A weekend that included a hockey game, the funeral of a dear friend, and a gathering at our home got away from me!
The next edition of the Saturday Six-Pack is being drafted (along with a few other posts), and it WILL be released on Saturday.
Have a great week, my friends.
In Daniel 2, a deadly decree was issued. The wise men of Babylon were collectively condemned and sentenced to death for their perceived failure to faithfully serve the king, Nebuchadnezzar.
Their shortcoming?
They were unable to make sense of the king’s troubling dreams. But even that isn’t the whole story. In a mistrust-motivated move, Nebuchadnezzar demanded that these sages do their work “blindfolded”–he would not tell them the content of the dream. They were to provide him with both the material and the meaning.
Daniel learned all this, only once the arrest warrant was already at his door. Requesting time to pray, he and his faithful friends–Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah–sought revelation from the God of heaven.
How would you prayer go if your life depended upon receiving an answer you could not begin to dream up? (The next question might be: What keeps you from always praying with that sense? But that’s another post.)
Daniel and his friends pleaded for nothing less than divine revelation. And it was received!
Their rightful response:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you,for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” (Daniel 2:20-23)
God’s role as Revealer is wondrous! My experiences with revelation–albeit not exactly of visions interpreted–have astounded me in a couple ways:
Both timely and measured, divine revelation is not unlike the message Neo receives from the Oracle, in the Matrix. On one level, it appears inadequate and inconsequential, even unhelpful. On another level, it is exactly–and not a hair more–what he needs to take his next step.
A friend’s words, a Scripture message, song lyrics, movie lines, and more–sometimes it’s actual words expressed, other times the truth is found in the spaces between those words. But the Living God has no need of language either. To me, He has also revealed through insights I could not generate, emotions I could not ignore, dreams I could not forget, and circumstances I could not concoct.
And every experience of revelation leads one into a Daniel-mode of worship, though seldom so vividly verbalized, for who cannot enter a mode of wonder at a One who knows all things and shares them succinctly yet shockingly when we seek Him?
Revelation is one of the wonders of the Christian experience, undeniable and unexplainable, a glorious form of spiritual feeding.
Those moments of seeing are a most beautiful thrill in one’s walk with the Unseen One.
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,to whom belong wisdom and might.
For three years now, our church has created an Advent Blog each December. Articles and reflections have been submitted through those years by members and friends of our congregation, on a variety of topics tied to the Advent season. You are most welcome to join us in this annual pilgrimage toward Christmas.
Below is a piece I submitted earlier this week.
[ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jason Bandura works with the Glen Elm Church of Christ. Married to Shannon, he is Dad to three lovely daughters. He lives on the Canadian prairies and writes occasionally HERE.]
One frequent connection is to the waiting of pregnancy, often observed graphically in Mary’s most literal waiting for the birth of Jesus. Metaphorically, Scripture feeds into this theme with its declaration that the whole of creation is groaning, as if in the birthing process (Romans 8:22).
Regarding the Advent theme of Christian hope, Peter uses similar imagery to vividly drive home its shocking nature:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-4)
Last week’s “Saturday Six-Pack” arrived on Tuesday. This week’s: On Monday. Does less failure count as success?
One way or the other, here are the latest half-dozen links to feed and fuel you.
As usual, these articles are mostly faith-focused or ministry-geared, with a bit of disorderly-pile-of-who-knows-what tossed in!
If you need help starting, begin with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move from there.
For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter ( @JasonBandura ) to the right of this post. Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.
Today’s edition:
1) Women Bishops: It’s About the Bible, Not Fake Ideas of Progress
While my fellowship doesn’t have bishops, we do have women. We also have the Bible, and possibly some fake ideas about progress. This short piece by NT Wright hits hard on Scripture’s non-negotiable authority in the discussions of women in leadership. And some will surprised where he goes from there.
2) 20 Top Leadership Tips… In Tweet Length
Prompted for some of the best insights he’s picked up on leadership, Ron Edmondson offers this list… in ready-form to flood your Twitter queue.
3) Does Sliding into Cohabitation Lock You In? (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
There is a common line of reasoning that sees living together as a prudent, even helpful, test-drive ahead of marriage. “Surely this ups the odds of marital success,” is the thought. Yet the research, both religious or secular in nature, consistently argues otherwise. How can something so logical be so incorrect? For Psychology Today, here is Dr. J.R. Bruns‘ take on what is at work under this surface.
4) On the Other Side of Suffering
Philip Yancey has long been a blessing to my life. This short piece, highlighting a lesson he learned from a WWII chaplain, may be just the word of encouragement you need this morning to press on, despite a lack of the clarity or motivation you desire.
5) Why Should We Care About Advent? (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
The Advent season is underway again. In case, you haven’t yet figured out why that should matter to you, Rob Bell has a few thoughts to share, in this piece, originally posted in 2010 for Relevant magazine.
6) Six Ways to Find Time for Your Creative Work
To any whose list includes tasks that require free-flowing creative juices, The Time Management Ninja offers these six tips.
May your week be full of awareness and enjoyment of the God who already fills it with Himself and every good thing. Blessings on you, my friends.
YOUR TURN: Direct other readers to the best stuff with a comment below, or weigh in on what you read. Your input makes this post better!
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