The Great Divorce

Yes, I borrowed the title from C. S. Lewis, and no this does not have anything to do with his book. Shortly after reading my last blog on Holy Tradition, I “skyped” with my parents about some of my observations. Mom was a little perturbed that we did not have many family traditions (perhaps more so that I had confessed this publically) and so we began to discuss why this lack of tradition existed. After about twenty minutes of conversation, mom blurted out, “It’s because we all came from broken homes, split by divorce.” That gave me pause and I thought long about it and its application to my analogy to Church tradition.

It is true. Divorce breaks tradition. It was true in the Great Schism at the turn of the last millennium when the East split fellowship with the West. It was true of the Reformation when the Protestants broke fellowship with the Catholics. It is true of family tradition and the home. It seems the more the Church splinters and fractures, the more tradition is lost over time. Having suffered through a divorce last year myself (yes, it’s taken me this long to actually admit and talk about it), I am more than familiar with the dynamics of this fragmentation. 

I strived to maintain what semblance of family I could despite the change. Family counseling emphasized the importance of offering security to the children with comments such as, “We are still a family; we just look different now.” I think that was sound advice which helped me to overcome some of the humiliation and disappointment I felt. The natural tendency in a divorce is to eliminate all symbols of prior unity as they can invoke painful memories or to complicate matters by blaming each other for poor decision making. The blame game tears away at the security of the children and forces them to choose sides and allegiances. 

The Church has been guilty of the same predilections. Certain traditions remind us of abuse, conflict or infidelity and we push against the tradition instead of the infraction. It is understandable. But is it productive or healthy? Traditions provide purpose and continuity which in turn offers a sense of belonging and security to those who take part. 

In my last blog, I identified a particular Thanksgiving that made me feel security and belonging more than any other. In thinking more about that day I recalled several – shall we say unorthodox – details. We were with my father’s family. Both his mother and father had been divorced since my dad’s early childhood. I knew my grandmother and her husband well. I had met my grandfather and his wife on several occasions. I had never seen them in the same place. But what made this Thanksgiving so memorable was the fact that for some odd reason we were all together.  I knew there was tension. I could feel it even at the young impressionable age of eight. The tension was a result of old wounds long buried. What made it bearable was the fact that we were there for a common purpose. We all contributed in some manner to the identity that was our family.  

  

I am halfway through my degree program at Denver Seminary. I have never seen such diversity in beliefs and practices as I do in this place. Yet, in spite of our differences we learn to love one another, often forced to reconcile and work out our differences in an attitude of tolerance. But the one thing that surpasses all our differences is the fact that we are all present in One Name, being like-minded, and desiring to serve the Church and God’s people. The common purpose of this spiritual family to foster identity to our fellow believers in the body of Christ forces us to set aside our differences and celebrate traditions together.

There may be “irreconcilable differences” and relationships may be “irretrievably broken,” but the commonality of purpose to serve our God and His children bonds us together in a manner that can never be severed. Certain traditions may create tension or be uncomfortable, yet the attempt at unity serves the members in a way we may not be able to understand. As much as we hate to admit it, the disjunction of our brokenness is a cause of grief to the Holy Spirit who strives to bring us together in unity.

I observed my grandmother and grandfather as they tolerated one another that Thanksgiving twenty something years ago and I have cherished that day because they both sacrificed their pride and pain for a greater good. As I move forward with my life and attempt to provide stability and love to my children, I am convicted to sacrifice elements of my own pride and pain in order to meet their emotional needs and foster their identity in this family – no matter how broken it may be.  I exhort the Church to do the same. There is much pain we have caused one another through our errors and fallen natures, but we are admonished in Scripture to strive for unity in light of diversity.  

  

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:1-6

Holy Tradition

Wherefore I write boldly to your love, which is worthy of God, and exhort you to have but one faith, and one preaching, and one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ; and His blood which was shed for us is one; one loaf also is broken to all, and one cup is distributed among them all; there is but one altar for the whole Church, and one bishop, with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants. Since, also, there is but one unbegotten Being, God, even the Father; and one only-begotten Son, God, the Word and man; and one Comforter, the Spirit of truth; and also one preaching, and one faith, and one baptism; and one Church which the holy apostles established from one end of the earth to the other by the blood of Christ, and by their own sweat and toil; it behooves you also, therefore, as “a peculiar people, and a holy nation,” to perform all things with harmony in Christ.

St Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Philadelphians, 4.1

                

 I saw Ignatius today. That is what I considered titling this blog when I wrote my first draft. Another option that occurred to me was, “How a Pentecostal girl turns Anglican.” Under the circumstances I figured that would draw more negative attention than convey the true essence of which I intended to write.  

Thanksgiving approaches, and with it an entire season of celebration and the implementation of tradition. The concept of tradition carries a variety of connotations and emotions for people. I realized several years ago that I had few traditions with which to mark events in my life. This Thanksgiving I am reminded once more of the reality of this tendency. It is certainly not for lack of want. It is simply the byproduct of a mobile lifestyle. Growing up in a foreign culture on the mission field was not conducive to the installation of tradition. In fact, I recall rarely making a big deal of Thanksgiving since it was not a Brazilian holiday. We commemorated the occasion amongst our small community of fellow missionaries, but the season was not surrounded by the corporal atmosphere of nationalistic pride which characterizes its celebration in the United States.

