Surprised by Hope - Love

Quote from page 288 of N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope, Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

The point of 1 Corinthians 13 is that love is not our duty; it is our destiny. It is the language Jesus spoke, and we are called to speak it so that we can converse with him. It is the food they eat in the God's new world, and we must acquire the taste for it here and now. It is the music God has written for all his creatures to sing, and we are called to learn it and practice it now so as to be ready when the conductor brings down his baton. It is the resurrection life, and the resurrected Jesus call us to begin living it with him and for him right now Love is at the very heart of the surprise of hope: people who truly hope as the resurrection encourages us to hope will be people enabled to love in a new way. Conversely, people who are living this rule of love will be people who are learning more deeply how to hope.

Surprised by Hope - Christ's Ascension

I have summarized some of N.T. Wright's comments on Christ's Ascension from his book, Suprised by Hope, Rethinking Heaven, the Ressurection, and the Mission of the Church. I thought his comments were insightful and got me thinking about the importance of Christ's ascension.

Comments from chapter 7 Jesus, Heaven, and New Creation on The Ascension.

We can’t only believe that Jesus was raised from the dead but closely linked to this is his ascension into heaven. You can’t confuse one with the other or assume they are the same thing. They are linked but they are different.

Luke is the only gospel writer that tells the story of Christ’s ascension. And he mentions is twice, once at the end of Luke and then again at the beginning of Acts. As if to say (and this is me, not Wright) that Christ’s ascension serves as the end of one era and the beginning of another.

Recent writings have revealed that when the church has ignored or misunderstood the ascension a lot of other teachings and practices go wrong. There are two directions that the church has gone in its understanding of the ascension. One is flat literalism; the other modernistic skepticism.

How should we think about the ascension?
• It is that the ascension demands that we think differently about how the whole cosmos is, so to speak, put together and that we also think differently about the church and about salvation.
• Heaven and earth are not different locations within the same continuum of space and matter. They are to different dimensions of God’s good creation. Heaven relates to earth tangentially so that one who is in heaven can be present simultaneously anywhere and everywhere on earth: the ascension means that Jesus is available and accessible, without people having travel to a particular spot on earth to find him. Second, heaven is, as it were the control room of earth. Jesus said, “All authority has been given me to me, in heaven and on earth.”
• Jesus is in heaven in a human (resurrected) body. Some people believe that Jesus was divine, stopped being divine (his earthly mission) and became divine again (his ascension). It is because we have a Platonic view of heaven as a “spiritual” no material place so that the idea of a solid body being not only present but also thoroughly at home there seems like a category mistake.
• Jesus is in charge not only in heaven but on earth. Not just in the future, but now. The church’s message is that we announce that there is a new sheriff in town. And things will start to be different.
• There is a danger that when the church ignores or downplays the ascension that it (the church) fills the vacuum. Jesus more or less becomes indentified with the church instead of being in heaven ruling over and above the church, sometimes against the church, and speaking to the church. The church instead of presenting Jesus as Lord and itself as the world’s servant sees itself linked directly with the presence of Jesus. So that its structures, practices, leadership, buildings and liturgy become identified with Him. What do you get when this happens?
1. Insolence of office on the one hand
2. The despair of late middle ages on the other as people realize that it doesn’t work.

Quoting N.T. Wright : “Only when we grasp firmly that the church is not Jesus and Jesus is not the church – when we grasp, in other words, the truth of the ascension, that the one who is indeed present with us by the Spirit is also the Lord over against us, the one who tells Mary Magdalene not to cling to him – only then are we rescued form both hollow triumphalism and shallow despair.
Conversely, only when we grasp and celebrate the fact that Jesus has gone on ahead of us into God’s space, God’s new world, and is both already ruling the rebellious present world as its rightful Lord and also interceding for us at the Father’s right hand – when we grasp and celebrate, in other words, what the ascension tells us about Jesus’ continuing human work in the present – are we rescued from a wrong view of world history and equipped for the task of justice in the present.”

With the resurrected Jesus in heaven we begin to see the trinity in a new light. The resurrected Jesus is still distinct from while indentified with God the Father on one hand and the Spirit on the other hand.

This is me: Once we understand the ascension and the work of Christ, and our work in connection to his, once we see that we are not Jesus, but that we are to declare his rule, then will appreciate and understand better the return that was promised in Acts 1:11. We will not see it as our goal to leave this earth and make heaven our home, but with pray with fervency, the kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Then the Spirit and the bride in unison will say come.

Stewardship II - Sphere of Responsibility

2 Corinthians 10:13 - But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

Ephesians 4:7 - But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Luke 16:10-11 - One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you true riches.

