I have been thinking about thinking but my problem is how do I begin. Is thinking simply a mental exercise or is it something more? I want to be careful and not over do the exercise. Too much brain strain might cause me to pull something. I would hate to strain a brain string of something and go the DL. I doubt that I will come close to injury of any kind because I am sure that I am not going to work that hard at thinking.
I was substitute teaching this past week in Biology. It was a class of 10th graders (which is as interesting and challenging as it is questionable whether any thinking occurs in this environment). One of the questions in their workbook was about the place in scientific study of prior understanding. The students had a difficult time understanding what prior understanding meant. I am thinking that I just don't know the answer to their questions, but I will think about it and get back to you. What are your prior assumptions? I have some such as, good new is better than bad news, mercy is better than justice and Jesus is better than anything.
I realize that this probably does not make any sense but then neither does the whole worldview thing. I simply don't know if I am a modern or a postmodern thinker. It occurs to me that I may not be a thinker at all just an imaginer (is that a word?) or a want to be. I don't know if I am a Stoic or an Epicurean. Though I do like to eat and when the sun is shinning I like to sit under the porch. Maybe I am a little of each if that is possible.
There is a cooking show on cable TV called "Epicurus." The host cook all types of fine looking and delicious looking food. It is unfortunate that Epicurus himself would not have though much of this abuse of his philosophical school. Epicurus created a close knit community and his followers were very devoted to him, they looked at him as a father figure. The philosophy of "eat, drink and be merry" was not something that Epicurus taught. He did that pleasure was a virtue but for him physical pleasure the least important. It is interesting how those thinkers who come along later can put their own spin of the ideas of others. The name implies that this is the "philosophy of the garden." They were satisfied to spend time in contemplation, with drawn from the world at large.The Stoics on the other hand derived their name from the covered porch in Greek "stoa." They were very much engaged in everyday life, a regular fixture in the market places of their world. We have then in these two school the people of the garden (secluded life) and the people of the market place (actively engaged in politics and life). Activists and isolationist I think.
Sometimes I want to be a gardener and other times I want to be an activist. I just don't know what to think or how to think about thinking. If I sound confused well I am but then most of us maybe all of us live quiet lives of confusion as much as desperation. Welcome to my strange and wonderful world. I am just someone making my way the best that I know how in the world. The journey is long and hard but the end is in sight. Well maybe it is not but it will be in the near future or maybe not (that was just too much thinking).
Well I think I will go have something to eat. Maybe I'll have a good garden salad or is that too much activism? What do you think? Maybe I will just fast and pray. The quiet contemplation of my own garden which is next to my porch of all things. Kind of like Jesus going to a quiet place to pray or going to a grotto for quiet contemplation and spiritual reflection.
Just a few things to think about along the way.
Bob
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Choosing a Path
Psalm 1
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
Jerome quoted the opinion of some that the first psalm is “the preface of the Holy Spirit” to thePsalter. There are two particular themes are found in it, which recur in many other psalms.
The first is the clear-cut distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The Bible as a whole, and specially the Wisdom Literature, divides humankind into these two absolute categories, and does not recognize a third. Consider Psalms 32, 36 and 112 also compare and contrast the righteous and the wicked.
The second theme concerns the present fortunes and the ultimate destinies of human beings. In the first and last words of Psalm 1 indicate the alternatives. Blessed is the righteous person who delights in God’s law; the ungodly, on the other hand, will perish. Blessing and cursing are a part of life. It is possible that Jeremiah is elaborating on this psalm in Jeremiah 17:5-8.
In Jeremiah the prophet reverses the order that is found in the psalm. This may be simply the difference between the preacher and the poet. The prophet tells us that this is a word for the Lord. He uses comparative language to describe the path of the wicked (those who trust in man) and the path of the righteous (those who trust in the Lord). He calls one source of trust “mere mortals” and he says they make “flesh their strength.” The blessed one are the ones who “trust in the Lord” and whose “trust is the Lord.” The image is of either dying plants in the desert or growing plants in a lush well-watered garden. The time of drought is not a problem for those who grow by the water. The key for the preacher is to remind the people where or in whom they should place their trust. The difference between the blessed and the cursed is a matter of trust. Trust is another way of speaking of faith and even more it is closely akin to hope in the Hebrew language. It is a much different concept than the popular usage in the English language.