                

 Each year I listen to friends describe their plans and hopes for the holiday season, always including some form of tradition. “We all get together and play football” or “We eat this food” and “We meet at this place.” I recall at one point having family traditions. One year we came home to California on furlough and spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. I loved every minute of it. We gorged on a magnificent spread of food, ate more pumpkin pie than I care to admit, watched football, and my favorite – cribbage tournaments. I can still hear the rhythm of the count, 15-2, 15-4, a pair for 6 and nobs is 7! Everyone was involved; card tables abounded. The echoes of many of those voices have faded away. Grandparents have passed on, aunts and uncles drifted apart; cousins and siblings carry on their own lives and travel different paths. I long for the connection of tradition and the foundation and stability it profers, the esoteric link to the past and the lineage of generations. Certainly I do not loathe the familial solitude of my upbringing, but now as an adult, I recognize the validity and importance of tradition.

                

 I believe the same can be said of the Holy Traditions of the Church. Tradition offers to us a unique understanding of our heritage in the Church and an inseverable link to centuries of existence. I grew up Pentecostal, Foursquare to be exact. We did not profess much tradition in the form of liturgy or prayer. We were a young denomination, comparatively speaking. Founded in the 1920’s by Aimee Semple McPherson, we were considered new and fresh – a Holy Spirit breathed movement of the 20^th century. We were one of many such denominations emerging during that era. We, along with many of our sister movements, brought a refreshing breeze to Christendom and to the Church. We were instruments of infusing power to a developing core. But as is the nature of many new traditions, we did not receive the acceptance of our family, nor did we strive to maintain ties to the established traditions that would foster the longevity of a 2000 year old influence in the world. Over time, we drifted apart.

                 

This last year I have been exploring the Anglican Church. At first I kept my distance, observing her movements and patterns from afar. As time progressed and I slowly grew enamored with her mind and mannerisms, I felt comfortable getting closer. Many stereotypes dissolved in the wake of my exploration. Such notions as, liturgy is dead, the Spirit cannot move in this format, there is no sincerity in prayer, and the like plagued my uninformed perception of this tradition. What I witnessed left me truly astounded. There is charisma, and not just the docile, pleasant sort. There are prophecies. There are tongues and interpretations. There are words of wisdom and knowledge. There is faithfulness of the brethren, the miraculous, and healing – so much healing; and not just the physical kind. There is healing of minds and souls alike. I am amazed at the connection between my formative expressions of faith and those of this much older tradition, and I am fulfilled.

                

Sometimes I feel that my affinity for holistic thought is a curse. Some may not think it quite a curse, but it is indeed a curse when you posses an inclination to step back and see the interconnectivity in the body of Christ and the deep, profound impact the various expressions and tasks of the members perform for one another, all the while hostile and ignorant of each other’s similarity and unity. I see the Anglican tradition and her connectivity to the past, through liturgy, prayer, and longevity as the heart of Christendom. Yet what is the heart, without the lungs that give it renewed life? I see the Holiness and Pentecostal movements of the last two centuries as being the lungs of the body. We are so interdependent, yet strive for independence as we neglect the function we serve for one another. 

As I gaze at the development of the Church over the centuries I cannot help but see a correlation derived from the development of human life. We begin so small, so seemingly insignificant, fighting for life, and cleaving to the womb for sustenance. The explosive nature of the early Church which defied all logic closely parallels the rapid cell division following conception. After this the brain and nervous system begin the journey to maturation. We see this process in the early and middle ages as philosophers and theologians flexed their intellectual capabilities in support of the life of the Church. The last phase in the development of fetal growth is that of the lungs as they prepare for aspiration. And aspire, we did. But as with all first aspirations of life, there was fear and initial outcry as we fought to explore this renewed air we did not understand. As we have moved through the course of the last century, we have adapted well to that air which we breathe – the very Holy Spirit and the gifts He imparts to us.

In writing this, I do not mean to discount other sects of the Christian faith. I only focus on these two as a means to depict their interworking effects on one another in the body. I am excited for the implications of this new phase of life in the Church. However, we must be cautious not to forget the road we have traveled and the men and women who have contributed to our development in the installation of these Holy Traditions we still possess today. Just as our holiday traditions give us stability and connectivity to past generations, so also does Holy Tradition provide the same in our family of believers. Often we do not even realize the absence of this connection until we are exposed to it or see it in the lives of others. I have experienced the artistry of tradition and relish its presence in my spiritual walk and the unity it forges with generations passed.  The Eastern Orthodox Church has a beautiful articulation of the dimensions of time through which we transcend in tradition.