One aspect of understanding stewardship is the recognition of the area, or sphere of responsibility, that has been given to us, learning how to be faithful in that area, and then wait for God to increase that sphere.

Definitions
The word sphere in the Bible means rule, standard, by implication a boundary. It is not just a boundary but it is an area given to us to steward. Everything within (or fills or will fill) that sphere God has asked us to steward, everything outside of it, belongs to someone else.

The word measure means a limited portion or to portion out. The idea is like different cup sizes. you have 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, or 1 cup. Contents might be the same but the measure is different.

Both words, sphere and measure, have a similar focus. God has measured out a sphere and has asked us to be faithful within that sphere. Growth (internally & externally) will bring an expansion of that sphere and increased measure to meet those challenges.

Our Natural Growth
We can understand this concept better if we look at what takes place in our natural lives. From birth up to a certain age our sphere of responsibility will be limited. It might include picking up toys to keeping our room clean. As we get older our responsibilities should grow to include maybe mowing the lawn, doing dishes, cleaning the house, holding a part-time job. The older we get, the more mature we become (hopefully), we should see an increase in our internal and external capacities. Schooling, jobs, and family add to the increased responsibilities and expansion and growth in our sphere of influence. By contrast, we wouldn't expect a newborn to clean their room, nor would we expect a teenager to keep a fulltime job running a segment of large company.

This insight should help us when we look at how 1) God works in our lives and 2) how we should focus our training and teaching of our children.

Here are some key points:

1. God has given each of us a sphere of responsibility (personal, family, job, church...). Can you define this? Do you pray for it? Have you defined it for your children?
2. He has given us grace to steward what is within that sphere. I believe God will give us insight and wisdom to respond to and handle all of the challenges associated with stewarding what He has given us. By implication, he has not given us grace to handle what is outside our sphere. That would be the busy body. Or sometimes someone wants to give us a responsibility that God is not giving us. This mostly happens in the form of communication and the pressure we might feel to respond. This can be the work of the enemy to distract us from what is important. Remember Nehemiah.
3. There is an expectation of growth that should take place. Increase, fruitfulness is the expectation. It is based on what was given, not compared to what others have. Remember the parable of the talents.
4. Faithfulness (sticking to it, not giving up) in the small things brings increase. There are two tracks that faithfulness rides on: 1) is character developement (growing in the image of Christ) and 2) Competency (meaning an increase in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding). We will discuss these three at another time. Do not underestimate the value of not giving up!
5. God expects us to act with confidence, grace, and humility within the sphere that he has given us. Shrinking back is what the man with the one talent did. He didn't act, but instead he buried or hid what God gave him. Taking the initiative within our sphere is key to being a faithful steward.
6. We are called to guard and protect what God has given us to steward. The enemy wants to rob, kill, and destroy. We are called to, with God's help, give life to our sphere.
7. Finally, to the degree we are connected to and stay in fellowship with the owner of all things, is the degree to which we see increase and know how to tend to our sphere of responsibility. Remember: We are not the owners, just stewards and the owner, not us, knows best.

The next time we will look more closely at wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

Stewardship

The idea of stewardship and its implications on how we live has always been at the center of my thinking and, to the best of my abilities, lifestyle and action. It is a word and an idea that has lost its meaning and place within our society and families.
Stewardship is an old word. You don't hear it used often and if someone were to define it, they would struggle to understand its meaning and/or application.

What is stewardship?
The dictionary describes it as:

• A person who manages another's property or financial affairs. one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.
• A person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.
• An employee who has charge of the table, wine, servants, etc., in a club, restaurant, or the like.

The Bible's use of the word has a similar meaning. The greek word "oikonomos" is used in the new testament. The word is actually two words, household (oikos) and distributor of law, food etc (nomos).

A steward is given charge of another's possessions and manages those possessions. If it is in the context of the household, they distribute those possessions to other members of the extended family based on the wishes and direction of the owner.

The Bible through several parables and stories expands on the idea of stewardship by providing qualifications for stewardship and how to determine if a steward is succeeding.

It is not Just About Money

Most often when the church has approached the subject of stewardship it usually has been around the giving of money or the raising of funds for a specific project, like a new building. Once those funds were raised they would be distributed to fund the project or activity.

There is, in my view, a broader application and understanding of stewardship that goes beyond the use of, or raising of, money for projects. That broader view encompasses all of life, starting with our own lives (maybe we start with how we keep our bedrooms or how we handle our physical bodies), and growing to include all that has been added to us (children, homes, cars, vocation, finances, spiritual truths) as we get older and mature.

