Spirit of purpose
Commentary
Object:
It is way past Christmas and New Year's celebration times. The dark days of winter are approaching as January's weather might encroach with a vengeance into the lives of those who wonder "What is there to look forward to now?" The community of faith reminds people that God has a purpose for each person. Baptism is the one way God finds people and brings them into the community of faith. Regardless of one's sacramental or non-sacramental views of baptism, the common theme remains that being baptized into the community of faith does bring purpose this winter, in the spring, next year, and for eternity. This is the God whom the church serves. The community of Genesis 1 needed this assurance as they lived in exile under the "victory dances and high fives" of the armies of the gods who have won the day. Be it the Priestly writing guild or Moses as writers, Genesis 1 affirms purpose for God's people.
Genesis 1:1-5
God's creative word brings order to the universe while placing limits on chaos and darkness. Creation is central to God's nature and person. That which is created by the Lord of the universe also has purpose in life. This includes humanity. If a person is feeling as if their life is without meaning and purpose, Genesis 1 declares that if we are created by the God of the community of Israel, then we exist for a purpose.
Authorship issues do not need to be a major obstacle in preaching this text if one is willing to agree that it was written by the community of faith or people of Israel. Dating the account to the Priestly writer between 571-486 BCE or believing possibly "Moses" wrote the account is not the point for this week. The God who created this universe is orderly, majestic, transcendent, and is aware of family geologies and respects rituals for holiness and worship. These traits could be ascribed to either a "Priestly" community (if one opts for the JEDP source hypothesis view) or to those who surrounded the community of Moses.
The point of this text remains that God creates the earth with God's "word." The text is not intended to answer questions regarding the scientific origins of the universe; only to affirm the lordship of God. Those who honor this lordship do have purpose in life. To extend this trajectory into the other texts for today, the disciples whom Paul and Apollos met in Ephesus in Acts 19 as well as Jesus of Nazareth being baptized in the Jordan River all have purpose in life. The same life-giving spirit in Acts 19 and Mark 1 is from the Creator in Genesis 1. This spirit of God remains active in all three texts and points to new and creative directions in life for all people.
Other directions this Genesis 1:1-5 passage may take include that God's creative principle is without parallel or analogy. It is not the result of a cosmic conflict, as Babylonian or Phoenician religions might suggest. Anybody who lives and works in an environment where a power force claims being ultimate is called into question by Genesis 1. Second, God did not eliminate chaos and darkness, but limited it. This might be one response to the theodicy question of "How can evil exist if God is good and powerful?" (Various process theologians have suggested this view.) Third, those who name an object also make a claim of "lordship" over it. Even if a child invents something in his or her bedroom or basement lab, as he or she "names it" they are now claiming a level of "lordship." Where are areas of "lordship" that we and other people claim in our lives, and how much power do we give them? For instance, are inventors of high-tech electronic devices "lords"? What spirits of purpose do they provide those who are also part of the creation of the universe? [source: Gerhard Von Rad, Old Testament Library: Genesis (Westminster Press and SCM Press, 1972)]
Acts 19:1-7
In whose name or what cause have believers been baptized (or if your tradition warrants, "dedicated")? Paul was passing through a region where he came to Ephesus. How many trips he made there is contested by some authors. On this trip he met a disciple. This is the only place where Luke-Acts refers to the word mathay-tai or disciple of any group besides Christian followers. There has been a debate as to whether this disciple was of John the Baptist (Kasemann, Haenchen), a syncretistic group (one who swallows up a diverse mixture of beliefs; Krodel holds this view), or simply holding that it could be either (Witherington). However, baptism must include the Holy Spirit in it as well as Jesus' name. Witherington (scholar at Asbury Seminary) does not believe this is associated with water baptism. Other sources consulted do see a baptismal regeneration motif (Krodel and Haenchen, both German Lutheran scholars). Both agree that the disciple was not part of the community of Christ in Luke-Acts at this point in the narrative.
Paul offers private instruction to these disciples, then baptizes them in which they receive the Holy Spirit, speak tongues, and prophesy. As to what the nature of these tongues, glossiia, are, that remains contested. Are they part of a known foreign language or not? For the purposes of this text, the main point is that they are now part of the disciples of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of God the Father. In Acts 13:26-36, Paul preaches a summary of the good news of gospel of the Christian community. Acts 16:16-17 divulge Luke-Acts' view of the ingredients of a community of Christ baptism: "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?' " Again the Holy Spirit is a necessity for a valid community baptism in the theology of Luke-Acts.
