Longing for God's Song ...

You know I am amazed by the power of music. Movies powerfully synchronize music with pictures to move an audience. Athletes can burst into tears when they hear their national anthem. Governments often try to control the music people hear. Moms can love their babies to sleep with a soothing melody. Plato in his ideal Republic argued that music was to be strictly controlled.

There are few things that are as capable of teleporting me through time and space to a distant memory or scene in my life as music. To this day when I hear "Lady in Red" I think of Lori and my high school prom. I will never forget "Pressure" by Billy Joel because it was the song on the radio as Pamella and I pulled into the parking lot of my first ministry interview in Saucer Creek, MS. "We Shall Overcome" helped define a movement. I recall when I was "politely" asked to "leave" a congregation in MS ... I listened to Pink Floyd through the night on the Natchez Trace Parkway and singing "Wish You Were Here" (video is on your right) because my family was not there. I was all alone ... It remains one of my favorites and it still speaks powerfully. I cannot hear "Hey Jude" without thinking of a little Talya traveling with me to Memphis and she loved that song and would play it over and over in the CD player. When I hear "I want to get away" by Lenny Kravitz I think of Rachael who loved that song immensely. And so it goes ...

Music speaks to our hearts in a way that words, logic and so-called reason cannot. I find that I am can be moved to tears through a song quickly because of the emotion it evokes. I find that my vision of God can become exalted and I am uplifted through song in a way that I am never in a sermon or even prayer.

God loves music too. I have been trying to hear his own singing in my life. That old Hebrew prophet, Zephaniah, claims that Yahweh sings over us. He sings songs of victory over us. He sings of his love and comfort for us. Perhaps I have had my radio to loud ... I am trying to have an "ear to hear" the melodious voice of our Abba. When I am alone and afraid, I say "daddy sing to me once again." I want to hear that one healing song.

"Yahweh your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quite you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing"
(Zephaniah 3.17)

Father ... help us to hear the song as we sleep tonight.

Bobby Valentine

Churchgoer vs. Christian

Well I feel like I have to atone for having Kid Rock on my Stoned blog so ... here is one that is clearly biblical, ;-) Humorous but also fantastic point.

Kid Rock - Only God Knows Why

I am not the world's biggest Kid Rock fan but I have always liked this song. It is a classic. It evokes a feeling that I have known on a deeper level for quite a while. WHY is a good biblical question. Only GOD knows why some things happen. Just close your eyes and listen to the lyrics. Feel the song and ignore the video. Seeking Shalom ... Bobby Valentine

Marcionism & Churches of Christ, Part 6, Of What Value (Really!) is the OT: A New Testament 'Pattern'

Previous installments: Part 1 , Part 2 ,Part 3 ,Part 4 ,Part 5

Recently I had a discussion with a preaching brother about the “Old Testament.” This brother wanted to do more exploring both personally and congregationally of the First Testament believing that God has a Word yet for his people there. But this brother was explicitly told not to preach form the “Old Testament” anymore. This is but the latest incarnation of Marcionism within the Churches of Christ. This attitude finds expression through the following sampling of common terminology:

“We are New Testament Christians” (question where in the “NT” does anyone ever make such a claim?)

“We are not under the “Old Testament””

“The ‘Old Testament’ was abolished”

“The ‘Old Testament’ was removed”

“The ‘Old Testament’ was nailed to the cross”

There is just enough truth in these statements to be dangerous but none reflect the wholeness of the “NT” teaching on the matter. For example the actual “pattern” of the first century church is to appeal to the “authority” of the “Old Testament” to settle nearly all issues. All the NT writers: Matthew, Luke, John, Paul, James, and the Hebrews Preacher consistently use the Hebrew Scriptures as their scriptures … not the “NT!” The NT scriptures are written upon the template of the “Old” … they use the language, the images, the “atmosphere” of the “scriptures” … the writings as they are called.

Paul affirms explicitly what all the “NT” writers demonstrate by their actual practice. He declares, quite clearly, that far from being “nailed to the cross” or “abolished” or “removed” as some carelessly claim, rather he states that the “Old Testament” makes us wise unto “salvation” (that must mean the Hebrew Bible says something of continuing validity about that notion), that it is to be used for “teaching” (i.e. doctrine!) and even for “rebuking” (cf. 2 Tim 3.14-17). Paul clearly does not tell Timothy not to preach from the Old Testament!

