The Orthodox Heretic: The Mission of Judas

This tale is about a dream that Judas has. It begins with Judas seeing himself and the other disciples sharing the Passover meal. Then Judas sees himself meeting with the religious authorities and planning to betray Jesus with a kiss in the garden. Then he sees the events of the garden playing out along with the arrest, trial, beating and crucifixion of Jesus taking place. But the dream did not end there, it continued with Judas seeing the sorrow that would afflict him and his subsequent suicide. He was then in a courtroom with the disciples with them hurling insults and condemnation at him. But it didn't end there either. He saw the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and how his message would spread to the whole world. He woke up in a cold sweat and remembered a few teachings that Jesus had recently given to his disciples. In this teaching Jesus talked about the one who wants to gain their life must first lose it. As he contemplated these words a sadness began to well up in his heart because he now knew what was his destiny in life.

This is of course a fictitious scenario that paints the betrayal of Jesus in a new light. The idea is that without Judas following through with his side of the betrayal, none of it would have happened. Of course there is way more to this than I have the time and or mental capacity to get into now. If you would like to dive into this, I suggest that you check out Rollins' book "The Fidelity of Betrayal." This is an interesting notion that betrayal can be used for a good thing. My head has been swimming ever since I finished his book about a year ago. Check it out!

The Orthodox Heretic: The Orthodox Heretic

This tale is set in a town where the people are very fervent followers of God. They settled every decision with reading of Scripture and prayer. One night a young man from a neighboring town sought shelter at the local church. The caretaker took him in, fed him and gave him new clothes to wear. He then learned that this young man was on the run from the authorities because he had been critical of the government and the church. When the priest learned of this he gathered the other leaders of the town to begin to discuss what should be done about the matter. They decided that he should be turned over to the authorities in case they might incur some sort of wrath for harboring the young man. But the caretaker refused to do so. He even told the town leaders that he would turn himself in if they gave up the young man. The town loved the caretaker and did not want to see this happen. So the leaders began to pray and search through the Scriptures to try and find an answer that might sway the caretaker's mind. They came to him and said that the Scriptures tell us to follow the authority of the land and so they should give up the young man. He replied that it also tell us to take care of those in need. The leaders began to pray and ask that God would somehow change the caretakers mind. They asked God to show up and speak just like he did to men in the Old Testament. So God came and told the caretaker exactly what the leaders said. The caretaker replied that if that were the case then he would refuse the command of God. He knew what God had already commanded him and what God had written and that when he looked at this young man he was reminded of these things. So in order to remain faithful he would have to refuse. God looked at the leaders and explained that if they couldn't change his mind, then neither could he. God smiled and then left knowing that the matter had been solved.

Rollins explains that this is adapted from an old Jewish legend in which God is grieved that people claim to know God, yet don't follow what God has said to do. God wishes that they would do what he said and claim to not know him. This points us to consider whether knowing God is really about gaining knowledge or from actually living out the Word of God. I'm finding more and more that Rollins is bringing up good things for us to think about, but they are going to require a major paradigm shift in order to live them out. May we have the courage to allow God to reshape our paradigm.

The Orthodox Heretic: Sins of the Father

This tale is about the day of judgment. On that day all of those who were dead were summoned to the throne of God. An angel stood up and called forth the first person to be judged. After entering him into the docket all of humanity stood up and in one voice said, "We were hungry and you gave us nothing to eat. We were thirsty and you gave us nothing to drink. We were strangers and you did not invite us in. We were naked and you did not clothe us. We were sick and in prison and you did not look after us." They all then waited in silence because judgment had been passed on God and they were now awaiting his defense.

