The next way we know that Paul is not the author is the most obvious. He flat out tells us he didn't write it. Where? Well, right here:

"The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write".
2 Thessalonians 3:17

There you go. There is no signature on the book of Hebrews. Therefore Paul, by his own admission, did not write the book of Hebrews. The "salutation of Paul" basically means he signed everyletter he wrote with his name; usually at the beginning of the letter and sometimes at the end as well. That is how the believers knew it was Paul writing it. There were people going around, probably the Judaizers mentioned in Acts 15, who were writing letters to the churches and claiming to be Paul. He says: don't believe it. If it doesn't have my signature on it, Paul says, it's not from me.

It is my humble and yet well informed opinion that the book of Hebrews was written by a commitee of Jewish believers who desparately desired for their fellow jews to be saved. They got together and wrote a letter pleading and reasoning with them to accept Jesus as the Messiah as well as encouraging those who had already done so.

This is not a doctrinal mountain worth dying to defend. If you believe Paul wrote the book. then carry on. I still love you, warts and all.

Session 1

(Length 25:25)

Welcome to Toc Toc's 2-week web event, "House Of God". "House of God"is an in-depth, online seminar, that will focus on tough questions concerning the roles of women in the church, as well as God's authority structure for the entire Body of Christ.

In this first episode, we will examine two sets of scripture. One set says that women must not teach, speak, or have authority over men. The other set of scriptures show examples of God appointing women as prophetesses, teachers, ministers/pastors, and preachers, including positions in which they had authority over men.

Join me as we go straight to the Bible for the Lord's command concerning this apparent "contradiction" in God's Word.

Be blessed!

Monica Dennington

Paul/Pavel, supranumit "Apostolul neamurilor", s-a adăugat mai tarziu cetei apostolice, după vestita convertire de pe drumul Damascului, când a avut vedenia luminoasă şi a auzit glasul Domnului:

"Saule, Saule, pentru ce Mă prigoneşti? Iar el [Saul, viitorul Paul/Pavel] a zis: Cine eşti, Doamne? Şi Domnul a zis: Eu sunt Isus pe Care tu Îl prigoneşti. Greu îţi este să loveşti cu piciorul în ţepuşă..." (Fapte 9, 4-5).

Din prigonitor al creştinilor, Saul devine, sub noul său nume (interpretat ca expresie a smereniei primenitoare), cel mai asiduu propovăduitor al cuvântului evanghelic, sfarşind martirizat la marginea Romei (după unii, cam deodată cu Sf. Petru).

La noi, formele cele mai răspândite ale numelui au fost Pavel, Pavăl, Pavlu, Pavle (ultimele trei ieşite azi din uz), cu diminutive ca Pavelică, Păvălaş, Pavu etc. (pentru femei: Pavelina, Paulina, Polina, cu diminutive rare ca Paulica, Paulita, Pavelica, Paveliţa, Păvăluţa, Paveluţa etc.).

Paul (pronunţat uneori Pol şi diminutivat mai ales Păulică) şi Paula sunt forme neologice, ajunse la noi sub influenţa occidentală, mai ales catolica. La fel şi Paulin (care apare insa mult mai rar) şi chiar Paulina (deşi acesta din urmă are şi unele precedente locale). Ca şi numele Petru, Pavel/Paul sta la baza multor nume de familie (Pavelescu, Pavlovici, Paulescu, Paulian etc.).

One of the two most richly laid out passages in Scripture (in my opinion) is Romans chapter 5 (The other is Romans chapter 8). There are moments where the verses being laid out by Paul are thick with meaning and passion (esp. verses 1-11) and there are moments that still captivate and confound us to this day (esp. verses 12-17). It is a tragedy that most Christians (even pastors) that I know do not wrestle or dig into these truth rich passages. A trip through these two chapters alone would last for months and months without coming up for air!

Anyway, on to the passage itself. In the post below we discovered that Paul has laid us bare before God in chapters 1-3. He has also discussed our justification through faith in chapter 4. In chapter 5 Paul begins by showing us what these two truths combined look like. Amazingly, the view is much different than we are often presented.

