In Solomon’s early years as king, when he built the Temple, he was a very godly man, offering a prayer of devotion to dedicate his finished Temple (1 Kings 8:22-61; 2 Chronicles 6:12–7:3).

In 2012, we have gone from the creation in Genesis to the end of Revelation studying the highlights of the Bible as the one story that it is (one chapter a day). What a year it has been!  This week, we will take a break from our reading in God’s word on Monday, and begin the new schedule of studying the “Wisdom Literature” in 2013 on New Year’s Day.  It is going to be a great year, and another very unique and, we trust, rewarding reading experience. We expect to see the completed schedule before Monday, and will post it then.  But we have reason to believe that we will start out in the Book of Proverbs.

We credit Solomon with the writing of Proverbs (we won’t debate the possibility of additional authors here), Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon in particular, but much “non-inspired” literature is attributed to this king as well.  And we know that to be fact from what we are told in passages such as 1 Kings 4:29-34.  This passage starts with the great wisdom that God gave him (“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore) as a result of his request, which pleased the Lord (1 Kings 3:10-12).  Solomon reigned as king from about 970 – 931 B.C., and was the last king before the kingdom divided.

Summing Up

Each weekend, I post a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week.  I have posted the summaries for Week 51 (December Week 3) and for Week 52 (December Week 4) of the schedule I have followed this year – the final two weeks for 2012!  The first of these short PDF documents contains condensed comments about Hebrews 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and the second about Hebrews 11, and Revelation 4, 5, 21, and 22 with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and join the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Bob’s boy

___________________

image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Here are a few paragraphs from Murphy on wisdom and speech in Proverbs – some words I appreciated that will also give our readers a small window into the contents of Murphy’s book.

“The topic of speech [in wisdom literature] deserves special mention.  After all, words are the coin of the wisdom realm.  In a world without our mass media, the power of the word reigned supreme.  The concern in Proverbs is for both the proper and improper use of speech.  W. Buhlmann found in the Solomonic collections some 60 sayings dealing with proper speech; a study of improper speech (lies, calumny, prattling, etc.) would have been material for another book.”

“He found several judgments about proper speech: (1) it is precious, comparable to silver and gold (10:20; 20:15); (2) it is expressed graciously and eloquently (25:11; 15:2; 16:21, 23; 22:11); (3) it is beneficent (16:24; 15:26; 12:25); (4) it is gentle (15:1; 25:15); (5) it is ‘just’ or open, even to giving reprimand (16:13; 10:10; 25:12), (6) it is honest and reliable (12:19, 22; 15:5, 25); (7) it is appropriate to its time (15:23), (8) it brings good to others, as a fountain of life (10:11; 13:14) or as a means of deliverance (11:9).”

“By and large, words will be wise because they are few (almost imitating the terse style of the saying!) – because the fewer the words, presumably the more intelligent the observation, and the more the speaker is in control of thinking and less prone to error.  This mentality is reflected in many proverbs: be stingy with words for whatever reason (17:27; 10:19); think before you speak (15:28; 29:20); listen before you speak (18:13); watch your tongue (13:3; 21:23).  This all implies that one knows how to observe silence, again for whatever reason: you stand to gain more (12:16, 23), and you may even be considered wise (17:28)!  The importance of silence is underscored in the Egyptian teachings also, especially by Ptah-hotep…” (p. 22).

Again, put this on your list of resources when you study biblical wisdom literature: Roland Murphy, The Tree of Life.

shane lems

2013 calendar created by Roy Henry Vickers

I am not connected commercially to Roy. I met him over the web and I have come to appreciate his life and work. Click here to see if you find his vision as interesting as I do.

But, alas the year is soon ending; and the question of what this blog will be focused on in 2013 must now be answered.  Well, fortunately, we recently figured that out.  A very different reading plan has come to our attention that is just too hard to resist.  As of this writing, the designers of this plan (again, not us) are working on the finishing touches of the schedule – which will be ready by the end of the year.  What we can tell you right now is that next year’s reading schedule for this blog will be focused on what is commonly called “The Wisdom Literature,” or sometimes “The Poetry and Wisdom Books of the Bible!”

More details to come before January, but we are excited about a year of an in-depth look into Psalms, Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Job and, as an added bonus, the Book of James!  The latter is not included in the list of “Wisdom books” normally, but it is often called the “Proverbs of the New Testament;” and we think it is a fabulous choice to end the year with in 2013!

