Theology of the Cross and Theology of Glory
We began a new three week series on Theology. The Cross is the first in the series.
Make-Up:
We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.
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Lesson Highlights
Bible Text:
1 Corinthians 2:1–13
Lesson Focus:
God overturns human expectations.
Big Question:
What's so great about the cross?
Key Words:
THEOLOGY, THEOLOGY OF GLORY, THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS, EGOTISM, GRACE
Definitions of Key Words
THEOLOGY: thinking about God.
THEOLOGY OF GLORY: thinking about God that emphasizes human effort and conforms to cultural expectations of God and believers.
THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS: thinking about God that emphasizes God's work—rather than human work—and overturns cultural expectations of God and believers.
EGOTISM: the excessive use of "I."
GRACE: unearned love and acceptance.
The Message
In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul speaks of his personal weakness (and even his fear and trembling!) as he preaches about the mighty work of God accomplished through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. Paul makes it clear that his preaching is not about him and any thoughts of personal glory, but it is all about Jesus Christ and what he did for humanity by dying on the cross. Paul also says that God's wisdom is "secret and hidden" and that it is the Spirit alone who reveals God's intentions for humanity. The bottom line is that Paul is preaching from a theology of the cross. He isn't seeking to glorify himself in any way. In fact, he fully acknowledges his weakness here and in his other writings. He realizes that his preaching should focus solely on the cross of Christ, and it does. He knows that it is not about him and what he can do. It's all about what Christ did for us in his death. Christ alone can reconcile us with God.
Our contemporary culture is steeped in a theology of glory in which the individual is celebrated as the master of his or her own fate. Worldly success and riches are elevated and seen as "proof" of God's favor. Just watch TV and see how frequently sports and movie stars are the focus of news stories. In our culture, suffering, of any kind, is viewed as a grave weakness. Phrases like "If you really believed in Jesus, you wouldn't have gotten sick" or "Have you found Jesus and welcomed him into your heart as your personal savior?" are not uncommon among Christians whose focus is a theology of glory. They put the emphasis not on Jesus' saving death on the cross but on the actions of the believer. Judgments are often made whether or not others are acceptable to be in God's presence or in the company of believers, as if any human could make that decision.
Luther and his followers addressed this type of thinking that was present in his day, too. The Augsburg Confession states "our works cannot reconcile God or merit grace and forgiveness of sins, but we obtain this only by faith when we believe that we are received into grace on account of Christ, who alone has been appointed mediator and atoning sacrifice through whom the Father is reconciled" ("The Augsburg Confession," Latin, Article XX, Faith, 55.9 from The Book of Concord edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert).
This may be a difficult concept for you to comprehend. You have the drive to achieve, which is thrust on you at an early age in school and through the media. Our culture is based on a theology of glory. It's everywhere we look. The theology of the cross acknowledges that God alone is in charge of our salvation and we rely on God's grace. Our culture expects God to conform to societal expectations of power and authority; instead, we find God in a manger, eating with outcasts, and suffering on a cross?in the last places humans would reasonably expect to find a deity. Theology of the cross is inherently counter-cultural.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
No Crosstrainers on Feb. 20
Remember, we do not have Crosstrainers on Sunday, February 20th. However, I hope to see many (if not all) of you at church (in the worship service).
Friday, February 11, 2011
Help Needed: MMUTB
Hashbrown and Ham Casserole (We need at least 15 of these)
2 lbs. frozen hash browns, Southern style (thawed)
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pt. sour cream
1/2 c. chopped onions
10 oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages of cubed (not diced) ham
Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9 X 13 disposable aluminum pan. DO NOT BAKE…we will bake at the church.
Please bring to kitchen on Sunday, February 20th prior to the beginning of the 10:45 am service.
Please email Stacey Greathouse @ thesogmom@yahoo.com, if you will be bringing one.
