Theology on Tap: The Movement of the Spirit - Jesus, Pentecost, and Us

The rhythm of God’s Spirit and the community of faith.

In this session of Theology on Tap we engaged the movement of God’s Spirit in the books of Luke and Acts, with a focus on the Pentecost event as a catalyst for the community of faith.

These are my notes. 

 We did not engage the Holy Spirit in a doctrinal way. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit, specifically in its relationship with the Holy Trinity, did not develop until after the time of the writing of Luke and Acts.

This discussion was grounded in the movement of the Spirit of God that is presented in Luke and Acts.

For this discussion I worked with the book Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church, by Luke Timothy Johnson.

“The dominant characteristic of pneuma (Spirit) in the New Testament is its association with power (see Romans 1:4; 8:2-26; 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 12:3-13; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 3:5; 5:25), a power that elevates human capacities for knowing and speaking, touches humans in the capabilities of thinking and willing, and transforms humans into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).” (Johnson, 52)

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

We encounter this characteristic of the Spirit beginning with Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, moving into the community that Jesus starts in the Gospel and in Acts, continuing through the work of Paul and his associates in Acts, and still at work in our midst today.

Jesus promises his disciples that they will be “clothed with power from on high” in both Luke 24:49 and "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" in Acts 1:8. 

Movement of Luke/Acts

The narrative arc of Luke/Acts is important to understanding the movement of the Spirit. The author makes important statements using setting as a guide. From the perspective of the ruling powers at the time of Jesus, and Luke, the center of the world is Rome. Rome is the light. Galilee and the locations of the ministry of Jesus are on the margins of the world. To the Jewish people, the center of the world is Jerusalem - the center of political, economic, and religious life of the people.

Luke begins the Gospel on the margins of both - in Judea - on the margins. The ministry of Jesus will move him to the center of the Jewish world, but still at the margins of the Roman understanding.

The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, still on the margins according to those in power. But Jesus promises his disciples, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).” The movement of the Spirit will take the community of faith from the center of the world, according to the Jews, and move them into the margins. It’s a radical reversal for the status quo.

The light is not in fact Rome. The ultimate power is not in Rome. The power is at the margins, in the movement of God’s Spirit through Jesus and through the community of faith.

 The Spirit’s Movement through Jesus

From the beginning, the Spirit is a major character in the Gospel of Luke.

The Spirit is present with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who was thought to be barren. John is the forerunner of Jesus - the one who prepares the way.

The Spirit is present with Mary, the mother of Jesus - “The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ (Luke 1:35-37)”

The movement of the Spirit is present from the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry - the catalyst of his work in this world. We encounter this in his baptism.

Luke 3:21-22 - "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'"

“The reader is to understand from this point forward that the power at work in Jesus as God’s son is the power of God’s Spirit (Johnson, 57).”

This sets the tone for the entire Gospel. Jesus’ ministry unfolds through the power of the Spirit.

The movement of the Spirit, and it’s power in the life of Jesus, is articulated four times by Luke in chapter four.

Luke 4:1-2 - "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil."

Luke 4:14-15 - "Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone."

Luke 4:16-21 - "When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.'"

The life and ministry of Jesus is driven and empowered by the Spirit. This carries throughout the Gospel, all the way to the cross and the empty tomb of Easter. God’s power is at work in Jesus.

It is this same spirit that is promised to the disciples in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. This power is poured out upon the disciples in the event of Pentecost. The world has never been the same.

The Spirit moves at Pentecost and the disciples proclaim the story of God’s life-giving work through Jesus to all those who are present. Those of various languages are able to hear the Gospel proclaimed. That’s the power of the Spirit.

The Spirit drives the actions of the community of faith. It moves through Peter in his public witness of Jesus Christ - “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders…” Acts 4:8

The Spirit moved through new members of the community as the Word of God spreads - “What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.” Acts 6:5

The Spirit met Philip in the wilderness, in his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch - “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.” Acts 8:29-31 The eunuch is baptized because of this encounter.

