Bible Tuesday - Cathedral Edition

 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,  the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

2 Samuel 7:1-3

King David asked God to let him build a temple. God responded by saying "Look Dave, there is no place big enough to hold me." (This is a loose translation.)  Here's what He actually said:

 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,  “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?  I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.  In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’  Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.  And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.  And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,  from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.  When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

2 Samuel 7:4-13

God knew that the temple would be David's way of honoring Him. So He allowed David's son Solomon to build the temple. He didn't NEED a temple but, eventually, He would allow it to be built. What God knew then (that David could not even begin to comprehend) was that men will turn a building into an idol pretty quick.  The zeal to build a dwelling place for God (as ridiculous as that sounds) is pretty common to mankind. And pretty much ever since King Solomon's temple, men have been building churches, temples, mosques, cathedrals and family life centers. Some were built with honest intentions. Some others...not so much.

But I think even the most avowed atheist would have a hard time standing in front of one of these massive cathedrals without considering the God they were built for. And, for me, these impressive cathedrals of stone will always lead me to be that much more in awe of my God that is far too big for these human chapels.

A Day in Antwerp

After a miserable day trapped in an Antwerp hotel room, I determined to head out on my own even if I accomplished nothing more than wandering around looking like a complete idiot.

So I wandered around Antwerp looking like a complete idiot.

In the past I have been really lucky when travelling to foreign places with Kevin.  He generally has to work for at least part of the trip.  (Which is why we got to go in the first place.)  So, in that respect, I am used to sightseeing alone.  I enjoy my own company.  It isn't a big deal.  But our previous destinations have all been big tourist destinations.  So I am accustomed to heading to the concierge desk, picking up a brochure and booking a tour to wherever.  The tours always speak English and basically shepherd you around like a three year old.  I love it muchly.

But Antwerp is not the tourist mecca of Belgium,  That would be Brussels and we were miles from there.  So no tours.  No concierge.  No room service.  I know I sound like a spoiled brat but...it is what it is.

So I had a few places that I wanted to see. A couple of museums.  A cathedral.  (Did you know that I would rather see a cathedral than eat when I'm hungry?  Well, it's true.)   I also had a map.  Now for a normal person this should have worked fine.  But, for me, it could have been an international incident.  I am, without a doubt, the most directionally challenged person you know.  It's kinda legendary.  And that is in Tennessee.  Where all the signs are in a language I can understand and with cell phones and GPS. 

My first stop was at the Ruben's House.  I will post a slideshow later.  I know you are waiting with bated breath.  Be patient.  I managed to get cash from a weird ATM, buy a ticket and make my way through the tour without incident.  Things were looking up. 

At this point I only had one problem.  I had overslept breakfast service at the hotel and while I wasn't hungry, I really, really needed a cup of coffee.  Really.  As I wandered the streeps of Antwerp beating myself up for not bringing a pair of earmuffs, I hopefully scanned the shops lining the street for a coffeeshop.  In a bitter ironic twist, I didn't see one friggin Starbucks in the whole city.  I did, however, see a shop called illy.  This appeared to be a coffee shop.  I walked in and was enveloped in warmth and coffee smells.  I assume they sell something there but there is no menu, no register, nothing to indicate that you haven't just accidently wandered into someone's sparsely decorated all white home.  In America, someone would have greeted me with a "Can I get you something, hon?"  In Antwerp, I was met with the bored stares and silence of two guys who may or may not have been on Sprockets in the early 1990's.  I left without coffee.

I continued on my journey and saw just one place more fantastic than the other.  I think European people are just far too accustomed to being surrounded by beautiful architecture.  It's everywhere.  At one point I stood in the middle of a throng of commuters both pedestrian and bicyclers trying to get a picture of this magnificent building.  I'm sure those Belgians were curious as to why a chubby American was holding up traffic to photograph a bank.  By the way, I think it says a lot about us as a society when your banks are nicer than any other buildings.  But that's a rant for another day.

While I was enjoying my walk, I was beginning to get concerned.  No cathedral in sight.  I was generally in the area it should have been (I hoped?)  and how hard can it be to find a cathedral?  I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks.  High above the buildings in fron of me, I could see it The Cathedral of Our Lady.  I almost started to cry before I even saw it and then the bells started to ring.  I am old enough to recognize and enjoy a good life moment when it happens.  I thoroughly savored this one.
.

