amounts to the same thing. We don't really believe we are what (and who) God says we are.
</idle musing>

Is it real?

In the realm of appearances, there is constant evidence of good and evil, both outside and inside us. If we judge by appearances, we arrive at the logical conclusion that we are both good and bad. That looksentirely valid. Christians have believed this for centuries. Except for a small minority who have come to know their true identity in Christ, the whole Christian world accepts the lie. Unfortunately, although something may not be true above the line [in the eternal realm], if below the line [in the temporal realm] we think it is true, it still controls us.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 90

<idle musing>
The same story as it has always been, we walk by faith and not by sight. But, if we believe sight, then faith goes out the window.
</idle musing>

That fourth day in July is approaching

And civil religion is about to take over the U.S. But, before you allow it to rule you, as well, consider ths:

It isn’t government which gives or guarantees freedom at all. And it’s idolatry to think otherwise. Jim West

And this:

No matter what the churches claim, Christianity in the United States has two liturgical seasons, the Holy Season, which runs from Advent to Easter (or Pentecost if you’re lucky), and the Civil Season, which runs from Memorial Day to Thanksgiving. (Rather handy division of the year, isn’t it?) At the beginning of summer, we are clearly now in the thick of Civil Season, or Civil Religion Time—which replaces Ordinary Time.

Civil religion in the U.S. never goes away, but its major feasts are in that six-month period. God-and-country language and rituals are more prevalent, and syncretism in the churches (”when you see the red in the flag, think of the blood of those who died to make us free, and also think of Jesus’ blood that was shed to make us really free”) runs rampant but is hardly ever questioned.

Why is it so difficult for Christians in the U.S. (and elsewhere, sometimes, but especially in the U.S.) to see this for what it is: idolatry?

And, for some practical steps to move away from the idolatry of civil religion, 8 baby steps away from civil religion. My favorites:

3. Under no circumstances allow the pledge of allegiance. Don’t feel forced to challenge the pledge in principle. Simply say, “In worship we pledge ourselves to God alone.”

4. Don’t compare the red of the U.S. flag or the blood shed in battle to the blood of Christ, or war deaths to Christ’s sacrifice. At best, that cheapens Christ’s death.

<idle musing>
Why is it so hard for Americans to see nationalism as idolatry and pride? We are not God's chosen instrument in the world today anymore than Rome was in the 5th century. If we think so, we are in for a shock when the Goths (whoever they might be this time around) sack Washington, D.C. Hopefully there will be an Augustine to write another City of God, debunking the claim that Rome/U.S. is God's favorite.
</idle musing>

Our harvest

Nope, not the garden—although it is doing very well!—but the harvest of our own self-effort:

What we produce on our own is filthy rags. We produce our own work, our own effort. What you and I reproduce if we try is our flesh. And there's no life in the flesh...

The flesh profits nothing. The flesh produces nothing. For someone to stand in the pulpit Sunday after Sunday and tell you what you ought to do is a curse on you, because you can't produce it. Have you tried? I did, until the Holy Spirit showed me this: you are dead as a point of origin. Christ in you is the point of origin. He will live the life in you as you.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 84-85

<idle musing>
I really like his refrain, "He will live the life in you as you." That is a very nice way of saying it; it sums up Galatians 2:20 very well.
</idle musing>

We are one

We are one spirit with God. We function as one. We are not absorbed into the Lord, however. There is an I and there is a He, but we are joined to Him and we function as one. It is a function of cooperation, like a union of gears that mesh together. Our union with God doesn't mean that we are so swallowed up in God that we lose our identity. But neither is there a separation. Rather, the two function as one for the purposes of the greater one, God.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 80-81

<idle musing>
Very well put.
</idle musing>

The point of reference

As long as our own humanity is our point of reference, we don't know we died and we can't know union. We can't know it. I didn't say we couldn't talk about it or quote Bible verses about it. I'm saying we can't have an experiential knowledge of our union. But when we experience the reality of our union with Christ, we are no longer a soul-based person, a person that sees ourselves as our point of reference. We have moved to another place altogether.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 73

<idle musing>
I've seen that many times; you talk about "Christ in you, the hope of glory" and people will chime in. But, if you watch their lives, it is pretty clear that they only know it as a theological construct.

Debbie (my wife of over 31 years!) likes to use the illustration of a tired person. If you are tired, do you have the right to be crabby? If you think so, then you are not living in Christ; is Christ too weak to keep you from being crabby? She uses other illustrations, too, but they all point to us as the point of reference instead of Christ as the point of reference.
</idle musing>

Which tree are you eating from?

"To put it another way, we are operationally still eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, rather than from the Tree of Life, which is Christ. We are trying to eat from the Good side of that Tree, trying to always maintain good thoughts and good feelings and, certainly, good behavior.

"Whether we are eating from the Good side or the Evil side, however, we are still eating from the wrong tree. We are still operating out of our own effort, which cannot produce God's life. Our self-effort is not originating above the line, from the union of our spirit with God's Spirit. It's not flowing from the life of Christ. It's originating blow the line, from our soul operating independently and trying to make us “good” Christians."— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 71-72

<idle musing>
Self-effort = failure. Period. We can't do it. A few years ago, Debbie was reading from an Anne Graham Lotz book (I can't remember the title now) where Anne said that God only expects one thing from us: Failure. At first, that shocked me, but as she explained it, it made sense. If we are trying to do it on our own strength, we will fail. There is no other option; we can't do it! But, praise God!, he can.
</idle musing>

The really good news

"What's good news to us now isn't just that He died for us, though that is good news. It isn't just that He's with us, though that is good news. It isn't just that He's in us, helping us, though that is good news. The really good news is that He is in us, living His life as us. He has joined His Spirit with our spirit. In the unseen and eternal, there's Deity inside us. We are not that Deity, but we are containers of that Deity."— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 62

<idle musing>
The Church Fathers called it theosis. Watchman Nee called it The Normal Christian Life; Hudson Taylor called it the exchanged life. There have been various names for it over the years, but I call it Life!
</idle musing>

Whose life?

After I got my sins forgiven, my question was always, “How do you live the life?” What I discovered is this: you don't. Because you can't. For years I regarded myself as my point of origin. But I couldn't produce the life of God out of me. I couldn't bring the uncreated (God's life) out of the creation (me). How was I going to do that? As long as I saw myself as the source of life, though, I had to keep trying. Until one day Jesus impressed this upon my spirit: “I am your life. I am the only life acceptable to the Father. I not only want to forgive you; I want to live the life in you. I want to be your life.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 61

<idle musing>
So simple, but so difficult. We just don't want to let go, do we? Yet, when we let go, we find real life.
</idle musing>

And now for something completely different

The other day, while reading one of the many book related e-mails I receive, I ran across a summary of a book outside my normal reading. It was about an author's experience of going "back to the land." Normally, I would just blow by it, but the person grew up about 40 miles from where I did in northern Wisconsin. Intrigued, I checked the book out of the community library. Last week, while at ATLA, I read it during the down times. So, here is my review of Coop: A Family, a Farm, and the Pursuit of One Good Egg...

