Theology: Worship, Physics, and Holiness

Is the essence of worship seeking an emotional response, or. saying what is right about God, life, the universe, etc. recognizing reality. Singing psalms goes back to the time of David (and David himself), but the content of the words is the worship. Voices and instruments are really tools or means. Recognizing that the uncreated creator of all things, the essence of existence, the perfectly holy and uncompromising love incarnate is a Father, is worship.

Theology should be the queen of philosophy and the sciences, because to have a correct understanding of God is foundational to understanding cause and effect. This eliminates magic from the operation of the universe, understanding how spiritual causation is different from magic, and why miracles from God aren’t magic, by putting everything in context. We need to understand

•      How spiritual understanding relates to human reasoning, since God’s ways are above our ways;

•      How to discern God’s voice from our own mind and from the evil one’s voice.

Theology starts with foundational truths about God’s nature and character, and what Jesus did for us on the cross. All the rest of nature, humankind, knowledge & reason, evidence & experience, values & virtue flow from this foundation like an artesian well. This foundation is not theology about God’s nature and character, but the reality of His essence, His essential existence. Theology is the instrument, the channel, by which we can see and understand Him, and thereby understand these other derivative things like nature, humankind, knowledge and reason, evidence and experience, values, and virtue. Doing theology is a form of worship.

An example from the realm of physics. How do laws and behaviors of physics flow from God’s nature and character? There are at least three broad categories of behavior in physics. Simple laws like universal gravitation, electromagnetic field theory, and nuclear strong and weak forces; complex behaviors that are understood by complexity theory in various realms as the result of the interactions of a very large number of things, deterministically; and chaotic behavior such as the random motion of molecules in a gas, that are understood and modeled in aggregate such as ideal gas law, the second law of thermodynamics, and so on.

From our perspective, we cannot derive these from God’s nature, but we can learn from them about Him. The basic, large-scale universality of existence is simple and straightforward, and God is at His core straightforward: He is holy and He loves. But there is also implicit complexity in Him, that is structured but not simple, as different parts of existence interact according to seemingly simple law at a lower level: DNA that defines our biological life; the human brain that is able to reason, control our body, and is conscious. And finally, there are limits to this structured complexity at the nanoscopic level, in which 6.023 x10²³ atoms bounce off of or interact with each other, the best of which we can do is describe by statistical averages. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle describes how things at the atomic level are unknowable below a certain level. Thus, God allows not everything to be deterministic. Otherwise, we would be robots and the universe would not achieve His ultimate goal (described below).

I am certain there are similar insights to be gleaned from other fields of study. We can learn about God from all of them, because He is the fountainhead of all existence. The core of our faith is not ultimately justified by these studies, because we are limited and fallen creatures and make mistakes in our process of reasoning, analysis, experimentation, both in the sciences and in theology. God has given us freedom to learn about Him and His creation.

A peaceful, just, and prosperous society is based on shared values of civil order, respect for laws, justice, work, and the dignity of others, all in appropriate relationship. The so-called seven deadly sins, for example, degrade society but foremost they make us less like God. Whether a degraded society becomes anarchy in the constant turmoil of gang warfare, or a dictatorship in which every action is controlled by an unforgiving ruler and judge, neither is the rich social fabric the founding fathers had a glimpse of because of their understanding of God. God is at peace with Himself because all aspects of His nature and character are in appropriate balance and relationship. We would likewise have inner peace if we were able to put all aspects of our nature thusly.

God created the universe with a vision that He tries to communicate to us. Humans have imagined fictional universes such as those of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Middle Earth, Narnia, Dr. Who, and Star Trek. But God’s universe is real. The diverse kinds of things that can happen reflect the depth and complexity of His essence. There is space for love in many forms, and also space for self, and space for either of these to go astray. There is space for relationships and society, group activity, leadership and loyalty, betrayal and exploitation. There is space for good and bad ideas, logic, philosophy, truth and lies.

