Word, WORSHIP, & Works of Mercy, part 2

Tuesday night at the Mission: Thomas Smith (from Idaho, not Colorado as I reported previously) opened the evening with a discussion of what is WORSHIP.  We usually consider worship something that we go to or do on Sunday at Church. But he explained worship is much more than that. Worship should become our way of life.

The Hebrew word for worship is AVODAH. And this word first appears in the Bible in Genesis 2:15. “The Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”  The Hebrew word for cultivate here also means to worship.  God was telling Adam and Eve to create a place to worship. The term “to keep it” in Hebrew “shamar” means “to guard jealously.” Thus, God is telling man to make a space (physically and in our day) to worship Him. And he wants us to keep this space in our world just for him, just for the purpose of worship.

Further, Smith explained that this word WORSHIP translates in Greek to the word PROSKUNEO.  This word also means “to kiss someone on the mouth,” as a bridegroom does to his bride. Thus, in this meaning we see that God is calling man to worship in a deeply personal, intimate relationship with Him. And we should worship him in awe and wonder and joy, with humility.

The linking of our relationship to God is also likened to a marriage relationship in the Hebrew faith when we look at Moses and the 10 Commandments. In the Jewish faith the 10 commandments are called the 10 Wedding Vows. (I will discuss more about the VOW later). In fact, when God presented them to Moses on Mount Sinai, the heavy clouds overhead have been likened to the Jewish wedding canopy. And in the Book of Revelation, the end of time is referred to as a great wedding feast, again with God as the bridegroom and man as the bride.

In early Jewish days, a bridal payment was made prior to the wedding. When the bridegroom’s offering was brought to the bride, she showed her agreement to marry him by accepting his sacrifice and responding with “AMEN.” With Christ, he made the payment to his “bride” by paying with his blood.  The Eucharist is always offered as a sacrifice in the Catholic Mass. During Eucharist at Mass we are renewing our wedding vows with Christ. We respond likewise at Holy Communion with the same “Amen” to show our acceptance of Christ as the bridegroom in our love relationship with him.

(This difference between a COMMANDMENT and a VOW is of utmost importance. A Commandment is an order, while a VOW is an agreement on the part of both parties. And a VOW is an equal promise between persons, like a covenant.)

Smith then discussed the importance of building a lifestyle of worship. This happens through prayer. Within the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are four pillars of what Catholics believe. (The Profession of Faith, The Celebration of Christian Mystery, Life in Christ, and Christian Prayer.) The fourth pillar of the Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses the value of Christian prayer. Smith explained that there are four keys to the fourth pillar. Each of these keys are unquenchable, and unending:

1.     1.   Reading the Word of God (Scripture) – We must pray as we read Scripture; it nourishes us.
2.     Liturgy (The Holy Mass, Holy Eucharist is  powerful prayer) – It is the source of life and each Eucharist is like another Pentecost, a Spirit-filling event.
3.     The theological Virtues – We enter into prayer through FAITH. The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray in HOPE. And we receive God’s LOVE poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
4.     Today – The Spirit of God is offered to us each day and at each moment. It is in the present that we encounter Him, not yesterday or tomorrow, but today, “O that today you would hearken to his voice! Harden not your hearts!”

Smith concluded his presentation with a prayer method called the Examen Prayer. (This type of prayer is NOT the same as the Catholic Examination of Conscience you may have heard of.) There are five steps to this prayer practice:

1.    1.    Express gratitude to God for the day.

2.    2.  Ask for the grace to see the truth about yourself: “Show me what you want me to see.”

3.    3. Review your day with Christ at your side. Where did you make him known in word and deed? Where may you have failed to mirror Christ to your world?
4.    Ask pardon for your sins.
5.    Make a concrete intention to act differently tomorrow, by God’s grace, using what you learned in the Examen. Close by praying the “Our Father.”

Smith notes that we will never grow or change if we don’t examine our day and our life. He recommends that we spend some time each day with this practice, and that it should be done at least once a week. Ideally, it should be done at the close of the day.

That's it for day two. It was a very enriching presentation and now I am challenged to try to apply what I have learned. I will have to pray for God’s graces to integrate these practices into my life. The next posting will summarize Day Three, which addresses the Works of Mercy.

Word, Worship, & Works of Mercy

This week my church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Temperance, MI, is hosting a 3-day mission for our parish. The speaker is Thomas Smith, from Colorado. He shared a little of his personal faith journey with us last night. You can read about his background as a former Mormon, and later a former Baptist minister, finally becoming a Catholic in the 1990s from a 2001 news article by clicking here. Mr. Smith now travels the country and the world presenting programs such as this one and the Great Adventures Catholic Bible series. He did an excellent job.

The topic of the 3-day mission is the three pillars: Word, Worship, and Works of Mercy. These teachings are found in the early Jewish faith (Rabbi Simeon the Just taught that “the world exists through three things: the Law, worship, and beneficence.” -Pirkei Avoth 1:2).  The three pillars later appeared in two famous sermons of Jesus (Matthew 5 – 7 and 23-25.)