We need to think and reflect deeply on what exactly is the relationship between the Newer Covenant and the Older Covenant. Does the Newer one imply that the older is now worthless and of no value? Does this stage of the Story imply that the previous ones were somehow less than spiritual or holy? Or is it the case that the previous Acts of the Drama actually provide the meaning for the one we are in now? Do the characters of the current Act simply appear contextless? Out of thin air so to speak?

If it were not for previous stages of the Drama explain how we could even respond to such questions as:

“Who is the Christ/Messiah?”

“What is the Son of Man?”

“Who is the Son of David?”

“What is the kingdom/reign of God?”

“Who is this Father of Jesus he prays to?”

“What in the world does it mean to be ‘Children of Abraham?’”

“What in the world is the ‘New heavens and new earth?’”

There are so many more to list. But the NT simply assumes the readers/listeners have a knowledge of these things. But each of these themes come from the Hebrew Bible, not the New Testament.

Perhaps one reason we have avoided this material is because we have reduced the Christian faith to polemics about elders and the fine points of ecclesiological structure (which to honest the NT itself says remarkably little about) rather than embracing the heartbeat of the Story itself.

In our next I will explore an analogy between new covenants and periods of engagements. Maybe it will help us embrace the biblical teaching that the Hebrew Bible is still God’s word and has inherent authority for our lives today.

Seeking Shalom,

Bobby Valentine

Life of Illusion ... Joe Walsh

Someone suggested to me today that this is what I have been living. I wonder ... has my life been one of illusion for 18 years??? God I hope not!! But this is a classic song by Joe Walsh and the Sesame Street pic is classic.

Things I Have Learned ...

Two thousand and eight has been very educational for me. I feel like I have been learning as much or more than when I was a teen!!! Here are a few things I have learned ...

1) Parking lots are the most dangerous place in the world if you are on a Harley ...

2) Who Rachel Ray is and that EVOO means Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3) That some people are prejudiced against preachers, teachers or anyone with a "degree"

4) Divorce sucks

5) Don't ever go through the drive through at Wendy's on a Harley to order a Frosty ... It doesn't work!!!!

6) That I like Cheetos better than Cheese Puffs

7) Not everyone is telling you the truth

8) God's People, in spite of their imperfections, are incredible people

9) The most comfortable bed at the men's retreat is in my tent!!!

10) Walking by faith is not for the faint hearted ...

Some of the things I have learned that I never really knew before. May my experience benefit you.

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Go Fish - The Mom Song

A Cool Song for Mother's Day

The Best of "The Best of" Albums: A Totally Irrelevant Post

A mere two days ago Yahoo Music blogger Rob O'Connor gave his opinion of the 25 greatest "Best Of" collections of various artists. You can find his original list here. How would you arrange your list? Who would be the best of the best of?

Now we know that O'Connor is not inspired or anything like that but it is interesting who is not on his list or who is not at the top. I looked in vain for John Denver but Elvis did make the cut. I was surprised to see Nirvana in such elite company. Johnny Cash is glaringly absent but Phil Spector made it!? Guns-N-Roses was dissed but he sort of made up for himself by including Bob Dylan. No Rush either! But he did get one thing absolutely correct ... he has the Beatles at number 1. I am going to post my top 5 best of the best of:

5) The Best of Both Worlds ... Van Halen
4) Vault ... Def Leppard's Greatest Hits 1980-1995
3) The Best of 1990-2000 ... U2
2) Forty Licks ... Rolling Stones
1) 1 ... The Beatles

Others deserving honorable mention include

Chronicles ... Rush
Greatest Hits ... Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
The Cream of Clapton ... Eric Clapton
Greatest Hits of Guns-N-Roses
The Best of Bachman-Turner-Overdrive

And though I will be ridiculed for this I have to throw it out there anyway ...
Greatest Hits volume 1-2 ... Madonna. I can hear it now, ;-)

Some of best bands do not have a "best of" yet or I am unaware of them.

What is on your list?

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Is there a Place for Preachers? Teachers? Or Worse "Scholars" in the Kingdom of God?

From time to time I am questioned about being a "preacher." Especially a preacher that works with a local church. There are those who claim that a local church having a preacher retards the growth of the local church ... it "hinders studying to show oneself approved" as it was recently put to me. Then there are those who accept that there is a place for preachers but they have no use for "scholars." This position is not, in my view, materially different than the one just mentioned. Yet I believe there is a place in God's community for teachers, preachers and even scholars. God gives gifts to his community.

