Quite a laundry list of topics. I was going to attach this as a comment on the "Blessings Post" below, but decided it warranted it's own separate post. This is from Angela's response to the e-mail in that previous post. As usual God's timing is beyond my comprehension. I was reeling from learning today about a couple (whom I believe to be a Godly couple) losing their unborn baby which was due next month, about a women and son who lost their husband/dad a couple years ago now losing the mother in-law, and then thinking about the reconciliation of a man (again who I believed to be a strong man of God) who did some terrible things and is now trying to put his life back together. Although the comments below were originally intended to address "blessings" and what we are supposed to do with them, they also helped me today to come to grips on a small level with our hope in God through the evil, difficulty and suffering of this world. They also helped me see a connection between what we do with the blessings God has given us and this Missional Approach to following God.
(from Angela's e-mail 6/10/10)
Hmmm... today I was finishing up reading Velvet Elvis (which I decided to read again when Ron mentioned reading it a while ago). I read this section and was reminded of this e-mail. This is Rob Bell's take on blessings in a section titled "Serving Others":
I am learning that the church is at its best when it gives itself away. And this is because blessing is always instrumental. Let me explain. In Genesis 12, God tells a man named Abram that he's going to bless him, and through him, he is going to bless the whole world. This is the birth of the Jewish people, whom God wants to use to reach everybody. This blessing is instrumental in nature. God wants to use Abraham, to flow through him, to have him be the conduit through whom God can bless everybody else (note Genesis 17:5). Abraham is just a vessel. God doesn't choose people just so they'll feel good about themselves or secure in their standing with God or whatever else. God chooses people to be used to bless other people. Elected, predestined, chosen - whatever words people use for this reality, the point is never the person elected or chosen or predestined. The point is that person serving others, making their lives better.
The second significant idea in Genesis 12 is that Abraham's calling is universal. It is for everybody. All kinds of people all over the place are going to be blessed by God through Abraham. God has no boundaries. God blesses everybody. People who don't believe in God. People who are opposed to God. People who do violent, evil things. God's intentions are to bless everybody. Jesus continues this idea in many of his teachings. In the book of Luke (22:27) he says, "I am among you as one who serves." He not only refers to himself as a servant, sent to serve others, but he teaches his disciples that the greatest in his kingdom are the ones who serve. For Jesus, everything is upside down. The best and greatest and most important are the ones who humble themselves, set their needs and desires aside, and selflessly serve others.
So what is a group of people living this way called? That's the church. The church doesn't exist for itself; it exists to serve the world. It is not ultimately about the church; it's about all the people God wants to bless through the church...
Later in the same chapter, under a section titled "Difficulty, Suffering, and Hope" Rob talks about how following Jesus often makes our lives more difficult. Selflessley serving others takes everything we have. It's difficult and it's demanding. Following Jesus may bring on problems we never imagined. Our gift to the world around us is hope.
I am learning that the church is at its best when it gives itself away. And this is because blessing is always instrumental. Let me explain. In Genesis 12, God tells a man named Abram that he's going to bless him, and through him, he is going to bless the whole world. This is the birth of the Jewish people, whom God wants to use to reach everybody. This blessing is instrumental in nature. God wants to use Abraham, to flow through him, to have him be the conduit through whom God can bless everybody else (note Genesis 17:5). Abraham is just a vessel. God doesn't choose people just so they'll feel good about themselves or secure in their standing with God or whatever else. God chooses people to be used to bless other people. Elected, predestined, chosen - whatever words people use for this reality, the point is never the person elected or chosen or predestined. The point is that person serving others, making their lives better.
The second significant idea in Genesis 12 is that Abraham's calling is universal. It is for everybody. All kinds of people all over the place are going to be blessed by God through Abraham. God has no boundaries. God blesses everybody. People who don't believe in God. People who are opposed to God. People who do violent, evil things. God's intentions are to bless everybody. Jesus continues this idea in many of his teachings. In the book of Luke (22:27) he says, "I am among you as one who serves." He not only refers to himself as a servant, sent to serve others, but he teaches his disciples that the greatest in his kingdom are the ones who serve. For Jesus, everything is upside down. The best and greatest and most important are the ones who humble themselves, set their needs and desires aside, and selflessly serve others.
So what is a group of people living this way called? That's the church. The church doesn't exist for itself; it exists to serve the world. It is not ultimately about the church; it's about all the people God wants to bless through the church...
Later in the same chapter, under a section titled "Difficulty, Suffering, and Hope" Rob talks about how following Jesus often makes our lives more difficult. Selflessley serving others takes everything we have. It's difficult and it's demanding. Following Jesus may bring on problems we never imagined. Our gift to the world around us is hope.
Ok, so thiswas long, but it tells me that we are blessings and we can bless others with hope. Hope that there is something and someone greater than us who loves us and watches over us - not necessarily keeping us from hard stuff, but being our source of strength to get through it and for this we praise Him no matter what. I'm struggling with this lately too. I don't want to pretend like things are great all the time - they're not! But, I don't think we are supposed to wallow in self-pity, or guilt, or whatever else. These are opposite of the fruits of the spirit that God calls us to and keep us from being others-focused.
I response to this, Hannah pointed to 1 Peter 2-3 which she was reading.
ReplyDelete"Chapter two talks about how we should live Godly, and how to do it in this “pagan” world. Then it goes on to talk about living as Jesus did, and how to treat husbands and wives. In chapter three, after explaining all of this Godly living, he “sums it up”…vs. 8…”Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless-that’s your job to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.” (The Message)
I’m no scholar, but to me it seems like we are designed to be blessing others…through our service like Angela wrote about. Peter is encouraging us to be living lives that are a blessing to others and to us.
Man is that tough stuff…for me anyway.
Another good passage I like is the beatitudes in the Message version…Matthew 5:3-12.
I’ve been thinking about this since you first mentioned it…thanks for giving me something to ponder and hopefully work toward!"