So that brings us to the subject of the approaching date of December 21, 2012 and that pesky Mayan calendar.  We were recently treated to a very well-written article on that very subject.  Please enjoy it at the following link in its title – “What does the Bible say about the Mayan Calendar and Doomsday on December 21?”

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week.  I have posted the summary for Week 49 (December Week 1) of the schedule I am following.  This short PDF document contains condensed comments about Ephesians 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Bob’s boy

___________________

image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Evil is alive and well and stalking our children.

I know that in the Enlightened 21st century many do not believe in the spirit realm. But their or your disbelief makes it no less real and no less dangerous.

Evil is real. Evil beings are real. Their joy is to bring pain and sorrow. There is a reason that Exorcism is part of religious traditions throughout history.

It is time 21st century humanity remembered the reason that Exorcism rituals abound.

I HAVE KNOWN VIA THE WEB. 

SHE TRULY BELIEVES WHAT SHE WRITES.

Dear Family,

The following is an inspired message I received while on my way to a drumming ceremony in the central mountains of Borikén on Wednesday, 12/12/12, scheduled from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight. Tears filled my eyes and I felt a wave of energy go through me, full of love, joy, hope and gratitude. I felt compelled to stop and pull over so I could attempt to recall and write down what I received. When I finished writing, two red-tail hawks flew down right in front of me and I felt another wave of love, joy and gratitude. I share the following with you all in the spirit of love (my humble attempt at a Spanish translation can be found below):

————-

“It’s not the end; it’s the beginning.
It’s the arrival of a new sun, a time of hope and transformation.
It is the return to yourself; the return to innocence.
It is the return to pure love.

A universal love without conditions.
A patient love that accepts all.
A kind love that will lead to harmony, peace and unity.
A compassionate love connected with all creation.

A love based on giving without the expectation of receiving.
A true love that thinks of others.
A love full of emotions, passion and feelings.
A profound, spiritual and eternal love.

So don’t be afraid to be weak,
and don’t be too proud, arrogant and/or selfish to be strong.
Just look into your soul, spirit and heart,
and there you will find the truth of who you are.
There you will find the portal to your true self.

We are all one, one spirit, one family, one creation.
We are children of the Creator, beings of spirit, light and energy,
guardians of the sun, children of the law of one.
We are all related and we are all connected.

Simply be your yourself, don’t hide or have doubts.
Have faith and believe in destiny.
Love yourself and don’t care what people say.
If you want to laugh, laugh, and if you need to cry, cry.

Just follow your own path and don’t stop.
Love and hope will light the way.
Don’t give up, and don’t pass up the chance
to return to your true self, your higher self.

It’s not the end; it’s the beginning.
It’s the arrival of a new sun, a time of hope and transformation.
It is the return to yourself; the return to innocence.
It is the return to pure love.”

————-

Taíno-tí,
Love, Hugs, Peace & Blessings,
Tio Bo Guatukan, Seneko Kakona,
Bibi Joanna ‘Aya’ & Family

Spanish Version (versión en español):

Querida Familia,

Lo siguiente es un mensaje inspirado que recibí mientras en camino a una ceremonia de tambores en las montañas en el centro de Borikén el miércoles, 12/12/12, programado desde las 12:00 del mediodía hasta las 12:00 medianoche. Lágrimas llenaron mis ojos y sentí una onda de energía pasar por mi ser, lleno de amor, alegría y esperanza. Me sentí obligado a parar y estacionarme para poder tratar de recordar y escribir lo que recibí. Cuando terminé de escribir, dos guaraguaos volaron hacia abajo justo delante de mí y sentí otra onda de amor, alegría y gratitud. Comparto lo siguiente con todos ustedes en el espíritu de amor (mi humilde intento de una traducción al español se puede encontrar abajo):

————-

No es el fin; es el principio.
Es la llegada de un nuevo sol, un tiempo de esperanza y transformación.
Es el regreso a sí mismo; el regreso a la inocencia.
Es el regreso al puro amor.

Un amor universal sin condiciones.
Un amor paciente que acepta todo.
Un amor bondadoso que te llevará a la armonía, paz y unidad.
Un amor compasivo conectado con todo la creación.

Un amor basado en dar sin la expectativa de recibir.
Un amor verdadero que piensa en los demás.
Un amor lleno de emociones, pasión y sentimientos.
Un amor profundo, espiritual y eterno.

