Read Acts Chapter 12.
Who is Rhoda? I don't know about you, but that name did not ring a bell in my scriptural repertoire. Only after reading the reference in the story from Sweet, I was then able to realize the faith and the "littleness" of Rhoda, and the impact her faith had on others.
What a powerful quote from Sweet, "It took a child to point out to them the reality of answered prayer." Have you ever been righted or the truth revealed by a child? What was the circumstance and what did you learn? Did it make it more real to you?
Sweet encourages us to find a "Rhoda", someone like a child who has a childlike faith that trusts God as the One in charge - not necessarily understanding, but loving or honoring Him.
Sweet acknowledges the power of stories in this chapter, and many other chapters. He emphasizes that we all need stories to function and live. Children especially need stories to help give their lives stability and reason. Remembering stories is one way that we can reconnect ourselves to our childhood, reconnect ourselves to our own internal Rhoda. When was the last time you enjoyed reading a story? When is the last time you got caught up in a story? How did it make you feel?
A Few Attributes of Rhodas - Rhoda Disciplines:
(1) Rhodas Keep You Snug - they unite our daydreams and our night dreams into one, helping us realize that God is at work in our lives - listen to your heart and dream dreams. When was the last time you lived a dream?
(2) Rhodas Keep You Scared - they help you master your fears, but also acknowledge them at the same time - it is not all a Thomas Kinkade picture!
(3) Rhodas Keep You Small - they help us realize that meaning and significance are in the small things, not just the large; they also emphasize that we can live large loving little - they also challenge us to ask questions. When was the last time that you asked a question, not assuming you knew the answer?
(4) Rhodas Keep You Light - they remind us of novelty and surprise. "Gravity is an adult disease that leads to the grave." What do you think about this quote? Are you a realist or an idealist?
(5) Rhodas Keep You Alive - they help us realize that everything around us is alive - we need to live more in the present, not just the past or future.
A Few Questions to Help us Understand and Find Our Rhoda...
Is anyone ever too old to hold a stranger in his or her arms or heart?
What were some of the make believe games you played as a child? Can you identify some of the life skills you were learning while you were making believe?
Does play always need to be "productive play"? Or is "sheer pleasure" a life skill that we need to learn?
Are you willing to do little? Is the little beneath you? Are you too big to do small? Children help us see the mustard-seed meaning of life. What does this mean to you?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Withness 8: Who's Your Zacchaeus? You Need a Reject
We live in a world of differences. Despite what society attempts to do us as it seeks to mold and "cookie cutter" us into the ideal person, we are all created differently - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. These differences make us unique, but often times when these differences are extreme, "others" begin to look at us in a different way. Maybe we try to get their attention by the things we say or the things we do. Maybe we try to avoid the attention by trying to hide. Whatever the case, we are who we are - no matter what we do.
That is the world that Zacchaeus lived in. Like Sweet, I grew up learning the song about Zacchaeus being a "wee little man" and how he climbed up in the sycamore tree to try to see Jesus. But I often think we fail to realize what drove Zacchaeus there in the first place - he was a reject of society. Why? Zacchaeus wasn't a reject because of his height (however I am sure he probably was a sight since he is described as a "wee little man" for centuries later), but because of who he was and what he had become. The lowest of the low in the eye of the people - not just tax collector, but the chief tax collection. Not just the chief tax collector, but the cheating chief tax collector.
So why do we need a Zacchaeus in our lives?
Unlike any other of the 11 relationships that Sweet identifies, your Zacchaeus first requires something from you (not someone having something to give).
So who is a Zacchaeus? Sweet identifies five characteristics that help us ask questions of ourselves:
(1) Zaccheaus is someone up a tree. Do you know someone who is trully messed up, an outsider? How have you developed a relationship with this person?
(2) Zacchaeus is a one-of-a-kind, an iconoclast. Do you know someone who challenges you to think outside the box about who you are, what you do, or what you believe? Does this person challenge your faith - is it authentic or copy cat?
