Contemplating the Glory of God

Someone else shared this with me, so I thought I would share it with you--that you might also "contemplate the glory of God." 

P.S. I think you should read this while listening to this song. :)

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
—Philippians 2:5-8

This text is set apart in its description of Jesus becoming a human being. It seems that often readers focus so much on the humility of Christ detailed in verses 6-8 that the exaltation of Christ in verses 9-11 only plays the part of an exegetical crescendo. The grammatical connection between verses 6-8 and verses 9-11 is an obvious "therefore." But there is also a conceptual connection unpacked in verses 9-11 that I think sheds light on how we understand what precedes the "therefore" in verses 6-8.

Richard Bauckham's essay, God Crucified, has really helped me to understand that Paul's primary concern is not Jesus' what-ness, but his who-ness, or identity. Paul alludes to Isaiah 45:23 in verses 9-11 and declares that Jesus is the divine identity. Jesus is raised from the dead by the Father and His divine identity is proclaimed—Jesus is the LORD, the one true God to whom one day all flesh will come.

If Paul's concern is the identity of Christ rather than the faculties of his deity, how would this affect our reading of Jesus' humiliation? I think that because the issue is about divine identity that the "equality with God" in verse 6 is less about the divine privileges of how much "god-ness" Jesus gave up, and more about how He yielded the vindication of His identity to the Father.

The glory of Jesus' humiliation was not Him coming to earth as anything less than who He was. Jesus was not God with His 'arms tied behind his back,' nor did He renounce his deity in some type of kenotic cleverness. The glory of Jesus' humiliation was that He did everything that He did as God. The wonder of the cross is not the death of a man who was the shadow of deity, but the death of God who had become a man. It was God as a man who hung there and heard the scoffing:

“He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” (Luke 23:35-37)

And yet Jesus was silent. He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. His identity was challenged and He opened not his mouth. Here is humility: Silent to His death. Silent to His grave. Silent for three days. Silent until the Father raised Him from the dead and declared Him to be the Son of God in power!

© 2010 Desiring God

My New Pet Peeve

The other day, I was at the mall looking for different pieces to put together my Halloween costume.

While I was there, I discovered the most hideous new trend in fashion:

Jeggings.

Jeggings are leggings that are made to look like tight denim jeans. Okay, so they look pretty good on that girl. But I'm sure that less than one percent of the population can pull them off; however, we all know that something like thirty percent of them will try it anyway. Just when it seemed like fashion was starting to favor those erring on the side of modesty, it seems like pants are getting tighter and dresses are getting shorter. Which wouldn't be so much of a problem if, while looking for a dress, you found one that actually looked like you could sit down in it.

I'm all for being trendy, but I guess I'm not girlie enough because, when push comes to shove, I will usually choose function first and fashion second.

Hand Sanitizer

Autumnal

I don't know why, but I really like that word:  autumnal. :)

Last Saturday, our church held a little family fall festival as a way to fellowship together and reach out to our community. There were inflatables for the kiddos:

There were also some really neat areas set up with different games, experiments, crafts, face-painting, and the like:

I believe they were making lava lamps here.

Ah, the joust! Always reminiscent of fall, doncha think?

Plinko!

And, what is fall without at least one hayride?

Of course, you cannot have a gathering without food! We had a chili cook-off as well as a pie-judging contest (neither of which I participated in--I made brownies--but I did partake of them!). And hot dogs. Yum.

Our Awana group had a dunk tank for children to dunk their leaders and such. For every friend a child brought to Awana, they received one free throw at the target--hopefully achieving this:

Talk about dedication!

One of the men in our church, a chemistry professor, gave a little chemistry show for kids and their parents. There was foam, explosions, and even a gospel message through it all.

A chemical version of the wordless bracelet.
...Look at that lab coat!

It was a perfect day for being out in the sun, eating, and talking with friends. I even saw some new faces!

Long or Short?