For those who rant about the arrogance of the scholars and/or preachers have demonstrated no little self-sufficiency. I want to call it nothing short of blind prejudice. That is what it is pure and simple. But Scholars have as much a role in the kingdom of God as any other "fool" ... and that is what we all are but some of us don't know it.

The anti-teacher position is explicitly contradicted in the Scriptures themselves. Paul said that God has given some (not all) to be teachers (1 Cor 12.28; Eph 4.11). The Greek term didaskalos is, in the Gospels, a translation of the term rabbi (cf. Jn 1.38; 20.16). Paul says God has equipped the church with these "teachers." Teaching is not the only gift given to the church but it is one of them. Further the NT tells us that not every one should be a teacher (James 3.1). Likewise, the Hebrews' Preacher scolds folks in Heb 5.12 along similar lines. All of this, and more, shows that in the NT, and the early church, there were people who had a unique role in the church as teachers/rabbis ... A teacher is simply one who has studied and knows more than some one else. At least if I read James correctly that is the idea.

Those who in their pride, prejudice or arrogance claim that they need nothing and no one other than themselves suffer from a malady. They suffer from a willful amnesia that robs their lives of depth and direction. To claim that I and my personal experience and my knowledge is the standard for understanding and interpretation is the height of arrogance. It is a mockery of biblical authority. The real authority, in this position, is nothing less than "myself" and what "I" know. The canon is ultimately me! Nothing else is allowed to shed light. Beloved readers this is not respect for the Bible it is nothing less than worshiping at the idol of modernism and the cult of self. There is no place in Scripture that supports this position ... none!

Now I want to focus my thoughts on 2 Timothy that some seem to think says God only intends for us to have a book and nothing from anything/one else. But first a quotable quote:

"Scripture does not teach that the Bible alone thoroughly furnishes the man of God for every good work, but that the Bible in ADDITION to what had already been given does so ..." (James A. Harding from 1906)

Paul says in 2 Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

The "logic" of the "Just me, myself and my Bible only ... I don't need a book, a teacher and surely not a scholar" ... folks goes something like this. Paul says that Scripture is adequate. If Scripture is adequate, then nothing more is required. If nothing more is required, then the use of outside material implies the inadequacy of the Bible, contradicting Paul's statement. Therefore, nothing in addition to Scripture can be used to equip us, because nothing else is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. " This function is the sole province of the Bible.

That's the so-called argument. But it is wrong. Why? For starters the word "adequate" modifies the believer, not the Scripture. The words Paul uses to describe Scripture are "inspired" and "profitable. " The Torah is useful to accomplish a certain end--an adequately equipped disciple--because it is the very counsel of God. Paul's teaching in 2 Timothy was meant to qualify the nature of Scripture, not to disqualify the usefulness of other material or resources (like a teacher).

Second, the argument proves way too much. The Scripture Paul has in view is the "Old Testament," specifically the sacred writings of Timothy's childhood (note verse 15). These are what Paul identifies as being able to "give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

If the "Old Testament" Scriptures are ALONE (and they are the only scriptures under consideration in the context) adequate, and if Paul means to suggest that the addition of any useful information about man is wrong, then how do we justify adding the words of the New Testament to the fully adequate Old Testament? Even Paul's words (as well as Peter's, John's, etc.) would be inadmissible, including the very words of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which make this claim.

Since this is ludicrous and self-defeating, the entire objection crumbles. Paul did not mean to convey that other sources of knowledge were an assault on the Scripture's completeness.

Perhaps even more problematic to this view, 2 Timothy 3:15 doesn’t even teach that the Scripture is adequate. As stated above, a close look at the text reveals that the words “inspired” and “profitable” describe the Scripture. However, the word “adequate” does not describe the Scripture, but rather “the man of God” who uses the inspired Scripture in a profitable way. Note carefully: “...that the man of God may be adequate , equipped for every good work.” Once again, the proof text itself has unwittingly been maligned to say something it just doesn’t say in its context ... thus James A. Harding was correct and a wise teacher.

What does "adequate" mean here? It probably means what adequate usually means, that the man of God has everything that is essential. Food and air and water are adequate to keep one alive, but their adequacy doesn't imply that nothing else is beneficial.

