Radical Inclusiveness in Ephesians

The letter to the Ephesians was written in the first century after Jesus, after his death, but before most of the Gospels were written.  The most important issue confronting the small groups of Jesus-followers was how to be a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles. How can there be one group of people made up of two groups of people who have built their respective identities on NOT being like each other? Paul or not, the writer was most concerned about this new community of people who were called to be ONE where they had been TWO before.  The writer was most convinced that Gentiles didn't have to give up being Gentiles and Jews didn't have to give up being Jews in order for them to live together in peace.  Somehow (maybe mysteriously!) Jesus made that possible.

Reading Ephesians again in the 21st century, I'm wondering how it addresses us.  Could it be that the categories of Jew-Gentile are recreated in our own differences, religious and otherwise?  So many of us build our identities on NOT being like THOSE people--those kinds of Christians, those Muslims, those Southerners, those Yankees, those Republicans, those Democrats.  What would we have to do differently to break down the barriers that still divide us?
I'm reminded of an old joke. "There are two kinds of people in the world: those who divide the world into two kinds of people and those who don't."
Lord, save us from ourselves!

Prayer Time

First century Christians have different prayer habits and language from the Christians of the 21st century.  It's often hard to penetrate the prayer language of the New Testament--difficult but not impossible.  After all, Christians read the bible now--in translations to English and thousands of other world languages--and still find it relevant.
The letter to the Ephesians assumes that the hearers and readers are familiar with the prayer language of the Jewish synagogue. The standard form of prayer--in Hebrew beracot, or blessing--opens the letter-writer's body of writing in Chapter 1: "Blessed be God..." 
Why does this form of prayer sound alien to Christians of the 21st century? It's not often that Christian prayer language includes a formula to "bless God" even though this is a familiar formula for the prayers of Jews. Does it seem too presumptuous for human beings to "bless God?"  After all, God is the source of all blessings.  Why would such a God "stoop" to being blessed by humans?
Indeed!
Humility is the very characteristic of God that invites imitation. On this day, as the very humble Bishop of Rome is visiting Washington DC, may Christians everywhere remember to "bless God" for God's amazing grace at stooping to the level of humanity.

Reading and Being Read/Feeding and Being Fed

In the life of the church, the Bible has a particular place.  Allen Verhey and Joseph Harvard write about scripture as both "scripted" and "script." [Ephesians, in the Belief series, a Theological Commentary on the Bible, WJK, 2011] The Bible is part of feedback loop in the life of the church. (read about another church feedback loop in my comments at PastorBethatCovenant.) That is, the Bible is written, a text object to be studied, a scripted thing.  But it is not just that. The bible is also script, a text to be performed in the life of the church.  We perform the text when we read and listen to it in worship, when we live lives in obedient service to its demands. Performing the text in worship and prayer and service, the text becomes a mechanism for re-forming our lives, which we then re-perform in God's grace, and are by God's grace, transformed, both as individuals and as a community. Feedback loop.  Fed people. New people.
That's why I love reading scripture.  I need feeding, real, spiritual food.

Bible Study? You've got to be kidding!

I'm a bible geek, I admit it. Ever since I found out that it's possible to love God with one's mind (and be loved by God with the experiences of spiritual insight) I love reading the Bible.  And particularly, I love reading it with other people.  On Wednesday mornings a group of pastors in my town meet for mutual encouragement and prayer.  We start out with "a word from the Word" where we take turns sharing what we've been studying from the bible recently.  It's the most amazing thing!  Words from scripture become God's Word to us, as we reflect on what we've read, and how those words from the Word have touched us.  Those words both comfort and challenge us as pastors, and drive us to articulate what it is we've heard, for the building up of each other.
It's probably useless to moan and groan about the level of biblical illiteracy these days.  When too many people use the Bible to do such awful things (shaming, being the most reprehensible on my list) it's easy to let serious Bible study fall away.  Still, somebody has to do serious reading and listening. "But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?" [Romans 10:14]  It's a good thing I love to do this, since that's what I'm called to do.
Watch this space for upcoming comments about the next study series on the book of Ephesians:  the unity of the church--What's at stake?

Love and Philippians

The letter to the Philippians is one of Paul's most beloved letters.  Centuries of Christians have taken inspiration from it. Paul's clear affection for the readers is obvious. So why is it important to read this letter today?
Daniel Migliore's commentary on Philippians has a good intro on 'why this letter and why now:'
First, because this letter offers one of the most eloquent and compelling witnesses to something Paul calls "surpassing value," that is knowing and following Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Second, because the Philippian congregation is like many of our churches today--struggling to be faithful, worried about the future, and trying to find our way through potentially damaging disagreements. Third, because the church in Philippi found itself among the highly religiously, culturally, and politically diverse environment of the Roman Empire, and was trying to find out who really did deserve ultimate loyalty.  Finally, because this letter holds together belief and practice--"talking the talk and walking the walk"--as we are trying to do.  Sounds like all the right reasons to read it now.
Note: This note was meant to be published last spring when I was reading Paul's letters with some of the folks at "a little church with a big mission." Pardon the lateness, and watch for more upcoming comments on the letter to the Ephesians that we'll be reading together this fall (September 2015).