More Cathedral talk in tomorrow's Bible Tuesday.

Quoted - Blue Like Jazz Edition

"Rick tells me, looking back, that he was too proud to receive free grace from God. He didn't know how to live within a system where nobody owes anybody else anything."


- Donald Miller

Bible Tuesday

"but God shows His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

  Romans 5:8

God confronted me at Famous Daves's.

Now look.  Famous Dave's has some mighty good BBQ but it's not exactly the kind of venue wherein I expect to receive a revelation.  My thoughts at this place generally go no deeper than  "How do they get this brisket so tender?"  But that day was different.

Kevin and I were having lunch.  We were talking about Jesus and the Gospel of Luke.  This may seem like a strange lunch conversation to you but, for us, it's a pretty normal topic.  One of God's greatest gifts to me is a husband who will actually listen to me talk about spiritual things.  I don't take it for granted.

So during the course of our discussion, I mentioned a concept I had just read in a book called Ten Things Jesus Never Said.    The author asked why we (as Christians) expect lost people not to act lost. The idea was simple yet shattering. As we were talking about this, I began to think about how I pray for people to 'get their act together' and/or to 'get saved'.  I'm not sure when I became this person.  The thought did not make me happy.  Then God spoke to me.

Lemme try to explain here.  There was no burning bush.  The voice of James Earl Jones did not boom through the sky.  I believe God speaks to me.  Not every day.  Not in an audible voice.  But when it happens, I know it is God. 

So sitting in a booth eating BBQ, I felt God say "You don't trust me to change people."

What!?!?

That thought sent me reeling.  The very cornerstone of my life is trust in God.  Yet at the same time I was mounting a defense against this statement, I knew that my actions proved otherwise.  When I focused on praying for people to change their behavior, the unintentional effect of that prayer was that I did not trust God to change it for them.  Friends, there is more sin in that thought than in the entire city of San Francisco.  Or  Manhattan.  Or take your pick of Godless cities.  The simple fact is that I know better.

You see, I spent most of my life around Christians.  But it wasn't meeting some Christian that changed my life, it was meeting Christ. Once I had that experience, my behavior changed immediately.  My mind was changed along with my heart.  And don't miss this.  My encounter with God did not eliminate sin from my life, it just eliminated my love for sin.  Yeah, you heard me.  Look around at the world.  People love their sin.  And they love it because they don't know any better.  They don't know what the price of that sin really is and they have no idea how much it cost God to pay it. 

God did not wait for me to get my act together.  What hope did I have of being better without Christ?  The Holy Spirit is the only power that can change us.  I know this. So why did  I expect other people  to change without it?  It’s akin to demanding to know why someone's  house is dark when they have never even heard of electricity. 

So I am resolved to quit praying for you to change.  I am praying for God to change you.  I trust Him to do it because I am living proof that He can and will.  I'm not going to blame you anymore for living in the dark because I believe God has the power to turn on the light.

Quoted - Piper Edition

Fear not, you can only be killed. (Matthew 10:28)

Kindly puts things in perspective, huh?

Amsterdam

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I met Kevin halfway through one of his very long business trips in Amsterdam. I flew into a very, very large airport. I'm a way inexperienced traveler and I wasn't looking forward to navigating that monster alone. Luckily, Kevin got up 'crack of dawn' early and met me at the gate.

 After he poured a cup of coffee into me, my first coherent statement was "How long have I been on that plane? It was Thanksgiving when I left home and now all I see are Christmas decorations." Kevin looked at me strangely and said "They don't actually celebrate Thanksgiving here, Rachel." And sure, in hindsight, it's obvious that Europe would not celebrate the first harvest feast of American Indians and Pilgrims but I can't see how it's possible to make it through the year without having cornbread dressing to look forward to.

So clearly, I am a kinda idiot tourist. I don't even try to act otherwise. But at one point, we were standing in the middle of Amsterdam in a very busy area full of people when another tourist singles me out and asks "Do you know where the red light district is?" Look. If you stop me in the grocery store and ask me where the Windex is, I can probably hook you up but that's about the extent of my directional capabilities. Andthere is no way that tourist could not have known that about me but...of all the freaks standing in that square, I feel like a chubby southern housewife was about the least likely person to be able to help with her question.

Quoted

"A woman's guess is much more accurate than a man's certainty."

- Rudyard Kipling


Ya'll know this is true. 

