Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 66

Kinnaman: From Lost to Found, Part 2

David Kinnaman with Aly Hawkins. 2011. You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith .  Grand Rapids: BakerBooks. (Goto part 1; goto part 3)

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Parents of mosaics (millennials) struggling with their Christian faith often beat themselves up over these struggles. I sure do. Behind these moments of self-indictment often begin with the catch phrase:  if only I had… Too often we observe our kids mimicking, not only our strengths, but also our weaknesses . …Maybe especially our weaknesses…

As a parent of 3 mosaics, I wish that I had demonstrated use of scripture and prayer in daily problem solving (a discipling approach) instead of relying on general bible study and church participation (acculturation approach).  I implicitly assumed that the future would be more or less continuous with the past.  That is to say that my path to discipleship would also work for my kids.  I was so wrong…

In his book, You Lost Me, David Kinnaman cites Bob Buford who observed:

“I think this new generation is not just slightly different from the past.  I believe they are discontinuously different that anything we have seen before” (37).

Kinnaman observes that “it’s not that they’re not listening; it’s that they can’t understand what we are saying.” (39)

I remember as a new high school graduate with a bit of unexpected time on my hands the summer before starting college. So I announced to my parents that I would be biking to college (about 625 miles from Washington DC to Bloomington, Indiana). That was 1972—no bike helmet, no companion, no cell phone, no credit card.  My parents never doubted my ability—I was an Eagle Scout—and they raised no objections. I did the trip.  I was 18 years old. Today, the evening news reports when parents “free range” their pre-teen down the park in their neighborhood. How exactly can we communicate with our kids about taking risks if they have never had opportunity to take any?

Kinnaman sees mosaics living in a new technological, social, and spiritual reality summed up in 3 words: access, alienation, and authority (39).  Let me dig into this a bit.

Access. My kids grew up Googling information; I grew up making trips to the library and cruising the card catalog. Gigabits of information is available where we had almost none.

For example, when I left as a foreign exchange student for Germany in 1978, I could not find a map of Germany (even in the library) with enough detail to find the town, Göttingen, where I would be studying. Today, not only can you Google directions to Göttingen University, but you can pull up a satellite map and take a virtual walk around campus [3].

Kinnaman writes that this increase in access to information makes everyone a potential expert (of sorts) with an expectation of respect. Kids have become dismissive of hierarchy, are aware of global events, and expect both to participate in events and be informed in real time (43). Information is power. They have it; they use it.

Alienation.  Think of “alienation as very high levels of isolation from family, community, and institutions” (44). Mosaics are much less likely than boomers to have known both their parents (8 times as likely), to have attended church, or to have completed the 5 key developmental tasks of being an adult (leaving home, finishing school, becoming financial independent, getting married, and having a child; 45-47).

As a boomer, I was extremely late in marrying—age 30—because of my doctoral studies. Most of my peers had been married one or more times and had kids by that point.  Among mosaics, Kinnaman reports that only 46 percent of the women and 31 percent of the men are married by age 30 (47).

If your church is primarily made up of married couples with children, then mosaics must feel really out of place when they visit.  This implies that they are unlikely to have many older mentors in their lives to help them navigate uncharted waters.  This is not a trivial observation.  Most of the gun men from recent shooting incidents (and volunteers for ISIS) could be loosely described as alienated mosaics out of work. How would life today be different if these young men had mentors and churches really looking out for them?

Authority.  Kinnman observes that Christianity is no longer the default setting of American society.  Citing John Westerhoff’s book, Will Our Children Have Faith?, Kinnaman see 6 different arenas of culture—community, church, religious programming, public schools, popular entertainment, and stable family structure—that all used to embody Christian values, which no longer do so in whole or in part (51). Kinnaman observes, for example, that among mosaics Paris Hilton is more favorably viewed than Billy Graham (53).  They are also much less likely than previous generations to believe that the Bible has a claim on their obedience (52).

David Kinnaman’s book, You Lost Me, paints a very challenging picture of the church’s relationship with mosaics based primarily on changes in the environment in which they find themselves. Their attitudes and beliefs may still be faithful to the tradition in which they were raised but they find themselves struggling with making their own way through the cultural transitions going on.  You Lost Me is a book that parents (as well as pastors and lay leaders) might find helpful reading.

In part 3 of this review, I will turn my attention to Kinnaman’s comments about the church.

