Let's end at the very beginning

As OOTLE 15 comes to a close I can hardly believe all the things I have learned. But the most profound knowledge I received is that there is still so much more left to learn... we have just touched the surface! As we have studied the Hebrew Bible this semester (Old Testament) or Tanak, we have learned it is composed of three parts. We have discussed the Prophets and the Writings and this week we discussed the Torah. The Torah is considered the first 5 books of our Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). In the Torah we find many stories called 'sagas'. "A saga is a legendary narrative about an ancestor or community figure." (more on that here).
To put it simply... the plot of a saga is simple! Sagas have these identifying traits:

• There is a single plot (no sub-plots), with a single rising tension or conflict resolution and denouement. 

• There is a small cast

• There is no "back drop" or "back story that is needed to understand the narrative at hand.

• sagas are not necessarily moralistic, they do not "have a moral". But instead are a way of defining "who we are". (sometimes who we are is not pretty!)

By telling the stories of their ancestors, the tellers came to understand their own being. (Bandstra)

Today my assignment is to create my own saga.

Instructions: Choose any figure from the past whom you identify as part of your “tradition” (national, ethnic, ecclesial, political, academic, or what have you). Write this figure into a short saga, using the formal features above as a guide. This should be a fictional episode; while it presumably takes place in that figure’s historical context, that context should be largely “invisible” behind and around the events of the saga.

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A story as old as time, the story of Charlene. Charlene, daughter of John Jr. and Juanita Jo, was a kind girl. As she grew up on the farm she had a special heart for the animals. Charlene took care of the sick ones, and befriend the outcasts. Charlene loved God and knew that God called us to care for others.

Her first year of school came and Charlene was excited. As the school days carried on Charlene noticed a girl at school, Betty Shoemaker, who was always sitting alone. Not only was she sitting alone but she only had one shoe. Charlene looked for Betty at lunch one day. "is anyone sitting here? Can I join you" she asked, as she approached Betty at a table alone. Betty looked up with hopeful eyes and a smile "sure!". Charlene sat down and they became instant friends. The next day, Charlene brought her only other pair of shoes to school to share with Betty.

As Charlene grew in years, her love for animals and love for others grew as well. Charlene continued to look for the chances to love others and reach out to those who might need a friend. Charlene went to college she met her husband. They created their home to be hospitable, kind, and open to others in need. 

The first summer of their marriage they took in 32 families, at different times. Some were traveling on their way somewhere else, some were in troubled times and in need of a home and some were visitors. In their years together they had four children. The children grew up hospitable and kind. Each of their children married and created hospitable homes, open to those in need. Their youngest child, Larry Jo, created a shelter for those experiencing homelessness or just needing a place to stay for the night. Their oldest child, Juan, created a kitchen, open to feed those who were ever hungry and in need of a meal.

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It has been a joy learning along side you this semester.

Thanks for reading, here is to the continued journey!

In the Beginning....

One of my favorite things to do when I teach confirmation class is to pull out Biblical truths that blow the students minds! First of all, it is always fun to see their astonished faces and second of all it helps them realize that they HAVEN'T already learned all they can learn about the Bible just because they have gone to Sunday school for years (a realization that I have had in my OOTLE class as an adult many times over too). One of the Biblical truths that always seems to rock the kids boats is the fact that there are two Genesis accounts of origin in the Bible. Did you know that? TWO! And, like we have discovered in previously... multiple accounts in the Bible are often not exactly synonymous. Further more, did you know that there are additional accounts of origin through out the Hebrew Biblical texts? And (you guessed it) they different from both Genesis accounts as well.

Today I am going to create a THIRD way to tell the creation story (just to add more confusion in the mix). It is a collective work of art, bringing together different passages and references to creation found through out Psalms, Proverbs and Job. I will site the scripture I used to support each sentence, from the NRSV translation.


_____________________________________
Oh Lord, your name is majestic in all the earth! (Ps 8:9) I look to the heavens and see the work of your hands (Ps 8:3) Ages ago, before the water and before the mountains, You created wisdom at the very beginning and everything was touched by the wisdom of the Lord. With wisdom the heavens were established, with wisdom the skies were set firm above and the sea was contained. With wisdom the foundations of the earth were laid. Wisdom caused the heart of the Lord to rejoice (Proverbs 8:22-31). 

