More thoughts on the gods

About 2 weeks ago, I posted some thoughts on the gods as represented in ancient literature. After discussing it further with Debbie (my wife), it became obvious to both of us that I didn't adequately express what I was trying to say. So, let's try it again...

First off, a confession: I believe in the gods (and goddesses). Yes, all of them, Ba`al, 'El, Zeus, Jupiter, Apollo, etc. OK, you can get up off the floor now and let me finish. I believe that they are divine beings, but that they are created ones, under the thumb, so to speak, of YHWH. I suspect I am in the minority in the Western world, bordering on insane, but in the 2/3 world, I would be considered sane and reasonable.

Further, I believe this is the worldview of the Bible and the Church Fathers, in fact most everyone up until the "enlightenment" happened. Now, there are some corollaries to this that have important ramifications. For our purposes here, only one is important:

If the gods are real, then spells have power. The ancients thought so. In fact, in the 2/3 world even today, they will cancel soccer matches because of supposed witchcraft by the opposing team. Why, unless they saw evidence that the spells were effective?

OK, I've probably been written off by most of you, but let's go a bit further here...Why is the biblical text so adamant about not consulting horoscopes? Our 21st century Western mind says, "Because they don't work." Wrong answer! It is because they are based on the belief that the stars are deities (see The Standard Babylonian Creation Myth for details). They are exalting someone other than YHWH as in charge.

Why is witchcraft condemned? Same reason. Why is divination wrong? Again, because only YHWH should be the holder of the future.

By now you are probably wondering where all this is going. Bottom line: I created a mug that has an incantation on it. That was wrong! It was a sin against YHWH because it gave glory to someone other than YHWH. Even if nobody who reads it believes it, that doesn't change that fact. If I could, I would destroy them. But, I can't, they aren't mine...

Quiet

"In many ways we live in a culture in which people are afraid to be truly alone, because in such an experience, we don't like what we see. We are afraid to be with ourselves, to sit and reflect, to listen to what is going on in our hearts. As a result, we cling to activity, to conversations, to noise, and ultimately to others. Often we cling to people in groups in order to survive life, but this can actually steal life from the community and suck it dry."— Missional Small Groups, page 80

<idle musing>
Bonhoeffer in Life Together says that if a person can't stand to be alone, they shouldn't be allowed to be in a group; it will simply disguise their need. Our society is terrified of aloneness and of quiet. And it is getting worse; the music in the stores is getting louder, people are carrying their MP3 players everywhere, they are continually on their cellphones, mobile Internet access never leaves us alone. But, we are bankrupt! Without alone time, our wells are shallow and we have nothing to offer each other. We can't hear God speaking to us unless we are listening; all the noise keeps us distracted from his call. He yearns for intimacy with us, and we settle for a catchy tune or a fleeting tweet or text message. He beckons and we answer our cell phone. How sad.
</idle musing>

Bookselling in perspective

I ran across this in my wanderings today:

According to Orwell, "the real reason why I should not like to be in the book trade for life is that while I was in it I lost my love of books. A bookseller has to tell lies about books, and that gives him a distaste for them."

He was wrong. A great bookseller doesn't have to tell lies about books. A great bookseller is an interpreter who sometimes lets the books speak for themselves.--Robert Gray in Shelf Awareness, an e-letter for booksellers.

<idle musing>
I agree with Robert Gray, not Orwell! I point people to the books that they are looking for; the books—especially Eisenbrauns books—sell themselves.
</idle musing>

Which questions?

"There is a lot of talk about how to do small groups and little actual talk about the God who desires to show up at those small groups. How can we talk about spiritual gifts if our small group imagination is primarily shaped by sociological principles, small group structures, and Bible study questions. Through the Internet and published resources, we have more small group tools at our disposal today than during any other era in church history. I hope these resources are helpful. but if our imagination about small group life is primarily shaped by questions about sociological principles, small group structures, and small group study materials, then I wonder if we are asking the right questions."— Missional Small Groups, page 76

<idle musing>
Agreed. Not that the resources are bad, but if they cause us to ask the wrong questions, they are pointless. If the purpose of a small group is to encounter God, then everything should lead to that end. If the purpose of a small group is to have friends, then that is a different matter all together. Personally, I prefer the first option :)
</idle musing>

Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters

The Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters has a blog.

Subscribe to the RSS feed, but be sure to check out Mike Bird's introductions—both of them! I like this one the best:

The presence of God

"When I read most books on small groups, little is said in them about God's presence. They contain a lot of tactical information and practical skill training. I read articles on group leadership and it is easy to find information on how to ask good questions, ideas for creative study materials, and instructions on what leaders do in order to be effective. I would rather be part of a group that gets all of the tactical stuff wrong but yet encounters Jesus on a regular basis than miss out on the presence of God while getting the technical steps to group leadership right."— Missional Small Groups, page 70

<idle musing>
Amen! Preach it brother! There is nothing wrong with the techniques in and of themselves, but unless they lead to an encounter with the living God, they are worthless.
</idle musing>

More links

I can type a bit better today, so watch for more posting (you were warned!). Meanwhile, a few more links.

Joel muses on whether or not we are all atheists. Sound like a familiar refrain? Here's a snippet:

I think that the notion of separating our faith into a private realm and forgoing any and all public expression of it in an effort not to offend anyone helps us to forget the immanent God. I think that for us, we have forgotten to live our faith, and instead shield it, suffocating it until it is gone all the while pretending we still have it.

<idle musing>
He's singing from the same hymnal I am. We have stripped the divine of all mystery; all that is left is a shadow not worth worshiping. But, God is bigger than that! We just need to open ourselves up to his proddings.
</idle musing>

On a somewhat related note, the newest Biblical Studies carnival is up. I don't know where he found the time to chase all those links; there is something there to make everyone mad, from fundamentalists to atheists and everywhere in between!

Shifting gears to bookselling, I just discovered this site today. It was started by the bookseller at 57th Street Books in Chicago—one of my favorite bookstores. When I was in graduate school, we would go there as a family and read the books in the kid's section. It is a part of the Seminary Coop Bookstore and I spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars there in the three years we were in the area. Great store! Anyway, give the site a read and bookmark or RSS it.

One of today's gems from the site is Books After Amazon. Please read the whole thing, but here is a short snippet:

For decades the publishing world has been anxious about the end of books. Industry consolidation has led to a much-lamented shift to a business-oriented ethos, particularly at some of the larger conglomerates. With corporate ownership came a demand for profit margins that the book-publishing world had never seen. Yet even if new management is nothing like that of the past—gentlemen with large fortunes who became gentlemen with small fortunes—publishing remains an intensely people-driven business, the kind where folks meet face-to-face. Even today most people involved in publishing are there because they love good books.

<idle musing>
You don't go into bookselling or publishing to get rich. Well, unless you are the founder of Amazon, that is.
</idle musing>

Around

I went to the doctor today and got the huge bandage removed. He liked what he saw, told me I could get it wet–just not soak it–then he put a bandage on it. Cool! Now I don't feel like I have a finger that is a foot long :) But, it is still difficult to type; the bandage (and the large scab) prevent it. So, rather than typing a long passage, I will content myself—and hopefully you—with two links for your enjoyment:

A nice summary of the ETS sessions with NT Wright. Note especially the last paragraph:

Church and parachurch groups that make sweeping prohibitions against their members imbibing anything of the new perspective at best simply don’t understand it and at worst are quenching the Spirit’s work in their midst. In fact, the more likely danger for most evangelicals, especially those who most severely criticize the new perspective, is that they will miss the necessary applications of Paul’s warnings to their own proclivities to draw theological boundaries too narrowly between insiders and outsiders, to overly elevate their cultures, nationalities, and tribalisms to a place for inappropriate boasting, and to invoke mandates as to what people must do or believe to be insiders far beyond anything demonstrably biblical, and thus unwittingly mirror precisely a majority of first-century Palestinian Jews (and so-called Jewish Christians), whose views Paul in turn anathematizes!