References

Westerhoff, John. 2012.  Will Our Children Have Faith? New York: Morehouse Publishing.

Footnotes

http://youlostmebook.com.

We know from scripture that such dark thoughts are not of God.  The Prophet Jeremiah, for example, prophesies a time:  “In those days they shall no longer say: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” (Jer. 31:29-30 ESV) The gloss on this passage is under the new covenant in Christ each of us is responsible for our own sins. We are not off the hook for bad parenting, but we are also not responsible for the peculiar sins of our children.

[3] http://www.uni-goettingen.de.

Kinnaman: From Lost to Found, Part 2
Also see:
Books, Films, and Ministry
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




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Holiness: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 15, 2023

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Holy Spirit in Acts. 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!

Holiness: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 15, 2023
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




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Holiness Petition

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Holy Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you called the church into being from the nations and blessed it with your Holy Spirit that we might be witnesses among those who are sick and dying.

Forgive us for forsaking your call and not sharing your blessings with those in dire need.

Thank you for sustenance, gifting, and protection of your Holy Spirit.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts, illumine our minds, and strengthen our hands in your service.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Holiness Petition
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


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The Holy Spirit in Acts

But you will receive power 

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, 

and you will be my witnesses 

in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, 

and to the end of the earth. 

(Acts 1:8)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The Old Testament name for the Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:2 in Hebrew is Ruach Elohim (ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים)⁠1). It is translated into the Septuagint Greek interchangeably as Pneuma Theou (πνεῦμα θεοῦ)⁠2 or Pneuma Kuriou (πνεῦμα κυρίου). In English, that would be Spirit of God and Spirit of the Lord. The Greek Pneuma Kuriou is also frequently corresponding to the Hebrew Ruach YHWH⁠3 (ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֔ה), which has often other more metaphorical translations, like breath of God. Ruach Elohim is also translated as Pneuma Poneron (πνεῦμα πονηρὸν)⁠4 or evil spirit once in Judges and three times in 1 Samuel 16 in reference to King Saul after David had been anointed.

Grieving the Holy Spirit

What is interesting about this list of Old Testament references to the Holy Spirit is that the two primary names for the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts πνεύματος ἁγίου⁠5 and πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον6 do not appear on this list. This latter Greek term for the Holy Spirit does, however, appear twice in the Old Testament. Once in a famous Psalm of David: “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” (Ps 51:11) The Hebrew here reads ruach kadeska (ר֥וּחַ קָ֜דְשְׁךָ֗). The second time is in Isaiah 63 where a close parallel Hebrew name, ruach kadesho (ר֣וּחַ קָדְשׁ֑וֹ), is used again. The passage cautions God’s chosen (Israel in Isaiah’s context) not to grieve the Holy Spirit.

An example of someone obviously grieving the Holy Spirit was King Saul. Saul is described as tall and handsome, but also as superstitious, willful, and impatient (1 Sam 9:2, 15:1-35). By contrast, David as young, ruddy, and handsome, a musician and shepherd, a man after God’s heart (1 Sam 13:14; 16:12). Once the Prophet Samuel anointed David, God sent an evil spirit to torment Saul. Consequently, Saul’s servants sought out David to play the lyre to sooth Saul in his affliction and Saul took David as his armor-bearer, a kind of kingly apprenticeship (1 Sam 16:15-21).

Evangelist Charles Finney (1982, 63) used the word quench to describe resisting the truth that the Holy Spirit presents to our minds.

David knew first-hand the implications of losing the Holy Spirit, which no doubt motivated his prayer (Ps 51:11). The prominence of the Holy Spirit in the foundation of the church and reference to this aspect of the Old Testament understanding of the Holy Spirit suggest that the story of Saul has direct relevance to the church. This also sheds light on the story of another Saul in the Book of Acts (Acts 8:1).

Something New

This linguistic departure from the Old Testament and the particular passages in view suggest that Luke in the Book of Acts sees God doing something new. Neither the anointing of the righteous lineage (Gen 11) nor the temporary anointing of the Holy Spirit on Moses’ elders (Num 11:25) is being claimed or referenced. The question that arises is what is new?

At least three things appear new in the Book of Acts as a consequence of the tearing of the curtain in the temple of Jerusalem (Matt 27:51, Mar 15:38, Luke 23:45). First, the disciples were given the mission of being witnesses. Second, the mission was extended geographically from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8) and, by inference, the mission extends also to Gentiles. Third, the gift of the Holy is no longer for a season, but forever, again by inference (Acts 2:4). Previously, the gift of the Holy Spirit was temporary and limited, except perhaps for those or the righteous lineage or anointed as messiahs.