Right now, my hair is at that frustrating middle stage:

Sometimes, I really want to grow it out, and sometimes, I just want to chop it all and get rid of it. So, I guess I what I want to know is, "What do you think?" Should I let it grow out?

Or cut it short again?

Post your opinion by checking out my poll on the right!

The Grand Tour

It seems like it was only yesterday that I posted about getting settled in and how I would soon have pictures for you. After having our friend, Vern, stay over Monday through Tuesday during his 20-days-on/eight-days-off schedule (yikes!), I decided to finally take some pictures while the place was all in order. :) So, with what little battery I had left, I flitted about the apartment, quickly snapping photos before supper and rushing off to Awana. Instead of posting all of them here, I made a little slideshow for your viewing enjoyment! The pictures are a little grainy because of the lighting and my hurried state causing me to not always wait for the camera to get into focus. There are still some things that I want to change, but in general, I am pretty satisfied with how everything has turned out.  I may be a little prejudiced, though--in the words of Jane Austen, "How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!" Nonetheless, enjoy!

P.S. Check out the dresser Jordan made! His plan is to make a whole bedroom set for us. :D

"Our Home"

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Album Review: "Until The Whole World Hears"--Casting Crowns

I wish I could just gush about this album. Jordan's sister gave it to him as a gift for Christmas, and I fell in love with it! I have always enjoyed Casting Crowns' music--it is hard-hitting and truthful, with amazing instrumentals and vocals. And while I don't often listen to their first album (their six-year-old debut), I find that I can never really tire of their songs because they never stop being true and I always need to hear what they have to say.

The title of Crowns' fourth studio album, Until The Whole World Hears, comes from lead singer and songwriter Mark Hall's mentor, who would always end his e-mails with the phrase. This is the rocky single many people have heard on the radio calling listeners to "ready yourselves"--you know, the one with all the "Whoa-oa-oas" and some excellent electric guitar riffs. :) The second track on the album "If We've Ever Needed You" is a song about crying out to God in desperate need. This song is followed by "Always Enough," a sweet, piano-led melody inspired by a student in Hall's youth group who lost his father in Afghanistan. The line "In a dry and weary land, Lord, You are the rain" ends the song and, I think, sums up its message. 

"Joyful, Joyful" is a fun, rockier version of the 1907 hymn set to Beethoven's classic "Hymn to Joy." You can't help but love the violin on this one, as well as the way the group breaks out during the chorus. And the tracks "At Your Feet" and "Blessed Redeemer," my two favorite songs on Until The Whole World Hears, are filled with striking harmonies that I can never get enough of. I just can't help it--I'm a sucker for good harmony, and violinist Melodee DeVevo does it oh, so well. In fact, my friend, Jenny, and I are going to sing the latter at church on the 17th, which is why this is at the forefront of my mind once again. Not only do I love the story of this 21st century rendition of the 1920's hymn, but I am enamored by the sound, as well.

The song "Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)" amazingly describes the gospel in the chorus:

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

Based on Psalm 63, "Holy One" is another e-guitar-led tune calling everyone to praise the Holy One--a call Casting Crowns makes difficult to ignore. "To Know You" and "Mercy" are songs that speak of brokenness and finding rest in the One who is enough. You'll find that "Jesus Hold Me Now" is a song based off of the story in Luke 15 about the prodigal son. Mark Hall describes it this way:  "The Prodigal Son is a big story for me. I always thought it was amazing how they never mention his name. That’s because I think he has a lot of names and one of them is Mark." Lastly, you may stumble upon the "secret" song, "Shadow of Your Wings," which is a precursor to Holy One that originated with the youth group band and was one of the first "up-beat rocker songs" Mark had ever written.

Okay, so I know that my reviews are totally prejudiced (I'll admit it, Ryan) nor are they very technical, but I will honestly share whether or not I like something and why. And, honestly, I find it difficult not to like anything on this album. Normally, you have that one song that you always skip, but not on this one (except maybe the secret song, but that doesn't count, does it?). Until The Whole World Hears is an encouraging, convicting collection of songs with just the right variety of slower and up-tempo songs. I love that, in one song, I can feel the electric guitar leading the way, in another the piano, while in another it's the violin--and all of the combinations in between. This is definitely a must-try. Hop on Pandora or Grooveshark and see what I mean!

