23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!
25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
Matthew 23:23-26
Dear God, maybe I need to do a better job of cleaning the inside of my dish. It is so easy for me to read this passage and sit in judgment over the Pharisees. But is this for me this morning? Do I allow for external things to become my priority, but allow internal things to corrupt my heart? Am I majoring in the minors and ignoring the majors? Of course, the answer is yes.
It would be so much easier if I could just sit here and judge others, but that’s not your call on me. No, you want me to start with the inside of my cup and dish. How do I spend my time? On what things of this world do I let my heart dwell? What do I allow to cause me fear? I could go on and on with these questions this morning, and all of the answers will disappoint me–and you.
Father, I’m sorry for my sinful heart. I’m sorry for the selfishness I resort to when I get pressed. I had a frustrating day yesterday, and I could have responded to it much better. I’m sorry. Be with me today. Holy Spirit, guide me today. I have relatives and friends who are experiencing health crises. Heal. Comfort. Teach. Unite. Bring repentance to all of us through these difficult situations. Use the pain of each struggle in our lives to further mold us into your worshippers and lovers. I do love you, Lord.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Can you pull the curtains, let me see the sunshine? I think I’m done with my hidin’ place, and you found me anyway It’s been forever, but I’m feelin’ alright Tears dry and will leave no trace, and tomorrow’s another day
Hide and seek I am somewhere closed away You won’t believe How long it’s been since we started the game I can’t be seen And you won’t find me today I’ve not been This low, but I’ll be okay
“Are you alright?” Maybe, don’t ask ‘Cause you know I never like to talk about that Keep it inside, yeah, you say I always hold back And I always wear long sleeves Is it in your childhood? Somethin’ happen in your past? Well, the sadness, yeah, I promise that it won’t last And if I could, I would try to take it all back There’s still more underneath and that’s when you say to me
“Can you pull the curtains, let me see the sunshine? I think I’m done with my hidin’ place and you found me, anyway It’s been forever, but I’m feelin’ alright Tears dry and will leave no trace, and tomorrow’s another day”
Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine Let me see the sunshine
Hide and seek Count to ten and close your eyes Try to breathe See a message and don’t reply Nice to meet But in reality, say goodbye Life can be So beautiful if you try
“Are you okay?” Yeah, I guess so But on some days, I feel like I’m trapped in a hole But I keep quiet, so the ones around me don’t know That the mountain feels so steep And I’ll say that I’m here to help to carry the load And the outside rays, they are good for the soul So let’s step out of the dark, ’cause in here, it’s so cold The day’s not out of reach and that’s when you say to me
“Can you pull the curtains, let me see the sunshine? I think I’m done with my hidin’ place, and you found me anyway It’s been forever, but I’m feelin’ alright Tears dry and will leave no trace, and tomorrow’s another day”
Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine Let me see the sunshine, shine, shine Let me see the sunshine
Dear God, I was listening to this song yesterday, and while it wasn’t a day I felt like hiding and just staying in bed, I could certainly relate to the feeling. I do get it from time to time. There are times when I just want to hide away. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen often, and when it does it doesn’t last too long–usually just several hours. I’m very grateful for that. I know some who struggle more frequently and for longer periods of time, and I know it is hard for them. And for the young, I fear that the combination of social media and videogames can only enhance this desire to lock yourself away and disengage from society.
As I listened to this song the second and third time, it reminded me of a song that was very important to me back in 2003 and 2005 when I was unemployed for a while. It was an explicitly Christian song called “Staring at a Bird” by The Waiting.