First of all, if you come face to face with God you will die! Why? Because God is just (if not you have a new set of problems) and you have fallen short of his standard. God must then meet that action with wrath. The wrath of God is prevalent in the Old Testament (the flood of Noah, Sodom and Gomorra, Jerusalem in the reign of David) and it is not pretty! So the question remains, just how are we justified through faith? Is it because I have faith that I am justified? No! It is who you have faith in that ensures your justification (this has huge ramifications for other "religions"). Jesus stands before God in your place (more on this later) and you are justified by your identification with him.

Secondly, but connected, the name Christ is not Jesus' last name. As if he were born to Joseph and Mary Christ (thank you, Mallick). The name Christ is the Greek representation of the Jewish "Messiah". God sent his "Messiah" into the world to make the world right. The religious of the day were waiting on a warrior or a "Caesar" like figure to bring justice to the earth. We can understand the logic since God is just! But instead God brought justification to the earth. In chapter 8 we will look at what that means for the earth.

Rest assured, we will not be flying away to play harps and sit on clouds!

I once heard a preacher say that you should tell a man not by his actions, but by his reactions.

In Acts ch 26
            Paul talks to Festus about meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, about repentence,
and about the Resurrection of Christ.

While Paul is talking, Festus yells and starts to tell Paul he's crazy!

Vs.24 says "And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad."
Festus just told Paul that he was crazy. But look at how Paul reacts.
Vs. 25 "But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness."

He even calls him "most noble."
How would we react in this situation??

I encourage you as you go throughout your day, to watch how you react.
Be like Paul, and no matter what is said, respond in a way that will glorify God.

     Galations 5:25 says "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

-Aurthur Krystal, The New Yorker, April 26, 1999

Seriously, because this EVO X goes hardddddd. Black on Black (if someone even dares uses the phrase "murdered out" I will kick them in the balls) the total opposite of something Rick Ross would drive but who cares?

Another vehicle courtesy of one of our customers and really good friends, Paul. This is Paul's second black on black Evo build. This car is barely a month old and its already got a set of Eibach springs, AME FS01s,  an AMS Intake, Black AMS Intercooler Pipe. an HKS EVC VI Limited Boost Controller, an HKS Exhaust and  to quote Adam "a bunch of Kansai and Ralliart goodies on the way!"  Dammmmmnnn Homie! Not bad... Feed the addiction Paul, feed it!

Just like Batman always shows up again on the big screen you can bet money that you will see this car up here on our blog with updates in no time. (Oh and BTW Paul we are shipping out your new HKS midpipe out to you today.) :)

Christine Ohuruogu's stunning 400m victory brought Team GB's gold medal haul to 16 as Britain sealed their best Olympic performance for a century.

BBC SPORT | Olympics | GB Olympians power to new heights.

Okay, now I am feeling patriotic! Hell, I almost stood up for the national anthem twice today!

© 2008 Gary William Murning

Blogging is about having conversations with the public.

Maintaining a blog can take a lot and a little effort at the same time, regular activity is advised.

Linking and commenting are the most important things to bring people to your site so get in the habit of reading blogs and keep track of what’s going on, Search engines for finding other blogs include google blog search and technorati.

Talk about things that are interesting and become a source of help advice and information.

Have you heard of the Idea virus? Nope?  Well get into the habit of building the story and share with others to excite interest.

It’s all about conversation and community; you can’t blog in isolation; you’ve got to look, comment and contribute to other discussions, which can take some time. (It took him around two years to start get the level of interest he has generated!)

13% of his visits come from twitter, it’s a good way to lead traffic to his website and build networks. Twit.dir.com contains the most followed people on Twitter, Twitter is text meets blogging; a form of micro blogging (for those who don’t already know).

Don’t expect anything for six months!

Paul recommends the following sites:

·        Flickr

·        Twitter

·        Youtube

·        Seesmic

Paul also recommends these blogs

·        Created in Birmingham

·        Birmingham is not shit

Warning: Blogging can take over your life so allocate yourself perhaps 30 minutes daily and stick to it!

Correct me if I'm wrong or add your own nuggets of info...

