A Cat's Purrspective and Prayer Request

I know that many out there are not cat people. As I see things, it appears that dog people have a much easier time of it. For starters, they typically know what they want in life. They wake up ready for their walk and potty time, then go about their day following their passion (do note the singular form of that noun). Of course, all of us (cats and dogs) have some basic routines and some normal urges. In fact, I can safely say these drives are given to us by our Creator and can be channeled in healthy patterns. So this is not to judge anyone out there...this post is about me (and other cat people who might relate to me).

Cats are known for sleeping much of their day away. I don't honestly think they're particularly tired purr se, it's simply their choice. As this picture above of our beloved Kira Kitty shows, slumbering her ideal situation. She is contented to find the most comfortable place and nap away. Ah, what a life.

Yet, anyone who has owned a cat for any length of time knows this is not the entire story. Sometimes our feline friends are simply indecisive. When inside, they want out. And after a few minutes outside, they want back in. Naturally, they depend on their humans to oblige them when facing such seemingly obvious choice: do you want in, or out?

For cats and some people whose thinking is more akin to their grimalkin, indecision is a way of life. For cats it's typically about unimportant choices. I suppose some people do struggle with making the everyday routine decisions, but for me it's more about the big decisions of career and making the most of what I've been given. I have shared these things with my close friends (and even my boss, who happens to understand me pretty well). The blessing in this is that I am not likely to make a rash decision. 

With dogs, left to their own devices, they'd just as quickly run out into traffic as to jump in your lap. Whoa, squirrel....

Where was I? Oh, yes, decisions. The long story for me since 2000 can be summarized succinctly:

1. Returned as adult to North Park University for a bachelors in Organizational Management. As an IT manager, it seemed fitting.
2. Graduated in 2003, and as I was walking towards my diploma (literally) I felt a sense of emptiness and how I felt I should do something else.
3. Laid off from PrairieComm in 2005 and entered Moody Theological Seminary that fall (something I planned to do in 2004). I did not have a clear outcome in mind, but a sense that I should prepare myself biblically and theologically.
4. Joined the pastoral team at Northwest Fellowship Baptist Church in early 2007 while going to seminary. I taught Bible to adults, occasionally preached, and did a number of administrative tasks (you'd be surprised what pastors need to do).
5. Graduated Moody in 2010 with a Masters in Ministry, then went full-time at Northwest. However, I had a growing unrest and began thinking that I might better serve Christ as a trained layman. Other issues at the church had begun to surface that would increase my anxiety about my role there.
6. In June 2011, things at the church culminated to a crisis point and simultaneously a door opened to my current role. It seemed, finally, some sense of direction had emerged.
7. Two and a half years later, I still struggle between fully embracing a technology career path or some other path (should one present itself). My problem: if someone asks me what my passion is (singular), it really isn't clear. I believe I am gifted with teaching skills, and I know that God has used me to unpack Scripture in a meaningful way to people (more than merely imparting information, but in a type of pastoral application). I just don't know what to think about all of that...

None of this would be a surprise to those who know me, but I share this with a desire to invite others to pray for me. At this stage in life, any career decisions should be made with the support of those with whom I am in community and even those in the digital frontier. I have shared all of these things with my boss, who has committed to pray for me. There are many days when I do in fact see myself doing good things in that setting, and I don't wish to throw away something that might be God's provision for me. Yet like a cat that may vacillate between one option and another, I need to avail myself of Christ's guidance and loving support of his people to help me see from a greater perspective than I get at the level of a cat.

Thank you for listening to this old tomcat. Meow (that means Amen).

Bible Bridges: Part 14 "What's in a Word?"

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

John Adams

The same thing may be said of words—they are stubborn things. There is great power in the pen and in the tongue. John Adams was certainly not the wordsmith of the calibre of Thomas Jefferson. Nevertheless, he understood that words can wield tremendous influence, particularly in tumultuous times. As Winston Churchill demonstrated, the right words spoken authentically at the right time could move people beyond their self-imposed limitations. Is it any wonder, then, that the Almighty Maker of heaven chose to use the written word to reveal Himself to His creation? 