So what ingredients do certain groups require for acceptance and membership? Are there certain rites of passage? Do not many professions only recognize credentials from certain agencies, state boards, or accrediting organizations? If so, what sort of "spirit" is privileged or prioritized here? One can say what they believe and possibly even demonstrate skills and abilities. But does a certain "name" need to be present to warrant legitimacy? These are points to ponder as one might preach on their purpose in any area of life: school, work, community rules, family privileges. [sources: Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (Westminster Press; 1971); Gerhard Krodel, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Acts (Augsburg Fortress, 1986); Ben Witherington, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Wm. Eerdmans, 1998)]
Mark 1:4-11
As Jesus is baptized and coming out of the water, the heavens open and the voice from heaven speaks, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased" (1:10-11). This "Theophany" event is a reason why the text is located during the season of Epiphany. This is an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being in which people see or understand an event in a new and clearer way. Since Jesus is identified in Mark 1:1 as "Jesus Christ, the Son of God," the reader is informed of his origins or divinity. Some commentators have suggested that God has adopted Jesus as his Son after his ministry and crucifixion. There might be valid claims to this argument, but evidence weighs against it (Anderson, pp. 75-76).
The words from heaven are a fusion of Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. This is a theological development of an enthroned king and suffering servant definition of Messiah (Anderson, p. 79; Boring, p. 45). God is revealing a new action in that this "Messiah" confronts sin, which is the ultimate enemy of humans and begins out in the desert as the nation of Israel did in their pilgrimage toward the Holy Land. How is the biblical God meeting people today in their wildernesses while showing Christians what God is up to in clearer ways? Any given day when there are active storm fronts on the weather television networks might be one modern example.
The event takes place in the wilderness, where John the Baptist continues to do ministry. Is this a proselytizer baptism or another sort of cleansing? It remains a debate among many scholars, because the Qumran community existed in the wilderness, and Josephus cites John's ministry in this context. Today are there any modern wilderness experiences that make life inhospitable to healthy living, lacking in resources to live, while having hostile forces around to tempt or destroy believers? The good news of this text is that God can reveal God's ministry and even the spirit in a new way.
Some sermon directions for this text might include: Are there any John the Baptist people who are needed to prepare or set-up for main ministry events in our communities? In many churches, the real work occurs before and after any major event with tables, chairs, kitchen work, and clean-up. Are such people's ministries acknowledged as just as important as the main event (like John the Baptist was for Jesus' ministry)? A preacher can explore the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) images of prophets such as Elijah, Joel, and even Malachi to suggest that God had planned for this Baptism of our Lord event for many years. This Messiah is Mark's response to the "Jewish hope." How is hope arriving into the lives of Christians and communities today? For example, how many community groups have been organized and come together around a weather event or tragic killing that shook the foundations of a town or city? If one is prone to explore the apocalyptic angle of this text, what would happen if a church awaited a second coming (or "rapture") event and instead heard a voice say, "Keep on working and following the suffering servant Messiah. I like this model of ministry very much!"?
This text shows that all people have purpose in life, even in the most bleak of wilderness conditions. John the Baptist, Jesus, the crowds who were present at this event, as well as Jesus' disciples are part of God's transcendent or salvation history since the first dove flew off of Noah's ark (Genesis 10:8-12) to when a dove is present here at Jesus' baptism. [sources: Boring, Anderson, Hugh, New Century Bible: Mark (Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1976); M. Eugene, New Testament Library: Mark (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006); Francis J. Maloney, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary (Hendrickson Publishers, 2002)]
Application
Much has been written on the struggles and darkened existence of mainline (or sideline) churches. Today's texts open the door to discuss what God is revealing to any given congregation as to how the Holy Spirit is working right now. For example, since people are living longer and have spouses who have long passed away, they are seeking ways to reconnect with other people of the opposite sex while trying to maintain Christian values, yet seek support from others in the church as to what direction they want a relationship to be growing. Churches that do not hold a real rigid doctrine on many traditional pietistic practices may be a place for such dialogues to occur. Is God opening a new curtain here? Another congregation can no longer afford a paid resident pastor. Might this be a time to explore shared ministry with other churches? All people of faith have a purpose in God's plan. What is being revealed in the given wilderness in a community of faith which might be unfamiliar to them?