Digital Devices

I publish the monthly newsletter for our church; in it, I have a small column entitled, "Digital Devices." "Digital Devices" is a continuing segment that aims to provide readers with God-honoring digital and online tools to aid in their pursuit of knowing and loving God and His people. Having a little more space to fill, I wrote the following:

Recently, I have been researching e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook. I love the idea of having so many books at my fingertips at one time, as well as the frugality of acquiring many novels and study materials at half price; however, I do realize that, while the reader may pay for itself in savings, it would also cause me to purchase more books. Researching this product and talking about it with others has caused me to reflect on my conflicting desires. On the one hand, I really would like to possess "the latest thing;" on the other hand, I do not want to feel cheated and would like to know that I am getting my money's worth by not spending more than someone else did. All of this led me to wonder, "How has the evolution of electronics caused us to view wealth and materialism?"

While looking to shed some light on my question, I stumbled upon a dictionary topic about this very subject in the Holman Bible Dictionary by D. Glenn Saul. In it, he discusses the Bible and wealth as well as the Bible and materialism:

The Bible has two basic attitudes toward wealth. In the first place, wealth is acknowledged to be a blessing from God. This can be seen from the witness of the Old Testament. God chose Abram and promised to bless him and make his name great (Genesis 12:1-3). In the process, Abram became rich (Genesis 13:2). Further, we are told that God blessed Isaac; and he became very rich (Genesis 26:12-14). Solomon's wealth was seen as a sign of God's favor (1 Kings 3:13; 1 Kings 10:23). Job, too, was blessed by God, and his wealth increased greatly (Job 42:12).

Saul goes on to say that poverty is not a sign of God's disfavor. "In the parable of the seed and the sower Jesus warned that riches and the pursuit of pleasure may keep some from maturing in the faith. ...Personal worth and success are not to be measured in terms of material wealth or possessions. This is different from the way that the world views possessions." 

© Mattwatt | Dreamstime.com

Clearly, we are supposed to be different from the world in this. It seems that now, more than ever, we face the temptation of wanting "the latest thing." Who wants a second generation version when the fourth generation was just released? Who wants a 36-inch television, when your neighbor has a 50-inch one? Should I upgrade to a Blu-ray Disc player? We say that money has no power over us, then we contradict that with our lives.

When I was sixteen, I dreamt about the fancy cars I wanted. I knew that having a brand-new, shiny vehicle would somehow give me that sigh of contentment. Instead, I got the '94 Geo Metro passed down to me. What a blow.

Now, I realize that there are much better things I could spend my money on than a new car that loses its value so quickly. Yet, I wonder if I consistently invest my money in the things Christ sees value in.

For a while members of the Jerusalem church pooled their resources for the common good (Acts 2:44-45). To provide for the needs of those in their midst, owners of land and property sold it and gave it to the apostles (Acts 4:34-35). While this kind of sharing may not be a requirement, it provides a model for the responsibility that Christians have for one another.

Saul reminds us that Jesus viewed money or wealth as a spiritual power, "identifying wealth as an object of worship, a rival to God." He also reminds us of the encouragement in Hebrews to "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5, NRSV)." We have learned that the problem is not with money—the problem is with us. We can easily be led astray by the attraction that we find in the things money can buy. "Paul may be implying that people who love money will resort to all kinds of things to get it. The desire for money has a way of enslaving the person seeking it."  Romans 6:6 tells us that "our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

Christians are to learn to possess money and not be possessed by it. Wealth is to be channeled into ministries that serve people and spread the gospel. The pursuit of wealth as an end in itself, or the desire for luxury and personal indulgence are evidences of materialism. Christians must take a stand against the persistent idolatry of materialism that focuses on the material stuff of this world and not God.