<idle musing>
Ironic, isn't it?
</idle musing>

And, Roger Olson is doing a good job of articulating classic Arminianism. May his tribe increase! Read the whole thing; I can't really excerpt from it without losing the flow of thought necessary. In the words of Augustine Tolle! Lege! "Pick it up! Read it!"

Thoughts on a Monday after SBL

I didn't have Internet access from Tuesday AM until Wednesday PM, and then I didn't have my computer until this morning, so no updates on the book I'm reading now. With my finger still in a huge bandage, typing is slow. Hopefully I can post again tomorrow from it.

Other thoughts: Driving 1300 miles round trip for SBL saved us substantial money in drayage charges, but it left me quite tired. Traveling in a big truck with books bounces one around a good bit and the noise level leaves one a bit deaf. Just so you get an idea, the fees we pay for shipping books to and from conferences are significant. But, the frustrating part is that the charge for shipping them is usually significantly less than the fee we pay to have them transported to the hotel; that fee is called drayage and is a monopoly. In right-to-work states, you can bring your own stuff in, which is what I did this year in Atlanta.

I had many good conversations at SBL. It is always nice to put a face to names and renew acquaintances. I was especially encouraged by the number of younger scholars who purchased from us and complimented us on the quality of our books.

I didn't take any pictures of tear-down; I was too busy tearing down so I could get the truck loaded and get on the road. I had a 7.5 hour drive ahead of me. The drive was very pretty; I have always enjoyed driving through Tennessee and Kentucky. I took I-75 on the way home, stopping in Cleveland, TN to pick up some books.

I arrived back in Warsaw on Wednesday around noon, unloaded the truck, returned it, and checked e-mail briefly. After that I rode my bike home in freezing rain; quite different from the 72º F weather I had just left!

Thursday morning, I headed back to Louisville, where I had left Debbie while I was at SBL. She stayed with her aunt and cousin; I joined them for the weekend. Nothing like another 500 miles of driving on top of the 1300 I had just done. We had a grand time with them and arrived home late last night.

On with the show

“By nature I am a type-A, get-it-done, make-something-happen person. But through the years I have found that if we want to see things in a different light, we must first of all slow down and reflect, talk with one another, and listen to God and others about what needs to change. We are not simply talking about surface-level change that can be done by adopting a few how-to tactics. We are talking about changing how we we do life and begin to play new music This only happens as people talk about that which lies bneath the surface.”—Missional Small Groups, page 65

<idle musing>
Me too; I have learned to slowdown and let God speak and direct. This is in large part due to Debbie's influence on me; I am so thankful for the 32 years that we have been married now. God knew what he was doing when he gave me to her.
</idle musing>

SBL day 2

Wow! Today flew by! The first half-hour was totally dead; I had flashbacks to the 2008 AAR conference in Chicago where you could have done cartwheels in the aisles. But, thankfully, it got busy shortly thereafter and the next thing I knew, it was 1:00 in the afternoon. I had just spend 4 hours talking to countless people, directing them to other vendor's booths for stuff we didn't have that they were looking for, helping people find the right book, etc. It was a blast. I also had a good time talking to all kinds of people; please don't get offended that I don't mention you by name. There are just so many people.

This afternoon, Hendrickson Publishing did a special presentation to the people involved in the production of the Codex Sinaiticus project. Very nice. The book itself is beautiful; it is definitely worth the $500 they are selling it for at the conference.

This evening, I finally managed to get to a bibliobloggers dinner. I met lots of people for the first time ever, got to put names to faces on others, and renewed acquaintance with others. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation—and the food was pretty good too :) I had a Reuben, and you know they know how to make a Reuben when they ask if you want pastrami instead of corn beef! Chris Tilling was aghast that I would eat sauerkraut, cheese, and meat in a swirled bread, but you know those Brits and good food. He told me that English food was underrated; I'm not convinced :)

I was late getting to the bibliobloggers' affair because I ran into Joseph Kelly and John Anderson (a soon-to-be Eisenauthor) outside the book exhibit. We talked for a good while and suddenly realized we were late to the dinner. I guess in a way we were already there :)

Enough for today. I need to read some and I have a 7:00 breakfast engagement tomorrow with Bobby from Hendrickson. We always have good time together, so I am looking forward to it. I'll do a workout first, of course. Oh, that reminds me, I haven't told you about the workout facilities here, have I? Well, they are adequate; they have two treadmills, an elliptical, and a stationary bike, but it is in a tiny room. The bike is a Life Fitness—a good enough piece of equipment. But, the software has the intervals divided into 10 seconds; that is too short. The interval is too short to get a good workout; it should be at least 30 seconds. My average heart rate working out was about 25-30 BPM less that normal.

SBL set-up

OK, I'm a day late posting this; I should have done it last night. But, I was having too many good discussions after the IBR lecture last night and didn't get in until late.

Now that the excuses are out of the way, here's the traditional pictures of set-up. We did things a bit differently this year. I drove a U-Haul™ with all our stuff this year. No, I wasn't trying to avoid the airport security!

Here's the back of the truck. No, the soda isn't mine!


About this time, we feel like it will never get done.





But, we do



We're trying something new this year. How's your Luwian?

Insder trading

“Being missional is about who we are, not just what we do. Therefore, missional life is not simply about the body of Christ having hands and feet so we do something for the world. Living missionally depends on how we relate to God and how we relate to one another as much as on how we relate to those outside the church.

“We can easily miss this point. Typically we divide up various aspects of church life into categories of what is done for insiders and what we do for outsiders. Therefore, insiders experience God's presence. Insiders practice love for one another. Then the insiders go and share a message or perform a service project for outsiders. Missional then is construed as what is done for outsiders.”—Missional Small Groups, page 63

<idle musing>
The good old dichotomy rears its ugly head again...
</idle musing>

Thought on the gods

I have been musing (and praying) a good bit the last few days about the "ilu mug we made. Here are two sections of scripture that came to mind:

Isiah 44:12 The ironsmith fashions it and works it over the coals, shaping it with hammers, and forging it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry and his strength fails, he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line, marks it out with a stylus, fashions it with planes, and marks it with a compass; he makes it in human form, with human beauty, to be set up in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars or chooses a holm tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it can be used as fuel. Part of it he takes and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it, makes it a carved image and bows down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he roasts meat, eats it and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Ah, I am warm, I can feel the fire!” 17 The rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, bows down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god!”
Is. 44:18   They do not know, nor do they comprehend; for their eyes are shut, so that they cannot see, and their minds as well, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals, I roasted meat and have eaten. Now shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?—Isaiah 44:12-20 NRSV

And:

Hab. 2:18    What use is an idol
once its maker has shaped it—
a cast image, a teacher of lies?
For its maker trusts in what has been made,
though the product is only an idol that cannot speak!
19 Alas for you who say to the wood, “Wake up!”
to silent stone, “Rouse yourself!”
Can it teach?
See, it is gold and silver plated,
and there is no breath in it at all.
 
Hab. 2:20    But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him!—Habakkuk 2:18-20 NRSV

<idle musing>
Isaiah and Habakkuk are having fun here, but are very serious at the same time. Socrates, the Greek philosopher, used to say that the gods corrupted the morals of the Greeks—he earned the death penalty for that one...

But, think about the scene in the mug. 'Ilu, the head god, gets drop-dead drunk; Yariḥu, the moon god, is so drunk he acts like a dog! These scenes seem to beg for mockery. But, instead, they set the stage for a hang-over cure! No wonder Isaiah says they are blind!

