Painting from someone

Leaf - painted by a kid - $5.00

Another Painting

Someone Painted This - $5.00

Yet Another Picture

No Surprise What This'll Say - $5.00

Tiger Woods: Caring for him as a person, not as a brand...

Read the article about Tiger Woods written by Gaye Jones on her blog.  What an eye opener, reminding us of how we are called to repond as Christians, rather than as media hungry consumers.

Bible Study - Micah 5:1-6 - 11-4-2009

We had a wonderful discussion this morning of Micah 5:1-6.  This is a passage cited in Matthew 2:6, naming Jesus as the one who fulfilled the prophecy.  Note, however, that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecy in the manner expected by the whole passage.  Micah writes of one who will be a mighty king over Israel who will be a shepherd for Israel and conquer those who would destroy Israel, specifically the Assyrians.  He, with other rulers of Israel will rule the Assyrians with the sword (Micah 5:5b-6).

Verse four and the first half of verse 5, however, states that this great king shall be "the one of peace":

(4)And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
(5)and he shall be the one of peace.

Obviously, Jesus did not fulfill the part of the prophecy stating that he would rule the Assyrians with the sword, and many feel he didn't fulfill the part of the prophecy written above.  As Christians, we believe what the earliest followers of Jesus believed, that he is the one spoken of in the prophecy and that he has and will be the one of peace.  The final consummation of that peace has not yet occurred, but his reign has begun.

Jesus preached and lived peace.  He was not a military ruler who conquered other nations.  Rather, he gave up his life, offering us grace and forgiveness.  By his life, teaching, death, and resurrection, Jesus was and is "the one of peace", teaching his disciples to bless those who curse them and not return evil for evil, offering grace and forgiveness.

As we discussed Micah, we turned to the cycle of violence throughout the Bible and throughout human history.  A nation or people (individuals, groups, etc.) is oppressed or conquered by others.  A remnant remains.  That remnant seeks justice or vengeance upon their former oppressors.

How can we end the cycle of violence?  Grace and Forgiveness.

Bible Study - Micah 3:5-12 - 10-7-2009

In Micah 3:5-12, the prophet continues his indictment against the leaders of Israel, specifically against the corrupt prophets of Israel who gave prophecies of blessing to those who paid well and prophecies of doom to those who could not pay.  Additionally, the leaders gave judgment for a bribe and the priests taught only for money.  Again, we find Micah preaching against injustice, corruption, wicked rulers oppressing the poor, etc.

In our discussion this morning, we turned first to the news media and press, noting that with President Obama's trip to Copenhagen to support Chicago's bid for the Olympics, we heard a lot of talk about whether or not this was a good political strategy for him, but we didn't hear much talk about whether or not it was a good thing to do.  The reporting seemed to be about political posturing and folks angling situations for their own good.  We felt this reporting was lacking and that it somehow echoed the problems Micah was addressing.

Corruption of leaders has been with us for a long time:  in Micah's time, in Jesus' time, right now, and every time in between.  Looking with some charity, we noted that many corrupt leaders might at least be starting from a place of good.  By wanting to serve, by wanting to make positive changes in the world, leaders may end up doing bad things in order to try to bring about positive change. 

Bible Study (9-30-2009) - Micah 3:1-4

These four verses are part of Micah's rebuke of Judah's leaders, their injustice, cruelty, and monstrous behavior.  Verses 2-3 could be largely metaphor (tearing flesh off bones), and these verses could also be pointing to some of the cult practices* under King Ahaz of Judah (2 Kings 16:1-4).  In any case, Micah promises that God's judgment will come upon those wicked rulers; "they will cry to the Lord, [and] he will not answer them."

* As an interesting side note, some of the cult practices of Ahaz may have been sacrificing humans to the god Molech (2 Kings 23:10).  This was done in the valley of Hennom, just outside Jerusalem  In Hebrew the valley of Hennom, "Ge-Hennom" is the name from which "Gehanna" comes, translated as "hell" in the NRSV (Mark 9:42-28).

Our discussion began with wondering how people could do such horrible things to each other as described in Micah 3:3.  We remembered then, how often such atrocities still occur (the Holocaust, the Spanish Inquisition, genocides in the Sudan, Cambodia, etc.).  We further thought about practices by some in authority which may metaphorically strip the flesh off people's bones (unjust laws, oppressive governments, even individuals who will lie, cheat, and steal to get their way).

What are we to do in the face of such atrocities?