Joy
The quilt Brooke made
An involved and in love dad
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Lily Sofia
Monica, Mark, and Lily Sofia DiCristina
She weighed 9 lbs, 8 oz and is 21 inches long. She has very long fingers, and a dimple on one side. She, like all babies, is a miracle. So thanks and praise be to God the Father, creator of all that is... and to Jesus Christ who became a human being of the virgin Mary... and to the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life.
Mark and Monica already have been good stewards of the gift they've been given/loaned (they have been reading and listening and learning) and will be great parents!
Monday, August 18, 2008
many nations, one kingdom
“Although Olympic teams enter the stadium at the opening ceremony carrying their national flags, the closing ceremony is designed to highlight unity as if all the athletes belonged to one unified world. This concept came about because of 17-year-old John Ian Wing during the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. During the days just before those games, the world was in turmoil. As teams made their way to Australia, Soviet tanks and troops entered Budapest to put down the Hungarian uprising.
A few days after the opening ceremony John Wing wrote a letter to the organizing committee. He suggested a different kind of march for the closing ceremony: "During the march there will be only one nation ... What more could anybody want if the whole world could be made as one nation?"
So it was done, and this march with a different attitude has become a tradition that has lasted for all Olympic Games-athletes from many nations saying farewell as one body, instead of marching separately under their own national flags. What an inspiring thought about how sports could be in the prophesied world of tomorrow!” (by Graemme Marshall, The Olympic Ideal, http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn030/olympic.html)
To be more explicit than I was yesterday in my sermon, what a beautiful symbol of many nations marching in to the Olympics and one nation marching out that a young man envisioned and brought about through a letter written. God sent another young man, whose very life was the Word incarnate, whose dying and rising and made God's kingdom which will never end available to all. Jesus has brought about the "many nations to one kingdom" through his life, death and resurrection; he is the unrivaled Lord and King, and the only one who can deliver on his promises.
And it is not to the beautiful, the strong and the swift that the invitation to march in the glorious procession of the one, everlasting kingdom comes; but to the hurting and helpless, the weak and dependent, who do not trust in chariots or horses, in their own wisdom or strength, but only in the Lord their God.
There are many Scriptures we could use that point to this truth, but I will close with this one:
A few days after the opening ceremony John Wing wrote a letter to the organizing committee. He suggested a different kind of march for the closing ceremony: "During the march there will be only one nation ... What more could anybody want if the whole world could be made as one nation?"
So it was done, and this march with a different attitude has become a tradition that has lasted for all Olympic Games-athletes from many nations saying farewell as one body, instead of marching separately under their own national flags. What an inspiring thought about how sports could be in the prophesied world of tomorrow!” (by Graemme Marshall, The Olympic Ideal, http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn030/olympic.html)
To be more explicit than I was yesterday in my sermon, what a beautiful symbol of many nations marching in to the Olympics and one nation marching out that a young man envisioned and brought about through a letter written. God sent another young man, whose very life was the Word incarnate, whose dying and rising and made God's kingdom which will never end available to all. Jesus has brought about the "many nations to one kingdom" through his life, death and resurrection; he is the unrivaled Lord and King, and the only one who can deliver on his promises.
And it is not to the beautiful, the strong and the swift that the invitation to march in the glorious procession of the one, everlasting kingdom comes; but to the hurting and helpless, the weak and dependent, who do not trust in chariots or horses, in their own wisdom or strength, but only in the Lord their God.
There are many Scriptures we could use that point to this truth, but I will close with this one:
"You are worthy... for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
(Revelation 5:9-10)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
The Olympics, Israel, and Romans 11
I mentioned in church about a great article clarifying the Israel / Gentile question, particularly as Paul addresses it in Romans 11. You can find it at Dwight Pryor's site, Center for Judeo-Christian Studies. You can read it or download it from the main page there.
Here's a summary - the article refers to verses 11-12 of Romans 11, and suggests that Paul may actually be drawing an analogy from Homer's Iliad.
"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass ("fall" KJV, or "misstep") salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure ("defeat" or "diminishing") means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion ("fullness" KJV, or "completion") mean!"
(Romans 11:11-12)
In the Iliad there is a story of a race that Odysseus (Ulysses) wins with divine help. In the race, Ajax, seems to be headed to victory when Odysseus calls upon Athena for greater speed. The goddess causes Ajax to stumble and fall, enabling Odysseus to pass him and take the prize. Ajax manages to right himself to finish second, and share the riches.
