Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 74

January 6, 2023

The Sower

As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word,

hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

(Luke 8:15)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Patience is the heart of faith and its engenderment.

In the Parable of the Sower, found in Matthew (13:3-23), Mark (4:3-20), and Luke (8:5-15), Jesus likens himself to a farmer sowing seed:

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matt 13:3-9)

The life of the farmer starts and ends with a patient heart. In the rocky soil of Palestine, it is not always obvious where one will dig up a rock, which makes planting a crap-shoot. Neither is the weather reliable and predictable. Modern Israel has lush crops, but only where irrigation is available. Time and patience are requisite for a farmer to gain a harvest.

In further discussion, Jesus explains that the soil in this parable is the word of God (e.g. Luke 8:11), which makes this parable an allegory. Substituting the revealed context of the parable, the preaching of the word of God, the meaning of the parable is clarified.

The Character of Patience

You may be wondering why I chose to talk about patience in the Parable of the Sower. The parable is not about patience; the parable is about the character of good and bad soil (Matt 13:19-23). The reason is this—there is no such thing as a impatient farmer. One cannot be a farmer without patience. Farming requires patience. The parable assumes that the farmer is patient, which allows a story to then be told about soils. Not coincidentally, time and patience are also required to be a good parent, one of the chief characteristics of God that Jesus leaves us with.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

The Matthew account of the Parable of the Sower is followed immediately by a second farming story, the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares—a tare (KJV) is weed with poisonous seeds (darnel) that resembles wheat (ζιζάνιον BDAG 3384). Roman law specifically forbad the sowing of darnel in the wheat fields of an enemy, suggesting that this parable has a basis in ancient practice (Keener 2009, 386–387) Matthew writes:

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, An enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matt 13:24-30)

In the parable, the master of the house specifically directs his servants not to pull the weeds, lest the wheat get pulled up as well. This direction requires that the servants be patient to allow the wheat to grow.

The fruit of patience in this parable is faith. The eschatological judgment of God is deferred, we surmise, so that the faithful can be revealed and the unfaithful winnowed out. Patience has its limits in the parable as the winnowing is done at the time of harvest.

The Sower
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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Published on January 06, 2023 02:30

January 3, 2023

Hilt Explains Tropes

Jennifer Hilt. 2021. The Trope Thesaurus: Trope Your Way to a Stronger Story. Independently Published.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Confession time. A week ago I couldn’t spell trope and had the impression that it was a form, like a knock-knock joke. I was at least partially right.

Introduction

In her book, The Trope Thesaurus, Jennifer Hilt defined a trope as:

“A convention or device that establish a predictable or stereotypical representation of a character, setting, or scenario in creative work.” (9)

Reading her work, I would define a trope as more of a stereotypical subplot, sometimes suggested by a character type or place. A small-town setting, for example, suggests intimate relationships and a potentially retro timeframe, like a flashback to someone’s youth.

Hilt writes: “My goal for this book is to see tropes and start twisting them into your creations.” (4) Being able to identify trope forms and types is useful because they often come packaged together and carry reader expectations that are helpful to be aware of. Hilt goes a step further to demonstrate how they are used and how they relate to other story structures, especial goals, motivations, and conflicts (20). Genres often have unique trope expectations. Tropes also vary in their story importance (primary or secondary), type (person, place or object), and role (secret-based, change based (16-18+).

Background and Structure

Jennifer Hilt studied linguistics as an undergraduate and English literature in graduate school. She has written two dozen books in fantasy and paranormal romance genre.

Hilt divides The Trope Thesaurus into four parts:

PART ONE: What is a trope? (27 pages)

PART TWO: For each genre defined, there is usually a genre definition, three ways to use it, and a how-to section. The genres treated are romance; mystery, suspense, and thrillers; cozy mystery; procedural mystery; fantasy and science fiction. (111 pages)

PART THREE: Alphabetical description of each trope. (43 pages)

PART FOUR: Which trope did I just describe? (14 pages)

Just over half (111/217) of the book is found in part two.

Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts

Hilt writes:

“Goal, motivation, and conflict are critical to applying tropes because if we don’t know the main character’s driving force or forces, we will be unable to use tropes to their best potential.” (20).

Hilt opines that goals must be meaningful to the character and they must be measurable (23). The need for them to be measurable arises because we must know when the change. Character growth is often most obvious when their goals change (25).

Motivation is the character’s why and these motivations are often based on emotions, like shame, jealousy, and revenge (26-27), Conflict arises when something or someone prevents a character from reaching their goal (29).