No tengas miedo de ser débil,
y no seas demasiado orgulloso, arrogante y/o egoísta para ser fuerte.
Solo busca dentro de tu alma, espíritu y corazón,
y allí encontrarás la verdad de quién eres.
Allí encontrarás el portal a tu verdadero ser.

Todos somos uno, un espíritu, una familia, una creación.
Somos hijos del Creador(a), seres de espíritu, luz y energía,
guardianes del sol, hijos del ley de uno.
Todos somos familia y todos estamos conectados.

Simplemente seas tu mismo, no te escondes ni tengas dudas.
Tenga fe y cree en el destino.
Ámate a ti mismo y no le importa lo que diga la gente
Si quieres reír, reí, y si necesitas llorar, llore.

Sólo tiene que seguir su propio camino y no te detengas.
El amor y la esperanza alumbrarán el camino.
No te rindes y no dejes pasar la oportunidad
para regresar a si mismo, regresar a la inocencia y al amor.

No es el fin; es el principio.
Es la llegada de un nuevo sol, un tiempo de esperanza y transformación.
Es el regreso a sí mismo; el regreso a la inocencia.
Es el regreso al puro amor.

————-

Taíno-tí,
Amor, Abrazos, Paz y Bendiciones,
Tio Bo Guatukan, Seneko Kakona,
Bibi Joanna ‘Aya’ y Familia

Yes, O old man,’ answered the genie, ‘if thou tell me thy story and I find it wonderful, I will remit to thee a third of his blood.

Then said the old man, Know, O Afrit, that this gazelle is the daughter of my father’s brother and my own flesh and blood. I married her whilst she was yet of tender age and lived with her near thirty years, without being blessed with a child by her. So I took me a concubine and had by her a son like the rising full moon, with eyes and eyebrows of perfect beauty ; and he grew up and flourished till he reached the age of fifteen, when I had occasion to journey to a certain city, and set out thither with great store of merchandise.

Now my wife had studied sorcery and magic from her youth : so, I being gone, she turned my son into a calf and his mother into a cow and delivered them both to the cowherd : and when, after a long absence, I returned from my journey and inquired after my son and his mother, my wife said to me, ‘Thy slave died and her son ran away, whither I know not.”

I abode for the space of a year, mournful-hearted and weeping-eyed, till the coming of the Greater Festival, when I sent to the herdsman and bade him bring me a fat cow for the purpose of sacrifice. So he brought me the very cow into which ray wife had changed my concubine by her art ; and I tucked up my skirts and taking the knife in my hand, went up to the cow to slaughter her; but she lowed and moaned so piteously, that I was seized with wonder and compassion and held my hand from her and said to the herd, ” Bring me another cow.” ” Not so! ‘ cried my wife. ” Slaughter this one, for we have no finer nor fatter.” So I went up to her again, but she cried out, and I left her and ordered the herdsman to kill her and skin her. So he killed her and flayed her, but found on her neither fat nor flesh, only skin and bone. Then I was sorry for having slain her, when repentance availed me not; and I gave her to the herd and said to him, “Bring me a fat calf.” So he brought me my son in the guise of a calf; and when he saw me, he broke his halter and came up to me and fawned on me and moaned and wept, till I took pity on him and said to the man, ” Bring me a cow and let this calf go.” But my wife cried out at me and said, ” Not so : thou must sacrifice this calf and none other to-day : for it is a holy and a blessed day, on which it behoves us to offer up none but a good thing, and we have no calf fatter or finer than this one.” Quoth I, ” Look at the condition of the cow I slaughtered by thine order ; we were deceived in her, and now I will not be persuaded by thee to slay this calf this time.” “By the great God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,” answered she, ” thou must without fail sacrifice this calf on this holy day ! Else thou art no longer my husband nor am I thy wife.” When I heard this harsh speech from her, I went up to the calf, knowing not what she aimed at, and took the knife in my hand.’”

Here Shehrzad perceived the day and was silent ; and her sister said to her, ” What a charming and delightful story ! ” Quoth Shehrzad, ” This is nothing to what I will tell thee to-morrow night, if the King let me live.” And the King said to himself, “By Allah, I will not kill her, till I hear the rest of the story ! ” So they lay together till morning, when the King went out to his hall of audience and the Vizier came in to him, with the winding-sheet under his arm. Then the King ordered and appointed and deposed, without telling the Vizier aught of what had happened, much to the former’s surprise, until the end of the day, when the Divan broke up and he retired to his apartments.