On Monday night Smith addressed the first pillar, the need to study the Word—the Holy Bible. Smith discussed how many of us struggle to study the Bible. One method he mentioned was exactly the same as I discussed in an earlier posting on this site: Making a new year’s resolution to read the complete Bible in one year. Unfortunately, the narrative of the Bible gets people lost somewhere around Leviticus and then they give up. Another method he called “Bible Roulette.” In this method a person lets the Bible fall open, points to a passage, and reads and meditates on it. While this may work in some cases, often the passage has an obscure meaning, making it difficult to relate it to one’s daily life. Instead, it is best to read the Bible in the proper context of what is happening at that particular time, who the audience is, etc. Smith recommends learning about the Bible from Bible studies, good books, etc.

However, Smith did offer us an excellent way to study the Bible right now, even without much Bible background. We can use the Word in a prayerful way, through a method developed by St. Benedict and Pope Gregory I. The method is called Lectio Divina.  Lectio Divina (pronounced “lex-e-o   di-vee-nah”) is Latin for Divine Reading or Spiritual Reading. Smith recommends we do this daily. This method has four steps:

1-    Lectio (Reading) – Smith recommends choosing the Gospel passage of the day  (the reading from daily Mass is a great place to start.) The Gospel, the life and words of Jesus, are often the most easy to apply to our daily lives.

2-    Meditatio (Reflecting) – Certain phrases or passages will spark your spirit to respond to them. Focus on those.

3-    Oratio (Responding) – Turn what God has brought to your attention back to Him in the form of prayer.

4-    Contemplatio (Resting) – Give God some quiet time where you can be still in His presence.

Smith said we can better understand and recall this using the metaphor of eating a fine meal:

Step 1: The LECTIO is reading the Bible or taking a perfect “bite” of Holy Scripture to start with.

Step 2: The MEDITATIO is to “chew” on the word of God. Smith says that the pre-translated word for “meditation” is really more a sound.  The sound is the satisfactory noise one makes when digging into something tasty and satisfying, like when you slide cheesecake off your fork and into your mouth. Meditation as referred to here is not just the silent state of contemplation, but the pleasant sound of succor when are senses are filled.

Step 3: The ORATIO is when we are digesting the fine meal. In Scripture, we are bringing nourishment from the “food” of Scripture into our being to build the strength of our spirit. 

Step 4: The CONTEMPLATIO, or resting, is when we rest in the Word. It is the after-dinner period of rest when we internally acknowledge our satisfaction with the feast. It is the quiet time of prayer, where we allow all things to be still so that we can be with God. It is the ultimate act of hospitality, when we make time and space for God.

While Benedictine’s recommend an hour per day in Lexio Divina, Smith says everyone can benefit from just about 20 minutes daily of practicing this method of study and prayer. For a deeper explanation and understanding of this method of study and prayer, Smith recommends reading Praying for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina by Dr. Tim Gray.  Thomas Smith also has a website where you can read more about his apostolate and his teachings. It is www.gen215.org.

If you are interested in attending the remaining sessions on Nov. 9 & 10, it is not too late to join us. On day two Smith will speak about Worship, where we will learn the Examen Prayer. On day three Smith will present how to incorporate the Works of Mercy into our lives. The gathering is in the church and the evening session runs from 7 to 8 pm, following 6:00 pm Mass. There is also a morning session after 9 am Mass. All are welcome to attend. There is no registration required and no fee to attend. If you would like to join me there, or have questions, just email me at bonnie@folkberry.com.  May God continue to guide you on your journey and have a blessed day!

Trivia Time!

A Trivia Quiz!

Perhaps it is from all the quizzes and tests I have been creating at work lately, but I thought my readers might enjoy a multiple choice quiz for fun. The questions come from the book of Genesis. The correct answers are listed at the bottom of the quiz. Feel free to post your score in the Comments section at the end.

(1) How many different Creation stories appear in the book of Genesis?

a - 1

b - 2

c - 3

d - 0

(2) Adam and Eve's next child after Cain and Abel was named _______________?

a – Dinah

b – Sharona

c – Seth

d – Shem

(3) Following God’s command, Abraham stops just short of sacrificing his son’s life to prove his love for and obedience to God. What is this son’s name?

a – Jacob

b – Isaac

c – Ishmael

d – Sarai

(4) Isaac was tricked into giving his blessing to the wrong son. Which son received his blessing?

a – Jacob

b – Esau

c – Ishmael

(5) After Noah’s ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, Noah set a bird out to look for signs of land. What kind of bird did Noah first send out?

a – dove

b – owl

c – raven

d – pidgeon

(6) What was Noah’s profession?

a – sailor

b – carpenter

c – farmer

d – zoo keeper

(7) For what reason did the people decide to build the Tower of Babel?

a – They wanted to make a name for themselves.

b – They wanted to create a central government.

c – They wanted to learn one language.

d – They wanted to build a performance auditorium.

