Scripture

All posts tagged Scripture

Singing The Same Old Song

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 8, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 9 Comments

Singing The Same Old Song

“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.” – Psalms 96:1

Old MusicYou know the Holy Spirit is on your case when you’re zipping along, joyfully reading Scriptures, feeling good about yourself and your relationship with God, when suddenly you come across a verse that smacks you in the head so hard your feet ache. This verse did that to me about two minutes ago.

How, you may ask, can such a sweet, uplifting, joyful and inspiring verse bring you such misery and pain? Easy. It’s been a while since I’ve sang a new song, and I sense God telling me its time to change my tune.

I feel like my prayer life is in the rut of seeking the same things over and over and over. I’m getting so tired of praying the same old song (“Lord, guide me to our next ministry. Help my book find a publisher. Lead me to a job that pays well enough that my wife won’t have to work. Give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning other than going to work to sell plumbing parts….”) that I’ve mostly given up on prayer.

You’ll notice, of course, that my prayer life is mostly about me. My ministry. My job. My book. Continue Reading

A Lost Soul

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 4, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

I’ve been reading Henri Nouwen’s book The Return Of The Prodigal Son (Image Books, 1994). He has a passage in the book which just wrung me out this morning. And, since I like to share Scriptures That Bother Me, I thought I’d also share some “Nouwen That Bothers Me.” Enjoy.

What happened to the son in the distant country? Aside from all the material and physical consequences, what were the inner consequences of the son’s leaving home? The sequence of events is quite predictable. The farther I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I am able to hear the voice that calls me the Beloved, and the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world.

It goes somewhat like this: I am not so sure anymore that I have a safe home, and I observe other people who seem to be better off than I. I wonder how I can get to where they are. I try hard to please, to achieve success, to be recognized. When I fail, I feel jealous of resentful of these others. When I succeed, I worry that others will be jealous or resentful of me. I become suspicious or defensive and increasingly afraid that I won’t get what I so much desire or will lose what I already have. Caught in tangle of needs and wants, I no longer know my own motivations. I feel victimized by my surroundings and distrustful of what others are doing or saying. Always on my guard, I lose my inner freedom and start dividing the world into those who are for me and those who are against me. I wonder if anyone really cares. I start looking for validations of my distrust. And wherever I go, I see them, and I say: “No one can be trusted.” And then I wonder whether anyone ever really loved me. The world around me becomes dark. My heart grows heavy. My body is filled with sorrows. My life loses meaning. I have become a lost soul

What really strikes me is the statement, “Caught in this tangle of needs and wants, I no longer know my own motivations.” Caught between needing to provide for my family, wanting to see my book published, needing to see my gifts used in the Church, wanting to contribute to the Kingdom of God….“I no longer know my own motivations.”


But I know the One who does. And when I am done running around the distant country looking for what I want to be when I grow up, He is always there to welcome me home with open arms.

Previously posted Dec. ’08

Scriptures That Bother Me — Philippians

Posted by Jim Thornber on September 3, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” — Mark Twain

My Problem With Paul

Paul in Prison by Ben Long

Paul in Prison by Ben Long

I’m starting to avoid reading the book of Philippians. Well, let me back up.

Have you ever noticed that when people read the Bible, they tend to read it from the perspective of their current situation or circumstances? For instance, if you are sick, then you start to notice all the Scriptures relating to healing. If you are poor, you see the abundance Scriptures, and if you are in prison, you focus on the passages that relate to feeling confined. I’ve felt like a prisoner myself lately, so I’m starting to avoid the book of Philippians. Yes, the whole book.

Please understand – it is not that I dislike Jesus. Jesus is still my Lord and Savior (much to the surprise of a few people who know me, I’m sure). The problem I’m having is with Paul and his whole joyful attitude theme. It is starting to get on my nerves, because sometimes I just don’t WANT to be joyful. I feel it is my RIGHT to complain about my circumstances, and I want a group of sympathetic ears to gather around me, pat me on the back and tell me it’ll all be “okay.” Instead, I read the book of Philippians and in place of a pat on the back, I get a kick in the pants.

The book of Philippians bothers me for a number of reasons. First, Paul is writing the Philippians from a Roman prison, just as he previously wrote to the Ephesians, Colossians and his good friend Philemon. I’d probably be writing my lawyer.

Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — Matthew 14:28-30

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 31, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 27 Comments

Laughing at Peter

“‘Lord, if it is you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said . . . But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” – Matthew 14:28-30

peter_crux1Last night a friend invited me to a men’s study at his church. I usually don’t go to men’s groups, but this man attends my Friday night group and I wanted to support him.

In the course of the evening, we began to talk about Peter. Someone labeled this preeminent Apostle of Christ “Peter the Water Walker,” and every time someone said it, it generated a laugh. The conversation then recounted all Peter’s failures: sinking in the waves; the desire to build shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus; denying Jesus during His trial; separating from the Gentiles and hanging out with the Jews. The consensus was unanimous – we don’t want to be like Peter.

The tone of this conversation began to bother me, for it is contemplating Peter’s failures that give me such comfort in my own walk with Christ. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — John 1:35-39

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 27, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

They Are Not My Disciples

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”­ – John 1:35-39

Two items bother me about this passage. One, the disciple-making process is a catch and release program. And two, it takes a bit of faith.