Before we wax eloquent about how much better we are, let's stop and think for a minute. It seems pretty obvious to me, and you can disagree if you wish, that the main god in the US is money. Right now, we need more of it to keep the economy running. So, the economic wizards are working their magic, trying to restart everything. And what are they doing? More of the same things that got us in this mess to begin with! (I know that is a simplification, but the simile works).

We still have our spells; we still have our wizards. But, the creator still reigns and calls us to faithfulness to him.
</idle musing>

Watch the tense

“I find it interesting that Jesus told his disciples, 'You are salt,...light...a city on a hill.' He did not say, 'You should be...,' 'You would be if...,' or 'You could be if...' He declared who they were and equipped them to live in a way that fit this declaration. He does the same for us today. God has put his Spirit within us and given us a new nature. He invites us to learn his ways and discover what it means to live in a way that lines up with whom he made us to be.”—Missional Small Groups, pages 45-46

<idle musing>
If only we grasped that more often. We are so many things in Christ, and we keep on striving to arrive at what we already are. The irony.
</idle musing>

Medical update

Well, it has been 10 days since the lawnmower ate part of my fingers. Yesterday, I went to the doctor to have the bandage changed. I was warned to take a few Ibuprofen™ and a Vicodin™ before arriving. They were going to remove the stitches and push and prod it. Are you wincing just thinking about it?

Debbie drove me; I'm not good at driving under medication. Sure enough, they removed the stitches and poked and prodded the flesh. The doctor has my style of humor, so we get along. He used a highly technical medical term to describe how my finger looked: "juicy." The Physician's Assistant used an equally technical term: "soupy." But, they were pleased with what they saw.

The doctor explained that lawnmower cuts are especially susceptible to infection because of the high velocity blade pushing junk into the cut, so he prescribed more anti-biotics. Then they rebandaged the finger. It still looks huge, but at least I can move it now. The previous bandage had so much dried blood on it that it felt like a cast.

That's the update. So, if you see me at SBL, the first thing you will probably notice is this huge white bandage on my right hand. At least I can ride my bike again and take a shower solo. But I still can't type or knead bread :(

How we do church

Guy Muse has a two part post on getting from Mega Church to Meta Church. Here's a few that jumped out at me:

6.Replace professional music with believers speaking to each other in psalms and spiritual songs, making melody in their hearts to the Lord. OT worship required the sacrifice of four-footed beasts, the NT celebrates by offering two legged Gentiles as a living sacrifice. The meta church is a discipling hub and not a singing club. Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; Rom. 15:16

7.Shift from spectator-oriented church to ‘metastasizing’ interactive, participatory, prophetic church. Empower men, women and youth, to get the dragon off the driver’s seat. We, the seed of Abraham are blessed, “with multiplying I will multiply you and your seed will possess the gates of the enemy”. 1 Cor.14:26-31; Acts 13:13;18:4; Gen. 22:17,18

13. Resurrect from being a dead organization to a living organism. Eliminate all extra-biblical cosmetic titles like Director, Chairman, CEO, and Secretary, by appointing five-fold ministry-gifted Elders, like apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers, as equippers. By feeding, leading and keeping the flock healthy and reproductive, they must reach those who are outside the fold. Eph. 4:11; Tit.1:5-9; John 10:16

18.Reorient your own personal paradigm. Your business, workplace or home, wherever you spend most of your time, is your ‘primary nuclear church’. It matters little whether you are the CEO, or the janitor or the kitchen queen, you are a full-time minister there and accountable. Adam and Eve were accountable for the Garden of Eden and failed.

<idle musing>
They are all worth reading. By the way, the person who formulated them isn't just some theoretician. Look at his credentials:

Victor Choudhrie is a cancer surgeon by profession. He is a Senior Fellow of the American and British Colleges of Surgeons. He left his position as Director and CEO of the Christian Medical college, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, in 1992, to take up a full-time Church planting ministry in central India. His wife, Bindu, is also in a full-time church planting ministry, equipping women to be house-church leaders and trainers. They now have disciples making disciples in some forty countries. Theirs is presently amongst the fastest growing movements deploying volunteers with no paid workers in the field. God has blessed this ministry abundantly. In the year from Pentecost 2009 to Pentecost 2010, over one million underwent a ‘holy dip’ through their ministry partners. Large numbers of grassroots level leaders have been trained, who, subsequently, have planted tens of thousands of house churches across India and abroad.

When he speaks, we should listen, don't you think?
</idle musing>

There must be more

“Most people live according to the rhythms that have been shaped by the broader culture. Even in our churches this is the case, although most of us don't want to think that we live like those who don't know Jesus. But the reality is that churched people work just as many hours per week, watch just as much television, spend their money in similar ways, and have just as many family struggles as the unchurched.

“...If we don't live in a way that is distinctive from our culture, then why not? If we are going to be satisfied with living our lives like the rest of the world and adding a weekly sermon and a small group Bible study on top, then what exactly are we up to in the church? Isn't there more?”—Missional Small Groups, page 45

<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching! That's what I've been arguing on this blog for 5 years now; there is more to Christianity than most realize. Let's see what he offers in the days ahead.
</idle musing>

Trouble

Jim Martin, at A Place for the God-Hungry has a guest post exploring the issue of “troubles”:

In the West the philosophical and religious responses to trouble or adversity vary widely along a continuum from trouble as punishment to trouble as completely absurd. Even going so far as to deny the very existence of trouble as something real (it’s just a figment of human imagination) is one proposed answer to the issue. I tend to place this approach into the irresponsible or even irrational column even though a great deal of humanity takes this view in professing some form of Buddhist, Taoist or Hindu faith. And millions spend their lives at least giving lip service to denying or trying to deny this simple, common sense observation that—to be human is to be pressed by troubles.

We ignore troubles to our own peril. We redefine them supposedly out of existence, again to our own peril. We drown them with chemicals to our own peril. We defy them as absurd with existential hubris to our own peril. In this world you will have trouble, Jesus said. No denial or defiance here. His answer was simple: Take heart for I have overcome the world.

<idle musing>
So simple. We will have trouble, but Jesus says he has already overcome it. We participate by faith; how absurd in the world's eyes. Typical of God, isn't it? He takes the despised things and makes them his.

I have always like the line in the Lord of the Rings (the books!) where Gandalf says something like, “Who of the wise would have foreseen it? Or, if they are truly wise would have expected to.” But, human hubris knows no bounds; the Not invented here (NIH) syndrome blinds us and makes us dumb.
</idle musing>

New book I'm reading

I started a new book over the weekend: Missional Small Groups published by Baker (thanks, Steve!). I'm going to try to post excerpts, but not sure how consistent I will be for the next two weeks; I leave for SBL tomorrow...

Meanwhile, enjoy today's snippet:

“I have encountered too many groups who want to perform some kind of missional act for God and impact the world, but they don't see the need to embody the kind of love that will actually impact the world. Being relational and being missional are intricately connected. We cannot divide the two. The church has nothing to offer the world if it does not embody the message of Good News that it aims to share.”—M. Scott Boren, Missional Small Groups, page 35

<idle musing>
So like us, isn't it? We put the cart before the horse. We confuse the end with the method.
</idle musing>

Ethics? What are they?

Students cheating has become fairly common. There are programs that sniff out plagiarism in papers. But, what about the paid professional who writes papers for a living?

There is a long article in today's Chronicle of Higher Education by a paid ghost writer. It is very disheartening, but this paragraph especially so:

I do a lot of work for seminary students. I like seminary students. They seem so blissfully unaware of the inherent contradiction in paying somebody to help them cheat in courses that are largely about walking in the light of God and providing an ethical model for others to follow. I have been commissioned to write many a passionate condemnation of America's moral decay as exemplified by abortion, gay marriage, or the teaching of evolution. All in all, we may presume that clerical authorities see these as a greater threat than the plagiarism committed by the future frocked.

