Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 30
November 18, 2024
Applying Grace: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 18, 2024
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Applying Grace. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Applying Grace: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 18, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Thanks_24, Signup
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November 17, 2024
Gracious Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Gracious Father,
All honor and glory, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, for you created us out of dust and redeemed us with Christ’s death on the cross. Be ever near.
Forgive us for our poor stewardship of your creation and denial of your salvation. Remind us of your presence.
Thank you for the spiritual gifts that you have given us, the favorable weather with which you have blessed us, and the example of your son.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, lift the pandemic that has plagued us, order the chaos that engulfs our leaders, and remove the wanton spirit of conflict that thrown its shadow over us. May we grow to reflect your grace to those we live with and meet every day.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Gracious Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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Oración de Gracias
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Gracioso Padre,
Todo el honor y la gloria, el poder y el dominio, la verdad y la justicia son tuyos, porque tú nos creaste del polvo y nos redimiste con la muerte de Cristo en la cruz. Sea siempre cerca.
Perdónanos por nuestra mala administración de tu creación y por la negación de tu salvación. Recuérdanos tu presencia.
Gracias por los dones espirituales que nos has brindado, el clima favorable con el que nos has bendecido y el ejemplo de tu hijo.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, levanta la pandemia que nos ha azotado, ordena el caos que envuelve a nuestros líderes y elimina el espíritu desenfrenado de conflicto que ha arrojado su sombra sobre nosotros. Que podamos crecer para reflejar tu gracia a aquellos con quienes vivimos y nos encontramos todos los días.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración de Gracias
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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November 15, 2024
Applying Grace
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Rom 5:8)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
In the parables examined, we begin to see the nature of God’s grace.
While God’s grace is an undeserved blessing, Jesus’ parable of the Hidden Treasure suggests that our response to grace is important (Matt 13:44). Much like a spiritual gift, a gracious blessing is of little use if we hide it away and make no use of it. It is like we have been given tomorrow’s stock report, but we neglect to purchase shares to take advantage of the insight.
Responding to God’s grace is important in understanding the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Lost sheep are more likely to be found if they listen for the shepherd’s voice. Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14) As in the healing of the Ten Lepers, it is important to follow the shepherd’s instructions: “Go and show yourselves to the priest.” (Luke 17:14)
In the Parable of the Docter and the Sick, we find Jesus graciously treating sin as an illness (Luke 5:31-32). This re-imaging of sin removes sin’s guilt, the shame, and curse to heal our hearts and our relationships. This makes reformation and change possible.
The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16 displays grace in different contexts, both in life and in the after life. The fault of the rich man is that he failed to give thanks to God for his blessings in this life and fails then to prepare for the afterlife.
In the Parable of the Two Sons, we see God using grace to enable the prodigal son to find the error of his ways and grow to love his father. (Luke 15:11-32)
In each of these parables we see God using grace strategically to encourage, lead, and grow us in the context of relationship. This is not the cheap grace that Bonhoeffer (1995, 44-45) railed against. Rather, the picture that the parables and healing stories paint of grace is of an activist God who intervenes in our lives. Jesus’ God is not detached or aloof, like a puppeteer or a man behind the curtain. He is the caring father who attends all our performances—all our games, quietly watching and encouraging us to reach our potential.
Magnified Grace
The two most significant examples of God’s grace are our creation and salvation in Jesus Christ that took place long before our birth for which we cannot be said to be deserving.
While creation is often seen as an historical event in the distant past, it is also a personal event in our own lives. We are created male and female in God’s own image, an image now displayed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Spiritual gifts are uniquely personal and they shape our destinies. We are not hatched in an incubator by a distant or non-existent deity, subject to random influences and forces. Our creation is one of God’s most gracious acts.
Our salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross is another undeserved act of God’s grace. The Apostle Paul says it best:
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:6-8)
God’s sacrificial grace takes place in the context of relationship, because God does not leave us alone, but like sheep we need to recognize and follow the shepherd.
God’s grace is like rain that is easy to take for granted, but absolutely critical for life—especially if you are a farmer—and desperately missed when it is absent.
References
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1995. The Cost of Discipleship (Orig Pub 1937). Translated by R. H. Fuller and Irmgard Booth. New York: Simon & Schuster—A Touchstone Book.
Applying Grace
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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Aplicando la Gracia
Pero Dios demuestra su amor para con nosotros,
en que siendo aún pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros.
(Rom 5:8)
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
En las parábolas examinadas, comenzamos a ver la naturaleza de la gracia de Dios.