(8) How was Lot related to Abraham?

a – Lot was Abraham’s niece

b – Lot was Abraham’s nephew

c – Lot was Abraham’s brother

d – Lot was Abraham’s brother-in-law

(9) Who was thought to be barren, but was finally able to have children in her old age?

a – Sarah

b – Leah

c – Rebekah

d – Keturah

(10) What is the original name of the person that God renamed ISRAEL?

a – Jacob

b – Joseph

c – Reuben

d – Esau

SCROLL DOWN FOR ANSWERS!

ANSWERS: Please post your score in the COMMENTS section below! Thanks!

(1) – b, (2) – c, (3) – b, (4) – b, (5) – c, (6) – c, (7) – a, (8) – b, (9) – a, (10) – a

Bits and Pieces

When it comes to my knowledge and study of the Bible, I must admit that I have been all over the place.  One of my earliest recollections of Bible study was somewhere around 8^th or 9^th grade. In our weekly religious ed class, the topic for the year was the Old Testament and Abraham. And I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I hated it!!!  I did not see any use for studying the Old Testament patriarchs.  I don’t think I learned much that year. Frankly, I was too wrapped up in my social life to apply myself to the topic at hand, even at CCD class. (My apologies to the teacher, who did her best!)

Later, as an adult with my first-born baby in tow, I attended a weekly Bible study at my church. It was a profound, spirit-filled experience. The small group of women met on Thursday mornings and it grew from around a dozen people to about 40 regular attendees. The group was open to Christians of any faith and we were respectful of differences in beliefs, concentrating instead on our shared beliefs. Words cannot express the wonderful experience of that Thursday morning group. But as my knowledge grew, so did my family and work obligations. I eventually, reluctantly, stopped participating in the group Bible study.

As time went on, I tried to study the Bible on my own. At various times I would commit to a plan and get very excited about it. I would find a new version of the Bible, or a new book on reading the Bible, and make a resolution to immerse myself in it. First I tried reading the Bible in sequential order, starting with Genesis. My plan was to read straight through to Revelation. But often by the time I got to Leviticus, I would stop, being bogged down with all the laws and regulations.  Once I even bought a Bible that was arranged to let me read the complete Bible in one year. Under that plan you read several passages from each of four different books every day. Four different years in a row I made a New Year’s Resolution to read the complete Bible from this book. And by March every year I had given up. The book has remained on my bookshelf ever since, reminding me of my failed attempts to study Holy Scripture.

I think the problem with my method of Bible self-study is that I really didn’t know how to learn what the Bible was saying. I would pray, read a random passage, ponder what it meant, and hope something was sinking in to my mind or my soul.  I never really knew if I was supposed to be getting more out of it, but I admit I often did not understand what the passage was about.  I think it is because I was not ever seeing the big picture. I only saw bits and pieces. 

My guess is that many people share this problem. Some churches encourage people to memorize independent Scripture verses. Or they instruct you to pray and study on just one random verse and listen to what it speaks to you. While both of these methods offer value, with this method we can miss the big picture of what is happening in the story.

In my CBSM classes we are studying the Bible more in-depth, spread over four years. We are able to go slower and address it in more detail, because in the bits-and-pieces method you can miss a lot. For example, unless you read all of Genesis in sequence you may miss how God speaks to several people from different generations, all in an effort to bring man into a redemption partnership with Him for us all. From Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, God seeks out those men who become the patriarchs of our faith. And collectively, they work with God to build the foundation of our calling to become a holy people. Now that’s what I want to learn about: studying the Bible to make sure my time here is spent answering God’s personal call to me. After all, we only get one time on this Earth, with no guaranteed number of years. And I have to ask, how am I spending my life? 

 Something to think about, eh? 

I believe!

For your enjoyment and appreciation today, visit the link below for a look at God's magnificence.

MAGNIFICENT

And let's remember to thank and praise God for it all!

Don't suffer fools gladly.

The Catholic faith recognizes feast days to celebrate the lives of the various Saints of the Catholic church. Today, Sept. 30, is the feast day of St. Jerome.  He was a monk, priest, hermit, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. St. Jerome also was a multi-lingual Scripture scholar who labored over a long period of time to translate the Bible from the original Hebrew language at the request of the Pope. His final product came to be known as The Vulgate. Jerome was well-studied and highly respected. St. Augustine said of him, “What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known.”

Catholics also believe that just as you might ask a friend to pray for you, we can also ask those who have already left this life to pray for us. In the Catechism of the Catholic Faith, Part 4, Article 3, Topic 2683 GUIDES FOR PRAYER: “The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, shar in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise Him, and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth . . . We can and should ask them to intercede for us and the whole world.”

The Catechism, Topic 956, also explains the Catholic belief of Intercessory prayer: “Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness  . . . They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.”

By all accounts, St. Jerome was not one to “suffer fools gladly.” He was profoundly intolerant of anything but the truth. And he loved the Bible greatly.