Book Review - 2 Mary Russell

I cannot stop myself.

I am gorging on these Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books like Little Debbie cakes during an ice storm.  And my excuse for both scenarios is the same.  They're just so stinkin good.

A Monstrous Regiment of Women finds Mary Russell about to turn 21.  This is a big deal because she will finally be old enough to inherit her parent's estate and send her mean old guardian aunt packin.  As part of her new freedom, Mary heads to London to propose marriage to Sherlock Holmes.  Before she gets a chance to propose, Holmes guesses her plan and this makes Mary real, real mad.  She goes off on her own for a few chapters.  While there, Mary meets up with an old friend from Oxford who then introduces Mary to The Temple.  The Temple is a church run by a very charismatic female preacher.  Mary is intrigued and mistrustful of the preacher.  She insinuates herself into the organization to solve the mystery of the disappearing benefactresses.  And when I say 'disappearing", I mean murdered.

It's a very interesting book.  The author is also a Old Testament scholar (although this is not a Christian book, so don't be scared) so the sermons and discussions between Mary and the Temple members are quite thought provoking.  But, in the end, it's just a great story and the chemistry between Russell and Holmes is what makes it so immensely readable.

Here's the thing.  O, Jerusalem is one of the last novels written in this series.  But the story occurs much earlier in the timeline.  It actually falls chronologically before A Monstrous Regiment of Women.  For that reason, I chose to read it next.  Also, the library had this one but the next book was checked out so I decided this was the way to go.

This book was difficult to read.  It took forever.  I wasn't sure if I had just read too many of this series in a short time or what.  The story is set during a break in one of Russell and Holmes most dangerous cases.  They leave London for a while to kind of smoke out the target.  They head to Jerusalem to work on another case for Holmes brother, Mycroft who is an official with the British government.  But for about half the book, you just aren't sure there is a case.  They mostly wander around the desert with two surly guides.  The descriptions of the physical discomfort, including thirst, hunger, bad shoes and no showers, were enough to depress me.  I like showers and toothbrushes.  It bothers me when people don't have them.

By the time you realize that they are, indeed, working on a case, the payoff is pretty good.  The last half of the book redeems the tortuous first half.

Bible Tuesday

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him.  And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  

Luke 9:37-40 

Jesus deals with demons quite a bit throughout the gospels. The thing I am continually struck by is that Jesus never gets mad at demons. He deals with them pretty unemotionally actually. He exercises authority over them. He expels them. He saves people from them. But He doesn't tie himself into an anxiety ridden pretzel over them.

Conversely, Jesus does seem to get very frustrated with people. And in every situation that I can think of, He is annoyed at their lack of faith. He calls the Pharisees hypocrites  because they say they have faith in God but their actions prove otherwise.  They are depending on their works. Not God. This bothers Jesus big time.

In this story from Luke, Jesus rebukes his disciples for their inability to heal a little boy. Their lack of faith kept them from removing the demon that oppressed the child.  Jesus seems just exasperated with these guys. Here's the verse:

"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?   Luke 9:41

A little context might be helpful here also.  This occurs right after Peter, James and John witness Jesus' transfiguration.  The transfiguration is preceded by the feeding of the five thousand.  These fellas had witnessed two pretty major miracles in as many days.  And yet, when faced with a demon, they were powerless.

And so I'm wondering if we don't, all too often, head off to battle with the wrong weapon.  If Jesus deals with demons without even raising his voice while calling his best buds 'perverse' for their lack of faith, them maybe we should pay attention. 

Book Review - The Brass Verdict

In about two months, I read three Lincoln Lawyer books by Michael Connelly and two books by John Grisham.  I feel pretty confident that I could pass the Bar exam at this point.   Admittedly, it was too many lawyer books but I couldn't help myself.

And I'm learning tons of completely useless information!  Like did you know what a 'Brass Verdict' is?  Me neither!  It's basically where the justice system screws up and lets a guilty person go but then that jerk gets killed on the street by hoodlums, housewives or whatever.  I'm not suggesting that a brass verdict is good but it's not completely objectionable in the scenario set up in this novel. 

Quoted - Piper Edition

"If you don’t read the Word and memorize the Word and meditate on the Word daily and delight in the Word and savor it and have your mind and emotions shaped by the Word, you will be a weak Christian at best. You will be fragile and easily deceived and easily paralyzed by trouble and stuck in many mediocre ruts."

