Bible Trivia & Cultural Relevance. On this weekend....

This week my son Daniel asked me if he can read Apocrypha from my library.  I directed him to annotated Cambridge edition, so he’s reading extra chapters of Daniel, about Bel & the Dragon, Susanna, books of Maccabees. In the past few years similar questions were raised from time to time, either from adults who find an old Bible with 73 books, or from teens attending a Catholic High School and learning about the Bible with apocrypha.  Could we read it?  Should we read?  Is it of any importance to our 21^st century?

For one – these writings help us to understand cultural environment in which Jesus came, a mindset and beliefs of the times when disciples tried to understand the Gospel of Jesus.  Secondly, Ellen White had all 73 books in her personal Bible, and she even referred to some of the Apocrypha in her writings.  Thirdly, you could better understand the culture and traditions of the Jewish community today, if you care to connect and do cross-cultural ministry.  For instance, do you ever wonder why some menorahs have 9 branches instead of 7?

In days of Jesus there were two dominant groups in the church – Pharisees and Sadducees, and they had one thing in common – both hated Jesus!  They were as opposite from each as can be.  Pharisees on the extreme right, totally separating themselves from the culture, sunning anything that was not produced by them, criticising secular art just because it was secular, labeling sinful everything that did not have their copyright trademark.  They tried to preserve their identity by completely separating from the world.  To them Jesus was flaming liberal – mingling with sinners, doing taboo things, breaking their rules of holiness.  On the other extreme were Sadducees, assimilating with the culture so much that one could not tell the difference between them and Greco-Roman cultured intelligencia. They were abandoning their identity for sake of acceptance, to be cool.  They were believing and living just like the pagan world.  They drink worldly drinks, ate regardless of Biblical instructions, lived common law, and considered church a business. To them Jesus was a fanatic, radical extremist, believing in the Kingdom of God, instead of the kingdom of this world, preaching resurrection, believing in Creation and claiming that God was Love!  In such a culture Jesus started countercultural revolution, against both extremes, being IN the world, but not OF the world, mingling with people in their reality, but offering Gospel values.  Apostles continued this revolution, freely quoting cultural secular poets, latest art production, and using cultural worldview to invite people to consider greater supernatural reality of God.

As an Adventist, are you a Pharisee conservative, fighting for points that separate “us from them,” even if such are unbiblical; a Sadducee, so worldly that your value system is “get-get,” and you are willing to compromise any and every thing to be cool and popular; or a Disciple, following Jesus Revolution of countercultural life of simplicity and giving? 

 As I read Gospels I find that Jesus did pay attention to the cultural setting of his day.  John 10:22 tells us about Jesus engagement with people at Hanukkah, the fest of Maccabean Dedication of the Temple in mid-December (Menorah’s 9^th branch).  I wonder where was Jesus and what He was up to in February, on Purim (this weekend! & the reason for Menorah’s 8^th branch).  The feast commemorating liberation of Jews by Esther from Haman was the most joyous one of all feasts.  Scholars examining Gospels say that John 5 describes the Purim, as it is the only feast that fell on the Sabbath in AD28.  The most joyous celebration was the occasion for Jesus to heal, declare Himself Son of God, and announce Himself to be equal with God. He probably attended one of 480 synagogues that were in Jerusalem that year to hear the reading of the Scroll of Esther.  He probably ate the "Haman's ears" cookies. He definitely observed the commandment to give gifts to the poor, and did even more in healing. He used their cultural understanding to communicate greater message of God's preservation of His unbelieving people.  Stay relevant, like Jesus.  Connect, mingle, serve J

Enjoying Family Weekend

This weekend many will be enjoying an extra statutory day off.   Alberta was the first province that started the holiday in 1990.  Only recently Saskatchewan gave people in its territories a day off for family time (2007), followed the next year by Ontario (2008).  This year British Columbia had their first Family Day last week.  Even secular organizations recognize the importance of the family for community wellbeing.  How much more should we, believers in Biblical Creation, cherish family relationships, family time, family love! 

I heard an interesting illustration given by a GYC 2012 speaker.  When a dating couple breaks up, they destroy pictures. The more angry is the break up, the more pictures of past smiles will be cut.  Same with the devil – he cannot stand the memories of the pre-fall ideal, when the Family and the Sabbath rest were pictures of God’s presence in this world.  Just as the Fall marred the image of God, so is satan trying to destroy pictures of God in our world – the Family and the Day of Rest.

Russian writer Lev Tolstoy said “happy families are all alike.”  Today sociologists say that happy families share certain basic characteristics. Consider these (edited from Reader's Digest):

1. Cuddle! You can’t overdose on hugs. This kind of positive touch helps kids feel loved and secure, and...it’s fun for parents J

2. Singing together. Especially during time of family worship J. Use music to motivate house chores.  Saturate your home with music!

3. Fun. Children’s schoolwork and extracurricular activities are important, but too much emphasis on work will create tension and anxiety. Time of rest is important too. Play games, plot surprise parties, take long walks, go exploring, plant a garden.

4. Exercise. Take a run or a bike ride to a local park as a whole family, even if you have to wait for mom J. This kind of outing allows parents to model healthy behavior, get exercise, and spend time with their kids.

5. Healthy habits. Leave out bowls of fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, dried fruit.

6. Cook together. Get kids interested in healthy foods together with teaching cooking, measurement, teamwork, and improvisational skills. Kids who help making meals are more likely to eat them J.