“It is an act that appears to be within time (and surely is so in the normal sense of the word) but is more truly an experience that has moved the believers outside time, into the continuous present, that dominion over time which the Lord’s presidency over his church’s worship effects and constitutes within history; thereby transcending it. To this extent, the generation of present believers is one with the generation of first believers. As we celebrate [Holy Traditions] in the 21^st century of the world’s history, a door opens, in an upper room in an inn within a village called Emmaus…When the faithful receive the mysteries, they have entered beyond time and space into a communion with the Lord of history, one which is the prelude and prefigurement of their future union in Paradise.” [1]   

                 

As we enter this season that abounds with tradition – the type of tradition that sets us apart, instills deep roots and foundational truths concerning our identity – may we also cherish deeply the Holy Traditions of the Church that unite us throughout the ages into one body. Through the expression of tradition may we transcend time to stand alongside our fathers in the faith, forever linked in the Spirit at the foot of the cross.  Today I saw Ignatius, Theresa, Augustine, Gregory and a multitude of others who stood in God’s presence uttering similar sentiments in prayer:

           Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, even as thou and he are one; Grant that thy Church, being bound together in love and obedience to thee, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in him whom thou didst send, the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.[2]

           O Almighty God, who by the Holy Spirit hast made us one with thy saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our earthly pilgrimage we may ever be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and may know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to thy power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whom all our intercessions are acceptable through the Spirit, and who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.[3]

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[1] John Anthony McGuckin, The Orthodox Church, (Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd, 2008).

[2] The Book of Common Prayer (New York: Seabury Press, 1979), 204.

[3] Ibid., 199.

Summer Update

This morning I logged into FB to be greeted by a reminder of what I posted on this day in 2010. My status update was, “Orientation Day at Denver Seminary! Here we go!” I must say with complete satisfaction that I have finished my first year at Denver Seminary and survived.  It was a difficult year; not academically, but personally. Of course the personal trials affected my academics, but I managed to stay afloat.  I suffered through the loss of several relationships due to death, distance, deployment, and the like. These losses however, were not wasted. 

I have long lacked the ability to process grief well, often opting for busyness or distraction over the discomfort of acknowledgment. This year was different. I have many close friends, family and mentors that helped me to process the disappointment and failures, mourning them while maintaining forward movement. I was shocked by the paralyzing effects of grief and greatly appreciative of the people in my life that demanded growth despite pain. The majority of disruption occurred shortly after the New Year. I spent my Lent season enmeshed in the book of Lamentations and remorsefully laid to rest, my sadness. My goal was to end this time of retrospection, and begin to move forward once more by Easter as a symbol of new beginnings. I made the transition somewhat awkwardly, but efficiently. The most difficult part was cultivating healthy characteristics of introversion. I am naturally an extrovert and gravitate to projecting and processing my emotions with others. This time I needed to take responsibility for my thoughts and feelings and process them for myself, albeit with guidance from trusted individuals close to me.

It is amazing the difference in the level of stress and anger when pain is processed well.  The healing offered through the disciplines of stillness and silence led me to a greater understanding of the character of Christ as he frequently withdrew to be alone. I am convinced that his actions during these moments were due to the weight of grief that accompanies a fallen world. The comfort of the Spirit and mentorship of the Father were instrumental in his ability to confront the pain of this world. This has led me to a greater appreciation for the people God has placed in my life to offer comfort and mentoring as instruments of His grace. Lord knows, I am undeserving of such affection, and yet He freely gives it. The thought of that alone overwhelms me with gratitude.

By summer I was recovering well and taking steps to create additional networks and friends. This was greatly enriching in that I was able to not only receive healing, but also to minister out of my pain and experience. That aspect is truly redemptive of many misfortunes we may suffer in life. I am beginning to grasp God’s purposes accomplished through suffering and the path that is traveled from brokenness to wholeness. My course work for the summer entailed two Old Testament classes that spoke often of suffering and God’s intervention and redemption to repentant hearts. And so my summer was consumed with acknowledging and taking ownership of my failures and mistakes in life, repenting of them, and allowing God the pleasure of molding these circumstances for His purpose. Of course, He was already working these things out for His purposes so it was more a matter of perspective and submission on my part to His plan.

As my summer comes to a close I am pleased with what God has accomplished in my character over the course of the last year. My goal for this fall is to make some of the necessary transitions into increased responsibility for decision making in the areas of finance, occupation, and relationships. I am working through Townsend and Cloud’s Safe People to both become a safer person and invest in friendships with safe people.

The summer was not all hardship and heaviness. The children and I had a lot of fun taking advantage of the outdoors and staying active. Naomi has turned into quite the cyclist and is a great pace setter for my runs. Declan enjoys the rides in his stroller and gives me quite the workout, especially when we hit hills. They are quite the training team and have contributed greatly to my 5K race times this year. I am hoping to increase the physical challenge a bit this next year. I have a half marathon planned for January and am looking into starting some aquathlons. I love swimming and running, but am not a huge fan of cycling or else I would contemplate triathlons. (I have had a slight aversion to anything with two wheels after a motorcycle mishap 11 years ago. I’ll ride with Naomi and Declan at their pace, but that’s about it. Maybe I’ll work on that fear next year.)   

