As we have continued in our series on Psalm 1 we have focused on what it means to be blessed. Our working definition of “blessed” is living God toward us. That means resting in the fact that all that God is He will be toward us. An application of this concept was seeing the parallelism between rest for the Israelites entering into the land parallels our rest in salvation and we have just barely scratched the surface.
Regarding the movement of sin in verse 1 we saw how one can walk toward sin, stand among it and then sit in the midst of the wicked.
The antithesis of this is too delight and mediate on God’s revelation of Himself; mainly, Jesus as the Word. To this point of staying focused on Jesus PostPaganBaby had a great line of thought, which I do not want to get lost in our last series of posts “Excursion Into Hebrews”.
PostPaganBaby said...
OK, Psalm 1, "Happy the man..." What is striking about this psalm is that Jesus fulfills it. He does not walk in the ways of the wicked and yet he keeps company with the wicked (namely you and me).
This is at times an overwhelming paradox. There are moments in my life when I don't consider myself "Christian" because of what I do or fail to do -- things that I once that were mandated by the Gospel but were in fact merely mandated by the dominant (i.e., pagan) culture.
Then I reflect on the ways in which Christ has permeated my life. I know of his presence through my wife, friends, and the "falling away" of certain evils that once threatened to destroy me.
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger says somewhere in "Introduction to Christianity" that our faith is not about ETHICS but about ONTOLOGY. That is, faith in Christ is not centered on simply (?) keeping the 10 commandments but allowing the grace of Christ to permeate all quarters of our lives.
So at times I feel I am "no better" with Christ than without him, but then I recall that it his presence that would allow me to think such a crazy thought (were I living without him, I would KNOW the disaster that ensues).
Sorry if I got a little Buddhistic on this, my first post to your blog, Dustin! Peace!
I don’t think that these comments are within the realm of a Buddhist reality; for if they were they would deny passion for the blain nothingness of nirvana. Instead, by being real about our human condition, they affirm that Jesus came to replace our passion for sin with a passion for Him! At this realization we follow Jesus’ way for our life not out of legalism to earn His favor, but by His grace.
3 comments:
Regarding Crumbs2’s second response within “Excursion In Hebrews” (Which is well suited here, because of my quoting PostPaganBaby).
Crumbs2, I could be wrong but I think PostPaganBaby agrees with you! PostPagan is saying that a lot of what we “DO” in church is “centered around maintaining a religious stereotype” (in your words). I agree with you (and I think PostPagan does as well) that consumerism in the church distracts us from reflecting Jesus!
Dusybutts, I think you're right that Crumbs2 and I are in substantial agreement.
Courtney, you may find it insane, but Ratzinger is a bishop and theologian of great stature within institutional Catholicism. Despite his (humanly-speaking) "high office" he understands well the nature of faith today. Europe, no less than America is full of religious externalism and Ratzinger counsels a return to Christ at the center of our religious lives. The alternative is indifference to Christ and/or some kind of substitution for Christ.
I too was raised Catholic at a time and place when Christ was neither the center of faith and life, nor was he shown to me by teachers or parents or priests. Or perhaps I simply wasn't open? In any case, I came to Christ with the encouragement of some Baptists who were heavily anti-Catholic. I later returned to Catholicism but still have a warm place in my heart for Baptists!
I'm not Catholic because of the purity of Catholics (if it were "purity" to be sought, I'd probably be a Buddhist!). I'm disgusted (but not surprised) by the pedophiles of the last fews years noterity (sp?). My wife and I recently went to California and had to endure an absurd phenomenon called "liturgical dancing." (Yes, CA seems stuck in a '60s time warp!) Girls dressed in black slinking around to strange music. I had to suppress laughter at the time, but if I had to attend that parish regularly, I fear I'd become homicidal!
Amid all these distractions, can Christ still be found? Surely. "I am with you always."
Amen.
The fractures among Christians is a cause for grief, but God can and does work through our differences. In general, I think, we are a long way away from the polemics and condemnations of the reformation/counter-reformation era. Still, I know there are misunderstandings.
How does one maintain a passion for truth (as one understands it and lives by) AND love others? I can only say that it is by seeing Christ in everyone. That I think is the challenge (not that I think I've lived up to the challenge!).
By becoming human, Christ has mysteriously united himself with all humanity. I say "mysteriously" because his love extends to those even who reject Him. He prayed that we'd "all be one" (somewhere in John), but precisely HOW is God's business. The best I think we can do is seek to understand each other.
After all, we're going to be stuck with each other for Eternity!
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