7. Reward good behavior. No need to be extravagant. A trip, a movie and popcorn, or a slightly later bedtime can be good motivators.

8. Read and write together. Reading is for every day! Have the whole family read together. Encourage journaling, so children would write daily.

9. One-on-one time. Parents with more than one child should try to spend a little time interacting just with one child each day, even if it’s ten minutes.

10. Have routines. Kids thrive when they know what to expect. So bedtime routines minimize night-time misbehaviour.  Same with morning routines.

11. Appreciate each other. Show how much you value each other, even if it is happy face every time a child returns from school or a parent from work.

12. “Sorry” isn’t enough. It’s not enough to apologize. Find a way to help heal the hurt that was caused, by helping with a chore or sharing.

13. Prioritize your Marriage! The most important thing you can do for your child is to love your spouse and to demonstrate that love.

Thinking about Evangelism, Church growth & Worship

Last Sabbath as I completed the block of sermons on centrality of worship in a believer’s life I invited you to consider that the purpose of all ministries we do is one – to invite people to worship, to lead people to a worshipful experience with God.  The Sabbath Worship convocation (Leviticus 23:3) is not just another ministry it is the main point of church existence and work. In Heaven and on the New Earth there will be no need for Youth ministry, Community Services, Evangelism, Children ministry – as ALL will be in worship with God.  But until then ministries exist to bring people to worship.  Various ministries are established not for the sake of having something to do, not for the sake of having “offices” and “officers” but to prepare people of all ages for worship.  The success of ministries is people coming to worship, people living their lives with acknowledgment of Holy God, bowing before His Awesomeness, and worshiping. 

I used the illustration of the church building and worship service being a vehicle, transporting people into experiencing God through participating and connecting worship.  How many can we accommodate and serve in this facility?  Only a limited number, limited by the size of parking lot (40 cars at one time), size of the fellowship hall (100 maximum in one sitting), size of the sanctuary (180 if shoulder to shoulder in seats, up to 200 by the building fire code J).  Our congregation, with extended church family is 350+.  Considering the new arrivals, and visitors, we never serve more than a third of our congregation weekly.  What’s the solution?  Either get a larger “vehicle” – a new facility; or, make a few more “trips” – offer at least two more worship services Saturday afternoon and evening.  

In our present situation, when we cannot offer needed service of facilitating worship for all people, we are also not eager to do evangelism, which would bring new additional people.  Yet, this is not an option.  Evangelism and auxiliary ministries are our high commission (Matthew 28:19-20)  The “GO” command of Jesus is not over until He comes.  As we are considering what we will do, and how we will serve more people, I invite you to engage in spiritual preparation, each one personally.  Through the months of January-March we are inviting everyone to consider your role, your spiritual connectivity with God, your spiritual condition for mentoring others.  We need Holy Spirit motivated and consecrated workers.  Read the Desire of Ages as a Manual to transition from being fans of Jesus to becoming followers of Christ.

Comes the spring warmth we will be mingling with people in the neighbourhood and community, serving the needs, and seeking opportunities for proclamation and invitation.  But right now prepare for relationships, prepare spiritually for investing in others.  We can have only as many baptisms as many mentors will be prepared.  The Fall Harvest Evangelism program begins right now, with your personal spiritual preparation.

February – Black History month

Today at 4 pm our Pathfinders will be presenting a special vespers at the North London Church (800 Fleet Street) about the Afro-American Heritage and pioneers in the Seventh-day Adventist movement.  Some may wonder: why is it important?  As I reflect on the Sabbath School lesson this week, the Biblical teaching of Acts 17:26, that God made all nations, all people of one and the same flesh and blood, needs to be reminded in view of recent history.  Think how different human relations would have been, and would be if all people recognized this truth.

Here in Canada things were a bit different, but we are still affected by attitudes of our American neighbours.  Consider these few facts that tell a sad story:

1)      From 1890 to 1909, when the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people was founded (NAACP) – nearly 2000 blacks were lynched in USA. 

2)      40 years after the Civil War and emancipation conditions for black Americans had gotten worse, not better.

3)      Voting rights had been taken away by intimidation, and legislative actions requiring would-be voters to pass literacy tests, thus excluding black population, which had no access to quality education.

4)      Life expectancy for black people was 14 years less than white just a century ago.

5)      Interracial marriage was a crime.

In a nation claiming Christian roots and values, human beings created in the Image of God were treated like worse than animals.  Yet, from the inception of our church spiritual leadership was set to change attitudes.  One of our pioneers, Ellen G. White took a bold stand proclaiming in 1891 at the General Conference meeting “I do not mean to live a coward or die a coward.  The black man’s name is written in the book of life beside the white man’s...Birth, station, nationality, or color cannot elevate or degrade men...Those who slight a brother because of his color are slighting Christ.”

The path for racial reconciliation and acceptance was not simple in our church history.  Yet a look at historical facts shows that our church was taking stand for advancing the work among Afro- American population from the beginning, being decades ahead of civic and social developments in the secular world.  In 1895 Oakwood College was established, together with many other colleges that will grow to become Universities. Since 1918 black leaders were serving at the General Conference, sharing leadership responsibilities.  In 1962 Frank L. Peterson was first black elected as the Vice President of the General Conference. In 1979 Charles Bradford was first black elected as the President of the Adventist Church in North America.  When one considers political environment of those years, the courage and boldness of leadership becomes evident.

May we always remember that Christ has purchased us all, from every nation, tribe and people to Himself.  We are brothers by creation and redemption.