I tried to work on a few decorating projects over the summer. I redecorated my entire bedroom and turned it into something of a reading conclave. It is a peaceful retreat where I look forward to comfortably reading more. I updated Naomi’s room with a few girly odds and ends, throw rugs, pillows, and pictures. Now that Declan has shown interest in themes I have updated his room to reflect his interests – Toy Story and a little bit of Cars. The next project on my list is remodeling the master bath – a daunting task. Some builder decided it was a bright idea to put carpet in the bathroom. Ugh! I have hated it for the last 7 years and am finally making plans to do something about it. After that I will tackle the front and back yard landscaping. I am definitely going to need help on that, since I have absolutely NO green thumb whatsoever.

Bedroom Project

My Reading Nook

A Trip to IKEA

My Little Library

Wall Art by Me (Clearly a novice)

I am very excited about my course load this upcoming semester.  After fifteen years of wanting to learn Hebrew (ever since my trip to Israel), I am finally getting to do so. I had selected Hebrew as my desired language upon entering the Air Force, but they rarely assign you accordingly. I was assigned Russian while a friend of mine received Hebrew. She was greatly disappointed after finding out so I had offered at the time to trade with her (the AF allows this), but alas, after seeing my enthusiasm she decided to keep it.  It has all worked out for the better. Now I will get to learn it anyway and have Russian to boot! I am looking forward to my Theology course. I spent last year knocking out the basic requirements of my degree program in Theology, but did not actually get to take a Theology class. I am also looking forward to a course in Teaching and Education since this is likely the path I will take when my degree program is complete. I can articulate my ideas well enough in writing, but when it comes to vocalizing a defense I am somewhat timid. I am looking forward to some increased confidence in this area, but am trying not to set my expectations too high. My remaining course is an exegesis of Romans. Fortunately I spent the summer already translating Romans so have a slight jump on the course and can focus more on the theological aspects of the book.

First Day of 3rd Grade

Naomi started third grade last week and absolutely loves it! I recall third grade being my favorite year as well. I really developed a love of math that year and Naomi has expressed similar affinities. She continues to love art and I try to encourage her to pursue that. She likes basketball and is getting pretty good at making shots. This year she also decided she wanted to try horseback riding so I am looking into that possibility. Naomi turns 9 in March, which is the recommended age for beginner snowboarders, so we will definitely be carving out some time to hit the slopes and get her going on that. She has great muscle definition and I am foreseeing will pick it up quickly and be a natural!   

What a Character!

Declan loves, loves, loves singing and is starting to talk/sing nonstop. I don’t know when he finds time to breathe. I enjoy our little conversations and listening to his paragraphs of gibberish that are slowly beginning to take on some form of coherency.  He loves his daycare/school and teachers. They are a great group of caretakers/educators and communicate very well with all the parents about the children’s developments and challenges. Declan is an avid climber and will climb on any and everything in sight. This of course means lots of tumbles and bruises – all part of being an adventurous little boy. I have stopped fretting over every fall and have embraced the fact that trips to Urgent Care are inevitable. At least we’re not on a first name basis.

I had hoped to include some positive news on the job front in this blog, but unfortunately that will need to wait for the next update. I am currently awaiting news on a contract bid I placed for a position as a Religious Education Coordinator for the Air Force. The contract has not yet been awarded and should be decided any day now. I try not to think about it too much or my stomach starts to tie up in knots. I continue to write in my spare time and published my first article titled “The Missions’ Apprentice” for Christ for the Nations’ (Dallas, TX) magazine. It was exciting to see my words in print and I look forward to future opportunities in publishing my work.  School tends to absorb most of my writing effort and so I frequently update my blog with some of my papers. I have joined several theology networks and look forward to participating more actively with them as I write more in this area for school.

Well, that’s about it for news right now. I appreciate your prayers as I face many new challenges this year. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

Blessings,

Debbie

Purification After Childbirth

http://photobylisa.zenfolio.com/

Purification after childbirth is a levitical matter that has posed many problems for commentators and biblical scholars throughout the centuries. One can definitely see how social influences and limited knowledge has played a role in interpreting God’s intent for the parturient. While it is important to understand the context under which all generations have interpreted this function it is also vital that modern medicine and scientific advances not be disregarded as aids to interpretation. Due to the difficulty of accumulating data as it pertains to pregnancy and childbirth because of legal statutes that protect the sanctity of life, advances in this area are slow in development and as of yet not reflected in most Bible commentaries.

The looming issue, to which most commentators address first, is that of compatibility between the commands of Genesis 1:28 “to be fruitful and multiply” and the surrounding implications of uncleanliness associated with this function in Leviticus 12:1-8. As Lloyd Bailey notes, “unfitness for worship that results from the natural processes of childbirth and menstruation seems hardly fair!”[1] Bailey is quite correct if an understanding of the passage lies in the functions of reproduction alone. 

   

At the time of the giving of the Law to the people of Israel, surrounding cultural context dictated much of the people’s interpretation. The creation of sexually polar spheres was characteristic of surrounding cultures of that day.[2] The men dealt with hunting and war while women dealt with birth. In these two areas alone there are similarities in the laws that governed these spheres. Numbers 31:19 outlines specific restrictions for men returning from battle so as to draw a clear boundary between the rigors of war and death and the everyday life of the people. Likewise, women combating the pain and toil of childbirth were also separated from society. In light of more recent developments in the studies of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and postpartum depression we can understand the need for recovery, reorientation and reintegration following these tasks. Outside of cultural norms and within the realm of theology we must also view the Law as mandates of God for the protection and in the best interests of His chosen people.