“Staring at a Bird” by The Waiting
I’m here staring at a bird in a tree Lying still, only wishing he were me ‘Cause for a bird it’s not a crime To try and satisfy his bird belly hunger Or fly the blue belly sky
And from his bird’s eye view He can pick and he can choose He doesn’t have to grieve his spirit No he doesn’t have to lose a moment’s joy there in his nest No matter what his mess, and he can barrel out his chest And he can fly away…
But I’m pinned down in my bed again I don’t think I could fly (I wouldn’t try) If I was a bird I would be content To peck along the ground ‘Cause I’m pinned down again…
I’m here staring at a bird on a limb Lying still, only wishing I was him ‘Cause I could use a haven, A nest above my fate Call it a rest from the chasing of me pillow and my plate
And for a bird it’s always right to love his appetite He’s too dumb to know the struggle, to weak to know the fight He can fly south when he gets cold, sing until he’s old And on a whim, he can unfold his wings And fly away
I’m here staring at a bird in the air I wonder what I’d see if I looked down from there I’d see a shattered temple, all it’s members in a sweat Everyone’s been degraded, every sermon they forget
I’d see a man pulled from his bed by the same Hands of Love That hung a cross around his neck Just to remind him, remind him who he was…
So I guess the question I need to ask myself is how do I keep from falling into too many of these moments? I don’t think they are 100% avoidable. But I do think I need to stay away from cancerous things that can cause me anxiety such as news and too much discourse that focuses on political discussion or any kind of discussion designed to produce anxiety in me. I need to make sure I am feeding myself scripture and listening to teaching and discussions that cause my heart and mind to dwell on you. I need to be about seeking reconciliation in relationships and forgiving others who I feel have wronged me. I need to read things that inspire me to be who you need me to be for your plan and want me to be for my sake. I need to serve others, starting with my wife and family. I need to pray and spend contemplative time with you. I need to worship and remember where I am in the pecking order of life.
Father, I give you this day. I’m grateful that you have a life of joy for me. Help me to live that out and then invite others into being reconciled and joyous with you.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
You who live in heaven Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth? Who are afraid of being left by those we love Who get hardened in the hurt Do you remember when You lived down here? Where we all scrape To find the faith to ask the daily bread Did You forget about us After You had flown away? Well, I memorized every word You said
Still I’m so scared, I’m holding my breath While You’re up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin? We have a love that’s not as patient as Yours was But still we do love now and then Did You ever know loneliness? You ever know need? You remember just how long a night can get? When You are barely holdin’ on And Your friends fall asleep Who don’t see the blood that’s runnin’ in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted While You’re up there just playin’ hard to get?
And I know You bore our sorrows And I know You feel our pain And I know that it would not hurt any less Even if it could be explained And I know that I am only lashing out At the One who loves me most And after I have figured this, somehow What I really need to know is if
You who live in eternity Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time? We can’t see what’s ahead and we cannot get free from what we’ve left behind I’m reeling from these voices that keep screamin’ in my ears All these words of shame and doubt, blame and regret I can’t see how You’re leading me Unless You’ve led me here To where I’m lost enough to let myself be led
And so You’ve been here all along, I guess It’s just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
Dear God, yesterday, I prayed that you would direct my day and I would give it over to you. For the most part, that went well. One decision I made was to listen to worship music during my workout instead of YouTube videos on car reviews or whatever. I started with Rich Mullins’s The Jesus Record and this was the first song that came up. It was the last verse that really caught my attention:
You who live in eternity Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time? We can’t see what’s ahead and we cannot get free from what we’ve left behind I’m reeling from these voices that keep screamin’ in my ears All these words of shame and doubt, blame and regret I can’t see how You’re leading me Unless You’ve led me here To where I’m lost enough to let myself be led
I think the exact part that really struck me was when he says, “We can’t see what’s ahead and we cannot get free from what we’ve left behind.” Living in the past and waiting on the future is so fruitless. And maybe I’m wrong about this approach, but I think that is why I just simply don’t care about “End Times” theology. I simply don’t see how it impacts who I am today.
That’s not to say I don’t get distracted by or anxious about the future. I certainly do. I worry about the idols I’ve developed to replace my faith in you and whether they will hold out. Will enough money continue to come in at work to pay my salary? Will my wife’s and my health continue to be good? What will my relationships with my children or other family members be like tomorrow? Who will win the elections in November in the United States and how afraid should I be of this person or that person winning? There are so many things that can distract me about the future, but they are mainly things that I allow to be idols that I think will bring me peace and certainty.