So in following another Catholic tradition, I shall seek the aid of St. Jerome to pray for me as I continue on my study of the Bible. I will try to keep his example in mind to always seek the truth. I will enlist his prayers to be joined with mine as I seek the wisdom required to understand the message God wants me to hear through the Scriptures. St. Jerome, please pray for me!

I didn't know that!

Sometimes I choose these writings along a theme, but I expect I will have lots of AHA! Moments, when I learn something new from my Bible study class. Here is something I learned along the way in Bible class this week:

The person of Melchizedek was introduced for the first time in the Bible in Gen. 14:18-20. In this passage he is listed as the “king of Salem” and “Priest of God Most High.” He comes to bless Abram after Abram leads his people to defeat the king who had kidnapped his nephew. With his nephew freed, Abram is welcomed back. But it seems that there is some mystery surrounding Melchizedek.

Later, King David mentions him in Psalm 110:4. Melchizedek is noted in this passage: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

In the New Testament book of Hebrews 7: 1 – 3, Melchizedek is referred to as “. . .  King of Salem, priest of the Most High God,” . . . “He is first, by translation, of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.  He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” 

So, who is this Melchizedek?  There are a few different theories on this: some support that he is a man, another that he is God.

1- Some say he is Noah’s favored son, Shem. This is based on two logical arguments. (a) Whoever is powerful and revered enough to bless Abram would have to be a very significant person, indeed. And (b) Shem would still be alive in that day, according to the ages and genealogy accounts given.

2- Some say that he is just exactly what the Bible says: a king of Salem and a holy Priest.

3- Another theory is the Christophany theory. In this theory, Melchizedek is actually the pre-incarnation of Jesus; the eternal, preexistent Word who later became Jesus. He mirrors Jesus in that he brought bread and wine in his welcome to Abram back from his victorious battle. His name translates to King of righteousness. Some believe that he pre-figures Christ. The statment of him having no parents and no lineage at all encourage this thinking of his being ever-present and timeless.

Scholars disagree with one another, but I find the Christophany theory to be very intriguing.  You can read lots of  varying opinions by doing a Google search on Melchizedek. Go ahead, it can’t hurt to study up so that you can form your own opinion. 

Who knew?

Was there a Palistrophe on the ark?

One of the 5 keys to help us interpret the Bible is to be aware of the different literary styles in the many writings there. Some parts of the Bible are narratives (stories), some are poetry, some are historical accounts, some letters, etc. Knowing what we are reading can be a big aid to our understanding.

Additionally, being able to recognize various writing techniques can also help us gain understanding. Yesterday I discussed idioms. Today’s topic is the chiasmus or palistrophe.

A chiasmus (ki- az’ mus) is a writing or speaking technique wherein a topic is arranged so that two elements are discussed first in one order, then in the exact opposite order. For example:

“I entered the room and turned on the light. Then I turned off the light and left the room.”

This is a chiasmus.  There are only two pairs, told forwards and then again backwards.  This can be recognized in a code: ABBA.

When there are more than two on each side, then the name of the technique is different. Palistrophe (sounds similar to “apostrophe”). There is no limit to how many individual components can be included, as long as they re repeated in reverse order on the other side.

An example of a palistrophe is in the story of the flood: There are up to 15 different elements on both sides leading up to and away from the central line “God remembered Noah.” Read Genesis 6:10 through 9:19. See if you can recognize them all. (They are included at the end here, in case you don’t have your Bible handy.)

The reason the Bible makes use of these types of techniques is two-fold. First, it draws attention to a central passage. One can easily see the importance of the middle verse “God Remembered Noah” in this palistrophe.

Secondly, we must recall that the Bible stories weren’t written down at first. Instead, they were passed down orally, from generation to generation. The palistrophe technique served as a memory aid, a nmemonic.  (Imagine learning the alphabet forward and then backwards. Same kind of aid.)

Here, then is the palistrophe in the flood story:

A  Noah (6:10a) [P]

B    Shem, Ham, and Japeth (6:10b) [P]

C      ark to be built (6:14-16) [P]

D        flood announced (6:17) [P]

E          covenant with Noah (6:18-20) [P]

F            food in the ark (6:21) [P]

G              command to enter ark (7:1-3) [J]

H                7 days waiting for flood (7:4-5) [J]

I                  7 days waiting for flood (7:7-10) [J]

J                    entry into ark (7:11-15) [P/J]

K                      Yahweh shut Noah in (7:16) [J]

L                        40 days flood (7:17a) [P]

M                          waters increase (7:17b-18) [J/P]

N                            mountains covered (7:19-20) [P]

O                              150 days water prevailed (7:21-24) [P/J/P]

P                                GOD REMEMBERED NOAH (8:1) [P]

o                              150 days water abated (8:3) [P]

n                            mountain tops visible (8:4-5) [P]

m                          waters abate (8:5) [P]

l                        40 days (end of) (8:6a) [J]

k                      Noah opens windows of ark (8:6b) [J]

j                    raven and dove leave ark (8:7-9) [J]

i                  7 days waiting for waters to subside (8:10-11) [J]

h                7 days waiting for waters to subside (8:12-13) [J/P/J]

g              command to leave the ark (8:15-17, or 22) [P, or P/J]

f            food outside ark (9:1-4) [P]

e          covenant with all flesh (9:8-10) [P]

d        no flood in future (9:11-17) [P]

c      ark (9:18a) [J]

b    Shem, Ham and Japeth (9:19b) [J]

a  Noah (9:19) [J]


So now you know a little more about the Holy Bible!