Others in the Bible charted a similar trajectory. Prior to Saul, we find the example of Samson. Samson was a good judge, but gave himself over to impure passion. He refused to repent. Eventually, he lost his strength and became unable to save himself. The KJV tells it well: "he wist not that the Lord had departed from him." (Judges 16:20) His strength only returned at the end of his life when he pushed down the pillars in the building where the Philistines had him on display. In the New Testament, Judas's case is well known. Others in the New Testament followed a similar path of departure from the faith. Demas, mentioned as one of Paul's co-workers in Colossians 4:14, is later described as one who has departed from Paul, "having loved this present world" in II Timothy 4:10.

So, a promising beginning is not a guarantee of future usefulness.

And yet, Scripture also teaches us that a bad beginning is no guarantee of future uselessness, either. John Mark, the kinsman of Barnabas the missionary, is a great illustration. John Mark once went on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas. (See Acts 12:25) Mark left the mission early for reasons unrecorded. The departure apparently caused problems, though, for Paul and Barnabas got in a sharp contention over a proposal to include Mark in a new mission. (See Acts 15:37) The discussion was heated, apparently, for Paul and Barnabas depart from one another. Later on, Mark's maturing years brought with them stability and dependablity. Paul later urged Timothy to bring Mark to him, commenting that Mark was "useful to me for ministry" ( II Timothy 4:11) Indeed he was, for we believe that this same Mark became "St. Mark the Evangelist", the author of the Second Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Saul's promising beginning turned out to be a sad ending; Mark's apparently bad beginning turned out to be a blessed ending. The difference? The active, working, powerful Grace of God!

"Now all these things happened unto them for examples; and they are written for our admonition...wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (I Corinthians 10:11-12) Amen!

©Baptist Parson, 2008

Reading through the Gospels has put a lot of questions in my mind about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Jesus is quoted as giving some pretty direct statements regarding who would be his true followers and be part of the kingdom of heaven of which he spoke so often. It appears to me that he defined his disciples by those who choose to follow his highest moral teachings. i.e. the Sermon on the Mount and the "New Commandment" to love others as he had loved his disciples.

After the Sermon on the Mount he is quoted in Matthew 7:

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

In John, Jesus gives this definition:

34 A new commandment^. I give to you,⁽that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."John 13 34-35 (NIV)

Again in John, Jesus is quoted as saying that the choice to do the will of God was the path to understanding if Jesus was really of God, as opposed to relying on your interpretation of scripture the Pharisees were doing) :

John 7: (NIV)16Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

From my point of view the title of "Christian" is something that Jesus would not give out to all those who claim that title today, Mormons and Evangelicals included. It seems rather clear from these two accounts, that There has to be a will to follow God, and to put Jesus' teachings into practice rather than a simple confession of faith. Indeed, according to the Jesus of Matthew, a correct confession of correct faith in accord with the learned seems to be something quite superfluous if you actually choose to do God's will, i.e. you will know for yourself without scriptural confirmation.

So according to Him, isn't it a bit presumptuous for us to call ourselves "Christians" without searching our hearts to find out if we really want to put the very difficult teachings of Jesus into practice. He does not say: " By this shall men know that you are my disciples, if you have the correct creed and teaching about my true substance" or " By this shall people know that you are my disciples, if you belong to my one and only true church".

It seems a bit strange that we so readily defend ourselves as "Christians" because we believe that Christ died for our sins, when this theological fact was not at all the focus of what Jesus had to say to those who believed that he was the Messiah. I, for one, would think that He would look more favorably on those who sought to put his words into practice, whether or not they believed He died for their sins, was resurrected, was God, a God, or part of a triune substance that is the Trinity. He does say that these people, apparently regardless of their particular brand of theology, will be on the solid foundation when they stand before Him. I mean, may of the much maligned "hell-bound" secular humanists seem to fair better on this front than those who call "Lord Lord" quite often. It seems that the focus on our own salvation and doing what it takes to "get saved" really misses the point, doesn't it?

So, does it make sense to call yourself a "Saint" (latter-day or otherwise) or a "Christian" without the will and inclination to put His teachings into practical application?

____________________________

Others, inside and outside of purported Christianity seem to have previously picked up on this same thought:

As Gandhi observed. "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." discussed here by an Anglican.

An inside LDS Perspective on this Topic from David Haight

and Joseph Smith (verses 34-46)

Another tangent:
Are The Great Commandment and The Great Commission Incompatible?