Then there’s the past. Past hurts. Traumas. Abandonments. It’s rarely the good things about the past that drive me and motivate me to act now. It’s often the negative things that haunt me.
Father, I can’t see what’s ahead and I won’t let go of what’s been left behind. I’m reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears. All these words of shame and doubt, blame and regret. I can’t see how you’re leading me unless you’ve led me here. To where I’m lost enough to let myself be led. That’s brilliant writing on Rich’s part, and I offer those words to you as my words this morning. I am rejecting my idols of self-pity, money, political power, health, love from others, etc. There are parts about my current situation that are amazing and bountiful. Thank you for those. There are other parts that bring me great sorrow. Thank you for those as well. You have brought me here, to a place where I am lost enough to let you lead me. Holy Spirit, please lead me again today.
I offer this to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit, Father,
16 They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”
Joshua 1:16-18
68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:68-69
Dear God, I really like how the lectionary of many churches, including the Catholic church, will tie Old Testament passages to Gospel passages. In this case, tomorrow’s verses for the Catholic church include the verses above. There’s more to each one, but the ideas of these two sentences comparing the people’s response to Joshua’s, “Choose today whom you will serve,” with Peter’s response to Jesus’s, “Will you leave too?” is both touching and tragic. It’s touching because they believed these words with all their hearts when they said them. It’s tragic because they are all human and every one of them failed to live up to the words they spoke that day at some point or another.
Of course, I’m no different. My heart will exude with love and worship for you in one moment and then run and hide the next. When I started typing a few moments ago, I thought of the Rich Mullins song “Nothing is Beyond You,” which is based on part of Psalm 139. The first verse and chorus:
Where would I go? Where would I run?
Even if I found the strength to fly.
And if I rose on the wings of the dawn
And crashed through the corners of the sky
If I sailed past the edge of the sea
Even if I made my bed in hell
Still there you would find meNothing is beyond you
You stand beyond the reach
Of my vain imagination
My misguided piety
The heavens stretch to hold you
And deep calls out to deep
Saying, "Nothing is beyond you!"
Time cannot contain you
You fill eternity
Sin can never stain you
Death has lost its sting
And I cannot explain how
You came to love me
Except to say that
Nothing is beyond you
Father, the good news is that my faithless heart is not beyond you. The Israelites’ faithless hearts were not beyond you. Peter’s faithless heart was not beyond you. Nothing is beyond you. I’m sorry I go. I’m sorry I run. I’m sorry I fly and sail away with everything I have sometimes. I am sorry I kick against you. I’m sorry I resist you. But in this moment now, I do worship you. Well, do I? Even as I sit here, I can tell my heart isn’t 100% yours. I’m holding back today. I have my agenda of what I want to do today and what I don’t want to do. I don’t want you to get in the way of that. No, even now, I am not totally yours. I’m sorry for that too. Holy Spirit, right now, I invite you to take over my heart and make me wholly the Father’s, the Son’s, and yours. I completely submit myself in this moment to you.
I offer this prayer and my life in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,
16 Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? 17 Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. 18 I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. 19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:16-19
Dear God, when I read this passage this morning from Psalm 94, it made me think of Elijah running from Jezebel:
3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
1 Kings 19:3-4
And now, anytime I read a psalm I think of what the guy whose name escapes me now said about psalms being in three categories: orientation, disorientation, and reorientation. As I read this whole psalm, I think it falls into the disorientation category. Things aren’t good. Why aren’t they good? Why does it seem like the bad guys are winning?
But this part of the psalm, verses 16-19, give some amount of reorientation. You are saving me. You are comforting me. You showed up for Elijah in 1 Kings 19 and comforted him. You protected him. You inspired him. You guided him. You provided for him. You are amazing, God.