Saul, renamed Paul, receives the Spirit in his call from Jesus to proclaim the Gospel - “So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:17-19

The movement of the Spirit, the power of the living God, is present throughout the spreading of the early church. This movement has not stopped. The story is still being written. We are continuing to experience the writing of this story with our own lives.

The movement of the Spirit is still at work today. We have been empowered by this same Spirit. The Spirit moves through us to write new chapters to God’s story.

A few parting thoughts from Luke Timothy Johnson.

“God as Holy Spirit moves ahead of human action and calculation and is capable of doing new things that are beyond human capacity or understanding (Johnson, 65).”

“At the most basic level, this perception (Holy Spirit as the symbol for the living God) leads the church - and every individual within the assembly - to grasp that the church is not answerable to itself or to its traditions, but to the presence and power that presses upon it at every moment (Johnson, 66).”

“If paying attention to the Holy Spirit’s work in the world is risk-filled, the failure to recognize the work of God in the world is more dangerous by far (Johnson, 67).”

“Luke’s point, however, is that God works through human agents, discloses his (sic) will through human spokespersons, finds expression for God’s spirit through human bodies (Johnson, 67).”

Theology on Tap - Resurrection

Theology on Tap Round V

Resurrection

Premise: Resurrection shapes the life of the community God is creating through the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels and the book of Acts.

There are two Greek words that we understand as the action of resurrection - literally, "to be raised":

ἐγείρω,v  \{eg-i’-ro}
1) to arouse, cause to rise  1a) to arouse from sleep, to awake  1b) to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life  1c) to cause to rise from a seat or bed etc.  1d) to raise up, produce, cause to appear

ἀνίστημι,v  \{an-is’-tay-mee}
1a) to cause to rise up, raise up  1a) raise up from laying down  1b) to raise up from the dead  1c) to raise up, cause to be born, to cause to appear, bring forward

The word ἐγείρω is used in Mark’s Gospel to describe Jesus’ own resurrection.
Mark 16:6-7 - “But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised (ἐγείρω); he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. (7) But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’”

If we follow the call of Mark to go back to Galilee, we find ourselves right back in chapter one of the Gospel. The Gospel can be seen as cyclical in this way. The call from the messenger at the tomb points us to where Jesus began his ministry. In the time when this story was told orally, this was an important hook for the audience. It gave the audience a choice of how they responded to the story. They could walk away and leave it as just a story. Or they could return to Galilee, experience the ministry of Jesus unfolding, and pattern their owns lives after what they had experienced. Going back to Galilee helps us to understand the wider scope of resurrection in the Gospel.

Resurrection takes place in the ultimate moment of being raised to new life by God at the moment of physical death. Resurrection also takes place in more subtle ways. Here we think of death in a metaphorical sense. We can have a pulse and move air and still be very much dead to the world. Here death is a metaphor for all that holds us back from living the full life that God has blessed us with in this world. In this metaphorical death we are held back from working, serving, playing, and living fully into to our identity as God’s people. We do not get to enjoy the benefits of life in community.

Throughout the Gospel we encounter Jesus raising people to new life - granting them the benefits and returning them to participation in life in the community. Literally resurrecting them in this world. So we go back to Galilee to witness this social aspect of resurrection.

In Galilee, Jesus begins his ministry after his testing in the wilderness with a sermon in the local synagogue. After the gathering is off to Peter’s mother-in-laws house for a bite to eat. But she is sick with a fever. What follow is the first moment of “resurrection” in the Gospel.

Mark 1:31 - “He came and took her by the hand and lifted (ἐγείρω) her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”

In this instant, Jesus resurrects Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. In here state of fever, she could not fulfill her identity as a child of God. She could not serve others and live out her call to hospitality. She is metaphorically dead to the community. Until Jesus raises her to new life. Once resurrected, she immediately lives into her identity as person of hospitality. Right there, as the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is enacting resurrection.

We encounter this over and over again in Mark’s Gospel.