If you grew up in northern Wisconsin, as I did, you will find this book a delight. The author, not at all a handyman, decides to go back to the land. The book highlights his escapades during the first year. Supposedly a recounting of the events of the year, it is actually just an opportunity to recount his own growing up years on a farm near New Auburn, Wisconsin.

Because my grandparents owned a dairy farm and I spent quite a bit of time on it, I found his stories full of touchstones for my own memories. I could almost smell the fragrance of the fresh-cut alfalfa and the haymow as he described haying. The sound of the milk house door, the huge stainless steel tank for the milk, the smell of the barn, all came rushing back to me as he described milking the cows.

He is able to dance between the present and past in a most delightful way. His present attempts at being a farmer—at least a 2-pig, 12-chicken one—are hilarious. He is very honest about his failed attempts and the assistance he needs. It takes him the entire length of the book to build a chicken coop (the title of the book comes from this operation), and even then, it isn't really his work, but that of a friend or three. But, how can you help but love someone who has a 1951 International Harvester pickup? OK, I confess, I got my grandparents 1956 IH pickup when they retired...low mileage, high maintenance, but a high school kid's dream machine.

Bottom line: a delightful literary romp. Of course, my own little 2-acre homestead is a lot more modest than his 37-acre one. And, I am a lot more mechanically inclined than he—my cold frames have corners that join and are square :)

Learn from me

When Jesus said, “Learn from Me,” He meant to learn from Him how He lived. And how did He live? He lived out of the Father. He didn't have any other secret. As author Gene Edwards has said, Jesus Christ never tried to live the Christian life. He didn't have a Bible at home read; He didn't have a prayer group to go to. He let the Father live the life through Him. He learned how to live out of the resources of the Father, which are not of this seen and temporal realm, but of the unseen and eternal realm.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 60

<idle musing>
And we live the same way!
</idle musing>

The bread of life

I'm on the road today, on my way to the ATLA conference, so just a pair of quotations from The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out:

God raised our new man from the dead—God birthed in us an entirely new spirit, holy and righteous—so that he could unite Himself to our spirit and live His life through us. Whether we knew it or not, at salvation Jesus Christ came into us and we became one with Him. He now lives in and through us.— page 56

Nobody is offended as long as you are talking from the perspective of separation instead of union. As long as we are down here and God is up there, and He does something for us, it's OK. But when you start talking about Jesus living His life in you, through you, as you,that raises eyebrows. In John 6, the people were perfectly satisfied with Jesus as long as he produced bread. The offense came when He said He was the bread.— page 59

<idle musing<
As long as you talk religion, nobody minds. But, talk about union with Christ...well, it isn't always pretty.
</idle musing<

Foolish Galatians

Once a person becomes a believer, the law actually hinders the fulfillment of God's purpose for our lives: that He might express His life in and through us. That is because the law by its nature sets a standard which we automatically try in our own effort to live up to. And the moment we do, we are living according to our own self-effort, rather than by faith, trusting Christ's life in us. That is exactly what Paul chastised the Galatians about:

You foolish Galatians!...Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3)

— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 52

<idle musing;gt:
It is way too easy to fall into the trap of self-works—that's why Paul had to address the Galatian church so harshly. We need to lean/trust/rely/depend on Jesus for everything, otherwise it is self-effort.
</idle musing;gt:

Do we really believe?

I was speaking in Alabama once to a group of 77 people. I asked them, “How many of you believe the Bible?” All 77 hands went up. I read Romans 6:7 to them: “He who has died is freed from sin.” I continued, “How many believe what I just read?” Three hands went up. “We've got a problem here,” I said. “You just said that you believe the Bible, and I just read it to you.” But they didn't really believe that. They didn't have a spiritual awareness of being dead, buried, and risen with Christ.

The blood side of the cross deals with sins: actions or attitudes that break the law of God. The body side of the cross deals with sin, whose source was the old man, our old Adamic nature. He was the point of origin of sins.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 49

<idle musing>
Why am I not surprised? I was teaching a class once on I John. Everything fell apart once John (yes, I believe John wrote it) said that it was not possible for those born of God to sin (I John 3:9). Check out the Greek, if you wish:

Πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.

Pretty hard to swallow, isn't it? But, that's what it says. Whom are you going to believe? God or the fallen nature (and it's ally, the devil).

Looking at God's track record, my money is on Him.
<idle musing>

Doublecrossed

This aspect of the cross, that we died with Him, is what I call the Doublecross. There are two sides of the cross. The first is the blood side. That's where Christ died for us. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. The second side is the body side. We were united with Him on the cross, participating in His death, burial, and resurrection. Our old man was crucified with Him. Our new man, righteous and holy, was resurrected with Him. — The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 42

<idle musing>
The first side of the cross is the one everybody preaches. Unfortunately, the second side/aspect of the cross gets overlooked, but it is the most important part, in my opinion. What good is forgiveness without deliverance?
</idle musing>

What are you living?

We continue on our jaunt through The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out with a selection of quotations:

Everyone of us who has believed into Christ is complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). We are already holy (Colossians 3:12). We are already perfect (Hebrews 10:14). We are His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). There's nothing else to be done. As we see that, we will live that, and God will make what is already true in the unseen and eternal a seen and temporal experience.—page 34.

The vast majority of believers only know one half of the gospel. The first twelve years that I pastored, I only knew one half of the gospel. I preached a steady diet of Christ died for the forgiveness of your sins. Week after week I gave the same basic message. The problem was that my audience had already been saved; their sins had already been forgiven.

The only other message I had to offer them was telling them what they ought to be doing; external compliance with commandments. I was handing out my own version of legalism.—pages 35-36

It is easier being lost than to be saved and try to live only off “I'm forgiven,” striving your utmost to be a good Christian. Because that isn't the whole gospel. That isn't the whole gospel! It is only a partial, fragmentary view of our salvation. So we have fifty percent of the gospel, then we go back into the flesh, into our independent self-effort, trying to make the rest of it happen on our own.

We can't make it happen, however, which is according to the program. We are programmed for failure when we try to make the Christian life work on our own. This kind of living will bring you to despair. It produces nothing but an inner sense of condemnation.

Many people finally conclude that's how the Christian life is supposed to be. I've actually heard ministers tell their congregations that truly victorious living is impossible and that the Christian life is nothing but a struggle in which you are going to experience defeat after defeat. That's a far cry from the “abundant life” that Jesus promised.—pages 38-39

<idle musing>
This last paragraph breaks my heart, but I've seen it many times over the years. The basic question is, "do you believe what you read as a promise of God? Or, do you believe what you are experiencing?" Most of us, especially in our materialistic (in the philosophical sense of the word) world, opt for the experience instead of the promise. How sad; we miss out on so much of God.
</idle musing>

What do you depend on?

Ministry can be an external. A lady who ran a retreat center told me that a young minister came through and met an older minister there. The younger one kept asking him, “What's your ministry, brother?”

“I don't know,” he replied.

“Come on, now. What's your ministry?”

Finally the older gentleman said, “I don't have one. I just talk about Christ.”