Father, I’m not necessarily in a time of disorientation. Maybe reorientation to some extent. I feel loved by you. I feel comforted by you. I feel guided by you. So guide me in the lives of others today. Help me to know how to bless. How to love. How to comfort. How to guide. Make me your man for others. Make me your hands and feet. Let nothing be done outside of my own self, but out of you living in and through me.
I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Dear God, I heard a question right before I came in here to pray. on the Russell Moore Show Podcast, the question was asked, “If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only have five books from the Hebrew Bible, which would they be?” The guest, Yuval Levin, chose Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Job. He took Nehemiah as a bonus book.
As I thought about that question myself, I wondered how I would answer that question. Could I come up with five? But the more I thought about it, the more trouble I had whittling it down to five. So here are the five I would take and why I would take them.
Exodus: I’m holding out on Genesis to see if I have room for it later, but I think it is important to have Exodus because is has great narrative about your power and faithfulness, but it also has quite a bit about your laws and guidance for us. It shows your anger at Israel and your love and mercy for them. It gives a pretty complete picture, I think, of your character.
1 & 2 Samuel: Frankly, I think these are simply the best narratives in the Bible. For me, they are page-turners. You start with Hanna, Peninah, and Elkanah. You get Samuel and Eli. The Ark is lost in battle and then returned. Samuel anoints Saul. Then David and Goliath followed by David, his relationship with Jonathan, running from Saul, and eventually Saul’s and Jonathan’s death. Then you get David’s reign and king and all of the good and bad. From Bathsheba, to Absalom, to David’s death. 1 & 2 Kings covers many more generations of kings, but there is so much humanity in 1 & 2 Samuel.
Ecclesiastes: I haven’t spent enough time in Ecclesiastes, but I probably should. It’s a great book with great wisdom. I prefer it to the fortune-cookie style of Proverbs. Yes, I’ll take Ecclesiastes because I know I need it.
1 & 2 Kings: I guess I’ll polish it off with 1 & 2 Kings (this tips me over to 6, so I’ll just take 1 Kings if I have to choose just one. These stories are amazing. from Solomon and his ascension to the throne to Elijah, Hezekiah, and all of the way to the collapse and exile. Tragic.
Books that I’ll miss: I’ll miss Judges and Ruth. I know the Ruth story pretty well, so I think I’m okay there. Judges has great stories, but can also be very frustrating. I still know that I would have never accepted your choice of Samson as leader had I been a Jewish elder at the time. And Genesis has great stories, but, again, I know them fairly well and I get so frustrated with the heroes. I never quite understand why you decide to choose Abram, Isaac, Jacob, et. al. I guess the good news out of those stories is that I don’t have to be a particularly good man for you to choose me.
Father, you picked an awfully unique way to reveal yourself to your people. My wife said recently that she knows the Bible wasn’t written by a committee of influential and powerful people because it is so messy and doesn’t sterilize the stories of the heroes. For me, I am just glad to know I’m not alone in my confusion, failures, duplicity, and love for you–all at once. Thank you for loving me as much as you love Abram and the rest.
27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”
…
20 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
Dear God, the worst part about chapter and verse designations is that is accidentally cuts up stories and we forget to read them as one. In this case, the beginning of chapter 20 is actually the continuation of the rich young man asking what he has to do to be saved and then Peter trying to justify himself and the other eleven disciples by saying how much they gave up for you. That’s when you give him some insight into the future, but you also tell this parable. The message: “Stop trying to justify yourself. Stop trying to pretend you are worth your wages. The wages you are getting is a gift and you could never earn how wonderful it is.” That’s how I read this anyway.
I have to tell you, I kind of have the glums this morning. In fact, maybe I’m feeling them because I feel unworthy of my wages. I was looking through scrapbooks yesterday from the nonprofit where I work. I found news stories and things that were written from 30 years ago when the founder was first following your call to help people. She is certainly a worker who walked into the field at the beginning of the day. What a remarkable person she is. Just remarkable. And so we have built on what she started. But to see the energy and vision she had was intimidating. What surprised me the most, I suppose, was how big their vision was. Everything they wanted to accomplish. And, frankly, we’ve done a lot of that. And the way they were working was not sustainable. they were working too frantically and chaotically to keep it going. What we are doing now is more…I guess the word I’m looking for is “paced.” We are at a pace that is sustainable. It’s hard to explain here, but I think you get where I’m coming from and what I’m trying to say.