In his commentary Rollins talks about the unique position in Judeo-Christian religion where we can pass judgement on God. He mentions a passage in Jeremiah (15:18) and also Job (7:12-21) where this happened. He also references the story of Jacob where he wrestled with God and had his named changed to Israel. I have always found this interesting especially since we are taught to not question God, or at least that's what my sunday school teachers told me. But yet many people question God and pass judgment and they are not struck down. In grad school I took a class on the subject of theodicy, which is God's role in pain and suffering, and was amazed at the many theories on the subject. I don't want to go into all of them here, but the one thing that I did learn from the class is that God is present no matter the situation. But because God won't violate the freedom that we've been given we just have to trust that God knows and understands and is working to redeem all things. Easier siad than done.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Last Trial

This tale is about someone who dies and is suddenly at their final judgment. Soon they are standing in front of an imposable figure who identifies himself as Lucifer. He tells the person that he has overthrown God and banished Christ to eternal death. He is the one who holds the keys to the kingdom and decides who will be able to enter the kingdom. All the person has to do to enter the kingdom is to bow down before him. If they refuse they will be banished with Christ for all of eternity. Lucifer then asks the person, "which will you choose?"

In light of this tale we are to think about faith and what its rewards might be. Is the reward of faith only what we might gain in the end? Or is there a reward wrapped up in living out our faith in the present life? This question has been debated within evangelicalism for the past few years. I personally don't think that we can discount the reward in the end, but that should not dominate the mission we are called to in the here and now. I hope that we can begin to learn that we have a reward in the here and now because in my opinion I think we in the church have a hard time accepting that fact. Grant us the grace O Lord!

Chronological Guide to the Bible

I recently received and have read through the Chronological Guide to the Bible as a part of the Book Sneeze program through Thomas Nelson Publishing. I chose this book for two reasons. First, I was curious about the premise of a chronological order to the Bible. I have known for quite some time that the Bible was no fully in chronological order, but never really knew where to start in reading the Bible in that way. Second, I thought it might be a good reference tool for my library and I believe I was right.

Let me first say that I love the layout of the book. They have divided history into nine epochs and the introduction to each epoch includes some of the major events and developments in history as well as in the Biblical narrative. After this introduction there is a reading list in order to follow along in chronological order which allows this book to be compatible with any translation of the Bible. There are then a few little articles highlighting various thing in certain passages that might correspond to events in history. These articles are very easy to read and understand and really help the reader gain a deeper understanding.

Overall I am very pleased with this product and am looking forward to digging into more and more of the content found inside. In just the week or so that I have been looking through it, I've gained some deeper understanding. I would definitely recommend this book. Just make sure that you read the introduction to the book so that you will understand some of the decisions that were made in putting this book together.

Steering Through Chaos

Man am I a sucker for a free book. I recently read "Steering Through Chaos" because I read on Shane and Shane's twitter page that their pastor had a new book out and had some available for free if you promised to read and review on your blog. So I signed up to read this book in spite of it being a church strategy book.

I guess I should let you in on why that's such a big deal to me. I have been an associate pastor for the last nine years and am now under my fourth different pastor. I have been very surprised to find that most pastors do not have the same philosophy of ministry even though we are all in the same denomination. That being said, my first assignment was with a pastor that shoved church growth propaganda (my term) down our throats. Success was wrapped up in numbers and as an associate pastor my job was to sell the propaganda to all those who fell under my ministry. Needless to say I was not a huge fan of this kind of ministry or those that championed it. So for most of my ministry I have been trying to figure out how to navigate this world of church growth and still somehow remember what I felt ministry was about, real people with real feelings and not just numbers.

So I was interested in reading what Scott Wilson had to say on the subject. I did not know anything about Scott other than he was Shane and Shane's pastor. I will admit that I began reading this book with my sarcastic goggles on and ready to have a good time with this book. But I will have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with what I found inside. Yes there were moments of church growth strategy, which I'm not fully opposed to, but they were balanced by a real plea for spiritual direction in the midst of the strategies. This is what I found lacking in my previous experiences in 'church growth'. I appreciated so much how Scott shared with us the stories of his ministry and how he was able to steer through the chaos of church change. I resonated with how he challenged his staff and elders to prayer and fasting on a regular basis in order to discern whether God was actually leading them or if they got caught up in a dream of man. I like how his leadership style is about getting everyone to see where God is leading them and not trying to divide those who get it and those who don't. I could go on and on but am afraid that I've given too much away already.