An Alternative Application
How does the church handle people who can be pretty common or intelligent one way and a bit eccentric another way? One congregation had a local college student with Asperger's syndrome. The student would wander in and out of the church building talking in eccentric ways. Since the church was very small and struggling, they were patient with the person. Eventually, the person moved on and the family thanked the congregation with a financial gift. Later the same church became a haven for families with members who had various types of seizures or a fainting spells in church.
Genesis 1:1-5
God's creative word brings order to the universe while placing limits on chaos and darkness. Creation is central to God's nature and person. That which is created by the Lord of the universe also has purpose in life. This includes humanity. If a person is feeling as if their life is without meaning and purpose, Genesis 1 declares that if we are created by the God of the community of Israel, then we exist for a purpose.
Authorship issues do not need to be a major obstacle in preaching this text if one is willing to agree that it was written by the community of faith or people of Israel. Dating the account to the Priestly writer between 571-486 BCE or believing possibly "Moses" wrote the account is not the point for this week. The God who created this universe is orderly, majestic, transcendent, and is aware of family geologies and respects rituals for holiness and worship. These traits could be ascribed to either a "Priestly" community (if one opts for the JEDP source hypothesis view) or to those who surrounded the community of Moses.
The point of this text remains that God creates the earth with God's "word." The text is not intended to answer questions regarding the scientific origins of the universe; only to affirm the lordship of God. Those who honor this lordship do have purpose in life. To extend this trajectory into the other texts for today, the disciples whom Paul and Apollos met in Ephesus in Acts 19 as well as Jesus of Nazareth being baptized in the Jordan River all have purpose in life. The same life-giving spirit in Acts 19 and Mark 1 is from the Creator in Genesis 1. This spirit of God remains active in all three texts and points to new and creative directions in life for all people.
Other directions this Genesis 1:1-5 passage may take include that God's creative principle is without parallel or analogy. It is not the result of a cosmic conflict, as Babylonian or Phoenician religions might suggest. Anybody who lives and works in an environment where a power force claims being ultimate is called into question by Genesis 1. Second, God did not eliminate chaos and darkness, but limited it. This might be one response to the theodicy question of "How can evil exist if God is good and powerful?" (Various process theologians have suggested this view.) Third, those who name an object also make a claim of "lordship" over it. Even if a child invents something in his or her bedroom or basement lab, as he or she "names it" they are now claiming a level of "lordship." Where are areas of "lordship" that we and other people claim in our lives, and how much power do we give them? For instance, are inventors of high-tech electronic devices "lords"? What spirits of purpose do they provide those who are also part of the creation of the universe? [source: Gerhard Von Rad, Old Testament Library: Genesis (Westminster Press and SCM Press, 1972)]
Acts 19:1-7
In whose name or what cause have believers been baptized (or if your tradition warrants, "dedicated")? Paul was passing through a region where he came to Ephesus. How many trips he made there is contested by some authors. On this trip he met a disciple. This is the only place where Luke-Acts refers to the word mathay-tai or disciple of any group besides Christian followers. There has been a debate as to whether this disciple was of John the Baptist (Kasemann, Haenchen), a syncretistic group (one who swallows up a diverse mixture of beliefs; Krodel holds this view), or simply holding that it could be either (Witherington). However, baptism must include the Holy Spirit in it as well as Jesus' name. Witherington (scholar at Asbury Seminary) does not believe this is associated with water baptism. Other sources consulted do see a baptismal regeneration motif (Krodel and Haenchen, both German Lutheran scholars). Both agree that the disciple was not part of the community of Christ in Luke-Acts at this point in the narrative.
Paul offers private instruction to these disciples, then baptizes them in which they receive the Holy Spirit, speak tongues, and prophesy. As to what the nature of these tongues, glossiia, are, that remains contested. Are they part of a known foreign language or not? For the purposes of this text, the main point is that they are now part of the disciples of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of God the Father. In Acts 13:26-36, Paul preaches a summary of the good news of gospel of the Christian community. Acts 16:16-17 divulge Luke-Acts' view of the ingredients of a community of Christ baptism: "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?' " Again the Holy Spirit is a necessity for a valid community baptism in the theology of Luke-Acts.