Mark 2:11-12 
“I say to you, stand up (ἐγείρω), take your mat and go to your home.” 12 And he stood up (ἐγείρω), and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 3:1-5
“Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward (ἐγείρω).”

Mark 5:41-42
“He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up (ἐγείρω)!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement.”

In each of these moments we need to remember that the original audience probably heard this story told before they ever encountered it in textual form. When hearing the story, repetition of words is important. Mark’s use of ἐγείρω is a choice and the audience would not translate it in such a wide variety of meanings as we do today. They would, potentially, hear the word ἐγείρω over and over and build an image of what this concept means. When Mark uses it in connection with Jesus in 16:16, the image and action of resurrection would be complete. Jesus has been practicing all along what God will do for him on the first Easter.

Resurrection happens in real time! Social resurrection is happening now.

A key moment for Mark’s Gospel arrives in chapter ten when Jesus invites the crowd to participate in his ministry of social resurrection.

In the story of Bartimaeus, my favorite Gospel story (and the namesake of this blog), we have the tale of a man who gets invited to participate in life as a disciple of Jesus. This story is rich with metaphor.

Mark 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside( ὁδός, the way). 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up (ἐγείρω), he is calling you.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way (ὁδός).

The word in verse 46 that is translated “roadside” is the Greek word ὁδός. It is often translated as road, but for Mark it may have deeper meaning. The name for the early Jesus movement was “The Way” - literally ὁδός. We can understand this moment to be Bartimaeus sitting beside “the way,” in a state of being where he is not engaged in the life of a disciple. Metaphorically he cannot “see (encounter)” the world as a disciple.

In verse 49 Jesus empowers the crowd to call Bartimaeus to him, and they are the ones who raise him to engage new life as a disciple. It is crowd who now participates in Jesus’ ministry of social resurrection. They are the instrument Jesus uses to raise this man to new life. A powerful moment for Mark’s Gospel.

Jesus pronounces that Bartimaeus’ faith has healed him. His faith has literally changed the way he engages the world. Bartimaeus then joins Jesus on “the way,” becoming a disciple.

The lesson from Mark - this is the life we are called into as disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus is about the business of enacting resurrection, bringing people to new life, in this time and place. And we are invited to follow.

The books of Luke and Acts model this same pattern. For Luke, the person considered to be the author of both works, the rhythm of Jesus enacting resurrection in this world is the same.  For Luke, the word of choice for resurrection is ἀνίστημι.

Luke 24:5-75
The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but they said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen (ἐγείρω). 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again (ἀνίστημι).”

This is repeated by Jesus himself when he appears to the disciples in verse 46 of the same chapter.

The movement of resurrection carries over into the book of Acts. A key verse early on comes in Peter’s Pentecost speech in chapter two. 


Acts 2:32 - “This Jesus God raised (ἀνίστημι) up, and of that all of us are witnesses”

Resurrection is what Goes does in and through Jesus. The disciples are witnesses to this action.

In the book Acts, Luke narrates what God does in the world through the Holy Spirit, the main character of the story. What God does in the world is to continue to raise new life out of death; both physically and metaphorically. The witnesses of this action are called to interpret how God is at work in the world and pattern their lives accordingly. They are called to join into God's action of social resurrection.

Our call today is to do the same. We have received these witnesses stories not as fun tales for entertain, but to pattern our own lives accordingly.

An important question for us to ask is “Where have you seen Jesus?” I learned to ask this question while I was in Aggie Lutherans during my time in College Station. My mentor Deb Grant taught us to ask this question with our lives. Every gathering, every devotion, sometimes multiple times a week, we would ask each other - “where have you seen Jesus?” We would listen to each other’s encounters with the risen Jesus. We learned to see the rhythm of God in our midst. I still like to ask this question, so I offer it up to us this morning - “Where have you seen Jesus?” It’s a moment of confession for modern day disciples.

By asking and answering “Where have you seen Jesus?” we confess the power of God’s ministry of social resurrection in our midst.

Two more statements about resurrection.

1)  Resurrection does not wait until it’s safe. God does it. We are invited to witness, follow, participate.

