Yet again Easter’s over and I’m still ruminating . . .

Watcha been doing since Easter?

I’ve been doing a couple of things . . . 

One: Eating, well sucking eggs; chocolate ones last longer if you suck them it slows down the absorption of calories – Yeah right!!!

And two: Reading and ruminating in the First Testament (aka Old Testament), especially thinking on “the nature of spiritual formation and education.”

First rumination: 

• In Biblical Israel “education-is-formation.”

Second rumination: 

• Education as “whole-of-life-formation” centres in Torah as life-shaping revelation and relationship.

Third rumination: 

• First Testament education’s driving-assumptions were not occupied with differentiating sacred from secular; but applied in “engaging formation-for-life as either spiritual or profane.”

Fourth rumination: 

• Torah’s dynamic contribution toward whole-of-life-formation which commenced in the Sinai Wilderness; neither completes there, nor within early entrance into the land. It follows-formationally throughout the whole of Israel’s trans-historical experience in an ongoing interactive-process in which the development of Exodus-Deuteronomy Torah lengthens at least into the Persian period, if not beyond. “Living Torah” formed succeeding generations and communities not by imposition, but transposition.

Fifth rumination: 

• Jesus, Son of the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, disciple of Torah raised in the home of "righteous-man Joseph carpenter of Nazareth" said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Sixth rumination: 

• So “what’s the transpositional teaching of Torah and Jesus?” What can I learn formationally?

Oops . . . the last egg’s “gone” . . . now back to “rumination #6” . . . 

Thinking about Easter, thinking at Easter, or thinking with Easter?

This year in getting thinking about Easter, I “Googled” – “What is Easter?”

"Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It celebrates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus, three days after he was executed. The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity. In Easter celebrations there are two important days, Friday and Sunday. Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection. After Jesus was crucified on the Friday (now known as Good Friday), his body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman Soldiers and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body. On the Sunday, Mary Magdalene, followed later by some of Jesus' disciples visited the tomb and found that the stone had been moved, and that Jesus' body had gone. Jesus himself was seen that day by Mary and the disciples and for forty days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Christians call this the Resurrection."

Join me in some Easter thinking with the question; “is the Easter season worth thinking about?”  Methinks yes.  Now one may well say; “So you should Reverend, it’s all part of your profession.” So what? - I, and most likely you also have thought about Easter for a lot longer than we have ever pursed (or retired from) a life-profession. 

Now thinking from personal recall; my Easter-thinking starts with childhood experiences like getting hard sugar-candy eggs that rattled. And knowing that some families went to Sunday-church especially at Easter, we didn’t; also hearing that those families got their eggs after church – we got ours on Friday. I recall seeing supplies stocked up at the local grocer’s store, and witnessing at least two chooks, lay-down-their-lives; but not in their expectation of resurrection, but my anticipation of a great Sunday dinner with extended family. At those meals there was listening, listening to the adults talk about how things were in the old days and how they these are days. Come to think about it, I was not contributing into adult conversational intercourse, as “children were seen and not heard” – but like any child I was thinking! When you get thinking about it, our Easters didn’t just happen. In both your and my family’s worlds they were (and still are) patterned. In some way we all “do Easter.” 

So much for thinking about Easter, I’m also for thinking at Easter.

We call Easter a holiday, in fact a “four-day public holiday” – statutory even. Yet Easter is Easter; simply put it’s essentially the major Christian festival – a serious think-time, focusing on God’s thoughts and actions into our world and families. 

Now to think with Easter, is thinking within its 3R’s; redemption, resurrection, and reconciliation. On Friday Jesus is not merely dying; He is acting in securing redemption for humans personally, communally, and provisionally. Resurrection on Sunday is both historical and contemporary; resurrection reality then, is a personal, and communal potential now.   The “third-R” - reconciliation is what we do with Easter, what Easter can do or does to us. Wishing you happy thinking . . . happy Easter.

So, you can get your "Foot in the Door" . . .

Character keeps open doors entered through ability . . . 

Skill may get you in, only character can keep you in!

Face it - leadership is ultimately situational

For some time now (actually years) I have ruminated on the crossing of the Jordan river as the Israelis entered the "land" under the leadership of Joshua. My ruminations are "centered" from the acts and hearts of the Ark carrying priests as they took the first steps - then stood still while others went by them. For me they model "leaders that follow." Leaders that enable others to emerge in situational leadership. 

So, during my "chewing this hard and long" I wrote a poem; it's Sam Hunt styled, in a chiastic structure ... 

I'm seeking by listening to the "head-heart talk" of the silent priests ... 