Father, I am not worthy of my wages. And when I say wages, I mean what you do for me now, and what you will give to me later. Even if I was the most amazing Christian, husband, father, manager, etc. now, I still wouldn’t be worthy. Your wages are too great to ever be earned. Help me to be at peace in that and simply sink into worshipping you and loving others. Mold me today.
28 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, give the prince of Tyre this message from the Sovereign Lord:
“In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’ But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are a god. 3 You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel and think no secret is hidden from you. 4 With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth— gold and silver for your treasuries. 5 Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud.
6 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you think you are as wise as a god, 7 I will now bring against you a foreign army, the terror of the nations. They will draw their swords against your marvelous wisdom and defile your splendor! 8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die in the heart of the sea, pierced with many wounds. 9 Will you then boast, ‘I am a god!’ to those who kill you? To them you will be no god but merely a man! 10 You will die like an outcast at the hands of foreigners. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Ezekiel 28:1-10
Dear God, I feel very convicted by this passage this morning. At first, I was reading it and thinking judgmentally about the Israelites. Then I started to notice your mocking tone through Ezekiel. Then I felt like the Holy Spirit nudged me that I might be closer to seeing myself as a god than I would like to admit.
It mainly comes at work lately. We are looking at a facility expansion at work. It will require a multi-million dollar capital campaign. We had a consultant work with us, and we mapped out where the money would come from. Whom could we ask? How much might they give? Names and numbers were assigned. But it was all about my wisdom. My persuasion. My ability. My charisma. My charm.
Two summers ago, when we first started talking about expanding our facility, I leaned into the story of Hezekiah from 2 Kings 18. The enemy is on its way. They are threatening Jerusalem. Hezekiah is scared. He prays to you. He throws himself down on the ground before you. Then he hears from you through Isaiah that the enemy won’t even fire an arrow at the city. Ultimately, you pull off something miraculous that only you could do. At the time, I felt like you told me, “Don’t worry about the money for this. The money will come.” But here I am two years later, worrying about the money and leaning on myself to find it.
Father, everything good I have comes from you. And the sorrows and struggles in my life are even working to form me into who you want me to be. I have a long way to go, but here I am, this Tuesday morning, sitting before you to worship, bow down, and say that you are my God. You are the God. You are God. I am sorry for my lack of faith. I am sorry for my tendency to lean on myself instead of dying to myself and leaning on you. I love you, Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for speaking to me this morning and nudging me towards this passage and through this passage. Thank you Jesus for loving me and caring for me. Thank you for molding me.
I offer all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:1-5
Dear God, your commands are difficult but not burdensome. And there’s a difference. The difficulty in following your commands lies in getting over my selfishness and embracing the two biggies: love you with everything I have and love others as myself. It can be hard to do, but not burdensome. I say that it’s no burdensome because it doesn’t normally make me feel bad when I do it. Sure, I might be inconvenienced. But that’s the hard part. But the joy that comes from actually doing these things–the things you outlined throughout the Sermon on the Mount–negates any feeling of burden.
Father, help me to obey your commands today. I will interact with a lot of people today. Help me to love all of them well. Help me to willingly be inconvenienced on their behalf. Help me to worship you like you deserve to be worshipped. Help me to give you all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Make me mindful of every decision I make. Forgive me for my selfishness. For give me for self-indulgence when it gets in the way of your commands. Your commands are good. They are for my good. Help me to live them out in joy.
51 I da real bread. I da one dat can make peopo come alive fo real kine. I wen come down from da sky. Anybody take dis bread, dey goin live to da max foeva. Dis da bread I goin give wen I mahke, my body. An dis goin make you live to da max foeva.”