Genre Expectations

Hilt defines” “A genre [as] a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like.” (36) Unless we know a genre’s expectations, we cannot figure out which tropes to apply. Romance is about relationships, with mystery, thriller, or suspense genre, it’s all about the puzzle (37). Other genre often use romance and mystery as subgenre (38).

Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense

Details often prove informative.

Hilt distinguishes mystery, thriller, and suspense as follows:

Mystery is about the puzzle.
Thriller is the push and pull between the protagonist and the villain.
Suspense is about tension and what may happen (61-62).

I described my first novella as a thriller, as defined above, yet my editors did not!

Assessment

Jennifer Hilt’s The Trope Thesaurus: Trope Your Way to a Stronger Story is a readable and helpful handbook for fiction authors wanting, like me, to get up to speed on tropes. Hilt uses recent movies in her examples, which often motivated me to watch the films online.

Footnotes

https://www.jenniferhilt.com.

Hilt Explains Tropes
Also see:
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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on January 03, 2023 02:30

January 2, 2023

Two Builders: Monday Monologues (podcast), January 2, 2023

Stephen_HIemstra_20210809

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Two Builders. 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!

Two Builders: Monday Monologues (podcast), January 2, 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 at: https://bit.ly/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on January 02, 2023 02:30

January 1, 2023

Patient Prayer

The Lost Sheep A U Soord

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Patient and Loving Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you created the heavens and the earth and will one day return to bring us home.

We confess that we do not always wait patiently for your answers in prayer or act as if we believe in your return in the eschaton. Teach us patience.

Thank you for our creation and the many spiritual gifts that you have given us.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us holy patience that we might live expectantly and that when life grants us opportunities we might be ready.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Patient 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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on January 01, 2023 02:30

December 31, 2022

December 30, 2022

Parable of the Two Builders

The Lost Sheep A U Soord

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,

but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

(Prov 14:29)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The third characteristic of God in Exodus 34:6 is patience. The Hebrew words used here, אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם (Exod 34:6 WTT), literally mean long

nostrilled. The words are often translated as slow to anger (ESV) or long suffering (KJV). Think of the person who takes a deep breath and counts to ten before responding to an insult. The Septuagint Greek translates this expression as μακρόθυμος (Exod. 34:6 BGT), which translates as “being self-controlled in the face of provocation, patient, forbearing, tolerant, even-tempered.” (BDAG 4685) By itself, the word for nostril is used in paying respect by bowing, a more positive inference (e.g. Gen 19:1). Proverbs equates such patience with great understanding or wisdom, the opposite of which is folly (Prov 14:29).

Patience as Parable Paradigm

Two aspects of patience, wisdom and time, characterize many of Jesus’ parables.

A wisdom theme pervades virtually all of Jesus´ parables in the sense of: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov 1:7) Consistent with the definition of a parable in both Greek and Hebrew, a parable imparts wisdom, much like Solomon’s proverbs. Jesus’ parables have the special characteristic of also pointing the listener to God, which firmly places them in the bible’s wisdom literature.

The time aspect of patience has a think-before-you-speak flavor. Consider the Parable of the Two Builders found in Matthew and Luke:

“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:47-49)

The time aspect of the parable arises in anticipating future events, in this case a flood, that all reinforce the wisdom aspect. In our mind’s eye, we can see many homes built on delta flood plains and ocean sandbars only later to be inundated and destroyed.

Patience’s Eschatological Dimension

While the Parable of the Two Builders clearly captures wisdom common in the building trades of everyday life, it also has an eschatological character to it. In the Bible, a house can refer to a family tree or dynasty. Eschatology has to do with the end times, as described in scripture. In the parable Jesus compares someone who listens to his teaching as the builder, implying that Jesus is himself the rock on which the house is to be built. The flood in this parable is easily a metaphor for death, as in the flood of Noah (Gen 7) where the house is presumably all of humanity that descended from Noah’s line.

In for a penny, in for a pound: Patience is the root of eschatology. Because God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1), time will also have an end when Christ will return. Many of Jesus’ parables implicitly or explicitly call for us to anticipate his return. While Christ’s return has a future aspect, it informs how we are to live today. Because we know life’s story will have a happy ending, we need not worry and we can take risks for the kingdom today.

Patience’s Practical Application

While many people lampoon Christianity as pie in the sky, research shows that children who are patient today are much more likely to succeed in life. Walter Mischel explored the mystery of patience among four-year olds. Those willing to forgo a single treat now in deference to two in twenty minutes are substantially more likely to succeed in life even years later. Mischel (2014, 3) reports:

“The more seconds they waited at age four or five, the higher their SAT scores and the better their rated social and cognitive functioning in adolescence. At age 27-32, those who had waited longer during the Marshmallow Test in preschool had lower body mass index and a better sense of self-worth, pursued their goals more effectively, and coped more adaptively with frustration and stress.”