The problem only arises if one imposes a foreign sense of adequacy on this passage, i.e., nothing else is allowed. If we hold that Paul and the Apostles wrote legitimate Scripture, then that proves Paul's didn't intend such a restriction. That's my point.

God has granted certain people to the church. He has given us evangelists, he has given us shepherds, he has given us folks who are generous and a host of other graces. But God has also give the church TEACHERS. The same word is Rabbi ... just a different language. Teachers/Rabbis are folks with certain abilities and personalities that can be of service to others.
Teachers no more retard the spiritual growth of Christians than a math teacher retards the growth of a student in geometry or a dentist keeps people from brushing their teeth. Teachers and dentists serve useful functions. Teaching and "scholaring" are not the only gifts in the church, they are not the greatest gifts in the church ... nor are they the worst. The gift is given like all for the building up of the body as a whole ... for service.

Thank you God for the gifts, all the gifts, you have given to the church ... including those who have learned the language of Paul, Jesus and Moses.

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Reflections on Pepperdine 2008

I made the trek back from Pepperdine yesterday. Actually I left about 4:30ish pm and arrived back in Tucson at not quite 2 am this morning. I probably could have done better but I got stuck in L.A. and it took me nearly 2 hours to go 30 miles. I made my way through part of CA behind a Lamborghini for a time. What a sweet looking car!

Pepperdine, as usual, was great. I arrived in Malibu last Sunday evening and camped in the Malibu Motel on Pacific Coast Hwy a couple miles from the campus and not far from the beach. I reviewed, relaxed by taking walks along the beach, spent several hours reading microfilm in the Payson Library and recharged. On Tuesday I checked in and found out that Kelly Carter, from Calgary Canada, was my roommate. We had many delightful conversations. One of the great blessings, perhaps the best, of Pepperdine (and any lectureship) is meeting old friends and making new ones. I laughed with Lisa and Ashley of Leafwood/ACU Press. I visited with Larry Fitzgerald. I saw Albert Lemmons for the first time since my family lived in Grenada, MS. I met Tyler Ellis, a campus missionary. I chatted with Steven Lemley, Melvin Boyd and Charles Siburt about being students of K. C. Moser. I had pizza (and geotracking) with my good friend Daryl Miller from Milwaukee. I had dinner with fellow blogger "Clarke" on the beach. I connected with Tom Olbricht, David Fleer and Randy Harris. Robert Hooper, author of A Distinct People, Steve Wolfgang (scholar on Daniel Sommer) and Terry Gardner (sleuth of all things concerning the Stone-Campbell Movement) all graced me with their presence in my lectures. I saw my old teacher Jim Martin all to briefly. I got to meet Suzy Brown who insisted that she was not a theologian but I beg to differ. I sat at the feet of my friend Edward Robinson. I learned again from Doug Foster. It was good to see Yuki Obata from Japan. Shelly Jacobson of Western Christian College in Canada also blessed me with her presence. I took in Danny and Terri Dodd's class and was greatly blessed by them. I also took in some great classes by Greg Sterling. I sat, visited and prayed, with my good friends Curt and Sue Burton (Sue is the daughter of Carl Ketcherside ... but Sue is worth knowing apart from her famous father).

My classes would have been so much richer had John Mark been there. As it was, though, I was quite surprised by the large crowd that decided to attend our class. Given that our class was at 9 pm I was expecting a decent crowd like usual. But nothing like what came. Class AC 245 was literally packed. I do not believe there was a spare spot. People stood along the wall and even in the door. On Wednesday night there were folks sitting on the floor!! These are the folks who really wanted to know about the "Struggle for the Soul of the Churches of Christ!" Thursday night was a repeat of the first two. God was good in all of this. Jerry Rushford and Tom Olbricht honored me greatly by asking me to address the gathering hosted by Restoration Quarterly ... I shared with them some thoughts on "Jesus, David Lipscomb and the Spanish-American War."

All in all I can say that I was blessed to be at Pepperdine. I was glad that around 20 folks made the journey from Palo Verde to come over to Pepperdine to share the beauty and encouragement. Late Thursday night we all met in the cafeteria for some pie. We visited, laughed and shared thoughts on the week. It was the young people, Travis and Amy, that decided to go to bed ... it was past their bed time!!! There was only one draw back to the lecture and that was not even related to it. This was the first time that I have been to Pepperdine without my girls ... and I did miss them.