Mientras la gracia de Dios es una bendición inmerecido, la parábola de Jesus del Tesoro Escondido sugiere que nuestra respuesta a gracia es importante (Mate 13:44). Al igual que un don espiritual, una bendición llena de gracia es de poca utilidad si la escondemos y no la utilizamos. Es como si nos hubieran dado el informe bursátil de mañana, pero no compráramos acciones para aprovechar esa información.
Responder a la gracia de Dios es importante para comprender la Parabola de la Oveja Perdida. Es más probable que encuentren a las ovejas perdidas si escuchan la voz del pastor. Jesús dijo: ¨Yo soy el buen pastor, y conozco Mis ovejas y ellas Me conocen.” (Juan 10:14) Como en la curación de los Diez Leprosos, es importante seguir las instrucciones del pastor: ¨Vayan y muéstrense a los sacerdotes.¨ (Lucas 17:14)
En la parábola del médico y los enfermos, encontramos a Jesús tratando bondadosamente el pecado como una enfermedad (Lucas 5:31–32). Esta reimaginación del pecado elimina la culpa, la vergüenza y la maldición del pecado para sanar nuestros corazones y nuestras relaciones. Esto hace posible la reforma y el cambio.
La Parábola de Lázaro y el Hombre Rico en Lucas 16 muestra la gracia en diferentes contextos, tanto en la vida como en el más allá. La culpa del hombre rico es que no dio gracias a Dios por sus bendiciones en esta vida y no se preparó para la otra vida.
En la Parábola de los Dos Hijos, vemos a Dios usando la gracia para permitir que el hijo pródigo encuentre el error de sus caminos y llegue a amar a su padre. (Lucas 15:11–32)
Esta parábola habla de nuestra propia reunión con Dios hecha posible por la muerte de Jesús en la cruz.
En cada una de estas parábolas, vemos a Dios usando la gracia estratégicamente para animarnos, guiarnos y hacernos crecer en el contexto de la relación. Ésta no es la gracia barata que Bonhoeffer (1995, 44–45) criticó. Más bien, la imagen que las parábolas y las historias de sanación pintan sobre la gracia es la de un Dios activista (inmanente) que interviene en nuestras vidas. El Dios de Jesús no es desapegado ni distante (trascendente), como un titiritero o un hombre detrás de la cortina. Él es el padre cariñoso que asiste a todas nuestras actuaciones y juegos, observándonos en silencio y animándonos a alcanzar nuestro potencial.
Gracia Magnificada
Los dos ejemplos más significativos de la gracia de Dios son nuestra creación y salvación en Jesucristo que tuvo lugar mucho antes de nuestro nacimiento y que no se puede decir que seamos merecedores.
Si bien la creación a menudo se ve como un evento histórico en el pasado distante, también es un evento personal en nuestras propias vidas. Somos creados varón y hembra a la propia imagen de Dios, una imagen que ahora se muestra en la vida y el ministerio de Jesucristo. Los dones espirituales son únicamente personales y dan forma a nuestro destino. No somos eclosionado en una incubadora por una deidad distante o inexistente, sujeta a influencias y fuerzas aleatorias. Nuestra creación es uno de los actos más gracioso de Dios.
Nuestra salvación mediante la muerte de Jesús en la cruz es otro acto inmerecido de la gracia de Dios. El apóstol Pablo lo dice mejor:
¨Porque mientras aún éramos débiles, a su tiempo Cristo murió por los impíos. Porque difícilmente habrá alguien que muera por un justo, aunque tal vez alguno se atreva a morir por el bueno. Pero Dios demuestra su amor para con nosotros, en que siendo aún pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros.¨ (Rom 5:6–8)
La gracia sacrificial de Dios tiene lugar en el contexto de la relación, porque Dios no nos deja solos, sino que como ovejas necesitamos reconocer y seguir al pastor.
La gracia de Dios es como la lluvia que es fácil dar por sentada, pero absolutamente crucial para la vida—especialmente si eres agricultor—y que se echa desesperadamente de menos cuando falta.
Aplicando la Gracia
Also see:
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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November 12, 2024
Niebuhr Examines American Christian Roots, Part 1
H. Richard Niebuhr. 1937. The Kingdom of God in America. New York: Harper Torchbooks. (Goto Part 2)
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
Some books refuse to stay on the shelf and scream to be read and re-read. Richard Niebuhr’s The Kingdom of God in America is such a book, which I first read in 1978 as a graduate student. Niebuhr, Karl Barth, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer belong to the neo-orthodox school of theological thought, which reconciles reformed theology with the enlightenment and emphasizes God as the principal source of theological doctrine.