Where does holiness fit in all this? Holiness is for a positive purpose, to set apart for a divine commission with glory and blessing. We learn about God from direct contact with Him, but also by seeing cause and effect and the results of obeying or disobeying Him. Holiness in God is partly understood as being so devoted to what is good, right, and just that He does not want any resources to go towards its opposites, and dedicates the best of the best to be used for good, righteous, and just ends. In Leviticus He told Moses that the Israelites should do the same.

Why are certain animals identified as clean or unclean in Leviticus? Only animals that chew the cud and have cloven hoofs are clean. (Leviticus 11:3-7)   What does this mean? Perhaps there is symbolism if we interpret chewing the cud as a type of meditating on or studying God’s word. Cows chew their cud because it aids in digestion, and digesting God’s word requires time, focus, and thought. What is the significance of cloven hooves? Perhaps these are a crude representation of the stigmata. We are cleansed by the blood of Christ, which is symbolized clearly by the Passover Lamb’s blood being sprinkled on the doorway.  (Exodus 12:7,22-23) But Jesus’ body is also symbolically represented in the Holy Communion celebration by the bread, as Jesus said, just before He was crucified. (Luke 22:19) So eating clean animals symbolizes a combination of both digesting the Word of God by meditating on it, and partaking vicariously in the crucifixion of Christ, identifying with His pierced hands and feet.

In a sense the laws of physics exhibit this devotion of resources to an end. In gravitation, electromagnetic forces, strong and weak nuclear forces, there are mechanisms that are straightforward and efficient. But, when Jesus was on the earth, He did not shun things we might think superfluous, like parties and celebrations, but He turned them to the glory of God, the revelation of His nature and character.

God so wants the things He has created to be employed for the good for which He created them that He grieves when they are used for lesser purposes. There was a hint of that in Judas complaint about Jesus’ anointing - he said the money would have been better used to give to the poor (although he really just wanted to pilfer from the moneybox).  (Matthew 26:9, Mark 14:5, John 12:5) But Judas did not recognize Jesus as who He really was, or that the Presence of the essence of God is of more value than good works. The real tragedy was that Judas did not want to use His life for the Lord’s good purposes. He lacked understanding of God.

Using God’s creation for other than God’s intended purpose is like taking part of God Himself and turning it against His essential core. Perhaps this is why some of the punishments in the Pentateuch for disobedience seem to us severe. God showed Himself, as close as He could without killing those near Him, and they wanted to pervert His nature, His essence, into something else. God did not create this universe for it to be a place of self-centeredness and selfishness, but rather a place of agape, self-sacrificial love, self-giving for the sake of another. Is He selfish for wanting this for His creation, when it would not exist apart from His exercising these traits? Most likely, since the holy Trinity the exchange of love, devotion, and self-giving is so wonderful, He wanted (wants) to share and create more of it. But it only exists when it is freely chosen, in the presence of real alternatives.

We come back to worship in recognizing that God created all of this – the universe and humankind – to create more opportunities to display this essential characteristic - agape in action. Ultimately, worship occurs when we recognize God’s nature and character in thought, word, and deed, in our lives, in human relationship, and in all of creation.

Book Review: The Risk of Education - Discovering Our Ultimate Destiny, by Luigi Giussani

Luigi Giussani’s harsh critique of modern secular education: it produces adults who are not equipped to deal with conflicting value systems and evaluate and apply ultimate values to their own lives. This leaves them either  (1) uncommitted to any particular paradigm, (2) rebelling against existing value systems, or (3) resigning themselves to the status quo. This results from not having been properly prepared to make wise decisions in this realm of life. The public schools, in particular, teach about ideas, but do not challenge students to learn how to evaluate them. Predating the explosion of online and virtual learning by a few decades (written in 1995), Giussani points out that a student listening to a lecture that is like a videotape, i.e. without back and forth interaction with the teacher, will not learn how to evaluate claims and counterclaims or even learn anything beyond rote facts.