Food Items
Six HUGE cans of green beans
Six HUGE bags of corn
150 rolls
Two big tubs of country crock
If you can bring the items, please email Stacey @ thesogmom@yahoo.com
Last month, we served 130 individuals. Our event is now held in a garage. We do not go out to them, they now come to us. However, many of them do live under the bridges of Indianapolis.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Make-Up: February 6: Ten Commandments: Pt. 4
Make-Up:
We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.
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On Sunday, February 6th, we looked at the 9th and 10th Commandments. This was our final lesson in our confirmation series. Below, you will see the overarching theme, a movie clip that we watched (with background information) and my message.
Bible Text:
Matthew 6:19–21
Lesson Focus:
We honor God when we are content with what we have and help others keep what they have.
Big Question:
Other people have so much more; how am I supposed to be grateful for what I have?
Key Words:
CONTENTMENT, COOPERATION, ALTRUISM, BENEVOLENCE
Definition of Key Words
CONTENTMENT: an inner sense of calm and peace. This is not to be confused with everything being perfect.
COOPERATION: working together toward a common aim.
ALTRUISM: doing something for the good of the other without regard to recognition or gain.
BENEVOLENCE: an act of kindness or generosity.
Movie Clip (Based on Scripture)
Scene Setup:
Tangled is a Disney remake of the children's story, Rapunzel--about a princess who is locked away in a tower by an evil woman posing as her mother, who kept her hidden from society and unaware of her true identity. On her 18th birthday, Rapunzel wants to escape the tower to pursue a lifelong dream. She accomplishes this with the help of a thief, Flynn Rider.
In this scene Flynn has yet to meet Rapunzel. He has stolen a jeweled crown from the palace and is now being pursued by palace guards—one riding the proud horse, Maximus. In the pursuit, Flynn knocks the guard off Maximus and tries to escape on the horse. Maximus is unwilling to help the thief and attempts to retrieve the stolen crown. Flynn however, will not relent.
Application:
Each of the two characters in this scene are pursuing something they want. Maximus wants to gain back the crown for the king, while Flynn selfishly wants the stolen crown for himself. One motive is noble while the other is a criminal offense.
When the pair reaches the cliff, the prize they both seek becomes precariously
perched in a dangerous situation. Neither Flynn nor Maximus weigh out the consequences of pursuing the prize. They both just go after it until it is too late and the branch breaks, plunging them to the depths below.Was it worth the price of a crown to potentially lose their lives?
We often chase after things in our own lives that are similar. There are times that our goals—the prize we chase—seem worthwhile, and valuable, and we won't let anything stop us from reaching it. Other times our goals are less noble, and may be purely selfish ambitions. Either way, pursuing something "no matter what the cost" may prove unwise.
Selfish ambitions often end in regrettable situations, as can noble pursuits. Decisions may seem wise at the time, only to leave us out on a limb in the end. There is only one crown in life that we want to pursue no matter what: The crown of life and being a disciple of Christ. Even then, Jesus tells us to count the cost.
The Message
In the First Commandment we encountered a demand from God that reveals our sin as not fearing, loving, and trusting God above everything else. In the Commandments that follow, God puts limits on our sinful actions and calls us into a life in which we love the Lord and our neighbors. If we think we've escaped God's judgment because we haven't broken the other Commandments, the Ninth and Tenth Commandments focus on those who typically think they're pretty good people.
In these last two Commandments, as with the others, God deals with our sinful will. While many traditions speak about free will, Lutherans have argued instead that, as sinful creatures, human beings have a bound will. This means that, while God gives us a will, in our sinfulness we're unable to find or heed the boundaries God establishes. We have an unbounded desire that doesn't recognize God's limits and that keeps putting ourselves at the center of all things. Luther called it a bound will because we just can't help it.
In the Large Catechism, Luther writes that when we think too highly of ourselves, we tend to let loose of our desires and will so that they get out of hand. If we can't see God in front of us, we begin to look for other powers we can trust. That usually comes down to us. So we make ourselves the center of our own universe, and we think our will and desires are the most important.