Jinn gathering place

THE MERCHANT AND THE GENIE.

There was once a merchant, who had much substance and traded largely in foreign countries. One day, as he was riding through a certain country, whither he had gone to collect what was due to him, there overtook him the heat of the day and presently he espied a garden^ before hira; so he made towards it for shelter and alighting, sat down under a walnut tree, by a spring of water.

Then he put his hand to his saddle bags and took out a cake of bread and a date and ate them and threw away the date stone, when behold, there started up before him a gigantic Afrit, with a naked sword in his hand, who came up to him and said, * Arise, that I may slay thee, even as thou hast slain my son.* * How did I slay thy son ? ‘ asked the merchant, and the genie replied, * When thou threwest away the date stone, it smote my son, who was passing at the time, on the breast, and he died forthright.’

^ The Arabic word for garden {bustan) applies to any cultivated oc
fertile spot, abounding in trees. An Eiiropean would call such a plact
as that mentioned in the tale an 02»s.
VOL. I. t

When the merchant heard this, he said, * Verily we are God’s and to Him we return ! There is no power and no virtue but in God, the Most High, the Supreme ! If I killed him, it was by misadventure, and I prithee pardon me.* But the genie said, * There is no help for it but I must kill thee/ Then he seized him and throwing him down, raised his sword to strike him : whereupon the merchant wept and sa’d, * I commit my afiair to God 1 ‘ and recited the following verses:

Fate has two days, untroubled one, the other lowering, And life two
parts, the one content, the other sorrowing.
Say unto him that taunteth us with fortune’s perfidy, ‘ At whom but
those whose heads are high doth Fate its arrows fling ?
‘
If that the hands of Time have made their plaything of our life. Till for
its long protracted kiss ill*hap upon us spring.
Dost thou not see the hurricane, what time the wild winds blow. Smite
down the stately trees alone and spare each lesser thing ?
Lo 1 in the skies are many stars, no one can tell their tale. But to the
sun and moon alone eclipse brings darkening.
The earth bears many a pleasant herb and many a plant and tree : But
none is stoned save only those to which the fair fruit cling.
Look on the sea and how the waifs float up upon the foam, But in its
deepest depths of blue the pearls have sojourning.

* Cut short thy speech,’ said the genie, * for, by Allah, there is no help for it but I must kill thee.’ * Know, O Afrit,’ replied the merchant, *that I have a wife and children and much substance, and I owe debts and hold pledges : so let me return home and give every one his due, and I vow by all that is most sacred that I will return to thee at the end of the year, that thou mayest do with me as thou wilt, and God is witness of what I say.’ The genie accepted his promise and released him, whereupon he returned to his dwelling-place and paid his debts and settled all his affairs. Moreover, he told his wife and children what had happened and made his last dispositions, and tarried with his family till the end of the year. Then he rose and made his ablutions* and took his winding sheet under his arm and bidding his household and kinsfolk and neighbours farewell, set out, much against his will, to perform his promise to the genie ; whilst his family set up a great noise of crying and lamentation. He journeyed on till he reached the garden, where he had met with the genie, on the first day of the new year, and there sat down to await his doom.

Presently, as he sat weeping over what had befallen him, there came up an old man, leading a gazelle by a chain, and saluted the merchant, saying, *What ails thee to sit alone in this place, seeing that it is the resort of the Jinn ? ‘ « The merchant told him all that had befallen him with the Afrit, and he wondered and said, ‘ By Allah, O my brother, thy good faith is exemplary and thy story is a marvellous one ! If it were graven with needles on the corners of the eye, it would serve as a warning to those that can profit by example.’ Then he sat down by his side, saying, * By Allah, O my brother, I will not leave thee till I see what befalls thee with this Afrit.* So they sat conversing, and fear and terror got hold upon the merchant and trouble increased upon him, notwithstanding the old man’s company. Presently another old man came up, leading two black dogs, and saluting them, inquired why they sat in a place known to be haunted by Jinn, whereupon the merchant repeated his story to him. He had not sat long with them when there came up a third old man leading a dappled she-mule, and after putting to them the same question and receiving a like answer, sat down with them to await the issue of the affair. They had sat but a little while longer, when behold, there arose a cloud of dust and a great whirling column approached from the heart of the desert. Then the dust lifted and discovered the genie, with a drawn sword in his hand and sparks of fire issuing from his eyes. He came up to them * in preparation for death  and dragged the merchant from amongst them, saying,  Rise, that I may slay thee as thou slewest my son, the darling of my heart I *