Giussani proposes a different paradigm, so that students (adolescents) will mature into fully functioning adults. Education is an introduction to reality, and we do not affirm reality unless we affirm its meaning. This meaning is ultimately based on absolutes, but the adolescent must decides which ones: is tradition to be embraced without question, or accepted after a period of questioning and the basis of tradition understood, or is tradition rejected based on the student’s freedom? The teacher’s role is to guide the student through the process. The adolescent will best learn to use tools with which to process these options - competing sets of value systems -  in concert with a mentor who advises and encourages. Otherwise skepticism and cynicism are likely to be the student’s destination. The student needs personal experience  as the  ultimate verification methodology leading to true conviction about ultimate values. 

The crisis of Christian education is that Christianity is not ultimately about tradition, theology, church activities, or creeds; Jesus is a Person, the Son of God. He interjects Himself into peoples’ lives with an encounter. When the adolescent or young adult encounters Christ, how will he or she respond? The problem of faith is that the things that are taught lack verifiability, until we meet Christ. We can read the Church fathers, study apologetics, engage in good works, but that does not verify the truth of Christianity. That is the crisis! It is the personal interaction with the Savior, the Truth incarnate, that verifies Christianity. The educator’s goal is therefore to prepare the student to dialog openly and honestly with the other, that is, with Christ. 

The final chapter is frankly hard to understand, as the author attempts to deal with epistemology. The role of experience, tradition, community, and authority are to be woven together into the fabric of faith. How this is to happen is the educator’s challenge.

Christmas Seriously - How does the Nativity of Jesus affect our daily lives?

We take so much of the nativity story for granted that we often don’t catch the subtleties of specific events that connect directly to the entire Biblical narrative, and then fail to see their implication for our own lives. Consider the various parts of the Christmas story that are linked to the intersection of God’s sovereignty with humankind through history.

• Zachariah and Elizabeth conceived and bore a son miraculously in their old age, which was announced by a messenger from God. (Luke 1:5-25) This paralleled the announcement to and miraculous conception and birth of Isaac by Abraham and Sarah. (Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7) God brings life, even when nature says it’s impossible.
• Zechariah prophesied that the coming one would raise up a horn of salvation, so that God’s people could serve Him in holiness and righteousness. (Luke 1:68-75)  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
• Zachariah's prophesy spoke specifically to protecting God’s people from their enemies (Luke 1:71 & 74) When Jesus spoke that He was the door of the sheep he focused on protecting His sheep as  well as guiding them. (John 10:7 & 9)
• Jesus is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) What more appropriate place for the Lamb of God to be born than a stable, and laid in a manger? (Luke 2:7) God works in unexpected and humble ways and places, but always true to His nature and character. 
• Jesus said “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11 & 14) The scribes and priests in answering Herod’s question about Jesus’ birthplace quoted the prophet who said the ruler to come would shepherd God’s people. (Matthew 2:6, quoting Micah 5:2) Who better to be among the first to see and recognize Him than other shepherds, on the night of his birth? (Luke 2:8-17) Jesus shows us how to live right, and shepherds us to do so. He is the Good Shepherd.
• Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths, which was a sign to the shepherds. (Luke 2:12) When Lazarus came out of the tomb he was wrapped in cloths and napkins, but he had been raised from the dead. (Luke 11:44) Jesus is the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25)
• Jesus said “I am the bread of life.”  (John 6:35, 48, 51)  He was born in the village of Bethlehem, which translated from Hebrew is the house of bread. Jesus is, and will provide both earthly and spiritual sustenance.
• Micah had prophesied that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) Mary lived in Nazareth. (Matthew 1:26) In order to get Mary to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth, God arranged for a census of the entire Roman Empire to require everyone to return to his ancestral home to be taxed. Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David. (Luke 2:1-4) God will organize events in the whole world in order to accomplish His purposes.
• Wise men (magi) came from the east to worship Him. (Matthew 2:1-12) Jesus later contrasted His generation  to the Queen of the South who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. (Matthew 12:42, Luke 11:31) The magi came to worship because they were wise. But Jesus was greater than Solomon. The wise men knew it, presumably because they knew the prophecies. Divine visitation transcends human wisdom. The magi knew that, too.
• The magi asked Herod, “where is the one who is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2) The genealogy of  Joseph and Mary is delineated in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Generations of natural descendants of David had not produced one born king of the Jews. But Jesus’ title as king of the Jews is derived from Him being the son of God. Therefore, Jesus is the true vine. (John 15:1 & 5) He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 
• A star guided the magi to find Jesus. (Matthew 2:2, 9-10)  Whether this was a supernatural occurrence or a providential sign is a secondary issue.  Zechariah prophesied that John the Baptist would prepare the way for the sunrise from on high. (Luke 1:78) Jesus lights everyone’s path, showing the way to Him if we follow His light.  Jesus is the light of the world. (John 1:9, 8:12; 10:5)
• Herod killed a large number of children to try to get rid of Jesus. (Luke 2:16-18) This is reminiscent of Pharaoh’s attempt to eliminate Moses with the Hebrew newborn males. (Exodus 1:16-22) Although Herod the Great died shortly after this event, his son had the opportunity to judge Jesus. (Luke 23:6-12) Curiously, he did not pass judgment on Jesus, but sent Him back to Pilate, who on behalf of the Roman Empire had Jesus killed.  Evil will try to destroy good, but God will defeat it. God directed Joseph to protect Jesus, and rendered justice to Herod. God protects His people from evil. 