             

A second assumption given leeway to in light of surrounding cultures was that of demonic activity associated with the parturient and menstruant. Allen Ross combats this notion in his work on holiness and suggests that “the flow of blood did not imply demonic activity to the Israelite; it was a sign of possible death. Any loss of vaginal blood (or seed) meant a diminution of life. It was therefore incompatible with God, the source of life.”[3] Both parturition and menstruation can thus be seen in this light as indicators of death. While the child itself is a symbol and incarnation of joy and life, menstruation is a sign that no life is present in the body of a woman and the elements (placenta and lochia) of parturition mark the end of sustainment by the womb of woman. In the matter of menstruation, primate females differ from the majority of the animal kingdom in that the endometrial lining is not reabsorbed to replenish the following estrous cycle thereby marking the end or death of conceptual opportunity for the current cycle.[4] In like manner the bodily seminal secretions of men constitute uncleanliness as they are also evidence of unfulfilled life and therefore incompatible with the source of all life.

            

 Early Church views of sexual activity heavily impacted interpretation of levitical law pertaining to parturition, but later on proved to be helpful in countering heretical concepts such as Mary’s “immaculate conception.” Origen associated sin therein with conception and birth itself while Augustine attached transmission of sin to the sexual act, which he stated, took place only outside of Eden. Catholic tradition, understanding well the implications of the blood and placenta, removed such presence from their birth accounts. Protestants later countered this notion with Mary’s observance of ritual cleansing sacrifices as evidence of a normal birth. However, this also absolves any accountability of sacrifice to the sin nature of the child birthed since Mary observed this ritual in spite of Jesus sinless nature.[5]

           

The association with a child’s sin nature was long the supposition associated with the sacrificial requirements following parturition. Some have suggested that iniquity was imputed on the woman for bringing a sinner into the world. Calvin believed that the existence of a depraved offspring in the womb created uncleanliness. This becomes illogical in light of similar sacrificial demands on the menstruant where a child is not present. This also poses a problem in light of the fact that Mary presented the same offering after giving birth to the sinless Son of God. Andrew Bonar suggests that the offering is for the cleansing of the woman’s sins.[6] This presents difficulty since no act leading up to parturition involves a sin. The order of offerings in Leviticus 12 also suggests that personal sin of the mother is not the issue.[7] The best and most logical understanding of the postpartum sacrifice is then in direct relation to the loss of blood and life-sustaining elements of the placenta rendering the woman “unholy” and therefore incompatible during the length of her courses with the source of all life.

            

 Reprieve for the parturient has traditionally been interpreted patristically as a means for a man to avoid infection himself, but is refuted by modern medicine and the exact requirements in present day practice to postpartum procedures in order to prevent any damage to the mother’s reproductive system. The concern for abstinence for six weeks following childbirth is a safeguard for healing and restoration in the body of the mother. Sexual activity will potentially exacerbate any internal bleeding resulting in infection and possible death to the woman while posing no threat to the man. Such interpretation may also reflect some of the surrounding cultural superstitions associated with the fear of a bleeding woman and the concept of fluctuating power that accompanied menstrual and parturient bleeding. A better understanding of this practice however, is as a protection for women against male whims and impulses that would harm her body in its vulnerable and impaired state.[8]   

             

The most puzzling aspect of all, which has long baffled commentators, involves the contents of Leviticus 12:5, and the demands for an additional time of separation following the birth of a female child. Bonar assumed the additional time was associated with the impurity of woman overall or a possible sanctifying element that accompanied the circumcision of a male child.[9] This of course, seems absurd in light of the fact that there is no additional sacrificial offering required for females over males and suggests that there is no difference in value based on the gender of the child. Additionally, the sacrifice and any obligatory and purifying elements are referred to in regards to the mother. It is difficult to say with all certainty why God designed postpartum rest in this fashion, but I believe science and medicine may eventually offer the answer to this confounding question.  

Application

           

In a recent paper published by Oxford University Press, the theory was presented, tested, and published that maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin        (MSHCG) is higher in women carrying a female fetus than in those carrying a male fetus. Male and female gonads differentially regulate placental gonadotrophin production and levels change in specific relation to the development of the fetal pituitary-gonadal system. The gender-related differences should therefore be attributed to differential expression of placental proteins by female compared to male fetuses.[10] Some women carrying female fetuses rendered hCG results almost twice that of women carrying male fetuses.

             

The implications of this discovery bear testimony to the level of stress and hormonal fluctuations a woman’s body undergoes and the greater taxation of these efforts in forming a female child. As such it seems logical that a longer period of rest would be necessary before a woman’s hormonal production returned to a healthy, whole and normal state. The presence of hCG in the mother’s body remains at an elevated level for at least six weeks after giving birth. Since the definition of a disease is that which creates an abnormal state or impairs wholeness, the production of hCG in a woman’s body, one of the key indicators of pregnancy and this abnormal state, would fall under the category of a disease.