When we think the world revolves around us, we think of others in terms of what use they can be for us. How can someone else serve me? Why do others who deserve it less have what I should have? Mine! It should all be mine! Thus, while the First Commandment defines sin, the Ninth and Tenth Commandments show how our sinful actions develop out of our basic inability and unwillingness to trust God.
Wherever our sin gets loose in the world, our neighbor stands a good chance of being hurt. That's because by keeping ourselves at the center of things, we see others as less, as tools for us to use to get ahead. Envy creeps in. Keeping up with others becomes our goal. If we insist upon keeping ourselves at the center of our attention, we simply won't care about what our desires mean for others.
So in these Commandments God demands that we regard our neighbors as valuable fellow creatures whose relationships, bodies, lives, safety, reputation, and possessions are equally important to God.
Those who obey the Ninth and Tenth Commandments will keep in check their own desires for others' possessions, relationships, and status. That means they don't scheme and plot ways to get what others have, whether it's clothes, vehicles, the latest electronic gadget, or even their good name. Consequently, they begin to put the needs of their neighbors first.
Beyond this, God calls us to go the extra mile. Jesus tells his followers that if someone wants their coat, they should give that person their shirt too. We should do good even to our enemies and pray for those who want to hurt us (Luke 6:29). We are to watch out for others' needs: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned. And in all of life and with all people, we are called to help others keep what's theirs.
That's hard to do when the devil, the world, and our sinful selves are telling us things like, "First come, first served" and "Take care of yourself." The only way to do it is by realizing how little you really deserve from God, which is a very hard word to hear in today's culture.
After Martin Luther died in 1546, his friends found a scrap of paper in his pocket on which he had scribbled a few words: "We are beggars. This is true." He meant that even though God brings our daily bread to us in so many ways each day, we know that sinners like us don't deserve a bit of it. In truth, deserving has nothing to do with it. Certainly we don't deserve God becoming human in Jesus and then dying for our salvation.
But when we learn how much Christ does for us, it creates what Psalm 51 calls "a clean heart." We can relinquish our hold on the center of the universe. Our unbounded desires will focus on faithfulness in an unbounded service to our neighbor and an undying praise of God. When the fullness of God's mercy hits beggars head-on, even they have something to share.
We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
On Sunday, February 6th, we looked at the 9th and 10th Commandments. This was our final lesson in our confirmation series. Below, you will see the overarching theme, a movie clip that we watched (with background information) and my message.
Bible Text:
Matthew 6:19–21
Lesson Focus:
We honor God when we are content with what we have and help others keep what they have.
Big Question:
Other people have so much more; how am I supposed to be grateful for what I have?
Key Words:
CONTENTMENT, COOPERATION, ALTRUISM, BENEVOLENCE
Definition of Key Words
CONTENTMENT: an inner sense of calm and peace. This is not to be confused with everything being perfect.
COOPERATION: working together toward a common aim.
ALTRUISM: doing something for the good of the other without regard to recognition or gain.
BENEVOLENCE: an act of kindness or generosity.
Movie Clip (Based on Scripture)
Scene Setup:
Tangled is a Disney remake of the children's story, Rapunzel--about a princess who is locked away in a tower by an evil woman posing as her mother, who kept her hidden from society and unaware of her true identity. On her 18th birthday, Rapunzel wants to escape the tower to pursue a lifelong dream. She accomplishes this with the help of a thief, Flynn Rider.
In this scene Flynn has yet to meet Rapunzel. He has stolen a jeweled crown from the palace and is now being pursued by palace guards—one riding the proud horse, Maximus. In the pursuit, Flynn knocks the guard off Maximus and tries to escape on the horse. Maximus is unwilling to help the thief and attempts to retrieve the stolen crown. Flynn however, will not relent.
Application:
Each of the two characters in this scene are pursuing something they want. Maximus wants to gain back the crown for the king, while Flynn selfishly wants the stolen crown for himself. One motive is noble while the other is a criminal offense.