What is the point? The recorded details of Jesus birth are intimately tied to various aspects of God’s work with the Jews, and to the life, ministry, and the redemption of mankind achieved by Jesus. They are not incidental to the story. When we celebrate the nativity, we are (or should be) joyous to celebrate all of the dimensions of God’s interactions with humankind. We can’t ultimately resolve the tension between God’s foreknowledge and our free will, accepting that both are partial perspectives on a greater reality that we don’t understand. But what we see in these threads of spiritual truth is that God’s sovereign will will be accomplished in all of the facets of life which come into contact with it throughout time and human history. God’s plan of redemption and Jesus’ incarnation demonstrates the interaction of these threads with human history. The key question for us is how is God’s sovereignty intersecting our personal lives in these dimensions, and do we recognize it, outside of the Bible’s Christmas narrative?

• God brings life supernaturally.
• Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
• Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
• Jesus is the light of the world.
• Jesus protects His people from evil. 
• God works in unexpected and humble ways and places, always true to His nature and character. 
• Jesus is the Bread of Life.
• God will organize events in the whole world in order to accomplish His purposes. 
• Wise men recognize that God’s presence transcends human wisdom.
• Jesus Christ is rightfully King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

The real challenge of Christmas is how we will respond to the intersection of these threads of God’s sovereignty with our own lives. 

Book Review: Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brian Pitre

 Subtitle: Unlocking the secrets of the Last Supper

 This deep dive into Jewish history and culture carefully links many different aspects of the Old Testament to the Passover Celebration by Jesus on the night He was betrayed, as well as the things Jesus said about it and Himself. This includes:

•      The first Passover and the ceremony Moses transmitted on God’s behalf to help the Israelites remember His deliverance of them;

•      The manna that God miraculously provided daily in the wilderness for forty years;

•      The table of showbread (bread of the Presence) in the tabernacle and temple, and the practices ordained for it;

•      Levitical laws regarding the eating of the blood of animals human flesh;

•      Jewish culture and writings (outside the Torah) regarding expectations of a coming Messiah to lead them to a new promised land, after the manner of Moses;

 

In the New Testament record of Jesus’ words and actions, this book cites the explanations that Jesus Himself gave for establishing the Christian practice of Holy Communion as a command for all believers.

•      In John 6:51, He discussed the topic of eating His flesh and drinking His blood to have eternal life, and linked bread to flesh.