The young man had an outer identity called ministry. — The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 24

<idle musing>
Here, external means something other than God, something visible, that can be felt, hung on to. So, what is the external thing that you hang on to? Whatever it is, it stands between you and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
</idle musing>

The righteousness of God

Resuming our interrupted selection of snippets from The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, here's today's selection:

Twenty-one years of trying to live for Jesus. I had known Christ for me. I had known Christ with me. I had begun to experience the concept of Christ in me, but not Christ as me, expressing His life as me. Rather, Christ inme to help me become something. To make something out of me. And I had come to the end. Over the years, I had gradually concluded that I couldn't pull off living the Christian life. I was a failure at it...

Months later, Norman [Grubb] came and spoke to a small group in our living room. The first thing he said was, “You can't live the Christian life.” I thought, “Amen to that. I am a walking testimony to that. You can't live the Christian life.” Then he said, “Christ is the life.” Well, I knew that. I had head knowledge of that. But finally he stated, “Christ is in you and He will live the life.” And my spirit responded, “Ohhh! Not, 'He will help me live the life,' but 'He will live the life.' That's the good news. I can let Him live the life. I can do that...”

For the first time I came to know that He had already made me the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). I was truly righteous. He had made me holy (Colossians 3:12). He had made me complete (Colossians 2:10). I was blameless in His sight (Colossians 1:22). And loved. And acceptable.

The Lord taught me that when I was crucified on the cross with Christ, as Galatians 2:20 had told me for so long, I died to myself as my point of reference. He living in me was my point of reference. He would live His life through me, as me. Has He revealed that to you? If He hasn't, He wants to, because that's the good news. That's the good news.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 21, 23

<idle musing>
Interesting, isn't it. He had known intellectually for over 20 years what the answer was. But, it took a special revelation from the Holy Spirit to make it real. As an academic, I certainly won't knock intellectual knowledge—I've invested my life in it—but, I also know that there are areas where only the Holy Spirit can give insight. Interestingly, the older I get, the more areas I find that to be true!
</idle musing>

Huh?

I walked into the break room this morning, and noticed something I hadn't before. I'm not sure if you can see this in the picture, but look carefully at the expiration date in the middle of the box. It says June 5th, 3011. Yep, that's 3011. That even beats out our famous Twinkie test! Do you think it's wrong? :)

Varia

Just a collection of various things found on my wanderings around the web...

Lawson Stone is blogging again. Here's a portion of today's thoughts:

I always think it’s a little sad when Christian institutions get so confused about their identity and mission that they actually start framing their curriculum and programs based on focus groups and market research, reverently termed “empirical data,” rather than first and primarily consulting their own deepest awareness of God’s call and working in their midst.

The ever prolific Jim West weighs in on the current state of Biblical Studies:

Biblical studies, as we know it, needs to end. But [Hector] Avalos is wrong concerning the reason because biblical studies isn’t at all primarily a religionist and apologetic enterprise in the academy, it is thoroughly “a-theistic’” (in the sense of the alpha privative prefix in Greek) in its approach and goals in the academy. Only a person who has never bothered to attend a meeting of the SBL or read the Journal of Biblical Literature or visited a Department of Religion (at, say, the University of North Carolina where Bart Ehrman teaches) could say without their tongue being firmly planted in their cheek that biblical studies is dominated by some sort of faith perspective. Indeed, I would submit for your consideration that in Colleges and Universities across the United States where Departments of Religion exist, that the preponderance of work is purely “a-theistic.”

The Book Bench bemoans the loss of personal selling in books, sometimes called "hand selling:"

There are also algorithms and Web sites intended to provide this sort of service [recommending books], but I find them unreliable and broad. The suggestions on Amazon, for instance, are limited—they tend to pound me over the head with new releases, analogizing books based primarily on sales rankings—and often odd (this morning, in a rise-and-shinish sort of mood, my Amazon site recommended that I might like pancake mix).

Jim Martin talks about a valuable gift:

For a few minutes, he gave us his undivided attention.

I never forgot that moment.

This is where I learned the value of giving another person one’s undivided attention.

Far too often, what people receive instead is our divided attention.

He goes on to talk about the draw of the cell phone, the text message, etc.

Joel and Renee have a nice little announcement:

...we are expecting Baby #5 at the end of January. That makes me about 7 weeks along. So come along Bean Sprout, go easy on your momma, and we look forward to meeting you around January 22!

So, we're going to be grandparents again!

On other notes:
Over the weekend, a raccoon got in the barn. I have chicken wire along the eaves to keep birds out, but coons go through that like a hot knife through warm butter. The neighbor gave us an assist and the coon is resting comfortably under a foot of earth now.

I haven't had any success in finding used parts for the Cub Cadet, so tonight we look at different lawn tractors. There were just too many things going wrong with the thing to be reliable.

On the cheese making front, we tried the brick cheese last night. It seems to have been a failure. It has the consistency of a Brie and tastes like it, too. The center of the block was more solid and tasted "brickish" but the rest didn't. Maybe I'll try again later, but at least I like Brie!

Also this weekend, I picked 45 pounds of strawberries. For the second or third year in a row, as I was finishing up picking, it started to sprinkle. By the time I had carried all 4 flats to the weighing station, it was pouring. As usual, I got drenched! But, I also ended up with 57 pints of strawberry jam. That should last for the year :)

Finally, last night as we were on our walk—a bit after midnight—we heard a plaintive meow a little over 1/4 mile from home. Looking around, we saw a tiny little kitten, probably 6-weeks old, along the side of the road. Being the sensitive sorts we are, we picked it up and brought it home. So, that makes at least 9 kittens 2 months old or less right now, 3 of them orphans. If the ratio holds to normal, by the end of the summer only about 1/3 of them will be alive. Right now we have 5 cats, none of them older than 13 months.

Computers, you, and books

Somewhat distressing, but not altogether unexpected, bit of news today from the New York Times

While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.

And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers.

But, maybe there is hope. Check this out from the Chicago Tribune

A friend of mine in her early 20s managed to poke a finger through the tissue-thin argument that iPads, Kindles and Nooks are just as good as books, that reading is reading, that content is all that matters.

She and her classmates at the University of Notre Dame were invited to the home of a revered professor. It was a gleaming palace of erudition, she said: Room after room was filled with elegant floor-to-ceiling bookcases; each bookcase was filled with beautiful volumes; each volume seemed to glow with the written legacy of the world's wisdom.

It was, she recalled, breathtaking.

Reveling in all of this, my friend had a sudden, unsettling thought: What if, instead of the soaring bookcases, the professor's home had featured a card table with a Kindle on it?

The content might be the same — vast storage capacity is one of the chief selling points of new technologies — but how different it would be in terms of spiritual sustenance.

I'm glad that this anecdote comes from an undergraduate, because if it emerged from a creaky old coot — e.g., me — you'd dismiss it as the ill-tempered rant of a curmudgeon who needs to double up on the Advil and the Benefiber. The truth is, however, that many people, regardless of age, are feeling nostalgic these days for book culture.

<idle musing>
Of course, if their brains have been rewired by too much Internet, what good will all the books do? Ah well, progress has always been a mixed bag...
</idle musing>

God fix

"It was great in praise services while I was emotionally high and stimulated. But I confused those feelings of happiness with God's inner joy. I was looking for a permanent high, and I stayed on a high for about six months. I had to attend a lot of meetings to stay up there. I had to stand on my feet long time and sing an awful lot of songs. Everybody did.

