Search This Blog

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

week 2

The men took a field trip tonight, with these instructions. Next week, the women will take a different field trip. The men will need to look at forum 6 to learn what we did in class when they were gone (They can skip forum 4; though I hope they do it.















































Reading a text's content in context is important.
So is not wearing annoying squeaky shoes:





Thanks for texting me in class.  


This is what we did in class, when the men were gone.
Video below, and notes. t


SERMON ON THE MOUNT, Mathew chapter  5 

Remember: 

  • Who was the sermon addressed to?
  • Why did he teach on a MOUNTAIN?
  • Why did Jesus sit down to teach?


When we read the "beatitudes," the first section of the Sermon on the Mount: -- do you catch any inclusio(Note the first and last beatitudes (only) of chapter 5 end
with a promise of the kingdom of heaven, implying that the other promises in between "being filled," "inherit the earth," "be comforted" all have to do with Kingdom






































F--and if Jesus is a NEW MOSES of sorts, then we should look at 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT:
Discussion on how Jesus was interpreting/reinterpreting the law of Moses/Torah(Matt 5:17-48).
Some would suggest that he is using the rabbi's technique of "Building a fence around the law (Torah)>
For example, if you are tempted to overeat, one strategy would be to build a literal fence around the refrigerator...or the equivalent: don't keep snacks around.

See:

Some wonder of this is what Jesus is doing here.  See:
Jesus' Antitheses - Could they be his attempt to build a fence around the Torah?

One can see how this could turn to legalism...and when do you stop building fences? See:

A Fence Around the Law



Greg Camp and Laura Roberts write:


In each of the five examples, Jesus begins by citing an existing commandment. His following statement may be translated as either "And I say to you... " or as "But I say to you ...” The first option shows Jesus' comments to be in keeping with the commandments, therefore his words will be an expansion or commentary on the law. This is good, standard rabbinic technique. He is offering his authoritative interpretation, or amplification, to God's torah, as rabbis would do after reading the torah aloud in the synagogue. The second translation puts Jesus in tension with the law, or at least with the contemporary
interpretations that were being offered. Jesus is being established as an authoritative teacher who stands in the same rabbinic tradition of other rabbis, but is being portrayed as qualitatively superior to their legal reasoning.
After citing a law Jesus then proceeds to amplify, or "build a hedge" around the law. This was a common practice of commenting on how to put a law into practice or on how to take steps to avoid breaking the law. The idea was that if you built a safe wall of auxiliary laws around the central law, then you would have ample warning before you ever came close to breaking the central law. A modern example might be that if you were trying to diet you would need to exercise more and eat less. In order to make sure that that happened you might dispose of all fats and sweets in the house so as not to be tempted. Additionally, you might begin to carry other types of snacks or drink with you so as to have a substitute if temptation came around, and so forth. In the first example of not killing, Jesus builds a hedge that involves not being angry and not using certain types of language about others. One of the difficulties is that it becomes very difficult not to break his hedges. This might drive his hearers to believe that he is a hyper-Pharisee. Some interpreters have wanted to argue that Jesus does this in order to drive us to grace—except grace is never mentioned in this context. This is a wrong-headed approach to get out of the clear message that Jesus is proclaiming: you must have a transformed life. By building his hedges, Jesus is really getting to the heart of what the law was about. In the first example, the intent is not just to get people not to kill each other (though that is a good thing to avoid), rather it is there to promote a different attitude about how to live together. Taken together, the 10 Words (Commandments) and the other laws which follow in Exodus-Numbers paint a picture of a people who will look out for one another rather than just avoiding doing injury to one another. This becomes clear in Jesus’ solution at the end of the first example. The solution is not to throw  yourself on grace or to become paralyzed by fear, but to seek right relations with the other person. There seems to be an implicit acknowledgment that problems will arise. The solution is to seek the best for the other person and for the relationship. This is the heart of the law.  The problem with the law is that it can only keep you from sin, but it cannot make you do good.  The rabbi Hillel said “what is hateful to you, do not do to others.”  In 7:12, Jesus provides his own interpretation “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.”  He changes the saying from refraining from sin, to actively doing good.  The thesis statement in 5:20 is “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” This then is how to exceed, or go beyond the law.  In each of the five examples, the way to exceed the law is to make the relationship right.
Instead of drawing a new line in the sand that you are not supposed to cross before you are considered guilty, Jesus, confirms that the center is "love your neighbor" and then just draws an arrow (vector) and tells you to go do it. There is never a point at which you are able to finally fulfill the commandment to love. You can never say that you have loved enough. In the gospel of Matthew, the supreme example of this is Jesus' own life and death. His obedience and love knew no boundaries.  --by Greg Camp and Laura Roberts


Ted Grimsrud, "God's Healing Strategy"  book suggests:
 "A better way [as opposed to legalistically legislating morality] to approach [the commandments] would be to ask first, 'What does this commandment teach us about God?'...Hence, the point of the commandments is not establishing absolute, impersonal, even coercive rules which must never be violated.  The point rather is that a loving God desires ongoing relationships of care and respect....Paul's interpretation of the Law in Romans 13 makes clear the deepest meaning of the law not as rule-following, but as being open to God's love and finding ways to express that love towards others: 'The commandments..are summed up in this word, Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  (pp. 33-34)


----
on the 6 antitheses  (caws studies) of the Sermon on The Mount, remember my Paraguay stories?


 "Ever committed adultery, Bob?"
 (oops...) 
-------------------------------------------
OK,  below is the backstory of the "LAUGHING BRIDE," which illustrates "building a fence around the Torah":







How do you name the difference in the shift of the 6 antitheses?  What does it feel like Jesus is doing?  He's making the law______:

  • harder?
  • easier?