(3) Zacchaeus is "out there". Usually these people are not found in church, because they know they can't "fit in" to church culture. Do you know someone who is very spiritual but does not attend church? How does this person challenge your faith?
(4) Zacchaeus is Trouble. Do you know someone who is always getting in trouble, or rubbing people the wrong way? Does this person rub you the wrong way? How does this challenge you?
(5) Zacchaeus is inefficient. Boy this really got to me! Sweet argues that sometime we need to be inefficient in our lives, and our Zacchaeus will challenge us or keep us up to it. Do you have someone in your life who makes you get out of your set ways? How does this challenge your faith?
Put them all together and you have your Zacchaeus.
Sweet makes some very challenging statements about the church - one that should cause us to think and question.
"The Christian church is too "in here" and not enough "out there". What do you think Sweet meant by this statement? How does this apply to your church setting?
"Jesus had a ready eye to eat and spend the night with the village fools and outcasts wherever they were found...For Jesus it wasn't a sacrifice to do this - it was a passion. Even a pleasure." When was the last time you as a Christian spent some time with a social outcast? Does your church do better at identifiying the outcasts, or creating relationships with the outcasts?
"I have written elsewhere of authentic Christianity as GOOD religioun where GOOD is an acroynym for Get-Out-Of-Doors. How BAD (Behind-A-Door) is your church? How might you make it GOOD again?"
"How early should we encourage our kids to include Zacchaeuses in their network of friends? How would you encourage your kids to find their inner Zacchaeus?"
That is the world that Zacchaeus lived in. Like Sweet, I grew up learning the song about Zacchaeus being a "wee little man" and how he climbed up in the sycamore tree to try to see Jesus. But I often think we fail to realize what drove Zacchaeus there in the first place - he was a reject of society. Why? Zacchaeus wasn't a reject because of his height (however I am sure he probably was a sight since he is described as a "wee little man" for centuries later), but because of who he was and what he had become. The lowest of the low in the eye of the people - not just tax collector, but the chief tax collection. Not just the chief tax collector, but the cheating chief tax collector.
So why do we need a Zacchaeus in our lives?
Unlike any other of the 11 relationships that Sweet identifies, your Zacchaeus first requires something from you (not someone having something to give).
So who is a Zacchaeus? Sweet identifies five characteristics that help us ask questions of ourselves:
(1) Zaccheaus is someone up a tree. Do you know someone who is trully messed up, an outsider? How have you developed a relationship with this person?
(2) Zacchaeus is a one-of-a-kind, an iconoclast. Do you know someone who challenges you to think outside the box about who you are, what you do, or what you believe? Does this person challenge your faith - is it authentic or copy cat?
(3) Zacchaeus is "out there". Usually these people are not found in church, because they know they can't "fit in" to church culture. Do you know someone who is very spiritual but does not attend church? How does this person challenge your faith?
(4) Zacchaeus is Trouble. Do you know someone who is always getting in trouble, or rubbing people the wrong way? Does this person rub you the wrong way? How does this challenge you?
(5) Zacchaeus is inefficient. Boy this really got to me! Sweet argues that sometime we need to be inefficient in our lives, and our Zacchaeus will challenge us or keep us up to it. Do you have someone in your life who makes you get out of your set ways? How does this challenge your faith?
Put them all together and you have your Zacchaeus.
Sweet makes some very challenging statements about the church - one that should cause us to think and question.
"The Christian church is too "in here" and not enough "out there". What do you think Sweet meant by this statement? How does this apply to your church setting?
"Jesus had a ready eye to eat and spend the night with the village fools and outcasts wherever they were found...For Jesus it wasn't a sacrifice to do this - it was a passion. Even a pleasure." When was the last time you as a Christian spent some time with a social outcast? Does your church do better at identifiying the outcasts, or creating relationships with the outcasts?