"If we would be honest with ourselves, however, most of us were still searching. Because so much of our activity was still involving externals. We were still desperate. We went to those meetings to get something. I wanted to be helped, be blessed, get healed, get delivered. Everybody went with a great need. But we'd leave, stepping right outside those doors, and we still had that need. Deep down we were still saying, 'Where's the life?'"— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 20-21

<idle musing>
He still hasn't offered a solution, but he is very good at describing the problem. I know people who are in the position he is describing right now. They need their "God fix" or they are not sure of their standing with God. Hang on until Monday; the solution is coming!
</idle musing>

Where's the life?

OK, I stole that from the Wendy's™ ad from way back when: "Where's the beef?" But, it is a valid question for most Christians. In case you don't remember, I'm excerpting from The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out.

Unfortunately, knowing that I was saved and that my sins were forgiven was the only inner reality I knew. Like most Christians, I was trying to live the Christian life on that raw reality.

The trouble is that, as true as it is, having your sins forgiven doesn't tell you one thing about how to live the life. The only thing it says is after you commit a sin, you are forgiven. You don't know anything yet about true life—God's life. So life to you is still external: "How do I do it? Give me a plan, give me a method, give me a scheme."

It's as if the day we receive Him by faith, Jesus says, "Now you're saved. Good luck. I'll see you when you die and it will be wonderful. But in the here and now it's up to you. Get out there and try as hard as you can." What a struggle. I tried as hard as I could for years... The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 18

<idle musing>
Sound familiar? He hasn't offered the solution yet, but he sure has pegged the problem, hasn't he? Work, work, work! Saved by grace, but sanctified by works. What an endless treadmill. It's sort of like the one at the end of the Jetsons™, where George and Astro are taking a walk. Works fine, until a cat (real life in the analogy) jumps on the path. From there on, it's a nightmare...
</idle musing>

Seems like a good book

We were at Debbie's parents' place this last weekend. It was a blessed time; Ryan, Emily, and Eveline came down from Minneapolis, so we were able to spend time with them. And, Debbie's brother's kids (now grown) came over, as well as her sister-in-law. We had a grand time together in Jesus.

During one of the conversations, Gwen (Debbie's sister-in-law) mentioned a book she had recently finished reading: The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out. We said it sounded interesting; she offered to lend her copy for us to borrow. I started reading it this morning, and you will see excerpts here for the next however long it takes :)

It's easy to live as if we are the center of the universe. We wouldn't ever say it, or even think it consciously, but we can live as if God is here for us. That has come across in a lot of teaching over the last thirty years. Go is here to bless you. You ought to be rich. You ought to be prosperous. It's your due to be successful. It's your due to get ahead. God has to respond to your faith. God has obligated Himself to bless you if you do the right thing. All of which means what? You are the center of the universe.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, page 8

<idle musing>
That's only the second page of the preface. And, guess what? The author doesn't think you are the center of the universe! God is. Stay tuned for more goodies...
</idle musing>

More on the Cub Cadet

Well, the belt didn't fit—at first. We put it on and it was too loose. My neighbor is more familiar with older Cubs, so at first he didn't know where to adjust the tension. But, we figured it out (some of you probably already knew and were wondering at my ignorance!); it is a pair of bolts on the front of the tractor that moves the whole deck forward and backward. So, I could theoretically use any belt between 59.5" and 61".

We got it running, and it was going along fine; it looked like I would get the lawn mowed before dark. But, suddenly there was a heartbreaking "CLUNK!" and the deck stopped. I quickly shut off the mower and looked underneath, expecting to see a broken belt. Nope, the belts were fine (sigh of relief). Oops! (groan!), the pulley assembly seems to have come apart. I took the deck off—I'm getting pretty good at that!—and saw that the pulley support shaft bolt had stripped out and the bearings were destroyed; there were little ball bearings all over the top of the deck.

My neighbor graciously allowed me to borrow his lawn tractor to finish the yard. When I returned it, we talked for about 45 minutes. So, your prayers were answered, just not in a way that I expected! Now, what to do about the mower...the replacement part is over $100! I don't think the tractor is worth the expense. Maybe I should just give it to my neighbor to play and tinker with, after all, he loves playing with them.

Get the facts straight, would you?

This one is making the rounds today. Apparently the hate-monger of the year, Mr. Glenn Beck, has opened his mouth about the Dead Sea Scrolls. You can see the video here; maybe not, though. I don't think I embedded it correctly. If not, you can see it here or here. You can also read the transcript here and here, and probably some other places.

<idle musing>
I really can't add anything to what the others have said. But, I will affirm that all of their criticisms of his misuse of the facts are correct. Please, people, check the facts. Don't fall for the hype of the talking heads—on either side of the aisle! And, especially don't believe what they say about the ancient world without checking it. Once you check it, you will usually find that it is incorrect. Now, what does that say about their use of facts in the present? You draw the conclusions...

But, even though I find the playing free and loose with the facts a problem, what bothers me even more is the hate that spews forth. The only thing sacred to the talking heads is their own ego. Facts? If they don't fit, modify them! Love? That's for sissies! Peace? Sure, on their terms! Jesus? Sure, he can come along—as long as I can make him fit my agenda!
</idle musing>

It's a matter of perspective

“Postcolonial approaches to Joshua and to other narratives of the Old Testament have helpfully drawn attention to the terrible ways in which some biblical narratives might be misused, such as by Puritan emigrants to America, and have helpfully forced interpreters to reengage with the texts and the frames of reference in which they are read and appropriated. But postcolonial readings in themselves often fail to be good readings of biblical texts such as Joshua inasmuch as they encourage the adoption of a readerly stance that is not fitting for the text—Joshua exists to shape and challenge identity from the perspective and context of one who is inside the community for whom the text is valued, and not for those outside. In other words, for the perspective of the insider, Joshua provides a searching challenge to attitudes towards outsiders such as Rahab, thus in fact encouraging openness and embrace of ‘the other’, as well as a searching challenge to the behaviour and attitudes of insiders (Achan). Postcolonial readings in which Joshua is read from a Canaanite perspective only seem to find in the story of Rahab the story of a colluder with imperialism, or a traitor...But, as we have seen, this is to misconstrue Joshua.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, pages 234-235

<idle musing>
A valid critique of post-colonial readings, but also an important reminder that the Bible has been misused for nationalistic purposes far too often.
</idle musing>

Eat this book?

As a bookseller, there are many sites I follow. Sometimes, I see something that really strikes me as odd. Today was one of those days. I believe in ingesting and digesting knowledge, but this is going a bit too far...

Lawn tractor woes

When we first bought the place we are at now, about 2.5 years ago, I didn't own a lawnmower. That could be a problem with 2 acres to mow :) But, a friend of ours loaned me an International Harvester Lo-boy tractor with a 60 inch belly mower. I used that most of the first summer until some other friends let us know about a 1991 Cub Cadet 1320 tractor for sale. I have been using it ever since.

There were a few problems with it, however. I found out after buying it that the generator didn't work. No problem! I'll just charge it every now and then...until I forgot. But, it worked. I finally had to buy a new battery this week, though. We did find out what the problem is: the magnets had broken free from the flywheel and stuck to the windings. No wonder it didn't work! I'm looking for a used flywheel now.

