Some thoughts on this week's passage

Every year I'm tempted to read through the entire Bible (and Apocrypha). I usually don't, but am always happy I did. Making your way from Genesis to Revelation clarifies quite a bit, especially the centrality of themes consistent throughout the entire Bible. You can begin to see the old Western Christian guideline: Creation, Fall, Redemption. (Those first two things happen quite quickly.) More importantly, you can see the truth of Jesus' statements in John 5:39: "You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me."

Although I want to finish the Bible this year, I know I won't, which is one of the reasons I'm posting the Calvinist Gadfly's scripture passages. I hope to have at least embedded 52 NT passages by the end of the year. Rather than get a quick overview, I can spend a bit more time mulling over each passage.

So here are some thoughts on this week's post (Phil 4:6-7):
1. "Don't worry" is an present active imperative. In other words, "Stop worrying."
2. "About" is an extension of the word for "worry," but it is arguably possible to read this passage as, "Stop worrying. But in everything - by prayer...."
3. "Your" is plural. This is a letter to the church.
4. "thought" is probably just as good a translation as "understanding" in the old KJV. The word is "mind".
5. "In Christ Jesus" is not an accident. Our confidence and hope - the reason we are told to stop worrying - goes back to that phrase. There's a Seinfeld episode where the gang dirties every fortune cookie by adding the phrase, "... in bed." ("You will have great success... in bed.") For the Christian, every promise goes back to Paul's phrase, "in Christ." God loves us in Christ. We are more than conquerors in Christ. So he says here, the peace of God will guard you (all) in Christ.

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Archive: I'm No St. Francis

From Joe's Observatory. Original post date 2.17.05

It's very difficult to believe that God is always attentive. I am often tempted by the image and theology of deism - that God winds everything up and departs for his vacation home somewhere to the west of Ursa Major. At the same time, the sheer tendency of humanity to be reckless, vulgar, narcissistic and violent demands that somehow God is holding things in check. It is very easy to imagine God's absence and very difficult to describe His presence. But it is impossible to think the world is utterly uncared for.

The hidden-ness of God is one of the great troubles that we have, but the greatest necessity of the kind of faith He seeks. I believe it is one of the reasons for the Church. We come together to talk about God, not only as described in the Bible, but as the One working in lives. We, through the Church, can see the gentle correctives and inexplicable mercies that suggest our course is being guided by a benevolent and purposeful hand.

Why can some saints see the hand so clearly while most of us struggle to catch a glimpse? I'm not sure exactly. I wonder what drove St. Francis or even Martin Luther. In my own case, I fear God. I fear that He will demand more of me; however, I cannot stand less of Him. We are helpless lovers, bound to one another: He in His Incarnation and Crucifixion; me in my longing and restlessness. It is obvious that I am the one who prefers flirtation and passing immature letters, while He is dedicated to our consummation. And though I beg for Him to be more assertive and present, I wonder if He knows that I'm always on the verge of fleeing His kindness.

Alas, so it goes.

You would think God would have better taste in sinners. I'm very fortunate that He does not.

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