The Wit of God

As a person who has been a student of public speaking for many years now, I have always been interested in what makes people laugh. Back when I did "After Dinner Public Speaking" in college, (basically competitive stand up comedy), I remember several key factors being tricks of the trade. For example, for some reason "k's" are the funniest syllable in the alphabet. Somehow it's not that funny to say, "a goat walked into a bar." Much funnier is, "a duck walked into a bar." Timing is, of course, important. Too slow, and the audience feels the comedian is not smart. Too fast and the audience thinks the comedian is nervous or scattered. Three beat and four beat meter is essential. In other words, the three beat rimshot (ba bam bam), the four beat, this happened, this happened this happened, and then this...

Every once in a while I discover an example of the wit of God. Jesus was actually quite witty. Now, let me be clear - Jesus wasn't really funny, or comedic, or whimsical. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Jesus was ever a Jay Leno, or a David Letterman. But Jesus was definitely witty. Jesus' humor was usually on the very dry side. Think sandpaper. Jesus usually said things that nobody else picked up on as being funny, or witty, until much, much later. Jesus' wit was almost always lost on his audience.

Here's one I stumbled on last week. So, Jesus dies. Jesus comes back to life again. Jesus meets a couple of wayward disciples on a deserted road, on the way to a deserted city named Emmaus (strange - and strangeness is always the foreplay of humor). Jesus asks the men, "What are you talking about?" "What's the skinny?" "Give me the low down?" "What's the skuttle butt?" (witty - Jesus is God, he knows what they are talking about already). They tell him about the death of Jesus and what had happened over the weekend. "Is that so?" said Jesus (witty). The audience (us) all know what has really happened. But here's the kicker. The men ask Jesus if he will join them for dinner that evening in Emmaus. Jesus says, "Sorry, I have long way to go still." (witty, verging on funny). Jesus, of course, still needed to ascend into heaven, so he had both a literal and a metaphorical long way to go. This line is reminiscent of Robert Frost's (a decidedly unwitty person) line, "miles and miles before I sleep." As I said, Jesus' humor wasn't the sort of thing you would ever yuck up, or knee slap over, but it's witty...

But I do I love that God has and had a sense of humor. It would seem to be a Godly requirement to have a sense of humor, in order to deal with comedic imbalance of creating a world and a human being that you love with all of your heart, and that doesn't always love you in return.

All For Now,

GB

More of a God - Less of a Man

I just began to teach a new class at Highlands - a new Wednesday noon Bible Study. (FYI: the class I was teaching on Genesis has been going on for almost 50 weeks, since fall of 2010, so it was probably time for a change). The class is called, "The Final Forty: Jesus' Final Forty Days On Earth." The idea for the class is clearly not one that is unique to me, though what I am learning is quite exciting. What I am trying to explore are the differences and the similarities between the pre-Easter (resurrection) Jesus and the post Easter (resurrection) Jesus. Again, what I have found is striking!

The Jesus that presents himself prior to Easter (particularly in the book of Mark), is quite human. The pre-Easter Jesus displays more emotion ("Jesus wept"), He gets angry, He eats food, He has the ability to be tempted, he feels pain. The pre-Easter Jesus seems, strangely, more temporal, more tangible, more fleshy.

The Jesus that we see after Easter (after the resurrection) seems to be the opposite. He seems less concrete, more wispy, more Spirit-imbued. The Jesus of the post resurrection is;

* Often incognito or unrecognized (as a gardener or a fellow traveler on a dusty desert road)

* He seems to slip between time and space more easily - between heaven and earth, between Galilee and Jerusalem, through open spaces and walls, with more dexterity and ease. There is an etherial quality to Jesus ("do not touch me, I have not gone to my Father yet...").

In short, the post Easter Jesus seems more God-like.

Of course, both the pre-Easter Jesus and the post-Easter Jesus are One. They are unified, they are consolidated and they are integral to our faith (fully human-fully God). They are, it goes without saying, the same person through and through. Truthfully, I find the post-Easter Jesus a little more comforting for my own personal, daily walk with God. If Jesus was capable of emerging on a desert road to two strangers, having a conversation with them, and then disappearing before their very eyes, he also has the ability to show up, un-announced in my life. If Jesus was capable of walking through walls in an upper room, with the 11 disciples, he is also able to walk through the walls that I continue to put up and erect between me and God, and me and others. If Jesus was capable of floating between heaven and earth, even as he ascended into heaven, He is also able to descend from heaven into my own fallen world, whenever I pray to Him.

All For Now,

GB

Will Someone Know Me?

There is a woman in her mid-eighties who has been coming to my Bible study each week. Her first visits to the Bible study were characterized by what can only be described as a high level of personal skepticism about God. Initially, she came only with her daughter, but now she will often come to the study all by herself. She has a wonderfully rich and diverse and painful life history and background. She has lived in several different states, she has been married three previous times - one of her previous husbands suffered, and still does, from serious mental health issues. She has experienced personal verbal and physical abuse in her 80 plus years of life.

