Clement's First Letter to God's Community at Corinth - Section 2

                On top of all of this, you all were prime examples of humility being not at all arrogant. None of you had to have it your own way - you were all givers instead of takers. What God had given you was enough since your meditation and practice of his way - especially of how he had suffered for you - filled you from the inside out. Because of this, you all received an obvious and plentiful peace. You all constantly wanted to do more good and the Holy Spirit empowered everyone of you to do so. All of your minds were so focused on God's greater plans that, if anyone did make a mistake and acted wrongly, then that one would turn to our powerful God with honest remorse and confidently seek his mercy to right the situation. With every waking hour, you all sincerely desired that everyone who would be a part of God's community would be freed from brokenness and set right by his mercy. You all were genuine without faking it in any way - forgiving each other in every situation. Arguments causing divisions and the forming of cliques were not acceptable to any of you. When anyone's neighbor acted wrongly, you all felt the pain of it as if their weaknesses were your own. Each of you was constantly at the ready to go and do something good without complaining about being called to performing any act of kindness. Every one of you sported a good character and devoted life, being consistently mindful of God's will in everything any of you did. Each of you demonstrated that the words of our Lord had impacted you deeply and were a part of your very being.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 29 - The Mark Challenge

This past Sunday night we issued our middle school students a challenge to read the entire Gospel According to Mark in one month (actually 26 daily readings with some flex-time built in so they can catch up if something happens). They were to have started yesterday and we will meet up with them sometime after the end to have a discussion group. Their small-group leaders (me and the girls' group leader), will also check up with them during small-group time on Sundays. Along with this we produced a packet for the daily readings with study questions. I wrote the initial questions back in October and we did some major editing (trimming material to keep what was most important and to organize it into a usable format) to finalize everything last week.

I was thankful that we had so many BOYS who were EXCITED about this challenge! My past experience is that getting boys (of any age) to be excited about reading and answering questions is kind of like getting myself excited about going grocery shopping with mom - it just does not happen. I was also thankful to have a wonderful head youth pastor who was thrilled about doing this and who helped bring it to its 'final' state. I am also thankful for this concept of communal reading, study, and sharing. I think the Mark Challenge will be a great experience for these kids, many of whom will be reading an entire book of the Bible on their own for the first time! I also think that the kids' answers to the questions will give us (the leaders) a better idea of where they are at so that we can better serve them! I am looking forward to what this challenge brings!

For those who would like to join us in reading or adapt and use the questions for their own study, I will post it below. There are some typos we came across after the final printing but nothing that detracts from the point. Enjoy!

The Mark Challenge

__DAY 1 (1:1-20)

1. How did the way John the Baptist live connect to his mission?
2. Why was it important that Jesus was baptized?
3. What does it mean to be a “fisher of men”?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 2 (1:21-45)

1. What was different about the way Jesus taught?
2. Why wouldn’t Jesus let the demons speak or tell people who he was?
3. Read 1:35-39 again. What is the significance of this passage? What did Jesus get from prayer?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 3 (2:1-22)

1. Whose faith is Jesus responding to in 2:1-12 and what is significant about this? What is important about what Jesus does here?
2. What does Jesus mean in 2:17?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 4 (2:23-3:19)

1. What is significant about 2:23-28 and 3:1-6?
2. Were Jesus and his followers breaking the rules?
3. Why/why not (think about 2:25 and 3:4)?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 5 (3:20-35)

1. Do you think we become a house divided in our own lives when we talk bad about, or have a bad attitude towards our friends, family, or even church leaders? How does this affect a group?
2. What does Jesus say about being a part of his family?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 6 (4:1-34)

1. Explain the parable of the sower (4:1-20) in your own words.
2. What does 4:24 mean?
3. What do the parables in this section mean to you?
4. Why use parables as a teaching tool?
5. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
6. Questions and Comment

__DAY 7 (4:35-5:20)

1. What was Jesus getting at in 4:40?
2. What’s interesting about how Jesus handled the situation with the demon possessed man? Why do you think he handled it this way?
3. Why do you think the people wanted Jesus to leave after seeing the man healed (think also about where Jesus was at this point and what those people farmed)?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 8 (5:21-43)

1. Why do you think Jesus wanted to know who had touched him and been healed in the crowd?
2. How would you have reacted to the crowd’s response in 5:40? Why did Jesus put them out of the room and then tell those who were still in their not to tell others what had happened?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 9 (6:1-29)

1. Why were the people offended by Jesus in his hometown? What was the big deal? Why did this affect the miracles performed there?
2. What do you think about Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve? What does that have to do with having faith?
3. John spoke the truth even knowing what might happen to him, what is the lesson in this for us?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 10 (6:30-56)

