Sheep and Goats

November 18, 2008 – 4:04 pm

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on the glorious throne.  Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.”  Matthew 25:31-33 The Message

 

I’m glad it’s not my job to sort the sheep from the goats.  Having grown up in suburbia, I have little experience in farm animals (although I can make some pretty impressive animal noises - if I do say so myself).  My great Aunt and Uncle lived on a small farm, and as a child I would visit from time to time.  There were cows and chickens; a couple of pigs; and turkeys - mean turkeys; but no sheep or goats from which to draw any kind of personal insight.

That’s why I am thankful for the internet.

Apparently, it is difficult to tell some sheep and goats apart, unless you know what you are looking for.  Sheep tails go down, goat tails go up… most of the time.  Some goats have horns… and some sheep do too.  Goats have beards, and sheep do not… but sometimes goat beards get trimmed so you can’t always rely on that either.  Some people say that sheep and goats sound different.  (I have listened to more sheep and goat sound samples than I care to admit, and I am no closer to being able to distinguish the distinct sounds of goats and sheep.)  I do know that there are other significant differences, like how many chromosomes they have, and differences in breeding seasons.  I’m sure I could draw some kind of brilliant theological conclusion from all those things, but I have already spent way too much time just listening to sheep and goat noises.  So, here is the important thing I have learned about sheep and goats: their actions are different.  Goats eat anything that is easy to get to; they are curious, and will jump over a fence to get to something that has caught their attention; and they are much more independent.  Sheep?  Not so much.  Sheep will graze over an area until there is absolutely nothing left to eat - and still not move unless the shepherd moves them along to greener pastures.  Sheep are more cautious; less inquisitive.

Still, I’m glad it’s not my job to separate the sheep and the goats.

But the shepherd knows the difference.  The shepherd is intimately familiar with sheep and goats - knowing what to look for and listen to. The shepherd knows their temperaments and feeding habits; his life is all about knowing and caring for the sheep and the goats.  He has watched them, and knows the difference in their actions.

The scripture passage goes on with the familiar text:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
   I was hungry and you fed me,
   I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me a room,
   I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
   I was sick and you stopped to visit,
   I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ’sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me-you did it to me.’”  Matthew 25:24-40 The Message

This coming Sunday is Christ the King Sunday - the last Sunday of the church year.  It is a time in which our lessons encourage us to be ready for the coming of Christ.  Over the past few weeks we have heard the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids with their oil lamps, waiting for the arrival of the Bridegroom; we have heard the parable of the wealthy man entrusting his estate to his servants while he is away, with the understanding that they would continue to care for his property until his return; and this week, we hear about sheep and goats, and what the shepherd sees.

The shepherd knows the difference, because he sees their actions.  But here is the thing, sheep and goats act the way they do because they are sheep and goats.  It’s their natural state of being - their nature.

We talk a lot in church about the old nature; but we also believe that Christ gives us a new nature, and that spending time in reading scripture, praying, study, worship, and fellowship helps to transform us so that our natural state of being is less like our old nature and more like Christ’s nature. 

Less goat-like.

May we be good sheep.

Blessings! ~ Julie

Posted by Julie Gibson | Posted in General | Comments (1)

Kittens in a Tree

October 15, 2008 – 9:49 am

No, it’s not anything like Pigs in a Blanket!  (If you’re looking for a blog about food, you can read Eric’s “Foot Long Cold Cut Combo.”)

This blog is about the two kittens playing in the tree, outside my office window.  They are very young - I know their mother must be somewhere nearby because the kittens look well cared for, although I have not seen the mother cat at all.  The kittens are having a grand time playing with each other, in and among the branches of the tree.  They are cute, and curious too!  They have caught me looking at them through the window, and have slowly come to investigate this new “thing.”  I look at these playful kittens, enjoying each other, enjoying their surroundings - and completely relying on their mother to take care of their needs.

It makes me think about us and God.

With all the current economic mayhem, in our nation and in the world, I keep hearing the words “give us this day our daily bread.”  We pray it, but - I’ll speak for myself - I don’t think I really mean it.  I have a refrigerator and a pantry that would seem obscene to a good percentage of the world’s population.  I have a dresser and closet that would be overwhelming to many people.  I am able to keep my home at a very comfortable temperature year round.  How can I ask God to provide for my daily needs, when I already have so much?

In Exodus 16, we read the story of God providing daily bread - manna - for the Israelites.  They were to gather enough for one day (except on the sixth day, they gathered enough for that day and for the Sabbath).  And an interesting thing happened.  Some people gathered more than what they needed.  The next day they awoke to find that it was… well, let’s just say it had turned quite disgusting.

It seems that this lesson of relying on God for our daily needs is one that has been going on for quite some time.

I look out the window and see that the kittens have gone someplace else - perhaps their mother was calling them, saying, “Come and eat; come and drink. Come, bask in the sun, or rest in the shade.  Come, and let me teach you what you need to know.  Today, I will take care of your needs.”

Posted by Julie Gibson | Posted in General | Comments (2)

What’s the Best Bible?

October 9, 2008 – 9:51 am

There has been a lot of discussion around here lately about what is the best Bible.  Some folks are supporters of the long-time favorite King James Version (KJV), number one on the charts since 1611; still others vote for the New International Version (NIV), published in 1978.  Another favorite is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) published in 1989, which is a revision of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of 1952.  Then there is New American Standard Bible (NASB), The Message (MES), the Contemporary English Version (CEV), the English Standard Version (ESV), the New Living Translation (NLT), and about 100 others!