52 Den da Jewish guys wen start fo argue mo hard wit each odda. Dey say, “Eh, wat dis guy talking bout? How he can give us his body fo eat?”
53 Jesus tell dem, “Eh, you guys get um! An I like tell you guys dis too: I da Guy Dass Fo Real. If you guys no take wat I telling you guys bout why I goin mahke, no way you guys goin come alive fo real kine. If you guys take um, dass jalike you guys eat my body an drink my blood. 54 Jalike I wen say: Whoeva eat my body an drink my blood, dey goin live to da max foeva, an I goin bring um back alive wen da world goin pau. 55 Cuz my body, dass food fo real kine. An my blood, dass drink fo real kine. 56 Whoeva eat my body an drink my blood lidat, dey stay tight wit me, an I stay tight wit dem. 57 Da Fadda stay live fo real kine, an he wen send me hea. I stay live too, cuz he make me live fo real kine. Whoeva take me, same ting, dey goin live, cuz I goin make dem live fo real kine. 58 Dis not jalike da manna kine bread dat yoa ancesta guys wen eat, an bumbye dey wen mahke. Dis da kine bread dat wen come from God in da sky. Whoeva eat dis kine bread goin live fo real kine.”
John 6:51-58 (HWP)
Dear God, this translation is so good for me as I try to look at scripture that I’ve read over and over again in a fresh way. This is definitely a fresh way.
So where my traditional English translations say, “…live forever,” this translation says, “…live fo real kine.” Interesting.
I attend Catholic church with my wife, but I am not Catholic. It’s the doctrine of transubstantiation that is the hurdle I cannot clear. I won’t go into why I can’t get to where I believe it here. Perhaps I don’t have enough faith that you would do something like that multiple times a day all over the world. Maybe it’s a flaw in me, and I have built my arguments around that. Or perhaps my arguments are legitimate and I am right and 2,000 years of Catholic theology is wrong. I don’t know. Frankly, it really doesn’t matter at this point. Am I taking your bread and wine/grape juice and remembering you and your sacrifice representationally, or am I literally ingesting your body and blood transubstantially (I might have just made that word up)? The real question is, am I living “fo real kine?”
Looking back at every time the HWP uses “real kine” and how it compares to the words the traditional English translation (NLT) use is interesting.
Verse 51: forever = fo real kine
Verse 53: Guy Das Fo Real = Son of Man; fo real kine = eternal life
Verse 55: body, das food fo real kine = flesh is true food; blood, das drink fo real kine = blood is true drink
Verse 57: Da Fadda stay live fo real kine = Living Father who sent me; he make me live fo real kine = I live because; I goin make dem live fo real kine = will live because of me
Verse 58: Whoeva eat dis kine bread goin live fo real kine = Anyone who eats this bread…will live forever
So it seems the translators use the same words to communicate what traditional English would call both truth/true and forever/eternal life.
As for what I’m thinking right now, you, Jesus, are for real. You are the real kine. You are the Guy Das Fo Real. Your flesh and blood are part of the truth of who you are. It transcends transubstantiation. I guess that’s the biggest problem I have with transubstantiation. It’s too limiting on what you are. It wasn’t your body and blood that made you special. It was your indwelling Spirit and Deity in that body and blood that made it special. And when I take representational communion as opposed to transubstantiated eucharist it keeps me in a place of worshipping the fullness of your Deity beyond who you were while you were here. And then, you know what. Maybe I’m wrong. I might be. But I think you know my heart on this. You know I love you. You know I take it seriously when I experience communion as bread and either wine or grape juice. In fact, being someone who doesn’t like wine, I actually prefer when it is wine because I don’t want to like the flavor of what I’m taking. I want it to be a bit bitter than you had to be broken for me.
Father, I don’t know that I accomplished much this morning except to really appreciate the translators of the HWP translation, and maybe continue to think about the depths, the unfathomable depths, of who you are. I love you.
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