But let’s back up. For four hundred years, there has not been a prophet in Israel. Then John shows up, and he’s pretty weird. While wearing camel skins, eating locust legs and living in the desert, John stirs up trouble by calling the religious leaders to repent. Naturally, this behavior draws not only the ire of the religious, but also a crowd and a few disciples.

But John knows his place. John knows that he is God’s instrument to point the way to the Christ, but he is not the Christ. John knows he is not the Word, but his words reveal Jesus. This, of course, begs the question, “Do my words reveal Jesus, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world?” Not always, but I’m getting off my point.

John knew how to make disciples, and he knew they weren’t his to keep. A wise friend of mine said that Christian discipleship does not come when a person receives salvation. Rather, discipleship comes when you make a friend and take them with you on your journey with Christ. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — John 12:3-6

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 24, 2009
Posted in: Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

How To Talk “Christian”

“Mary took . . . an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. . . But Judas Iscariot objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?’ He said this because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what as put into it.” – John 12:3-6

Reading this passage reminds me of why I hate Christian clichés.

Judas, in his desire to line his pockets with the disciple’s money, says the religiously acceptable thing when he talks about giving the money to the poor. However, in order to hide his true motives, Judas mouths a frequently used yet thoughtless statement that sounds good to the listening ear but betrays the truth.

To the casual observer, Judas’ statement appears to be closest to the mission of Jesus, but in reality, his motive is furthest from the heart of Christ. That, to me, is the definition of a Christian cliché.

I’m confessing to you that I’m bothered by how many “religious” statements appear full of compassion and dedication, but are actually self-serving and furthest from the loving kindness of God. After sharing my crankiness over Christian clichés with some Facebook friends, I’ve compiled a short list of our least favorite Christian sayings. Feel free to add your own, but I warn you; just thinking about some of these can put you in a bad mood.

  • “Bless her heart.” This is the quick follow-up after sharing some bit of gossip about “her.”
  • “I’ll pray for you.” It sounds so religious and spiritual, but we can all count the number of times we’ve said that and failed to follow up on it. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — Deuteronomy 8:1

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 18, 2009
Posted in: Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 8 Comments

Living Carefully

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today” – Deuteronomy 8:1

cautionThis morning while reading Scripture, I had one of those times when I intended to read an entire chapter, but couldn’t get out of the first verse. In fact, I didn’t even finish the first verse.  All I saw was, Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today. And what struck me hard was the word “today.”

Yes, I know that this chapter is referring to all the commands that God gave the children of Israel. However, there are still those commands that God is giving me for today which apply only for today.

I’ve often found that God will bring a sense to my spirit that something significant is going to happen and I need to be ready for it. Sometimes, He indicates that I need to be ready to encourage someone. And sure enough, He will bring someone across my path that needs just such a word.

Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — Romans 12:1

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 14, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

Logical Worship

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

hand When I was in Bible College, one of the key phrases that flowed from the mouths of those studying for the ministry was, “I just want to know God’s will for my life.” This is a fair and noble goal, to be sure, an ambition worthy of both princes and paupers alike. But in the twenty something years since my graduation, I’ve come to see that finding God’s will is both simple and profound, and like most things about God, it comes at a price.

Paul told the Christians at Rome to take a wide-angle look at God’s mercy as seen throughout the history of Israel, and conclude this panorama by offering themselves as living sacrifices. He tells them that as a sacrifice they have found the spiritual – from the Greek word logikos – or reasonable, rational, logical way to worship God. True spiritual, reasonable worship only happens through a life that is lived as a sacrifice. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — Matthew 14:13-21; 15:32-38

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 6, 2009
Posted in: Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

Jesus Feeds 9,000

“We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” Jesus said. – Matthew 14:13-21; 15:32-38

loaves fishUp until recently, I never had a need or an opportunity to apply these verses to my life. However, since I have been an unemployed minister for a while, I am starting to read Scripture differently, because I am starting to doubt my own resources.

As I search, seek, and ask God about my next assignment, I cannot help but wonder about my skills and talents and why so many churches have no interest in employing me. I do not have an answer at this time, but it has driven me to look at Scripture in a different light.

Because my primary spiritual gift is teaching, I have spent years reading the Bible mostly for those things I could teach from the pulpit or in the Sunday school class. However, since those two forums have recently (and, I pray, temporarily) dried up, I have resorted to reading Scripture not so much for how I can apply it to your life, but for how I can apply it to mine! Yes, I should have been doing this all along, but I am a little slow on the uptake. Just like the disciples in these two passages. Perhaps this is why these stories bothered me as I read them this morning. They hit too close to home.

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Scriptures That Bother Me — John 3:27

Posted by Jim Thornber on August 3, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

Knowing My Assignment

“No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” John 3:27

To DoI was sitting in church the other day when the pastor read this verse from John. Naturally, I respected his sermon by immediately tuning him out and writing my own notes. As most of you know, there are usually two sermons we hear on Sunday—the one the pastor preaches, and the one we preach to ourselves on the way home. For my own rude reasons, I didn’t even wait to get into the car before I was preaching to myself.

For me, the dilemma isn’t that I don’t know my assignment, but how to say no to those things I know are close to my assignment. Continue Reading