1. What does the feeding of the 5,000 tell you about God?
2. Why does Mark connect the feeding with Jesus walking on water in 6:52?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 11 (7:1-30)

1. How can our own traditions/activities/customs/lifestyles get in the way of truly following God even if they seem good?
2. What does Jesus mean when he says that it is what comes out of a person that makes them unclean? (hint: He is not talking about going to the restroom)
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 12 (7:31-8:21)

1. Why did Jesus not want the deaf-mute man and his friends to tell anyone about his healing?
2. What did Jesus mean about the “yeast of the Pharisees”? How does this connect to them asking for a sign?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 13 (8:22-38)

1. Why do you think the man in 8:22-26 was healed in stages instead of immediately?
2. What do you think was going on in the disciples’ minds during 8:27-33?
3. Why is Jesus’ response in 8:34-38 significant? What does he mean?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 14 (9:1-29)

1. What do you think the disciples were thinking when all of this was going on?
2. Why do you think they said, “it was good for us to be here” (v.5)?
3. What was keeping the deaf and mute spirit from being driven away?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 15 (9:30-50)

1. Why would the disciples argue about who would be greatest? How does this show a misunderstanding about who Jesus is and why he came? How does Jesus correct this misunderstanding?
2. What’s the big picture of 9:38-41?
3. Why does Jesus use such extreme imagery in 9:42-50? What does he want us to understand?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 16 (10:1-31)

1. What do you think 10:15 means?
2. In your own words, how would you explain 10:23-31? How do you feel about what Jesus says here?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 17 (10:32-52)

1. What were James and John actually requesting (besides seats)? What was Jesus suggesting in his response? How does this connect to 10:41-45?
2. Why would people try to turn someone away from calling out to Jesus? How did blind Bartimaeus demonstrate faith? How did he respond to what Jesus did for him?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Question and Comments

__DAY 18 (11:1-33)

1. How would you react if Jesus told you to do what he told his disciples in 11:2-3?
2. Was it wrong for Jesus to do what he did in the temple courts? What was going on there?
3. What’s important about what Jesus says in 11:25?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 19 (12:1-27)

1. What is the meaning of the parable in 12:1-12? Why did the leaders know it was directed toward them?
2. What is the importance of 12:13-17?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 20 (12:28-44)

1. What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? What about loving your neighbor as yourself? How can you put this into practice? Why are these more important than any sacrifices?
2. What did Jesus have to say about the teachers of the law and how does this contrast with what he says about the widow’s offering?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 21 (13:1-37)

1. What does Jesus mean about us being alert?
2. Knowing what we know about the end, how should we live today?
3. How should this chapter motivate us?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 22 (14:1-31)

1. Why was it important for the woman to do what she did in 14:1-9? Why were the others so mad at her?
2. Why do you think the disciples responded as they did in 14:19 to the news that Jesus would be betrayed?
3. How would you react to Jesus’ statement in 14:27? Could you see yourself thinking like Peter here?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 23 (14:32-72)

1. Have you ever come up against a tough situation that you didn’t want to face? Why is it important that Jesus said “not what I will, but what you will”?
2. Why did the high priest take what Jesus says in 14:62 as evidence against him?
3. Like Peter, have you ever betrayed or let down someone you cared about? How did it feel? What did you do about it afterward?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 24 (15:1-20)

1. Why was Pilate amazed at Jesus’ silence?
2. Why do you think people were willing to release a murderer instead of Jesus?
3. How would you react to what the soldiers did in 15:16-20? How did Jesus handle it? Why was he able to do so?
4. How do these verses make you feel?
5. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?

6. Questions and Comments

__DAY 25 (15:21-47)

1. Why would Jesus not take the wine mixed with myrrh (a pain reliever)?
2. Jesus was crucified with two rebels, what does this tell you about what people in power thought about him?
3. Why did Jesus say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (If you get a chance, read Psalm 22)
4. What do you think Jesus’ followers where thinking while this was happening?
5. How do these verses make you feel?
6. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?

7. Questions and Comments

__DAY 26 (CHAPTER 16)

1. How would you react to find your leader’s tomb emptied and be told what the women were told?
2. What is the Good News in the book of Mark?
3. How should we respond to what Jesus did?
4. How does it feel to know you read the entire the book of Mark?

5. Questions and Comments

30 Days of Thanks - Day 26 - Eastern Thought

I am thankful for Eastern thought and how it helps me to better contemplate and explore my own faith. I say 'Eastern thought' as opposed to 'religion' or 'philosophy' because I feel those Western concepts do not adequately incorporate those concepts I am talking about and may neglect to exclude those concepts that I am not talking about. What I do refer to are basic mental concepts such as true natures along with the fluctuations and interdependence of yin and yang.