More on the idiom.

I got word from a friend who did some research on this passage on Noah and his nakedness. She sent word to me which that confirms that Biblical scholars disagree on the meaning of this passage. But I shared with her something that I failed to post earlier. No matter what happened between Ham and Noah, Ham had over-stepped his bounds in his efforts to pridefully advance himself beyond his rightful place. This was his sin and for this he was punished.

Sometimes I feel like an idiom

Among the many things I am learning in my class at the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan is that to understand the Bible, one must study a lot of background material. This includes the customs and cultures of the people of those times. Which brings me to the following point about idioms. In class this week we were studying the book of Genesis. In Chapter 9, we read about Noah and his family. By this chapter the great flood has subsided and Noah & family have left the ark and returned to the land. Noah’s three grown sons (Shem, Ham, and Ja’pheth) and their wives, as well as Noah’s wife, are all living in the same community. Then a puzzling passage is presented.  “Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Ja’pheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.” – Genesis 9:20-23 (RSV). The next verses go on to say how terribly upset Noah was when he awoke and learned what had happened. He was so upset with Ham that he cursed him and cursed his descendants.

What was this all about? The father, Noah, was drunk and naked. Wouldn’t a son who stumbled upon this scene normally just pretend he never saw him? Or perhaps cover him up? And why would this seemingly minor problem cause such an extreme reaction on Noah’s part? He cursed Ham and his descendants!  Isn’t that extreme for seeing Noah naked? That was the question posed to our class. And here is what we learned.

The people of Biblical times often spoke in idioms. An idiom is a method of saying one thing while you really mean something else. And the audience for which it is intended understands the idiom, that is, what the speaker really means. An example in our time would be if I said, “Boy, my dogs are sure barking tonight!” Most people in our culture can interpret that I am not speaking about my pets nor the noise they are making. Instead, it is a phrase that means that my feet hurt. (You knew that, right?) Or if I were to say that my friend was “given a slap on the wrist,” you know that it does not convey an actual physical punishment, but instead a mild rebuke. And if you said “we are all in the same boat,” I know you don’t mean we were actually in a boat together. Those are idioms.

So, what does this have to do with Noah being naked?  This was an idiom, a phrase meaning something totally different. What actually happened was that Noah’s son, Ham, raped his mother. This is and was a terrible sin and was a severe insult to Noah. Warring armies in ancient times would often rape the women of the villages they conquered to show their power and might, and this rape was an action Ham used to grab power from his father, Noah. Since Shem was the older son, he would normally be the favored son, as was the custom of the time. Ham was jealous and wanted to gain a higher place in the family structure. So he raped his mother to gain power, to show his might and usurp his father.  Ham’s mother, (Noah’s wife), later gave birth to the child of the rape. He was Canaan. This child was cursed by Noah because he was the child of that rape.

How do we know this is what was meant when Genesis discusses Noah’s nakedness? In the same Revised Standard Version’s book of Leviticus (which contains so many of the laws) Chapter 18, verses 6 through 18, the laws state specifically how one must never uncover the nakedness of one’s father, mother, sister, granddaughter, aunt, daughter-in-law, etc. Again, the phrase is hard to grasp. But if we turn to another translation of the Bible, the New American Bible, the phase in Leviticus shows us a different picture. This version states “None of you shall approach a close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the Lord. You shall not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother. Besides, since she is your own mother, you shall not have intercourse with her. You shall not have intercourse with your father’s wife, for that would be a disgrace to your father.” – Lev. 18: 6 – 8, (NAB). It continues to list all other family members one must refrain from having sexual intercourse with.

So we see here that the two phrases “nakedness” and “sexual intercourse” mean the same thing.  And that is the meaning behind the idiom. It was a great “AHA!” moment for our class. And it reminded me of how much we need to really study the Bible to understand its truth. 

Bring on the rain!

Today’s rain is welcome, as the dry grass has remained brown for so much of my lawn. And the rain reminded me of a Scriptural reference to rain I found applicable for today’s journal topic.

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” (Deuteronomy 32:2 – NIV)  

In the Catholic faith, the Holy Spirit is recognized as the source of spiritual enlightenment and wisdom. This spirit has been referred to as coming down upon God’s people like the gentle rain. I think the analogy is fitting to my posting this week, as I think it may be raining, or even pouring down on me as of late, through the new opportunities presented to me for furthering my spiritual journey.