All of that being said, I definitely recommend this book to any pastor or leader who is trying to figure out how to steer through the chaos. I'm not naive enough to think that his story will work in every situation and with every kind of leader, but I do think there are good enough principles that everyone can gain some sort of new insight into what it will take to accomplish our God sized dreams.

The Orthodox Heretic: Awaiting the Messiah

This tale is about the second coming of the Messiah. He arrived one dull and regular Monday with no fanfare. He noticed that there was the same suffering and injustice in the world as when he had left. No one seemed to pay him much attention as he lived among the sick and unwanted in the area. One day he decided to reveal himself to a few faithful followers. He showed up in their gathering and found them praying fervently for the day of the Lord. Slowly they began to feel something different and realize that the Messiah was in fact in their presence. The leader of the group approached the Messiah and fell at his feet and told him how they had waited for many years for his return. She then stood up and asked him one question. "When will you arrive?" The Messiah did not answer, but instead smiled and joined them in their prayers and tears. It is said that he is still there serving in that unknown church on the outskirts of the city.

This was a hard tale for me to wrap my head around. In his commentary Rollins talks about how our desire is deepened in the arrival of the one we've waited for. The idea being that we do not know fully what we've waited for until the arrival happens. In this season of Lent I think this speaks to us in a few different ways. As we anticipate the resurrection do we fully know what it is we are waiting for? Or even do we need to know fully? Maybe we just need to be open to where it will lead us and transform us. On another note maybe we need to reexamine our understanding of having a Savior. Do we take advantage of that in a way where it has lost its meaning or does it continue to refresh and renew our lives? Good things to ponder this day.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Prodigal Father

This tale is about a rich father who had two sons. One night he packed a few items and left quietly. The first son awoke and after discovering that his father had left, got to work doing all of the chores for which he was responsible. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years and still no word from the father. Gradually the son began to repress the hurt that came with the father abandoning he and his brother. Instead of dealing with the pain, it began to fester deep in his being. The other son also refused to deal with the pain and took his portion of the inheritance and went abroad. Throughout everything that he did and tried he could not get rid of the fact that his father was gone. One day he realized that he needed to face the fact and returned home with nothing to show for his time gone. He found his brother caring for the property just as when he left and now holding animosity for him since he left. The younger brother didn't care and spent each day with a calf ready to slaughter and his father's robe set out for the day when he returned.

This tale speaks about the reverse of the parable of the lost son. Rollins talks about writing this while at a Quaker meeting and experiencing what it feels like to be in a room of people that are content to wait on God to show up. But one of the mysteries of our faith is that there are times when God does not seem present. Our response to this situation tells about our faith. Do we continue in our 'good' work and harbor ill will towards God? Or do we turn our back on God and begin to do our own thing? Or do we wait patiently for God to return? I think this is a very important thing for us to consider especially in this season of lent as we are coming to terms with our own sinfulness.

The Orthodox Heretic: Being the Resurrection

This tale is about a group of people who followed Jesus and after his crucifixion left Jerusalem in order to set up a community where they could faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus. They set out and found such a place and lived without contact from outsiders. One day a group of missionaries found them and realized that this group of people thought that Jesus was still dead. They eagerly began to tell them of the resurrection and a celebration broke out. During the celebration one of the missionaries noticed that the leader of this group was no present. He set out to find this man and the reason he was not celebrating. He found him in a hut at the edge of the village on his hands and knees weeping and praying. The missionary told this man that this was a day to celebrate and questioned his current disposition. The leader of the community said that yes this was a day to celebrate but he was troubled about the affect this news might on subsequent generations. He explained that his community had given up everything to follow the teachings of Jesus knowing that one day they would meet the same fate as the one they followed. It was a sacrifice. But now with this news those that come behind might only follow to ensure salvation, not because it is a sacrifice. He did leave to join the celebration, but the missionary stayed behind pondering his words.

This tale strikes a chord in me personally as I have tried to raise this same subject in ministry many times. Too often we are quick to jump to the end and miss out on what it takes to get there. Part of it is my makeup, but part of it is a reaction to the apathy that I see in many people. There is a cost to following Jesus and it should not be diminished just because we know the final outcome. What a very appropriate thing for us to ponder during lent.