•      In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:11), He taught us to pray for daily bread daily, but the choice of Greek words suggests this was not just providential provision, but supernatural manna-like spiritual provision we are to seek each day.

•      At the Last Supper, when he commanded His disciples to “do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25), He explicitly linked Passover to His death on the cross, and to His command to thusly remember Him.

•      As a seldom noted detail, He postponed drinking the fourth cup of the traditional Jewish Seder celebration until His death on the cross, to precisely fulfill the type.

 

The author, Brian Pitre, being Catholic, makes the case that these items, taken together, constitute compelling evidence for the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the elements of the Eucharist. I feel the discussion is incomplete. The difference between interpreting words as being a type, a metaphor, a symbol vs. the assertion of a genuine spiritual reality is at the heart of interpreting Scripture. So the meticulous tracing of Jewish roots for the Last Supper and the Lord’s Supper ends falling short.

Book Review - Living Fearless by Jamie Winship

Jamie Winship was a D.C. police officer for several years before beginning his career in foreign countries ministering to Muslims. It is hard to understand how his work helping unsettled people come to terms with their true identity and their fears and their situation could have been separated from his presentation of the gospel, because to him they were and are a single, integrated way of seeing life. But finding your true identity in God opened the door in approaching Muslims.

The author presents a few key principles.

•      If we don’t derive our identity from God, worldly or fleshly things (such as our job, finances, ambition, family, desires, etc.) will define who we are, and we will be perpetually afraid that we won’t measure up.

•      We have a false identity, which is based on false evidence appearing real (FEAR).

•      A step in evicting this false identity is truth-telling, being real about ourselves. Satan can’t stand truth-telling.

•      Fear is a reaction telling us to be alert, but we must not let fear dictate our decisions. Decisions must be based on what God says to us, personally and in His word.

•      If we ask God how He sees us, and act in accordance with His view of our identity, we have the assurance and security that He has our back.  Even if we fall short, He will make it right, so we need not fear. So we need to ask Him what He sees us as.

•      Finding our identity in God is an ongoing, continuous process, but has a starting point. Some people hear from God immediately and some need a few months to discern His voice.

•      Our understanding of our God-given identity continues to be refined all our lives, but the core of who He sees us as remains solid and unchanging.

•      We should ask God two questions on a daily basis, in every situation:

•      What do You want me to know?

•      What do You want me to do?

If we ask ponderous questions about theology or why things are the way they are, we are likely muddying the waters.

 There are also many podcasts and interviews in which Jamie expounds on one or more of these principles. In addition, he often tells stories that are not included in the book.

•      He explains how, as a new police officer, he found a kidnapped child by asking the Lord and then following his gut.

•      He talks about his son’s skateboard ministry that started in sixth grade, and continued through high school, through two tours in foreign countries.

•      He was in a remote part of some apparently God-forsaken wilderness with the leaders of a small tribe. He had a team of three, their hosts set a table for four. When they asked why, they were told that the fourth was for their bodyguard, who was standing outside, a very large man with a sword. They couldn’t see him but the natives could.

The total scope of Jamie’s ministry and worldview is far too complex to summarize quickly, or even be contained in a single book. The core message is that if we get our identity from God and pursue life based on who He says we are, we can overcome the lies of Satan and the world about who we are, to live the life God calls us to. And we need to ask God in every situation what He wants to tell us about the circumstances and what He wants us to do. The stories he tells should encourage believers of all ages to step out in faith when the Lord prompts them.

Book Review - The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius

Translated by Victor Watts

Writing shortly before his death in 524 AD, Boethius summarized his worldview that integrated the classics and Christianity. In this dialog between a prisoner on death row (himself) and an old woman who embodied  the wisdom of Philosophy, they discuss five main themes.