2)  We do not get to vote on resurrection. Resurrection is God’s action. God will resurrection who and what God wants to - regardless of what we acknowledge or think.

So the next step for us to start asking - "Where Have You Seen Jesus?!”

Theology on Tap: God's Continuing Revelation - The Holy Spirit

Theology on Tap Round IV - God’s Continuing Revelation
The Holy Spirit

The theological term for this topic is pneumatology.

The premise for this conversation is that God is still at work in our world. Through the movement of the Holy Spirit God moves and works in and through us.

Martin Luther writes; “But God’s Spirit alone is called a Holy Spirit, that is, the one who has made us holy and still makes us holy. As the Father is called a creator, and the Son is called a Redeemer, so on account of his (SIC) work the Holy Spirit must be called a Sanctifier, or one who makes us holy.” Large Catechism, The Creed, The Third Article

Key concept: Sanctification, “to be made holy.”

Sanctification:
From the Greek word ἁγιασμός, {hag-ee-as-mos'}; “dedication to the interests of deity.” Holiness, Consecration.  Romans 6:19,22. Basically, to become “God-like.”

From Frederick Buechner’s Wishful Thinking; “But little by little – less by taking pains than by taking it easy – the forgiven person starts to become a forgiving person, the healed person to become a healing person, the loved person to become a loving person.  God does most of it.  The end of the process, Paul says, is eternal life, Romans 6:23.” (Wishful Thinking, pg. 104)

Martin Luther; 
“This life is not righteousness, but growth to righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road.” From the Defense of All Articles, Luther’s Works, American Edition, Vol. 32, pg. 24.

According to Luther (in the Large Catechism, The Creed, Third Article), “the Holy Spirit effects our being made holy through the following:

• The community of Saints (the Christian Church)
• Forgiveness of Sins
• Resurrection of the Body
• Life Everlasting

The Word of God is important. Through these the Holy Spirit preaches and proclaims.

Development of the word spirit.
Hebrew: Ruach (feminine)
Greek: Pneuma ( neuter)
Latin: Spiritus (masculine)

Symbolism of the Spirit.


Genesis 1. The Spirit (Ruach) of God moves over the waters. Ruach has several meanings - “wind, breath, disturbance.” God’s spirit, the ruach, has a creative quality. Creates life out of chaos. 

Ruach used 378 in the Old Testament.
136 - God/God’s Spirit
113 - wind, atmosphere (no theological meaning)
116 - human breathing (our breathing has spiritual connotation)
10 - animals
3 - idols

The Spirit is that which fills the void between heaven and earth. This is why breathing has a spiritual quality. The Spirit is that which produces life. From the third article of the Nicene Creed; “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life…”

In the second creation story, Genesis 2:4b-25, God breaths life into the adam, the earth creature. Genesis 2:7 - "then the Lord God formed man (adam, earth creature) from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being."

In the New Testament, the healings/exorcisms of Jesus often have to do with speaking. The physical act of moving air over the vocal chords. When we cannot speak for ourselves, when we are possessed if you will, we cannot articulate who we are. In the healing stories, Jesus restores the ability to speak, for the person to claim who they are.

Idolatry has a nuance of possession. When we are possessed by something, when we place other things before God, we no longer articulate our identity as God’s own creation. Jesus moves us into a place where we can speak for ourselves and claim our identity as God’s sons and daughters. God’s spirit moves in us as an act of healing, reminding us of our identity so that we can tell the story of God’s work in the world.

Images of the Spirit in Scripture.

The Dove. Matthew 3:16 - “And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.”

Why the dove? Perhaps its because it is a creature of the air, something that lives in between heaven and earth. Doves also live close to humanity, something we recognize. A bird that can be used for communication. We have evidence from as early as 1000 BCE of doves being used in a mail system; doves used to communicate.

The Advocate. John 14:25-26 - “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. (26) But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Fire. Acts 2:1-4 - “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. (2) And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. (3) Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. (4) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”

In baptism we have both the symbols of water and fire. Both are signs of cleansing and creation. Baptism by immersion has the rich image of a metaphorical drowning - losing the ability to breath, dying to sin - and the first breath when raised out of the waters is the breath of new life.