"I have written elsewhere of authentic Christianity as GOOD religioun where GOOD is an acroynym for Get-Out-Of-Doors. How BAD (Behind-A-Door) is your church? How might you make it GOOD again?"
"How early should we encourage our kids to include Zacchaeuses in their network of friends? How would you encourage your kids to find their inner Zacchaeus?"
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Withness 7: Who's Your Deborah? You Need a Back-Coverer
Read Judges 4-5.
I've never been a big fan of horror movies. I just am not someone who enjoys sitting down for 2 hours for no other purpose than to get scared half to death. However, the few I have seen have left me with this impression: people in horror movies are stupid. There's some homicidal maniac on the loose, so why don't I walk down this dark hallway all by myself? It's like they expect the enemy to just come walking straight toward them, visible from a mile away.
Don't they know that the enemy tends to always surprise us from our blind spot?
When Deborah, the Israelite judge, tells Barak that God is commanding him to lead the Israelites into battle against the Cannaanites, Barak says, "If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." Plain and simple: I don't want to walk this dark hallway by myself; I will feel much safer if you are with me.
Barak knew what the people in these horror movies don't ever seem to know: it is not good for us to be alone (didn't God say something about that?), we need people who we can trust to watch our backs. We need Deborahs.
In this chapter, Sweet seems to take a pretty critical stance on Christians and the church. He writes, "In the Bible, Deborah covered Barak's back so he could fight against the armies of the Canaanites; unfortunately, Deborahs today often cover your back so you can fend off the armies of the churches. This should not be so." What is your response to Sweet's observation? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
What role does a Deborah play when we are dealing with attacks from fellow Christians?
Sweet goes on say, "The ultimate betrayal is when the back-guard becomes the back-stabber. Look around you at your circle of friends. You can be certain of one thing: One of them will betray you. You say, 'No, certainly not! Not my friends.' I say, 'Are you better than Jesus?'" What does it feel like to have someone you see as a Deborah become a Judas?
Jesus was prepared for Judas to betray him. In fact, he was ready to be betrayed by all of his disciples. Mark 14:27-28 says, "And Jesus said to them, 'You will all become deserters; ... But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." What do you learn from Jesus about how to deal with betrayal?
What qualities do you think are important for someone who is a Deborah, a back-protector?
Sweet writes, "Some people have a holy spirit, and the presence of that holy spirit in your life is enough to be your Deborah." Have you ever known anyone with this kind of spirit? Tell their story and their impact in your life as a Deborah.
Who are the people that God needs you to be a Deborah for? I think there are a lot of folks who feel like they are walking down a dark hallway all alone, dreading when that big monster is going to jump out and consume them. They don't know from what direction the hurt or pain is coming, they just know it is coming and they don't think they have anyone helping them. Maybe it is time for you and I to start blanketing that person with prayer and doing what we can to watch their back.
I've never been a big fan of horror movies. I just am not someone who enjoys sitting down for 2 hours for no other purpose than to get scared half to death. However, the few I have seen have left me with this impression: people in horror movies are stupid. There's some homicidal maniac on the loose, so why don't I walk down this dark hallway all by myself? It's like they expect the enemy to just come walking straight toward them, visible from a mile away.
Don't they know that the enemy tends to always surprise us from our blind spot?
When Deborah, the Israelite judge, tells Barak that God is commanding him to lead the Israelites into battle against the Cannaanites, Barak says, "If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." Plain and simple: I don't want to walk this dark hallway by myself; I will feel much safer if you are with me.
Barak knew what the people in these horror movies don't ever seem to know: it is not good for us to be alone (didn't God say something about that?), we need people who we can trust to watch our backs. We need Deborahs.
In this chapter, Sweet seems to take a pretty critical stance on Christians and the church. He writes, "In the Bible, Deborah covered Barak's back so he could fight against the armies of the Canaanites; unfortunately, Deborahs today often cover your back so you can fend off the armies of the churches. This should not be so." What is your response to Sweet's observation? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
What role does a Deborah play when we are dealing with attacks from fellow Christians?