<idle musing>
Ethics! Who needs them, right? Come on people! It is because of this hypocrisy and inconsistency that Christianity is being scorned. What did Paul say in Romans? Oh, yeah, "On account of you my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles." As Nathan told David, "You are the man!" You can't claim to serve a holy God and not live a holy life.
</idle musing>

Give and take

Roger Olson is pushing back, and I think he's right. He is asked for biblical passages to defend his stand and his response is, well, scriptural:

To those who ask where the Bible commands us to “take” rather than “give,” I ask: Where does the Bible command us to do many of the things we do routinely (and claim are “biblical”)? Where does the Bible command us to create denominations? Where does the Bible command us to protest at abortion clinics? Where does the Bible command us to promote constitutional amendments banning gay marriage? Where does the Bible even mention ordination of ministers? Where does the Bible….? The list could go on forever. It’s a specious argument from silence and fallacious insofar as we Christians all do and support things that are not specifically commanded in Scripture.

For better or worse, he is on the money. But, as long as it agrees with our preconceptions, we don't object, do we? He goes on to explain what the real issue is:

The real question is about justice. Scripture clearly commands God’s people to show compassion for the poor. Now that many of God’s people have political power insofar as they do not use it to show compassion for the poor they are disobeying God...

...redistribution of wealth does not have to mean taking money from some people and simply handing it unconditionally to others. It can (and should) mean taking money from the wealthy to create social systems that create real equal opportunity and that meet basic human needs for everyone. The best redistribution of wealth is job creation.

<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching! May his tribe increase.
</idle musing>

Serving and being served

Over the course of the last week I have been served many times. It is simply amazing to me how much not being able to use one finger on a hand changes your abilities. I'm thankful for the opposable thumb, but this week, I am even more thankful for fingers! Things that I normally would do without thinking have become a major undertaking, or even impossible in some cases. Typing, for example, is not easy. I took for granted my typing abilities. Not anymore! I've never seen so many typos in my stuff. And, even worse, it takes three times as long.

The timing wasn't what I would have chosen, either. We had two books come in this week. I had to make room in the warehouse for them and then help unload the truck. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem moving boxes around; after all, I've worked in warehouses most of my adult life. But, now I have to be careful or I will be almost screaming in pain. One misjudgment in placing the box results in a few minutes of pain—I don't like medications, so I take the minimum I can bear.

Additionally, it is the week before SBL. Anybody who has worked for a publisher that exhibits there can tell you what I mean. No matter how carefully you plan, there are always last minute things. This year seems worse than most for some reason. I've been behind on getting things done, which has put others in a bad spot.

I didn't get the order forms done on time for various reasons. That resulted in a special plea to the printer. He said he would do what he could, but no guarantees. I received a call Saturday morning from him; he was working on them on his day off and had a short question! I was truly humbled; he took his day off to serve me—and it was my fault that we were late! Later on Saturday, in the early evening, I received a call from Andy. I had screwed up on one of the poster layouts and he was redoing it. On Saturday evening!

As I think of these things, I am truly amazed at how much I take for granted in my daily life. I haven't even mentioned how much more Debbie has had to do this week. I can't even take a shower without her help; I can't help with the dishes, or the laundry, or...the list goes on. Talk about humbling...

I am truly grateful for all the people who have served me. I thank God for them; may I never forget how blessed I am.

One final thought: please, don't count the number of typos you found in this post! I used to dislike the squiggly lines in word processors under words it didn't recognize—not this week!

Root beer floats

We got the new mugs in yesterday and to celebrate, the business bought the makings for root beer floats (thanks, Dave!). Here's some pictures for your enjoyment:

Dave, washing the mugs:


The waiting crowd:


One scoop or two?


Satisfied customers

New Journal

Eisenbrauns is delighted to announce a new journal. Yes, another journal—but this one is affordable! Here's the blurb on our web page:

Introducing the Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters

The Apostle Paul stands as an incredibly important figure within the religious and intellectual history of Christianity and Judaism in the first century. The study of Paul (the historical person, author, tradition, and legend) and the Pauline letters (content, context, authenticity, theology, and reception) continue to capture the fascination of scholars, students, religious communities, and even the media. A number of journals geared toward New Testament studies in general often contain a disproportionate number of articles dedicated to the study of the Pauline corpus. There is a never-ending avalanche of Ph.D. theses written about Paul and about the countless approaches and methods used to analyze the Pauline materials. Indeed, the study of Paul and the Pauline letters appears to be an almost inexhaustible field of investigation. Therefore, we think it time that Pauline research should have its own dedicated journal as a specific conduit for Pauline research as it is broadly practiced. In light of these considerations, it is my pleasure to present to you the Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters (JSPL).

The JSPL will present cutting-edge research for scholars, teachers, postgraduate students, and advanced undergraduates related specifically to study of the Apostle Paul and cognate areas. It is proposed that the many and diverse aspects of Pauline studies be represented and promoted by the journal (see below, "Contribute"). The purpose of the journal is to advance discussion on these areas of Pauline research. As such we invite submissions on the above mentioned topics that make a significant and original contribution to the field of Pauline studies.

The inaugural issue of JSPL includes a contribution by one of its editorial board members, Dr. Susan Eastman of Duke Divinity School (USA) on “Philippians 2:6–11: Incarnation as Mimetic Participation.” Delving into the Christ-Hymn, Eastman argues for a close link between imitation and participation in Paul’s explication of his gospel to the Philippian audience. The first regular issue of JSPL will include studies such as Paul Foster, “Eschatology in the Thessalonian Correspondence”; Michael Gorman, “Justification and Justice”; Richard Bell, “Paul’s Theology of Mind”; and a review of Douglas A. Campbell’s The Deliverance of God by Christopher Tilling and Michael Gorman, with a further response from Douglas Campbell.

You can get a sample issue here

Thoughts

Since I can't type, I'll quote :)

Here's an interesting note from Jesus Creed:

C.E.O.’s of the largest American companies earned an average of 42 times as much as the average worker in 1980, but 531 times as much in 2001. Perhaps the most astounding statistic is this: From 1980 to 2005, more than four-fifths of the total increase in American incomes went to the richest 1 percent.

Along that same note, Roger Olson pushes back against some who claim that God never intended the redistribution of wealth:

I believe Old Testament regulations about land and wealth are not binding on Christians, but I also believe they reveal something about the will of God for his people and everyone.

The “Year of Jubilee” may never have been practiced by ancient Israel, but that God commanded it reveals that God is not IN PRINCIPLE against redistribution of wealth. In fact, if may reveal that God is IN PRINCIPLE for it. Was the Year of Jubilee intended to be voluntary–a matter of charity? I doubt that. Every 50 years debts were to be forgiven and land returned to the family that originally owned it. That certainly amounts to redistribution of wealth–taking from the rich and giving to the poor has to be the intended goal of that law. Surely it cannot be legitimately interpreted as God’s command “If you want to do it.” That’s nonsense. It was meant to be enforced.

On a somewhat different note, Andy LePeau has some thoughts on the common good:

Seeking the common good takes our agenda outside the realm of politics. Our goal is not to “win.” Rather we acknowledge that we are part of a world and culture that is greater than us, and we seek what will benefit all—even sacrificing for the sake of others.

Seeking the common good suppresses but doesn’t entirely eliminate the tendencies of elitism toward exclusion, pride and deception.

Seeking the common good means taking the long view and not being caught up in short-term gains. It means seeking the good of institutions over generations as well as of individuals.

<idle musing>
Please, go read the full article on all 3 of them; it will do your mind good :)

OK. Did you read them? What do you think?
</idle musing>

Slow...

I wanted to put up some selections from some books I've been reading this week, but my typing is painfully slow. Basically, my right hand has one functioning finger for typing, and I am hitting more than one key at a time because of the bandage; there are far more "m"s and ","s than necessary :( Hopefully I'll get better at one finger typing and put something up aoon.