Wise in heart and mighty in strength, you command the sun and seals the stars, the moon is covered by the clouds of the Lord. (Job 9:4, Job 26:9). You made the sun to rule over the day and the moon in stars to rule over the night (Ps 136:8-9). But when the morning stars sing all together, there are shouts of joy among all the heavenly beings (Job 38:7) 

The Lord does great things beyond understanding, marvelous things without number (Job 9:10). What are human beings? That you created and care for them? That you are mindful of them? You crown them with glory and honor (Ps 8:4,6). Oh Lord of Hosts, who is mighty as you? (Ps 89:8) How can I speak to you, or even begin to choose words when I think of the wonders you have done? (Job 9:14)

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Deutero....what??

This week we have been studying the former prophets. Former, doesn't mean that they came before them in historical timeline, this classification is referring only to their location in our Biblical cannon. So what books make up the former prophets? Joshua, Judges, (not Ruth), 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. These books are also referred to as the Deuteronomistic History. This title (very simply put) is based on the theological perspective that these books have, which is that of the Deuteronomist. As we have talked about in previous posts, when reading any scripture we need to look at all aspects that influenced the composition of that piece. Should we see these texts as historical? Yes and no. They are a part of history, but they were written with a purpose to a particular audience.. and that is the history that is important for us to focus on today! 

Check out this Blog, there is a great explanation of historical writings:

"People always write about the past because they wish to communicate some kind of truth to their readers or to advocate some kind of virtue. It has always been so; it will always remain so."

Lets keep this quote in mind as we head into analyzing some scripture passages from the Former Prophets. We are going to look at five scripture passages, go over what each implies/says about faithfulness to Y*WH, covenant and how this is effected by social and political history.

• Deuteronomy 28:1-68
• Joshua 23:1-16
• 1 Samuel 12:1-25
• 2 Kings 17:5-18
• 2 Chronicles 36:11-21

Deuteronomy 28:1-68
To Obey....or not to Obey

Verse 1-14 of this chapter talk about the blessings for obedience to the commandments. A whopping 14 verses. How many verses talk about the punishments for disobedience? 15-68! To me, this says that disobedience was where the problem was at and there for what our author wanted to focus on.

The blessings that are described sound pretty great! This passage makes it sound like as long as you follow the commands and keep the covenant, life will be peachy keen. 

When do bad things happen? When you are disobedient (or that is what this passage implies). In the instance if you are disobedient:

          the Lord will take delight in bringing you to ruin and destruction; you shall be plucked                         off the land that you are entering to possess. (v.63)

Wow, pretty intense... and pretty hard to swollen. Harsh descriptions must have been a scare tactic to promote obedience. 

Joshua 23:1-16

Incase you forgot... here's a reminder

This passage does a lot of 'reminding' of the blessings and 'benefits' of following God's commands. These verse take more of a hopeful sense, pointing to the past as proof or evidence of God's fulfillment of following through with blessings when the people are faithful. Then there is also mention of the curses bound to befall all who are unfaithful to God and the covenant made.

1 Samuel 12:1-25

Did you forget again? Because here is another reminder

Samuel also goes over historical evidence of God's faithfulness to those who keep the covenant. These passages go all the way back to Moses and Egyptian exile and continues recounting history up until the point of the current address. Samuel calls upon the Lord and the Lord rewards him for his faithfulness. 

This is going over the same theme as the other passages: good things happen to you when you are good, bad things happen to you when you are bad. (a sticky view point for our common mindset)

2 Kings 17:5-18

Bad people? Bad times.

Here we see the consequences for disobedience. This specific passage recounts the Babylonian exile. This is shown to be a direct result to the people worshiping false gods and going against their covenant.

2 Chronicles 36:11-21

Bad people? Bad times... continued.

This is another explanation of the exile as a direct result of disobedience, this addresses the disobedience of the monarchy as well as the people. The Lord sent prophets and the people ignored them and mistreated them. The result/consequences? You guessed it... not positive!

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The biggest challenge for me with these scripture passages is the reasoning for misfortune. Misfortune is seen as only a result of disobedience and breaking of the covenant, So if you obey only good things will happen to you. (I know I know, we need to think about context and the times for which it was written). 

What can we take away from this: These writing definitely wanted to convey the path of obedience and there could be disastrous and extreme consequences if a different path is chosen!

The messiahs in the Bible... that's right, plural!

Full disclosure, this was a new discovery for me this week too! Multiple 'messiahs' in the Bible??

I have been opened up to new idea after new idea. One of the facts we have established with our readings and discussions demolishes the "Christian Old Testament". There is a common held belief or interpretation (weather it is realized or not) that the entire purpose of the Old Testament is to show God's plan preparing the way for Jesus. Let me tell you, there are other purposes for the Old Testament Hebrew Bible. Now that we have that paradigm shift out of the way, we can focus on what the messiah, messianic prophecy, messianic ideas are that we find in the Hebrew Biblical texts. 

