a comparison

I look for many models of pray - be it Hannah's prayer or a Davidic Psalm. I must assume that Nehemiah's prayer is a good model. I noticed some similarities between how Jesus teaches us to pray and how Nehemiah prays:

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.

I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God,

Your kingdom come your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,

(praying to our Father, declaring His everlasting covenant with us - the kingdom)

Give us this day our daily bread.

let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants,

(there is an immediate need)

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

(we have debts, forgive us Father, we have been scattered)

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.'

(reconnect us with you Father, return us to Your ways, make our paths straight. May we delight again in being with You in the land of our Father's father, in the land where Your name dwells. Bring the kingdom Father.)

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.

(Father may your will be done here today. You work towards redemption. May we be redeemed unto your kingdom. May we live more and more in it everyday. Your name has power forever.)

I see a lot of connections between these two prayers. How much do I long to live in the place where God has chosen His name to dwell! How joyful am I that He dwells in me! The kingdom coming is a city being built. God will reign.

Sorrow and Resolution

In verse 3 of chapter 1 we see Nehemiah hearing about how the Jews who had escaped were faring. Then we see him fast, pray, and weep over the news. I have heard some commentators who say that Nehemiah was truly concerned and lamenting anew over the razing of Jerusalem 140 years earlier. In this, they make an argument for our recognition of the gravity of some situations and to own the sorrow and sin of corporate/community rejection of God. Other commentators feel that Nehemiah is referencing a failed attempt at rebuilding Jerusalem detailed in Ezra 4:7-23. My gut feel leans toward the latter as it seems to make more sense. However, my choice is based on just reading some opinions and choosing what seems most logical in explanation.

However, what I am intrigued by is his response to the need of Jerusalem, “I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” I fully understand that an ancient Jewish culture more understood how to truly mourn than we do today; Middle East morning is an event for participation. Yet, I’m not even sure if these types of things move me to one hour of mourning versus Nehemiah’s days of mourning. I think about tragedies in the last five years that have moved me: Rwandan genocide, Sudanese genocide, Ugandan child refugees, Katrina victims at the Super Dome; these have caused me pause. Yet to be honest many have not moved me to action or response like Nehemiah. I may have prayed and mourned some. I may have even given some time and energy to helping a particular cause associated with people affected, but I’m not sure I mirror the depth of Nehemiah’s seeking God, nor the things in Nehemiah’s mind.

It does seem that Nehemiah already began to form in his mind what he would (and could) do in this situation. He seems to be subjecting himself to God, looking for his guidance, and planning on moving forward. I don’t know how much was formed in his mind at this point, but he truly has an agenda in speaking to God. Nehemiah also demonstrates care for the people, a real heart-love for these Jewish survivors. He doesn’t sugar-coat the problems, but demonstrates his connection to the trouble and the need for repentance. Additionally, Nehemiah states that he understands what the objective is for the people to move forward, “if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them.” Interestingly, he seems to have a bit of a plan of how he personally will be involved in the restoration of these Jewish survivors and how he will ensure its success, “and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” Nehemiah has begun his plan, not satisfied to merely mourn, but to change the situation, to resolve the difficulties.

The Gospel of Jesus

In the first chapter of Mark, the word gospel is used three times. This is a strange, “Christian” word to me. I have heard it all of my life, sometimes used, in substitute, Good News. So, when I come across the word gospel, my mind always translates this phrase as such, “good news.” However, even that seems Christianized. I’ve tried to think of the word as it is used in other contexts; and the only other phrase is in colloquial language “that’s the gospel truth” to signify that a particular comment is fully the truth, with no error, or indisputable – this still seems to be very dependent on religion and can only be comprehended in understanding something of the Bible. So, I put on my etymology hat (i.e. went to the internet) and found that most resources (New American Heritage and the like) state that the word originates from the Old English word godspel, a combination of two words, god=good and spel=story. These resources also refer to this word being the translation of the Greek word euangelion; seeming created to translate this Greek word. So, it is inherently tied to the Bible.