In Part 13 of this series, the value of comparing English Bible translations was introduced. I argued that the benefit of such a study technique was to stimulate reflection. Our familiarity with a favorite translation sometimes inhibits our curiosity. Seeing a different word choice in a text can promote a deeper understanding, with the caution that studying words is something best done with care.

In this installment, I want to help frame the need for balance on using secondary resources with your own work in the biblical text. Returning to 1 Peter, let us again take a look at the biblical text and see how this works:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

   To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia... 1 (Peter 1:1 ESV)

The two words underlined are not exactly common in our day-to-day usage. The word "elect" has some significant biblical weight to it, so let us set that aside for now and look at "exiles". Using the process of version comparison, we find NASB says "those who reside as aliens" and KJV says "strangers scattered throughout." How do we come to know which is best?

We could rely on someone like Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, who writes about this word:

The English word “strangers” refers to anyone with whom we are not acquainted. But the Greek word means far more than that. It is parepidemois (παρεπιδεμοις), made up of para (παρα), “alongside of,” epi (ἐπι), “upon,” and demos (δεμος), used in Biblical Greek of the people of a heathen city. The word here describes the recipients of this letter as Christians who have settled down alongside of the unsaved. Peter uses the same word in 2:11. He will not let us forget that we are living among the unsaved who are always carefully observing us.

Now, honestly...would you have discovered this on your own? I am not sure that I would have. My main point in bringing this out is that we really can benefit from secondary resources to help us, but how do we know we can trust what they say? Wuest has done all the work for us, so we are simply given the choice to agree or not (note that I'm not saying he's incorrect). 

Returning to John Adams' quote above, "the state of facts and evidence" is essential. If our only available evidence at hand is an English Bible translation (as trustworthy as it is), we might get intimidated when we see that behind the curtain is an inaccessible ancient biblical language. Frankly, this is why I see great value in digital tools, because it lowers the barrier to such study.

But for the majority of us who do not have access to such resources, I will once again affirm the great value in comparing translations. I submit that you indeed could have taken the various English translations and come to see what Wuest amplified for us in his Greek word study. So, don't let some learned pastor blow you away with an irrefutable Bible word study that supposedly gives you the real meaning of the word. With the aide of the Holy Spirit and with ample time invested, you are quite capable of coming to a solid grasp of much of what is written in Scripture (I'll remain cautious and not say all that is written, as the Bible is inexhaustible). Moreover, with respect, that pastor may be wrong! Don't get me started on such bad statements like Dunamai = dynamite (see http://scribblepreach.com/2013/02/18/7-ways-to-do-a-bad-word-study for helpful tips on what to avoid in doing word studies).

O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it. 

Psalm 119:97 (NET)

This is really the key. Using the available translations should give you much to think about, and that's what the word meditate in the Bible means—think, ponder, prayerfully reflect. It's not some Eastern, mystical experience. Why don't you spend tomorrow thinking about how as a Christian you are an alien or a foreigner or a stranger journeying this land?

Bible Bridges: Part 13

One of the most important and stimulating methods in Bible study that I've found is comparing translations. Many of us have a favorite translation, and that is okay. Translations have a flavor to them like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream. 

On the surface, we tend to prefer one flavor over another. For chocolate lovers out there (you know who you are), the deep and dark flavor just takes you to another realm! There are subtle nuances of taste—complexities and interactions that a truly discerning palate can appreciate. If I were to dish out chocolate viz. Bible translations (I bet you didn't know that was possible), I would say more formal translations such as ESV, NASB, and KJV are on the menu. 

I won't press the metaphor too far, but you get the idea. Vanilla is easily swallowed, as are some idiomatic Bible translations such as the NLT or NIV. And if you're curious, I'd put the NET Bible as strawberry, since there are some complex interactions with the berries and ice cream. Hmm, I'm getting peckish!

Now, occasionally I like to mix all three together. In the ice cream cosmos, that's Neapolitan. There's really nothing like it! The three flavors cooperate to create a uniquely palatable perspective. Can't you just imagine the first spoonful as it approaches your salivating mouth? Oh that we would be so famished for God's word! Perhaps if we take a variety of Bible translations, place them side-by-side, and take a few bites into a study of comparing and contrasting, our appetite for savoring Scripture will bring us to the table much more frequently.

