shermancox | Sabbath Justice

May 22, 2006August 10, 2017

Second Advent and Passivity

History?s basic aim is towards the ultimate intention of God. We have a glimpse of the appearance of God?s ultimate intention by looking at Creation and can thus believe that it includes much of God?s original intention. So we can be assured that it includes equality and justice. But more than this we also see a reversal of the effects of evil. The Biblical record often shows a reversal of what is expected.For example the first is last in Matthew 20:16. The high are brought low and the low are brought high. Ultimately we are looking at the removal of all the results of sin. Like God?s original intention we cannot totally define God?s ultimate intention besides stating that it includes this reversal of sin and its effects. The Second Advent is the event that ushers in this era of God?s ultimate intention. The Second Advent is the finishing up or the doing for humanity what cannot be done through humanity in that God does not wish to overthrow human choice.

It is true that such a teaching could lead to passivity or ignoring of evil in this world. I believe that such a position is unfounded for Christians who accept the Sabbath as principle to live by in that the Sabbath calls for an active participation in God?s intention. As we have noted, the Sabbath calls for participation in God?s intention, but this problem of passivity will be more fully answered as we move to a look at the current work of the Spirit in humanity as shown in the symbol of the heavenly temple. In this work, God is doing all that God can do in humanity. If humanity does not do its work then they will put off the culmination of God?s intention.

May 20, 2006August 10, 2017

Shallow Worship Materials

On Pastor Ryan Bell’s blog he has a discussion of the difficulty of preaching on the subject of worship. That discussion made me think about certain worship services that I have attended. I began to think specifically about the transition from theological songs to a lot of the “praise” songs that are sung in many churches today.

I can remember when a church I attended once moved from using Gospel songs for praise to the common praise songs. I can remember the transition from “Power in the Blood” or even “Through it All” to songs were the total lyrical content is in the title. ?Lord you are Holy, Yes You Are Holy, You are so holy to me. Lord you are Holy, Yes you are holy, Holy you are and holy you?ll be.? Then the word ?Holy? is changed to ?Righteous? and the whole song is sung again. Then sung successively through 3 other words and finally closes with ?All-That.? People are not told about the Christian meta-narrative. We are not formed in the knowledge of what God has done for us or for others…

Marva Dawn said ?shallow…worship materials?will not reveal the truth about God. Instead, these shallow materials will shape shallow theology and form us superficially.? Much better songs would help to place us in the ?meta-narrative.? I hasten to add that I am not talking about worship style. Before that move to praise songs some of the songs that were sung were contemporary Gospel songs about God’s work on our behalf and for others. Some spoke of some theological underpinings of the Christian faith. But somehow we joined the larger movement in the Christian world towards trivial songs with very little theological or even pastoral content.

Can the Christian church that is used to singing about the trinity, the power of God on our behalf, the grace of the Cross be changed by singing songs that just Praise God but never talk about why or who the God is we praise? Will the lyrical content change make us more shallow as Dawn has suggested? Does the fact that many churches of many denominational groups are singing these shallow songs mean that we have some difficult days ahead as a Christian church?

What do you Think?

May 19, 2006August 10, 2017

Second Advent and Passivity – Sabbath and Eschatology

As noted above, when humanity remembers the Sabbath one is commemorating the creation event. This is a component, but it is more than commemorative, it is also participatory. Every week we participate in the Sabbath. We are seeking to live in God?s intention. First, it seeks to commemorate God?s original intention. To commemorate and participate in God?s original intention, we must first understand what God?s intention was at creation. Reflection on my own ecclesial and ethnic traditions informs me that first of all God?s original intention was to make all of humanity in God?s image. God?s original intention was for humanity to live equally. A reflection on how the Sabbath evolved through the Biblical record confirms this for all individuals in Israel including slave, free, rich, and poor took part in the responsibilities as well as the benefits of the Sabbath. Even the animals were to ?rest? (Exodus 20:10). For the purposes of this paper, I will use equality as a component of God?s original intention. Thus, to commemorate and participate in Sabbath we should be commemorating and participating in God?s original intention which includes equality. Seventh-day Adventists sometimes have emphasized the refraining from work aspect of the 7th day without emphasizing this participation in God?s intention aspect. We participate in equality in the world as we stand up for the vision of the Sabbath in the world.

The Sabbath allows us to live in God?s original intention although partially today. Today we can see the in breaking of the Kingdom. Today by reflection on this symbol we can gain a clearer perception of what God?s intention is and thus what the fullness of God?s kingdom will look like. The Sabbath itself does not allow one to fall into a trap of quietism where one does nothing. The Sabbath pushes us to see the world as God would see it. This first step clarifies our view of the world in light of others.

Because of the participatory aspects of the Sabbath, one cannot ever fall into a trap of just looking on or observing. If one is truly remembering God?s creative acts, or as I have put it remembering God?s intention, one will participate in it which means an active disengagement with all that is not in line with God?s intention.