The Bible Premieres on the History Channel

When the History channel's miniseries The Bible aired its first episode on Sunday, March 3, it drew that network's biggest audience of the year -- some 13.1 million viewers. For perspective, this is roughly the same number of viewers as the Fox hit series American Idol received recently.
Created by Mark Burnett, who also produces reality shows including The Apprentice, The Voice and Shark Tank, The Bible series will air in five two-hour episodes, with the final one on Easter Sunday.
Burnett, an avowed Christian, and his wife, Roma Downey, star of the former TV series Touched by an Angel, shot The Bible in Morocco over six months.
"We believe our Bible series has the potential to reach not only those who already go to church but could reach a whole new generation of people who have never been to church," Burnett said in a YouTube video. "People that may never have read the Bible will get to see those Bible stories in this series."
In a webcast to pastors, Burnett explained that his success with the reality shows opened the door with "powers within Hollywood" to "make a faithful Bible miniseries."
In the same video, Downey said, "We've told the stories of the Bible in a way to grab viewers' attention and draw them in to want to know more."
While the miniseries has been praised by many viewers and some high-profile figures in the Christian world, including Rick Warren and Jim Wallis, some readers of the Bible have pointed out that in places, the Bible stories are conflated or miss an important point. At least one scholar, Joel Hoffman, argues in a Huff Post Religion blog that biblical stories intended as fiction and those intended as history are treated in the miniseries as the same, "thereby misrepresenting the nature of the Bible to its viewers." (Some other scholars would disagree with Hoffman's fiction/history split of the biblical material.)
Many viewers had a positive overall impression of the series. Jim Wallis, a Christian leader in the field of social change, also wrote in the Huff Post Religion blog, but he told of watching the first episode with his young sons, who were excited to see dramatizations of Bible stories they already knew and to learn ones they didn't know.
TWW team member Stan Purdum commented, "On balance, would I prefer that a TV network do a series on the Bible versus not mentioning the Bible? Yes! Frankly, I'm glad the Bible is getting the exposure, even if it's not perfectly done. The series may teach a little 'what's in the Bible' to some who would never read it, and that's a good thing."
TWW team member Frank Ramirez commented, "There was a time when believers and nonbelievers in America were familiar with the Bible, whether as literature or as the Word of God. Biblical stories and phrases were part of everyday currency. That cannot be said to be the case today. A television show may be one way to raise the level of biblical literacy."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Burnett's "Bible" Opens Big on Cable TV. News Max
The Bible. History Channel
"The Bible" Series: An Invitation to "Change the World." Huffington Post
God's Word, the Greatly Abridged Version. New York Times
The Bible Isn't the History You Think It Is. Huffington Post
The Big Questions
1. How important is knowing what's in the Bible to living a Christian life? Why? How important is it to know the whole Bible as opposed to "favorite" stories and passages? Why? Are some messages of the Bible more important than others? Which ones, and why?
2. Burnett states that it was his success with "general market" TV shows that paved the way for network executives to be open to his producing The Bible. Could that route be considered God's plan? Why or why not? Do you consider the making of this series a work of mission by Burnett and Downey? Why or why not?
3. To what degree is exposure to bits and pieces of the Bible preferable to no exposure at all? To what degree is exposure to Bible stories without someone to explain their application to one's spiritual life preferable to no exposure at all? Is the Bible a spiritual smorgasbord from which we can pick and choose what we wish to live by? Why or why not?
4. What things do you do to grow in biblical knowledge? The TV series emphasizes the stories in the Bible, but there are other types of literature in it as well, including worship and meditation (e.g., Psalms) and doctrine (e.g., the Pauline epistles). How important are these other literature type in the Bible, and why?
5. Is it possible that The Bible miniseries could have any negative effect on viewers? If so, in what way, and how should the church address that?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (For context, read 119:97-112.)
The psalmist uses many different Hebrew words in this portion of the psalm to indicate the guidance provided by God. We translate these words as "law," "testimony," "mandate," "rules" and others, and sometimes are content with the bare translation "word." Perhaps this indicates that "the whole counsel of God" is what provides light: not merely the laws ("Thou shalt!") but also the testimonies ("God did this!").
Questions: In what specific ways is the Bible a "lamp to your feet"? When has the Bible served as a light in a dark place? How were you able to better navigate through a crisis because of God's word? Were there occasions when it seemed as if this light either did not help or did not apply?
Nehemiah 8:1, 3
... all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. ... He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, ... and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. (For context, read 7:73b--8:12.)
The "people" in this scene are Jews living in Judah several years after the end of the Babylonian exile. They were descendants of those who had been in exile. We don't have a lot of information about what life in exile was like, but at least some students of the Bible contend that under the Babylonians, public worship of Israel's God and a practicing priesthood were not permitted. If that is so, then presumably the only religious instruction the people of Judah had was what they got from their parents or in "house churches." And of course, in those days, people didn't have Scripture scrolls in their homes. So the exile and post-exile generations probably had little knowledge of the Scriptures.