The Footloose Spirit

The story of King Saul plays out in the Book of Acts in the person of Saul of Tarsus. When the church in Jerusalem appears satisfied to remain in Jerusalem rather than live into its mission to witness in Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), Saul is seen raging the church and scattering the disciples (Acts 8:1-4). This is like King Saul being tormented and driven to David by an evil spirit (1 Sam 16:15-21).

Once this scattering has been accomplished, we see Saul undergoing a conversion experience and living into his gentile name, Paul (Acts 9). Paul then becomes one of the church’s most celebrated evangelists and joins named and unnamed disciples who carry the church to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Thus, we see both the Holy Spirit and its evil twin accomplishing God work in establishing the church through the person of Saul of Tarsus.

Jews and Gentiles

The Holy Spirit anointed gentiles before acknowledgment of the church confirmed it. We see this in the pouring out of the spirit on the Samaritans (acts 8:14-17), Philip’s witnessing to the Eunuch (Acts 8:26-39), and Peter’s vision inviting him to eat both clean and unclean animals before visiting the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion (Acts 10:22).

Later. at the Council of Jerusalem, in spite of much opposition, the Gospel is provisionally opened to gentiles (Acts 15:19-20). Consequently, the Gospel reached the furthermost parts of the Roman Empire and beyond within a single generation.

Holy Spirit as Agent of Faith

The purpose of the spirit in evangelism is to identify those called to be the church. The Apostle Peter cited the Prophet Joel (2:28-29) during his sermon on the Day of Pentecost: 

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18 )

Peter then describes the path to faith: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) This suggests that the Holy Spirit is both the sign and seal of faith, and with it, salvation. In some sense, the Apostle John’s term for the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (παράκλητον)⁠7 or in English, the comforter, embodies both ideas.

Footnotes

1 Also: Gen 41:38, Exod 31:3, 35:31, Num 24:2, 1 Sam 10:10, 11:6, 16:15, 16, 23, 18:10, 19:20, 23, and 2 Chr 15:1.

2 Gen 1:2, 41:38, Num 23:7,  4:2, 1 Sam 10:10, 19:9, 20,  23, 2 Chr 24:20, Rom 8:9, 

and 1 Cor 7:40.

3 Jdg 3:10, 11:29, 13:25, 14:6, 19, 15:14, 1 Sam 10:6, 16:13, 19:9, 2 Sam 23:2, 1 Ki 22:24, 2 Kgs 2:16, 2 Chr 18:23, 20:14, Isa 11:2, 40:7, 13, 59:19, 63:14, Ezek 11:5, Hos 13:15, Mic 2:7, and 3:8.

4 Jdg 9:23, 1 Sam 16:14, 16, 23

5 Matt 1:18, Luke 1:15, 

41, 67, 4:1, Acts 1:2, 2:4, 4:8, 25, 6:5, 7:55, 9:17, 11:24, 13:9, 52, Rom 5:5, 15:13, 1 Thess 1:6, 2 Tim 1:14, Tit 3:5, Heb 2:4, 6:4, and 2 Pet 1:21.

6 Ps 50:13, Isa 63:10, 11, Mark 3:29, 13:11, Luke 3:22, John 14:26, Acts 1:16, 5:3, 32, 10:44, 47, 11:15, 13:2, 15:8, 19:6, 20:23, 28, 21:11, 28:25, Eph 4:30, Heb 3:7, and 10:15.

7 John 14:16, 26; 15:26, 16:7, and 1 John 2:1

The Holy Spirit in Acts
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




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Kinnaman: From Lost to Found, Part 1

David Kinnaman with Aly Hawkins. 2011. You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith .  Grand Rapids: BakerBooks. (Goto part 2; goto part 3)

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

I dropped out of church when I went to college.

I was neither angry at God nor questioning his existence—problems closer to home dominated my life:

I felt lost when our church youth group vanished overnight after the youth director was sacked;
I felt lost when I failed my college audition for music school;
I felt lost when the Vietnam draft loomed over me and I had trouble explaining to my parents why fighting in an unethical war was wrong; and
I felt lost in my singleness at a time when most of my peers were getting married.