This has been a busy week, with work and other obligations, so my postings have been neglected. But my journey has not!  On Monday evening I attended my weekly class of the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan - Monroe group. Within the next few days I will be posting my thoughts of our current topic from Genesis in that class. But in the few minutes I have available today, I want to share something new I also will be starting. I am joining an 8-week program in Toledo: Learning How to Pray with the Bible (subtitled- A way to nourish your relationship with Jesus.) 

I expect this program will be much different from the Monroe class, as this is being promoted as a program that "teaches you how to meditate and contemplate the great themes and stories of the Bible by using methods of prayer taken from St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises." This should be much different because of the focus on prayer.  I think I can greatly improve my prayer experience and Biblically-based prayer sounds very interesting to me. Mind you, I know nothing about St. Ignatius, so this should be enlightening in more than one way. But I am most interested in enriching my prayer life. We were told to bring our Bibles and a notebook for journaling.  (Wish I had a tiny netbook computer to take along, as I do so much better writing on a keyboard than longhand! Too much joint paint, which comes from years of repetitive stress on my wrists.)

The program is offered by the Sisters of Notre Dame at their Provincial House Conference Center at Secor and Monroe Roads. The flyer promoting this says it is sponsored by the Manresa Retreat Center in Bloomfield Hills, MI.  They have one group from 1 to 3:30 pm, and an evening session at 7:00 to 9:30 pm.  I have registered for the daytime session, as I can go to work in the morning and then make the trip over there without too much trouble. The whole 8 weeks costs just $25 and they still have openings in both. (Interested people can call Sister Marcia Marie Destatte at 419-474-5485 or by emailing mdestatte@gmail.com.)

So, yes, I am going to participate in a Monday night class with the Catholic Biblical School (from Oct. to May) and then also participate in this brief 8-week “Pray with the Bible” class on Tuesday afternoons.  I know, I can hear you now . . . isn't that a bit much? Well, I think the results will well be worth the time I will invest. I am sure there will be homework from both, but I really feel led by the Spirit to do this. So, please wish me well. I will post that part of my journey to my online journal also.

Finally, a reminder that my church is once again offering the Jeff Cavin Bible study, "A QUICK Jouney Through the Bible" on Thursday mornings for 8 weeks. It teaches about the 12 time periods of the Bible and the 14 narrative books which advance the salvation story from Adam through Jesus to the Church today. The weekly program started today, though I think you can still join in. This is offered on a DVD video and then is followed by discussion questions. Of course, you read some of the Bible as part of this for homework. I took this study during Lent this past year and it was really a good program. If you are interested, call 734-847-2895 for more information. The videos are by well-known Jeff Cavin and are extremely enlightening.

So, as you can see, it is raining here. And that's my report of where I am on my journey. How is the weather in your part of the world? How is your journey going?

Here, have an apple.

9/11/2010 ~ Here, have an apple.

Most people around the world probably know the story of Adam and Eve and “The Fall.” God’s first people, the man and woman he created “in his own image,” start out in Paradise. The Garden of Eden, where God placed them, offers everything they will ever need. And God told them they could have anything in the entire garden, except for the fruit of one tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they eat from that tree, they will die.

But as you recall, this warning did not stop Adam and Eve. The serpent came and tempted Eve, who later tempted Adam, to eat the forbidden fruit. And immediately they saw their sin and hid themselves from God. You know how the story ends. God cursed them to have to work hard for their entire lives, bear pain-filled childbirth, and banished them from the Garden of Eden.

So, what does this mean to us? The obvious answer is that the story is about obedience. We must follow God’s rules, doing what He tells us to do. But at Bible study last Monday I learned something new, in regards to the tree with the forbidden fruit. (You may have heard that Eve ate from an apple tree, but no translation of the Bible calls it that.)  What I learned new is that there is more to it than that.

Eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil means that we think that we, not God, get to decide what is right and what is wrong. When we take of this forbidden fruit, we rationalize away God’s laws, conforming them to our own liking. God gives us commandments but instead of following them, we interpret them as suggestions. I am joining Adam and Eve in this same sin when I understand what a commandment from God says, but then say it doesn’t apply to my circumstances. WOW! I had never thought of that before.

Here is the bottom line: We don’t get to decide what is right or wrong. Only God gets to decide that. Period. No rationalization, no excuses. Right is right and wrong is wrong, per God. If He said something is wrong, it is wrong. I need to stop justifying it. It is that simple— and that hard, too. That was the sin related to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That was the original sin, it was Adam and Eve’s sin, and is my sin, too.

So now you know. And it had nothing to do with an apple. As the old saying goes, the sin wasn’t in the apple in the tree. It was in the pair on the ground!

Stephen Hawking - "Stop doubting and believe."- John 20:27

By now you have probably heard: world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, co-author of a new book, The Grand Design (published this week), has stated that God does not exist and there is no need to include God in our story of how the universe was formed. He says that the science of physics answers all the creation questions and God had no roll in any of it. He states that God in unnecessary in understanding the world and how it was created.