Ownership versus Stewardship
Before I go to far in developing the concept of stewardship I want to mention something that is close to my thinking, that is the idea of ownership versus stewardship. In my thinking the idea of ownership and its implications on how I handle all that has been given me runs contrary to the idea of stewardship.

Let me state at the beginning that I am not opposed to purchasing things (cars, homes, etc.) and owning them. Even though we could make a strong case that when we purchase on credit, we don't really own anything. What I am trying to work through is the underlying thinking behind how an owner thinks about what they have been given versus how a steward thinks.

A steward by definition is working with another's resources, not their own. The center of gravity is not their wishes or desires, but those of the owner. For the owner they are the center. What ever they wish or desire (regardless of the basis from which the desires emerge) become the command.

The steward sees that they are working for someone else not for themselves. So they treat all that has been given them from the perspective of the owner. The owner, works for themselves.

The problem comes when the steward begins to deceive themselves into thinking that they are the owner of all that they have. They see that everything they have is theirs to do with as they please. The center of gravity is now them. It is there wishes and their desires regardless of the basis from which those desires emerge, that serve as the basis for their decisions and actions. Consulting someone else, especially the owner, is not needed. The deceived steward becomes a resource for themselves. It is an inward consultation, not an outward or upward consultation.

I believe, much that has been ruined or harmed in our society and in our own personal lives is the result of taking the position of ownership versus stewardship. Think through this with me for a minute. What is the basis for abortion? Child rearing? Management styles? Leadership qualities? Marriage? Men & Women's roles? Relationships? Money? Homosexuality? Church?

Who determines how we should handle these issues? Us? Society? Experts? God? I could go on and on. When we believe we are the owners, we see ourselves as creators and consequently the tweekers of all that we were meant to steward. Self-gratification and instant gratification rule, the owners ways are to old fashion, out of date, not in keeping with our modern society. In the end we ruin what we were meant to steward.

I will stop here for now, let you think about this. Hopefully I can pick up this thought again in the next couple of weeks.

Meet Me in St. Louis

Its on. May 23 and 24th, 2009. Baseball and fun in St. Louis, MO

We are staying at the Hilton across from the ballpark

Baseball game on Saturday

Swimming at the Hilton

Separation of Facts & Faith

A quick update to the blog I just posted below. Here are the two opening paragraphs from an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled, "Faith, Proof and Relics". It was in the Saturday/Sunday, April 11-12, 2009 edition.
See if you don't notice how the author frames this article about the Shroud of Turin. This is the accepted unchallenged mindset. Whether you believe in the Shroud or not, is not the issue. It is faith which is opposed to reason. The italics are mine.

It really isn't much to look at. Just a stretch of tattered fabric 14 feet long and a little under 4 feet wide, it is yellowed by time, scarred by fire, stained like a tablecloth not worth keeping. Only on closer inspection does there seem to be an image between the burn holes and creases: a man, naked, prepared for the grave.

The Shroud of Turin underscores an essential aspect of religion. Believers suspend their rational processes and undertake an act of faith. Yet the power of holy relics is that they offer the tantalizing possibility of concrete proof of that belief, setting up a battle between reason and devotion.

Below is a link to this article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123940218130209621.html#mod=todays_us_nonsub_weekendjournal

Enjoy

Secularization

Secular - of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal: secular interests.

Secularism - Religious skepticism or indifference. The view that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education.

Secularization - to make secular; separate from religious or spiritual connection or influences; make worldly or unspiritual; imbue with secularism.

The three definitions above are similar in their fundamental meaning. Secular is an adjective that describes something or some one's view of religion, the sacred or what is spiritual; secularism is a way of thinking that does not include religious thinking in determining truth or in making decisions; and finally secularization is the process of separating (pushing out) the religious from worldly, the spiritual from the unspiritual (some would say practical), your personal belief (your values) from public facts (science).

Our western modern culture is working very hard, and in many ways has succeeded, in pushing our view of God, His word, and His ways to the private and personal and out of the public arena of debate and discussion. Under the guise of pluralism and intolerance it is no longer acceptable to view God as a fact, personally involved in His creation, and redeeming mankind to bring it under His lordship and care.

Many times we have bought into this subtle secularization by thinking that God is concerned about me personally (my salvation & getting to heaven) but He really has little to say in how I work, how I handle my relationships (in the church or out of the church), my money (not just giving to the church), spend my time (not just church activities)... the stuff of life and living. The strategies and tactics we employ to handle the issues of this life many times exclude God and call on our own resources to resolve.

One of the tactics of secularization is to redefine words so that their meaning is untethered from biblical reality and shifts it to the ever changing sway of the public opinion/arena. Some examples include freedom, sin, marriage, Jesus, God, origins of life and creation, and family just to name a few.

