Limited Knowledge

1Corinthians 8:2-3

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

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Well now I don't read that daily news
'Cause it ain't hard to figure
Where people gets the blues
They can't dig what they can't use
If they stick to simple
They'd be much less abused

Say I know a little
Lord I do know a little 'bout it
I know a little
I know a little 'bout it
I know a little 'bout love
Baby I can guess the rest

"I Know a Little" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Ah to watch the news on TV, I can think of nothing more discouraging. There seems to be a pattern that works, get enough people yelling at one another and people will watch. If this formula didn't work then PBS News would have much higher ratings.

Paul writes that knowledge puffs up. Listen to anyone on talk radio and you will find that's true. TV and radio are filled with people who know and puff themselves up by their knowledge. The puffing up is even measured. They call it ratings. They call it "good" demographics. They call it advertising rates. They call it advertiser prestige.

These pundips (a combined word of "pundit" and "dip$#!^") share news that we have no control over. They will tell us we have power, power focused through the kingdom of a radio or TV show. Their power is in their voice which ultimately becomes a clanging symbol.

What people need is love. Not some undefined general love, but true love for neighbor and self. I'm not talking about being selfish or enlightened self interest either. I'm not saying a rising tide lifts all ships either because a lot of little dinghies get caught in the wake of the supertankers.

I'm talking about the love of God that allows us to accept the free gift of grace by faith in God. I'm talking about sharing the sacrificial love we see in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm talking about the love that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm talking about a love we can't share until we learn to accept it ourselves--and that may be the toughest part of all.

I can say I know a little about love, and that would be true. As for guessing the rest, we don't have to guess at all. The ultimate example of love is found in Christ and is available for us all.

Busy Day? More Like the Whole Week!

Genesis 1:31-2:3

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

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you had a busy day today

"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin

Creation, it's the one thing that God does that we cannot do. There is a saying about the testament written in Hebrew: "People do, only the Lord is." This is because the only time the verb "to be" is used in the Hebrew text is the "I AM." Yes, you will find more forms of "to be" in English translations, but you won't find the verb in those places in the original Hebrew text.

A busy day? God had a busy week! So busy that on the seventh day God created rest. God created a day to be separate from all others to be used to recuperate from the week. How important is this for us? God rested! If God rested, and surely we are not as resilient as God, then of course we need to rest!

Exodus 20:11, dead center in the Ten Commandments, reminds us how important this is saying, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it." By the way, consecrated, or "made holy," is a fancy way of saying "set aside." The Sabbath day was set aside for rest.

We live in a society that is too busy for its own good. Many of our most common diseases are caused by stress. There is so much "keeping up with the Joneses" that we can't even keep up with our own obligations any more. The only cure is rest. You've had a busy day today, so remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

Which Way Are You Going

Joshua 24:16-18

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

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What I really want to know is
Are you gonna go my way
And I got to, got to know

"Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz

The question Lenny asks is obviously Messianic. This isn't to say that Lenny's the Messiah, but it is asking the listener to imagine the Messiah asking the ultimate question. Imagine the Messiah asking "Are you gonna go my way?" What is the answer?

In this passage, the tribes are renewing their covenant with the Lord. Joshua reminds them of where they came from. He reminds them of Abrham who became Abraham. He reminds them of the time in Egypt ending with the Exodus and the Law. Joshua ends his part of the liturgy with the famous affirmation "as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Imagine hearing the question "Who will you serve?" Imagine hearing the question "Are you gonna go my way?" Joshua asks the people this question. Their answer is recorded in these three verses. The Lord has done much for us. The Lord has lifted us from slavery. The Lord has done great signs in our presence. The Lord has protected us all along the way. So the only answer we have is "we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

Joshua asks, Lenny asks, the Lord asks: Who will you serve? Are you gonna go my way?