JORDAN

Into the river we walked

Together we walked but none talked

Our place in the river we took

We were wet but not from cold did we shook

On our shoulders we carried the presence

That had carried us to the present

In our place in the river we’re now dry

In awe we shake but not cry

By us through the river they walk

They’re dry and O how they talk

By the way - I'm still ruminating . . . the poem's been "on the shelf" for a few years . . . 

Mission as serve and go – go and serve

It’s been my custom since the early 90’s to read emails early in the morning. Mind you they now download quicker than those times. Their range has broadened from notice boards to blogs. Among my “blogs followed” range is Seth Godlin’s daily offering – here’s today’s offering . . . 

Sold or bought?

Some things are bought--like bottled water, airplane tickets and chewing gum. The vendor sets up shop and then waits, patiently, for someone to come along and decide to buy.

Other things are sold--like cars, placement of advertising in magazines and life insurance. If no salesperson is present, if no pitch is made, nothing happens.

Both are important. Both require a budget and a schedule and a commitment.

Confusion sets in when you're not sure if your product or service is bought or sold, or worse, if you are a salesperson just waiting for people to buy.

Seth, you’ve got me ruminating; being a churchperson and all (used to be a churchman) . . . 

I’m resonating on your third paragraph; I’m hearing you say, “it’s not either or, it’s both and.”

And this fourth paragraph; “not sure if your product or service is bought or sold” . . . now I think I hear Jesus resonating to “my churchperson” . . . missional thinking is “kicking in” . . . now I’m picking up on Matthew’s blog . . .

• “Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you:  Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." – Matt. 28:18-20 (Message Bible)

Thanks Matt, that helps my “sure.”

Yes, it’s both and for us churchpersons – it’s mission all the way.

It isn’t a “be available with the Goodnews product, or go with it by communicating to others quandary.” It’s both and. No confusion needed.

Mission is “serve and go – go and serve.”

Oh, by the way if you’re not sure if you are a churchperson, check this reality out; “if you are a Christian you is” – It’s both and.

Now back to ruminating over Seth’s third paragraph.

• “Both are important. Both require a budget and a schedule and a commitment.”

Bible and Church Belong Together

For over forty years I've acted as celebrant at many, many, many weddings – how many is many? 

Two common statements about weddings kind of “ring in my ruminator” when thinking about the title line to this stuff I’m writing.

“The two were just meant for each other . . . “

“What God put together, let no person put apart . . .

Not woman and man - Bible and Church, or if you prefer it the other way … Church and Bible. They are meant for each other, and belong to each other.  To the Church the Bible is “community property”.  Split from the Church, you don’t get to take the book away as part of the “settlement”.

The Bible’s role within the church has always been central to its life.  Church is the book’s birth place and natural habitat.  This “tradition” flows from Jesus’ own shaping by the scriptures he knew.  From the Hebrew Scriptures earliest Christians developed their understandings of what the living God was accomplishing through Jesus, and the reshaping of their lives.   The earlier Hebrew scared writings expanded with the emergence of the New Testament, which enjoyed the same reverence and status as the existing Hebrew writings, the church continued in its growth, expansion and life.  Church fathers and mothers over the first 1500 years of Christian history never considered any division between theology and biblical studies. 

The Bible as “common property amongst the People of God” provides an authoritative voice.  Not just because it’s there in an old book in black and white – it’s also there in flesh-n-blood, incarnated in the new community (aka “church”).  Hey, not very “Kiwi” (read “PC” if you don’t live in New Zealand) to think in terms like that, readily accepting authorities other than me and my opinion!  

The authority of scripture is from God.  Recently the Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright put responding to authority of the Bible’s voice this way; “in responding to the Bible we are responding to the exercise of the authority of God and the risen Lord Jesus the Son of God.”  Bible, Jesus, God the Father and church are linked; they belong together, because they are together.  

Church and Bible, the two were just meant for each other … Bible and Church, God put them together, let’s not be silly enough to think any person could really put them apart …” 

  

Oh, by the way … Bible and Church are not marriage partners.

I’m not really talking about marriage . . . really, I’m not . . . hey, read my title!

Does God exist, speak, and act?

Let’s ruminate -- for starters . . .

God exists, speaks, and acts throughout scripture. Its’ text record things God says, things others say about and to God; in fact more is said about and to God, more than the Divine ever say for themselves. Likewise divine action and activity, God acts alone, acts with others, others act with God, some against God, some just act, while others don’t act at all, and at times God also doesn't act.

Have I covered all the bases?

If so, its "chewing time" . . . 

Speaking and acting implies existence . . . so also does silence and inaction – if you don’t exist, you can’t be silent or inactive . . . what’s not there is absence, not silence . . . silence and inaction isn't absence, it’s silence and inaction . . .