Sweet goes on say, "The ultimate betrayal is when the back-guard becomes the back-stabber. Look around you at your circle of friends. You can be certain of one thing: One of them will betray you. You say, 'No, certainly not! Not my friends.' I say, 'Are you better than Jesus?'" What does it feel like to have someone you see as a Deborah become a Judas?
Jesus was prepared for Judas to betray him. In fact, he was ready to be betrayed by all of his disciples. Mark 14:27-28 says, "And Jesus said to them, 'You will all become deserters; ... But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." What do you learn from Jesus about how to deal with betrayal?
What qualities do you think are important for someone who is a Deborah, a back-protector?
Sweet writes, "Some people have a holy spirit, and the presence of that holy spirit in your life is enough to be your Deborah." Have you ever known anyone with this kind of spirit? Tell their story and their impact in your life as a Deborah.
Who are the people that God needs you to be a Deborah for? I think there are a lot of folks who feel like they are walking down a dark hallway all alone, dreading when that big monster is going to jump out and consume them. They don't know from what direction the hurt or pain is coming, they just know it is coming and they don't think they have anyone helping them. Maybe it is time for you and I to start blanketing that person with prayer and doing what we can to watch their back.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Withness 6 - Who's Your Peter/Paul? - You Need a Yoda
Read John 13:1-11; John 18:15-18, 25-27; John 21:15-19; Acts 4:5-13.
Read Acts 7:54-8:3; Acts 9:1-31; Acts 13:1-3.
Peter struggled to understand Jesus' teaching and would go on to deny knowing him. Paul led a severe persecution of the early Christians. So begins the stories of two men who would go on to become the two prominent leaders of the early church.
Remember watching the original Star Wars movies? Obi Wan Kenobi was the wise old Jedi who guides Luke Skywalker in learning the ways of the force. He seems the perfect mentor. Then the new Star Wars movies came out, and we see that Obi Wan was not always the wise mentor, but he was also the impetuous student who made mistakes. He was not born a great mentor and teacher, he had to learn.
Sweet in his book says, "There is always someone wiser than you .... Sometimes Peter and Paul need to sit at the feet of Timothy."
How do Peter & Paul's stories reflect the truth of this observation? Does being a mentor to someone mean that you have "perfect knowledge"? Why is it important to, in Sweet's words, "... learn apprenticeship before we can offer mentorship"?
Sweet offers some points to consider in choosing a Yoda, a mentor, in your life:
1) Watch how they treat their spouse.
2) Are the walls of their study permeable to their kids?
3) Do they spend time reading and reviewing, blurbing and blogging other people's books and manuscripts, or do they consider themselves too famous for that?
4) Humility - sees themself as always a student and will not allow the student to withhold wisdom from the teacher.
5) Honesty - willing to share their secrets, but willing to tell you the truth, even rebuke you
6) Honor - someone who has earned praise
What do you think of this list? Are there other things you might add?
How do Peter and/or Paul meet the qualifications of this list or the qualifications that you added?
All teachers make mistakes. In the questions at the end of the chapter, Sweet shares examples of teachers and experts who made mistakes, and then asks if you can come up with your own examples. Can you? How does a good mentor respond to their mistakes?
Read Acts 7:54-8:3; Acts 9:1-31; Acts 13:1-3.
Peter struggled to understand Jesus' teaching and would go on to deny knowing him. Paul led a severe persecution of the early Christians. So begins the stories of two men who would go on to become the two prominent leaders of the early church.
Remember watching the original Star Wars movies? Obi Wan Kenobi was the wise old Jedi who guides Luke Skywalker in learning the ways of the force. He seems the perfect mentor. Then the new Star Wars movies came out, and we see that Obi Wan was not always the wise mentor, but he was also the impetuous student who made mistakes. He was not born a great mentor and teacher, he had to learn.
Sweet in his book says, "There is always someone wiser than you .... Sometimes Peter and Paul need to sit at the feet of Timothy."
