Thursday, March 2, 2006

Good Morning

 

Don't forget about the ASP lunch and dessert auction on this Sunday.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 4:6b-8; read pages 173 - 175 in Barclay; stop at "Symbolism of the Living Creatures"

 

-- I have a bit of problem with one thing Barclay has in this section.

 

-- in the first paragraph of this section, Barclay talks about how the creatures fit into the imagery of heaven that John had grown up hearing and understanding.  Essentially, he is saying that John, when writing Revelation, used imagery that he was familar with from his understanding and background. In the next paragraph, Barclay writes "How did John himself think of the symbolism of the four living creatures?"  In other words, how did he come up with that on his own?  My answer is that he didn't come up with any of this on his own, he is reporting what he actually saw, rather than making up a story using his own imagery.  Barclay, to me, implies that all of the writing from Revelation is more from the imagination of John than an actual eyewitness account.

 

-- to me, the reason John's descriptions of heaven and the creatures line up with other descriptions in the Old Testament is not because he knew about those writings, it's because both writers are describing the same real thing.  When a writer in a book today describes " a blood-red sunset", and that is the same language used by someone like John Grisham -- the writer didn't use that description because he was familar with John Grisham's work - he used it because that is his description of something that he had personally seen.

 

-- maybe I'm being too literal -- that would be a discussion point for Sunday -- based on what we've seen and read so far, do you think of what your reading as an eyewitness account -- that John was given this glimpse into heaven and into the future by God, and he simply wrote down what he saw, or did God give him a vision full of symbols that tell the story of the future, not through direct observation of the future events?

 

Today's Scripture (from the Ash Wednesday lectionary)

 

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.  I tell you the truth, they hae received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head ans wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen, and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

 

Matthew 6:16-18

 

Today's prayer requests:   Dr. Page

Dr. Page is Ron and Brads' finance teacher at Auburn, who has lymphoma, and is not doing well.  We need to remember him as he struggles with the disease and the treatment.

Today's class member prayer:

Andrew Peebles

Have a great day.

Jay