            

 This accommodates for the double portion of time allotted to the overall period for purification of eighty days to be observed by the mother of a female infant, but there is still the matter of the initial two weeks of separation in contrast to the one week allowed for a male child. During gestation the female fetus’ reproductive system has absorbed the pregnancy hormones of the mother and the female fetus responds to the hCG hormones by retaining an endometrial lining. Upon birth the female infant menstruates for one week where the endometrial lining sustained by the pregnancy hormones is shed in the absence of the mother’s hormones. Since the time of separation for a menstruant is two weeks this would explain the two weeks of separation before the female infant can join society whereas the male child joined society upon his initiation into the covenant on the eighth day following circumcision.

            

 Many feminist considerations, while valiant in effort, pose a hindrance to women’s understandings and appreciations of their bodies and the functions of God’s design in them. Such attempts to absolve all differences between genders thus consternate some of the necessities of rest and healthy living. While man and woman were created equal and are viewed spiritually as equal in the eyes of God, our physiological differences possess purpose and cannot be ignored. What I may learn from this passage in Leviticus 12 is, first and foremost, that God had and always will have my best interests as a woman at heart. Secondly, I may know that my body physically and hormonally grieves all loss of life and I must validate that reality. Thirdly, I must not take offense to past interpretations no matter how harmful they may seem to me. The biblical scholar is dedicated to understanding the Scriptures in light of the information they have available at the time and one cannot fault the scholar for lack of scientific support. Ultimately, we are all products of the cultures and societies in which we are born.    

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[1] Lloyd R. Bailey, Leviticus (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1987). 74.

[2] Erhard S. Gerstenberger, Leviticus: a commentary (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996), 147.

[3] Allen P. Ross, Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 267.

[4] Strassmann, B. I., "The evolution of endometrial cycles and menstruation," The Quarterly Review of Biology 71, no 2 (June 1996): 181-220.

[5] Ephraim Radner, Leviticus (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2008). 120-134.

[6] Andrew A. Bonar, An Exposition of Leviticus (Grand Rapids, MI: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1971), 99.

[7] Mark F. Rooker, Leviticus (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2000), 184.

[8] Gerstenberger, Leviticus: a commentary, 152.

[9] Bonar, An Exposition of Leviticus, 99.

[10] Yuval Yaron, Ofer Lehavi, AVi Orr-Urtreger, Ilan Gull, Joseph B. Lessing, Ami Amit, “Maternal Serum HCG is higher in the presence of a female fetus as early as week 3 post-fertilization,” Oxford Journals 17, no. 2 (October, 2001): 485-89, http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/2/485.full (accessed June 20, 2011).

Creation in Salvation

This summer I have been taking two Old Testament courses at Denver Seminary. One of them is titled Early Israel and its Wisdom Literature. During one of the lectures on Genesis 1 and the creation of the world the ideas in this blog came to me as I listened to Dr. Hess. I attempted to research other perspectives similar to what I came up with but could not find anything although I am sure it exists somewhere. If through the course of reading this you identify similar ideas please feel free to point me in that direction so I may read what others write on the matter. With that being said, here are a few ideas I came across in the process of “working out my salvation with fear and trembling.”

Creation of the World

1.       Light from darkness – “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

2.       Division of waters – “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.”

3.       Land and water – “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear…Let the earth produce vegetation: seed bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.”

4.       Time / Sources of light – “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.”

5.       Movement in the waters below and above – “Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”

6.       Movement on dry land – “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds…Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

7.       Rest – God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.

Creation of the New Man

1.       Light from darkness / Righteousness from sin  – “Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35) “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)  

2.       Separating the waters / Recognizing Jesus – “He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, ‘Who can this be? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!’” (Luke 8:25) Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.’” (John 4:10) “Within these lay a large number of the sick – blind, lame, and paralyzed – waiting for the moving of the water…’Get up,’ Jesus told him, ‘pick up your mat and walk!’” (John 5:3-8) “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (John 7:37-38) “They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water by the word of God.” (2 Pet. 3:5) “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water as a gift to the thirsty from the spring of life.” (Rev. 21:6)

3.       Seed-bearing Fruit – “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11) “So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.” (Matt. 7:20) “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” (John 15:4-5) “You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.” (John 15:16) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23)

4.       Sources of light / Eternal life “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of Gods’ glory in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6) “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden…let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.“ (Matt 5:14) “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph 5:8) “For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.” (1 Thess. 5:5)

5.      Life in the Waters / Baptism – “Jesus answered, ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) “to make her (church) holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He (Jesus) did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.” (Eph 5:26-27) “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” (Heb 10:22)

6.       Infilling of the Holy Spirit / Movement based on the foundational truths of Scripture and creation of the new man “After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. And there came a voice from heaven: ‘This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!’” (Matt. 3:16-17)

7.       Rest / Inner peace, tranquility of the cross – “Therefore, while the promise to enter His rest remains, let us fear that none of you should miss it…Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.” (Heb. 4:1-11)

Why I am a Calvinist

                Humans did not choose to be created. God chose to create them in His image. If I apply this principle to the formation of the new man within me, then I must conclude that I had nothing to do with the selection to be a new man.  God chose me and drew me to Himself. He began the process of forming me into the image of His Son and breathed His life into me. I cannot resist His call on my life and His will to create a new man within me.