Late last summer, the two mower drive belts broke. The mower deck belt is no problem, once you find out the size of the belt! For the record, it is a 63" belt for a Cub Cadet 1320; that information wasn't easy to find. However, the primary drive (at least I think that is what they call it...) wasn't as easy to figure out. I tried a 60 inch belt—too big; the blades cut poorly and the belt flopped around. I tried a 59 inch belt—too small; the blades wouldn't disengage. I settled on the 59 inch belt, which worked until this week. I put another 59 inch belt on last night, thinking it would last another couple months. It didn't. It lasted 5 minutes. So, I did some digging on line. Turns out that Cub used an odd-sized belt, 59 1/2! That information isn't easy to find, either; it was stuck as a footnote on some website that I can't recall. Anyway, I ended up going to the Cub dealer in town today and paying a lot more than a standard belt would cost...I hope it works and lasts. We'll see...

On the bright side, this whole thing has been from God. We have been praying that we would be able to get to know our neighbors better. Guess what? They know lawn tractors—well! They have been extremely helpful. I've been over there a few times now; I feel like I'm finally getting to know them. And, they make a point of coming over to see how I'm doing. We'll see what God directs, but it is encouraging.

I try the "official" Cub belt tonight, and my neighbor specifically asked if he could help! I think that more than makes up for my minor inconveniences...please pray for God to be glorified—whatever happens!

Rahab and salvation

Continuing on his look at Rahab and salvation in Joshua, Earl comments:

It is worth developing this concept of ‘salvation’ here, for as Charry noted, it has become an increasingly ‘thin’ concept in much of the Christian tradition, with the focus of salvation being on the forgiveness of sins, rather than on participation, in some sense, in the divine life. However, if salvation is construed rather more broadly and ‘holistically’ as conquering death and entering into life in its fullness, sharing in the life of God, then Rahab’s and the Gibeonites’ ‘salvation’ is intelligible in these terms—Rahab ‘conquers’ the death that awaits the other inhabitants of Jericho, and enters into the fullness of life with Israel, and hence YHWH, whereas the Gibeonites, whilst ‘conquering death’, enter into a life of servitude, albeit ‘with YHWH’ in some sense. The difficulties that might be raised regarding the forgiveness of the sins of Rahab’s former way of life, something that the narrative does not address, are then relativized because forgiveness is not the primary focus of salvation; rather life with God is the focus. Indeed, Charry notes that for Augustine ‘salvation is dwelling in the fullness of God’, and that one enjoys God by participating in the good—‘Augustine pressed Christians … to taste and enjoy God. And since the “essence” of God is justice, wisdom, love and goodness, participation in these qualities is eternal life with God.’ In other words, perhaps one can construe salvation in terms of participation in these qualities, qualities that are, in some sense, demonstrated in Rahab.Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, pages 227-228

<idle musing>
I like that definition of salvation; it is much "thicker" and fuller than the simple "forgive-me-for-my-sins, but-let-me-go-on-sinning" version that seems all too common.
</idle musing>

That division between justification and sanctification again

“We also see a wedge driven between justification and sanctification, something that is alien to the theologians we have considered prior to Calvin, as well as a loss of the sense of salvation as participation in the life of the Godhead.
“Indeed, in the intellectual climate of modernity generally, there is a rise in concern with the cognitive dimensions of faith as belief and as a mental act, and a corresponding erosion of an epistemology based upon participation in the Godhead.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 224

<idle musing>
I just read the foreword to the new Bonhoeffer biography from Thomas Nelson; Timothy Keller wrote the foreword, but unfortunately, it is Flash™, so I can't paste an excerpt (go there to read it—you really should; it is preview pages 14-15). Keller highlighted the dichotomy in German theology at the time between justification and sanctification; he sees the same tendencies here. The result is cheap grace, which really isn't grace at all...
</idle musing>

How does the garden grow?

We put drip irrigation in the greenhouse late last week. It sure beats using the watering can every night! Now that it has gotten warmer, I was emptying a 2-gallon watering can 3 times just to try to keep things somewhat wet. I ended up losing 8 Roma tomato plants to the dessication the heat caused. I replanted the seeds, but that puts us behind about 3-4 weeks. Oh well, that's what a greenhouse is for at the end of the season :)

Over the weekend, it got into the mid to upper-80s F, and it looks to be that way all this week. So, I took the ends off the greenhouse for the summer. I figure I'll take the top off in about mid-June. (By the way, for those of you who follow this via RSS, I changed my profile picture to show the greenhouse and some of the garden.)

I ate the last of the cold frame radishes the other day; Debbie, Jim and Shannon aren't radish lovers, so more for me :) The ones I had planted outside the cold frame aren't ready to eat yet. I'm going to have to work on the timing of that next year. The spinach is doing nicely—I've been picking it for nearly 3 weeks now—and the romaine will be ready in about a week or so. The peas are in bloom now, and the onions that I started in the cold frames have huge tops; I just hope the bulbs are growing, too...

Next spring I am going to put row cover over all the beds until the maple trees are done sending down their helicopters. I think I have pulled a couple hundred maple saplings 1-2 inches tall out of the beds—ok, maybe only 100, but they are everywhere.

Speaking of row cover, I bought some 10-foot long 1/2 inch PVC piping to use for low tunnels. I thought I might try them over the tomatoes this fall, but the angle is too tight. Oh well, I'll cut them in half and make true low tunnels for some of the beds. The potatoes are doing very well under their row cover...

Talk about a bunch of
<idle musing>

Transformation

“...In a Christian theological sense then, read through neo-structuralist categories, Joshua may be seen as a ‘preparation for the gospel’ in that it pushes the structure and categories of Israelite identity away from a genealogical identity (or at least identity based on an established ‘in-group’) in favour of a more open identity that is constituted by character and responsiveness to God. This implies the possibility of transformation from outsider to insider, or vice versa. The Old Testament tended to deny the possibility of such transformation but this is something that is central to the New Testament and the Christian gospel. Indeed, in the Old Testament חרם, certainly in its Deuteronomic sense, is perhaps the paradigmatic expression of the denial of mediation and transformation, whereas in the New Testament ‘faith’ is perhaps the paradigmatic category for expressing mediation and transformation...”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, pages 212-213

<idle musing>
I always like it when the OT/NT supposedly rigid divisions are shown to be a lie :)
</idle musing>

Boldness

“Land is granted to Achsah, and to Zelophehad’s daughters. Like Rahab, Achsah, for example, responds well to YHWH, showing initiative and boldness, thus exhibiting core Israelite qualities. It should be noted that these character traits need not be opposed to humility, for they are not autonomous qualities exercised in a vacuum. Rather, they express action based on trust in YHWH’s promises and gift. These character traits display what is required to appropriate the gift. The exercise of these qualities and characteristics is shown to lead to blessing and ‘rest’ in the land, whereas the exercise of covetousness, stealing, lying, disobedience and lack of trust in YHWH’s promise and gift is shown to lead to expulsion and death, and to the ‘contamination’ of the community, highlighting the corporate effects of such sin...”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 202