The psalmist in his teaching anticipates the teaching of Jesus himself when he admonishes men and women to either follow the broad road that leads to destruction or the narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13,14). The path one chooses to walk will be not only about the destination but also the quality of life one enjoys or endures on life's journey. What is your destination? What is the quality of your life? What have you learned on the journey? The road of life is long, often hard and usually takes unexpected turns. It is a journey frought with pitfalls and pleasures. It is a quest for what is enduring or eternal if you will. The words from the new Third Day song are appropriate here I think, “I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God.” I love this song. This group seems to clearly recognize the reality of mountain peaks and valleys on the journey of life. Their song is a very good current and relevant interpretation of Psalm 1 and Matthew 7.
The Psalm is divided into two sections
1. The Righteous will prosper (1-4).
a. The righteous person is first described negatively, then positively. They are composed in a triple set of parallels: “walk, stand, and sit” “counsel, way, seat,” “wicked, sinners, mockers.” More over it is in a downward progression. The godly do not model their conduct on the advice of bad people. The godly do not linger in the company of persistent evildoers, still less remain permanently among the cynical who openly scoff at God.
b. The godly make the law of the Lord their rule. He means not just the 10 commandments but all the rules and regulations of the Law of Moses and all God’s revelation as guides for life. It is their delight; it is their meditation both day and night.
c. This was a favorite text of Jerome the author of the Latin version of the Bible. He relentlessly pursed his study first in the desert (wilderness), and then for nearly thirty-five years in a grotto near the traditional scene of the Nativity in Bethlehem.I wonder if we might not need spend some time in the wilderness or a grotto engaged in meditation and spiritual contemplation for our greater spiritual formation?
d. The common metaphor “like a tree planted by streams of water” found throughout the Bible. Creates for us a beautiful image of a clear, crisp mountain stream flowing over the rock, with majestic a nd beautiful trees growing by its banks.This path as a course for ones life is one of nurture and nurishment. It is a journey that we all need, many of us seek and few of us discover it. Yet, it is an opportunity available to all who will drink from its lifegiving stream.
2. The Wicked will parish. (verses 5 & 6)
The psalmist contrast the two different paths in vivid language as he says,"not so the wicked!" Instead of being like a fruitful tree, they are completely different. They are like chaff, dry and useless. They are not planted by the waters but blown about by the gail force winds of an uncertain and misdirected life. This is also a common metaphor found in the Bible. Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind according to the prophet Hosea. The are like chaff in the following two ways.
They are unprofitable.
They are unstable.
They are told that the Lord watches over the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish. Verse 6 serves as a general conclusion to the Psalm as a whole. It presents us with some interesting food for thought about life in general but more so about how we choose a course for our lives, as well as what course we may chose. It reminds us to be cauious about the advise we seek and those from whom we may choose to seek advise. It reminds us to live right and think right. In a world of wars, hatred, famine, indifference and deceit how we think about others, and ultimately how we treat others is of utmost importance. In an age where many are seeking to find their way to a better life, could it be that the psalmist writing several thousand years ago offers a more spiritual focus and course for living.
Just some things to think about on the way.
Bob
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
Jerome quoted the opinion of some that the first psalm is “the preface of the Holy Spirit” to thePsalter. There are two particular themes are found in it, which recur in many other psalms.
The first is the clear-cut distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The Bible as a whole, and specially the Wisdom Literature, divides humankind into these two absolute categories, and does not recognize a third. Consider Psalms 32, 36 and 112 also compare and contrast the righteous and the wicked.
The second theme concerns the present fortunes and the ultimate destinies of human beings. In the first and last words of Psalm 1 indicate the alternatives. Blessed is the righteous person who delights in God’s law; the ungodly, on the other hand, will perish. Blessing and cursing are a part of life. It is possible that Jeremiah is elaborating on this psalm in Jeremiah 17:5-8.
