Pastor's Ponderings: Old Testament bible study on Ezra 4:1-6 (November 30, 2023)

Thursday morning Bible Study on the OT book of Ezra 4:1-6

Blessings and peace be with you this morning. It seems like forever since we were talking about this text from Ezra. In the middle of all of that was our nation's celebration of Thanksgiving, but now we are back to our regular Thursday study.

Please pray for Holly who was diagnosed with pneumonia at the hospital emergency room. She is on massive doses of antibiotics but is recuperating at home.

There is a really clear message in our passage from Ezra today. We are going to work through the material together and then arrive at the conclusion which I hope will be helpful for us today too. The problem in this reading is that there appear to be several outside sources which are making it particularly difficult for the Judahites to get the rebuilding of the temple moving forward. The very first thing that we encounter is that these people who are being difficult are folks who have, in all likelihood, been living in the land of Israel while the Judahites have been in exile in Persia. One group is definitely the Samaritans. They are a part of the "Northern" kingdom of Israel, while we call the people who were taken into exile Judahites because they were from the "Southern" kingdom which included Jerusalem and the place where the temple was to be rebuilt. The promised land had been historically split between the older tribes and the younger tribes which resulted ultimately in the division of the entire promised land. In the North, many people filtered back during the time that the people of the South were in exile, so they had already established their own patterns of worship, and they were really much more conservative than the people who were returning under the guidance of the Persians. The Samaritans used only the Pentateuch (the Torah, the first five books of Scripture). They did not use history or the prophets as resources for their religious practices. Needless to say, when the Judahites returned they had spent 50 years doing what they considered to be the most authentic worship of the LORD. The problem that initially arose was that the leaders of the Judahites were being bribed by people from the North in order to block the building of the temple. Naturally, the purpose was to cause delay after delay on the process of rebuilding. Eventually the Samaritans approach the current King of Persia appealing to him that they were being ignored in the process of the temple restoration. In the North some of the Jews of the Assyrian diaspora returned, but they returned to Assyria having brought in other peoples who had also been conquered by them. It was into this mix of people with their own religious habits and thinking that the Judahites struggled to get things under way. Today we understand that when indigenous people are presented with a proselytizing new religious group, it is best for the new group to integrate some of the original traditions into the new. (example: Day of the Dead) That creates an atmosphere of greater harmony and acceptance. This should have been the case between the Judahites, the Samaritans, and others.

During the years from the mid-500s BCE to the mid-400s BCE the Judahites took a hard line about including the other communities thinking in any possible in what they were doing. Their fierce restrictive approach during this time really made their lives and the task before them extremely difficult. They were in constant turmoil with the residents who had settled there before their return. And the people of the "North" appealed directly to the new King of Persia for relief.

So, what is it that we learn, because ultimately the temple is primarily rebuilt and the worship of the LORD resumes according to the historical practices of Moses, and also the Jews who worshiped prior to their exile. We should not be discouraged with the work of the Gospel when it seems to be going awry. God always finds a way! I know that sometimes this is difficult to keep in mind, but no matter how a process unfolds, God is able to move His plans forward.

I will be back with you next Thursday. Reminder. Chili Luncheon is this week after Worship.

In Christ, Pastor Kim

Pastor's Ponderings: Meandering through Mark 5:1-13 bible study (November 29, 2023)

(Monday’s study on Mark 4:33-41 was somehow lost in the internet “cloud” and will be redone and sent on Monday, December 4.)

Tuesday/Wednesday Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark 5:1-13

On this day, may you be the recipient of, and the bearer of lovingkindness in all the places in which you find yourself.