Another tactic behind secularization is to see limits as negative and inhibiting. Limitlessness is the (no limits) byword of secularization. Secularization creates an expectation of unlimited freedoms, choices, resources, and opportunities. Anyone or anything that restricts, or holds back or teaches self-restraint or self-discipline is seen as intolerant and keeping you from being all that you can be. Thus institutions like church (with its teachings on sin, the call to a cross carrying lifestyle, and subordination to Jesus as Lord) and family/marriage (with its commitment to covenantal monogamous relationships and subordination of all members within that household) are challenged and redefined. Marketing as a whole creates this discontentment

• Limitlessness when preached within the context of finding happiness, creates an uneasy discontentment and a subtle fear. Both feeding on the idea that had we made a different choice or experienced more we could be happier than we are today.
• Limitlessness when preached does not see God as sovereign, but transfers that sovereignty to us.
• Limitless is a marketing tactic within commercialism. You don't like this product, you don't like how you look, don't like your relationship.... we have something new for you!
• Limitlessness when preached sounds exactly like Satan in the garden (Gen 3:5-6) enticing Adam and Eve with the fact that the limits God had imposed (don't eat from the tree) are really keeping you from being like God. Satan redefined and in the process undermined God's word spoken to Adam and Eve. Satan marketed his product by showing how enticing the fruit was to eat. Listen to these words in Genesis 3:6 "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

Even as I write it is difficult to see how God designed limitations actually bring a peace and contentment when all that surrounds us is pulling us in a different direction. One wonders how many illnesses are born out of striving for these unrealistic expectations.

My attempt in writing is to not create a rule, but to challenge a thinking, and create a backdrop for discernment within our own culture. Nor am I attempting to create an excuse for not pursuing excellence in life.

Finally I am not casting stones, as I am convicted by the progress of secularization in my own thinking and actions. If anyone needs God's help I am at the front of the line!

My Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday. I want to take the time to celebrate him on my blog. I do this not just for my sake, but for my boys. You have a good heritage in your grandfather.

My last conversations with my dad prior to his unexpected death, were challenging for me and our family. But after his death he came to my in my dreams, (you don't have to believe this if you don't want to, I know it was real) and told me everything was OK. That was a gift from God to me.

I miss my dad and love him. Here is what I wrote......

Dave Tomko

How do you begin to describe a man who has done so many things over the course of his life? People say that we are defined by who we are and not by what we do. Yet much of my Dad’s life is defined by activity. My dad was always active. He didn’t sit still. Movement to him meant progress.

My dad was a starter. He was a visionary person. In many ways he was a pioneer. He saw things that could be done, and worked at making them happen. He never hesitated to act. When the scripture was clear that he should respond in a certain way, he was willing to be called a renegade and rebel to accomplish God’s will. My Dad defined sitting still as sin. Whether it was a church building, a business activity, insight on how the church should live or an orphanage, it didn’t matter. It was full steam ahead; join him or stay out of the way.

Yet, that is not all that Dave Tomko was. He was generous. Giving was the single most important thing to him. His time, money, energy, and home were at your disposal. When he saw a need it was nothing for him to offer money, his home, his appliances, what ever it would take. For him to live with less so that others could live with a little more was fine. I seldom remember times when we didn’t have someone living in our home. We all made room so that Dad could express his generosity. I know if he could - and some times he couldn’t and did it anyway - he would have given the shirt off of his back to anyone who was in need. Many individuals and couples were blessed by his generosity.

Who else was Dave Tomko? My dad had a passion to serve God. There was nothing he would not do to serve and follow Christ. Could you put “saint” next to his name for everything he did? I am not sure. Yet he never flinched in his devotion to follow Christ. Everything he acted on was done out of a desire to obey and please his Father in heaven. To him the pearl in the field was worth having. He was willing to sell everything he had to get it. The spiritual heritage that he passed on to us will be hard to measure. He prayed daily that all his children would have the same passionate desire. I believe God will answer his prayer. Where would many of us be without his input and direction? The example of following Christ will leave a permanent imprint on all of us.

Who else was Dave Tomko? My dad was a salesman. He could sell ice cubes to Eskimos. But his greatest passion was offering those who didn’t know Christ an opportunity to follow Him. My dad loved to see those who didn’t know Christ come in to a relationship with him. He was an evangelist. To him the Good News was everything. He would befriend anyone with the knowledge that some day he would be able to see them become Christ followers. Many of us benefited by his passion. Maybe you rode on the school bus he drove. Maybe you met him while serving him coffee or breakfast. Maybe you rode the train in Japan or met him around a business lunch. Maybe you met him while working with him or while he was pastoring a church. To win men and women to Christ you have to be a salesman. In my dad’s case he was offering something that would affect others for eternity. His passion to see individuals become Christ followers caused him to do anything to accomplish that end. He was relentless, he didn't give up, and it did not matter how other’s perceived him. He was willing to look foolish. Where ever my Dad went people came to Christ. If you are a salesman offering the greatest gift, what else could you do?

