_awakening

The Uncomfortable Truth.

Obviously a bit overstated, but uncomfortable true nonetheless:

[HT: Doug Chaplin]

Thesis Abstract.

So today I spent the better part of the day working on my thesis paper. [With it being so blasted hot, this worked out really nicely.] Anyway, if you're interested, here's the abstract in working form. Enjoy.

The interaction between God and his people is one of covenantal journey, one marked by faith and a deep hope. Perhaps nowhere is this ideal more captured than in the textual writings of the Second Temple Period, especially within those texts often demarcated as “apocalyptic” writings. These texts, formulated by various communities within the Second Temple Period, display a yearning and a strong belief that God is not absent, but quite present in their midst. Trusting in his past faithfulness and promises, these communities believed that God was about to act significantly in their present context, bringing about the expectant hope of complete restoration.

To more deeply appreciate these texts and the communities that developed them, we must initially explore the development of apocalyptic literature as a genre and a vehicle for this expression of faith and hope. How did this genre develop and why was it chosen as a central vehicle of the Second Temple Period? Secondarily, we must explore the texts themselves and their relationship to received texts and traditions. How did these authors and redactors see their texts? Were they “scripture” on equal footing as the received texts of their day? How did they use the vehicle of apocalyptic literature to portray their dreams, desires, and understanding of God and his activity in the world? On a broader scale, what can we learn about the category of “scripture” from the texts collected and produced in the Second Temple Period?

The aim of this paper is to explore selected writings of the Second Temple Period in order to gain a vision of how various expressions of Judaism understood their relationship with God and their world. By specifically exploring the nature of their writings, both of content and category, we hope to gain a clearer vision of their self-understanding, along with their vision of God and his activity in the present world. Central to our discussion will be how these communities utilized the writings that had been handed down to them in the development of their own textual traditions. It is in this interaction with received texts that we have an insightful vantage point into their self-understanding and their view of their own particular texts.

We will be examining three main texts produced from three different communities, which exhibit varied nuances of “Judaisms” within the larger Jewish community of the Second Temple Period – 1 Enoch, the book of Daniel, and the Habakkuk pesharim from the community at Qumran. All three texts evidence an unfolding theological trajectory rooted in an apocalyptic worldview. They all display a reliance upon received texts and traditions, which are integrated into new forms and endowed with new meanings, resulting in a wholly new textual creation.

Amazing Grace?

Mark Galli recently tackled the issue of recent Christians in the news in his article, The Scandal of the Public Evangelical. The article was thought-provoking, but once again the comment section proves to be much more entertaining. [Apparently grace is still a controversial topic...]

I would add one more thing to Galli's thoughts. I don't think society at large is looking for followers of Jesus to be perfect. I think they are looking for them to be authentic, approachable, honest, and responsible. All too often, they get just the opposite.

Nooma 024 Whirlwind.

The latest Nooma offer, Whirlwind, has been posted by the good people at Flannel on their website to watch in its entirety. It beautifully explores suffer and Job. If you have ever gone thorugh difficult times, this is a much watch. Don't know how much longer it will be up, so swing by and enjoy.

[HT: Mike Todd]

Writing and a Question.

I'm spending the day doing some much needed writing on my thesis. [More on this later...]

In the meantime, I've been chewing a bit on this post by Robert Cargill. Maybe you're like me, I grew up hearing "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" until it became a mantra. I've always felt a bit uncomfortable with this kind of thinking. It seems so trite and so self-centered, like God exists for me and my "wonderful plan." I've also never really been satisfied with how we reconcile the issues of pain and evil into this "wonderful plan" thing. Seems like our efforts are all to fraught with mental and theological gymnastics.

Cargill answers the pressing question, "Does God really have a wonderful plan for our lives?" His answer and thoughts may surprise you. It is a read well worthy of your time and pondering.

Enjoy.

Dominican Republic.

It's a crazy opportunity, but Josh was recently asked to play on an exhibition team from the US in the Dominican Republic, through Sports for Kids International. It's a nine player team made up mostly of high school players who will be playing exhibition games for a week. It should be a great experience for Josh, to see how he stacks up with guys who are a year or two older than he is. He is so excited. So the last week of July, Josh and I will be heading down to the Dominican Republic for a little baseball vacation. Pretty sweet...

Here are a few pics from last weekend's tournament in Riverside. [Thanks to Bill Rees, as always, for taking some great shots.]

  

Hhhmmm.

An interesting question. What does this have to say about the nature of what is contained in the scriptures?