Good morning. Yesterday I spent the day sleeping and not feeling very good after my covid vaccine on Monday. So, here we are this morning moving into the fifth chapter of Mark. This is a long passage, but it covers several important truths for us. First: What about Mark's frequent use of the word “immediately”? Second: What about the issue of demon possession? Is it mental illness, or is it real? Third: What about this herd of several thousand pigs who are disposed of at the command of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Let's tackle the first of these questions about this passage in Mark. Mark's frequent use of the word “immediately” tells us a great deal about the approach which Jesus was taking when he approached the people. His entrance into the Gadarenes was intentional. He knew that He was needed quickly for the sake of this man who was hiding in the tombs, being self-abusive, and out of control. It is almost as if Jesus leaps from the boat as it hits the shore, to head out to the tombs to encounter this man. Usually, the first one out of any boat is the one who is going to keep the boat steady for others to get out. Here, we find Jesus unwilling to wait for that to happen. He may have even stepped out into the water rather than wait for the landing to take place quietly and slowly. So, we know that it is Mark's sense of Jesus, that He knows there is limited time in His life to get everything done that he wants to get done. That means moving quickly from ministry encounters to other encounters that are equally important for the Kingdom Work. Of course, the Gadarenes are not in Jewish territory. They are in the land of the Gentiles, it is surprisingly obvious that this possessed man knows Jesus, and with some degree of sanity asks for His help.

This brings us to the next question. Is this demon possession a case of mental breakdown, or is it something much more common in Christ's time? I think that we could go either way on this issue. We all know that people deal with mental health crises in their lives quite frequently. This man may have been witness to so many atrocities as the legions of the Roman empire conquered this land, that is suffering from far more than PTSD. He has had a nearly complete mental breakdown. We all know about the mental health issues with which the members of the military return home after serving in places where terrible experiences fill their thinking every day. If this was the case, then Jesus is working to help this man see how the power of God's presence can rid him of this mental crisis, causing the herd of pigs to rush to their deaths in the water, and along with them those things which have brought this man to ask Christ for His help. In our time, we would call this man's health crisis psychosomatic. All as real to him as it could be, and as devastating to his mental condition. So, Jesus' overt action causes the man to be healed. But what about the other possibility? This man may really be possessed. If you have any doubt of this reality, look around you at the inherent evil which in our time is so frequently exhibited by those who would do harm to others, and also to themselves with no explanation for their sense of hatred and anger in the world of people. We should all know that the Jews were certain that evil was lying in wait for them at every turn. And here is Jesus entering one of the most likely places where evil would be waiting, a cemetery at night. But remember, He rushes from the boat to get to this man who so desperately needs Him, confident in His omnipotence. For you and me, we need to know with confidence that Jesus is present with us to bring us healing from the possession of our mind because of life experiences, or to come to our need if we have been overcome by an evil that moves us to harm others with no remorse. Christ is sufficient in the face of all of this.

Our next question about the pigs being destroyed might take us to Christ harming innocent animals. I don't have a solution for you on this one. For the Jews, pigs were considered, and still are today, unclean animals because of their split hooves. But we have all encountered the story of Charlette's Web and Wilbur, the radiant pig. In our world, we do not view pigs with any negativity. In fact, you could buy a pig on the ELCA's Global Barnyard site to give to a family or community which would greatly benefit from such a gift. For me the biggest issue is that we may well object to what Jesus does here. It seems cruel. But where are we when it comes to those homeless camps around the city, or the truly filthy man on the median that I drive by every day? We must remember that one of the ongoing issues for the Jews from the time of the prophets was their unwillingness to care for the people in their midst. So, how are we doing? I weep with every Humane Society advertisement on the television, and there are appeals after appeals to care for abused animals, while we throw up our hands in despair over the probable cost to truly care for the homeless, and to feed the hungry, and to care for so many of these folks who are indeed mentally ill. Christ used that herd of pigs to bring healing to a hopeless case in the cemetery. As the Body of Christ, the Church, what are we doing to bring Christ ultimate gift of hope to all people through both our words and our deeds?

Thanks for being here with me today. I am your partner in Biblical Study and in humility before the Lord.