In Jeremiah the prophet reverses the order that is found in the psalm. This may be simply the difference between the preacher and the poet. The prophet tells us that this is a word for the Lord. He uses comparative language to describe the path of the wicked (those who trust in man) and the path of the righteous (those who trust in the Lord). He calls one source of trust “mere mortals” and he says they make “flesh their strength.” The blessed one are the ones who “trust in the Lord” and whose “trust is the Lord.” The image is of either dying plants in the desert or growing plants in a lush well-watered garden. The time of drought is not a problem for those who grow by the water. The key for the preacher is to remind the people where or in whom they should place their trust. The difference between the blessed and the cursed is a matter of trust. Trust is another way of speaking of faith and even more it is closely akin to hope in the Hebrew language. It is a much different concept than the popular usage in the English language.
The psalmist in his teaching anticipates the teaching of Jesus himself when he admonishes men and women to either follow the broad road that leads to destruction or the narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13,14). The path one chooses to walk will be not only about the destination but also the quality of life one enjoys or endures on life's journey. What is your destination? What is the quality of your life? What have you learned on the journey? The road of life is long, often hard and usually takes unexpected turns. It is a journey frought with pitfalls and pleasures. It is a quest for what is enduring or eternal if you will. The words from the new Third Day song are appropriate here I think, “I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God.” I love this song. This group seems to clearly recognize the reality of mountain peaks and valleys on the journey of life. Their song is a very good current and relevant interpretation of Psalm 1 and Matthew 7.
The Psalm is divided into two sections
1. The Righteous will prosper (1-4).
a. The righteous person is first described negatively, then positively. They are composed in a triple set of parallels: “walk, stand, and sit” “counsel, way, seat,” “wicked, sinners, mockers.” More over it is in a downward progression. The godly do not model their conduct on the advice of bad people. The godly do not linger in the company of persistent evildoers, still less remain permanently among the cynical who openly scoff at God.
b. The godly make the law of the Lord their rule. He means not just the 10 commandments but all the rules and regulations of the Law of Moses and all God’s revelation as guides for life. It is their delight; it is their meditation both day and night.
c. This was a favorite text of Jerome the author of the Latin version of the Bible. He relentlessly pursed his study first in the desert (wilderness), and then for nearly thirty-five years in a grotto near the traditional scene of the Nativity in Bethlehem.I wonder if we might not need spend some time in the wilderness or a grotto engaged in meditation and spiritual contemplation for our greater spiritual formation?
d. The common metaphor “like a tree planted by streams of water” found throughout the Bible. Creates for us a beautiful image of a clear, crisp mountain stream flowing over the rock, with majestic a nd beautiful trees growing by its banks.This path as a course for ones life is one of nurture and nurishment. It is a journey that we all need, many of us seek and few of us discover it. Yet, it is an opportunity available to all who will drink from its lifegiving stream.
2. The Wicked will parish. (verses 5 & 6)
The psalmist contrast the two different paths in vivid language as he says,"not so the wicked!" Instead of being like a fruitful tree, they are completely different. They are like chaff, dry and useless. They are not planted by the waters but blown about by the gail force winds of an uncertain and misdirected life. This is also a common metaphor found in the Bible. Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind according to the prophet Hosea. The are like chaff in the following two ways.
They are unprofitable.
They are unstable.
They are told that the Lord watches over the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish. Verse 6 serves as a general conclusion to the Psalm as a whole. It presents us with some interesting food for thought about life in general but more so about how we choose a course for our lives, as well as what course we may chose. It reminds us to be cauious about the advise we seek and those from whom we may choose to seek advise. It reminds us to live right and think right. In a world of wars, hatred, famine, indifference and deceit how we think about others, and ultimately how we treat others is of utmost importance. In an age where many are seeking to find their way to a better life, could it be that the psalmist writing several thousand years ago offers a more spiritual focus and course for living.
Just some things to think about on the way.
Bob
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