I recently learned that one of the main reasons that she is coming to my Bible study is because she wants someone to do her own funeral when she passes away (sometime in the unknown future). The exact words that she used, however, when requesting a pastor to do her funeral have stuck with me. They have struck me at my hearts core. She asked, "When I die...will ANYBODY KNOW ME?" My octogenarian friend's question is, of course, much more profound than she realizes.

The question for all of us when we die is, "Will anybody know us?" The question for all people who are living is, "Am I known?" "Who Knows About Me?" "Yes, I am known, but does anybody really KNOW me?" The question also points to the deep human need to have two basic things in our lives:

1. To know God

2. To be fully known by God

All people eventually ask the same questions. Who will KNOW ME? Am I KNOWN?

As I have witnessed the church, the body of Christ, over the past ten years of my ministry, I have come to believe that the church can actually be the mechanism by which people become KNOWN. The church can actually take part in the kingdom of God by learning about, and KNOWING, people who would ordinarily have faded into an obscure, insignificant state of never being known: families, wives, husbands, aunts, construction workers, lawyers, government agents, police officers, homeless people, drug addicts, foster kids, retired couples...all want to be KNOWN. Maybe one of the core purposes for our faith is to KNOW - Through Jesus Christ - to KNOW people who were previously unknown.

Paul said, "Now, we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I KNOW in part, then I shall KNOW fully, even as I am FULLY KNOWN." (1 Cor. 13:12)

My favorite quote from the Bible about KNOWING God, comes from Job, after he experiences deep trouble and trauma in his personal life;

"I KNOW that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without KNOWLEDGE? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to KNOW." (Job 42:2-3)

All For Now,

GB

The Church You Should Go To Is...

We had an incredible Easter here at Highlands Church, with many people from different backgrounds coming to our Saturday evening Easter worship service and three on Sunday morning. My favorite story of a new person attending Highlands this Easter is the following account:

A young woman just moved to Paso Robles from another city. She has been looking for a new church to attend, and so asked some of her friends about a "good" church to attend. Her friends happened to be LDS (Mormon), and asked, "What type of church are you looking for?" The girl said, "A Christian church, Bible focussed, kind, mission-oriented, non-judgmental, and normal." The friends of the girl, again, who were Mormon said, "You know, I think you should attend Highlands Church. As far as we know, they are all the things you are describing. I think they are the church you are looking for." So, the girl came, and loved it. And gave her life to Christ.

Here's what I love about this true story. The girl's friends, though they come from a faith tradition very different than their own, somehow, associated our church, Highlands Church, with a church that was "kind and non-judgmental place," Here is my question. How did her friends develop this impression?

* Was it the Samaritan financial Assistance we gave to a young man, who happened to be LDS, coming through town, who needed some help, but didn't know where to turn, about a month ago?

* Was it that the dry cleaner that Star and I use is owned by a man who serves as an LDS Bishop in town, and that we give regular business to, and have good relations every time we meet?

* Was it that we really, really strive to be a church where people actually hear the gospel and see the gospel lived out, all in the same place. That we really strive to be a place that is "Christian, Bible focussed, kind, mission-oriented, non-judgmental, and normal?

* Was it the Holy Spirit that was involved from beginning to end?

I don't know the answer to my question. I never will know the answer. I do know this. When people from a church, and religious tradition that you are not apart of, and which is very different from yours, have a positive view of your church, and recommend it to others, there must be something right about what you are doing.

All for Now,

GB

PS, yes, I did just figure out how to embed images into my blogpost, so I will do that with every blog post to come...

Blogpost of Blogposts

I was reminded yesterday of my favorite speech pattern in Jewish thought. It's the repetitive double phrase. You find this speech pattern sprinkled throughout the entire Bible:

* The temple is the "Holy of Holies"

* Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say to you..." ("Amen and Amen" or "verily verily")

* Revelations warns, "Woe to you, Woe to you"

* Isaiah talks about the "King of Kings, Lord of Lord's, For Ever and Ever"

It was explained to me once that the early Hebrew language didn't have punctuation, per say, or a way to emphasize speech through exclamation marks. The only way to really get your point across, when you wanted to emphasize something, was to repeat it twice. Also, Bible times predated Berringer amplification systems, so you couldn't just turn up the volume when you really wanted people to listen to your talk. Sometimes, in reference to God, the pattern would be repeated three times:

"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty..." (Rev. 4:8)

All of this has gotten me to thinking that the Jews were definitely onto something. Why don't we incorporate the same repetitive patterns into our speech and language today? Why don't we say:

"I am angry - angry" (when we are upset), or

"I am hungry - hungry" (when we really want food) or

"I am pissed off - pissed off" (when we're really upset) or

"You are a moron - moron" (when we want to describe someone who bugs us) or

"I love you - love you" (saved for special days like Valentines day, or when we get in trouble) or

"We have budget problems - budget problems" (if you work in government)

This double speech pattern would save us a lot of time and energy from having to come up with elaborate words to describe how we feel, that most likely will go unappreciated anyway. Instead of saying, "You are minimizing me" you can simply say, "Around you, I feel tiny, tiny...". Also, by using this pattern, we may lead others to believe that we have Turrets Syndrome, which will really throw them off (sorry, sorry to my readers who have Turrets)

All for Now,

All for Now,

GB

Heaven and Hell...

Many people have recently asked me for my opinion and comment about the recent popularized conversation regarding the Time magazine cover issue, "Is Hell Dead?" and Rob Bell's recent observations about the passe nature of hell in the modern context. In an attempt to address these questions in the most comprehensive way, I have written a blurb of endorsement for a book that will be coming out and published in June of 2011 written by my friend, Rev. Dr. Foster Shannon.

Find the blurb endorsement enclosed here, and please look forward to upcoming blogposts on this tough issue. Also please listen to my podcast on heaven and hell from the recent series I preached at Highlands called, Creed (April 10, 2011).

Endorsement for: "Why are Some People Eternally Separated from God?"

The topic of “eternal separation from God” - hell - has become popularized once again, with the publication of the latest Time Magazine cover issue, “Is Hell Dead?” (April 2011) by editor in chief John Mecham. Pastor Rob Bell, of Mars Hill Bible Church, with the recent observation that “every person who ever lived could have a place in heaven,” has also “enflamed” the recent conversation about hell, it’s very existence and it’s tenability in the current and modern era. In the midst of this mélange of cacophonic voices on the topic of hell, fortunately, Foster Shannon once again provides some helpful background and clarification on the subject. Foster successfully employs a fair balance of grace and salt (Col 4:6), as he writes this timeless and helpful primer.

Now, I must write my Easter message for 2011, a much more uplifting topic:-)

All For Now,

GB

The Best Things Are From the Sticks

Last night I read an extremely compelling chapter of a book by Bernard Bailyn called, "To Begin the World Anew; The Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders." While this book title sounds about as interesting, on it's face, as having sand paper dragged across your knuckles, Bailyn's thesis is incredibly profound. In essence, it is that the most important and culturally significant artists in history (as in the arts - painting, music, sculpture, writing, poetry, science, philosophy...etc) come from more rural places. More excitingly, even still, the most important cultural movements, the most significant achievements in intellectual renewal also do not come from city centers but from more countrified settings. He would go on to assert that the most prophetic voices in the history of civilization, as we know it, have emerged from provincial places, rather than metropolitan city centers.

As Christians, we of course know that the single most important voices in the history of faith and faith understanding in our own religious tradition have come from rural places; Isaiah, John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Abraham, Jacob, Micah, Nehemiah, Paul, all twelve disciples..not to mention - Jesus, hailed from the pastoral and wilderness settings of the Sinai Penninsula and the Holy Land. To Bailyn's point, these prophets (and God with us - Jesus) decidedly did not come from the popular cultural centers of the world at that time.

Here is Bailyn in his own words;

"In a brief but brilliant essay entitled "Provincialism," the art critic Kenneth Clark commented on the differences between metropolitan and provincial art. Through the centuries, he wrote, metropolitan art, emerging from the dominant centers of culture, has set the grand styles that have radiated out into the world, creating standards and forming assumptions that only idiots, Clark wrote, would challenge. But in time metropolitan art, for all its success - and in part because of them - becomes repetitive, overrefined, academic, self absorbed as it elaborates, polishes, and attenuates its initial accomplishments. And a kind of scholasticism sets in, while out on the margins, removed from the metropolitan centers, provincial art develops free of those excesses.

Artists on the periphery introduce simplicity and common sense to a style that has become too embellished, too sophisticated, too self-centered. The provincials are concrete in their visualization, committed to the ordinary facts of life as they know them rather than to an established style that has taken on a life of its own. And they have a visionary intensity, which at times attains a lyrical quality, as they celebrate the world around them...they are immersed in and stimulated by the ordinary reality around them; and they transcend their limited environments by the sheer intensity of their vision, which becomes, at the height of their powers, prophetic!"

Part of the reason I find this excerpt so exciting, is because all of the church call settings that I have always felt called to serve - have existed in rural, sub-rural, suburban, and collegiate suburban settings. More importantly, my greatest desire has always been to continually be a part of a religious movement that is new, that is is real, that is fresh in this world, and that strives in concrete ways for the world beyond:-)

All for now,

GB