a capital experience: jubilee
what a week!
i've received more emails, phone calls, personal notes, private messages, and been caught up in more conversation than regarding any message i've taught ever.
if only salvation were so meaningful :)
seriously, though - my world has been rocked by this teaching, and i'm sure i'm not alone. husbands and wives are entering into new levels of faith and watchfulness and creativity because of what god's spirit has chosen to do through last weekend, and it really is an amazing thing to see. let's all be in prayer for the continued sensitivity to the holy spirit that is required of each of us - it'd be a terrible this to miss out on!
ok - so this week, i predict, will be nowhere near as world-rocking as last week but will certainly take us further and deeper into our new understanding of finance and god's economy. we'll be speaking about the old testament notion of jubilee and the way that - in contrast to tithin - jesus and the disciples most certainly did carry over the spirit of jubilee into the early church.
with this in mind
#1 how well did i do in justifying why we can accept the spirit of jubilee within christianity but not the law of tithing? what is the difference between the spirit and the law? what is the difference between tithing as a part of that old system and jubilee as a part of that old system?
#2 what was the spirit of jubilee? what were some of the values/hopes/ideals that resonated with you as we talked about its application today? what might some of our "first steps" be in owning a personal spirit of jubilee?
#3 what does it do to your perception of jesus to see him advocating jubilee without advocating tithing? what does that say about his character and nature? the character and nature of god? if you were to be honest, would you say your version of jesus is more like the jubilee jesus or the tithing jesus? i'm being a little vague here on purpose, because i want to see what you come up with.
alright - i think this whole series has the potential to revolutionize our church, so give this your whole heart, soul, and strength!
i've received more emails, phone calls, personal notes, private messages, and been caught up in more conversation than regarding any message i've taught ever.
if only salvation were so meaningful :)
seriously, though - my world has been rocked by this teaching, and i'm sure i'm not alone. husbands and wives are entering into new levels of faith and watchfulness and creativity because of what god's spirit has chosen to do through last weekend, and it really is an amazing thing to see. let's all be in prayer for the continued sensitivity to the holy spirit that is required of each of us - it'd be a terrible this to miss out on!
ok - so this week, i predict, will be nowhere near as world-rocking as last week but will certainly take us further and deeper into our new understanding of finance and god's economy. we'll be speaking about the old testament notion of jubilee and the way that - in contrast to tithin - jesus and the disciples most certainly did carry over the spirit of jubilee into the early church.
with this in mind
#1 how well did i do in justifying why we can accept the spirit of jubilee within christianity but not the law of tithing? what is the difference between the spirit and the law? what is the difference between tithing as a part of that old system and jubilee as a part of that old system?
#2 what was the spirit of jubilee? what were some of the values/hopes/ideals that resonated with you as we talked about its application today? what might some of our "first steps" be in owning a personal spirit of jubilee?
#3 what does it do to your perception of jesus to see him advocating jubilee without advocating tithing? what does that say about his character and nature? the character and nature of god? if you were to be honest, would you say your version of jesus is more like the jubilee jesus or the tithing jesus? i'm being a little vague here on purpose, because i want to see what you come up with.
alright - i think this whole series has the potential to revolutionize our church, so give this your whole heart, soul, and strength!
posted by david mcdonald at 12:10 PM
3 Comments:
Do I have to be first? Well, if I don't do it now I may forget (like the last few weeks. For shame.) So, here goes . . .
#1 Re. the spirit of jubliee w/in Christianity v. the law of tithing--I think you made a clear distinction with your tithing/polygamy/slavery are biblical but not Christian explanation. I'd never heard anyone put it quite that way before. It's easy to take for granted that if it's in the bible, then it's Christian, but there are plenty of examples in which that just ain't the case and you made that plain.
Re. the difference between the spirit and the law. Golly, I'm studying Romans right now, so I could back up the truck and unload right now, but I'll refrain. Let me just say this--I think the result of following the law alone results in a superficial, constrained kind of obedience leaving us feeling like we've done enough to earn the gold star, but a bit shallow. As Jesus was quick to point out, living by the spirit doesn't let us off the obedience hook. On the contrary, the spirit compells us to go beyond the law to give more thoughtfully and generously.
#2 To me, the spirit of jubliee is about leveling the playing field. It reminds us of our place before God. I came into this world buck naked and bare handed. Even if I have lots of "stuff" now, I have to remember that my material possessions are intended as tools or a means to an end--some to sustain life, some for pleasure, some to make life better for somebody else. I can't take on a "God must like me better 'cause I got more stuff than you" attitude. I think God expects me to appreciate the gifts He gives me, but I also must be willing to hand them over at any time. Jubliee makes me want to live with an open hand and an eye for justice.
#3 Just the word "jubliee" makes me think of words like celebrate! Wahoo! (Translated from the Hebrew, meaning, "Yippie!") And so, I'm much more likely to see Jesus as a Jubliee kinda guy than a tithing Jesus. This series has got me thinking about the time a couple of years ago when my family and I were "between churches". We've always been your faithful, traditional tithers. And when we didn't have a home church, we still wanted to give--to something somewhere. That had to be one of the most fun times for us re. our finances. It was a hoot to decide who we'd bless when it was time to cut a check. I remember being able to visit a dear friend who was starting a church and seeing his face when I handed him a check. I think I was even more excited about it than he was (and trust me, he was plenty happy). I felt like, you should excuse the expression, Santa Claus! It really felt like jubliee. Wahoo! God's giving me a treat. He made sure I'd have enough money to give away. This is a blast! Now that we are happily part of the WW community, we've gone back to our traditional way of giving. I'm still glad to do it, but it feels more like a spiritual discipline or act of obedience than a "wahoo!" experience. I have a feeling my creative, extravagant, generous God would like to see me be more like Juliee Jesus on that account (no pun intended), and I'm not quite sure how to reconcile the two just yet.
1) Jesus did considerable teaching on money. He certainly wants us to consider our love for each other. Our mutual blessings by glorifying the Father, thru giving gladly / freely to the church, which in turn can trigger intercessory prayer and praise(2 Cor). Jubilee as part of the law vs, spirit. So, the law part never quite worked. I am grabbed by the Spirit part, following Pentecost and noted in Acts in week 1. An awesome scene. everyone pooling their resources, everyone provided for. The spirit of compassion at the heart of giving.
2) Across the board forgiveness of debts and trespasses now. Today. And Tomorrow For me, Jesus informing me to think differently about money. Haven't quite got my mind around it, but I am mindful of His request.
3)Jubilee Jesus of course. Your words put it into sharper focus. We can never give as much as our Savior gave. Yet, I wrestle with how much to give and where - in my ministry, my community, my family and my church. It reveals to me a sense that I need to do more - and I honestly struggle with that.
hello? anyone out there? looks like thanksgiving has - understandably - put a crimp into our conversation.
nonetheless - thanks len and vicky for your remarks - we'll continue with our last week of this cohort.
thanks again!
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