Now I admit that having Bible software to do this seamlessly is nice. In continuing to examine 1 Peter, notice below the first two verses and how the differences quickly emerge:

Using the English Standard Version as the starting point, Logos Bible Software calculates the differences and identifies each place that is rendered by different word choices. Translators face decisions for selecting the most appropriate word when moving from an ancient language to modern English. Often that has to do with the goals of the type of translation. Some endeavor for easy reading, and as such will select words sometimes less "technical" or perhaps "accurate" (let's be careful about saying that). Other translations have a goal for study, or for public reading.

No matter the purpose, it takes hard work. Unlike the original manuscripts, translations are human efforts using linguistic tools and skills. Sometimes there is room for improvement. As translation work is an academic endeavor, it is subject to difficulties. How does anyone know for sure that a word in an author's language will be conveyed precisely in the receptor, modern word selection?

Aside from concerns of translation accuracy, we get a wonderful side benefit: we get a peek behind the curtain to see how language works. So if you take a moment to see which words differ above, ask yourself what a translator might be thinking when trying to find the correct English word. For instance, notice how 1 Peter 1:1 is rendered by the ESV and NASB:

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," (ESV) 

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen" (NASB)

I color-coded the word choices in question just to see how this works. Which translation do you think better communicates in English? Does the word exile seem to help you envision what the author intends better or worse than aliens? Did you think of extraterrestrials when you first saw aliens (not the movie, silly), or did your mind see people perhaps disconnected from their homelands against their will? How might the word scattered depict the state of the recipients differently than the Dispersion?

Now it's important to realize that fundamentally the doctrines of the Bible are not vulnerable because of these differences. Again, I feel that we are blessed in our day to have so many choices. Lest we take that for granted, let us be reminded that the vast majority of people in the world do not have this luxury. We who use English as our native language have a responsibility to steward the gift of God's word to us. I submit that comparing translations as a means to prompting good questions is an excellent return on investment. Thus, I encourage you to use this process as a means for deepening your walk with God through a penetrating study of Scripture.

Bible Bridges: Part 12 "True North"

Now that there has been some initial movement in handling some of the text of 1 Peter (and we'll return to that soon), this is a good time to take a look at the road map: we need to keep our eye on true north.

What do I mean? In our post-enlightenment / post-modern age, much of the Bible has been manipulated for alternative purposes. Notice that I don't say necessarily ulterior motives, though certainly there is plenty of that in history. Rather, much gets lost in contemporary attempts to make the text relevant. Now, it is true that the Bible is relevant, but not immediately so.

Allow me to explain: IF the reader's desire is to grasp the author's meaning and take away appropriate application for today, there is a lot of work to be done. It is not as though we are reading our Greek New Testaments and Hebrew Bibles in the eyes of the original audience. In our modern settings and English translations, we can easily fall prey to inappropriate relevancy.

For instance, our approach to Scripture must not carelessly rip things out of context. Many of us have seen this firsthand: a home Bible study leader asks the participants in a circle to share what the text means to them, and they proceed to give a variety—indeed, a plethora of meanings. We often come by this innocently, seeing a verse and immediately thinking about our life now. This is not necessarily a bad thing if we work through the text. Yet we need to realign our compass to true north.

Moreover, we must not attempt to subjugate Scripture to our agenda. Many people groups with various agendas enslave Scripture to meanings never dreamed of by the original authors. Frankly, we're all a little guilty of this. If we are aligned to true north, then the Bible will not so easily and neatly fit our systems, presuppositions, or dogmas. Guarding against such goals helps us surrender to God's Word, not the other way around.

So what do I mean by true north? The view that Christ is the center of Scripture must needs define true north. But even that is hard to define. It isn't about making Jesus my pal. It is much more about the culmination of God's myriad purposes that are fulfilled in Christ. More about this in a moment.