Introduction
Niebuhr begins The Kingdom of God in America, writing:
“The following chapters attempt to interpret the meaning and spirit of American Christianity as a movement which find its center in the faith in the kingdom of God.” (ix)
This is a bold claim which echoes Jesus’ early teaching following that of John the Baptist in the synoptic Gospels:
“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15 ESV)
Niebuhr goes on to observe:
“In the early period of American life, which foundations were laid on which we have all had to build, ‘kingdom of God’ meant ‘sovereignty of God’; in the creative period of awakening and revival it meant ‘reign of Christ’; and only in the most recent period had it come to mean ‘kingdom on earth’”. (xii)
Three Convictions
Niebuhr expands on this introduction citing three convictions. The first states that: “The true church is not an organization but the organic movement of those who have been ‘called out’ and ‘sent’” (xiv). The second states that this movement is dialectical:
“expressed in worship and in work, in the direction toward God and the direction toward the world which is loved in God, in the pilgrimage toward the eternal kingdom and in the desire to make his will real on earth.” (xv)
The third states that: “American Christianity and American culture cannot be understood at all save on the basis of faith in a sovereign, living, loving God.” (xvi)
Faith is Fundamental
In launching into this historical study of American Protestantism, Niebuhr presumes that faith in Christ is fundamental to who we are, not secondary as taught by Marxian interpreters (4). Much like the Exodus from Egypt is the touchstone of Jewish identity; our identity lies in our faith experience. A historical exploration of our faith origins is likely therefore to yield insights into our present and our future and patterns that we might discern (1). The present challenge being the preservation of “American civilization.” (5)
Fundamentalists and Liberals
This heady charge for a book written in 1937 deserves a bit of attention. In 1937, the split between fundamentalists and liberals in the American Presbyterian church (1925) had just occurred and remained incompletely consolidated (Longfield 2013, 158). Even liberals grew up steeped in the church and cultural accommodation in response to postmodernism remained in its infancy.
Remember, in 1937, U.S. remained in the Great Depression. The Second World War had yet to include the United States. The evangelical revival of the Billy Graham years (1940s through 1960s) had just begun. The idea that a book written in 1937 anticipated the problem of secularism in the postmodern period astounds me.
Famous Quote
The Niebuhr characterization of liberal Protestantism remains widely cited and consists of a single sentence:
“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministration of a Christ without a cross.” (193)
While some dispute this characterization Niebuhr himself generously spoke about the dialectical nature (conviction two above) of Christian faith. It could encompass both liberal and evangelical articulations of faith, at least at in their initial characterizations.
Helmut Richard Niebuhr (1894 – 1962) received his doctorate from Yale University (1924) and taught ethics for many years. His older brother, Reinhold Niebuhr, also taught theology and wrote. Richard’s book, Christ and Culture, remains widely cited and D.A. Carson recently updated his basic premise.
In part 1 of this review, I have given an overview of Niebuhr’s work. In part 2, I will delve deeper into his arguments.
References
Longfield, Bradley J. 2013. Presbyterians and American Culture: A History. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press. (Review: Part 1 (http://wp.me/p3Xeut-Tj) and Part 2 (http://wp.me/p3Xeut-Tp)).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-ort....
Niebuhr, Richard. 2001. Christ and Culture (Orig. pub. 1951). New York: HarperSanFrancisco.
Matthew actually prefers the term, kingdom of heaven (e.g. Matt 4:17).
The liberal worldview misses the key doctrine of the atonement that simply says that Christ died for our sins. If sin is unimportant, the work of Christ becomes unimportant, contradicting the teaching of Paul (1 Cor 15:3-5) and the Apostle Peter (Acts 2:37-38). The New Testament teaches that we come to Christ through confession of sins and ignores the primacy of mercy in God’s own self-disclosure in Exodus 34:6.
Reviews of Carson: Part 1 and Part 2.
Niebuhr Examines American Christian Roots, Part 1
Also see:
Re-examining Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture
Books, Films, and Ministry
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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November 11, 2024
Contending Grace: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 11, 2024
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Contending Grace. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Contending Grace: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 11, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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November 10, 2024
Prayer of Restoration
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Father God,
All praise and honor, power and glory, truth and justice are yours, because you offer us shelter that allows us to grow and become adults in a world more accustomed to stunted youths and bitter relationships. Be ever near.