These impressive results at an early age suggest that patience is a valuable characteristic that can presumably be taught or learned by simply imitating Jesus.

Parable of the Two Builders
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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on December 30, 2022 02:30

December 27, 2022

Mischel Tests Patience

Mischel_20221119

Walter Mischel. 2014. The Marshmallow Test: Measuring Self-Control. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Brazilians that I have known had a cheeky and ironic expression: Brazil is the country of the future and always will be. The idea is that patience is a virtue, but it is not the only thing required to succeed: Hard work and prudent risk-taking is also required. For those not gifted with a patient heart, the future always disappoints.

Introduction

Walter Mischel’s book, The Marshmallow Test: Measuring Self-Control, explores the mystery of patience among four-year olds. Those willing to forgo a single treat now in deference to two in twenty minutes are substantially more likely to succeed in life even years later/ Mischel reports:

These impressive results at an early age suggest that patience is a valuable characteristic that can presumably be taught. Mischel’s book explores how these findings correlate with other studies and with efforts to teach patience: The stakes could hardly be higher.

Background and Organization

Walter Mischel (1930–2018) received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Ohio State University. Born to a Jewish family in Austria, the family fled the Nazis in 1938 and settled in New York. Mischel taught at the University of Colorado, Harvard, and Stanford before setting into the Department of Psychology at Columbia University.

Mischel writes in twenty chapters divided into three parts:

PART I: DELAY ABILITY: ENABLING SELF-CONTROL

The Stanford University’s Surprise Room
How They Do It
Thinking Hot and Cold
The Roots of Self-Control
The Best-Laid Plans
Idle Grasshopper and Busy Ants
Is It Prewired? The New Genetics

PART II: FROM MARSHMALLOWS IN PRE-K TO MONEY IN 401K

The Engine of Success: I Think I Can!
Your Future Self
Beyond the Here and Now
Protecting the Hurt Self: Self-Distancing
Cooling Painful Emotions
The Psychological Immune System
When Smart People Act Stupid
If-Then Signatures of Personality
The Paralyzed Will
Will Fatigue

PART III: FROM LAB TO LIFE

Marshmallows and Public Policy
Applying Core Strategies
Human Nature (vii-viii)

These chapters are followed by acknowledgments, notes, and an index.

The Mechanics of Patience

Mischel did not just observe that some kids are more patient than others, he wanted to know why and how. In observing the kids taking the Marshmallow Test, he writes:

“Some covered their eyes with their hands, rested their heads on their arms to stare sideways, or. Turned their heads away to completely avoid facing the rewards … Successful delayers created all sorts of ways to distract themselves and to cool the conflict and stress they were experiencing.” (30-31)

Clearly, the mind’s picture of a temptation matters in resisting the temptation. Mischel writes:

“Facing pictures of the rewards, the children delayed 18 minutes on average—but when whey pretended that the real rewards, rather than the pictures, were in front of them, they waited less than six minutes.” (33)

Such comments remind me of a successful diet loss of thirty pounds that I experienced in 2021. Instead of saying to myself that I was hungry, I would tell myself that I was not hungry and think of how my running time would improve if I lost ten more pounds. Positive self-talk was an important component of my dieting strategy.

Mischel linked mental strategies to two different parts of the brain. The limbic system focused in the amygdala responds to hot, concrete stimuli and raw emotions while the prefrontal cortex system coolly and abstractly plans future actions (43-46). Successful strategies to develop patience work to cool emotions and focus on abstract future benefits. Stress and vivid images of rewards both undermine a cool response to temptation.

Assessment

Walter Mischel’s book, The Marshmallow Test: Measuring Self-Control, is a fascinating review of the research and applications surrounding the development of patience in early childhood and beyond. Anyone interested in helping kids grow into productive adults should find this book both accessible and interesting. For me, it was a holiday read well worth the time.

Footnotes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_...

Mischel Tests Patience
Also see:
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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on December 27, 2022 02:30

December 26, 2022

Applying Grace: Monday Monologues (podcast), December 26, 2022

Stephen_HIemstra_20210809

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), December 26, 2022
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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on December 26, 2022 02:30

December 25, 2022

Gracious Prayer

The Lost Sheep A U Soord

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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

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Published on December 25, 2022 02:30

December 23, 2022

Applying Grace

The Lost Sheep A U Soord

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/X-Mas2022 , Signup

The post Applying Grace appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

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Published on December 23, 2022 02:30

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