The Power of the Spirit.

The power of the Holy Spirit helps us to discern God’s continuing work in our world. The story of Acts chapters 10-15, the acceptance of Paul’s mission to the Gentiles by Peter and the other apostles demonstrates the power of the Spirit. While they could not always agree on what was happening, they continued to meet and pray and affirmed that God was indeed doing something in their midst.

Key for us - Even if we don’t always agree, we believe God is doing something, even something new. Communal discernment, prayer, and conversation are integral.

Power of Spirit expressed in two ways.

1- Spirit disturbs any status quo, system of power. The Spirit stirs up that which is “frozen/static.” It is by the power of the Spirit that people are made free. Example - Exodus, God’s Spirit parts the waters, making a way for God’s redeemed to cross over.

2- Spirit is that which comforts, brings tranquility in the midst of chaos.

The Spirit scatters and gathers. If we are too busy being gathered, the Spirit may enter and say, “Peace by with you” - “Now Go!”

What does a Spirit driven community look like?

Acts 2:37-42

After Peter’s Pentecost Sermon - “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers and sisters, what should we do?” (38) Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” (40) And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (41) So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. (42) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Four marks:

• Devoted themselves to teachings of the apostles
• Fellowship
• Breaking of Bread
• Prayers

Theology on Tap - God’s Self Revelation: Jesus the Christ

The third round of Theology on Tap focused on Jesus the Christ as God’s self revelation.

The technical term for this topic is Christology.  The premise at the foundation of this conversation is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. 

Basics of the Christian narrative:
1)  Christ is once and for all.
Romans 6:10, “For the death he died he died to sin, once and for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”
 
2)  Through the Christ event, the whole of creation is reconciled to God.
Colossians 1:20, “… and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace, through the blood of the cross.”

How do we understand Jesus the Christ?

The outline for the remainder of this conversation comes from Dr. James Cone and his book “God of the Oppressed (revised edition, Orbis, 1997).”

Dr. Cone establishes the following triad in chapter six of “God of the Oppressed (pg. 99):

Jesus is who he was.

Jesus is who he is.

Jesus is who he will be.

Jesus is who he was.

Wolfhart Panneberg states “Christology must begin from below.”

To begin to talk about Jesus we begin with the man Jesus of Nazareth. 

A note on the historical Jesus and the search to find him. 

Albert Schweitzer, author of “The Quest for the Historical Jesus,” began the first attempt to rediscover the historical Jesus.  At the conclusion of the study, Schweitzer proposed that the authors who had written about the historical Jesus had really created a Jesus in their own image.  The bottom line here is that we often find what we are looking for in the search for the historical Jesus.  

We must tread lightly here. 

The Gospels are not historical documents in our conception of history text books.  They tell the story of Jesus, from the faith perspective of the author who is writing to a particular community. 

It is difficult to capture the historical Jesus.  Few records outside of scripture. 

Here is what we can say with relative certainty:

Jesus of Nazareth (the man) was a Jewish peasant.  He may have been from the region of Galilee.  His movement began among the common, agricultural folk - particularly I am thinking of Mark’s Gospel.  He was in conflict, and had the most in common, with the Pharisees.  He was executed by Rome. 

Dr. Cone writes, “My assertion that “Jesus is who he was” not only confirms the importance of Scripture as the basis of Christology.  It also stresses the biblical emphasis on Jesus’ humanity in history as the starting point of Christological analysis… The events described are not intended as fiction but as God's way of changing the course of history in the human person. (pg. 109).”

Jesus identifies with the poor and outcasts of his time and place. 

For us - how do we (as privileged people) identify with Jesus who’s ministry was to the oppressed? - Key question.

Jesus is who he is.

Jesus is the Christ - God’s anointed one. 

Dr. Cone - “The crucified One is also the risen Lord (pg. 110).”