Meanwhile, check out Eisenbrauns new 10-day sale here

Green house musings

Last weekend, I modified the green house (actually hoop house). I got sick of the wind knocking it down, so I did a number of things.

First, I created a real door:



Second, I created a real venting window:



I created them with 2 x 2 lumber and drywall screws. The plastic is held in place with firring strips. It definitely adds to the stability :)

Third, I ordered reinforcing clamps from Creative Shelters. I haven't actually installed them yet. I was going to do that yesterday, but...well one hand isn't working so well right now...

If you want to make a hoop house, do it right from the start. I've been trying to do it on the cheap and it keeps costing me more than if I had done it right from the first. It still is very reasonable, but if you do it, make ends like I have here, buy the fabric clamps from here. Be sure to glue the PVC and tie down the corners with machine screws. You'll thank me in the end...

Don't try this at home

I ran an unintentional experiment this weekend. When human flesh meets steel, steel wins. I have two broken fingers and a missing fingernail to prove it. I actually came out on the good side; it could have been much worse.

Now, roll your eyes at my stupidity. OK? As I've mentioned, we have a new lawn tractor. Well, the leaf vacuum attaches differently on it, right on top of the blades, not on the outside. Yep, you see it coming, don't you? Some pine needles had plugged the vacuum; on the Cub Cadet, that was easy to fix, since the input was well away from the blades...not so here. I lost a fingernail and broke two fingers; for my stupidity I should have lost more, but for whatever reason, God saw fit to spare me of more.

I have a huge bandage on my right hand, middle finger; it makes typing a bit difficult :(

I should create a new category: Stupid mistakes

Something to think about over the weekend

Before I left town on Monday, I received an e-mail from Smyth & Helwys, a Baptist publisher. They were promoting their book of the month, Stand with Christ. I usually find their selected books to be thought provoking, and this was no exception. Here are a couple of excerpts from the featured chapter, but do read the whole thing.

As a child at Vacation Bible School, I pledged allegiance to the American flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible—in that order. From an early age I was taught to cherish each of those, and I still love and respect what each of them represents. As I grew older, however, I learned to make distinctions and weigh values and the ordering of my allegiances shifted.

Today, my allegiance to Christ always comes first.

When I was a teenager growing up in an independent, fundamentalist Baptist church, we often sang a chorus I first learned as a child in VBS: “The B-I-B-L-E, Yes, that’s the book for me, I’ll stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.” More often than that, I heard preachers pound on the pulpit and lift their Bibles high and forcefully thunder out rhetoric such as: “All we know about Jesus is in this book. If the Bible is not infallible and inerrant, then nobody, nobody, nobody can tell us how to get to God for sure.”1 At that time, it seemed clear to me that if you did not believe the Bible, you could not be saved. The Bible’s inerrancy served to “guarantee” that the Christian faith was true. Without it you could not be sure of your salvation. In essence, you had to pledge allegiance to the Bible before you could pledge allegiance to Christ. As I grew older and my faith and my thinking matured, however, the ordering of my allegiances shifted.

Today, my allegiance to Christ always comes first.

And, a bit further on

The developing sophistication of idolatry did not end in biblical times. Throughout the history of the church it has continued, in varying forms, to the present day. Its most recent modern form is the elevation of the Bible over Jesus.

Like the Ark of the Covenant, the Temple, and the Law, the role of the Bible in the drama of divine redemption is vital. But reverence for the Bible and its authority must never divert attention from the central and preeminent place Christ holds in the drama of redemption and revelation. There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5). Jesus alone is the ground and foundation for our faith.

<idle musing>
Amen! This chapter sums up much of my problem with inerrancy and Bible worship. The elevation of the biblical text above Christ might not be intentional—and I suspect it isn't!—but God will allow nothing to come before Him—not even the Bible.
</idle musing>

Thought for today

"When the church recognizes that God never intended for the spiritual leader to be all things to all people and when the spiritual leaders become secure enough in their gift that they are not threatened by others who can supplement their ministry and succeed in areas where they are weak, then the church will once again grow strong and healthy."—Jamie Buckingham

An important vote

Quick! Go vote for your favorite ANE mug! Chip Hardy has a poll going on right now. He is comparing our way cool 'Ilu Mug with the Oriental Institute's Writing Exhibit mug.

I admit, theirs is nice, but ours is better :)

Vote early, vote often, but only for the 'Ilu mug!

Thought for the day

"I am not a healer, although I have seen people healed. I am not a miracle worker. But I have seen miracles. Many of them. But it no longer bothers me when I pray for someone to be healed, and they are not. The older I grow, the less I know. But I love Him. And I am available. The results—and the glory—belong to Him.

"All God requires is that I become a seed that falls into the ground and dies."—Jamie Buckingham

This week

This week finds me in Santa Fe NM attending a conference. I will be here until Thursday morning. Yesterday was consumed with traveling—always a fun thing... Anyway, we left yesterday afternoon at 1:30 EDT and arrived here at about 10 MDT. The only exciting thing was that there wasn't any exciting thing :)

The altitude here is 7,000 feet, but I was surprised that I didn't notice it much. As some of you know, I judge a hotel by the workout facilities. This one has Precor stuff, which is good stuff; there are 2 treadmills, 2 ellipticals, and a stationary bike. Unfortunately, it is an upright, but it worked fine. I did notice the altitude on the more strenuous parts of the workout, and the heart rate monitor went nuts (as usual).

Hopefully I will be able to play the tourist a bit today. I brought the camera, so maybe I will be able to post some pictures.

Final thoughts

This is the final extract from The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me:

Who was running the Church in the book of Acts?

Not some committee or ecclesiastical hierarchy, but Jesus. The believers were put into action at His command; they were told to go, and they went. They knew what it meant to be a Christian, to become simply the suit of clothes that Jesus wears, so that the results would have only one possible explanation: Christ enthroned within the heart of every forgiven sinner.— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 162

In declaring that He, as Man, could do nothing without the Father (John 5:19), Christ demonstrated the truth that has always been true—that we as human beings can do nothing without Him. In the same way that the Father, as God, was indispensable to Christ as Man in His life on earth, Christ as God is now indispensable to us as human beings in our lives.— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, pages 168-169

<idle musing>
I hope you have been encouraged/convicted by this series of excerpts. I know I was. I might have a final reflection early next week—we'll see what the weekend holds :)
</idle musing>

Serving tea?

"When you are sent and you go, you are put where Christ puts you, and nothing will frighten you.

"That is why these early believers earned the reputation of being incorrigibly happy, utterly unafraid, and nearly always in trouble."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 158

<idle musing>
I read, I believe it was in Elton Trueblood, that an Anglican bishop was reflecting that everywhere Paul went there was a riot or a revival, but everywhere he went they served tea. I know that N.T. Wright has used the saying, but I first read it back in the early 1970's, so it predates him.

Nevertheless, isn't that an accurate statement of the early church? What has happened?! — Lord! Deliver us from mediocrity and apathy!
</idle musing>

Live the life

"The true Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you—your personality, your willpower, your gifts, your talents, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything—then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, pages 151-152

<idle musing>
Ain't it the truth...
</idle musing>

Slave labor

Another reason I don't shop at Wal-mart. Read the whole thing here:

The 2500 workers at the Anowara Apparels factory in Bangladesh spend all day sewing jeans, primarily for the Faded Glory brand of clothes sold at Walmart. They are 90% young women, some with families to support and others trying to simply scrape a living together. The women make between 11 and 17 cents an hour sewing jeans, and they're expected to produce at least ten pairs an hour. That means they make less than two pennies for each pair of jeans they sew. Recognizing the gross underpayment of these workers, the Bangladeshi government has suggested raising the minimum wage to 35 cents an hour. Walmart has responded by lobbying against Bangladesh's efforts to fairly compensate workers and decided to keep their staff living in abject poverty.

