Is It Important that Abraham was “Real” – or That He Is “in Us?”

January 2011

Recently I felt a wave of guilt sweep over me, as I read a “reminder” from the church office that my monthly blog was not only due, it was past due. Remberences of my tarnished youth swept over me: late homework, incomplete essays, and book reports that were best accomplished through the help of a once-popular comic book, Classics Illustrated (pity those of you who are too young to be unaware of this superior, pre-Cliff Notes means of gaining quick knowledge).

I was given email and phone forgiveness by Mary Knurek and Pastor Nathan, and encouraged to submit something as soon as possible. Note: the primary reason for my negligence was due to the fact that I’ve entered into the realm of those ancient ones we used to see on Sundays – the ones with all manner of health issues and even walking devices. In my own case, much of 2010 was spent in one form of surgical procedure or related healing cycle. By the time January 2011 rolled around, I had shelved “blogging” somewhere between “I’ll get to it” and “Maybe they’ll forget about it.”

Now that the cat is out of the bag, I hope that you’ll work with me as I attempt to share my thoughts on a subject that is near and very dear to my heart: Biblical metaphor.

During the healing process for arthroscopic knee surgery (which failed) and total left knee replacement (which I’m told is progressing satisfactorily) – an orthopedic passage which began in March 2010 and is still a work in process as 2011 begins, I came across a new book (more addictive than hard drugs to a publisher who can’t get enough). Written by a former Southern Baptist, tweaked by Roman Catholicism, and Episcopalian educated, John R. Coats’, Original Sinners: A New Interpretation of Genesis, offered me validation that I was far from alone in how I view (and have viewed since my years as a teen in a German Reformed congregation in suburban Philadelphia, PA) the Bible.

As I explored the pages of this fascinating work, Coates reinforced my feelings that the metaphors, found within the stories of the first book of the Bible, apply to all of us – the religious, less-religious and nonreligious alike. The lives portrayed in Genesis (love, loyalty, betrayal, stupidity, brilliance, greed, as well as madness) wonderfully illustrate how we (all of us) have inherited the moral and ethical DNA deeply embedded in this ancient text.

If, like me, you were raised in a family with strong-willed -- what I call “old school religion” grandparents, you might relate to how Bible characters (not to forget God) were portrayed. My grandfather drew the line in the sand, when it came to “knowing” these people: they were real, they lived, and they were far from “stories” used to illustrate a point. My grandmother once slapped me for telling her, after I fell and hit my head, remarking that it “hurt like the Devil.” She made it clear that one never “evokes” his name, because it makes him “live.” And…one never challenged the reality of these characters or asked for proof of their existence. “Historical characters” weren’t as important as “faith characters.”

Over the years, probably beginning when I was around twelve, the metaphor concept began to rattle around in my head. And by the time I was in my late teens and, definitely as a young married in my mid-twenties, the fear (“tyranny” is Coats’ word) within the Bible was lost to me. Today, in my own grandfather stage of life, the metaphors of the entire Bible (not just those illustrated in Genesis) bring a new appreciation for the “unhidden humanness” (Coats’ words) in all the people portrayed on those pages – including Jesus. It is through metaphor that I can read the Bible, comfortably participate in Bible study classes (such as the last one taught by Pastor Nathan, or the new one coming up this Spring), when listening to sermons, or discussion in one of the adult St. Stephen Sunday School classes.

Reading the Bible and reflecting on the vast array of metaphors found in every nook and cranny, has given me an entirely fresh approach to understanding. Rather than spending time, as my grandparents had on the “admonishments” found throughout the Bible – the rights, the wrongs, the good, the bad, metaphoric reading allows for reflection on our own lives (both individually and collectively). Those Bible characters that I grew up with (before I could read or write on my own) were no longer “people of story.” They were “me.” They lived out their lives in ways little different than my own. Their woes were mine. Their acts of bravery were mine – as well as those of stupidity. I agree with Coats, when he suggests that reflective use of scripture in teaching is a model that makes sense. It makes the Bible accessible to everyone – even those with no religious point of view.

While my point of view may not be for everyone, I appreciate you giving some consideration to it. And, if you agree or not, you might find Original Sinners: A New Interpretation of Genesis by John R. Coats a worthy read. Composed by:Dennis McClellan

Love and Guidance

We had the pleasure, this week, of having our granddaughter – age 3 – visiting us. Lily is the only grandchild, so you can just imagine how she is loved and doted upon. She lives in the north, so our in-person visits with her are widely spaced, and we use Skype to assist us in a “personal” communication as we watch her grow and develop, Because we’re not used to having a small child in our midst, we hang on her every word and gesture, we gasp if she stumbles, we hurt if she cries - in short, we’re in love with this precious child.

Even as we love Lily, we’re also mindful that she has free will and that her explorations will take her in directions that we know could be harmful; therefore we set limits on her such as a fence around the pool, belting into a car seat, not reaching to the stovetop. You see, out of love, we limit her access to danger and provide a supportive environment for her to explore and learn. She is dependent on her parents and other adults for her worldly needs just as we’re dependent on God for grace.