The Limitations of Narrative Theology

However, narrative approaches have their limitations too. Especially, I think, in regards to what might be called the 'hardscape' of narrative. Those things that are referenced in a story which are crucial static components of the story that are not only necessary to its plot, but form the basis for our understanding of its nature. (Paul's appeals to the created order being one of those things in his letters.)

What the Big Bad Wolf has to do with Narrative Theology

So, for instance, it is not sufficient to say that the Big Bad Wolf in the story of Little Red Riding Hood is evil because he is the antagonist. No, he is evil because of his intent to eat Little Red Riding Hood. These are non-negotiables in the narrative. In the same way, it is not sufficient to dismiss Paul's misogynist thinking (if that is what it is) based on the fact that it is not the main thrust of the 'stories' he wants to tell us. They can not be dismissed so easily.

It is the same as saying the Big Bad Wolf was only 'portrayed' as having Big Bad Teeth because he needed to do his part as the antagonist in the story, but in reality they were dentures he put in to play his part, or worse yet; that someone made this up about the wolf after the fact to suit their needs. No, the wolf had teeth and would sink them into people (especially Little Red if he could catch her) on occasion.

What I think of Paul's Misogyny

I am open and even agreeable to lots of arguments that show that Paul's alleged misogyny is misunderstood/not as harsh as conservatives make it/culturally bound/etc... but making his thought ancillary to a more important narrative is a mistake.

Women's Role in the Church (or anywhere for that matter)

I'll state plainly that I think women should be able to take any role in church or society that men do. I even think they should be given priority in the church to make up for their current lack of representation.

Standards for Interpretation

However, we must use a theory of scripture and method for handling the texts that is in line with the heart of God, intellectually rigorous, and sufficiently simple as to not defy logic to implement. Some lines of narrative theology may fail the intellectually rigorous standard.

What I am not Saying (A Disclaimer of Sorts)

Now, I have jumped all over Narrative Theology here as a result of reading this post at Emergent Village and here (where it was apparently originally posted). Don't take this to mean that I think J R Daniel Kirk or Steve Knight is an illegitimate thinker (or part of the New Age Movement or whatever), or that all narrative theological approaches are bad, or that those who rely on it are going to hell, etc. I don't. I do disagree with the strength of his reliance on a narrative structure for interpreting the teachings of Paul about women. And that criticism is limited to what I read in the post mentioned above.

 Today I thought I would post part of the following passage from the same writing, one discussing what it means to be an imitator of God.

…By loving him you will be an imitator of his goodness. And do not be surprised that a person can become an imitator of God; he can, if God is willing. For happiness is not a matter of lording it over one’s neighbors, or desiring to have more than weaker man, or possessing wealth and using force against one’s inferiors. No one is able to imitate God in these matters; on the contrary, these things are alien to his greatness. But whoever takes upon himself his neighbor’s burden, whoever wishes to benefit another who is worse off in something in which he himself is better off, whoever provides to those in need things that he has received from God, and thus becomes a god to those who receive them, this one is an imitator of God. Then you will see that though your lot is on earth, God lives in heaven, then you will begin to declare the mysteries of God, then you will both love and admire those who are punished because they refuse to deny God, then you will condemn the deceit and the error of the world, when you realize what the true life in heaven is… (Epistle to Diognetus 10.4-7a)

I have long found this understanding of God and what it means to be an imitator of God compelling and challenging. Here we see a 2^nd century example of wrestling with what the heavenly realities of God, Christ, and what God has done in Christ, etc., mean for living life on earth as Christians—as imitators of God. Being “God” to others—embodying the rescuing and saving Christian God to others—means taking up your neighbor’s burden, “benefiting” another who is worse off in something in which you are “better off,” providing those in need with what they need, etc. When I read and ponder this passage from The Epistle to Diognetus what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8, though somewhat different, keeps coming to mind,

But as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you- see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality (ivso,thtoj) your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be equality (ivso,thj). As it is written, "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack."  (2 Cor 8.7-15)

Having genuine love and excelling in “grace”—being caught up in the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”—means enacting that grace materially for others according to one’s means (and even beyond them?; 2 Cor 8.3?). It is a matter of Gospel-equality. If one has more and another is in need and has less, then the one who has the “abundance” gives up to the one in need, for the “relief of the Saints” (2 Cor 8.4).This is one of the radical and challenging calls of “grace” upon us. In the language of The Epistle to Diognetus, this is what it means to be an imitator of God.