<idle musing>
I like the idea that boldness based on trust in YHWH is notopposed to humility. Why do we tend to put humility in the category of wimpy? Not a rhetorical question, by the way...
</idle musing>

Rahab and Achan

“Rahab, when confronted with the threat of חרם, confessed the power of YHWH and that he was ‘with Israel’, and thus that she would need ‘rescuing’ from the חרם. Rahab demonstrated through her ‘speeches’ an awareness of who YHWH was in a ‘confession’ that matched that of Moses (Deut 4:39) and Solomon (1 Kgs 8:23). Moreover, she demonstrated in her actions of חסד that she is characterized by the very qualities that are at the heart of the covenant between YHWH and Israel (2:10-12), despite being a Canaanite prostitute. Achan is Rahab’s foil. He is the model ethnic Israelite, but when confronted with חרם he coveted (חמד) it, and when asked to give glory to YHWH, whilst ‘confessing his sin’, he failed to glorify YHWH (7:19-21). Despite appearances, in Rahab’s case the confrontation with חרם ‘draws out’ her nature as ‘Israel’, whilst in Achan’s case the confrontation with חרם ‘draws out’ his nature as ‘non-Israel’.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 198

<idle musing>
The reality is inward, in the heart and attitude, but we often look on the outward and judge by that. We look at a person's jobs, education, family, etc., thinking that is the "real" person, but frequently it isn't. How does the person respond to God? Only that reveals the true nature of a person.
</idle musing>

Joshua 24

“Josh 24 forms a fitting conclusion to Joshua. It shows that it is a book addressed to Israel concerned with the way that she is to relate to YHWH. It demonstrates the need for a positive choice to serve YHWH to be made, and to put away idols and foreign gods. What this means in practice has been spelled out in Josh 23 in homily, and developed in story in the rest of the book. Achan is one who fails to ‘choose YHWH’ whilst Rahab is one who chooses YHWH, with both stories indicating, in different ways, the demanding nature of this choice. ‘True Israel’ is constituted by those who gladly choose to worship and serve YHWH, expressed in living by torah and avoiding various competing, idolatrous allegiances.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 196

<idle musing>
Sounds like a good summary. "[A]voiding various competing, idolatrous allegiances" is still at the hear of loving God today. Maybe the difference is that then the idols were usually visible; now they tend to be less so—but, I'm not so sure. I think we just tend to be less aware of them because we are so used to them...
</idle musing>

This is NOT Cicero

There has been an abundance of places on the Internet quoting something supposedly written by Cicero, but not. Here's the quote:

Antonius heartily agreed with him [sc. Cicero] that the budget should be balanced, that the Treasury should be refilled, that the public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of the generals should be tempered and controlled, that assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt, that the mobs should be forced to work and not depend on government for subsistence, and that prudence and frugality should be put into practice as soon as possible.

It is actually from A Pillar of Iron by Taylor Caldwell; it can be found on page 483 of the 1965 edition published by Doubleday (Garden City, NY.)

Help stamp out the misattribution by posting this, or linking to it, or something. The whole concept expressed in the quote is not a classical idea, especially not a Ciceronian one! If enough people link to the correct attribution, Google will become our friend and the world will have peace—ok, not really, but I mean it about eliminating the bogus Cicero attribution

Doing and undoing

“By commencing the speech in [Joshua] 24:2-13 with the story of Abraham who worshipped other gods, but whom YHWH led out from the land beyond the river, and concluding the speech with Israel’s safe possession of the promised land, all at YHWH’s initiative, it shows YHWH’s favour and gracious calling of Israel; she owes her existence entirely to him. But, rhetorically speaking, precisely because of this ‘grace’, the possibility of a reversal is implied; this sequence of events can be ‘undone’ by YHWH too. Choosing YHWH and serving him (24:14ff) is the response that will be sought, a response that will lead to continued enjoyment of and blessing in the land, whereas choosing to worship idols and other gods will lead to an ‘undoing’, a return to the worship of other gods ‘beyond the river’, outside the land, where Abraham started. Indeed, Abraham is described as living ‘beyond the river’ (בטבר המהר) (24:2), i.e., ‘on the other side’, a notion that has key symbolic significance in Joshua, as we have seen. Those ‘on the other side’ are the ‘outsiders’, whilst those living in the land symbolize the insiders, that is, those who belong to true Israel. Joshua suggests that what makes people ‘outsiders’ here is serving other gods, which is precisely what Joshua has warned Israel against previously (23:16). Thus in 24:2-13, YHWH brings Abraham into Canaan, in other words he bestows upon him the status of an ‘insider’, whilst the description of the Amorites as living ‘on the other side of the Jordan’ (24:8) links them with those who lived ‘on the other side of the river’ as outsiders.226 Thus the characteristics of the insider and outsider are displayed; Abraham is the paradigmatic (or symbolic) ‘insider’, who chose to follow God’s call, whilst the Amorites are the paradigmatic outsiders. By knowing something of the characteristics of Abraham and the Amorites one discovers what insiders and outsiders are like, and thus, positively and negatively, what Israelites ought to be like.

“...what is stressed here is YHWH’s gracious unilateral action on behalf of Israel. For accompanying this is the implication that YHWH can simply ‘undo’ what he has established and return Israel to a pre-Abrahamic existence. This is powerful rhetoric that calls for Israel’s response in what follows. Whatever Israel has done or failed to do before, here, now is the point where response and mutual commitment enters. For if Israel does not respond appropriately now then ‘I’ (YHWH) will return you to a ‘pre-Abrahamic’ existence. So perhaps Israel is to see herself ‘as Abraham’ here; Israel is to respond to God as Abraham did. Moreover, with the book of Joshua set in a scenario of conquest then perhaps there is a sense in which the narrative evokes a picture in which the kind of things that happened in the conquest will happen in reverse to Israel if they forsake YHWH.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, pages 193-194

<idle musing>
I don't know about you, but I want to be on the right side of the Jordan! And, all it takes is responding to the free grace of God in Jesus! Too easy!
</idle musing>

xenophobia

For those of you who don't know Greek, that means the fear of foreigners—a fear that seems to be rampant right now. But, it seems for all the fear mongering, the net affect of illegal immigrants is actually positive! Jim West quotes from a Newsweek article that crunches the numbers. Now, last time I checked, Newsweek wasn't listed among those "evil, liberal media rags" like Time, but this might have it make the list :)

Oh, by the way, have you recently checked to see who the largest media mogul is? I'll give you a hint, it isn't a liberal, or even a middle-of-the-road billionaire; it is the ultra-conservative owner of Fox and company, Rupert Murdoch. So much for the liberal media brainwashing conspiracy.

On that note, I think maybe it would be nice to read a bit of Isaiah:
  “Do not call conspiracy
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread. —Isaiah 8:12-13

<idle musing>
Would that all people would fear YHWH instead of being afraid of their own shadow!