“Faith in the resurrection means that the historical Jesus, in his liberating words and deeds for the poor, was God’s way of breaking into human history, redeeming humanity from injustice and violence, and bestowing power upon little ones in the struggle for freedom (pg. 110).”

Jurgen Moltmann was a German theologian who lived through world was two.  He was captured and spent time as a POW.  His experience in the war, his reflection’s on the Nazi party, and his time as a POW had great impact on his theological thinking.  His most important book may be “The Crucified God.”

Moltmann writes, “Christian identity can be understood only as an act of identification with the crucified Christ…(pg. 19).”

Dr. Cone - “Christ's meaning for us today is found in our encounter with the historical Jesus as the crucified and risen Lord who is present with us in the struggle for freedom (pg. 111).”

“Resurrection is a political event (pg. 115).”

The politics of the resurrection are found in its gifts of freedom to the poor and helpless. 
 
Political statements:
Jesus is LORD - subversive statement against powers of the world (emperor, ruler, etc.)

Christ is Risen - Jesus dies a political death at the hands of Rome.  God declares life through resurrection.  World not in control.  

Jesus is who he will be.

Jesus is continually resurrected in our midst where his story is shared and his love enacted. 

This is sacramental in nature.  Baptism and communion - where Jesus promises to be present.  We trust these promises.

 Matthew 28:19-20 - “Baptizing in the name of… and remember I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

Luke 22:19 - “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Dr. Cone - “He is not only the crucified and risen One but also the Lord of the future who is coming again to fully consummate the liberation already happening in our present (pg. 116).”

Paul Tillich on Resurrection - “In this way the concrete individual life of the man Jesus of Nazareth is raised above transitoriness to the eternal presence of God as Spirit.  This event happen first to some of his followers who fled to Galilee in the hours after his execution… then to all those who in every period experienced his living presence here and now (Systematic Theology 2, pg. 157).”

Dr. Vitor Westhelle - “To know the whereabouts of the church, one needs to listen for where the truth is being uttered, to look for where the embodied Word exists, which is not only to be found in Jesus of Nazareth but how and where it is embodied today (The Church Event, pg. 159).”

Question for us today - “What if the truth is not being uttered?” 

Our call is to utter the truth today and participate in Christ’ future. 

Theology on Tap - The Revelation of God

Greetings.  Here are the notes from the second round of Theology on Tap. 

How is God revealed to us?

Paul Althaus writes that “Theology is concerned with the knowledge of God and of man (humanity).”  This continues our conversation from the first gathering and is a summary of our theological journey together.

A foundational thinking from Luther articulates this idea; “God can be properly known only in terms of God’s relationship to humanity; and humanity can be properly known only in terms of their relationship to God.”  
(I cleaned up the language of the original quote to make it more inclusive.)

This relationship is grounded in our understanding of creation.  God created us to be in a relationship with God. 

Paul writes in his letter to the Romans (1:20); 
“Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible through they are, have been understood and seen through the things God has made.”

The first creation story in Genesis points to this reality:
“God created humanity in God’s own image, 
in the divine image God created them.”
Genesis 1:27 (Common English Bible)

We are made in the image of God.  This image can be understood as creative, nurturing, sustaining, and loving - all the aspects of God we encounter in Genesis 1 and 2. 

This is the beginning of our knowledge of God.

Luther articulates two ways to understand God: 
General and Proper knowledge.

General knowledge:  Knows what God is - created the world, is righteous, and judges - but lacks the certainty about what God thinks about us, and God’s intention to save us sinners.   This is the Law - God’s “left hand.”

Proper knowledge:  Knows what God thinks of us - God’s intention to give to and save us sinners.  
Gospel - God’s “right hand.”  
(Luther’s commentary on Galatians, Luther’s Works, American Edition, pg. 399)

Luther:
- “Legal knowledge knows God’s left hand, evangelical knowledge know’s God’s right hand.” 
“In order to really know God one must hold on to God’s right hand.”

This is how we know what God thinks of us and what God’s intentions are - to give to and to save us from our sins!
Here I am summarizing what Luther articulates in various parts of his works.  Exact citations are absent. 