In the three verses it is used, I’ve tried to wrap my mind around this way of usage: the good story of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1), the good story of God (Mark 1:14), believe in the good story (Mark 1:15). It seems that what Mark is saying, in these three verses is that he, Mark, is telling the story of Jesus Christ (verse 1) in the same way that Jesus was telling the story of God (verse 14). In verse 15, Jesus calls us to believe in this story. In each, the language is centered around the communication of a subject, in this case the subject being God (and Jesus, as Mark would contend). Just as Mark, in the first verse, is stating that the following account is the communication of the subject Jesus (and this just a beginning/introduction to the whole story) so, too, Jesus is communicating the subject of God to his audience, and asking them to believe in what He is saying about this God. This takes me two places.

First, Good News, though good, is just truth news. I’ve known this the whole time, but, due to language, the word good has taken on a qualitative meaning, rather than a quantitative meaning (for you Engineers). The news had been a quality of being good rather than a quantity (on versus off, one versus zero, true versus false) of being good. This news, this gospel, is simply just news about God; it happens to be good news (in that I like it, it has benefit for me), but it also happens just to be news, happens just to be a story, albeit about the Creator of the Universe. Mark is stating, “here is the story of Jesus,” Jesus is stating, “here is the story of God,” and then Jesus is asking me, and my neighbors, to believe in this story of God.

Second, Jesus, when stating to believe in the gospel, seems to be talking about believing in what He, Jesus, is telling the people. In my mind, gospel is a big word, a big hurdle, but in Jesus’ mind (who didn’t grow up with the religious connotations around the word gospel) He is simply stating, believe in this story, this subject, that I am telling you. This is a bit different than believing in “the gospel” as if it is a set of words or prescribed bullet points, a system of belief, if you will. In my life, thinking of gospel in this way, allows new life to come into what Mark is saying and what Jesus is saying; one aspect of Jesus’ service: teaching the story of God.

The Immediacy of Christ

In both the NASB and ESV translations of Mark, the word immediately is used nine times in the first chapter. (In fact, the word is used a great deal in the entire book). However, in the NIV translation it is used only once, "Immediately the leprosy left," (Mark 1:42). Alternatively these scholars use: at once (twice), without delay, began, just then, as soon as. I looked through the Message just to see how Peterson approached this and he also only uses it once, "Immediately, they left their father Zebedee," (Mark 1:~19-20). Peterson uses other phrases such as: the moment that, at once, they didn't ask questions, Jesus lost no time, suddenly, directly, then and there. Given the way these four versions approach the text, this makes sense. The NASB and the ESV are more literal sentence for sentence translation, whereas the NIV and The Message are more paragraph/thought progression translations (helping passages flow better). Hence, using the word immediately so many times, actually makes the chapter feel a bit staccato. Now, I'm no original language guru (let's face it, I only know English) and so I will not critique either approach here, nor the translators' ability to stay true to the text. However, I will comment on what it stirs within me.

As I read Mark 1 from the NASB version, I get this overall sense of urgency, this sense of action, this sense of presence. Something new and important is happening here. There is action and there is response and there is not a lot of waiting. Granted, Mark's voice leads to this feeling as the other gospel accounts, of these same events, do not feel as pressing. Yet, Mark has a purpose in writing, to present Jesus the servant with a purpose - to give His life as a ransom for many. It is an action packed presentation of the events, miracles, and acts of "Jesus Christ, the Son of God," (Mark 1:1).

This chapter (and really this book) spurs me to action. These miracles and the way events happen push me to recognize the immediacy of the moment. They seem to ask me, "what are you waiting for?" Sometimes, I feel like I plan and think about response rather than acting. At times, this is prudent, to plan and decide. At other times it is simply cowardice. I know what needs to be done, but I am afraid: afraid of what people might think or afraid of a particular response (or non-response). This is simply self-management of situations, seeking to predict and control the outcomes. In my life, Jesus seems to challenge this head-on. Whereas I would like to know and determine the outcome of my actions, Jesus seems to not allow for that, He seems to keep the results open and bids me follow. It is almost as if we are walking on the beach and he finds a dark cave (why would I ever want to go in there?), yet Jesus walks in, pops back out and says "you gotta see this." Knowing Jesus, this does not necessarily mean that there is something that He simply wants me to see, but that He wants me to do something. Interestingly, I can either follow Him into the cave or hang out on the beach waiting for His return. Sometimes I choose to immediately follow, to experience the action, sometimes I choose to lay on the beach and soak-up the rays, generally, to my detriment - without the sunscreen.

The immediacy of Christ, always present, always guiding, always challenging: "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel."