In my junior year, my lostness gave way when I roomed with a persistent navigator  who helped me re-engage with the church. This is when I realized that my relationship with God was separate from my relationship with the church. This realization helped me reconnect with God and begin to share my other feelings of lostness with friends in Christ.

In his book, You Lost Me, David Kinnaman describes today’s drop out problem as a “faith development” or “disciple-making” problem (21). Kinnaman classifies drop outs into 3 broad categories:

“Nomads [who] walk away from church involvement but still consider themselves Christians.”
 “Prodigals [who] lose their faith, describing themselves as ‘no longer Christian’”.
“Exiles [who] are still invested in their Christian faith but feel stuck (or lost) between culture and the church” (25).

This drop out problem is critical because the drop outs make most of their important decisions at a period in life (ages 20 to 30) when they have disengaged from their spiritual life in the church. Ironically, teenagers are some of the most religiously active Americans while 20-somethings are the least religiously active Americans (22).

Following George Barna, Kinnaman prefers the term, mosaic, and not the term, millennials, to describe this 20-something generation because of the eclectic (and often contradictory) nature of the relationships and the values that they pursue (29). In this context, the catchphrase, “every story matters”, is helpful because generalizations about mosaics are misleading (25).  Thus, Kinnaman is constantly highlighting the diversity among nomads, prodigals, and exiles even when he writes about these particular categories.  This diversity often takes the form of stories and counter-stories.

Kinnaman sees 3 important areas where the church needs to fill gaps in disciple-making among mosaics :

Relationships. Mosaics are both “extraordinarily relational and, at the same time, remarkably self-centered” (29).  It is hard to get to “we” when it’s all about me.
Vocation. Mosaics receive “little guidance from their church communities for how to connect these vocation dreams deeply with their faith in Christ”. Special problems arise with creatives (artists, musicians, filmmakers, etc) and scientists (29-30, 80-83).
Wisdom. Mosaics are inundated with information, but often lack the wisdom to filter through it (30-31).

Kinnaman sees the need to think of discipleship in terms of apprenticeship relationships where the uniqueness of the individual is both known and cherished (35).

David Kinnaman is the president and majority owner of the Barna Group , a private resource group in Ventura, California, which specializes in interviews and surveys on matters of faith.  He is well-known as the co-author of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.  You Lost Me is written in 12 chapters divided into 3 parts:

Part 1:  Drop Outs

Faith, Interrupted,
Access, Alienation, Authority,
Nomada and Prodigals,
Exiles,

Part 2: Disconnection

Overprotective,
Shallow,
Anti-science,
Repressive,
Exclusive,
Doubtless,

Part 3: Reconnection

What’s Old is New
Fifty Ideas to Find a Generation (7).

The focus in part 1 is on mosaics, in part 2 on the church, and in part 3 on how to respond to what has been learned.

David Kinnaman’s You Lost Me is a well-written marketing study complete with statistical results, analysis, and recommendations. Kinnaman’s research is thorough and he displays a deep understanding of the literature on dealing with generational shifts in the church.  My first response on finishing this book was to order his other book, UnChristian.  Pastors and lay leaders need to be aware of this research.

Here in part 1 of this review, I have given an overview of Kinnaman’s book.  In part 2, I will look in more depth at his discussion of mosaics and the 3 classes of drop outs.  In part 3, I will explore his discussion of the challenges facing the church.

Footnotes

http://youlostmebook.com.

 http://www.navigators.org.

George Barna prefers the term, mosaic, to millennial because of the eclectic nature of relationships in this generation (29).

www.barna.org.

Kinnaman: From Lost to Found, Part 1
Also see:
Books, Films, and Ministry
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:  https://bit.ly/Flowers_2023 ,  Signup

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Shekinah: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 8, 2023

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Shekinah Cloud. 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!

Shekinah: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 8, 2023
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:  https://bit.ly/Flowers_2023 ,  Signup
 
 

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Shekinah Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you have guided us through the ages and invited us to faith for your name’s sake.

We confess that we have not always heeded your invitation or even called on your name when we get into trouble. Do not forget us.