I’ve been reading, in Acts, how the early Christian church was provided leadership by God through the Holy Spirit, how the apostles were empowered to teach and heal, and how the Gentiles received the gifts of grace and faith. In much the same way that Lily is unaware of how her parents love and guide her daily, and attend to even the needs of which she is unaware, we can be sure that what we need for eternal life was provided by our God through the risen Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, Lily and other children are not the only ones unable to care for themselves. We heard about the children (and adults) of Haiti, still living in need. We heard Pastor Nathan exhort us to not only see the needs of others, but to find a way to act to help. Look around and find someone to love by providing for their needs. Remember that Jesus told us that what we do to the least, we have done to Him.

Author: Diane Bechtold

The Long View

Forward
January 2011

A National Public Radio segment this morning (December 20, 2010) said that Miriam Webster’s word for 2010 was austerity! It is one thing to hear this…but I know that many of us lived it. I have a privileged seat in our proverbial house. I see the lost jobs, hear about the struggling marriages, counsel the despairing, and my staff and I have fielded many calls from people in need. But I also see things turning. Many who have lost jobs have found jobs, homes that were overshadowed by foreclosure are safe again, and there is a smattering of hope in our world. There still remain trials and stress, but my prayer as we exit 2010 is that we might move from a hunkered down austerity and discover a new word for the year 2011.

If I might be so bold, I have an idea. I am casting my vote early for the word forward. I know. It is a simple word and pretty uncomplicated. I remember a conversation with my maternal uncle, David, a California almond grower, almost a decade ago. When he was approaching the 20-year mark in that particular vocation he was getting a bit restless. Through some soul searching he decided to remain in farming…a profession that even in the downturns has been good to him. But what sticks out so prominently in my mind is what got him through those hard patches of boredom and uncertainty. “Nathan,” he would say, “You’ve got to have things to look forward to!” In his life that would be trip a to their favorite vacation spot at Pismo Beach a couple times a year, the next Michael W. Smith concert, or managing the downs at the local Friday night high school varsity football games. He looked forward to things within his work as well (harvest time for all its hard work is actually revitalizing and fun…and reminds you why you do what you do), but having a diversity of things on the horizon gave him the motivation and energy to persist through difficult times.

At St. Stephen, I find myself looking forward to many new things that will be happening amongst us. Some of it is going to make our worship better, some of these new things are going to prepare us for the building of our new Community Life Center in the near future, and some of these things are simply going to widen our scope of impact on the world as God’s people.

So here’s my list of things I’m looking forward to at St. Stephen:

A family at SSLC has given a new digital camera for use in worship. Ever had a hard time seeing what’s going on during the sermon or children’s sermon? That’s about to change! Be patient with us as we learn how to use the new technology!
A new member is a local radio personality and has approached me about taking the audio from my sermons and turning them into a professionally produced Podcast. He’s created a demo, and it’s incredible. So starting in January…
In February we will begin a fund drive both in the congregation and community to raise $12,500.00 to make 50,000 meals for the people of Haiti. Yes…you read that right: 50,000 meals. Folks, we are going to have a HUGE impact!
When we begin construction on our new Community Life Center, we will lose the ability to use the Learning Center, Nursery, and Choir Room for more than nine months. To accommodate our needs for nursery space, Christian educational spaces for Sunday School, Solid Rock Youth activities, and choir rehearsals, things on our campus are going to get a bit tight. One of the ways we are going to get around that is by creating two Sunday School hours in the Fall of 2011…preparing ourselves for a year of transition. In addition, we will be moving the 9am worship service to 9:30am (we’ll do this in June 2011), and offering those two Sunday School hours concurrent with our worship services – one at 9:30am and the other at 11am. Because they are relatively close together and because we have a congregational ethic of worshipping with our kids, we are hoping that families will still choose to do worship at one hour and Sunday School at the other. Folks, I’m excited about this. It’s going to make our transition into new space easier, and it’s also going to create more space for kids, both now and the future. Oh…and we’ll all get an extra half hour of sleep on Sunday mornings!
I have been approached by leadership in the Synod to have St. Stephen be an Internship site for a student preparing to be a pastor. If all goes well, it looks as if there will be a grant that will pay for about half the cost of an Intern. This intern pastor would join us for a period of 12 months starting in late August. This is NOT hard and fast yet…but I’m excited. St. Stephen is exactly the sort of congregation that should be training the next generation of pastors!
This keeps on being put off…primarily because I have not needed another thing on my plate while finishing up my doctorate. But that should be done in the Spring, and in the Fall I will be planning a trip back to Haiti. Want to come along?

These are just some of the things that have me fired up for 2011 and moving forward in my heart and head. What are you looking forward to?

From my Longwood lanai…forward with all of you in mission and ministry for the sake of God’s kingdom! It is 2011! Let’s make this year great!

Pastor Nathan