And so, for those standing in the rebuilt Jerusalem, the reading of "the law of Moses," which they had not heard before, was a call for them to adopt the Scriptures as their own. Nehemiah 8:1 indicates that the Lord had given the Scripture to Israel, the community in covenant with God. Thus, in effect, if the people standing now hearing them read wanted to be part of the covenant community, they had to place themselves under the Book of the covenant, and live by it.
The people of this new generation did just that. The words they heard first placed them under conviction, and they wept (8:9). Then, as they continued to hear the words, they began to rejoice (8:12). In those moments, the Scriptures, written during previous generations, became the word of God to them. It became the basis of their community's existence and the rule of their lives from that time forward. Their faith and practice were to be dominated by it.
Questions: In what ways have you put yourself "under" the Bible and made it your book? Do you tend to view scripture as a watchdog, a guardian, a book that scolds or condemns, a book that redeems and sets free? A combination of some or all of these? When have you felt particularly convicted by what you read or heard? When did you rejoice?
Romans 15:4
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. (For context, read 15:1-6.)
Paul here says that the Christian fellowship should be shaped by the study of Scripture, and from that study, we draw instruction, encouragement and hope.
Questions: How well do you have to know what's in the Bible to draw ongoing instruction, encouragement and hope from it? Why?
Romans 16:25-27
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith -- to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen. (No additional context needed.)
In this doxology at the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul mentions the "prophetic writings," by which he means the Old Testament (the New Testament hadn't been written yet). Note that he says that those Scriptures can disclose "the proclamation of Jesus Christ ... known to all the Gentiles."
Questions: Do you believe the Scriptures still have that kind of power? How are we to make the Scriptures known today to those not inclined to read them?
2 Peter 1:19
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (For context, read 1:16-21.)
Remember when the author of Psalm 119 called God's word "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"? Here Peter says something similar, referring to Scripture as "a lamp shining in a dark place," and he urges his audience to "be attentive" to it. The Greek translated here as "prophetic message" is literally "prophetic word."
Question: Assume you are talking to someone mostly unfamiliar with the contents of the Bible but who has just seen and liked The Bible miniseries. What might you say to that person to encourage him or her to continue learning by actually reading the Bible?
For Further Discussion
1. If you viewed any of the miniseries, what was your reaction? Do you feel the TV stories were faithful to the biblical account? Did you think any of the stories missed the point or glossed over elements of prime importance? What parts did you really like?
2. What role did the Bible play in your coming to faith to begin with? What role does it play in your ongoing Christian journey?
3. Respond to this, from a sermon by Ellsworth Kalas: "You see, the Bible comes to us out of human experience, and thus it speaks to experience. It is not a systematic theological document; far from it. It is ... a magnificent hodge-podge of experiences, and responses to experiences. And all of these experiences, of course, have to do with the ultimate experience of our human relationship to Almighty God. It may be the story of a brother killing his brother, or a woman seducing her father-in-law, but the stories will be to the same point, the human soul and its God. The lead character may be a king, a shepherd boy, a buffoon, a wise man, a harlot, a homemaker or a saint; but the point at issue for that lead character will always, eventually, be the matter of his relationship to the Lord of the universe. And in some strange and wonderful way, this potpourri all comes together in a remarkable unity."
4. While a television series on the Bible involves some measure of interpretation (one has to choose which stories to tell and what emphasis to place on them), doesn't even the act of reading involve interpretation? All interpretation involves some filters -- that is to say, our life experiences, our preferences, our faith background all influence the way we receive stories, whether we read them or they are interpreted for us from the pulpit or in Sunday school. What biblical filters are brought to the table in your TWW group? Talk about the way different members of the group receive and interpret Scripture.
5. For most of history, Bible reading was Bible listening (since many people could not read). Does a television program serve as a means of Bible listening? How is a program similar to or different than other familiar interpretative materials, such as hymns, stained glass windows, artwork, church plays, etc?
6. Comment on this: J.B. Phillips, a British scholar and Bible translator, once said that while paraphrasing some Old Testament books, it sometimes seemed to him as if he were working with bare wires without the electricity being turned off!
Responding to the News
This is a good time to review your own Bible-reading plan and decide how you are going to continue to learn what's in the Bible, and what version works best for you.

Closing Prayer
The ancient church has a specific prayer concerning the Scriptures, which may be a fitting closing to this lesson: "Blessed Lord, who has caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may therefore hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Your holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast to the blessed hope of everlasting life, which You have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, forever and ever."
For a shorter prayer, you may use: Thank you for all the ways you speak to us through your word, O Lord. Help us to be faithful and ongoing students of the Scriptures. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Sudden Sinkhole Swallows Sleeper

A week ago Thursday, the ground beneath the Seffner, Florida, bedroom where Jeff Bush, 37, was sleeping opened up and swallowed him. Despite a frantic rescue attempt by his brother, who was also in the house, he could not be reached. Authorities have since deemed the hole too unstable to attempt a recovery of his body, which is not visible in the chasm.
