Happy Thanksgiving!

You have responded well to my request for questions. I will begin answering them as we move forward next week. For this week I would like to say thank you to all of you who read and contribute to this blog. It is a lot of fun for me and I pray that it is a blessing to you too. I give thanks for you and celebrate what we have together. God bless you. Have a happy thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

What do you think?

Have you ever known a pastor to be speechless? Believe it or not, it does happen on a rare occasion. It is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when said pastor wants to give others an opportunity to speak, or at least to ask some questions. The Bible in 90 days is a program that has been going on at Our Father since September. We will finish up in December and then a new sessions of classes start in January.

However, I am thinking of doing something new for CrossRoads during that 9:30 time, and I want to give you an opportunity to let me know what you think. I am thinking that we would be downstairs in the community room and what we would do is have a series of discussions on a variety of topics. What those topics are would depend on the people who show up. We could talk our way through a book of the bible. We could look at theological concepts or talk about something that is happening in the news. It would not be a formal class, but would be more of a discussion of a whole hosts of things. It is a good time to ask questions and to dig deep. It is a good time to hang out and be together. It is a good time to learn and grow.

The conversation would then continue throughout the week on this blog. I think that it could provide some exciting opportunities for discussion, and would allow people to participate even if they are unable to make it on Sunday mornings.

I am excited about the possibilities of what this presents and wanted to throw it out there to see what you think. There are so many wonderful things in life and theology to explore together, and I pray that this opportunity will be a blessing to all involved. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

I pray God's peace and blessings for you this week and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

P.S. There will be no blog next week, as I will be on vacation. But we will be back on schedule the following week.

A Question about Isaiah

The topic for this week's blog comes from a question from the readings of the Bible in 90 days program. As always, if you have any questions about theology or Scripture, send them to me and I will address them in future posts.

 

I have the Concordia Self-Study Bible and so I have those helpful introductions to read.  So, I am reading Isaiah and in the very beginning is says "The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah Son of Amoz saw . . ."

 

So my confusion is this, I am just now at Chapter 4 and I have been asking myself the following . . .

 

All the condemnation that I am reading about . . . is this still the vision that Isaiah is talking about, or has this already happened?  Furthermore, it was a vision can one suppose that Isaiah is talking about the vision he had (as in past tense) or are we reading it as though it was "freshly occurring".

 

The main question I have is, at this point in Isaiah, am I reading prophecies, or am I reading what has already happened?  (You know it shouldn't surprise me that I have these questions when I read when I am tired!!!)

 

 

Are you reading prophecies or are you reading what has already happened? The answer is yes. Don't you love those good Lutheran answers? So let me explain what is going on.

 

1. What you are reading is something that was, in some cases, spoken or received before they happened, and then written down latter.
   
2. You are reading some things that have a meaning for the current time and place, but also pointed to something in the future. So when we are told that the virgin will conceive and give birth we are reading about a short period of time in that specific time and local, and at the same time a prophecy about the birth of Jesus.
   
3. You are reading some things that promise a future that has not yet happened. So when we read about the wolf lying down with the lamb.
   

 

So what does this mean, or how do you keep this straight? Well, for starters don't lose sight of what the words are actually saying. Context is indeed important. You can't sell that short. But don't, miss the words for the sake of the context. What is God saying? What is important to God? Where do these verses intersect with my life? If a place is being condemned, why? If promises are being made, what are they?

 

You get the idea. Isaiah is one of the greatest books of the Hebrew Scriptures. You don't want to miss too much of it.

 

I hope that helps. If you need more clarification, let me know.

 

I cannot understate how blessed we are to be able to freely read and study and discuss God's word like this. I pray that for all of you who read this blog, whether or not you are doing the Bible in 90 Days program, that your time in God's word is a source of strength and blessing to you now and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