It would be good to bear in mind that every non-Native American was once an immigrant on these shores...
</idle musing>

Appearance versus reality

“Hence this story [building of the altar in Joshua 22] is similar to those of Rahab and Achan. Despite appearances, and conventional understanding, Rahab reflects the true Israelite, unlike Achan; despite appearances and conventional understanding, it is the Cisjordanian action that threatens God’s wrath, not the Transjordanian action. Moreover, whilst Rahab and Achan’s stories indicate that issues of ethnicity are not finally determinative for Israelite identity, so Josh 22 indicates that geography and land are not finally determinative either. The story of Josh 22 indicates the priority of doxalogical response to YHWH, and Israel’s unity.” —Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 182

<idle musing>
I like this insight! "Doxalogical response to YHWH" is exactly how we should respond as Christians.
</idle musing>

Boldness in Joshua and the NT

“Such characteristics of boldness and initiative taking are echoed in the Christian context, but in a different key. In Heb 4:16 Christians are encouraged to ‘approach the throne of grace with boldness’, and bold initiative taking is exemplified in the Canaanite woman who greatly impresses Jesus with her faith (Matt 15:21-28). In other words, the New Testament and the Christian perspective of ‘faith’ offers an important lens through which to interpret Joshua in a new context, a context in which the symbolic connotations of the land, and its possession as inheritance are developed yet further.” —Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 175

<idle musing>
I'm not totally comfortable with this, and I'm not sure why. Can somebody else chime in here?
</idle musing>

Another sale

Yep, another sale to add to the May sale. This one is on selected Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project books. Here's the skinny:

For the next 10 days, Eisenbrauns offers you a chance to
save 20% on selected titles from the Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus
Project. Specifically, titles in the Melammu Symposium and
Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire series, plus two others.

To go directly to the weekly sale, click on this link:
http://www.eisenbrauns.com/pages/NEWSLIST
============================================================
"Assyria 1995: Proceedings of the 10th Anniversary Symposium
of the Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, Helsinki,
September 7 - 11, 1995"
Edited by Simo Parpola and Robert M. Whiting
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 1997. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9514577035
List Price: $79.00 Your Price: $63.20

"The Mechanics of Empire: The Northern Frontier of Assyria
as a Case Study in Imperial Dynamics"
by Bradley J. Parker
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2001. Paper. English.
ISBN: 951459052X
List Price: $124.00 Your Price: $99.20

"The Heirs of Assyria: Proceedings of the Opening Symposium of
the Assyrian and Bablyonian Intellectual Heritage Project Held
in Tvarminne, Finland, October 8-11, 1998"
Edited by Sana Aro and Robert M. Whiting
Melammu Symposia - MS 1
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2000. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9514590430
List Price: $59.00 Your Price: $47.20

"Mythology and Mythologies: Methodological Approaches to Inter-
cultural Influences: Proceedings of the Second Annual Symposium
of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project Held
in Paris, France, October 4-7, 1999"
Edited by Robert M. Whiting
Melammu Symposia - MS 2
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2001. Paper. English.
ISBN: 951459049X
List Price: $110.00 Your Price: $88.00

"The Prosopography Neo-Assyrian Empire, volume 1, part 1: A
(Names Beginning with A)"
Edited by Karen Radner
Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire - PNA 1/1
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 1998. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9514581636
List Price: $84.00 Your Price: $67.20

"The Prosopography Neo-Assyrian Empire, volume 1, part 2: B - G"
Edited by Karen Radner
Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire - PNA 1/2
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 1999. Paper. English.
ISBN: 951458645X
List Price: $79.00 Your Price: $63.20

"The Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Volume 2, Part 1: H - K"
Edited by Heather D. Baker
Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire - PNA 2/1
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2000. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9514590457
List Price: $74.00 Your Price: $59.20

"The Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Volume 2, Part 2: L - N"
Edited by Heather D. Baker
Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire - PNA 2/2
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2001. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9514590554
List Price: $94.00 Your Price: $75.20

"The Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Volume 3, Part 1: P - S
(Sade)"
Edited by Heather D. Baker
Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire - PNA 3/1
Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2002. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9514590562
List Price: $79.00 Your Price: $63.20

Initiative in Joshua

After a hiatus of about a week, I am resuming my excerpts from Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture again:

“...when the people of Joseph complain about their lack of land (17:14), Joshua’s response is to suggest that they boldly take more land. But it is land that is, they complain, associated with Rephaim, and with Canaanites with iron chariots. Their complaint here contrasts them with Caleb (possibly reflecting Num 13); Caleb went up against the Anakim and the large cities, whereas the Josephites are afraid to go up against the Rephaim and iron chariots. They lack the boldness and courage that should be exercised in the light of YHWH’s promise to possess the land. The story ends on a rather ambiguous note; Joshua gives them reassurance that they can do it—but will they?”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, page 174

<idle musing>
They have the promise in their hand, but they are afraid to step out of their comfort zone. Sounds only too familiar, doesn't it? God promise, we doubt. But, not Caleb, he took the promises and went after the reward—and obtained it. Would that we would all do the same with the promises we have been given...
</idle musing>

Thoughts from afar

A collection of interesting posts from the last few days or so...

Robin Parry with a quote from Barth about the creations of humanity, including technology:

In simplifying and easing his life, they also complicate it and make it more difficult. They take away his little anxieties but create new and bigger ones. They seem to promise courage and a greater zest for life, but increased worry about life is the fulfillment of their promise. (CL, 228)

Ted Gossard reviews Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?:

Karen has strong words of her own to say in a few places in the book. Against the prosperity gospel which flies in the face of not only reality, but the pages of Scripture and of Jesus’ life. Against the American sense of entitlement, seeing this in contrast to so many in the world who barely (or not) have enough to live on. This book does not make one think being wealthy is sinful, or being poor is a virtue. Nor does one finish the book thinking they’ve been taken on a political ride. It neither came across as left or right (nor center, for that matter), but kingdom of God in Jesus in its orientation. Even with the strong words, there really is a graciousness to the book, not the harshness we’re all too accustomed to nowadays.

Ben Myers with a "sermon" from Kim Fabricus about the western way of death:

The world is in denial and confusion about death, dying, and the afterlife. The Christian Church should not be. Our teaching is clear: in the words of the Nicene Creed: “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” The church is not a public service industry. We are not here to meet people’s felt needs, to give their Jack or Jill a “good send-off”. We are here to proclaim the gospel that “Christ has died! Christ is risen! In Christ shall all be made alive!” – to show the world the way out of its fear and muddle and into the truth. The truth is often hard and always odd, but only the truth will set people free.

And, an excellent rant/sermon on national war memorial days:

So no, I will not disrespect soldiers, or be inordinately shocked by unscrupulous politicians, or even by the international dealers in destruction who operate on the cynical principle that “War is good business: invest your son”. For how should these people know any better when they have been baptised into churches that have colluded in chiselling that chilling inscription – Pro Deo et Patria – on war memorials all over the world, which is engraved in most people’s minds, too, like stone? No, it is to the church, and the church’s leadership, which this morning I represent, that I will say, “For shame!” For we have failed you by not radically problematising war – all war – and by not firmly fixing your faith on Jesus of Nazareth, the man who stalks the pages of the gospels, unmistakably and indefectibly preaching and practicing the way of non-violence, and who, as Risen Lord, continues to call, “Follow me!”

<idle musing>
Take the time to read the whole post on each of them; I certainly haven't done them justice with these short snippets.
</idle musing>

Timberrrr!