Jerry Rushford puts on the best production, hands down, in the Churches of Christ. This was Jerry's 30th year to head the lectureship. Congrats to him and the fine work he does for the Lord through it and the blessings he gives to thousands from literally around the world.

See you there next year,
Bobby Valentine

Off to Pepperdine

Every year since 2002 I have made the pilgrimage to Malibu, California. It has sort of become a family tradition. We load the girls onto a plane or into a car and go off in the wild blue yonder to that place by the sea. For whatever reason Jerry Rushford has graciously asked me to participate in the lectures four or five times now. I think he has been getting desperate since he has asked me ... no really it has always been a great honor for me (and has been fun). Hooking up with friends from Japan, Canada, and all over the USA has been a joy. This year I will be traveling by myself but quite a few from Palo Verde will be coming over too.

Over the last three years or so 9 pm has become "Late Nite" with Hicks & Valentine. We have spoken on Kingdom Come and A Gathered People and this year we were to speak on a soon to be name subject. Unfortunately John Mark is not going to be able to be there this year but the Late Nite goes on.

I will be going solo for the talk and will try to do the subject justice. Our overall theme is "The Struggle for the Soul of Churches of Christ, 1884-1984.

1) Part One: Texas Vs Tennessee, 1880s-1920s

2) Part Two: Texas Triumps, 1930s-1950s

3) Part Three: Renewed Struggle, 1960s-1980s

On Friday I will be delivering the lecture for the Restoration Quarterly luncheon. Here I am speaking on "Jesus, Lipscomb and the Spanish-American War."

Besides taking in the great line up of keynote speakers I hope to learn from Doug Foster, Edward Robinson, Suzy Brown, Tom Olbricht, Danny Dodd and several more.

If you are in the area say "hi." Hope to see you.

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Leaves from the Codex ...

Here it is a Tuesday evening. I had some hot wings for dinner and put off coming "home" as long as possible. Most evenings I am by myself these days and I do not do "alone" very well. When God said it was "not good for man to be alone" there are actually some mss that read "it is not good for Bobby to be alone!" ;-) But here I am. In the evenings I cannot watch TV so I read. I have been preparing for my Pepperdine Lectures and have just been reading. My interests tend to be fairly wide anyway but here are some titles that may be of interest to some of my readers that I have plunged into over the last two months that have nothing to do with my Pepperdine topic ... Jerry Rushford will be worried.

First and foremost I have revisited the wise sage Dr. Seuss. I bought Horton Hears A Who! (Party Edition) before seeing the movie. I read this book with my girls and we laughed and giggled. It is also productive of thought. It remains a great classic.

Baseball season is upon us and my friend Jerry gave me a copy of the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers Media Guide. One of the most delightful books I have read in a long time is Wayne Curtis' And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails. I bought this book in the airport on the way to Philadelphia and had half read on the way there and finished it on the way back. Curtis not only loves rum but shows some delightfully interesting ways in which rum has actually played a "pivotal" role in the development of western culture ... including the American Revolution. For a good read I do recommend it.

I have been reading some books on divorce recovery as well. Suzy Brown, who has commented on this blog, has been an inspiration to me. Her book Radical Recovery: Transforming the Despair of Your Divorce Into an Unexpected Good had blessed me. I have not found the "unexpected good" yet but her book is so practical and so grounded in life. Her "Survival Six" back in December were the things that probably saved my life. I have talked with Suzy on the phone and fully hope to meet her at Pepperdine. The book has some gut wrenching poems at the back ... for those experiencing divorce or those who want to authentically minister to those in divorce this is a primary text. Thank you Suzy for your grace!! I have also worked my way through Dana Hood's I Will Change Your Name: Messages From the Father to a Heart Broken by Divorce. This book is a series of devotions for those going through divorce. I have been blessed by it. I bought both of these books at the ACU Press booth last year at the ACU lectures. Both sat on my desk for months waiting for me to read. On December 16 they became a priority. I have read Suzy's book 5x ... I almost have it memorized. She is wise ... when I read her I say she knows what she is talking about because she has mapped out my feelings almost to a T.

One of my Shepherd's loaned me a book edited by Elias Kopciowski titled Praying With the Jewish Tradition. I have prayed my way through this book and I have been enriched. In my time of crises it has been easy to slip into the "pray only about my crises" mode (and I have done that on MANY occasions!) but this book has helped me with a much more balanced prayer life at this point of my journey.