When the pair reaches the cliff, the prize they both seek becomes precariously
perched in a dangerous situation. Neither Flynn nor Maximus weigh out the consequences of pursuing the prize. They both just go after it until it is too late and the branch breaks, plunging them to the depths below.Was it worth the price of a crown to potentially lose their lives?
We often chase after things in our own lives that are similar. There are times that our goals—the prize we chase—seem worthwhile, and valuable, and we won't let anything stop us from reaching it. Other times our goals are less noble, and may be purely selfish ambitions. Either way, pursuing something "no matter what the cost" may prove unwise.
Selfish ambitions often end in regrettable situations, as can noble pursuits. Decisions may seem wise at the time, only to leave us out on a limb in the end. There is only one crown in life that we want to pursue no matter what: The crown of life and being a disciple of Christ. Even then, Jesus tells us to count the cost.
The Message
In the First Commandment we encountered a demand from God that reveals our sin as not fearing, loving, and trusting God above everything else. In the Commandments that follow, God puts limits on our sinful actions and calls us into a life in which we love the Lord and our neighbors. If we think we've escaped God's judgment because we haven't broken the other Commandments, the Ninth and Tenth Commandments focus on those who typically think they're pretty good people.
In these last two Commandments, as with the others, God deals with our sinful will. While many traditions speak about free will, Lutherans have argued instead that, as sinful creatures, human beings have a bound will. This means that, while God gives us a will, in our sinfulness we're unable to find or heed the boundaries God establishes. We have an unbounded desire that doesn't recognize God's limits and that keeps putting ourselves at the center of all things. Luther called it a bound will because we just can't help it.
In the Large Catechism, Luther writes that when we think too highly of ourselves, we tend to let loose of our desires and will so that they get out of hand. If we can't see God in front of us, we begin to look for other powers we can trust. That usually comes down to us. So we make ourselves the center of our own universe, and we think our will and desires are the most important.
When we think the world revolves around us, we think of others in terms of what use they can be for us. How can someone else serve me? Why do others who deserve it less have what I should have? Mine! It should all be mine! Thus, while the First Commandment defines sin, the Ninth and Tenth Commandments show how our sinful actions develop out of our basic inability and unwillingness to trust God.
Wherever our sin gets loose in the world, our neighbor stands a good chance of being hurt. That's because by keeping ourselves at the center of things, we see others as less, as tools for us to use to get ahead. Envy creeps in. Keeping up with others becomes our goal. If we insist upon keeping ourselves at the center of our attention, we simply won't care about what our desires mean for others.
So in these Commandments God demands that we regard our neighbors as valuable fellow creatures whose relationships, bodies, lives, safety, reputation, and possessions are equally important to God.
Those who obey the Ninth and Tenth Commandments will keep in check their own desires for others' possessions, relationships, and status. That means they don't scheme and plot ways to get what others have, whether it's clothes, vehicles, the latest electronic gadget, or even their good name. Consequently, they begin to put the needs of their neighbors first.
Beyond this, God calls us to go the extra mile. Jesus tells his followers that if someone wants their coat, they should give that person their shirt too. We should do good even to our enemies and pray for those who want to hurt us (Luke 6:29). We are to watch out for others' needs: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned. And in all of life and with all people, we are called to help others keep what's theirs.
That's hard to do when the devil, the world, and our sinful selves are telling us things like, "First come, first served" and "Take care of yourself." The only way to do it is by realizing how little you really deserve from God, which is a very hard word to hear in today's culture.
After Martin Luther died in 1546, his friends found a scrap of paper in his pocket on which he had scribbled a few words: "We are beggars. This is true." He meant that even though God brings our daily bread to us in so many ways each day, we know that sinners like us don't deserve a bit of it. In truth, deserving has nothing to do with it. Certainly we don't deserve God becoming human in Jesus and then dying for our salvation.
But when we learn how much Christ does for us, it creates what Psalm 51 calls "a clean heart." We can relinquish our hold on the center of the universe. Our unbounded desires will focus on faithfulness in an unbounded service to our neighbor and an undying praise of God. When the fullness of God's mercy hits beggars head-on, even they have something to share.
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