I came outside Saturday after a very windy Friday night and looked around, expecting to see some tree limbs down. There was only one, relatively small one in our yard, but our neighbor lost a 2-3 inch in diameter sapling; it was sheared off about a foot above the base. Yikes! We didn't get off without damaged, though—look at this:



Yikes! My hoop house bit the dust. It wasn't as bad as it looked, though. The only thing I lost were some small pepper plants; I am restarting those from seed, but it will put the harvest behind a bit :( When we built the hoop house, the instructions said that if you are subject to high winds, you should glue the joints. A trip to the hardware store, a bit of dismantling, and 4 hours later, better than new:



Another, maybe better, view:



While I was playing around, I expanded the asparagus bed and added a few plants:



I also planted 4 blueberry bushes and 25 strawberry plants. You can see the strawberries in the foreground of the second picture.

What else can you see? The white row cover is over the potatoes, which have started putting out leaves. It froze last night, so the row cover was nice to have, plus it keeps the straw on in high winds, which we have had quite a few of lately. The plants you see in the collapsed green house are bush beans; they are doing well for only being 2 weeks old! The hoop house makes a big difference. On Saturday, it was only 50 F, but inside the hoop house (once I rebuilt it!), it was about 80 F. Nice and cozy :)

On other fronts, the brick cheese seems to have turned out. It is 2 weeks old and finally, on Friday, developed the red bacteria linens that they talked about. It also started smelling like brick cheese. Tonight I will wax it and let it age in the refrigerator for a bit. I think I will take a break from cheese making for the summer; I have more than enough to keep me busy without it!

Cheese making tip of the week: When they say that the starter only keeps a month in the freezer once you have started it, they mean it...

National day of prayer

Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer here in the US. I know there were lots of rallies, conferences, and meetings in general, but I fear there was precious little prayer.

One of the favorite verses on days like this is 2 Chronicles 7:14:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Let's assume for the sake of argument, that this applies to the US. How are we doing?
1. If my people, who are called by my name... Check
2. Will humble themselves... Do we really have to?
3. and pray... Don't meetings and rallies count?
4. and seek my face... Come on now! Can't we just seek the blessings instead?
5. and turn from their wicked ways... But, we aren't as evil as those other guys! Surely God will make an exception for us!
6. Then I will hear from heaven... Yes! Sign me up for this one!
7. And I will forgive their sin... What sin? We're doing fine, thank you! It's those other guys that are the problem!
7. And will heal their land... Of course! I'll take that one, too.

See! We qualify because we meet the first standard and want the results of 6 & 8!

Sorry. It doesn't work that way...and take note, the people who are supposed to do the humbling, seeking, and turning are the ones who are called by his name—not "those other guys."

May sale at Eisenbrauns

It's that time of the year again:

Stock up on summer reading at a great price! As the school year winds down, we'd like to offer you a chance to pick up some heavy summer reading at a light price. We are offering over 50 Eisenbrauns titles at discounts from 50-80% off retail price. We are also offering our international customers half-price shipping on your sale order.

You can view all the sale items here:
http://www.eisenbrauns.com/pages/SPECIAL

<idle musing>:
This is one of my favorite sales. It's fun watching the stuff fly off the shelves.
</idle musing>:

Acts of aggression, or defensive action?

“The portrayal of the Canaanite response to Israel throughout Josh 1-11 demonstrates a progressively increasing resolve and desire to fight (5:1; 9:1; 10:1-5; 11:1-5), with 11:1-5 forming the ‘literary climax’ of this progression. Moreover, every military campaign since Ai is portrayed as a defensive reaction to Canaanite aggression, with such aggression reaching a climax in Josh 11, in which Canaanite aggression is depicted with the use of ‘fearful fighting machinery’ (11:4). Again, the Gibeonites are contrasted with other locals (11:19) and perhaps it is significant that it is the inhabitants of Gibeon that are contrasted with other local kings (cf. 9:1 and 3-4a). Indeed, the cities that were fought against are depicted as royal cities, and Creach suggests that Josh 10-11 narrates ‘a repudiation and defeat of royal power. The problem is ... a form of monarchy based on oppression.’ He goes on to suggest that this idea is the key to the meaning of YHWH’s instruction to burn chariots and hamstring horses (11:6); ‘These two parts of the military machine symbolized the application of royal hegemony, gained often through brutality and abuse.’ Furthermore, Hawk notes that there are no details of the battles given, and that Hazor is singled out because it is the head of the kingdoms, ‘exemplifying Canaanite threat’, with the Anakim serving as symbols of Canaanite power. So despite the wider frame of reference of the commands to take the land, Josh 11 portrays Israel’s campaign of conquest of Canaan as an essentially defensive reaction against centres of aggressive military power.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, pages 166-167

<idle musing>
While I'm not usually a fan of post-colonial interpretations, this one appeals to me as essentially correct. Of course, in the modern world, every war is a war of defense, not aggression, right? We don't have a Department of War anymore, now it is the Department of Defense. But that was not true in the ancient world; war was frequent and normal. Indeed, even in Samuel and Kings we see the expectation that there would be a season of war every year. I guess that is why this interpretation appeals to me so much; it is counter to the “normal” ancient thinking. Just an
</idle musing>

To obey is better than...

“The stories of Jericho and Ai indicate the need to obey YHWH through the covenant. It is this, rather than military tactics, that grants Israel success. If Israel obeys YHWH then impregnable walls and obstacles will fall (Jericho) and Israel will not have to worry about her enemies. But if Israel disobeys, then the simplest battle in which a ruin is attacked (Ai) will be lost. Israel does not have to worry about how to possess the land or how to ‘dispose’ of her enemies, for YHWH will take care of this. Rather, Israel must worry about obeying YHWH, an obedience that will lead to blessing and rest. The stories of Rahab and Achan, refracted through the battles at Jericho and Ai, demonstrate the significance of Josh 5:13-15. YHWH is not ‘for’ ethnic Israel on her own ‘national’ terms, something rather unexpected in view of ideas of the favour and the election of Israel, rather, YHWH is ‘for’ those who confess his power and glory, who ‘do חסד [hesed]’ and obey him, made concrete in obedience to the covenant.”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, p. 153

<idle musing>
And it is still true today. God is not “for” the U.S.; he never was. He is “for” those who do חסד. More conferences and laws and petitions and protests and hand-wringing aren't doing חסד.

The early church lived in a far more amoral society than the U.S., but we have no record of them being concerned about who was the emperor, or local ruler, or the rampant immorality of society. No, they simply went about loving their neighbor and living a life that drew attention to God and his love for people. They didn't downplay sin, but they didn't expect non-Christians to act any differently than they were. When Paul went to Corinth, he didn't try to close the brothels or shut down the pagan sacrifices; he preached Jesus as crucified and risen from the dead! And, just as important, he preached a gospel of transformation. Christians were transformed by the power of God, not by “trying to live a moral life” under their own power.

New Testament Christianity is uncomfortable; it demands that you live dead to self. That doesn't preach well in a suburban church. It doesn't fill the offering plates; it doesn't pay the mortgage. I don't see Paul or Peter being concerned about that, though!
</idle musing>