Forgive us our youthful arrogance, our prideful rebellion, our wanton covetousness.
Thank you for the gift of your son, our savior Jesus Christ, who lived teaching us to love one another, healed our wounds, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from dead that we might have life.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, teach us to model the grace and love of Jesus Christ to all that we meet. Grant us a spirit of truth and holiness.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Prayer of Restoration
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/DogDays_24 , Signup
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Oración de Restauración
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Padre Dios,
Toda alabanza y honor, poder y gloria, verdad y justicia son tuyos, porque nos ofreces un refugio que nos permite crecer y convertirnos en adultos en un mundo más acostumbrado a jóvenes raquíticos y relaciones amargas. Estar siempre cerca.
Perdónanos nuestra arrogancia juvenil, nuestra rebelión orgullosa y nuestra codicia desenfrenada.
Gracias por el regalo de tu hijo, nuestro salvador Jesucristo, que vivió enseñándonos a amarnos unos a otros, sanó nuestras heridas, murió en la cruz por nuestros pecados y resucitó de entre los muertos para que tengamos vida.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, enséñanos a modelar la gracia y el amor de Jesucristo para todos los que encontramos. Concédenos un espíritu de verdad y santidad.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración de Restauración
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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November 8, 2024
Contending Grace
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money.
(Luke 16:13)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The Lazarus and the Rich Man is a parable in the form of a lengthy story of two men: a poor beggar named Lazarus and a rich man, who is not named. This parable appears only in Luke 16 and it follows another story about an unfaithful and unscrupulous manager. This prior story concludes with the above proverbial statement: You cannot serve God and money. The context of this prior story suggests that money-obsessed Pharisees are the ones in view being criticized in the above story and also the rich man in our parable.
If grace is an undeserved blessing, then the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a story of contending acts of grace. We read:
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores.” (Luke 16:19-20)
Neither acts of God’s sovereign grace are initially explained, but we learn more about the rich man as the story unfolds. We read:
“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.” (Luke 16:22-23)
For a Jew accustomed to blessings for adhering to the law and curses for disobeying the law in this life and the next, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28, we sense bewilderment in the rich man’s eyes as he looks up from Hades to Lazarus enjoying Abraham’s bosom. This role reversal is unexpected and comes as a shock that the rich man questions Abraham and asks Abraham to warn his five brothers, to which Abraham responds: ”They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.”(Luke 16:29)
Curiously, we are never told why Lazarus warranted heaven, only that the rich man failed to heed Moses and the Prophets’ teaching on how to deal with divine judgment. Given the context of the parable, however, we can surmise that we are to love God, not money (Luke 16:13), unlike the Pharisees. The quality of our relationship with God is the key.
Grace in the Parable
For Lazarus, grace means a reversal of fortunes in death. God takes pity on him in death for his undeserved suffering in life.
For the rich man, grace means prosperity in life with the caveat that he love God, not money, and heed Mose’s and the Prophets.
The story is silent on Lazarus’ relationship with God and attitude towards Moses and the Prophets, which reinforces the perception that the parable is directed at and critical of the Pharisees, as with the prior story.
Grace in Relationship
The idea that God’s grace is dispensed in the context of relationship is explicit in the Parable of the Two Sons, usually called the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In the parable, the younger son asks for his inheritance early and uses it to engage in riotous living in a foreign country while the old son remains at home and works for this father. At this point, neither son loves his father. After ending up destitute, the younger son returns home to ask his father’s forgiveness which leaves the older son even more bitter, both at his brother and at his father for accepting him back. For the younger son, this episode represents a coming-of-age story where he learns to love his father, something that his older brother never manages (Luke 15:11-32).
In the Parable of the Two Sons, the father models God’s grace in two paragrammatical cases represented by the two sons. In both cases, the father offers restorative justice—grace designed to allow growth—where he might have rendered criminal justice, had the sons not been in relationship.
Restorative justice makes sense to Christians because we have known Christ our entire lives, but it was new to Jesus’ audience, as we read: “This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard. Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones.” (Deut 21:20-21) One reading of the passage—“but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)—is that the father was protecting his son from a community more accustomed to stoning rebellious sons than offering them restoration. Against this backdrop, the father’s response is unexpected, a radical departure from local custom.
The grace that Jesus displays in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is transformative because it allows renewal of relationship and the opportunity of personal growth.
Contending Grace
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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