I picked up James A. Connor's Kepler's Witch: An Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order Amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of His Mother at Bookman's when I took Rachael and Talya to this used bookstore. It is a fascinating look into the world of 17th century Europe and a generally overlooked giant of science and faith ... Johannes Kepler. Connor weaves a brilliant narrative with all the things mentioned in the title. This book is of interest to those who love religion, science or pop culture ... I actually forgot the book had footnotes!!! It has been a good companion on several nights.

I just finished Thomas Cahill's Mysteries of the Middle Ages, And the Beginnings of the Modern World. I have thoroughly enjoyed Cahill's previous titles in his Hinges of History series, all of which have made it onto the best seller list. His How the Irish Saved Civilization won a fan in me. Cahill is not afraid to celebrate how faith has shaped western culture and he continues that in this volume. You certainly do not have to know anything about the middle ages to be enriched by this book ... a cup of java will do just fine. Lavishly illustrated for those who have to have pix and very well written ... he just might convince you that the "dark ages" are of critical importance to our lives today. Imagine that!

I have been rereading through the Apocryha over the last few weeks too. Don't know why but I have. I have made it back through Tobit, Judith, 1, 2, 3 and I am currently reading 4 Maccabees. I will come back to Sirach and the others shortly.

Over the last few days I have also reread my good friend John Mark Hicks book Yet Will I Trust Him: Understanding God in a Suffering World. There is not a person on the planet I respect more than John Mark. I have been in his classroom, stayed in his home, been with him as he buried a son and watched him as he went through a divorce on top of that. This book is not theory for the author. I have read this book before and thought it was brilliant and persuasive. Now I read the book with a completely different goal in mind ... I want to learn to trust God as he has. Being in the "circle of lamenters" has forever altered my view on many things.

And finally I have devoured the Psalms (in several different translations (The Hebrew-English Psalter, Robert Alter's The Book of Psalms, Peterson's Psalms - The Message, NRSV) I have read the Psalms regularly for years but now I live in the world of the Psalms. I set my alarm, and if I am not awake already, I get up at 4 am for Matins, come back to the Psalms for Lauds at 5 and Prime at 6 ... I visit them for Terce and Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. I cannot explain how this rhythm has helped me. I can either focus on my situation or pray the Psalms and sing Te Deum ... I have chosen the latter. I know God is there even when I do not get a word in response from him.

Well there you have it ... a few leaves from the codex. All these books are worthwhile in some respect. Perhaps you will find a title that intrigues you and you will take it up and let it bless you in some fashion. I am working on "gettin' a life ..." ;-) Make sure you watch the Weird Al
White & Nerdy" video in My Videos to the right ... it explains a lot!!

Tolle lege,
Bobby Valentine

In Christ Alone

One of my favorite songs. We sang this at our Manly Men's Retreat Friday and Saturday. I have not arrived yet but perhaps I am closer today than yesterday. May it bless you.

Tears: God's or Mine?

Here are some late night thoughts ... so take them for what they are. My friend John Mark Hicks was providentially moved to post a series on What Divorced People Feel and How to Minister to Divorced People. I know God had a hand in that. I don’t think John Mark set out to write for me … but perhaps James A. Harding would say that he was lead to do so. Danny Dodd also has a very good reflection on this scourge.

You see I am divorced. Not by choice but I am divorced. I never dreamed nor imagined I would be ... but I am. I have no desire to humiliate my (ex)wife, my girls, my family, my congregation, my God … or myself. I have no desire to make those I have loved (and still do) for so many years look bad. I do not want to say it was “her” fault because the truth is more complicated than that. What I do know is that I participated in destroying that which was so fundamentally holy, sacred, and important to even me (much less God!). I did not want to and did not intend to and did not mean to. I have no explanation as to why. I can say with Paul “I have the desire to do what is good … but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing” (Rom 7.18-19). I have come close to loathing myself for my failures … that is why I have said earlier that the song/video (One Last Breath) by Creed comes close to evoking the feelings of pain but even it falls short.

I have some new insight (to me) into Scripture … not what it actually says but through a melding of its words with my own circumstance things now stand out in bold relief. I have known about the texts of Jeremiah 8-9 for a long time. I even did a presentation on them a few years ago at the Lake Geneva Family Encampment but now I read them with a vested interest.