The terms Paul uses in Romans 11:11-12 are terms also used as racing terms: the word translated transgression (NIV and ESV) or fall (KJV) was a common term to Paul's Roman audience for a runner taking a false step or a misstep in a race; the term often translated failure was used to denote a competitor's defeat or failure in a race.
From this perspective we see that Paul may again have been using athletic imagery to teach theological truth. Israel indeed stumbled over the chosen stone. But Paul has also affirmed that theirs are the promises, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Salvation has come to the Gentiles through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah unto death, to the advantage of the Gentiles. He says he is committed to provoke them to jealousy, so that they will get up and continue the race and share in the riches of God's glory.
O the depth of the riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God! (11:33)
Here's a summary - the article refers to verses 11-12 of Romans 11, and suggests that Paul may actually be drawing an analogy from Homer's Iliad.
"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass ("fall" KJV, or "misstep") salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure ("defeat" or "diminishing") means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion ("fullness" KJV, or "completion") mean!"
(Romans 11:11-12)
In the Iliad there is a story of a race that Odysseus (Ulysses) wins with divine help. In the race, Ajax, seems to be headed to victory when Odysseus calls upon Athena for greater speed. The goddess causes Ajax to stumble and fall, enabling Odysseus to pass him and take the prize. Ajax manages to right himself to finish second, and share the riches.
The terms Paul uses in Romans 11:11-12 are terms also used as racing terms: the word translated transgression (NIV and ESV) or fall (KJV) was a common term to Paul's Roman audience for a runner taking a false step or a misstep in a race; the term often translated failure was used to denote a competitor's defeat or failure in a race.
From this perspective we see that Paul may again have been using athletic imagery to teach theological truth. Israel indeed stumbled over the chosen stone. But Paul has also affirmed that theirs are the promises, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Salvation has come to the Gentiles through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah unto death, to the advantage of the Gentiles. He says he is committed to provoke them to jealousy, so that they will get up and continue the race and share in the riches of God's glory.
O the depth of the riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God! (11:33)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
creation care
This is a very interesting blog - it's a young woman (ie. she has young children...) who is trying to go a month without using any plastic. It's posted on the BBC website, though I'm not sure if that's who she works for or not.
month without plastic
the Restoration Project...
"Restoring lives, making disciples, caring for creation"
month without plastic
the Restoration Project...
"Restoring lives, making disciples, caring for creation"
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Manny's gone
Well, Manny Ramirez is gone. A great hitter for the Red Sox for the last eight years, who was also a distraction and a bit of a prima donna. Can't say I'm too disappointed - yes, he had some great hits over the years, and definitely helped us win our first World Series (since way back...) but he also could be very frustrating. And apparently he was ready to go.
Seems like we did well getting Jason Bay from Pittsburgh
Hopefully we can turn things around soon and start winning!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Leslie Newbigin
I finally started reading Leslie Newbigin's "The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society." I've heard it referenced so often by people I respect. I bought it last Fall as we began a Bible study in Matthew with a view that was going to be attentive to Matthew's presentation of the "ekklesia," the church. Matthew is the only gospel that uses that word. The following quote is from the chapter, "The Logic of Mission," about halfway through the book:
"I am concerned to explore the question of how the mission of the Church is rooted in the gospel itself. There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of "the missionary mandate." This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that it misses the point. It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel. If one looks at the New Testament evidence one gets another impression. Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving. One searches in vain through the letters of St. Paul to find any suggestion that he anywhere lays it on the conscience of his readers that they out to be active in mission. For himself it is inconceivable that he should keep silent. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). But nowhere do we find him telling his readers that they have a duty to do so." (p. 116)
Hopefully, I'll be able to digest the book enough to share more here in the days to come; but following our Sundays on Jesus' "Discourse on Mission" from Matthew 10, I thought this was a wonderful and appropriate paragraph from Newbigin.
"I am concerned to explore the question of how the mission of the Church is rooted in the gospel itself. There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of "the missionary mandate." This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that it misses the point. It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel. If one looks at the New Testament evidence one gets another impression. Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving. One searches in vain through the letters of St. Paul to find any suggestion that he anywhere lays it on the conscience of his readers that they out to be active in mission. For himself it is inconceivable that he should keep silent. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). But nowhere do we find him telling his readers that they have a duty to do so." (p. 116)
Hopefully, I'll be able to digest the book enough to share more here in the days to come; but following our Sundays on Jesus' "Discourse on Mission" from Matthew 10, I thought this was a wonderful and appropriate paragraph from Newbigin.
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