Let's start with "Messiah", what does that term mean? As we have already touched on, the term 'messiah' as it is used in the Hebrew Bible "is not a reference to the apocalyptic savior of human kind" (Fried). I will let that sink in for a little bit. 

So if 'messiah' doesn't mean 'Jesus' what does it mean? Well, technically 'messiah' means: anointed one. And there are many figures in the Hebrew Bible and in the New Testament who are anointed, chosen by God. 

Where do we see anointed figures in Hebrew literature? Isaiah 45:1... "Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus." To be honest, I didn't even really know who this guy was before this semester!

First of all, this passage was written by second Isaiah, or Duetero Isaiah (which means second). Did you know there are three parts/believed authors to the book of Isaiah? Chapter 1-39 were written by Jerusalem Isaiah and 40-55 were Duetero Isaiah. Isaiah 40-55 write about "one shepherd" to unite and reconcile the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. 

Let's unpack this a little more, this passage was written after the Babylonian exile. If we get in the minds of the audience of this passage they are refugees continuing "to look to the line of David for restoration" (Bandstra). This audience isn't looking for the apacolyptic savior, but rather for the answer to their present concerns and problems. The people are searching for hope and Isaiah paints the hope that "the people would complete the mission begun by David" (Bandstra). This shows us that corporate efforts are needed, multiple anointed, 'chosen' people of God. 

Who was Cyrus? Cyrus was the only figure in the Hebrew Bible designated as Yahweh's anointed. What does it mean to be Yaweh's anointed? It is more than a title, it shows that Cyrus is a "legitimate king appointed and protected by God" (Fried). 

Does this take away from our definition of Jesus as Messiah? Absolutely not. "Anointed" is a description of Jesus, Messiah is one description of Jesus. Let's see it as an adjective, a descriptive title and not a name. 

See you next week!

Lori

So it is Prophet... not 1-800-PSYCHIC (Week 5)

This week we have been discussing Biblical Prophets. Similarly to apocalyptic literature, prophetic scripture is not always about the end of times, or even the future. Prophet's relayed messages from God about the past, present and future. Prophets have the reputation in current culture for being a sort of psychic figure....

http://www.elisaromeo.com/wp-content/uploads/blogger/-YCJOegmBLdE/UZNdZL0RMnI/AAAAAAAABjg/FIGGpfGD08M/s1600/Psychic.jpg

This week we focused on the pre-exilic prophets, and I chose to dive deeper into studying Amos. I read Amos 2:6-16; 5:10-17; 6:1-8; 8:4-9:4, and then reflected on these questions.


What does Amos say is wrong with Israelite society?
In our reading this week from Bandstra  summarized Amos in saying that Amos "is to be appreciated especially for his sensitivity to matters of social welfare in Israel. He spared no words in condemning the royalty and aristocracy of Israel, who abused the privilege of wealth and even used their authority to get richer at the expense of the poor." We see the examples of this from the Amos:

•  they sell the righteous for silver, (2:6)
      and the needy for a pair of sandals
• push the afflicted out of the way (2:7)
• because you trample on the poor (5:11)
• Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,
      and lounge on their couches,
  and eat lambs from the flock,
      and calves from the stall (6:4)
• Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
      and bring to ruin the poor of the land, (8:4)

Amos called out the elite for living an "indulgent lifestyle at the expense of disenfranchised peasants". In Amos's eyes Israel is at a peak of social injustice. Their love for God is only surface and obligatory. They are more attached to rituals and formal worship than to personal responsibility and communal care. (Bandstra)


What will happen to the people of Israel if they don't change their ways?
Well this can be summed up in one word, retribution. The consequences for this continued misbehavior is devastation and ultimate destruction. We can see this in the following examples from the book of Amos: 

• So, I will press you down in your place,
      just as a cart presses down
      when it is full of sheaves. (2:13)
• you have built houses of hewn stone,
      but you shall not live in them;
  you have planted pleasant vineyards,
      but you shall not drink their wine. (5:11)
• I will turn your feasts into mourning,
      and all your songs into lamentation;
  I will bring sackcloth on all loins,
      and baldness on every head;
  I will make it like the mourning for an only son,
      and the end of it like a bitter day. (8:10)
• when I will send a famine on the land;
  not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water,
      but of hearing the words of the Lord. (8:11)
• They shall wander from sea to sea,    and from north to east;
  they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
      but they shall not find it. (8:12)

Is there anything that they can do to avoid this fate?
Amos doesn't leave them to their own destruction however, there is a chance for deliverance. Amos calls for justice! He takes the "religious concepts of justice and righteousness [...] and applies them to human social interaction" (Bandstra). Amos is enlisting for a total change of religious perspective, religion that goes beyond a relationship with God and over flows into relationships with the community.
Here Amos gives the guidelines for this change:

• Seek good and not evil,
      that you may live;
  and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
      just as you have said. (5:14)
• Hate evil and love good,
      and establish justice in the gate;
  it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
      will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph (5:15)

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The passages we discussed today were meant for their current audience. As always when we are reading scripture we have to ask ourselves who the initial audience was, what the original intended purpose was and how that effects how we interpret the text.