If I may go a step further into application. When we compare our notions and experiences of needs and comfort with the realities of deep deep poverty and need of our brothers and sisters around the world (and here), Paul’s call to gospel-equality challenges us. There remains a material, economic, need, etc., disparity (chasm!) running counter to our call of “grace” in Christ. What does it look like for us to excel in grace here? What does it look like for us to be imitators of God here? What does it look like for us to realize true life is in heaven and that to the extent we do not excel in “grace” as Paul urges us to 2 Corinthians 8 and The Epistle to Diognetus urges us in 10.4-7, to that extent we do not live as people who have realized (and experienced) the true life that is in heaven—but rather we continue to live as though “true life” is in our comfort here on earth?

Right now (right now being the date of the post), Gibson is giving away a Les Paul Traditional! How do I get it? Pretty straight forward. Just check out the whole page of Gibson's contests here and enter your shipping address. Only downfall is, you're against tens of thousands of Gibson fanatics. But if you win, that's a true guitar deal. But it doesn't stop there, folks! Many of your favorite online guitar retailers offer sweepstakes and giveaways. Check out just a few contest pages here, here, and here. Best of luck!

Everyone is talking about the Olympics. From Michael Phelps' record setting 8 gold medal performance to the "tie" during the gymnastics event (give me a break!), I admit it is an exciting time.

Of course, you can hear a bit about the Olympics these days in many churches on Sunday mornings. They can make great sermon illustrations that have true connections between Scripture and modern day.

Paul used the illustrations of the games to connect with people in Corinth. Most people assume he was referring to the Olympic games in Greece, but he was actually using the Isthmian games as the connecting point. The Isthmian games were one of the four Panhellenic Games - this one specifically held in Corinth in honor of Poseidon.

Why would Paul have used something in this manner? (I can hear some of the critics - "How dare he talk about a greek god?") Paul used the illustration of the Games because he knew that the people in Corinth were PASSIONATE about the games. It was well known. It was popular. It was something that people understood.

In my hometown, we talk about the St. Louis Cardinals. Even mild baseball fans can name a player or two. Those who are passionate will be much more able to quickly discuss the finer points of the last game, including the plays, hits and "what the manager should have done."

What's my point? We need connections.

A good connection can bring someone to a new understanding of God and faith. I believe an illustration that makes a person think and connect - "Oh, now I know what you mean!" - goes much farther than a brilliant "argument" that makes the person shrink back. 

That's one of the reasons I really like hearing people's faith stories (testimonies). The writer of Ecclesiastes said there is nothing new under the sun. I think that is true. However, to hear someone tell how he or she came to know Christ for the first time or in a new way is an incredible blessing and a tremendous encouragement.   

The goal of a believer seeking to share his or her faith story should be to make that connection clearly, concisely and directly. Then shut up.

The Holy Spirit was sent as a "Helper." The Holy Spirit will nudge a listener's heart and help to connect the dots. To be honest, I've heard some stories of faith that made me shake my head and wonder why they couldn't do a better job. And then I heard someone say how it connected with them. Go figure. Must be a God thing.

Our God really is an awesome God.

Yours in Christ,
Marty

Susan and Lucy are at the cottage of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, as they talk about what is to happen next.  They ask the Beavers to describe Aslan, asking if Aslan is a man.

Mr. Beaver replies, "Aslan a man?  Certainly not.  I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the Sea.  Don't you know who is the King of Beasts?  Aslan is a lion-- the Lion, the great Lion."

"Ooh!" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man.  Is he--quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver.  "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?  Who said anything about being safe?  'Course he isn't safe.  But he's good.  He's the King, I tell you."

The thing is, God is certainly not safe.  God is continually calling us out of the places where we feel safe, secure, comfortable, and leading us out into new territory that makes us uncomfortable, that disquiets and disturbs us, that frightens us.  When Jesus says that he didn't come to bring peace but the sword, this is what he means.  He came to roust us out of our safe hiding-places, to make us uncomfortable enough that we will move forward, we will leave behind security and follow him into the unknown.