By the latter (yin and yang), I mean that I recognize that our life is made up of seasons. Seasons of being great and seasons of being small. Seasons for being active and seasons for being passive. Seasons for being flexible and seasons for being immovable. Seasons of forcing and seasons of yielding. Seasons to be the wind and seasons to be the kite.

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

One does not work without the other and excesses of either will ultimately lead to their collapse into the other (often my means which will be painful). I think we need to be open to the lead of the Holy Spirit to guide us through these times. Preoccupation with a 'comfort zone' sets us up for rude transitions, whereas God has walked a path before us so that we can enjoy and make the most of these times - if we will follow it.

I also mentioned that I connect with the concept of true (or inner) nature.

Benjamin Hoff quotes the writings of Chaung-tse in his The Tao of Pooh:

Hui-tse said to Chaung-tse, "I have a large tree which no carpenter can cut into lumber. Its branches and trunk are crooked and tough, covered with bumps and depressions. No builder would turn his head to look at it. Your teachings are the same-useless, without value. Therefore, no one pays attention to them."

"As you know," Chuang-tse replied, "a cat is very skilled at capturing its prey. Crouching low, it can leap in any direction, pursuing whatever it is after. But when its attention is focused on such things, it can be easily caught with a net. On the other hand, a huge yak is not so easily caught or overcome. It stands like a stone, or a cloud in the sky. But for all its strength, it cannot catch a mouse.

"You complain that your tree is not valuable as lumber. But you could make use of the shade it provides, rest under its sheltering branches, and stroll beneath it, admiring its character and appearance. Since it would not be endangered by an axe, what could threaten its existence? It is useless to you only because you want to make it into something else and do not use it in its proper way."

The apostle known as Paul had this to say on inner nature:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

- I Corinthians 12:4-30 (NIV)

In essence (no pun intended), we are all gifted with an inner nature - a place to fit and work and contribute - for the Kingdom of God. Part of the work of Christ was to free us from trying to be what we are not so that we can use this inner nature he has given us by working with the Holy Spirit. Part of what is wrong in this world is that we try to (or we insist that others ) function apart from the inner nature that the Father intended for us.

These are just a couple of (horribly brief and underdeveloped here) connections and I am thankful for the alternate perspective that has helped me to understand these important concepts better.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 20 - Ecclesiastes

It may be one of my favorite books in the Bible due to its sheer honesty about the human condition. An existentialist treatise written millennia before the births of the greats associated with that philosophical label, Ecclesiastes lets us see that the entirety of our lives - our works, struggles, successes, failures, etc. - is meaningless when we work toward self-fulfillment. By self-fulfillment I mean what the Teacher says in 4:4, "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Our inability to enjoy what we have and have been given robs our lives of beauty and meaning with which they were created. Our greed and covetous ambition makes us like the dog who, seeing the dog with a bone in his reflection in the river, drops his bone to chase after the empty image. It ends with a message far from the expected conclusion of a king. It does not suggest striving for glory or gain or good name or victory but simply . . .

Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Because our lives really are pointless unless they are pointing to something else much greater than they.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 19 - Ah-ha! Moments

You know what I am talking about. Those little moments when something just clicks in your head and it makes all of the difference. As someone who taught and still ministers to kids, too, this can be just as rewarding of an experience for the teacher as it is for the student. I think it can be these moments that make God smile when something the Holy Spirit has been trying to get through to us finally resonates in our minds or when we finally notice that nifty connection in Scripture.

I had one of these moments while I was reading in my Bible this past week. Something that happened in John 2 finally hit me on a much deeper level. It was about the miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. No, this is not some revelation that is going to give people another excuse to be drunken idiots - they have already twisted this Scripture enough for that purpose. This involves the jars used.

We are told in John 2:6 that, "Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons." These are the jars chosen to be filled with water which is then turned into wine. I have heard preachers try to argue that changing the water to wine was about making the dirty water into something useful but that is an interpretation that completely overlooks the fact that in verse seven Jesus tells them to fill the jars with water. These are clean jars. These are not jars that were just being used for washing. The water was as clean of water as they had available. The symbolism is not of dirty water being made into clean wine.

Think about it. These were the water jars to be used for ceremonial cleaning - a ritualistic washing that would be undone as time progressed. We also know that wine is later used as a symbol for Christ's blood in the Eucharist. So this ceremonial water, which was not sufficient, is transformed into a symbol for the cleansing blood of Christ that is sufficient. From this, verse ten takes on greater meaning as it describes much more than party provisions by alluding to Grace coming in to fulfill the Law. It also amplifies verse eleven when it says that He was revealing "His glory" and not just "His power".

30 Days of Thanks - Day 14 - Everything Matters

"For a brief time, I was here; and for a brief time, I mattered." - Harlan Ellison

We must face the fact that everything we do ultimately - through the cause and effect nature of our universe - matters. Someone is affected and, therefore, someone else is affected and so on ad infinitum. When we understand this, we should better value the time we spend here.

