Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 66; Deuteronomy 31:30-32:14; Matthew 13:44-52; 1 Corinthians 14:33-39; Psalm 124
Every once in a while in my daily devotions, I run across a piece of scripture where the historical and cultural influences of the time it was written jump out and smack me in the face. Needless to say, it’s not a pleasant experience when I encounter such texts. Today’s passage from 1 Corinthians contains one of those unsettling pieces of scripture. In verses 34-36, Paul spells out the way women - or, more specifically, wives - should conduct themselves during worship. It includes advice such as: “Wives have no license for to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking” (1 Corinthians 14:35 – The Message). My first response when I read that passage was to get upset and sarcastically ask: “Soooo, is Paul saying there is time for unwarranted speaking for the husbands in worship?” But then I take a deep breath, remember the context in which those words were written, and continue reading. And it’s a good thing that I did; for in the very next sentence the Spirit is able to overcome Paul’s bias and get us to the real heart of the matter: “Do you – both men and women – imagine that you’re a sacred oracle determining what’s right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you?” (1 Corinthians 14:36 – The Message). My experience working with this morning’s passage reminds me of the difference between believing our sacred writings are the literal word of God as opposed to words inspired by God. You see if the sacred writings were the literal word of God, we would be compelled to take all the words in at face value. That means we would have to make the limitations and bias of the writers our limitations and biases as well. If the words were inspired by God, however, those same scriptures would invite us not just into the words but beyond them. In other words, we could look beyond the historical and cultural biases that are sometimes contained on the surface of the words and find the underlying truths that bring us into a closer relationship with God. Today, I give thanks for two things: (1) God’s ability to communicate truth through flawed human beings such as myself; and (2) and the spiritual gift of discernment that helps us individually and collectively discern when those truths are inspired by us (and our social context) and when those truths are inspired by God. Til next time…
Every once in a while in my daily devotions, I run across a piece of scripture where the historical and cultural influences of the time it was written jump out and smack me in the face. Needless to say, it’s not a pleasant experience when I encounter such texts. Today’s passage from 1 Corinthians contains one of those unsettling pieces of scripture. In verses 34-36, Paul spells out the way women - or, more specifically, wives - should conduct themselves during worship. It includes advice such as: “Wives have no license for to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking” (1 Corinthians 14:35 – The Message). My first response when I read that passage was to get upset and sarcastically ask: “Soooo, is Paul saying there is time for unwarranted speaking for the husbands in worship?” But then I take a deep breath, remember the context in which those words were written, and continue reading. And it’s a good thing that I did; for in the very next sentence the Spirit is able to overcome Paul’s bias and get us to the real heart of the matter: “Do you – both men and women – imagine that you’re a sacred oracle determining what’s right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you?” (1 Corinthians 14:36 – The Message). My experience working with this morning’s passage reminds me of the difference between believing our sacred writings are the literal word of God as opposed to words inspired by God. You see if the sacred writings were the literal word of God, we would be compelled to take all the words in at face value. That means we would have to make the limitations and bias of the writers our limitations and biases as well. If the words were inspired by God, however, those same scriptures would invite us not just into the words but beyond them. In other words, we could look beyond the historical and cultural biases that are sometimes contained on the surface of the words and find the underlying truths that bring us into a closer relationship with God. Today, I give thanks for two things: (1) God’s ability to communicate truth through flawed human beings such as myself; and (2) and the spiritual gift of discernment that helps us individually and collectively discern when those truths are inspired by us (and our social context) and when those truths are inspired by God. Til next time…
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