God has ever done this with God's people.  Since Ordinary Time resumed this summer, we have heard the story of Abram and Sarai - called out of home and into new places, called out of settled old age to bear a new son.  We heard the story of Jacob, who fled his home in fear for his life after deceiving his brother, who found himself called back home again after years of security working for his father-in-law Laban.  We heard the story of Joseph, who didn't really have any say in the matter of being taken to Egypt, but who called his father and brothers to join him there to survive the famine.  We know that in coming weeks, we will hear the story of Moses, called out into the desert and then amazingly back to Egypt to deliver God's people.  We will hear about the Israelites called out of the security of Egypt and into the hostile and frightening desert, where they would wander for decades.  We know the story of that young woman named Mary, who God invited to be the mother of God's child.  Do you think it was safe or comfortable for her to be thirteen years old, engaged but not yet married, and pregnant?  She could have been stoned for this!

The gospel reading for Sunday is rather scary.  Jesus challenges his closest circle of friends, who do you say that I am?  Peter takes a deep breath as the rest of the guys sit in uncomfortable silence, not quite sure what Jesus wants to hear, and then he blurts it out: you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!  And Jesus responds, lifting Peter up as the rock on which he will build his church.  But then he says that the gates of Hades will not prevail against this church, and I have to think Peter heard those words and thought, "Wait... what was that, Lord?!?"  Jesus continues to say that whatever Peter binds on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever he looses on earth will be loosed in Heaven.  That is some awesome responsibility there.  Think about it.  If Peter calls someone a damned liar, well, then that person is going to experience those gates of Hades, whether they actually lied or not.  While any of the disciples would love to be honoured like this, the responsibility is pretty scary, too.  Peter isn't going to get to go home and fish quietly, surrounded by his grown children and laughing grandchildren.  No, he is going to end up crucified upside down by the Romans for leaving security behind and embracing Jesus with all of his being.

The Letter to the Romans tells us something similar - we are called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.  So you have to wonder what exactly a living sacrifice is.  Up to this time, a sacrifice had always meant that something had to die, and you'll probably agree with me that this doesn't sound exactly secure or safe.  We are instructed to be humble in our thoughts, to be sober, to fulfill our particular function in the Body of Christ.  I'll admit that humility has never come easily to me.  It is uncomfortable for me, and it is threatening for me to think about people who are stronger or faster or smarter or just better than I am.  And what if I'm the armpit in the Body of Christ - smelly and sticky and hairy and nasty?  Or worse, even?  What if I don't want to fulfill that function - what if I'd rather get to be the tongue that gets to taste food, or the eyes to see beauty around me, or even the feet to bear the body up?  I don't want to be the colon - why can't I be something sexier, like even the lungs or maybe even the brain?  It's discomforting to think about how many people there are and have been and will be, and how each of us is part of the body... and many of us are going to be unglamorous parts.  I know that somebody has to be the urethra, but I don't want it to be me!

In our Old Testament lesson for Sunday, we see the opening to the book of Exodus, and it isn't exactly pretty either.  The Pharoah has begun to feel threatened - unsafe, insecure, uncomfortable - by the sheer number of Israelites in his kingdom, so he decides to cull their numbers, so that he can remain in power.  The midwives conspired to trick him, so Pharoah had to call out the Egyptians to begin killing baby boys born to Hebrew women.  But we know the story - one of those baby boys slips through this net of murder, and grows up in the palace of Pharoah himself.  (And while we're on the subject of making people uncomfortable, note that Pharoah's daughter can see immediately that the baby is a Hebrew child.  If you're ever annoyed with your child's Sunday school teacher, have your son or daughter ask their teacher how Pharoah's daughter knew this right off the bat.  Heh heh heh!)  I know that the mother and daughter of this baby boy were terrified, and even as his mother nursed him, she was in mortal danger.  I can well imagine, too, that Pharoah's daughter had some fear that her father would find out what this child was.  But they all knew they were called out of safety and comfort, into a vulnerable place where frightening and terrible things could happen... or frightening and miraculous things could happen.