How do Peter & Paul's stories reflect the truth of this observation? Does being a mentor to someone mean that you have "perfect knowledge"? Why is it important to, in Sweet's words, "... learn apprenticeship before we can offer mentorship"?
Sweet offers some points to consider in choosing a Yoda, a mentor, in your life:
1) Watch how they treat their spouse.
2) Are the walls of their study permeable to their kids?
3) Do they spend time reading and reviewing, blurbing and blogging other people's books and manuscripts, or do they consider themselves too famous for that?
4) Humility - sees themself as always a student and will not allow the student to withhold wisdom from the teacher.
5) Honesty - willing to share their secrets, but willing to tell you the truth, even rebuke you
6) Honor - someone who has earned praise
What do you think of this list? Are there other things you might add?
How do Peter and/or Paul meet the qualifications of this list or the qualifications that you added?
All teachers make mistakes. In the questions at the end of the chapter, Sweet shares examples of teachers and experts who made mistakes, and then asks if you can come up with your own examples. Can you? How does a good mentor respond to their mistakes?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Withness 5: Who's Your Barnabas - You Need an Encourager
There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement'). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:36-37
Why would Barnabas' act be an act of encouragement?
Read Acts 9:26-27 and Acts 11:22-26
What forms of encouragement are described in these verses?
Why do you think Barnabas' ministry of encouragement was so important for the early church? For Paul?
Why is the ministry of encouragement still important today for you as a believer? For the church?
Read Acts 15:36-41. This no doubt represented a very painful time in Paul & Barnabas' ministry. Yet we still see the "son of encouragement" doing his thing, taking John Mark, who had disappointed in the past, and giving him another opportunity to move into the mission field.
Does it surprise you that Paul & Barnabas parted ways over a disagreement? What are the possible negative implications of what happened? Read Acts 16. What positive comes out of their disagreement?
Leonard Sweet points out that the word encouragement comes from the French word for "heart". Encouragement means to put "heart" into someone. Sweet asks, "What can we fill our hearts with that will allow them to stretch toward God's beauty and blessings?"
Why would Barnabas' act be an act of encouragement?
Read Acts 9:26-27 and Acts 11:22-26
What forms of encouragement are described in these verses?
Why do you think Barnabas' ministry of encouragement was so important for the early church? For Paul?
Why is the ministry of encouragement still important today for you as a believer? For the church?
Read Acts 15:36-41. This no doubt represented a very painful time in Paul & Barnabas' ministry. Yet we still see the "son of encouragement" doing his thing, taking John Mark, who had disappointed in the past, and giving him another opportunity to move into the mission field.
Does it surprise you that Paul & Barnabas parted ways over a disagreement? What are the possible negative implications of what happened? Read Acts 16. What positive comes out of their disagreement?
Leonard Sweet points out that the word encouragement comes from the French word for "heart". Encouragement means to put "heart" into someone. Sweet asks, "What can we fill our hearts with that will allow them to stretch toward God's beauty and blessings?"
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Withness 4: Who's Your Timothy? You Need a Protege
Read 2 Timothy 3:10-4:8.
As a minister, I find myself on many occasions walking with friends and church members through the painful valley of death when a loved one passes away. I am always amazed at how much an individual and family has to deal with at a time like this. Not only is there the pure pain of the loss, there is the mountain of decisions that need to be made and paper work to be filled out to insure that the questions of what is to happen to the person's estate are answered. We usually group these issues under the general heading of "getting their affairs in order". I think it is truly a blessing when an individual has had the foresight to make as many preparations as possible so that their family is not swamped by these issues or, worse, left to battle it out in a guessing game of what the deceased's wishes truly were. Unfortunately, a lot of folks are not comfortable thinking ahead to their own demise, and so they leave these issues unsettled.