Whereupon the merchant wept and bewailed himself and the three old men joined their cries and lamentations to his. Then came forward the first old man, he of the gazelle, and kissed the Afrit’s hand and said to him, * O genie and crown of the kings of the Jinn, if I relate to thee my history with this gazelle and it seem to thee wonderful, wilt thou grant me a third of this merchant’s blood ?’ * Yes, O old man,’ answered the genie, ‘if thou tell me thy story and I find it wonderful, I will remit to thee a third of his blood.* Then said the old man,…

* Jinn, plural of genie

]]> http://thehairybuddha.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/islamic-wisdom-literature/ Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:31:27 +0000 Gups-Y-Bees Lepled http://thehairybuddha.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/islamic-wisdom-literature/ THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT ~ THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ~ ISLAMIC WISDOM LITERATURE

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful I
Praise be to God, the Lord of the two worlds,* and
blessing and peace upon the Prince of the Prophets, our
lord and master Mohammed, whom God bless and preserve
with abiding and continuing peace and blessing
until the Day of the Faith ! Of a verity, the doings of the
ancients become a lesson to those that follow after, so that
men look upon the admonitory events that have happened
to others and take warning, and come to the knowledge
of what befell bygone peoples and are restrained thereby.
So glory be to Him who hath appointed the things that
have been done aforetime for an example to those that
come after I And of these admonitory instances are the
histories called the Thousand Nights and One Night, with
all their store of illustrious fables and relations.

Arabic Manuscript of The Thousand and One Nights dating back to the 1300s

There is not a person in this life that has never been afraid. Everyone at some point in their lives has been petrified with terror. It happens to us as children and as adults. As a child we fear things like being punished or getting lost. As adults we fear things like losing our jobs or not being able to provide for our families.

I have often referenced that courage can not exist without fear. A person that acts without a sense of fear ends up being foolish and making mistakes. So, there is some value to fear. Fear can be source of protection for our lives, but it can also hinder us from living it.

As an English teacher, I read stories with my class on a regular basis. One of the things we study are characters and how they face adversity in the story. Brave characters must face their fears and become courageous to succeed in the end. Even my students have started to recognize the balance of fear and courage in stories they read.

The same goes for our lives. There are moments when fear is good. There are moments when fear are opportunities to be courageous. There are times when fear should not be listened to at all. So, I thought I’d write a bit about the nature of fear.

WHEN FEAR IS GOOD

When I was kid my Mom told me not to get too close to the oven. I guess curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to look in the oven window. The more curious I got, the closer I put my face to the oven window. Eventually my nose touched the hot oven window and I screamed in pain.

After I burned myself I learned not to get too close to the oven. This kind of makes me wish I listened to my Mom, but I think it is in out natures to test the waters ourselves and just like my Mom, sometimes God lets us burn our noses on the hot stove.

Proverbs 1:7 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

I think when we are growing up we like to ignore our parents warnings. I think we do the same with God, but why do we ignore him? It is the same reason we start to ignore our parents. We stop fearing him, but we should have a very righteous and healthy fear of God.

God is not a monster, but a loving father. We should always respect and fear his discipline in our lives. His discipline is fueled by unconditional love and will only lead to good things.

Romans 8:28 We are assured and know that God being a partner in their labor all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

When we stop and truly fear the Lord we are stepping into wisdom. When we forget to fear him we are becoming fools and will end up in worse situations because of it. Burning our noses on hot ovens will seem like child’s play compared to the consequences of forgetting to fear God.

GATEWAY TO COURAGE

Ephesians 3:12 In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).

I can point to many scriptures that tell us to “fear not”. It is a command that assures us that God is on our side, but I do not find courage begins without fear. Before we are told to “fear not” we first must be afraid. So, in order to discover the courage we first must identity our fears and hand them over to God.

In this scripture from Ephesians, it says “we dare to have the boldness”. This implies an action that should be taken directly against our fears. We can face all of our fears with our faith in God. It is our fuel to fight against the fears that prevent us from our desires and goals in our lives.

So, I’ll simply say that if are looking to be brave you’ll have to find your fears first. You won’t be able to “fear not” without a fear to start with. So, don’t avoid your fears, but identify them so you can approach them with a fervent faith in Christ. It is your gateway to courage.