So what ingredients do certain groups require for acceptance and membership? Are there certain rites of passage? Do not many professions only recognize credentials from certain agencies, state boards, or accrediting organizations? If so, what sort of "spirit" is privileged or prioritized here? One can say what they believe and possibly even demonstrate skills and abilities. But does a certain "name" need to be present to warrant legitimacy? These are points to ponder as one might preach on their purpose in any area of life: school, work, community rules, family privileges. [sources: Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (Westminster Press; 1971); Gerhard Krodel, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Acts (Augsburg Fortress, 1986); Ben Witherington, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Wm. Eerdmans, 1998)]
Mark 1:4-11
As Jesus is baptized and coming out of the water, the heavens open and the voice from heaven speaks, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased" (1:10-11). This "Theophany" event is a reason why the text is located during the season of Epiphany. This is an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being in which people see or understand an event in a new and clearer way. Since Jesus is identified in Mark 1:1 as "Jesus Christ, the Son of God," the reader is informed of his origins or divinity. Some commentators have suggested that God has adopted Jesus as his Son after his ministry and crucifixion. There might be valid claims to this argument, but evidence weighs against it (Anderson, pp. 75-76).
The words from heaven are a fusion of Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. This is a theological development of an enthroned king and suffering servant definition of Messiah (Anderson, p. 79; Boring, p. 45). God is revealing a new action in that this "Messiah" confronts sin, which is the ultimate enemy of humans and begins out in the desert as the nation of Israel did in their pilgrimage toward the Holy Land. How is the biblical God meeting people today in their wildernesses while showing Christians what God is up to in clearer ways? Any given day when there are active storm fronts on the weather television networks might be one modern example.
The event takes place in the wilderness, where John the Baptist continues to do ministry. Is this a proselytizer baptism or another sort of cleansing? It remains a debate among many scholars, because the Qumran community existed in the wilderness, and Josephus cites John's ministry in this context. Today are there any modern wilderness experiences that make life inhospitable to healthy living, lacking in resources to live, while having hostile forces around to tempt or destroy believers? The good news of this text is that God can reveal God's ministry and even the spirit in a new way.
Some sermon directions for this text might include: Are there any John the Baptist people who are needed to prepare or set-up for main ministry events in our communities? In many churches, the real work occurs before and after any major event with tables, chairs, kitchen work, and clean-up. Are such people's ministries acknowledged as just as important as the main event (like John the Baptist was for Jesus' ministry)? A preacher can explore the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) images of prophets such as Elijah, Joel, and even Malachi to suggest that God had planned for this Baptism of our Lord event for many years. This Messiah is Mark's response to the "Jewish hope." How is hope arriving into the lives of Christians and communities today? For example, how many community groups have been organized and come together around a weather event or tragic killing that shook the foundations of a town or city? If one is prone to explore the apocalyptic angle of this text, what would happen if a church awaited a second coming (or "rapture") event and instead heard a voice say, "Keep on working and following the suffering servant Messiah. I like this model of ministry very much!"?
This text shows that all people have purpose in life, even in the most bleak of wilderness conditions. John the Baptist, Jesus, the crowds who were present at this event, as well as Jesus' disciples are part of God's transcendent or salvation history since the first dove flew off of Noah's ark (Genesis 10:8-12) to when a dove is present here at Jesus' baptism. [sources: Boring, Anderson, Hugh, New Century Bible: Mark (Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1976); M. Eugene, New Testament Library: Mark (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006); Francis J. Maloney, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary (Hendrickson Publishers, 2002)]
Application
Much has been written on the struggles and darkened existence of mainline (or sideline) churches. Today's texts open the door to discuss what God is revealing to any given congregation as to how the Holy Spirit is working right now. For example, since people are living longer and have spouses who have long passed away, they are seeking ways to reconnect with other people of the opposite sex while trying to maintain Christian values, yet seek support from others in the church as to what direction they want a relationship to be growing. Churches that do not hold a real rigid doctrine on many traditional pietistic practices may be a place for such dialogues to occur. Is God opening a new curtain here? Another congregation can no longer afford a paid resident pastor. Might this be a time to explore shared ministry with other churches? All people of faith have a purpose in God's plan. What is being revealed in the given wilderness in a community of faith which might be unfamiliar to them?
An Alternative Application
How does the church handle people who can be pretty common or intelligent one way and a bit eccentric another way? One congregation had a local college student with Asperger's syndrome. The student would wander in and out of the church building talking in eccentric ways. Since the church was very small and struggling, they were patient with the person. Eventually, the person moved on and the family thanked the congregation with a financial gift. Later the same church became a haven for families with members who had various types of seizures or a fainting spells in church.