But that is not the complete story. Sometimes the image of Christ was blurred by the image of who my Dad was. That image would get mixed up, we didn’t know at times when Christ ended and my Dad began. For some this was difficult to understand and/or accept. We would begin to question Christianity in the light of how it might have been practiced. I wonder if it was hard for my Dad too. Following Christ was so much at the center and periphery of who he was that the practical got lost. But that happens at times to visionaries. They are so far out there, that they forget that dotting the “I’s” and crossing the “T’s” are just as important as getting there. Many times my Dad forgot to dot the “I” and cross the “T” and when he forgot, he would hurt people or leave them hanging. Even those close to him. For my part I forgive him. The spiritual heritage of following Christ and serving him with a passionate devotion far out weighs some “I’s” and “T’s” that might not have been dealt with. Many others have experienced the “I’s” and “T’s” not being addressed when you worked with my Dad. Hopefully you will be able reconcile them before the Lord, that my dad served, and you serve.

Human beings are complex individuals. My dad was no different. His love for God, his desire to see those who didn’t know Christ follow him were important. My dad only did big things. He didn’t serve a small God. When He did things he did them in a big way. If it was following Christ he did it in a big way, when He failed, he did it in a big way. If he was going to have fun, there was only one way to do it, in a big way. I suppose if you wanted to define him at all, nothing my Dad did was done in a small way. The word small was not in his vocabulary.

But I wonder, if he was here now, what he would say to all of us. Wouldn’t he say, Follow Christ! Wouldn’t he say, Give yourself completely to knowing him and then act on what you know; Wouldn’t he say, you serve a big God, who only does big things don’t sell him or yourself short.

For myself, I love my Dad. I expect to see him again. I am grateful for the spiritual heritage he has passed on to me. I am not all of the things my dad was. But I know this; the same passionate devotion to follow Christ is at work in me just as it was at work in him. And if laying up treasure in heaven is real, my dad is enjoying some of that treasure today.

Written October 12, 2003

He Who Has an Ear to Hear

John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

I read this passage in my quiet time a couple of days ago. I remember hearing and reading about this story in Sunday School when I was younger. Peter is probably glad he wasn't good at using a sword. When Luke tells this story he also mentions that Jesus healed this man's ear. As I was thinking about this passage this thought struck me:

When the church uses the sword to communicate its message or further its agenda it ends up deafening those who were meant to hear its message.

Just my thoughts.

Wisdom

Here is a great quote and a link to good article on wisdom entitled, Wisdom, The Interval Between the Notes.

To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward events. It is to perceive the essential nature of things. The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential. But on the other hand, knowledge of an apparently trivial detail quite often makes it possible to see into the depth of things. And so the wise man will seek to acquire the best possible knowledge about events, but always without becoming dependent upon this knowledge. To recognize the significant in the factual is wisdom.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

http://foundationsmag.com/wisdom2.html

Why this Blog?

I started this blog primarily for my sons, their families, and of course my grandchildren (notice this in the plural!). I thought this would be another way to share my thoughts on what is important to me. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a father and have a family. When I met my wife, Gail, the first thing that I remember in our conversations (it was a cold blizzardy night at the big house with our church's youth group, I know she remembers) was that she loved kids and family. She grew up in a great & large catholic family so she understood family life. To be honest with you, it was at this point that I knew I was probably going to marry her.

The older I have gotten (and you can't help but get older) the more that I see that family is at the heart of who God is. His self-revelation to us is Father & Son - Eternal descriptions of who they are and the nature of their relationship. That revelation is the DNA was woven into us in creation and reestablished afresh in the new birth. Unfortunately sin and Satan have distorted the nature and purpose of family and we have allowed our definition of family to be determined from the bottom up (our experiences and what how this world has and is redefining family) instead of from the revelation of the Father & Son found in God's word. We need God's help to not only navigate against this current, but actually swim in a different current all together.

I have thee boys, Rob, Stephen, Eric. A father could not ask for better sons. One thing I pray for them regularly is that they would be seekers of Christ.
Paul said in Philippians 3:10, "that I may know Him.....",
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "seek first the kingdom of God....."
Hopefully this will be the focus of their lives, that they may know Him and seek first His kingdom.