<idle musing>
I'm reminded of the passage in the book of James (5:4-6):

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self–indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

</idle musing>

HT: BJ

More Christ in you

"You must act on what you have come to know and believe before it will ever become real in your experience, before you realize by personal experience that Jesus is alive not just in heaven but in you every moment of every day, as the Father was alive in Him. Then our actions will be the activity of faith."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 134

<idle musing>
This is no "pie-in-the-sky" stuff we're talking about. This is real life, here and now!
</idle musing>

Honest question

Seriously, this is an honest question:

Why is socialism considered a dirty word?

<idle musing>
I've heard people spit it out of their mouth like it is a nasty four-letter profane word. I'm really curious why it is considered so terrible...

Please keep your answers civil; I'm not looking for a fight—really! I honestly don't understand and am seeking to learn.
</idle musing>

Christ in you

To many pragmatic minds, this total repudiation of self-effort is abhorrent. The thought of it can result in a hostility borne of self-justification. Such people often are very dedicated in their desire to serve God, but they are baffled by the whole concept of a Christian life which is nothing more nor less than Jesus Christ Himself in action.— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 128

<idle musing>
It is called the Christian life, after all...
</idle musing>

You've got to be kidding

No, they aren't!

As you know, I do a bit of cheese making. Consequently, one of the RSS feeds I subscribe to is a cheese making supply house. They post different recipes periodically. Today, they posted a recipe for—hold onto your hats—Velveeta™! Is nothing sacred? They don't even try to defend it:

Are you serious?

We are. Our official policy is that there is no law against consenting adults making Velveeta in the privacy of their own homes.

Yes, it's embarrassing, but the truth is that sometimes you want macaroni made with Velveeta, the way your mother made it. You're not alone and we're here to help you.

<idle musing>
Don't expect me to be making it any time soon!
</idle musing>

No problem!

"You may be thinking, “if such a life is totally of Him, though Him, and to Him, then where do I come in?” You do not. That is just where you go out! This is what Paul meant when he said, “For to me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21).

"Here was Paul dying to self [in II Corinthians], and this dying to self allowed him to hand the whole situation over to the One indwelling him, Jesus Christ, the God of resurrection power.

"Dying to self is a wonderful position to be in, because dead people cannot die, and dead people do not have problems."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, pages 120-121

<idle musing>
I love it: "dead people cannot die, and dead people do not have problems." That sums up our position in Christ! Of course, we can choose to wallow in our self-pity and problems, but that isn't who we really are in Christ.
</idle musing>

5 years

Yep, five years ago today I started blogging; 1829 posts later, I'm still here. A lot of the people I was interacting with aren't blogging anymore, or sporadically at best. Some have moved about 4-5 times since then, falling prey to the evil Wordpress disease and abandoning the true faith :)

Anyway, I was looking back over some of the early posts today. I had just received my new road bike and was gushing forth about it. Five years later, I still love it and have put over 1300 miles on it. I've also burned out one bike commuting in the winter and am on the second year of another one. This one will probably last longer; the frame and wheels are aluminum, so they won't rust. The cables still need to be replaced each year, but $25.00/year is a lot cheaper than driving a car 11 miles a day to work!

The other thing that was preoccupying me was conference preparation. We have made great progress in that area. In fact, we had a meeting earlier this week and were commenting on how much less stress there is now than then. Basically, we just took all the tasks and spread them out over a few months so that no one month gets overwhelmed—usually! This year has a bit of a push to it with a catalog and a new mug, plus new bags, but its still a lot less stressful (others might disagree...).

I still am reading books and putting excerpts up on the blog. The nature of the books hasn't changed much, either. Does that mean I'm stable, or does it just mean I'm in a rut? Just an
<idle musing>

Get out of the way!

Suppose you were digging a hole, and I offered to give you a rest. How would I do it?

While you continued shoveling, I could call down a suggestion to you, such as, “Try tossing the dirt over your left shoulder instead of your right.” I could sing a song about digging, or discuss all the latest philosophical thinking that might relate to it.

Would any of that give you rest? No, it would more likely give you a heart attack!

Yet those approaches are very much like what today's Christianity tries to do to bring rest to struggling believers, all in vain.

How could I truly give you rest if you were in that hole digging? Obviously there is only one way: You must get out and let me get in. You must drop the spade and let me pick it up. You must quit and let me take over. You must vacate that hole in the ground so that I can occupy it.— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, pages 95-96

<idle musing>
So simple, yet so difficult, isn't it? Just get out of the way and let God take over. But, we want to prove to God that we can do it! Don't bother; he already knows we will fail...
</idle musing>

Thought for a Tuesday

"The flesh within you has never ceased to love sin, and never will. Given half a chance, it will always manifest its corruption and depravity."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 91

<idle musing>
E. Stanley Jones said that the old self likes to put on a religious robe and sneak back up on the throne.
</idle musing>

Thought for a Monday

"If you are not yet prepared to do as you are told, no matter how weak or foolish it will make you look, then whatever you believe about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is still academic. You have not yet entered into the good of it."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 73

<idle musing>
I just re-read this without the context, and it sounds scary! He isn't talking about a mindless, obey the master, obedience; rather, he is discussing walking by faith in God. Think Abraham sacrificing Isaac; does that help? If you don't put legs to your faith, it is academic.
</idle musing>

Salvation

"Salvation is so much more than a change of destination from hell to heaven! The true spiritual content of our gospel is not just heaven one day, but Christ here and now In the economy of God, conversion is only an essential preliminary to discipleship, which is a lifetime of allowing Christ to live in you and do His work through you."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 57

<idle musing>
I've heard it described as not so much God getting us into heaven as God getting heaven into us. Either way, salvation is about the Kingdom of God—starting right now!
</idle musing>

LIberty or slavery?

"There is a lie that Satan continues to propagate today with signal success in the hearts of countless people. It is the notion that by giving themselves back to the God who made them, and by submitting themselves to His sovereignty, they will be robbed of that liberty which makes life really worth living. Such people are not necessarily insincere in this conviction, but are the victims of their own ignorance, which makes them dupes of the devil, whose greatest delight is exploiting that ignorance."— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 45

<idle musing>
Kind of reminds me of a Randy Stonehill song from way back: "We are all like foolish puppets, who longing to be free now lie pitifully crippled after cutting their own strings..."
</idle musing>

cute

I know I'm biased, but I think I've got cute grandkids. Last night, I was talking to our son, Ryan, on the phone and he told me he was sending a picture of Evelyn. Sure enough, it was in the Inbox this morning. Here she is, about 18 months old:



And, lest any of Renee and Joel's kids feel shorted, here's a link to some great recent pictures of them. Too bad I can't link to beansprout yet, but he (?) isn't due for another few months...

Fun contest

Doug Mangum took issue with a newly announced AOAT title, The Exchange of Goods and Services in Pre-Sargonic Lagash, calling it the most boring title ever. In reaction, he announced a contest. Initially, he offered a book from his library as the winner.

I figured I could go one better, so I offered to have Eisenbrauns award a $50.00 gift certificate to the winner. Jim Getz came back with a strong contender. If you are on Twitter (yes, you, Jim and Nick!), you can follow the exchange. Personally, I thought he was going to give us the title of his dissertation :)

Anyway, head on over to Doug's blog and enter your most boring biblical studies/ANE title ever. I bet you can come up with one without to much trouble :) I'd offer one, but I'm kinda not eligible...