And so the world ends.... Week 4

This week we have been discussing the book of Daniel.  One thing became clear as I started going through our weekly materials... I did not have a proper understanding of what exactly "apocalyptic" literature entailed. In one of our readings this week, Bandstra does a great job of explaining this misunderstanding. Bandstra explains that "apocalyptic is a modern label for end-time-oriented literature. [...] it derives from the Greek verb apokaluptein, which means 'to reveal, disclose, uncover.' From this word, we get the word apocalypse." While Apocalyptic literature is often most closely associated with "end of times" it really is more about a revelation from God about God's future intervention. As with all historical literature, we have to look at why the text was originally written. Bandstra tells us that most often "apocalypses were written during times of political persecution. They were intended to encourage perseverance by revealing the destruction fo the wicked and the glorious future that awaited the faithful".

So what are the defining characteristics of apacolyptic literature? It might include some of the following:

• Experiences- where God reveals future plans for humanity, sometimes eschatological. But always in reference to when God intervenes and evil is conquered with a new heaven and a new earth.
• Interpretation- for these experiences, however sometimes they are left unexplained
• Symbolism- an element of the interpretation. These are messages communicated through imagery, numerology and fantasy.
• Pseudepigrapha- writings ascribed to various biblical patriarchs and prophets.
• Dualism- a comparison that allows no ambiguity. Ex. There is heaven OR earth, good OR evil... no grey area.
• Moral encouragement- implies that those who are faithful will be rewarded when God's intervention finally comes.

Keeping that in mind, for this weeks blog post I am going to analyze some passages from Daniel and identity the element of apocalyptic literature that are present.

Daniel 7:1-28

In this passage we start right out with the description of the vision. This dream included symbolism of beasts and numbers. (7:2-3 "Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.") Immediately following these verses is the interpretation of the vision (7:14-28). The interpretation shows the moral encouragement- that good will ultimately prevail and be rewarded.
The beginning of the chapter starts discussing "Daniel's dream" but them moves into 1st person. When the interpretation starts the author identifies himself as Daniel (7:15).

Daniel 10:1-14

This passage also has a vision and words spoken to Daniel. This passage relates the visions more obviously to the current political situation. The vision discusses opposition from the King Persia (10:13). We also see Moral Encouragement, Daniel is told to "not fear" and assured that his "words have been heard (10:12). Lastly we see implied assistance to interpretation I "have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days. For there is a further vision for those days" (10:14).

Daniel 11:1-12:13

We start out right in the middle of the interpretation. 11:1-36 is interpretation of the symbolism behind the kings and kingdoms. It is implied that there will be a fight for power and a constant struggle between these powerful kingdoms. Starting at v. 37 the "end of times" and "resurrection of the dead", our eschatological element. In 12:5 Daniel has another vision and is interacting with the vision, asking question and attempting to interpret and understand it as it is taking place. The last verses of this selection of scripture end on a moral encouragement that is immediately applicable to the reader: "Happy are those who persevere and attain the thousand three hundred thirty-five days. But you, go your way, and rest; you shall rise for your reward at the end of the days" (12:12-13).




I enjoyed diving into this often overlooked side of Daniel this week. I have often spent much time studying the Court Legends in the beginning chapters of the book, but breezed over the apacolyptic texts found in the later part of the book. I love seeing the immediate application the text had, providing encouragement for perseverance to those facing persecution.

Wisdom Week! Week 3

This week was focus around wisdom. I was surprised to discover the many sub genres within Biblical Wisdom literature. We read in Bandstra, Proverbs and Job: The Wisdom of Israel:

1.  Nature wisdom is based on observations of the real world that enable humankind to understand and coexist in harmony with it. 

2. Practical wisdom analyzed the social order, modern analogues being sociology and psychology. 

3. Judicial wisdom sought ways to adjudicate disputes .

4. Theological wisdom, sometimes called speculative wisdom, sought answers to deeply puzzling issues such as the explanation for human suffering and God’s role in upholding justice among humankind. Crenshaw attributes this type of wisdom to professional scribes.

Another element of our week was a listening to an episodes of "The Professional Left".  We only listened to a short segment of the 270 episode, and it was focused on Job. It is always great to hear multiple perspectives, especially when analyzing literature from the Bible. We are so limited by our own perceptions. 

