This week we looked at the book of Ecclesiastes. I'm sure many of us remember the Byrds' 1965 song based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, but that song doesn't fully convey the negativity of the rest of the book. Ecclesiastes has been called a hymn to meaninglessness. Chapter one closes with verse 18 (The Message): "Much learning earns you much trouble, the more you know, the more you hurt." What a depressing view. Nothing in this life matters, so should you enjoy it while you can, or should you deny this world and focus on the next? Seems to me that is the $64,000 question and yet another dichotomy.
Ecclesiastes echos and reinforces some of the themes we have seen in other books. There is no value in material things, life is not always sunshine and roses, prosperity is more dangerous and detrimental to our relationship with God than hard times. We continue on, trying to determine, define, delineate exactly what gives our lives meaning. Ecclesiastes does a really good job of telling us what does NOT give our lives meaning, but we are left to figure out what the positive definition is on our own.
The human quest is to understand - to fully comprehend - how to live our lives with meaning. It is clear from Ecclesiastes and the other books we have studied that it isn't about the material things of this world. And now we find it isn't even about knowledge and wisdom. So what is it about then? Man, just tell me what to do and I will do it! Please!
Oh JM, I see it again. "The destination is in the journey." Having instructions on how to live our lives with meaning makes it about the destination. The message I keep hearing in all the books we have looked at is that it is about the journey. What is important is to want to be in relationship with God. That said, it appears it is important to be authentic and honest in our relationship as well.
None of the books has said it outright, but the pessimistic tone and questions tell me that it is OK to be angry, to question, to be in despair. Those are natural human emotions that are a part of any relationship. God accepts that about us, and is big enough to take it when we have those negative feelings. I don't think we really accept or acknowledge negative feelings when it comes to God. I wrote some time ago about the case against "should", and here is another "should" that I challenge. I always feel the message from "church," and by "church" I mean organized religion of any stripe or color, is that we "should" never be angry or weak in our faith. From there you move on to the next step, if you are angry with God, or don't believe as strongly or in the way that you "should," then God will allow some bad thing to happen to you or leave you or punish you. Another "should."
I choose to hang on to my new understanding that God wants me to be angry and question and doubt. The Israelites in the desert, focused on survival, remembered God a lot more faithfully than they did after they crossed into the Promised Land. When I go through bad times they have the potential to strengthen and deepen my faith. I recently borrowed a line from "Bruce Almighty" and found myself tempting the Mighty Smiter to smite me. After it was out I felt better and was able to work through those bad feelings. And eventually I was able to see and feel good in the midst of a very bad situation. I simply need to be willing to continue on the journey of exploration and relationship and not look for the destination.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Taking This Week Off
I am out of pocket this week, but if someone sends me a summary I will get it posted for sure!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Remember... Faithfulness
I confess that when I learned the topic of study would be the Old Testament I was less than enthused. But as we go farther in to the study, the more I am enjoying it and getting a completely different perspective on that stern, demanding, vengeful God of the Old Testament that I remember from the Sunday School stories. He really isn't all that bad! I am beginning to see God more as an exasperated parent who is constantly disappointed by disobedient, wayward children than as a lightning-bolt wielding, angry, punishing authoritarian.
Deuteronomy chronicles the passage of Israel into the Promised Land after spending forty years on what should have been a couple of week's journey. Why did they have to spend so long in the desert? Was it because they weren't faithful to God and the commandments? Last week, in Job, we talked about being in relationship with God because it was right, because we choose God, not because we follow the rules or because of the rewards and blessings we would get.
In the bad times, the difficult times, we naturally turn to God and ask for help. Don't you find yourself praying a lot more when you are troubled, when you need something? I know I do. But when times are good and prosperous, our human nature leads us to think we are responsible for our own success. We forget about God's role in our lives. In making the transition from totally controlled slaves to a free society, that wandering coalesced the Jews into a coherent, interdependent society.
And yet, Moses still fears for Israel. Any parent can probably appreciate how hard he worked to bring the people safely to the Promised Land, to get them to be the obedient society God wants them to be. He has seen them be disobedient despite repeated warnings from himself and directly from God. Deuteronomy is actually three speeches by Moses, his warning, urging and farewell. It is a very parental and loving act, and Moses, who did everything God asked of him, serves as the ultimate example of faithfulness. In spite of everything he did, he did not cross the Jordan - alive. He did it because he loved God, because it was right.
In a society where history is oral, carried through the generations by story, song and poetry, the people need an oration to repeat and teach to their children. The first speech has been described as a "state of the union", a reminder of what God has done for them. In the second Moses urges Israel to remember exactly what God expects of them, restating the laws and the Commandments. Moses must hope that they will remember, even in prosperity, and remain faithful to God. And finally, in parting, Moses reminds them of what God will do, of how God keeps his covenant. God is faithful even when they are not.
If you look at the rest of history in that context, you can see how in the bad times we coalesce and are bound together by common goals. Although I didn't live through it, I imagine that was how it felt during times like the Great Depression and World War II. Those tough times were followed by a lengthy period of relative peace and prosperity, at least in this country, and I suggest that we have lost our devotion and faithfulness. Maybe it is time to remember, to redefine acceptable boundaries, to be faithful, to choose God.
Deuteronomy chronicles the passage of Israel into the Promised Land after spending forty years on what should have been a couple of week's journey. Why did they have to spend so long in the desert? Was it because they weren't faithful to God and the commandments? Last week, in Job, we talked about being in relationship with God because it was right, because we choose God, not because we follow the rules or because of the rewards and blessings we would get.
In the bad times, the difficult times, we naturally turn to God and ask for help. Don't you find yourself praying a lot more when you are troubled, when you need something? I know I do. But when times are good and prosperous, our human nature leads us to think we are responsible for our own success. We forget about God's role in our lives. In making the transition from totally controlled slaves to a free society, that wandering coalesced the Jews into a coherent, interdependent society.
And yet, Moses still fears for Israel. Any parent can probably appreciate how hard he worked to bring the people safely to the Promised Land, to get them to be the obedient society God wants them to be. He has seen them be disobedient despite repeated warnings from himself and directly from God. Deuteronomy is actually three speeches by Moses, his warning, urging and farewell. It is a very parental and loving act, and Moses, who did everything God asked of him, serves as the ultimate example of faithfulness. In spite of everything he did, he did not cross the Jordan - alive. He did it because he loved God, because it was right.
In a society where history is oral, carried through the generations by story, song and poetry, the people need an oration to repeat and teach to their children. The first speech has been described as a "state of the union", a reminder of what God has done for them. In the second Moses urges Israel to remember exactly what God expects of them, restating the laws and the Commandments. Moses must hope that they will remember, even in prosperity, and remain faithful to God. And finally, in parting, Moses reminds them of what God will do, of how God keeps his covenant. God is faithful even when they are not.
If you look at the rest of history in that context, you can see how in the bad times we coalesce and are bound together by common goals. Although I didn't live through it, I imagine that was how it felt during times like the Great Depression and World War II. Those tough times were followed by a lengthy period of relative peace and prosperity, at least in this country, and I suggest that we have lost our devotion and faithfulness. Maybe it is time to remember, to redefine acceptable boundaries, to be faithful, to choose God.
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