Thank you for the gift of faith, your Shekinah Cloud, and the fellowship of your spirit and the church. Be ever near.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, guide through troubled times and guard our hearts when we grow weak. May we always return to you.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Shekinah 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


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Old Testament Images

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, 

because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; 

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 

to proclaim liberty to the captives, 

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

(Isa 61:1)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The Holy Spirit is alive and well in the Old Testament. Because the Holy Spirit is the agent of God’s work in his creation, it is helpful to recognize two distinct Old Testament characteristics: Examples of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation and embodiment. I use the term, manifestation of the Holy Spirit, to capture a pattern of action while the Holy Spirit’s embodiment suggests a symbol or joint participation of the spirit and a person. Both are important in scripture as God’s agency in his creation is described.

Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

The first characteristic of the Holy Spirit is manifestation. The Holy Spirit’s footloose nature is manifest in at least two patterns in the Old Testament that display responses to God’s invitation of faith. The first manifestation is seen in Abraham’s call to faith:

“Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:1-3)

Abraham must leave behind all sources of security in the ancient world—country, tribe, and family—to respond to God’s call. Abraham’s faith is displayed in a physical, not verbal, response to this call. God’s election becomes obvious in both blessings and curses to prosper and protect Abraham. Evidence of Abraham’s election arises in his sharing of God’s blessings with others.

For those who refuse the invitation of faith, a second manifestation can be seen:

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.” (Deut 30:1-3)

For those who refuse faith, there is the curse of scattering, an echo of the curse of Cain (Gen 3:14). Here the pattern is: collective sin, scattering and enslavement, crying out to the Lord, and the sending of a deliverer. Walter Brueggemann (2016, 59) describes this pattern as the Deuteronomic Cycle.

These two manifestations are repeated throughout scripture and represent two responses to God’s invitation of faith. All are called; not all respond. One way or the other, through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” (Isa 45:23)

Embodiment of the Holy Spirit

The second characteristic of the Holy Spirit is embodiment. The first person to embody the Holy Spirit is likely Abel, the righteous son of Adam and Eve. Scripture does not actually say that Abel was embodied with the Holy Spirit, but is a keeper of sheep and provided worship that God found acceptable( Gen 4:2-5). His brother, Cain, was a farmer and, later, a city-builder. After Cain killed Abel out of jealousy, God cursed Cain to be a wanderer, and Adam and Eve had a third son, Seth, who replaced Abel as the righteous son (Gen 4:25-26). The genealogy in Genesis 11:10-27 shows Abraham to be a direct descendent of Shem.

Melchizedek is thought by some to be another name for Seth who also directly passed on blessings to Abraham. Abraham responded by offering a tithe (Gen 14:18-20) suggesting that Abraham both had and embraced the status of the righteous lineage, which required no further anointing of the Holy Spirit. This lineage traces through Isaac and Joseph. Each member of this righteous lineage has a direct relationship with God that is then passed onto the Nation of Israel.

This righteous lineage history lays the groundwork for charismatic leadership where the spiritual legacy of the Holy Spirit takes the form of messianic leaders, those anointed with oil and the laying on of hands. Messianic titles include: priests, prophets, and kings. The title, Christ, is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word, messiah.

The Special Role of Moses

Leadership in Israel went to Joseph bypassing Simeon and Levi (the first and second born sons of Jacob) because of their role in the bloodshed after the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen 34). Because Moses was of the tribe of Levi (Exod 2:1) he was not of the righteous lineage. This is ironic because the tribe of Levi became priests under Moses’ leadership. Nevertheless, God called Moses personally to lead the Nation of Israel out of Egypt (Exod 3:1-10).

Moses embodied the Holy Spirit on account of his personal relationship with God. As Moses led the Nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the desert, we read:

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” (Exod 13:21)

The Holy Spirit is embodied here in a “pillar of cloud” often referred to as the Shekinah cloud, where Shekinah is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for divine presence. The Shekinah cloud is also seen hanging over Mount Sinai with the giving of the law (Exod 19)) and over the Tabernacle (Num 9:15), the antecedent of the Temple built in Jerusalem by Solomon.

The Temple in Jerusalem

The anointing of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament is given to charismatic leaders and, on one occasion, to 70 leaders of the Nation of Israel (Num 11:25), an antecedent of the founding of the church at Pentecost (Acts 2). The founding of the Temple in Jerusalem started not with the Holy Spirit, but with King David wanting to move the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and replace it with a temple.

God was not altogether pleased with David’s idea of building a temple:

“In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” (2 Sam 7:7)

Building a temple in the ancient world was a way to control access to the gods and was typically an instrument of nation-building and kingly rule. God forbid David from building a temple because he spent most of his life at war, but conceded that his son, Solomon, could build this temple.