The God we know through the law shows us God’s backside - Exodus 33:18-23 (CEB)

“Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”  And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Through Christ “we look into the face of God.”  John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that God gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We cannot handle or comprehend God’s majesty and glory directly.  Therefore, as Luther would say, God comes to us in a mask, hidden by “fog and shadows.”  What we truly can see and encounter about God comes through Christ.  Through Christ God concretizes, humanizes, and incarnates for us.

The important understanding throughout this conversation is that God manifests God’s self at God’s will.  We do not get to call the shots.  God’s revelation is always chosen by God and on God’s terms.  We do not make the rules.  This is a reminder of our humanity and keeps us humble.

Symbols are a way for us to discuss and get close to God.  Paul Tillich states that anything we say about God is symbolic. 

In the Jewish tradition, the name of God was not spoken or written out of respect.  To say or write a name is to claim authority about that person or thing.  Saying God’s name is saying we know God - which we do not fully know God.  The name of God can be translated as “I am who I am, I was who I was, I will be who I will be.” 

Language is key!  Through our language we shape our imagination.  Through our language we shape how we encounter the world, each other, and creation. 

God’s revelation is sometimes indirect.  1 Kings 19:1-15 - God is in the silence, not in the storm or earthquake.  Luther would say that God’s “revelation is under it’s opposite.”  We who follow Jesus look to the manger and the cross - places where we would not expect God to be.  We are called to pay attention to that which may surprise us - where we least expect to encounter God.

Luke 24:13-35 - On the Road to Emmaus
Jesus appears to the disciples in the breaking of the bread. 

This is sacramental in nature.  Through Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  God comes to us in ordinary things: Words, Water, Bread and Wine.  All of these are attached to a promise from God.  

Again: God’s revelation is on God’s terms.  In the sacraments God promises to be there and we trust that promise.

Next we will take a deeper look at God’s self-revelation - Jesus the Christ.

Peace and blessings,
Travis

Theology on Tap - What is Theology?

 Theology on Tap - Round 1

Our initial gathering started with a question - what is theology?  If we were going to embark on a journey of theological conversation together, I thought it would be nice to a have a talk about what theology means.  Let’s throw some language on the table to talk about God.  Language is important.  This conversation will set the tone for going forward and will give all us participants a similar frame of reference.  

Our inaugural session was held on Thursday, November 14, 2013. 

Here are my notes - again, these are just notes.  I will try to cite when I can and give credit where it is due.  The bones of this discussion come out of the notes from my systematic theology class at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, led by Dr. Vitor Westhelle. 

“What is Theology?”

Theology comes from two greek words. θεός (Theos) - godλόγος (logos) - word, statement, message (This one has more nuances)

Put together they mean “God talk.”  Theology is simply how we talk about God. 

From Frederick Buechner’s Wishful Thinking (Harper Collins: 1973); “Theology is the study of God and of God’s ways.  For all we know, dung beetles may study us and our ways and call it humanology.  If so, we would probably be more touched and amused than irritated.  One hopes that God feels likewise.” (pg. 112)

This concept develops rather late in the life of the early church - around the 4th century.  The early church fathers and mothers did not consider themselves theologians. 

Theology (Theologia) is first used in Plato’s Republic - four centuries before the life and times of Jesus.  This word was used by Plato to describe those who do “fictional work.”  Theologia was not scientific or philosophical discourse and was opposed to philosophy - all subjects that we highly regarded by the Greeks. 

Eusebius - one of the early church fathers - is thought to be the first to use theology in connection to talk about God/Jesus.  Theology then becomes the ‘currency” for all talks about God. 

The historical development of theology has many shifts.  Some important words you may encounter:

Historical Theology - documents that deal with Christian faith

Dogmatic Theology - what are the teachings of the church for today

Moral Theology - Ethics; putting into practice what faith requires

Important names:

Martin Luther - Reformer, Biblical Theologian

Paul Tillich - Systematic Theologian, Philosopher - wrote Systematic Theology in 3 volumes.  A very dense work!