NEVER ERR ON THE SIDE OF FEAR

We all are free willed and make decisions everyday of our lives. A friend of mine likes to say, “Never err on the side of fear”. I think that is simple and wise. Other than the fear of God, fear is always talked about negatively in the Bible. That would tell me that it doesn’t do us much good in our lives.

So, fear is something in our hearts that should be fought against. If you’re scared of something ask yourself “why?”. Are you afraid of being hurt? Are you afraid of the unknown? Are you afraid of commitment? Are you afraid to make a decision?

I feel sometimes people make safe choices because there is an abundant amount of fear in their lives. It prevents them from making the choices that require faith. Do you think that Paul was never afraid? He was thrown in jail on multiple occasions, but he never stopped his ministry. Do you think that David wasn’t at least slightly afraid of Goliath? I’m sure he was, but his faith overcame when he slew Goliath. Do you think that Jesus didn’t fear the cross? Based on his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, I think he did, but he still died for all of our sins anyway.

It can only mean one thing. Never err on the side of fear and all always “fear not”.

Studying theology requires me to submit a lot of papers. I’ll be sharing some material from these submissions.

The following is based on a paper I submitted for my course in Psalms and Wisdom Literature, back in February 2010.

———-

Decisions are very seldom easy for me. Even small ones—like choosing a toothpaste brand or buying shoes—take so much out of me. But in the end, after reading the labels, and examining all the possibilities, I would be confident in whatever choice I make. And even if I make the wrong choice, it can be easily reversed with little or no permanent damage.

Huge life-altering, earth-shaking decisions, those ones I really really dread. More often than not, there are no labels or ingredients lists to read, because they seldom involve tangible objects. They usually involve relationships, dreams, and values that will form who I am. I could do all the research, and turn it over and over in my head, and still come up uncertain. Black-and-whites would have been nice, but gradations of gray are what is available. There are just too many factors and nuances, and the right choices are annoyingly never obvious. I try out all the options to see which one fits best, because for these life choices, the touch-move rule applies. Decisions are irreversible, or at least entail huge material and psychological cost to rescind.

And so I have not chosen a person to lead my country yet.  And in my Singles for Christ community, which has now been ruptured into pieces, because the leaders in Couples for Christ have severed ties with one another, I have not decided whether to join one or leave the community altogether. I waver and vacillate, and wait till the last minute. And true enough, one day I seem to be closer to a choice, but the next day I would see the issue from another angle and the option no longer seems sound.

This anguish over uncertainty is one that people like me have had to deal with in every age. I take comfort in the fact that others have trod this path, and it is just as messy, thorny and rocky as if no one has ever passed through before. Wisdom literature embraces the ambiguity of life, and offers no easy answers. I still have to make my own decisions, and take joy in having the freedom to make them.

I with Solomon pray that God would grant me discernment, so that I would see just a little bit through his eyes so I would know which choices would lead me closer to him.

Give me Wisdom…and reject me not from among your children;

For I am your servant, the son of your handmaid, a man weak and short-lived and lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws.

Send [Wisdom] forth from your holy heavens and from your glorious throne dispatch her that she may be with me and work with me, that I may know what is your pleasure.

For she knows and understands all things, and will guide me discreetly in my affairs and safeguard me by her glory. (Wisdom 9:4-5,10-11)

Nathalie Mariano
February 23, 2010

An interesting thing happened at my church this Sunday (that isn’t my church in the picture above): the lamp that is used to project the lyrics of songs, prayers and scripture on the front wall burned out.

The use of screen projections began long before I took my current position and I must confess that I have never been a fan. Nevertheless, I watched with a mixture of amusement and concern from my perch in the organ/choir loft as people who had never opened a hymnal for worship before struggled to keep up.  Fortunately, our Worship Bulletin is scrupulously detailed in the level of instruction it provides and our Pastors were very mindful to direct the congregation to the appropriate pages as we navigated our way through our very traditional liturgical service.

Of course, there are many in my congregation who stubbornly refuse to give up holding the Worship Book/Hymnal (On those Sundays that I am not on the organ bench, you will find me among them.). I was gratified to see several of them helping those confused by the situation.

All of this got me to thinking about what NOT using the Hymnal has cost us.

1) I and many of my musician friends profess that they learned how to read music in church and not from any plan or graded choir program: it was simply from opening the Hymnal every week and seeing those notes dancing up and down the page. We absorbed music from church. I fear this has ceased to happen in our churches as we move from Hymnals to Screen projections. I can already see that in the lack of familiarity some of my choir members have with the printed score compared to several years ago.