Thanks for texting me (cell phone) random text messages during class to illustrate that texts need contexts.



PHILEMON: 

              Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,
      and Timothy our brother,

        To  Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker
   also to Apphia our sister and
               Archippus our fellow soldier
                                            —and to the church 
                                    that meets in your home:
Grace and peace 
to you (plural) 
                                                  from God our Father
                                               and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,
          5 because I hear about your  

                                   love               and                          faith
     towards                 Lord Jesus     and               all the saints 

I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective 
                in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.
Your love has given me great       joy
                                         and        encouragement,
 because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. 


Therefore
 although in Christ I could be bold, and order you to do what you ought to do,
                                                                         yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.
 It is as none other than Paul—                   an old man (elder)
  and now also                                             a prisoner of Christ Jesus—  
10 that I appeal to you for my son--
                                          Onesimus,["Useful"]" 
                  
 who became my son while I was in chains.

11 Formerly he was                           useless                                  to you,
 but now he has become                   useful                            both to you and to me.

12 I am sending                         him
                    —who is my very heart
                                                    —back to you.  
13 I would have liked to keep him with me
 so that 
                                           he                  could take 
                                           your                   place 
                 in helping          me 
while I am in chains for the gospel.  
14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, 
so that any favor you do would not seem                forced 
                                            but would be             voluntary.  
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while
 was that you might have him back forever—
        16 no longer as a slave,
                  but more than a slave, 
                               as a dear brother. 
He is that to                                  me, 
             but even more so to         you, 

both                         in the flesh
 and                         in the Lord.

17 So..

 if                                            you consider me a partner, 
                               welcome  him
          as you would welcome me.
 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes          you                      anything,
                                           charge it to                me.
19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand:
                      I will pay it back!
                         (not to mention that you owe me your very self)
 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit or usefulness from you in the Lord;
                                   refresh my heart in Christ.

 21 Confident of your obedience, 
              I write to you,
                          knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 And one thing more: 
             Prepare a guest room for me, 
                            because I hope to be restored to you  (plural) 
                                                   in answer to your  (plural) prayers.

23 Epaphras,
 my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, 
sends you greetings. 
 24 And so do Mark,
                       Aristarchus,
                        Demas 
                  and Luke, 
                                      my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your  (plural) spirit.

Keep observations of Philemon, already preparing for your signature paper. Remember to look for any clues/cues to tome/emotion/volume. Remember this video?: 
K


To illustrate "set theory"  we did this (literal) exercise.
We had everyone stand on the left or right side of the room based on each pair of words.





Think about how you made your choices abut where to stand tonight during the

.
We will follow up on this. 







Set theory
 



























  • FUZZY SET:


    -When does a mountain begin?
    -Is it about predestination or free will?
    -Faith or science?

    These can be debated...as the border can be fuzzy...Thus :
    "Fuzzy sets"

    Here below is some help on Fuzzy Sets. These readings will help:


  • THESIS: The Ten Commandments are a wedding.

    .

    Then scroll down for the question..




    Was "wedding" on your list?
                                            .....or "love"?



    What does all this have to do with a wedding?







    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AS A WEDDING:


    We watched "HE LED YOU LIKE A BRIDE," a  Ray Vander Laan "Faith Lessons" video  from Mount Sinai.  Here is the complete video, which elaborates on this thesis.  You'll be writing on this for Forum 2.1

    iVideo is   on this DVD.




    Here's a study guide for the video:..

    see pp.197-251  here


    "Waffly Wedded Wife"

    And here that couple illustrate "Building a fence":

    Bonus: the processional:





    Often when I officiate weddings, and the groom is nervous, I try to lighten the mood. I pull out my little black book in front of all the groomsmen and fake a shocking, "Oh my goodness, I accidentally brought my funeral book by mistake!! But I'll just read from it anyway..i mean it's the same idea. Is that OK?" Then there is a laugh of relief when they realize I'm kidding!

    But at Margaret and Paul's wedding.....

    for the first time, I couldn'tfind my wedding book right away, so i did actually bring the funeral book instead. It didn't really matter, as after doing years of weddings I don't need the book, I just use it to stick little sticky notes in for the sermon, prompts, names etc....oh, and to look pastoral and cool.

    So I just crossed out the big title "FUNERAL" on the spine with a black marker, so folks wouldn't see it while I was up front (:

    Then for a laugh and a few pics, after the service, I rubbed off the ink so you could read it.




    Nouwen quiz
    Quiz

    1)The temptation to turn stones into bread Nouwen calls the temptation to ______________.

    2).Henri Nouwen made a significant move from living in a community of mentally-challenged adults to teaching at Ivy League university.  T__ F___.

    3)The discipline that addresses the third temptation is
    a)listening prayer
    b)learning to lead more than manage
    c)theological reflection
    d)eating at Burger King
    e)praying the Lord's prayer

    4).  "And we did it ____________."

    5)"I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely __________":

    a)spiritual
    b)peaceful
    c)irrelevant
    d)immersed in servanthood
    e)in tune and in touch

    --
    6)Bonus:
    a)The most common question the residents of L'Arche would ask the author was:
    ______________________________________?

    b)If you have met the formal requirements and have demonstrated good comprehension of the subject, your  (letter) grade at FPU will be a_____.


    ---



    From FPU handbook:
    A=Superior. The student has demonstrated a quality of work and accomplishment far beyond the formal requirements and shown originality of thought and mastery of material.

    B=Above Average.
    The student’s achievement exceeds the usual accomplishment, showing a clear
    indication of initiative and grasp of subject.

    C=Average. The student has met the formal requirements and has demonstrated good comprehension of the subject and reasonable ability to handle ideas.


    D=Below Average. The student’s accomplishment leaves much to be desired.Minimum requirements have been met but were inadequate.