By our own strength

"The flesh will sing in the choir, teach Sunday school, preside at a deacons' meeting, preach from the pulpit, organize an evangelistic crusade, go to Bible college, volunteer for the mission field, and a thousand other things, all of which may in themselves be otherwise legitimate, if only it can keep its neck out of the noose. The flesh will threaten, shout, strut, domineer, sulk, plot, creep, beg, plead, or sob, whatever the situation may demand in the interests of its own survival. By any and all means it will seek to cause every Christian to live by his own strength instead of by the power and grace of the Lord Jesus, and to conclude that doing so is actually a good thing!"— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 42

<idle musing>
As usual, we take the teachings of Jesus and turn them on their head...pick up your cross—Nope! That's for somebody else. I'll serve God by doing all these things, and to prove how spiritual I am, I'll do them in my own strength!
</idle musing>

New 10-day sale at Eisenbrauns

With a hearty hat tip to Tommy Wasserman for the choice of books, I managed to create a new 10-day sale. Here's the skinny from BookNews

BookNews from Eisenbrauns

With a special thank you to Tommy Wasserman at the Evangelical
Textual Criticism (http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.com/)
blog for assistance in choosing the titles, Eisenbrauns is
offering a 15-40% discount on selected New Testament textual
criticism resources. As always, all sales on this web sale
are final; no returns will be permitted. Offer is good only
on orders placed at www.eisenbrauns.com through October 20, 2010.

To go directly to the weekly sale, click on this link:
http://www.eisenbrauns.com/pages/NEWSLIST
============================================================
"The Epistle of Jude: Its text and transmission"
by Tommy Wasserman
Coniectanea Biblica New Testament Series - CBNTS 43
Almqvist and Wiksell, 2006. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9789122021599
List Price: $79.00 Your Price: $47.40

"Text of the New Testament"
by Barbara Aland and Kurt Aland
Translated by Erroll F. Rhodes
Eerdmans, 1989. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9780802840981
List Price: $30.00 Your Price: $19.50

"Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism"
Edited by David Alan Black
Baker Academic, 2002. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9780801022807
List Price: $20.00 Your Price: $14.30

"Perspectives on the Ending of Mark: 4 Views"
by David Alan Black
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2008. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9780805447620
List Price: $19.99 Your Price: $12.99

"Perspectives on New Testament Textual Criticism:
Collected Essays, 1962-2004"
by Eldon J. Epp
Society of Biblical Literature -SBL, 2008. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9781589833852
List Price: $82.95 Your Price: $62.21

"The Freer Biblical Manuscripts: Fresh Studies of an
American Treasure Trove"
Edited by L. W. Hurtado
Archaeology and Biblical Studies - ABS 9
Society of Biblical Literature -SBL, 2006. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9781589832084
List Price: $34.95 Your Price: $26.21

"Apologetic Discourse and the Scribal Tradition: Evidence of
the Influence of Apologetic Interests on the Text of the
Canonical Gospels"
by Wayne C. Kannaday
Text-Critical Studies
Society of Biblical Literature -SBL, 2004. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9781589831018
List Price: $39.95 Your Price: $29.96

"The Text of the New Testament: Its
Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration"
by Bruce M. Metzger and Bart D. Ehrman
Oxford University Press, 2005. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9780195161229
List Price: $47.95 Your Price: $42.46

"An Introduction to the New Testament
Manuscripts and their Texts"
by D. C. Parker
Cambridge University Press, 2008. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9780521719896
List Price: $34.99 Your Price: $30.59

"Scribal Habits in Early Greek New Testament Papyri"
By James R. Royse
Society of Biblical Literature -SBL, 2010. Paper. English.
ISBN: 9781589835221
List Price: $89.95 Your Price: $67.46

Enjoy!

Thought for today

The Holy Spirit always exposes the flesh for what it is, and there is nothing more infuriating to the carnally minded Christian than when those who are spiritually discerning remain unimpressed with him in spite of so much self-advertisement.— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, pages 40-41

The moral matrix

Last week, Joel Watts posted a graph from a test he had taken. I'm usually a sucker for those things, and this time was no exception. Here are the results for me:



I don't know if anyone is surprised, but I wasn't.

A Christian without Christ?

I just finished reading The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me by W. Ian Thomas over the weekend. I had been reading bits and pieces of it for several months.

My first exposure to Ian Thomas was back when I was in Madison, WI in the mid 1970s. I was attending the University of Wisconsin on an on-again-off-again basis; I was also involved in a house church there and one of the brothers had a series of tapes of sermons given by Ian Thomas.

So, on a trip that he and I took to see my sister, Dianne, in Omaha, we passed the time by listening to a number of them. Believe me, driving across Iowa, you need something :) Anyway, I liked what I heard and when this book was offered to me, I took it. By the way, it was a loaner from someone, not a freebie (disclosure necessary for the IRS).

The format of the book is a series of 53 short (2-2.5 page) reflections based on his ministry. Each is complete in itself, although they do build on each other somewhat. I will be posting some excerpts from it over the next week or so.

Their minds [carnal Christians] are still the plaything and the workshop of the devil, for the devil is smart enough and cunning enough that he can always persuade countless numbers of professing Christians to try and be Christians without Christ. They are willing to do anything for Jesus' sake, but they fail to understand that His presence is absolutely imperative to do it, that without Him we are nothing, have nothing, and can do nothing.— The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me, page 14

Whence this madness?

On my way to work today, I rode past a house that recently had been sold. The new owners have had a dumpster out front for a few days; each day there is a bit more stuff in it. But, today, I noticed that the beautiful dogwood that was in front of the house was gone. They had cut it down! All that was left was a pile of brush where it had once proudly bloomed every spring.

What madness! I can understand cutting a diseased or dying tree. I can understand cutting a tree that is too close to the house. But, to cut down a healthy tree, not even close to the foundation of the house? I can't fathom it—especially a dogwood!

This seems to be happening a good bit this summer. A few weeks ago, we were on a bike ride and went past what used to be a wooded lot. They had cut down about 20 oak trees, not small ones, either. A bit further on that same ride, we came around a corner and discovered that another grove of trees, along a lake/pond, had been cut down. And, further along on that same ride, we came to the top of a hill where there used to be a nice grove of trees around a house. The trees were cut off 6 feet from the ground! What madness is this?

Why the sudden cutting of perfectly healthy trees?

Barclay Newman's revised Greek-English Dictionary

A Concise Greek English Dictionary of New Testament
Revised Edition

by Barclay M. Newman, Jr.
German Bible Society, 2010
xi + 220 pages, English and Greek
Cloth, 5 x 7
ISBN: 9781598566499
List Price: $34.95
Your Price: $31.46
www.eisenbrauns.com/item/NEWGREEKE2

Barclay Newman's revised Greek-English Dictionary arrived today. It was slated for a December release, so this is two months early. I was curious what the revisions were, so I thumbed through it. The most obvious change was the addition of roots in parentheses after a word and the splitting of the root from the prefixes; it reminded me of An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Personally, I like it, although others may not. As long as one doesn't try to use the root to shoehorn the definition, I find knowing the root of a word helpful; that is one feature of the middle Liddell I always liked.

The preface states that they checked the definitions, modifying some and clarifying others. In my quick review, I only noticed that some Greek phrases where the Greek had been abbreviated were now written out in full. The dictionary part itself is only 2 pages longer than the original version, so the revision couldn't have been too extensive.

They did add an appendix of sorts, "A Sampling of Some Greek NT Words That Share Similar Meanings." The preface warns it is incomplete, "more in the style of an enchiridion than an exhaustive study." The sampling is in English alphabetical order, a total of 67 English headings. I'm not sure what to make of it. It could be useful, but I fear that people who don't understand Greek might use it incorrectly. But then there is that danger with any tool.

Those who like the original dictionary will doubtless like this one and find it an improvement. Those who don't like the original will find little to dissuade them from their dislike. It is still a very concise dictionary with glosses and minimal context for those glosses. But, that is what it was designed as. Anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of a Greek word should always consult a larger lexicon with references and contexts to understand the semantic domain of the word.

Flat! Flat!