This “news” reminded me of something I read on the web last weekend. The NY Times publishes a regular column called The Stone, written by contemporary philosophers. In this week’s column, an atheist questions why so many more people are willing to follow their non-scientific faith instead of enthusiastically supporting the world of science. This author is Tim Crane, also an atheist and a Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. He writes “religion commands and absorbs the passions and intellects of hundreds of millions of people, many more people than science does.” He believes one of the reasons for this is that science demands proof of its hypotheses while religion does not. Basically, he states that religious people are willing to accept things that they don’t understand as a mystery.

OK, but why is that? Why are believers willing to accept that God created the world, that God rules the universe, when non-believers cannot? I believe this acceptance is a gift from God. He offers it—this ability to believe His truth without scientific proof–to us all, and we just have to accept it.

“There is, to be sure, a certain wisdom which we express among the spiritually mature. It is not a wisdom of this age . . . No, what we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious, hidden wisdom, God planned it before all ages for our glory.” ~ 1 Corinthians 2:6, 7

The temptation to follow the latest opinions of well-known scientists and or scholars of the day doesn’t shake the faith of those who accept His gifts. Faith—it will help you see through the ‘false prophet’s’ proclamations.

Of course, these are my opinions, based on my understanding of the issue. So, readers, I ask you. What do you think makes one person a believer while another is skeptical of religion? And what do you believe?

Revelations!

As I began my journey, I learned some things that are very important to understand at the start of the Bible study.  At our initial session at the Seminary, we began by addressing topics from the summer reading assignment, The Bible Compass by Dr. Edward Sri. This author identifies five interpretive keys to studying the Bible:

• Discover the author’s intention
• Be attentive to the Unity of Scripture
• Read Scripture within the Living Tradition of the Church
• Read Scripture with the Symphony of God’s Revelation
• Use the Four Senses of Scripture: Literal, Allegorical, Moral, & Anagogical

These five keys were discussed in some detail at our Seminary day and then again back in Monroe when we attended our first weekly meeting.

Additionally, we discussed that while there are 73 books in the Bible (66 in the Protestant version), the narrative of the story of Salvation is found in just 14 books. (Seems a little less over-whelming when you think of it that way, doesn't it?)  Additionally, the entire Bible is broken into 12 separate periods of time. All other books supplement the narrative found in these 14 books. Listed below are the 12 timeline periods and which of the 14 corresponding books go with each period:

1. Early World ~ Genesis 1 - 11
2. Patriarchs ~ Genesis 12 – 50
3. Egypt & Exodus ~ Exodus
4. Desert Wanderings ~ Numbers
5. Conquest & Judges ~ Joshua, Judges
6. Royal Kingdom ~ 1-2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1 – 11
7. Divided Kingdom ! 1 Kings 12 – 22, 2 Kings
8. Exile ~ 2 Kings
9. Return ~ Ezra, Nehemiah
10. Maccabean Revolt ~ 1 Maccabees
11. Messianic Fulfillment ~ Luke
12. The Church ~ Acts of the Apostles

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, I attended a brief Bible study at my church last Spring. The program was called The Great Adventure: A QUICK Journey Through the Bible. That program also recognizes the 12 periods.  In their program, each of the 12 time periods was given a color to help people remember the events tied to that particular time period. To aid our memories further, a bookmark and a bracelet with colorful beads was given to each participant.

12 periods of the Bible bracelet*

The colors and what they represent are listed next to the numbers in the following list. (The numbers correspond to each of the 12 periods in the list above.)

1. Turquoise – color of earth seen from space
2. Burgundy – Reminder of the blood covenant
3. Red – crossing the Red Sea
4. Tan – Desert Sand where God’s people wandered
5. Green – Lush green hills of the promised land
6. Purple – King David, who was promised an eternal throne
7. Black – Represents a Divided kingdom
8. Baby Blue – recalls the Children of Judah “singing the blues” in Babylon
9. Yellow – Brighter days ahead as the exiles come home to make a fresh start
10. Orange – Reminder of the Oil Lamps in the purified temple
11. Gold – gold reminds us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, who would fulfill God’s promises
12. White – The spotless bride of Christ 

As you can see, everything covered so far is still BIG PICTURE, prlminary information. In the next posting, we get down to work in Genesis. Until then, Peace!

* The Great Adventure program is a wonderful introductory study. You can find a link to it on my blog page. Also, my church is offering the course in an 8 week program, starting in mid-September, 2010. It is well worth the low cost and you can learn how to enroll by calling 734-847-2805.

4.   