When Solomon built the temple and dedicated it, it was filled with the Shekinah glory of God (2 Chr 7:1). This was the first Temple of Jerusalem that was later destroyed by the Babylonians (2 Kgs 25:9). A second Temple of Jerusalem was built by the exiles returning from Babylon 70 years later (Ezr 3). 

The idea that God’s throne is in heaven suggests that the status of temples as an embodiment of the Holy Spirit has always been problematic (Ps 11:4). This problematic embodiment reaches a highpoint with the crucifixion of Jesus when temple veil was torn (Matt 27:51) and the Temple in Jerusalem was again destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans.

Old Testament Images
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




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Dikkers Teaches Humor

Dikkers, Scott. 2018. How to Write Funny: Your Serious Step-by-Step Blueprint for Creating Incredibly, Irresistibly Successful Hilarious Writing. Book 1. https://HowToWriteFunny.com.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

As someone frequently accused of un-funny dad jokes, I was shocked to hear from a reviewer that my last book, Image and Illumination, contained humorous elements. To myself, I quickly concluded that my editor let too much of my alter ego to appear on the printed page. When I finally settled down, I began to wonder whether it might be helpful to learn more about comedy and how to use it more deliberately in my writing. Should humor be a greater part of my authorial voice?

Introduction

Scott Dikkers’ How to Write Funny: Your Serious Step-by-Step Blueprint for Creating Incredibly, Irresistibly Successful Hilarious Writing offers this purpose statement: “If you want a no-nonsense book about how to write humor, read on.” (19) He says: “Comedy is more like baseball than brain surgery. You might lose more than you win, but you can still maintain a solid batting average.” (16) Humor itself is anything that surprises and makes people laugh (46).

Dikkers describes a humor spectrum: kid stuff, conversation, snark, formula humor, and satire (49). What separates the good stuff from the bad is the presence of Subtext, any underlying assumption that is focus of the humor. He writes:

 “All good jokes have Subtext, as do all good comedy articles, short stories, and novels. But in the less-sophisticated humor categories, the Subtext has nothing to say…Subtext in Satire is a value judgment is a value judgment or opinion held by the writer.” (58-59).

Dikkers offers 19 funny writing tips, many of which would not surprise a writer in any genre.

Funny Filters

The heart of this book lies in his classification of 11 funny filters. They are:

Irony                Character                 Shock              Hyperbole

Wordplay.        Reference                Madcap           Parody

Analogy           Misplaced Focus     Metahumor (68-111)

Dikkers uses these filters to structure his thinking in composing humor following three methods: Filtering, finessing, and divining.

In filtering, he begins with a Subtext and imposes the filters. Consider this example:

“The way the Character Funny Filter works is that we create a character with 1-3 simple traits, then have that character act on those traits, and this creates a joke. So, we can invent an alien character who’s really stupid. Every time this character does something dumb, it will be funny.” (116).

In this example, the Subtext is that the character is stupid. Along with this example, Dikker offers Funny Writing Tip #17: “One impossible thing at a time.” (117) Having more than one crazy idea, your story becomes confusing. Surprises should be obvious.

In finessing, he begins with an idea and uses the Funny Filters to improve on it (123).

In divining, Dikker starts with no idea. He uses the Funny Filters to brainstorm ideas (126, 142).

Much of Dikkers’ book is devoted to describing the focus and use of these Funny Filters, something beyond the scope of a short review.

Assessment

Scott Dikkers’ How to Write Funny: Your Serious Step-by-Step Blueprint for Creating Incredibly, Irresistibly Successful Hilarious Writing is a helpful and interesting introduction to comedy writing. I found the roles of surprise and Subtext especially interesting, perhaps because I am accustomed to underestimating the seriousness of good humor. As with any successful introduction, Dikkers’ text provides good advice and leaves one curious to learn more, which he provides in a number of follow-up texts.

Dikkers’ book is naturally interesting to anyone interesting in learning to write jokes. For me, this book is helpful in understanding the use of humor as a helpful component of writing devoted to other purposes, much like learning to write poetry or romance.

Dikkers Teaches Humor
Also see:
Books, Films, and Ministry
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




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Pentecost: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 1, 2023

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Pentecost. 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!

Pentecost: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 1, 2023
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:  https://bit.ly/Flowers_2023 ,  Signup
 
 

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