– John Piper

If you don't know who John Piper is...you should.  Let me just say that if I were still in middle school, I would have a picture of John Piper in my locker.  Which would be weird because he looks like this.

But without the influence of John Piper, there would be no Matt Chandlers or no Mark Driscolls.

And that would stink, so thanks Dr Piper.  I owe you a couple :)

Book Review - The Woman in White

Nora Ephron made me read this book.  She described her reading experience in one of her essays and I could not wait to get my hands on it.  The book was hidden in the library shelves and still had one of those stamp pads in the back from old timey library days. 

I judged this book by it's cover.  It was tiny.  No picture at all on the cover.  It was that weird, pebble like plastic-leather stuff .  The print was tiny.  I am way on too old for tiny print.  (I am not old enough for large print yet though.)  I just could not get into it.  And I felt really bad about it.  It was just the kind of book I should like.  I mean come on, Nora Ephron?  If the person who wrote 'When Harry Met Sally" thinks something is good, you kinda have to assume she's right...right?  But I gave up.

And then I tried again.  While feeding my current addiction to all things Sherlock Holmes, I stumbled upon the Kindle edition Of The Woman in White.  Here's the thing about the Kindle.  All books read the same.  Old books don't look or feel old.  So I loaded it up (for free!)  and took it with me on vacation.

Oh good grief!!!  It was awesome!!!

It's this really great mystery which would be totally screwed up by today's DNA and other detective stuff but was totally legit in 1860.   There is a lowly art teacher named Walter Hartwright, a few young ladys, a mean dude name Percyval (for reals) and a count.  Seriously!!! Have you ever read anything with a count that wasn't fantastic?  No.  You haven't.  There is mistaken identity, insane asylums, secret mail and 500 pages worth of YEAH.  The mystery unravels to a very quaint climx.  The kind of scandal that would not even phase a modern day five year old.  And then it has a sweet, good ending.  With a fat, happy baby as all books should end with. 

Get a Kindle.  Get a Nook.  Get an iPad.  Just get something digital and read this one.  I'll give you a dollar if you don't like it.

Quoted

"The question of fault feeds the fury of every storm."

- Beth Moore

I am wrecked by how true this statement is. There is no problem that occurs in my life that doesn't send me searching for a way to blame myself. Kevin is guilty of this too. Invariably when presented with a problem, his first response will be "I'm sorry." My response is usually something like "Well babe, I appreciate your apology but I really don't blame your for Obama's capitulation to John Boehner. I was just talking." We both waste precious hours of our lives trying to take the blame instead of looking for a solution. And, look, lots of problems in my life were absolutely my fault. No question.

But sometimes, life just goes awry. Sometimes kids do drugs. Even though you spend thousands of dollars on drug tests, psychologists, psychiatrists, medication, and security systems. Even though you beg, plead, preach, cry, punish, unpunish, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes husbands leave. Even though you are a pretty good, (not perfect), wife. And, sure, if given the chance, all of us would make (hopefully) better decisions if we could get a do-over. But just because a situation teaches you something about how you should handle the next situation doesn't necessarily mean the whole deal was your fault to begin with.

Bible Tuesday

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Romans 5:1

Peace.  

Can you imagine?

Without Christ, we are enemies of God.  He can’t tolerate sin and we roll around in it like pigs in the mud.  We throw that word around a bit too casually these days but being enemies is pretty hardcore.  People hate their enemies.  They plot destruction of their enemy. 

So really, compared to that, peace with God would be more than enough, wouldn’t it?  Jesus is our mediator.  He works out an armistice.  A treaty of peace between us and God.  That alone would be pretty awesome, right?

Well, as usual, God goes above and beyond. 

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received reconciliation.”

 Romans 5:10

Try to picture this.  We were God’s enemy.  Jesus brokered peace between us.  God’s wrath against us was ended.  But Jesus did so much more than that.  He reconciled us with God.  Reconciled means 'a change from enmity to friendship'.  You could have peace with someone without having reconciliation.  When I think of the word reconciled, I always visualize a family reunion or two lovers who finally make it work. Either picture works in this scenario.  God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has taken us back.  WE are welcome at the family table.  WE are welcome in God’s arms.

Peace would have been fantastic.  But God would settle for no less than full restoration.

Quoted

"Prayer expands your sense of how you've offended God and minimizes your sense of how others have offended you." James McDonald