How can you possibly know which one is best?

Well, that all depends on what you want to do with it.

Each one of these translations has strengths and weaknesses, and if you know the strengths, then you can choose the best Bible to use for comprehension, study, or devotion.

If you want to read for comprehension - to get the general idea, then a version like the New Living Translation (NLT) or the Contemporary English Version (CEV) is a good choice.  But these are not necessarily good study Bibles.

For a study Bible, look for a version that is more concerned with accuracy.  The English Standard Version (ESV - published in 2001) is gaining acclaim in academic circles; the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is also a good translation.  However, when looking for a study Bible, the “helps” are many times more valuable - the notes at the bottom of the page will let you know if there is a discrepancy in translations, historical and theological perspectives, as well as other information that can assist you in a critical look at scripture.  Three study Bibles are at the top of the list: The New Oxford Study Bible (3rd Edition), published by Oxford, 2007; The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, published by Abingdon Press, 2003; and the HarperCollins Study Bible (2nd Edition), published by Harper, 2006.  All three of these study Bibles use the NRSV.  The ESV is coming out with a study Bible any day now (scheduled to be released October 15, 2008), so the jury is out on the academic value of the study helps.

For a devotional Bible, sometimes it is thought-provoking to have a translation that puts things in a fresh way.  Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase The Message (MES) does just that.  Notice the word “paraphrase.”  Peterson doesn’t make any attempt to be literally accurate.  Here is an example from Psalm 23:1-3.

God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction.

This is slightly different from the KJV we all know and love! (Say it with me… “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…”)

There are some great resources on-line.  A good place to check out many different versions is www.biblegateway.com.  They even have a lot of Bible versions in other languages. 

My favorite is the New Interpreters NRSV, but I am planning on getting an ESV study Bible as soon as it comes out.  I’ll let you know how it is.

What version are you using most?  Do you have a favorite?  Thoughts on versions and paraphrases? 

Blessings,

Julie

Posted by Julie Gibson | Posted in General | Comments (1)

Why Are We Doing This?

September 26, 2008 – 7:49 am

Exodus 12:24-27 (The Message)

 ”Keep this word. It’s the law for you and your children, forever. When you enter the land which God will give you as he promised, keep doing this. And when your children say to you, ‘Why are we doing this?’ tell them: ‘It’s the Passover-sacrifice to God who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.’”  The people bowed and worshiped.

I love these verses, especially where it says, “When your children say to you…”   I have two children, and it is their voices that I hear saying, “Mom, why are we doing this?”

All too often, we don’t have a good answer.

A woman was in the process of fixing her special holiday ham. She cleaned it and then took a huge knife, lopped off both ends of the ham and placed it in a pan. Her daughter, who was learning how to cook asked, “Now Mom, why did you do that?”  “Because that’s how your grandmother did it,” was her answer. “Let’s ask her.” So they did. Her answer was the same. Her mother had always done it that way. Being a lucky family, great grandma was still with them so they asked her.  Her answer?

“The pan I had was too small, so I had to cut off the ends of the ham to make it fit in the pan.”

“Because we have always done it that way” is not a good answer.

The church has failed in teaching generations why we do what we do; and many of the rich symbols and actions of the church have become empty ritual.  But we have also failed in not asking the questions.  These verses from Exodus 12 come at the end of the description of how the Passover will be remembered every year thereafter; and even today in the Passover Liturgy there are 4 questions that the children ask, year after year; and the explanation is the same year after year - because we are celebrating how God saves us.

The ritual and intentionality within the church has come out of hundreds of years of people desiring to deepen their spiritual journey.  There are many things that we say and do that are designed to strengthen our faith, but only if we understand them.  My hope is that you will ask, and we will explain - and our experiences in worship will be deepened.

This is a great forum for you to ask some questions.

So… what is it that you want to know?  Why are we doing _____________?

Blessings!

Julie

Posted by Julie Gibson | Posted in General | Comments (0)

Explore Worship

September 25, 2008 – 10:49 am

ex·plore \ik-splor\

verb 1a: to investigate, study, or analyze : look into; b: to become familiar with by testing or experimenting; 2: to travel over (new territory) for adventure or discovery.

wor·ship \wər-shəp\

noun 1: a person of importance -used as a title for various officials (as magistrates and some mayors); 2: reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power ; also : an act of expressing such reverence; 3: a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual; 4: extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.

Naming a blog is a difficult thing. How do you come up with something catchy and clever, yet describes a bit about who you are and what the blog site is going to be about? I asked my friends and co-workers, and received several suggestions that I can print: The Doctor Is In (no, too medical sounding), Coffee Break (sounds like a great thing to do, but not necessarily a great blog name), Evanjuliecal (okay - this was from my 12 year old son… extremely clever! He used my name in the middle of a “churchy” word. He is brilliant! But - no). Maybe something musical - except, what if I want to cover some non-music topics? Maybe some obscure Latin phrase - maybe not if I actually want anyone to read it! Finally, Exploring Worship - ah, yes! That will do nicely.

You see, it describes who I am and what this blog will be about; and since I believe that all of life is worship, I have just given myself permission to blog about anything! But seriously, this will be a place to discover and discuss, to investigate and become familiar with worship; a place where the adventure of church and life intersect; and hopefully a place where our passion for God will be nourished.

So grab your gear - don’t forget your binoculars! And let’s get ready to explore!

Blessings,
Julie

Posted by Julie Gibson | Posted in General | Comments (1)