“There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” (Rom. 3:10-11) “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Eph 2:4-5)

Why I am an Arminian

                The point at which God breathed life into Adam and released him into the garden to be fruitful and multiply was the point at which Adam obtained his free will. Adam possessed free will once God gave him his existence and life. Jesus, the second Adam, possessed free will. One squandered it; the other harnessed it and submitted it to the will of the Father. The point at which mankind lost free will was at the Fall. I must assume then that upon the creation of this new man within me, I once again am free and reobtain free will. Until the moment that Christ frees me and God breathes His life into me, I do not have free will. Once I am a partaker of eternal life, I have free will. The responsibility of that knowledge is overwhelming in and of itself as I now have the ability to choose between right and wrong whereas before I could only choose what was wrong, but accompanied with the knowledge of my Helper, the Holy Spirit, it is fathomable and manageable.

“I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. Therefore if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” (John 8:34-36) Paul teaches in Romans 6 that we have died with Christ and that we now live with Christ. This being so, we have died to sin and its claims and in Christ sin and death no longer rule over us. But Paul goes on in verse 16 to say that we do still chose to become slaves of sin. This implies free will.

Living Calminian

                I am new at refining my theology, although I have been trying for a long time without knowing it. I cannot help myself. It is what I am wired to do. This does not mean I always get it right, but it does mean that my pursuit and heart are in the right place. Something seems amiss in my mind in regards to pure Calvinism, yet something rings true. The same applies to pure Arminianism. Until a few weeks ago I was not able to explain the relationship between the two and had heard quite often that they were irreconcilable. I cannot accept that. And so I arrive today at the juncture of grace and free will. First there is undeserved grace in my creation, and then there is absolute free will.  Before Christ I was formless and void. Now, I am a new man and I am beautifully and wonderfully formed in the image of Christ. I am free; a new creation. What remains to be answered is what shall I do with my freedom?

Time Will Tell

Finally! I finished up my spring semester at Denver Seminary last week and now I am, at last, writing the promised blog on Rob Bell’s visit to the school on April 8, 2011. This morning I reviewed my notes and again listened to my audio recording of the event. I ended up with four additional pages of notes, (oh joy!) but did you seriously expect any less from me? If you would like a bit of pretext before reading the following review you may read this blog and listen to the included audio of the event.  For a “brief” (ha-ha) overview of my take on Bell’s book, Love Wins, see my previous blog.

In Rob Bell’s opening statements he articulates his personal reasons for appearing at Denver Seminary.  Plainly speaking, Bell understands the power of presence and the impact and influence associated with physical presence. Physical presence is captivating and enthralling. The downfall of presence and a distortion of its true intent is manipulation. It is in light of these two polarities that I approach my analysis of Bell’s visit. 

Equality on the playing field is how I would describe the initial address to the students at Denver Seminary. We were reminded of our fallen human state and that misguided pursuits of dreams are but foolishness. Sometimes we enter into ministry out of desperate attempt to gain a sense of love and to satisfy an inner desire to be needed. The quick pace of Bell’s speech did not allow for introspective analysis of personal motive to enter into a discerning spirit as he spoke. I imagine I was not the only person in the room who felt as if my endeavor at seminary to become better equipped in the Word was being stripped and demeaned on the spot. But I need not concern myself with that, because God loves me and love wins. What a relief! Perhaps there are some, of which I am not one, who come to seminary with self-righteous motives. I have never carried any disillusions of my fallibility and incompetence. But the tone of address carried with it an accusatory note that I did not discern as conviction. Feeling somewhat disarmed however, I ignored the slight and attempted to focus on content. 

Dr. Wenig began the Q&A session with a reference to the methods and theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher, more prominently known as the “Father of Modern Liberal Theology.” Dr. Wenig asked Rob if he envisioned himself as a modern day Schleiermacher in his ministry to make the gospel more relevant to culture through the redefining of biblical terminology. Bell’s initial answer involved some interesting imagery. The question brought to his mind a wet piece of toast. I thought this odd since I have never had the privilege of eating a wet piece of toast. So what do I do? I went to the kitchen and made some toast. Then I soaked my piece of toast. The result was interesting. The crispy piece of bread did not simply lose its “oomph;” it cracked apart and essentially disintegrated in my hands. I guess the imagery was accurate because I believe this is exactly what happens to the substance of God’s Word when we attempt to redefine or infuse with meaning its original meaning and context. The realization and application of the gospel is a two way street. I begin in the present, where I am right now and I must travel to the gospel in its original context for realization of God’s Word. The journey to application describes the road back to the present with those realizations in hand. If I reverse the order my interpretation falls apart and disintegrates. Bell referenced Plantinga’s definition of sin as the “culpable disturbance of shalom” as a good example of the proper redefining of terms. But I would argue that the definition in and of itself means nothing if we do not firstly comprehend “shalom.” So my caution in this practice would be to make sure we do not use loaded terms in our definitions that have further potential to create distortion.  (Read here for a working definition of peace to better understand phrases such as “culpable disturbance of shalom.”)