I think that is why I find this chapter in Sweet's book an exciting and challenging chapter all at the same time. Sweet proposes that we need a protege, someone who is our apprentice, someone who will be an heir not to our possessions but to our life and soul. Having been a Timothy several times over, it is exciting to think that God might use me to mentor another Timothy. However, at the same time, to accept that reality is to accept the reality that I will not always be. My time is limited. I think part of finding a Timothy means learning to say and think like Paul: "I am already being poured out as a libation and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Sweet speaks of the importance of Shunammitism: "the cultivation of leadership by the old in the young through the hospitality of teaching, mentoring, and deploying." Do you think this happens in our culture today? In our church? What benefits come from these types of relationships? What are the challenges to these types of relationships?
Sweet says: "It is not just that you can get a lot more done if you have heirs, but that sometimes you can't even do what God is calling you to do without heirs." Do you agree? Why or why not?
Sweet points out that two keys to a mentoring relationship are abiding in the presence of the mentor and listening to the mentor. These seem to be two rare commodities in society today: presence and listening. What challenge does this bring to the church? How can the church respond?
Sweet says: "... most Timothys want to be clones, not heirs." What is the difference?
In Matthew 5:47, Jesus asks of his disciples, "And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?" Sweet poses this question to each of us. "What more are we doing?" This question raises the issue of what do we mean by more. Is more "better" or is more "different"? How do you hear Jesus' question? Why is this an important issue as we think about the Timothys in our lives?
Some questions from the end of Sweet's chapter that I thought were noteworthy:
Saint Benedict, in his Rules, says a couple of times that 'the young should respect their elders, and the elders should love their juniors.' Which group do you think has the harder task?
Do you think Timothys need rites of intiation? How much of youth's experimentation with high-risk behaviors is an attempt at self-initiation? What are some of those high-risk behaviors?
As a minister, I find myself on many occasions walking with friends and church members through the painful valley of death when a loved one passes away. I am always amazed at how much an individual and family has to deal with at a time like this. Not only is there the pure pain of the loss, there is the mountain of decisions that need to be made and paper work to be filled out to insure that the questions of what is to happen to the person's estate are answered. We usually group these issues under the general heading of "getting their affairs in order". I think it is truly a blessing when an individual has had the foresight to make as many preparations as possible so that their family is not swamped by these issues or, worse, left to battle it out in a guessing game of what the deceased's wishes truly were. Unfortunately, a lot of folks are not comfortable thinking ahead to their own demise, and so they leave these issues unsettled.
I think that is why I find this chapter in Sweet's book an exciting and challenging chapter all at the same time. Sweet proposes that we need a protege, someone who is our apprentice, someone who will be an heir not to our possessions but to our life and soul. Having been a Timothy several times over, it is exciting to think that God might use me to mentor another Timothy. However, at the same time, to accept that reality is to accept the reality that I will not always be. My time is limited. I think part of finding a Timothy means learning to say and think like Paul: "I am already being poured out as a libation and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Sweet speaks of the importance of Shunammitism: "the cultivation of leadership by the old in the young through the hospitality of teaching, mentoring, and deploying." Do you think this happens in our culture today? In our church? What benefits come from these types of relationships? What are the challenges to these types of relationships?
Sweet says: "It is not just that you can get a lot more done if you have heirs, but that sometimes you can't even do what God is calling you to do without heirs." Do you agree? Why or why not?
Sweet points out that two keys to a mentoring relationship are abiding in the presence of the mentor and listening to the mentor. These seem to be two rare commodities in society today: presence and listening. What challenge does this bring to the church? How can the church respond?
Sweet says: "... most Timothys want to be clones, not heirs." What is the difference?
In Matthew 5:47, Jesus asks of his disciples, "And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?" Sweet poses this question to each of us. "What more are we doing?" This question raises the issue of what do we mean by more. Is more "better" or is more "different"? How do you hear Jesus' question? Why is this an important issue as we think about the Timothys in our lives?
Some questions from the end of Sweet's chapter that I thought were noteworthy:
Saint Benedict, in his Rules, says a couple of times that 'the young should respect their elders, and the elders should love their juniors.' Which group do you think has the harder task?