Let's return to the statement above that the Bible is not immediately relevant. We have come through two thousand years of New Covenant history. Those of us in the tradition of western civilization have traveled oceans, political revolutions, cultural revolutions, and other massive changes that simply distance us from Bible times. While God's Spirit illuminates his Word, it was through learned men that we have a copy in our native tongue. Much more translation is needed beyond mere words in a lexicon. I submit that we must humbly do business with the biblical text as respectful foreigners, not obtuse Americans (no offense, but ask those living abroad about some brazen Americans trashing their lands).

Thus, I offer three key take-home points to align to true north:

1. Dig hard and carefully in the text to uncover its intended meaning. Use natural rules of grammar, syntax, context, etc. to unpack the text. That is much of what this series is intending to stimulate, though it goes beyond just that. A helpful action item here would be to summarize in your words what a section simply says. You might do an outline or some other structure. Remember, this is a goal to grasp the intended meaning of the original author (knowing that we won't fully exhaust everything that is encoded in every part of Scripture).
2. As you study a selected text, tentatively identify its eternal significance. As some books like to say, these are timeless principles. However, let's be careful about that. I think true north demands that there is a divine purpose or goal to the Bible, not a random collection of good thoughts. So wrestle with the the final goal of God's purposes in mind (for us as Christians, the church, and ultimately for all of history).
3. Humbly consider personal and community relevance. This is most often called application — "how do I apply God's Word to my life?" This is fine, but I think overused. Moreover, it is so often exclusively individualistic. Healthy churches are ones that confess sin as a community, being confronted with the truth of Scripture. A good pastor will unpack a sermon in a way that will often lead to a gospel affirming, grace-enabled confession and repentance.

True north is Christ's purposes for his people. Just like in Pilgrim's Progress, the Christian faces an arduous journey if the final goal that God has for us is what we embrace. My prayer is that those reading this blog will "Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to" Luke 13:24 (NET).

Bible Bridges: Part 11

As we in the Midwestern part of the United States have endured a relentless winter, it brings to mind how glorious spring can be when it finally arrives. I have never hated winter per se—even as a transplanted Floridian. Yet this winter has even myself longing for green grass and budding trees. I can almost smell it!

It is a fascinating thing to see the cold of winter slowly retreat to the mild, southerly winds that try to eject the so-called polar vortex. With a foot of snow on the ground, often unpleasant weather in the form of drizzle and fog result. It can get so foggy that one cannot make out the car ahead of them. Yet we endure it all the same. I hear few people clamoring for more snow and below zero cold. Endurance is possible as we know that spring is coming. We can feel it in the sunshine, even on a cold day.

Such is the picture that St. Peter paints for us in his first epistle. It is striking that chapter one unfolds in light of suffering and trials, even as the vision of the heavenly reward, being secured in Christ Jesus, (1 Peter 1:3-4) spurs on those who have been "born again to a living hope". It is important to think on these words here. Notice verse 4: "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you..." (ESV). What kind of image do you suppose Peter wishes to place in your mind? Think about these three adjectives in the reverse: what perishes? what is defiled? what is fading away? Not our inheritance! That's what the text clearly says. No, but rather it is the fog of war that will vanish at the "revelation of Jesus Christ" (1:7). The fog constitutes the "various trials" (1:6) through which we are called to journey by faith. 

The glorious destination to which we patiently take each laborious step is the vision to which we are invited to ever retain in our thoughts. This is the central Christian hope, which I believe is increasingly ignored in our age. Today we are more interested in creating heaven on earth. No pain. No suffering. Instead, we want our best life now and heaven as well! My friends, it simply does not work that way. To say otherwise is to call Peter a liar (and let's not leave out St. Paul—see 2 Corinthians 13).

There is a very important reason for this: God's destination for us is a refined faith: "...so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 1:7 (ESV). Even as we walk by faith and see the journey taking us to our final home in heaven, God's purpose for us to endure suffering is to have us mirror the suffering now / glory later path that Christ took.

Keep reading the first chapter and consider if your theology can answer why things are so hard now. What is to be your response? How would you summarize 1 Peter chapter one in a few sentences? Specifically, what key phrases and concepts seem to form Peter's primary thesis? He indeed has a message for us today. Take the time to ponder it, and then ask if you are walking in the eternal hope with an enduring faith. If you're faith is wavering, don't panic—I'd love to talk to you about that! 

Until next time...God's blessings!
Jared