It is not without providential irony that I was asked to teach Jeremiah last year for class called “Coffee with Bobby” with a group every Tuesday morning. Jeremiah is full of pain. He was a reluctant prophet! He reports that Yahweh himself went through the bitter pain of divorce (3.6-8). Those influenced by neo-Platonic views of God rarely think of the suffering of God in the Hebrew Bible but divine pathos is there in bold relief. The story of Jeremiah seems to be written with tears rather than ink!

The scroll of Jeremiah from 8.18-9.22 zeroes in on an image of God that has meant a great deal to me lately. God is King indeed … but he is a crying King! Yahweh is declared to be the speaker of these incredibly moving words (9.3, 6, 17, 22). The “death” of a relationship was intensely painful for Yahweh. The words of Yahweh border on radical,

“O my comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me” (8.18)

God’s heart is shattered ...

“Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn and horror grips me” (8.21).

The heart of Yahweh is so heavy that he bursts out in tears

“Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears!” (9.1)

Later Yahweh “confesses” that he does not have enough tears for the occasion so he calls for the professional mourners to come in to help supply the tears for the occasion … he invites them to shed tears not only for Israel but for him …

“Consider now! Call the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. Let them come quickly and wail over US till OUR eyes overflow with tears and water streams from OUR eyelids …” (9.17-18)

J. J. M. Roberts has shown that pagan deities were also known to shed tears for their people (see “The Motif of the Weeping God in Jeremiah and Its Background in the Lament Tradition of the Ancient Near East” from 1992). What the idols could never do, Yahweh does in reality. His marriage has ended in a heartbreaking divorce … so heartbreaking that God had hired the mourners to come in to make up the deficit in tears. This is pain. So much pain, in fact, one could almost describe Jer 8-9 as clinical depression!! God has an endless river of tears … God wishes (it seems to me) to escape the pain but “cannot.” His heart will not let him. For anyone who has gone through divorce this is all too true.

Though God has not chosen to reveal to me why hell has invaded my life he has shown me his own broken heart. The God of the cross is first the God of the broken heart. The God of judgment is first the God who weeps violently for his bride. This is an image of God I assuredly did not grow up with.

No answers to my questions. But I have fellowship in my tears. It is in the Bible,

“My tears have been my food day and night …” (Ps 42.3)

“Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll – are they not in your record?” (Ps 56.8)

“You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowl full” (Ps 80.5)

“For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears” (Ps 102.9)

God cries because we have left him for other gods. We cry because we have willingly or unwillingly participated in the destruction of his creative intent. We cry a lamentation for what is wrong in this world. As we cry we find, ironically, intimate fellowship with the Creator himself. My tears are but a poor imitation of his own. It is here that we will one day find shalom and healing. It is here that we hope to find the new creation … which is simply that place where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. A place where there will be no tears. Our Abba will wipe away our tears (Rev 21.4) because he has already shed a few of his own. God knows what a broken heart feels like ... to someone like me this is ... good news!

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

the Beatles- Taxman

A Tribute in honor of April 15 ... Smile As we all chip in today, ;-)

Take A Break: Sabbath Rhythms of Grace

Introductory Thoughts

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey, or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

The Sabbath is the center of the Ten Words. It forms a bridge from the first half to the second half of the our responsibilities to God. It connects concern for God with our concern for our neighbor. In other words it deals with our relationship with our Redeemer and our responsibility to our neighbor. Thus it forms the gracious center of the Decalogue.

The Sabbath Word is the only word that is significantly different here in the Deuteronomy passage than in Exodus 20. Those differences should not be slighted or passed over in silence but taken in light of the purpose of these respective books.

From a casual reading of the Ten Words it becomes apparent that God spends more time (and space) on the Sabbath than any of the other words. In this section God gives one explanation as to WHY Israel is to keep this wondrous word. At its root the Sabbath is the most humanitarian and gracious of all God’s commandments. It is vitally important to see the Hebrew perspective on the Sabbath to understand Jesus’ attitude toward it. The Sabbath is the ground of the Second Commandment, the outline of Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ ministry and many other important themes in Scripture. Sabbath should bring images of grace and love in our mind.

