These past couple weeks have been quite eventful for Columbus Mennonite Church because of all the press we have received related to my installation. I really appreciated Joel’s thoughts from last week’s blog about how we might respond to people who do not affirm the congregation’s decision to call me to a pastoral role. I like all of his suggestions, but I thought I would add one of my own:
+ Practice the...
In the last week and a half Columbus Mennonite has been in both The Mennonite and the Mennonite World Review because of our hiring of Mark. In this digital world, stories travel fast on social media and comments become just as publicly accessible as the story itself. The large majority of responses we’ve received through the office have been enthusiastically supportive. I’m aware that a number of you have...
A friend recently quoted the first sentence of James McClendon’s three volume work of systematic theology: “Theology means struggle.” It’s a fitting phrase for this month of exploring difficult passages in the Bible. It’s a good reminder that our faith is not just about comfort and refuge, but about venturing out from our comfortable places and walking into an expansiveness that we can never fully comprehend or tame.
Along with Genesis 32:22-32 (Jacob wrestling with God) and Genesis 18:22-33 (Abraham haggling with God), another valuable text of struggle is the book of Job. The...
It’s “Difficult Passages” month and the midweek blog is an opportunity to talk not about those difficult biblical passages themselves, but about other passages that help us think about the difficult passages. Last week: Jacob wrestling with God. This week: Abraham haggling with God.
Genesis 18:22-33 occurs right after Abraham and Sarah have extended hospitality to three travelers, and right before the infamous destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. After refreshing themselves and eating their fill, two of...
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.”
— Genesis 32:24-28
Although...