I could appreciate some of the statements and perceptions of the speakers, however I did see some instances where there analysis could have been deeper and some factors they completely left out of their discussion all together. One important element for me was the discussion on the Guinea worm. The Guinea worm is a parasite passed through larva in unclean drinking water. There are two ways to approach the issue of this illness. 

• "God- why on earth would you create a worm that could do such horrible things and cause so much grief and pain?!"
• As said by the hosts of the Professional Left: "Steven Fry [decided] to b*tch about God" President Jimmy Carter got out and distributed filtered straws to help prevent people from being infected.

I really appreciated this analysis from the show's hosts. This indirectly address the role Job's friends played in his suffering. I understand he was mourning, but was anyone in the story trying to physically help him? or just verbally? When you look at the list of sufferings Job faced, it is hard for me to grasp how he continued to go on at all. God didn't just "take away his toys" Job's family were caught in the cross fire of this "deal" with the accuser. 

Which brings me to my next point, the hosts referred to the interaction between God and the accuser as a "bet" against Job, which I find a horrible mis-use of the word. My classmate does a great job of explaining this on his blog. The hosts also refer to the accuser as the devil, which is counted as an incorrect identification in Barry Bandstra's book. The accuser or Ha-satan is not necessarily identified by the scripture as "the devil". The word "satan" is not capitalized because it is not a title, but a term to mean "the adversary" or "the accuser" 

I enjoyed the different perspective and I agree with some of their points about justice and bullying. I think important elements left untouched by the hosts of the show are Job's friends. These friends fill out many pages in the book of Job, but are left purposeless in this discussion. I also think the original purpose of the writing is important! Is it intended as a story to teach a type of wisdom from our list above? Possibly teach us about the human condition and the issues and challenges all humans experience when faced with challenges? I think it is more likely that that is the case than that Job is a story about defining God's character. As we find out in Job, we can't possibly comprehend the purpose and will of God. Is that a satisfactory answer for why good people suffer or why bad things happen to those who do good? No, probably not.

attempt at poetry....Week two

Well, Blogging is one thing... now I have to pretend to be a poet too. Please excuse my fumbling as I am a new blogger and new poet.. there are lots of new things for me lately!

I was really struck this week by a discussion from our Google hangout. We, as a Christian culture, tend to shy way from the "lamenting" prayers. We are always quick to "sing songs of praise" and even when there are times of struggle... I feel most often the tone taken is one of trust and faith in God. Which is good, but people need to hear it is okay to not be okay.

One of the elements of my job that I enjoy the most is care and counseling. The idea of "bottling up our laments" hit close to home for me! We are not told often enough that it is okay to be angry with God, it is okay to not always have a song of praise in our hearts. I believe God desires authentic relationship with each of us, that is why we were given free will. Is it truly an authentic relationship if we only share the "warm fuzzy" feelings? As Dr. Lester said in Google hangouts this week "Let's get real!".

When we look at the Psalms we see laments, praises, hymns and thanksgivings. These writings are "keeping it real". In one of our assigned readings this week Bandstra does a great job of capturing the "realness" of the psalms: "the psalms gave voice to the people’s deepest feelings and emotions, and reading them exposes the pulsing heart of Israel".

To your right you will see my attempt at exposing my own pulsing heart: (sorry the imagery there is less than desirable..I immediately see flashbacks to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom..ekk!) Regardless of those images, here is my attempt at "keeping in real".

Week one

During week one of our Old Testament Google Hangout on air, two phrases really stuck out to me.

1.  "I believe the Bible is God's word, but what does that mean to me." and I would add, what does that mean to how I read God's word.

and

2.  "The Bible is not a book containing one theology, but a library composed of many perspectives"

This has caused to me draw the conclusion... the Bible is like a rubik's cube.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimal_solutions_for_Rubik's_Cube

The Bible is like a rubik's cube because there are many different ways to look at and approach this ONE cube. Sometimes people have a favorite color or side, a favorite way to look at scripture.  It takes a combination of all the sides put together to "solve" the cube. While I don't think the Bible is something we can just "solve" or every claim to fully understand, I think this concept is a good place to start. 

We have to take many things into consideration when reading a passage, a FEW examples:

• Author
• Author's purpose/audience/motive
• Language of Origin
• Other Historical Texts
• Relation to other Scripture
• Personal experiences/Personal History
• and so many more...

I am so excited to dive deeper into these Holy Scriptures and learn more about HOW to read this familiar passages.

Let's get started! 

It's all new to me

Lots to learn in the semester ahead!