The Orthodox Heretic: Finding Faith

This tale is about a preacher who found out from a very early age that he had an unusual gift. Every time he prayed for someone they lost all of their religious convictions and faith. Once he learned this he committed himself to solely preaching and not praying for others. One day he met a very successful businessman who began to talk about how the world he was engaged in was not a godly one. He admitted that the business world was cut throat and that he couldn't always follow his Christian convictions but that he felt he made up for it by work in the church. The preacher realized the reason for his gift and asked if he could pray for the man. The man agreed and after the prayer he renounced his previous Christian convictions. As he went back to work he realized that he was just another horrible person caught up in a system that he didn't like, so he quit and gave all of his money to those less fortunate. He even began to work against the system that he was formally a part of on behalf of those that it took advantage. One day while walking through town he saw the preacher and fell at his feet and thanked him for helping the man find his faith.

This tale talks about how we sometime confuse our faith with doing 'things.' The important thing to note here is that true faith will change something deep within us. Ministry and various activities that you do with the church are important, but it should only be the tip of the iceberg. Truth like this hits me between the eyes because I have been guilty of this in my life and ministry. Lord, open my eyes to seeing the possibilities of my faith.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Payoff

This tale is about an old and wise priest who is know throughout the land as a good and giving man of God. He resides in a kingdom ruled by an elderly king whose son is jealous of the priest because he feels that people give him the respect that he deserves. The prince has an intense disliking for all religious people because he thinks that they are all hypocrites and liars. He has even had many leaders thrown in jail. So one day he devises a plan to expose the priest and gain the respect he deserves. One night he goes to the priests home and offers him a large sum of money to write a letter declaring that he is a hypocrite and a liar that will be distributed throughout all of the kingdom. The priest, who has always been poor, considers the offer for a few minutes and he replied that he would do so but on three conditions. The first is that the prince will leave the church and its leaders alone. The second is that all of the leaders who have been imprisoned will be released. The third is that the priest will need some time to raise the large sum of money required.

I'll have to be honest, I needed to read Rollins' commentary to fully get this tale. His point is that the humble priest found it a great honor to be exposed as a hypocrite and liar that he would pay for it. In essence, the knowledge of the prince is turned upside down by the reaction of the priest. The prince hoped this would crush the priest, but the priest saw this as an opportunity to teach the whole kingdom about the values that he tries to live by. Growing up in a pietist tradition like I did, I have rarely seen this kind of humility displayed. We find our piety or righteousness as more of a measuring stick of holiness, instead of our humility and honesty. I have a feeling that I will be thinking about this tale for quite some time.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Invisible Prophet

This tale is about God sending one of the greatest prophets to earth and the devil being scared of the message. The devil began to hatch a plan to hide the prophet's message. After thinking through many situations, the devil decided to hide the prophet's message in beauty. The prophet was a woman of great beauty who spoke with an eloquence that everyone adored. The prophet's beauty was legendary throughout the land and everyone was so entertained by her words. But they did not hear her message of warning and moved closer to their own destruction in celebration and dancing.

Here we are reminded of the power of words, not just in how they can entertain us, but in their message to us. Too many times we are entertained by communicators or musicians that we fail to hear the message. I know I have been guilty of this. On the flip side, communicators can fall in the trap of watering down their message to make it more entertaining. But with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we should be able to get through these issues and to the heart of the message.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Third Mile

This tale is based off of Jesus' teaching on carrying a soldiers pack a second mile. The law stated that one had to carry the pack a mile if ordered but Jesus wanted his followers to go above and beyond the law. So they eagerly anticipated a chance to show kingdom values to Roman soldiers. Soon they began to build a relationship with the soldiers and even became known in that region for going the extra mile. They became so proud of how they followed this command of Jesus. One day when Jesus was passing by their community he spoke to his group of followers. He told them that he was impressed with their commitment but that he had another teaching to give to them since they misunderstood the first. He told them to carry a pack three miles.