Karl Barth - Pastor, Swiss Reformed Theologian - considered to be “greatest 20th century Theologian, wrote Church Dogmatics (unfinished) in 14 volumes

So who do we listen to?  Where does authority come from?

Irenaeus, a church father from the 2nd century (close to the life and times of Jesus), argues that authority is Apostolic - one who is an eyewitness to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  Go to the source!

Basil of Caesarea, a church father from the 4th century (farther removed from life and times of Jesus), argues that we need someone to interpret.  Enter the Bishops.  Folks who are educated and can guide us ordinary folk. 

This system begins to break down when money and power became more important than education (sounds familiar!)

Martin Luther (and other reformers of 16th century) - “Sola Scriptura” - Word Alone - Scripture is our authority.  Luther would argue that or authority should be derived from what points us to Christ.  Some parts of scripture - according to Luther - do not point to Christ.  Luther would say, “Of course it is the word of God, but you are not the people.” 

My systematic theology professor, Dr. Westhelle had this to day about theology:

Theology needs to have…

Mouth of Aaron (Exodus 3):  Someone to make the talk of God public, someone to share the story.  This is a humble task.

House of Martha (Luke 10:38-42): We need infrastructure to provide for the hard stuff of sharing the word.  A place to work and listen.  A place of hospitality - let all come to the table.  A place to serve others - serve, preach, provide.

Mind of Thomas (John 20:19-31):  We need to ask the hard questions.  We need to be the critical thinkers.  We need to be able to voice our doubts and still remain at the table and in community with one another.  Thomas was only asking for what the other disciples had already experienced.  And he was with them in the end - he remained in the community. 

Theology is the response to God’s original address to Adam in the garden of Eden - “Where are you?”  Where are we in the world when God is already looking for us?  How to we respond to God’s desire to be in relationship with us - these are the work of theology. 

I hope these were helpful - I will work on formatting them along the way as this journey continues to develop.  Thanks for being a part of this conversation!

Peace, 
Travis

Theology on Tap - Let Me Raise A Toast

We have started a monthly gathering through my congregation here in Fredericksburg, Texas. 
 
Every month, on a Thursday evening, we meet at a local restaurant/pub and we talk about God.

This event is inspired by the famous table talks of Martin Luther.  In the 55 volume English translation of Luther’s works, volume 54 is dedicated to the table talks.  Luther was a professor at the University of Wittenberg and at some point in his career, he and his wife Katie would host poor college students in their home for dinner and beer.  The conversations were so meaningful/inspiring/ridiculous that the students began recording the conversations and specific quotes/stories from Luther.  What we have in these table talks is an intimate look into daily life of Luther, the politics of his time, and theological nuggets that never made it into sermons or lectures.     

Theology on Tap is also inspired by what I have seen happen in other communities I have encountered in my own journey - namely the Theology on Tap gathering that has flourished through the campus ministry group of Texas A&M and Blinn and my own experience of gathering with friends at the bar (that we dubbed St. Jimmy’s) while in seminary. 

We have met three times so far, beginning in November, with the last two meetings being challenged by the weather and holiday gatherings. 

As we move into February we will begin meeting twice a month, on the first and third Thursdays at 7pm.  We will have the same topic at each monthly gathering. 

In an effort to develop a starting point for our conversation, I have decided to blog my notes from each gathering - the thoughts that I put together that serve as a catalyst for our conversations.  My hope in posting these notes is that folks will be able to return to the foundations of each one of our gatherings as we continue on our theological journey and build a common language with which to talk about God.  These posts will also serve those who enter the conversation at various times so that anyone can go back and have a glimpse of where we have been in our talks.  

I want to stress that these are notes only.  I will do my best to site quotes and authors - but some of these thoughts come from the pages of my own notes from seminary and lack citations.    

Thanks for being a part of the journey. 

I look forward to this conversation growing in the future as we continue to follow Jesus and find out what he is up to in our world. 

Peace, 

Travis