What does the title mean? It means " you are fearfully and wonderfully made" from Psalm 139:14. It is an admonishment that I sent to friends and family when I feel God leading or feel like they need it. I sometimes send it to myself too!
Have you ever read Psalm 139? We read it a few weeks ago on my Psalm Sunday blog entry. I forgot this verse was in it. What does it mean? We aren't talking about "fear" like when we go to a scary movie or ride a large roller coaster. We are talking about "fearfully" like the word "awe". No, I am not saying you were awfully made! No, sir! ha! I am saying that each of us was made with a sense of awe and wonder that only new life can teach us about.
I have never been a father, so I don't know the feeling of seeing an ultrasound of my baby or feeling my baby's heartbeat in the mother's tummy. I know the feeling of new life that my Savior gives me each day I continue to turn over more and more of myself to him. New life indeed!
Lord, you made each of us in your image. How wonderful is that!
Teaching Tuesday
The Revelation of John
The last week of class for this session. The last book of the Bible. Here is a great description of the book by the author of the text book: This chapter should enable the student to
- describe the literary genre of the book of Revelation as a complex work that combines elements of letter, prophecy, and apocalypse.
- discuss the different ways in which the book of Revelation is read in the Christian church, with awareness of which ways are generally preferred for academic study.
- summarize what modern scholarship has to say about the historical background for Revelation, including suppositions regarding authorship, date and place of writing, and purposes the book was intended to fulfill.
- reflect upon major themes presented in the book of Revelation, including its unveiling of human corruption and divine plans for the future.
- appreciate the role that Revelation plays in Christian piety, liturgy, art, and worship.
I started reading Revelation when I was a teenager. My pastor at the time did his doctoral work on the book so he taught and taught out of it. He taught a more prophetic approach than what our author did in this book. Powell did a good job of staying "middle of the road" so we could read and make our own decisions.
My thoughts? I am still not sure on this one. Not sure why it was included in the canon. Not sure what we are supposed to get out of the book. My main thought is that it expresses what one human can try to express to another human about the greatness and awesomeness of God. It is like two cats trying to explain nuclear fusion to each other! DOH!
So many books in the New Testament have made me a little sad because so many of the scriptures have been used and abused to use and abuse people. "Cutting people down with a sword we were never meant to bear" is how one song says it. I choose to believe that God will help us understand everything eventually. We should read his scriptures to find him and give ourselves to him. Amen.
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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
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