Jesus is awake

The beginning of Mark groans as one waking up from a slumber. Once hope has arrived the passage begins to move. Simon and Andrew join the flood, James and John too. The unclean spirit recognizes Jesus and calls Him the Holy one of God. Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit and it cries out, leaving the man. The flood pours forth. Immediately the news about Jesus spreads everywhere (vs 28). Immediately Jesus goes to the house of Simon and Andrew (vs 29). They immediately began speaking to Jesus about their mother-in-law (vs 30). The next verse slows as Jesus carefully and compassionately raises the woman and takes her hand, healing her. Her response to His love is to serve.

I can relate to Jesus up to this point. I like this. He works fast and well but slows to help and love people. This is an image of Jesus I like. But the passage continues.

After the sun sets the entire city comes to the door of this house. These people had heard of the flood and brought the ill and the demon-possessed. Jesus heals them after hours. I'm not sure if I'm willing to take from my rest to do the works of the Lord. I seem to lose sleep over many things, not usually serving. Jesus is awake. The kingdom is at hand.

But Jesus is not here to deal only with physical issues of sickness; He has come for something more. Early the next morning Jesus leaves the house to pray in a secluded place. His companions didn't even know where He was. This is a picture of Jesus that I have a hard time being like or even wanting to be like. My early morning attempts at solitude with the Lord are head-bobbing fests with slowly closing eyes. Jesus did not consider his task complete at just working for God, He desired to be with God. Praying was important to Jesus. It was more important than recovering physically from a long day of serving the Lord. Jesus at all times believes that the issue isn't physical but spiritual.

I want to be more and more like Jesus. I want to work for the Lord but always value my time with the Lord over my serving others for Him. Works are a response to the love He pours out on us. In the midst of how immediate everything seems around me, I want to take time to seclude myself and pray to the God who doesn't sleep. The flood is not the works of our hands but Jesus' words: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

We must pray.

Being a teacher

Once school started on Tuesday, all of me was invaded by my profession. However, looking out at 24-30 students 1st-6th period everyday was still unreal to me. It was an overwhelming week to say the least.

Today, I began to pray. My prayer has also been invaded by thoughts about teaching, my fears, my stress, my excitement, etc. What was amazing during this time of prayer was how God reminded me that He has it in control, and with His help, I'll be fine. There were two things that stood out to me as I prayed: Dewey and the sunrise.

I was thanking God for Dewey--his support and encouragement, his keeping up the home front, his willingness to listen to my stories about everything that happened that day, his contributions to my lesson plans, and his love....how he can just hold me, and it all feels a little better. As I prayed this, I could see God's hand working in me through Dewey.

Everyday, I drive about 30-35 minutes to get to school taking the back roads. There is this one stretch of road where the speed limit goes up to 55, and the sunrise over the fields never ceases to amaze me. It is somewhat dark when I leave home, but by the time I reach those fields, the sun is rising and the clouds turn beautiful colors. I thank God for that sunrise. I get so caught up in making sure everything is perfect for the day, that it would be easy to forget about God. It would be easy to not be aware of what He is doing around me, through me, and in me...until I see that sunrise. I did not really think about it until I was thanking Him for it today, but that sunrise brings clarity to my day. He reminds me that He is bigger and more beautiful than anything I could possible do while attempting to teach those "kids" (who are almost all bigger than me!).

I thank God for reminding me of all His is and for doing that while I'm praying.

Nehemiah's Prayer: God-Focused

It occurred to me quickly that Nehemiah's prayer reflects a belief that the world revolves around God, not Nehemiah. Some could say that this is simply persuasive language, as if Nehemiah is engaged in persuading God to do something; he is making his case, pleading his cause, for God to act. And, in the world where I live, this seems plausible. But in the world of the kingdom, everything is focused on God, so that our understanding of life as we know it, is filtered through God as we know it. With this perspective the prayer takes on another meaning. Now, Nehemiah is simply describing things in their proper context, the context of who God is and what God has done.
verse 5: I beseech You (who else would I ask?)...God of heaven...great and awesome...preserves the covenant (you're faithful even when it seems you are not)
verse 6: Your ear...Your eyes (I speak only to you)...Your servant (Nehemiah's position)...Your servants (those who he is praying for)...we have sinned against You (recognition of sin at the core, against God)
verse 7: against You (object of our sin)...You commanded (God's authority)...Your servant (Moses described in light of who God is)
verse 8: You commanded...Your servant
verse 9: return to Me (God never changed)...My commandments (recognizing God's word/voice)...My name (Place centered around God)
verse 10: Your servants...Your people (God's people)...You redeemed (God's action)...Your great power (God's efforts)...Your strong hand (God's effort)
verse 11: I beseech You...Your ear...Your servant...Your servants...Your name...Your servant