On Tuesday, with the nice crisp 30ºF weather, I was thinking about doing a short post on bicycle commuting in the winter. I figured that after a few winters of doing it, I might have learned something that would save somebody else some trouble. Well, I didn't get around to it (obviously!). I figured on doing it yesterday, but I ran into (literally) a problem—I got a flat tire on the way to work.

My initial response was, "No biggie; I've got a spare tube." I turned the bike upside down, removed the wheel and pulled the tube. OK, it took more time than that implies because the tube was quite stuck to the tire, but you get the idea. I fished the extra tube out of my rack trunk, noticing that it had a few patches on it. That's pretty common; I usually keep a tube until there are about 8-9 patches. I even recognized the most recent one from this spring. I also noted, again, that the tire was getting pretty thin. Time to replace it; tires usually only last 2 years on my bike.

I put the tube in; reseated the tire, attached the pump, and started pumping. And pumping. And pumping. I know that the little portable pump on my bike has a small capacity, but this was crazy. Sure enough, the spare tube had a leak! Now what? I was about 2 miles from home and 3.5 miles from work, on a country road.

I suppose I could have tried to repair one of the tubes on the spot, but trying to find a leak in a tube can be a real pain without a bucket of water. I only do that if I have to. Instead, I opted to walk the 2 miles home. After all, it was a beautiful fall day. So, I walked home, exchanged my road bike for the winter commuter, called work to let them know what was going on, and rode in.

I was about an hour late, but the time outside was a nice extra :) Maybe I shouldn't be giving advice to others on commuting. What do you think?

Now this is scary

I was at Lowe's last night and is my wont, I perused the latest Mother Earth News. I don't subscribe to it, but always look it over. I've been known to buy them if enough articles are helpful. Anyway, there was an article about systemic pesticides. Huh? I'll let them explain it:

In conventional food production systems, not all pesticides remain on a plant’s exterior. Systemic pesticides are chemicals that are actually absorbed by a plant when applied to seeds, soil or leaves. The chemicals then circulate through the plant’s tissues, killing the insects that feed on them. Use of these pesticides on food crops began in 1998, and has steadily increased during the past 10 years. Unlike with traditional insecticides, you can’t wash or peel off systemic pesticide residues because they’re in the plant’s tissues, not on their exteriors.

<idle musing>
Yikes! That just makes me more convinced than ever that we are killing ourselves. I'm glad I have a garden. The article goes on to state that they don't really know the effect yet and that there are studies being done. It also lists some of the pesticides and what plants they use them on.
</idle musing>

Thought for the day

"You can know about God, but not know God. That would describe most people today."—The Enoch Factor: The Sacred Art of Knowing God, page 1, by Steve McSwain

Salt

"When churches succumb to the temptation to join an established order and share in temporal power, they soon become part of the world and cease to be relevant to the kingdom. What Christian revivals do is shake up the system and pluralize power. They create communities of counter power and religious choice."— Global Awakening, page 212

<idle musing>
Jesus said something about salt losing its savor, didn't he? Revival shakes up the salt and makes it savory again. May God have mercy on his church and send it frequently!
</idle musing>

Update on the frost

Sunday night's frost was minor enough that I didn't lose anything except a few leaves on some plants along the outside edge of the garden. But, it was a wake-up call, preparing me to take precautions for last night.

I checked the temperature at 9:00 PM, it was 49º F. I checked again at a little before midnight; it was 40º F and clear. If it had been cloudy, the temperature would have stabilized. But, because it was clear, I knew the temperature was headed toward a hard freeze. So, I turned on the garden light on the back of the garage (I installed it about 2 weeks ago for such nights), grabbed the row cover that I just got from Pine Tree Seeds two weeks before, and headed for the garden. Oh, I grabbed a bag of clothes pins, too.

I mainly covered the tomatoes and peppers. Because the tomatoes are all on hog feeder panels (4 feet high), I had to use two sections of row cover per bed (the row cover is 6 feet wide). I attached the top to the panels with clothes pins and staked the bottom in with garden staples. As I worked, my fingers got quite cold.

When I looked at it from the outside of the garden, it looked almost ghostly with the white row cover draped all over the plants. It was at varying heights, as the peppers are shorter than the tomatoes. A picturesque sight in the semi-darkness of the bug lights.

This morning, I was glad I had done all that work. It was 34º F by the house and well below that in the garden. I had covered some marigolds in the front yard. When I removed the cover from them, it was stiff with frost. I decided to leave the garden covered :)

SBL in October!

Our third annual SBL in October sale is going on right now. Savings from 20-70%, but only until October 18. You can see all the items here

Enjoy!

Frost!

A bit early this year, like 2 weeks! This morning, I woke up to frost on the lawn. I wasn't quite ready for that yet. I put the cover on the greenhouse over the weekend, but didn't have all the row cover ready yet. I guess I shouldn't have listened to the weatherman when he said no frost :(

Oh well. We'll see what survived when I get home tonight. I'm hoping for more green peppers. That's about the only thing I don't have enough of right now. It would be nice to get some more tomatoes for fresh eating, too. But if they didn't make it, I have enough canned.

Speaking of tomatoes, last year I read that you can take a cutting of a tomato and bring it inside for the winter. If you place it in a big pot with potting soil and give it a gro-lite™, it will bear. So, yesterday, I took a cutting of a cherry tomato and did just that. We'll see what happens...

The only thing I'm really worried about is the kohlrabi, beets, and bunching onions that have just come up. I put a cold frame over them, but didn't close the cover. We'll see how cold-hardy they really are!

Riding to work this morning was beautiful, though. The mist was rising off the lakes as I rode by. The air was nice and crisp; the sun was just peaking over the horizon. I love this time of year!

Garden update

Well, the garden is winding down for the season. On Tuesday night, Jim and Shannon came over and we dug the potatoes. Not that we really had to dig; they were straw potatoes, so it was more a matter of removing the straw and checking the first 2 inches of dirt.

We harvested around 30-40 pounds. Not bad for a trial run of 6 pounds of seed potatoes. I will definitely do straw potatoes again next year—and increase the number, too. In case you are wondering, straw potatoes are simply seed potatoes placed on the surface of the ground and covered with 3-6 inches of straw.

In this case, we put them on 6 inches of leaf mold (partially decayed leaves). The resulting compost when we dug the potatoes was marvelously black, much nicer than the compost I get from the city. I'm definitely looking forward to more home made compost!

In other news, we picked the last watermelon. It was 18 inches long by 10 inches in diameter, weighing in around 20 pounds. Nice and sweet, but not as good as the ones from July; our hot, dry August and September definitely affected the flavor.

The fall planting of peas is in bloom. I ate the first fall radish earlier this week, the spinach is getting close to big enough to eat, and the fall planting of bunching onions (green onions) is showing itself. I definitely need to get the top on the greenhouse this weekend; they are predicting 35º F for Sunday.

The old-new narrative

Today's excerpt from Global Awakening:

These [1998 Chinese house church] documents reject the Marxist master narrative of a religion as a poison or opiate, the European master narrative of the church as a department of the state seeking to provide sacred canopy under which national life is conducted, as well as the American master narrative of capitalism and unfettered individualism.

Their new story is an older and more global story. Part of the new narrative apologetic is crafting a new story about a heroic struggle against two dominate powers of a state church and a totalitarian state. as such the house churches are tapping into the traditional narrative resources used by Luke in Acts and Eusebius in his history of the church in the first three centuries...

While formal treatises to government officials seemed futile in the second and third centuries, they did accomplish two things. Christianity increased its popular appeal even as it maximized the conditions of growth by ensuring that government opposition as episodic rather than sustained.— Global Awakening, pages 195-196

<idle musing>
I like the first paragraph, showing the shortcomings of the 3 main meta-narratives people have to choose from. There is a fourth: The kingdom of God; what a strangely biblical idea :)
</idle musing>