In Christ's love, Pastor Kim

Pastor's Ponderings: Meandering through Mark 4:30-32 bible study (November 21, 2023)

Good Morning. I am praying that your are getting all of the necessary items together for your Thanksgiving. Even in our home where we always have a good supply of food on hand, it has taken several trips to the store to be sure that we have everything in place for our family as they gather with us on this nation's day of Thanksgiving. I am back with you because my time ran out yesterday morning for me to get to the walk in immunization clinic at our local pharmacy. So, rather than take the risk of not feeling well for the holiday, I will be going next week on Monday morning before I send my Bible Study off to you. On Sunday, my sermon was about remembering all of the time that God is good. I hope in the hectic next several days, and on Thanksgiving you will remember through prayer the Great Benefactor of the bounty this nation makes available for her citizens. God richly blesses our lives every day, no matter how difficult some of those days may seem to be. So, give thanks with a joyful heart!

Today's passage for our bible study from Mark is the final one of the five sayings of Jesus which Mark kind of links together. Today's passage is about the power of the Reign of God to take even the smallest of thing, and to create out of it the greatest at the Lord's command. In this case, it is a significantly miniscule mustard seed. This tiniest of seeds holds within it the greatness of God's creation, and when it is cared for with the creation's warmth and water, it fulfills its purpose, and grows into a very large bush which can provide shelter and food for the avian population.

Every Jewish person knew about mustard seeds and mustard bushes. They were common in the middle east in this time. They could grow larger and higher than a horse. And, we must know that it was a common practice in this time period to speak about a nation in the image of a tree. So here we have the crux of this passage, that which is small not only has a purpose in God's creation, but it is filled with the potential for greatness because the Lord has ordained that it will be so. Our first lesson here is that we should never be daunted by small beginnings. The faith of a child, or the beginning faith of an adult, can become transformative not only for the one who carries that faith, but also in it is the greatness of God's Grace which transforms all of creation. It contains enough courage, strength, peace, kindness, Love (Agape), compassion, and even "fire" to move hundreds of others to faith, changing the world by its presence.

The start of a church is most often pretty darned small. It begins with usually only about 40 people who are the Charter Members, and as the years go by that church, if it is centered in boundless grace and Love, touches the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. American has moved from small to large and back to small in it's life. Yet our congregation has touched the lives of so many people we can remember who are God's triumphant saints now, and it also touches many people through our social outreach, that though we will never meet them, their lives have been transformed too by the generosity and giving of our congregation. And if we have faith and trust our Lord, the heart of our congregation will survive and once again be the worship home of many people, bringing the Light of Christ burning brightly into our very dark and broken world. Nothing has changed much in the world, except that change of heart and mind to accept God's Love and share it with everyone we meet. I have to say that I don't know a single person who does not need the Light of Christ in their life, even those of us who proclaim Him King continue to need the Light's guidance every day. It is through this Light that we welcome every one, offering the forgiveness of Christ, and the sure and certain hope of the Salvation which is ours though our Lord. One man dying on a cross may not seem like a very significant act, especially considering how distant He was from most of the world, with much of it not even known yet to the people of Israel or any one else for that matter. Today the Church opens her doors with Christ's welcome and Love. We live in a diverse and damaged world, it is the Church the body of Christ who is called to bring this massive diverse population home to its Savior. We are migrant, immigrant, northern European, African American, LGBTQia, we are ones who are often identified by their skin color, we are the wealthy, the poor, the old, the young, and everything in between, we are the physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged, we are the healthy and the sick, we are in prison, and we are law abiding, we are... all of us received with Christ's compassion and Love. All of this has sprung from tiny beginnings which now bring hope and life to us all, and to those yet to come.

Please remember that God is Good, and that He has a plan for all things to use everything to fulfill the purpose of the creation He has made. There will be no OT study on Thanksgiving Day. May God's richest blessings fill your lives.

In Christ, Pastor Kim