This is in sharp contrast to Nehemiah referring to himself
verse 5: I beseech You (I beg of you)
verse 6: I am praying (subjected to you)...I and my father's house (personal accountability for sin)
verse 7: We (sin accountability)
verse 11: I beseech You...him (in the Hebrew, and I'm no Hebrew scholar, there is no word for him, it seems to be an understood indirect object of grant, the receiver of compassion)

In light of God-focused, kingdom living, maybe Nehemiah just recognizes better his relationship with God, whereas my natural response is to persuade God; can both sound the same? Where is my heart?

Breaking the silence...

I have to say that I'm somewhat struck by the way Mark begins. The author just starts with "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God" and begins to recount some words from Isaiah. Having read John's gospel, it seems incomplete to start here and I immediately wanted to make some theological jabs at Mark for failing to show the eternity of Christ as a piece of the trinity. However, I was then forced into the shoes of the early audience of this piece of writing and found that perhaps Mark was getting at God's breaking of the 400 year silence between Malachi and Matthew.

Mark jumps right in to the gospel story by talking about John the Baptist. The outstanding images in this section portrayed someone that I wouldn't take seriously...but again...no words from God for 400 years...maybe I'd hear what this guy had to say. John the Baptist seems to have a really strong sense of what he is to be doing and what his position is under Christ. I really like/admire/envy that (though I don't know that I want to envy that since I know what happens later). I often find myself asking questions of where I'm supposed to be and who I'm supposed to be under Christ, and then I find that I'm asking those questions because I don't really know/believe/flesh out my position under Christ. I try to serve ends of my own. John really wasn't doing that...and he had a following...but that following wasn't his own. He really was, dare I say, living for Jesus.

The other piece of Mark 1 that jumped out at me today was the section of verses 21-28. Jesus drives out a demon, the demon says who Jesus is ("the Holy One of God"), but everyone standing there seems to miss that part. They notice that they like His preaching style better than the local teacher of the law. They noticed that He spoke with authority and that demons listened to Him. They noticed what He did and how He spoke and the effects of His presence, but they missed His name. They didn't catch who this was. The demon knew it, but the people were too wide eyed at the spectacle to catch it. I identified with that.

Appropriate Beginnings

I started to commit to praying on Sunday. I feel that I know how to pray and can pray, yet feel there is so much to learn, so much depth that I am missing. Over the years, though, I have realized the loss of my focus for praying for individuals. So, that's what I concentrated on. And, as you can imagine, the problems I ran into were so stereotypical. I began praying intently and then found myself, five minutes later, thinking about a subject so far off from where the prayer began that I realized my focus was shot. Later that day I tried again, and drifted off to sleep. Finally, I set aside some time in the evening and was interrupted. Here is the point of tension, the ability to not give up when it is difficult, yet not push through so that the task can be checked as finished; the difficulty in engaging my mind without and jettisoning my heart, and vice-versa. An appropriate beginning.

Welcome!

Hello folks. I'm sure Stuart will want to give a formal introduction later, but as the nominated tech support guy I'll just give a few notes on getting started in blogger if you haven't used it before.

I have invited you all to join as authors of this blog, so that should get you through setting up a Google account (i.e. Gmail address). To post, simply go to blogger.com. After logging in (if necessary), click on "New Post" under the "Little Tiny Groups" heading. Type in your title and text, hit publish, and you're done. Also, please label your post. At the bottom of the post window there's a textbox for labels. Please label your post with one of our three discussion topics (Mark, Nehemiah, or Prayer), or if your post doesn't fall into any of these categories, just make a new label for it. Try not to make too many new labels though, or the site may get a little unorganized. I've put all three discussion labels on this post, plus a label for miscellaneous posts, so they will already be there to use when you start posting.

That should be about it. Feel free to call/email/talk to me if you have any questions!

Peace.