The second question dealt with Bell’s chapter on Heaven. Dr. Wenig stated that according to Scripture on end-times judgment, it did not appear that love wins. The question posed was whether or not he accurately understood Bell’s meaning of love in this context. Bell placed God’s desire to set all things right at the forefront of his answer. I find this aligns with Scripture and in particular with Jesus’ practice of restoration during his ministry here on earth. So what do we do with justice? This is of course one of those terms that may need a little philosophical pondering. Bell described the relationship between justice and mercy, likewise in his book (pg 39), as a type of tension filled dance. I concur with this analysis from a fallen perspective, but God in and of Himself is not characterized by tension. Tension is a characteristic of the encounter between good and evil. So to understand justice and mercy as they pertain to the character of God we must approach the matter differently. 

 

When we dance with a partner (as would be the case between justice and mercy since they are two separate qualities), one person leads and one follows. The roles are equal in importance but different in function. In the dance between justice and mercy, justice leads and mercy follows. Without justice there can be no mercy. Think of a typical court case. There is justice, which usually entails a verdict and sentence. Only after this is there any exercise of mercy. So yes there is a dance between justice and mercy, but it is not an interpretive nonsensical display; it is orderly and precise. I think our misinterpretation of justice is that it involves the execution of a sentence devoid of mercy and this may be where Bell is headed but perhaps not able to articulate. Judgment means that the sentence for wrongdoing is set in place and into effect. Mercy means the removal of consequence through saving grace. The wage, consequence, and just result of my sin is death. But the merciful gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). Here is our dance and the circumstances that surround it – Jesus Christ - who both metes out justice and subsequently offers mercy and grace to those who believe in Him. There is no tension in this dance, but absolute order. 

Bell goes on to refer to the fires of judgment as refining in nature. I can accept this definition, but we must go further and understand what fire refines. As far as I could find in my research the only context for the refining properties of fire pertains to metal (gold, silver, bronze, steel, etc.). These metals are analogous for the properties of divine qualities in the Word of God. Ephesians 6:11-17 defines these qualities for us: truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, and the Word of God. The fires of refinement only purify these elements of faith and without them one will dissolve into ash. If we do not have Christ in us, there is nothing to refine. Bell’s reference to divine life, as a “pilot light,” is problematic in its theological implications and I will not delve into this diversion right now as I am unsure about his meaning.

The third question posed to Bell by Dr. Wenig dealt with Jesus’ use of the word aion in Matthew. Bell redefines this word in his book as a “coming age” or indicative of the “intensity of an experience” in somewhat of a “lost track of time” sense, not a forever sense. Dr. Wenig invoked the work of several biblical scholars to support the traditional understanding of the word and framed the question so as to understand how Bell arrived at his conclusion of the interpreted meaning. Bell’s answer simply reiterated what was stated in the book as to the definition but fell short of adequately explaining “due process.”

The final question addressed the matter of salvation, the unsaved, and the extension of God’s grace after death. If there is an opportunity to repent after death then what drives any sense of urgency for the present? Bell answered by explaining his intent to balance between the tensions of urgency and possibility in the book. Bell spoke of the two extremes in dealing with the matter as either laissez faire or “extra crispy – you’re done.” I think both of those approaches fail to comprehend the complexity of God or understand His provision of grace. What we can be absolutely sure of is that God is just and He will mete out justice to all of us. God’s provision of grace and mercy that follows the outpouring of His wrath in justice culminates at the foot of the cross.

Bell’s overall approach to the topic was interesting since it leaves one with the sense of suspension and perpetual presence. Here is a question that has not been fully or adequately answered for two thousand years to which he writes a book in address, full of more questioning and no resolution. I understand the desire to find resolution through open dialogue and the profession of this intent through literary expression, but I did not receive this impression from the live event. I question the spirit behind a pursuit that lauds and thrives amidst so much tension or as Bell phrased it “the friction of the tension is part of the joy.” When asked who he intended as a target audience, Bell could identify no one in particular, but concerned himself more with the intrigue offered in the question.  However as Scripture repeats over and over throughout the narrative, Jesus Christ is the mystery revealed in all its fullness. The distinguishing factor between heaven and hell, life and death, justice and mercy, is Jesus Christ. 

In closing, Bell makes a statement that “there is what you believe and then there is how you believe it, and you can believe the right thing wrongly.” This is definitely true, but so is the adverse. You can believe the wrong thing, rightly. It is not all about the “what” or the “how;” it is about the “what” AND the “how” and “what” is pivotal to our practice of “how”. I opened my analysis with a reference to the power of presence. Rob Bell brings forward a fascinating new spin on an age-old question. The question propels forward on the power of his presence. He is an excellent pastor and relational human being and it shows. We are faced with two options. Either it is time to address the question with all sincerity and perseverance and for this reason Bell is an instrument in the hands of God to bring the matter to our attention, or he is serving his own desire to impact our generation for his own purpose. One will ring eternal… as in forever, and the other will pass away with this age.  Only time will tell.