Comments for flclincoln http://flclincoln.org/blog First Lutheran Church blog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:50:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Devils in the Past, Time to Sing! by bmaas http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-154 bmaas Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:50:53 +0000 http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=512#comment-154 Good questions. Elihu seems like he's been shoehorned into the story, and scholars think that may be what happened--that, like the ending in which things are hastily restored to Job, Elihu was inserted to make the book of Job a little more palatable. I'll leave those matters for scholars to debate, but I will confess my own appreciation of Elihu. Job's three other 'friends' seem more or less stuck in the mode of, "Look Job--God doesn't make clerical errors; you messed up somehow and you're not remembering it--or you're really presumptuous and self-deceiving. Just confess your sin and get on with it!" Elihu, while not letting Job off the hook (and in fact lecturing him for his presumptuousness), scolds the 'friends' for a limited view of God. It isn't just that God punishes sinners and rewards the righteous (why would God be so enslaved by human behavior?); it's that God acts in ways that are inscrutable to mere mortals. But God's will is gracious, even when we can't perceive it as such--just look at all of creation, and how God sustains life through it. In the end,"we just can't understand God's will" is sometimes as unsatisfying to those who are suffering as are the arguments of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. But Elihu opens up broader possibilities for considering what God is up to in human suffering. And for that, I appreciate him. --Brian Good questions. Elihu seems like he’s been shoehorned into the story, and scholars think that may be what happened–that, like the ending in which things are hastily restored to Job, Elihu was inserted to make the book of Job a little more palatable.

I’ll leave those matters for scholars to debate, but I will confess my own appreciation of Elihu. Job’s three other ‘friends’ seem more or less stuck in the mode of, “Look Job–God doesn’t make clerical errors; you messed up somehow and you’re not remembering it–or you’re really presumptuous and self-deceiving. Just confess your sin and get on with it!” Elihu, while not letting Job off the hook (and in fact lecturing him for his presumptuousness), scolds the ‘friends’ for a limited view of God. It isn’t just that God punishes sinners and rewards the righteous (why would God be so enslaved by human behavior?); it’s that God acts in ways that are inscrutable to mere mortals. But God’s will is gracious, even when we can’t perceive it as such–just look at all of creation, and how God sustains life through it.

In the end,”we just can’t understand God’s will” is sometimes as unsatisfying to those who are suffering as are the arguments of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. But Elihu opens up broader possibilities for considering what God is up to in human suffering. And for that, I appreciate him.
–Brian

]]> Comment on Devils in the Past, Time to Sing! by JoanJ http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-153 JoanJ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:15:36 +0000 http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=512#comment-153 Who is this Elihu? What is his contribution to this story? At the end of Job, the Lord rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar but there is no mention of Elihu. What's the deal? Joan J. Who is this Elihu? What is his contribution to this story? At the end of Job, the Lord rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar but there is no mention of Elihu. What’s the deal?
Joan J.

]]> Comment on Devils in the Past, Time to Sing! by JoanJ http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-152 JoanJ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:32:33 +0000 http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=512#comment-152 I have to admit - I'm still in Job. Haven't made it to Psalms yet. But, I like Job. I love Job's wit! The banter he has with his friends. I love Job's ability to ask the Lord hard questions without losing his faith in the Lord. At Job 25 and continuing. Joan Johnson I have to admit – I’m still in Job. Haven’t made it to Psalms yet. But, I like Job. I love Job’s wit! The banter he has with his friends. I love Job’s ability to ask the Lord hard questions without losing his faith in the Lord.
At Job 25 and continuing.
Joan Johnson

]]> Comment on 300 pages and rolling! by JoanJ http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=484&cpage=1#comment-151 JoanJ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:20:47 +0000 http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=484#comment-151 As usual, I made it about me :) Yes, "How did we ever become God's people" is the real question. For some reason, even though I'm Lutheran from cradle to . . ., I tend to get caught up in thinking "I choose God" rather than "God chose me." The web site I'm using is www.biblegateway.com Thanks!! As usual, I made it about me :) Yes, “How did we ever become God’s people” is the real question. For some reason, even though I’m Lutheran from cradle to . . ., I tend to get caught up in thinking “I choose God” rather than “God chose me.”
The web site I’m using is http://www.biblegateway.com
Thanks!!

]]> Comment on 300 pages and rolling! by bmaas http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=484&cpage=1#comment-150 bmaas Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:58:45 +0000 http://flclincoln.org/blog/?p=484#comment-150 Culturally, the people we read about in these pages seem pretty foreign to those of us raised by descendants of northern Europeans. It is curious to wonder how our ancestors might ever have paired up with these lively people to choose the God who acts in ways sometimes truly inscrutable to us. It's a little easier for me to ponder when I change the question from, "How did this God become our God?" to "How did we ever get to become God's people?" When I ask the question that way, things fit more easily into place for me. The God who acts--and chooses--throughout the Old Testament, and the God whose all-inviting grace is expressed through the New Testament, are one and the same. And for reasons I can't comprehend, God chooses to claim even me. By the way, Joan--would you mind sharing one of the sites you've found to read the Bible online when you don't have a Bible handy? Thanks! Brian Culturally, the people we read about in these pages seem pretty foreign to those of us raised by descendants of northern Europeans. It is curious to wonder how our ancestors might ever have paired up with these lively people to choose the God who acts in ways sometimes truly inscrutable to us. It’s a little easier for me to ponder when I change the question from, “How did this God become our God?” to “How did we ever get to become God’s people?”
When I ask the question that way, things fit more easily into place for me. The God who acts–and chooses–throughout the Old Testament, and the God whose all-inviting grace is expressed through the New Testament, are one and the same. And for reasons I can’t comprehend, God chooses to claim even me.
By the way, Joan–would you mind sharing one of the sites you’ve found to read the Bible online when you don’t have a Bible handy?
Thanks!
Brian

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