Knock and it shall be opened unto you ~ Matt 7:7

Door to ambulatory at Sacred Heart

My journey with the Catholic Bible School of Michigan began last Saturday with a Day of Reflection. The new program is being held in three different cities in Michigan and over 120 people from these locations traveled to central Detroit to the Sacred Heart Major Seminary to begin the journey. Ten of the people from the Monroe group took a school bus to Detroit, placing finding the Seminary and the drive there in the capable hands of the bus driver. The Seminary is beautiful, four-story Gothic-style building located on 17 acres. It was built in the 1920s with the expressed purpose of educating men for the Catholic Priesthood.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit

This was my first time to visit the Seminary and I was struck by the dichotomy of the grounds and the neighborhood. The property is beautiful and well-tended, sitting like an oasis in the middle of a very poor, blighted, inner-city neighborhood. Compared to the buildings nearby, Sacred Heart is the only thing that remains in good condition. A reminder of the history and strife of the neighborhood is the statue of Christ in the grotto on the front lawn. In the summer of 1967, the Detroit race riots began just a few blocks away. On the second day of the disturbance, an African American housepainter jumped the fence and painted the face and hands of the statue black. While it was an act of vandalism, the seminary found it fitting to keep the black features on the white statue of Christ with arms out-stretched to symbolize Jesus' love for all races. The black paint remains to this day and the statue is known as "Black Jesus." The Seminary has also held multi-racial prayer services and other gatherings at the grotto to strengthen ties to the community in which it sets.

"Black Jesus"

While Sacred Heart is still dedicated primarily to the purpose of educating men for the priesthood (with 100 men in the program last year!), the school now also welcomes lay people (Catholic term for non-clergy) to study there to learn about their faith. This can take the form of regular college classes at both the undergrad and graduate levels. Our day there was different. We were not there for traditional classes, but instead to learn more about the program we were undertaking from a gathering of scholars.

Our day opened with a welcome by Deacon Jack Gardner. Deacon Jack is the director of the new program and he has a robust enthusiasm for this new venture. He also will be the program facilitator for our Monroe group's classes. I look forward to learning more from him. Morning presentations featured Dr. Peter Williamson and Ms. Cathryn Torgerson. Dr. Williamson, a 1972 convert to the Catholic Church, is a Catholic Theologian and is the Chair in Sacred Scripture at the Seminary. He offers Bible studies, is a noted author, and teaches Scripture at Sacred Heart. Ms. Torgerson is a lay woman who had a conversion experience after years away from the Church. She has since returned to the Catholic faith and later studied at the Seminary, where she earned a Master's Degree. She now offers classes, workshops, and seminars throughout the region. She will serve as the facilitator for the Canton program. (To learn about Cathryn's conversion, see her video on YouTUBE.) Both Williamson and Torgerson spoke about what can come from our experience of studying the Bible and what to expect on the journey. We also heard that this program is both an academic and spiritual study of the Bible. It will work into both our heads and our hearts. What stikes me about these two speakers is that they were both seekers like me, searching for answers. After their conversions, they have dedicated many years of their lives to learning more about God and now share what they have learned with others. I was also very impressed that the Catholic Bible School brought two such prominent presenters together for our inaugural day in the program.

Our morning sessions ended with a Mass at 11 o'clock. We all went to the chapel for the Mass, which was celebrate by Fr. John Riccardo, from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Plymouth, MI. While the term "chapel" makes me think of a small, intimate sacred space, the Chapel at SHMS is not at all small. (There are about three times as many pews as show in the photo below. There are also two side aisles, not visible in my photo, with side altars in each.) It is a grandly sacred space, as large as many churches you may find anywhere. Our 120+ people did not fill even half of the pews. In his homily, Fr. Riccardo tied our undertaking to the story of the conversion of St. Augustine, whose feast day was celebrated that day. It added greatly to the message of the day.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary Chapel

After Mass we returned to our large meeting room for a hearty lunch. After lunch we broke down into small groups. Our group assignments are the same ones we will have for our on-going classes that will meet in Monroe each week. Most groups have a half-dozen members, and none of us knew each other before that day. As we embark on this journey together, we understand that we will grow to know each other very well, and will likely become close friends. It is was interesting to sit with these strangers that will be traveling on this journey with me. We each have a different past, but all share the same reason for joining this group. We are all seeking more knowledge about how God is speaking to us through the Bible.

In our small groups, we were assigned questions to answer. These questions were related to the reading assignment we had been given in the weeks prior to the event. The reading was a book: THE BIBLE COMPASS, a Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures, by Dr. Edward Psi. This book addresses several topics, but most importantly, the five keys to interpeting Scripture correctly (more about these 5 keys at a later time.) Our group did a fine job of working through the questions.

After group time we all rejoined for a final talk by Deacon Jack. This talk summarized the themes from the day and commissioned us to spread the message that we learn in Holy Scripture throughout the Church. It is the desire and prayer of the founders of this program that a spirit of renewal will spread from it to the Church at large. We then closed our day by getting our reading assignments for the first week of classes back in our host parishes (mine is St. John the Baptist in Monroe).

My group of ten then reboarded our bus for the trip back to Monroe. While we had taken the ride north as ten strangers, we all felt closer, having shared this experience together. The excitement and anticipation was palpable on the ride home.  Our journey has begun!