There is also the difficulty of introducing new music to a congregation. Those who read music will be more quickly drawn into singing if they can visualize the melody. Many who can’t read music will at least recognize when the melody goes up and when it goes down. These can help lead those without those skills. All benefit.

2) More profoundly, I feel we have lost the integrity and awareness of traditional liturgy. I can attest to several conversations I have had with parishioners over the past year that showed their ignorance of the main points of the Mass/Divine Service/Gottesdienst (pick your term, they all mean similar things).

How can this be? I will tell you. When you open a Worship Bulletin or a Hymnal, you can easily grasp the form of the service. You will also realize that certain elements repeat each week. Furthermore, you will notice when something is OMITTED and you might even wonder “Why?” and challenge the people who have the power to restore it.

When we worship “off the wall” with projections, we will worship in a constant world of “now,” never aware of where we are headed or of what we may have been denied. We will tend to blindly accept whatever is served to us from the buffet of options and have no concept of the traditions being changed without our notice.

One final caveat: when our congregations are unquestioningly following “the great white screen” all sorts of heresy can sneak into Worship where Worship Leaders are sloppy, lazy or even heretical by intent. The properly vetted Worship Book/Hymnal offers a small level of protection from Apostasy.

Perhaps we should embrace that small bit of protection – and the other blessings it provides.

Blessings.

(Yes, yes! I know that there ARE some positives to Projections, but I will deal with those next week!)

Last week, my post “Sing SKILLFULLY and Shout for Joy” apparently touched a nerve. Only a few people commented on the Site (and those were mostly positive) but my e-mail in-box was filled to the rafters with dissenting opinions.

I had originally planned this post as my latest “Pet Peeve,” but thought that doing so might be more incite-full than insightful. Furthermore, I have promised to keep my personal opinions segregated (as much as possible) in the category “Pet Peeves” yet here, I think, I am on pretty solid Scriptural ground.

Since I know that this is going to step on a few toes, let me state carefully who this post is NOT directed to.

If you are the humble pianist serving a small congregation that does not have the financial resources to hire a trained musician, then blessings be upon you and your service! This post is not directed to you.

If you are the member of any ensemble (Choir, Bells, Praise Team) and question whether you have the skills to serve in worship, this post is not for you! The burden of that decision is on your Leader!

In my choirs, I have always had an open-door policy toward membership. This included one young soldier who wanted to sing in my Choir, even though he could barely match pitch outside of a small range. I took him in, viewing it as my vocation to work with him outside of choir rehearsals to teach him how to sing. (I also showed him the spots in each piece that he was simply not ready to sing yet). He grew and became a real asset to that Choir. It caused many tears when he was assigned to another post, but I know he continues to bless other choirs as he moves around.

Now. Carefully. Let us discuss musical leadership in church music.

If a Church needed new plumbing installed, they would be foolish to entrust the job to someone who had no training but just really enjoyed working with pipes. If you needed the roof reinforced, you wouldn’t hire someone who just thought lumber-yards were really cool.

So why is it that we will turn large portions of our Worship Services over to people who lack the musical, theological, and performance training necessary to do the job well?

If you can’t sing in tune, I might suggest that Music Leadership is not for you. If you can’t play the introduction to a Hymn clearly enough that the congregation can recognize the tune, maybe you should consider stepping down.

Now, before you leave, discouraged, let me offer a third, wiser choice. If you are the lone Musician in a barren wasteland (as listed above), you are exempt from this dictum. If not, that means you probably have another Musician in your congregation who has the training, the skill and the knowledge that you lack.

Place yourself in their care. Let them guide you and teach you. Allow them to make you into the Musicians and Worship leaders that you want to be. G-d places us where He wants us. He also places others where He wants them to be in relation TO US. We should accept that authority and learn from it.

Blessings!

In Jesus’ day – as in ours – people would pledge, vow or swear to do something if they wanted to convince others (or themselves) that they were very serious about it. A group of Jews bound themselves by an oath to neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul in Acts 23. One particular vow even had its own name – Korban. Korban was a pledge to devote something to God. This is the tradition Jesus addresses in Matthew 15:3-6.