In Exodus the Sabbath is based on creation. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. In Deuteronomy, however, there is no reference to creation at all, instead the Sabbath is rooted and grounded in mighty redemptive act of Yahweh in rescuing Israel from slavery . . . this is the Hebrew Bible Gospel. According to Deuteronomy we accomplish two things by honoring the Sabbath: 1) we “remember” the work of God on our behalf; 2) we provide rest for the slaves, aliens and even animals in our care.

What this Word Expects from Us

This Word wants those in the believing community to:

1) on a regular basis set aside our normal routine and work activities to gain respite and refreshment. This gives us freedom to relax from the daily grind;

2) that time we take out on a routine basis is set aside in God’s honor, to worship and to simply enjoy what he has done. This is an important aspect of “rest” in Deuteronomy;

3) on that day we are to recall the redeeming work of God. In short we are to remember;

4) We show grace to others in gratitude for the rest and salvation to Yahweh has granted to the believing community. Toil is not our lot in life . . . the Sabbath reminds us of that.

We in Churches of Christ have had drilled into our heads that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, not Saturday. This is true, but we have allowed a shallow understanding of what the Sabbath was all about to rob us of the grace in this word from God. I have said before, and I will say it again, it is methodologically wrong to read Paul’s debates with legalists and Jesus’ debates with Pharisees back into the Hebrew Bible. Pharisees did not exist in Moses’ day and there were no legalists in his day either . . . this is very important to remember.

The Sabbath is a gift from God to man. Jesus said that God made the Sabbath for man. The Lord’s blessing of a Sabbath is a provision to rise above mere existence. It was meant to bless us . . . not condemn us. Perversion turned it into something it was never intended to be.

As a gift of grace the primary character of the Sabbath is rest. Rest from work and toil. It places in the cycle of life a provision for freedom from tyranny and the oppression of unrelenting labors. It places a check on our own driveness and increased pressure of unceasing demand to get ahead.

The Sabbath looks backwards to the grace of God in the Exodus . . . the single greatest miracle in history until the Incarnation of the Word. In breaking from our slavery to work (and dependence upon self), we will be reminded of God’s breaking us free . . . without our working contribution and the greater bondage to sin.

The Sabbath looks forward to our promised Rest with God. This theme is vital for understanding our promise of heaven. The Preacher of Hebrews states, that we Christians still honor the Sabbath, our goal is the real Sabbath . . . resting in God’s Presence (Hebrews 4).

The Year of Jubilee is the Sabbath on steroids. And this provides the food for thinking about heavenly rest in Hebrews 4. There is an old rabbinic legend that says,

“At on time when God was giving the Torah to Israel, He said to them:
‘My Children! If you accept the Torah and observe my mitvot [i.e. commands] I will give you for all eternity a thing most precious that I have in my possession.’

‘And what,’ asked Israel, ‘ is that precious thing which Thou wilt give us if we obey Thy Torah?’

‘The world to come!’

‘Show us in this world an example of the world to come,’ asked Israel.

‘The Sabbath,’ said the LORD, ‘is the example of the world to come.’”

(Quoted in Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath, p. 73)

Concluding Thoughts

Regularly setting apart time for the Lord checks the human inclination to justify oneself by job or work or human effort. The Sabbath is a concrete symbol of God’s saving grace that redeems human life rather than humans saving themselves by work and effort. The Sabbath is a regular time to STOP striving, to STOP trying to keep up with the Jones’, to STOP trying to gain approval by our success. The Sabbath is a chance to GIVE love, time and rest . . . in the name of him who grants us gracious rest.

The Sabbath is the great equalizer, for that day is a fore taste of the Kingdom when all – great or small – are reckoned to be exactly the same and equal. There are no masters and slaves on that day . . . only brothers and sisters!

There are many texts in the Hebrew Bible related to the Sabbath, find them and relish the images God puts in your mind’s eye. The Sabbath is that picture of the way a community redeemed by the blood will live both in relation to God and to each other.

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

God's Outlaws

John Wycliff and William Tyndale are giants in Christian history. Both worked with great courage to bring the Word of God to English speaking people. They also had something else in common ... they were Outlaws!



Here are two of God's Outlaws on the staff of Palo Verde. One is on a miniature pony and the other is on an Iron Horse, ;-) We won't say which is which though ... But these outlaws are good friends . . .



Here they are again enjoying a break in the desert sun ...




One of God's Outlaws is the luckiest dad in the world

Blessings on all God's People,
Bobby Valentine