The Defective LEGO Set - The Necessity of Faith to Complete Logic

Grant me a moment to make a confession.

I LOVE LEGOs!

Ever since I was a lad, I've been fascinated by construction. The simple fact that we can take unassuming materials and synthesize them into something of greater use blows me away. As a child I was impressed by innovations and the inventors who brought them to life. That we could design and create using the minds and faculties given us still puts me in awe. Although today my awe is not of the materials, nor of our making, but of that greater Creator who has placed in us this ability as a reflection of Himself.

Still, I enjoy those little plastic building blocks. I have all of the Bionicle: Glatorian and Matoran first runs, with most of the vehicles as well as some of the Creator series plus whatever still exists in my parents' attic/basement. So . . . I'm a nerd but I figure being 24 doesn't mean I can't be 12 sometimes and I'm constantly being inspired by some of my kids' creations.

The great thing about LEGOs is that one brick is worthless by itself but, when combined with others, they can form a spaceship, a fire station, or a castle. They are the foundational materials for creation when placed in the hands of someone with a brain (which most people have - thus why zombies are a fear of those who don't use it).

Herein lies the point of this post: playing with LEGOs is analogous to working with logic.

In every situation we are presented with a problem. These problems have at least one solution each. To reach these solutions, we apply logic to the situation. We use combinations of the building blocks provided in the problem statement with those from our memory of similar experiences to reach each of the potential solutions following set patterns of logic. This is kind of like using the same blocks provided within a LEGO set to build different models by following different sets of instructions or developing our own models with those blocks using instructions from our memories to access new solutions based on how it "should" look. Essentially, we rearrange building blocks of thought to help us through the day and the methods we use to rearrange these blocks are made up of their own sets of blocks. It is all continual construction from fundamental discoveries mostly made early in life and some suppressed to the subconscious for those who don't choose to actively use logic. As such, we should be able to choose all of our outcomes through a simple completing of the set.

It seems simple (or I can break it down to seem simple); however, this process is marred by one problem: our LEGO set is defective.

Blocks or instructions in our minds are missing or faulty. We don't have complete knowledge in every situation and, by virtue of others' missing pieces, most of our interactions become further steeped in mystery. Logic fails where knowledge is lacking. In this system the best we can achieve is a few extra blocks to work with later.

So where does faith fit?

Faith is an action taken based on belief. It recognizes the imperfection of knowledge in our logic process and follows the path highlighted by belief. Faith says, "no," to all of the lesser but clearer options and says, "yes," to an option not seen by natural logic. Or, as the author of the epistle to the Hebrews puts it, "Now faith is the substance [building block] of things hoped for [the desired outcome], the evidence of things not seen [the logic path to that desired outcome]" (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV, emphasis and inserts mine).

Now faith may seem illogical to many as it takes a step to the side of natural understanding and holds onto a supernatural ("beyond/outside of the natural") understanding. Faith may even seem counter-active at a smaller scale but can work up to a positive outcome on a larger scale.

Case-in-point: Genesis 22:1-18

Here we have the case of Abraham. Told to sacrifice the "impossible" child of he and his wife's old age to the God who gave him this gift in the first place. The entire situation doesn't make sense. God has promised Abraham that He will make him a father of many nations through Isaac and yet here He is commanding Abraham to slaughter and immolate the boy. AND ABRAHAM IS GOING THROUGH WITH IT!

Obviously Abraham isn't being logical. Or is he?

Abraham knows that:

1. God gave him Isaac (an improbable gift) in the first place.
2. God made him a promise in Isaac that is based on the boy's survival.
3. God has told him to sacrifice Isaac.

Numbers 2 and 3 appear to contradict in the realm of natural logic and this is precisely what piques Abraham's interest. We have evidence of Abraham's thought process from what he says to his servants in verse 5: ". . . we will come back to you" (emphasis mine).

Abraham, recognizing the oddity of the situation, goes with it knowing that he will get Isaac back no matter what happens. He could not necessarily see the end result but he knew Isaac had to make it through and that it is worth it to obey God (that's how he got Isaac in the first place). Abraham took his "leap of faith" to complete the defective LEGO set. He figured that God would give him back Isaac in some way but he didn't know how, nor did he know why he was being asked to do this. He completed the logic using faith so that he could move through and beyond this decision. From this, Isaac was given a positive example of faith and his father's love. Abraham received his son and the blessing was passed on.

Everyone fills their logic gaps with something. Either emotions, 'feelings', or some other form of faith. Abraham acted on his faith in the relationship he had with God - Whom he believed had the perfect knowledge to complete logic.

It's impossible to avoid choices.

You have to fill the gaps with something.

How will you complete your defective LEGO set?