I.          Why do the wicked enjoy power and happiness while the righteous suffer for crimes they are innocent of?

II.       What are the true blessings of fortune?

III.    How can power, fame, wealth compete with the good of knowing God in bringing true happiness?

IV.    How does God use what appears to be fate or fortune to train the good and (ultimately)  punish the wicked?

V.       How can we reconcile man having free will with God’s foreknowledge?

Boethius is not explicitly Christian in his philosophic discourses - no references to Jesus or the New Testament. History reports that he was a believer. He has philosophy say nothing inconsistent with Christian beliefs, but the content deals rather with how to reconcile a transcendent, loving, and holy God with life in this world as we experience.  The philosophical answers make sense from this perspective. There are many deep thoughts, such as trying to explain what God being eternal means, and why we can’t fully comprehend this from our perspective living in a space-time continuum. Discussion of how God uses tribulation to form and discipline His children follows biblical precepts from both old and new testaments. (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:4-11)

Boethius was struggling with his imminent execution for crimes of which he was innocent. His consolation was that he was innocent and that he was true to his character of being good, and that God, who is good, sees and knows all. But for a man on death row this seems incomplete, without mentioning the redemption and eternal life that Jesus promised those who trust Him. What follows death in this life is not only promised, but demonstrated with power in the resurrection of Christ. On this issue, theology trumps philosophy because it is based on real, miraculous (supernatural) events, not just logic and reason based on precepts. And eternal life is offered to anyone, not just a consolation offered to a philosopher. The problems that Boethius struggled with are real problems, but they are resolved by the cross, not the philosophers’ discourse.

The ethnic fallacy and its kin

The presence of ethnic groups outside their homeland sometimes leads to claims that the homeland government should annex the territories where these emigres are a majority. This has been used as a pretext for Russia’s invasion of the Crimea and Ukraine, China’s claim to Taiwan, Hamas’ invasion of Israel, among others. But migration has been a fact of life for all of recorded history, and noted at least in Genesis 11:8-9, in which God was the author of spreading people across the earth, and it was directly linked to people speaking different languages. He also spells out His purpose in doing so, in Genesis 11:6-7, that He did not want the people of the earth to be one people with a single language, because nothing would be impossible for them. In other words, they would rebel against God, and He would have to complete what he almost did in Noah’s day (Genesis 6:5-7). So different languages and migration both stem directly from God’s action in the days of the Tower of Babel.

Modern wars to reunite separated ethnic groups appear to be of the same genre, that the rulers of large, relatively homogeneous groups want to magnify their power by bringing distant groups under their authority. And we know that in the last days, this effort will be completed, although more on the basis of enforced religious observance than language or ethnicity. (Revelation 13:16-17) I infer that the same spirit that will empower the antichrist and false prophet in the last days is goading contemporary rulers.

 Having this as the root cause of these wars, we can see the futility of trying to resolve these conflicts with human logic, reasoning, appeals to conscience or morality, etc. War is hell, and the people who instigate them know full well that is what they are creating, because the demons of hell are prodding them in this direction. Efforts to get resolution on a human level can at best achieve temporary cessations in hostilities. It’s like trying to steer a semi by pushing on the back of the trailer.

 Jesus told His disciples that there was one condition for His return to earth in the Great Commission. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB) ‘All nations’ explicitly uses the Greek word ethnos, which refers variously to nations, tribes, gentiles, people-groups, and panta, the Greek word for all.

 The choice is stark. Language groups were separated because of the sinful aspirations of the builders of the Tower of Babel to become powerful so that they could operate without being subject to God (presumably to not be constrained by His nature and character) to make a name for themselves. That spirit continues to this day. Rulers of large nations want to do this, hence wars and threats of wars. Jesus told us that the good news of the forgiveness of sins through the acceptance of His sacrifice must be taken to every language and ethnic group, to overcome sin and enable humankind to live out the nature and character of God. Language groups were created as a mitigation for sin, not an incentive for it!

 And so, the conclusion is that we live in a world with wars and rumors of war, and must nonetheless work to spread the gospel. It is wrong to think that remote people of a certain ethnicity must be politically and militarily united; they must be evangelized!