This tale hits at how we handle scripture. Many Christians seek to gain the rules and regulations of Scripture so that they may follow them to the letter. In this way they can know what it takes to be faithful. But most of Scripture is not meant to be taken that way. It is more about the heart of the issue as opposed to the letter of the law. The danger is that this can get messy but if Scripture is lived out in community it shouldn't be impossible.

The Orthodox Heretic: Great Misfortune

This tale is about a man who endure much suffering and pain in his life from death and other calamities. During the first instance the village blacksmith, who many people in town did not know much about, comes to the man and is present with him. They cry together. They talk about the situation but most importantly the blacksmith is there. This relationship continues through the various situations that arise throughout the man's life. One day the man decides to visit a priest to try and make sense of the whole thing. After listening to the man's stories the priest tells the man that these things have happened to forge character in his life and that without these situations he would not be the man he is today. That evening as he is pondering the words of the priest the blacksmith stops by. The man tells the blacksmith what the priest had said and he tells the blacksmith that maybe he doesn't need to continue to stop by. The blacksmith replied that if the priests words were true, then he needed to stop by all the more because of the great misfortune that his life had turned out to be. The two men enjoyed each others company the rest of the evening as they shared life together.

This tale talks about the importance of presence in the time of suffering and not answers. I believe this is a much needed lesson for the church today. Too often we want to say the right words to make the situation better or to bring clarity, but we often wind up making things worse. We spew bad theology in favor of platitudes. We shortchange the person of the thing they need the most, community. Just to know that someone is walking with you through a difficult situation means way more than having the right answer.

The Orthodox Heretic: Pearl of Great Price

This tale is about Jesus talking about the Kingdom of God. He says that it is like a man who sells everything he has in order to purchase a pearl of great price. He sacrificed everything that he had in order to get his hands on the pearl. Those in attendance like this idea especially a man who had great wealth because he could identify with the value of this pearl. There was a woman in attendance though who seemed to grasp this idea differently than the others. Jesus even told her so. Her reply is that the sacrifice to get the pearl would reduce someone to poverty in order to possess it but the pearl is worthless unless there is someone willing to buy it and if you do find someone, then you will no longer possess the pearl. Her question to Jesus is then "what good is the pearl." Jesus replied that the pearl has no value if you only seek value, but if you give up everything because you are captured by its beauty then you will discover its true beauty.

In his reflection on this tale Rollins talks about how we fall into the trap of giving up everything for the reward of heaven and not the beauty of the kingdom of God. As I have reflected on this I have to agree. For quite some time our method of evangelism has been centered around enticing people with the reward and not about the beauty of the here and now. There is nothing wrong with this because the reward is a great thing but we are not saved just for fire insurance in the afterlife. No we are saved to do the good word of God and to proclaim that the kingdom of God is here among us.

The Voice of Psalms

My latest book from the Book Sneeze program is entitled "The Voice of Psalms." It is the book of Psalms "retold by the friends of Ecclesia Bible Society." (Their words on the title page.) If you have never been exposed to the voice project, I encourage you to look them up here. While I know that many people will have problems with the voice translation, I on the other hand enjoy what they are doing. For the most part, their translation is pretty similar, but there are some differences. They have added words in italics to help with understanding, which do not bother me one bit. In most cases I found that this was helpful. They have also substituted the words God and Lord with Eternal One. Here again, this does not bother me greatly but I know there will be some who are outraged about this. There are also reflections after most of the psalms for a little bit of a deeper understanding, which are always welcomed in my opinion.

I would probably never use the voice translation as my primary text to preach from, but have used it as a reference from time to time. I also own the New Testament version of the voice and cannot wait for them to put out a full canon edition. I tend to reach for my voice translation in personal reading just as I do the various other translations that I own. For me it is how I gain a better overall picture of the text.

I would totally recommend "The Voice of Psalms" for someone who would like another perspective on one of the most beautiful and poetic books in the Bible. I personally am using one of their reading plans during this season of Lent and have enjoyed spending this time in Psalms as a part of my journey. Keep up the good work Ecclesia Bible Society. I do look forward to hopefully having a full Bible one day from your project.