Most of all, though, this week's psalm talks about the danger we are in when we choose God.  When we choose God, we are in the middle of the raging waters, the torrent, the snare of the fowler, even swallowed up.  This psalm talks about God delivering us from all of these things - and God does - but God leads us into those places, too.  I was vividly reminded, as I read these words, of our baptism.  Sometimes, I think we do baptism all wrong in the Episcopal Church.  Baptism is not a cherubic infant, sprinkled with a bit of clear, sparkling water.  No, baptism is a raging torrent.  Baptism is a snare, and in baptism, we are swallowed up by God.

You are sealed with the sign of the Holy Spirit in baptism, and marked as Christ's own forever.

Hear that?  When we make those vows, those scary and dangerous vows for our infant children, we are giving them away, releasing them into the torrent of water that carries us all.  We do not get to keep our children; we are entrusted with their care, as stewards, for a time, and then they have to leave the safety and security and comfort of their nest so that they can go forth themselves into the waters.  The waters give birth to us, and the waters mark us as Christ's, and the waters continue to rush past us, around us, over us, under us, through us, until we sink and die and become part of the earth again.

The blessing over the water in baptism says this:

We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.

We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

This is not safe water!  We are called to immerse our children in the waters of Creation, in the Red Sea where the Egyptian army died, in the Jordan River where God terrified the people at the baptism of Jesus by appearing as a dove and identifying God's son.  We are killing and burying our babies in this water, so that Jesus can lead them out again as his own.  So that Jesus can lead them out into a new life, a life of discomfort and distress, of insecurity and fear.

So we dress our babes up in perfect white gowns with cute little booties and caps.  We give them gifts of candles and seashells, when instead we should be issuing life preservers to the parents and the godparents and everyone in the congregation who is renewing his or her own vows.  We should have life rafts and oars, rather than cakes and balloons.

We are called to the raging waters.  We are called out of the quiet, out of the safety, and into the torrents.  Of course, there is good news in this.  In baptism, we are brought into fellowship - we are not alone out in those waters.  Through baptism, we are made part of the body of Christ, where before, we did not have a part yet.  We come to know what is good, even if it frightens us.  We know that the Lord is on our side, that God does issue life preservers and rafts, that God breaks the snares and rescues us from God's enemies.  We come to know what Mr. Beaver said in all his wisdom:

Of course he isn't safe.
But he's good.
He's the King, I tell you.

This week I wish you goodness.  Through the raging waters, through the torrents, through the snares of safety in your life, I pray that you will find that which is good, whether it is comfortable or not.  And I pray that in the voice of the floods, in the song of the blowing trees, in the hands of the hurricane - you will hear God's voice calling you from your place of security and safety and comfort, and into something wild and exciting and fresh.

Galatians1:6-7

What was that false gospel that was being preached in Galatia? Legalism... Christ+Works=Salvation.

From the very beginning of the Christian church, legalism has been one of the biggest enemies of the gospel of grace. Throughout Paul's epistles to the churches he constantly attacks and warns against this heresy that says you must keep the law to be able to save your soul. Unfortunately, even today legalism creeps in the church in various forms. Often we don't even realize it until our heart have become swollen with pride.

C. J. Mahaney says in his book Living the Cross Centered Life, "Legalism isn't just a matter of someone who has higher standards or more rules than you have. A lot of us wrongly sterotype a legalistic person as someone who never goes to movies or who thinks any music with a beat is evil. Legalism is much more subtle and serious than that- and far more pervasive than most of us realize... Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and justification before God through obedience to God." That will never work. Legalism pushes Jesus off center stage and says what He did wasn't enough. It says, I must complete what is lacking in His sacrifice. Mahaney continues, "A legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God's forgiveness [or approval] through personal performance." And thus the legalist makes Christ death in vain. Paul seeing this in the Galatian church said to them, "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” -Galatians 2:21

Legalism perverts the gospel. It promotes pride and self-righteousness. We must realize each and every one of us for ourselves, that we are the chief of sinners. No matter how hard we try to wash our sins away, or how strict we hold to certain laws, ideas, and traditions, our "righteousness" is as a filthy rag. And so we must do and say as Paul did; "But what things were gain to me (speaking of his religious accomplishments), these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;" - Philippians 3:7-9

Christ is our all in all. He is our boast. By grace we are saved, by grace we are sanctified, and by grace we will be glorified. Let us rejoice, for Christ has cleansed us by His work, and may we continue on worshiping and adoring Him.

J. C. Hahne