Do you think Timothys need rites of intiation? How much of youth's experimentation with high-risk behaviors is an attempt at self-initiation? What are some of those high-risk behaviors?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Withness 3: Who's Your Jethro? You Need a Butt-Kicker
Read Exodus 4:18 and Exodus 18.
There are times where you just want to stay in bed. The covers feel good, you are nice and cozy. Sure, there may be things that need to be done that day. Important things even. But is just so much easier, so much more comfortable to stay right where you are.
Of course, there are other times and places besides the morning "get out of bed" drill that we can feel that way. There are times in our lives when it is just easier to keep on the way we are. In those moments, we need someone to be our Jethro. Sweet says of him, "Jethro kicked Moses' butt out of the tent and into the mission God had given him."
When Jethro sends Moses back to Egypt, most translations translate Jethro's words as "Go in peace." However, Sweet argues that the more literal translation of the Hebrew is "go to peace." Sweet distinguishes between "going in peace" (resting in wholeness, as in death) and "going to peace" (making the best use of whatever life remains). How would you explain the difference between "going to peace" and "going in peace"?
Dante said, "In His will is our peace". Looking at the stories from Exodus about Jethro, how does Jethro help Moses fulfill God's will? What peace comes from this?
Jethro was not himself an Israelite, yet he fulfills an important role in Moses' answer of God's call. One of the reasons I went to Duke for seminary rather than a clearly Baptist school was because I wanted to be exposed to other forms of Christianity so that I could better understand why I thought and practiced the way I did. Do you think that God can use other faiths and cultures to help our understanding of our own faith? Why or why not?
Sweet writes, " If life matters, you have to give your life to mattering." Share your responses to this statement.
What have been some of the spiritual turning points of your life? Who were the people who were part of that experience? Can you see any of them as a Jethro?
The important thing I see about Jethro is that he is not a taskmaster. Some "butt-kickers" take an attitude of driving people against their will. God's whole purpose was to deliver Moses and Israel from taskmasters. Moses didn't need a taskmaster to force him down the path. He needed a Jethro to help him see the way God was opening to him.
There are times where you just want to stay in bed. The covers feel good, you are nice and cozy. Sure, there may be things that need to be done that day. Important things even. But is just so much easier, so much more comfortable to stay right where you are.
Of course, there are other times and places besides the morning "get out of bed" drill that we can feel that way. There are times in our lives when it is just easier to keep on the way we are. In those moments, we need someone to be our Jethro. Sweet says of him, "Jethro kicked Moses' butt out of the tent and into the mission God had given him."
When Jethro sends Moses back to Egypt, most translations translate Jethro's words as "Go in peace." However, Sweet argues that the more literal translation of the Hebrew is "go to peace." Sweet distinguishes between "going in peace" (resting in wholeness, as in death) and "going to peace" (making the best use of whatever life remains). How would you explain the difference between "going to peace" and "going in peace"?
Dante said, "In His will is our peace". Looking at the stories from Exodus about Jethro, how does Jethro help Moses fulfill God's will? What peace comes from this?
Jethro was not himself an Israelite, yet he fulfills an important role in Moses' answer of God's call. One of the reasons I went to Duke for seminary rather than a clearly Baptist school was because I wanted to be exposed to other forms of Christianity so that I could better understand why I thought and practiced the way I did. Do you think that God can use other faiths and cultures to help our understanding of our own faith? Why or why not?
Sweet writes, " If life matters, you have to give your life to mattering." Share your responses to this statement.
What have been some of the spiritual turning points of your life? Who were the people who were part of that experience? Can you see any of them as a Jethro?
The important thing I see about Jethro is that he is not a taskmaster. Some "butt-kickers" take an attitude of driving people against their will. God's whole purpose was to deliver Moses and Israel from taskmasters. Moses didn't need a taskmaster to force him down the path. He needed a Jethro to help him see the way God was opening to him.
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