The fact that we need to swear oaths to prove that we are really serious about what we say suggests a problem, but more on that later. The most significant oath in Jesus day was an oath to the Lord. It was clear from scripture that to vow to the Lord and then not follow through was sin. This can be seen in Deuteronomy 23:21-23, which is likely the scripture that Jesus was expounding upon during this section of the Sermon on the Mount:

If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. – Deut 23:21-23

This can also be seen in the wisdom literature:

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? – Eccl 5:4-6

When Jesus says, “But I say to you, do not take an oath at all,” this is not really something new. The wisdom of not vowing is noted in both of the Old Testament verses above. One way of looking at this is what the rabbis called “building a fence around the Torah.” The idea is that if you put yourself in a situation where you could easily break the Torah, then you likely will – even if that wasn’t your initial intent. But if you build a wider margin around the rules, then you give yourself a buffer. If the Torah prohibits giving more than forty lashes (Deut 25:3) then don’t even give more than thirty-nine (2 Cor 11:24), just in case you miss count by one.

Jesus appears to have built fences around the Torah as well. If the Torah commands you to not commit adultery, then don’t even look at a woman lustfully; if to not murder, then don’t be angry with your brother. When it comes to vows, many in Jesus’ day seem to have settled for a smaller fence. The Torah is clear about vows to the Lord, but it says nothing about vows to the temple, the altar, heaven, etc. (Matt 23:16-22). So people practiced an ancient version of the art of crossing your fingers – if you swear by heaven, instead of by God himself, then it doesn’t count.

Jesus rejects all of this finger-crossing, and says to simply let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No.” I think this is much more radical than a simple fence around the Torah. The fence allows you to play it safe by not putting yourself in a situation where you actually have to do what you say (if you never make an oath, you can’t be guilty of breaking an oath). But Jesus says, let every word that comes out of your mouth be like an oath. If you say, “Yes, I will do XYZ,” then that means you will in fact do XYZ, whether you added an oath or a vow to it or not. Jesus is saying that we should have a deep integrity that goes all the way down – an integrity so rock solid that no oath we could swear would add anything to it.

Once again Jesus has pushed us off the line entirely, rather than just a little bit further down it. Don’t just avoid being angry with your brother – devote your life to a radical pursuit of reconciliation and loyal relationships. Don’t just avoid adultery – view everyone else as so deeply worthy of dignity and respect as a child of God that you wouldn’t even dare to objectify them as an object of lust. Fill yourself so full of love, loyalty, mercy, grace and integrity, that there is simply no room left for anger, lust and dishonesty to gain a foothold.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. – James 5:12

This collection of poetry and hymns (The name “Psalms” means “songs,” and is taken from the Septuagint, the early Greek translation of the Old Testament) is filled with many beautiful texts penned by many different authors for many different occasions. Authors include Moses, Solomon, David, Asaph, and Ethan the Ezrahite along with several Psalms that are not attributed to an author.

Many of the Psalms reference specific historic events from the time of Moses to the trials and failures of David’s life to the sorrows of the Captivity of the Jews in Babylon.

What is remarkable about the Psalms is the incredible breadth of both human and divine experience that they contain. They include praise and lamentation. They include songs of thanksgiving and songs of hope and faith. There are also Psalms that prophesy the coming of Jesus as our Messiah and Psalms that foreshadow the “Wisdom” literature of the Proverbs in counseling the pursuit of goodness over evil.

Given that the Psalms were, literally, the Hymnal of the Temple and the Synagogue, it is instructive to note the balance that they achieve in theology, emotion and focus and then compare that balance with the Hymns and Songs we choose to use in our worship today.

Individually and collectively, the Psalms never announce that “We will Praise God!” without actually doing so. The Psalms never praise God without proclaiming the “why.” The Psalms never offer lamentation without offering faith and hope and the Psalms never focus solely on the singer without turning everything back around to God, the original author of our faith and our salvation.

Given this astounding wealth, it is a shame that we do not read this Book (at 150 chapters, 2461 verses, and 43,743 words, the longest by far in the Bible) more often. Many of our churches have fallen into the habit of only occasionally using the little snippets of Psalms for Introits or cherry-picking the three “happy verses” of a Psalm for a Praise Song. We have forgotten that the Lectionary for Readings every Sunday actually includes not just THREE but FOUR texts: An Old Testament Reading, a New Testament Reading, a Gospel Reading and (drum roll please…) a Psalm appointed for the day.

Here at Good Shepherd we have been endeavoring to incorporate the Psalms more widely into our worship. We have been making the choice to use responsive readings, Cantor-led chanting, hymn settings and Choral Anthems. I hope that you will find this a blessing and that you will happily sing:

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.   Psalm 138:1-2

Blessings!