ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: Rahab is the second woman of strength and grace that I want to reflect on this week. Now what makes this a bit challenging is that Rahab lied. It is always dangerous to suggest that doing something wrong can actually do something good. It does happen, but I have a concern about opening that door too wide. With that said, women throughout history have required a bit more creativity and wisdom to navigate the patriarchal structures of society. Often the rules did not apply to them, and the rules given to them by society would often change without warning. Yet Rahab’s motives were pure, for she later (vs.11) offered an explanation to the Israelite spies that she hid. She said, “We heard this and our hearts turned to water. Because of you, people can no longer work up their courage. This is because the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.” Word had come to Rahab about what God had done for the Israelites and with the Israelites. The story she heard was so compelling that doing nothing was not an option. She not only saved the lives of two individuals through her quick and creative response, but she also participated in the movement of God in the world. What does it say about an individual who knows nothing about this God of the Hebrew people one day, and then after hearing a story was so moved as to put her own life on the line for complete strangers? There must have been within her a unique spiritual availability that made accommodations for this new and life-giving understanding of the divine. To be that available, and then to act upon it with grace and sacrifice, is really quite amazing. It’s interesting, Rahab heard the story of God liberating the enslaved Israelites, and then she did the very same thing – just on a slightly smaller scale. Prayer: Whenever my take on you, O God, is skewed and off base, I ask for the spiritual openness of Rahab. Allow me to see you so clearly that my life reflects what I have seen in you. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2xQ2NGv
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: For the next few days, I want to look at some strong and grace-filled women in the Bible. In yesterday’s online study, I talked about Abraham and Sarah, and the faithfulness and hope they demonstrated throughout their lives. I was also quick to remind people that Abraham and Sarah were far from perfect, often questioning and doing other less than stellar things along the way. In today’s story, Abraham gets nervous and basically denies that Sarah is his wife. This leads to the powerful man, Abimelech, taking Sarah to be one of his wives. It’s interesting, there is no sense that Abraham is upset or even questioning his decision of silence. Now I’m not a woman, and I have no plans of speaking with any sort of authority on behalf of women, but I’m going to guess that such actions would have really ticked off most women. I know it was a different time, with different expectations around gender and power. But let’s be honest, that is just embarrassing! I’ve heard preachers suggest that it was all a part of Abraham’s larger plan, but there is nothing in scripture to suggest such a thing. This is one of the great characters in the Bible showing a moment of weakness, might I even call it cowardliness. I’m not looking for him to play the macho guy, but to so easily deny the most important relationship in his life says something about Abraham. But let’s get back to Sarah. Again, it’s a different time and place, and Sarah probably did not have a lot of options at this point. She chooses to re-engage the relationship she has with Abraham after God intervenes. It’s as if Sarah recognizes Abraham’s sheer stupidity and timidity, while also seeing the greater picture of their God-given mission. Let’s be clear, women need to protect themselves against violence of all kinds – they should never feel obligated to return to a relationship that is unhealthy or dangerous. With that said, I don’t believe that’s the case with Sarah. In this situation, I picture Sarah rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disbelief at the excuses Abraham made to Abimelech, but she was not going to let some spineless dimwittedness to stand in the way of God’s calling. I find that impressive! Prayer: Holy God, thank you for shaking people up whenever fear has them doing something really stupid. Let me be a bit more honest – if I’m the one doing something really stupid, allow your grace to gently shake me up. And if at all possible, may I have a Sarah who demonstrates grace in the face of my shallow and ridiculous choices. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2UAnBux ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: So I was chatting with Hannah on the phone yesterday, discussing some music for Palm Sunday. As I flipped through the Hymnal, I turned to a page with a bat (see picture below) tucked inside. Yes, a bat! If you remember, when Cypress Creek Christian Church had bats show-up in the Centrum (5 years ago), the staff as a joke cutout and placed hundreds of little paper bats throughout my office. For months, I found bats hidden in strange places. At the time, the bats in the Centrum were a crisis! It felt a bit overwhelming as I (and the church’s leadership team) had never dealt with bats in a sanctuary (like 3000 bats). It is interesting how the flood eclipsed the bats, and now the COVID-19 eclipses the flood. Here’s the thing – any crisis is a crisis, and it’s not about comparing or weighing one against another. Any crisis – big or small – is about the moment, and we can’t be spending a lot of time in a world of side-by-side analysis. The story of Joseph is about a guy who went from one crisis to another crisis. I’m sure there were some pleasant moments along the way that simply were not recorded in scripture, but how do you compare being sold by your brothers into slavery to being thrown in prison for a crime you didn’t commit. Pardon my language, but both of them suck. The thing with Joseph was that he recognized God and served God in every moment to the best of his ability, whether it was tragic or triumphant. Prayer: O Provider of Grace, give me another allocation of your abundant mercy and unconditional love. There is so much happening, yet even in the struggle I desire to see you and to serve you. I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but the current challenge is plenty. Yet, I believe your grace shall be sufficient. Amen. You are invited to join Pastor Bruce in a time of Study and Prayer CLICK HERE for FacebookLive (both 11am & 7pm)
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AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
April 2024
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