On Monday, following a brief ceremony, Bush's family placed a few mementos, notes and flowers in the bucket of a backhoe with an 80-foot arm, which then dropped them into the estimated 60-foot-deep hole. Workers then began filling the gaping hole with gravel. It is now considered the victim's grave.
The house in which Bush and other members of his family lived has been condemned and demolished due to the unstable ground beneath it. Two neighboring houses have also been vacated due to potential danger from sudden sinkholes.
Florida is one of several states prone to sinkholes due to limestone bedrock that can dissolve as acidic water leaches into the ground. Across the nation, thousands of sinkholes open each year, sometimes swallowing vehicles or buildings, though many of the holes develop over a few hours, giving people time to remove themselves from harm's way. There are only a few known incidents where people have died in sinkholes.
TWW team member and Florida resident James Berger comments that this sinkhole "taps into a primeval, archetypal fear of being swallowed by the earth. Think of every sci-fi story or phantasmagorical image or poster you've ever seen -- the earth opening up and swallowing you whole. We think earthquake. But what if there was no earthquake, but the earth swallowed you?"
Jeremy Berlin, writing for National Geographic, used similar imagery: "The sinkhole that swallowed a sleeping Seffner, Florida, man last Thursday night was like a monster from a nightmare. Suddenly and without warning, a mouth 20 feet (6 meters) wide opened beneath 37-year-old Jeff Bush and inhaled his entire bedroom."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Florida Sinkhole Now Considered Victim's Grave. Detroit Free Press
Florida Sinkhole Visible After Victim's Home Demolished. Los Angeles Times
Sinkhole Science: A Primer. National Geographic
The Big Questions
1. Thousands of other people across America also died on the same day as the sinkhole opened, but this particular death seems to have struck a chord with many people. Why do you think that is the case? What larger fears does the idea of being suddenly swallowed by the earth tap into?
2. Why do you suppose so much of folklore is filled with dragons, monsters, giant creatures from the depths of the sea or from below the surface of the earth? What is the origin of such ideas, and what are the related fears? Does any of this translate into biblical stories? If so, which one?
3. To what degree are biblical images of final judgment and going "down" to hell related to our concern about the earth giving way beneath our feet? How much are images from movies based on biblical events influential in the way we view events such as the sinkhole?
4. What determines who falls victim to acts of nature that seem random, capricious and final? How do we square events like these with the understanding that we have free will and that our actions ought to determine consequences? Why do these events seem so unfair?
5. What metaphorical "sinkholes" do you worry about in your life? When have you or when has someone you know experienced a totally random act that shocked or surprised you? Did others question whether you deserved this or not?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Genesis 1:1-4
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. (For context, read 1:1-5.)
Genesis 1:2 states that, prior to God's creative actions, the aretz (earth) was tohu (formless) and bohu (empty). The meaning of these latter two terms is disputed, ranging from considering them to be a reference to something outside of our created universe of space-time to being the names of mythological monsters existing in the indeterminate chaos prior to God's activities. In any event, it was something totally beyond our ken, and God created the world that we now experience.
Question: Respond to this: One testimony of the opening words of the Bible is that not even chaos, disruptive and "mindless" as it may be, can stop God.
Psalm 28:1
To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. (For context, read 28:1-9.)
Here, the psalmist calls God "my rock," which is a common image in the Old Testament for God (see, for example, Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 18:31; Isaiah 17:10, but there are many more). As used in these verses, "rock" seems to denote the eternal strength and unchangeableness of God (i.e., "Rock of Ages"). At the same time, the Rock that is God is a place of shelter from the wind and in the rock's shadow, from the heat (see Isaiah 32:2).
Yet it can also mean something like "a solid place on which to stand," indicating that trusting God means that the ground does not get yanked out from beneath one. As the psalmist says above, if God is silent, "I shall be like those who go down to the Pit [the place of the dead]," but his confidence is that God does hear him.
Jesus declares that those who hear and practice his words are like a man who builds his house on the firm foundation of a rock (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus renames his disciple Simon to be "Peter" (petros, a piece of rock) in acknowledgment of his confession that Jesus is "the Christ the Son of the Living God," which he proclaims the "rock" (petra, mass of rock) upon which he will build his church.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, the apostle Paul applies the rock image to Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Questions: Read Jesus' remarks in Matthew 7:24-27 about the house built on sand versus the house built on rock. How does the Old Testament "rock" image for God add to your understanding of his comments? Shouldn't that "Rock" be there for everyone when they need it? Does the psalmist seem to square the image of God as the Rock with random acts of danger which have always been a part of people's lives?
Psalm 139:8
If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. (For context, read 139:1-12.)
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (For context, read 8:28-39.)
Here are two biblical testimonies about God in the "depths." The psalm reminds us that even SHEOL -- the place of the dead -- cannot keep God out. And in Romans, the apostle Paul not only wrote that death can't separate us from God's love, but he also said that neither can "angels" or "demons" or "powers" -- a term by which he likely meant supernatural forces, agents of darkness and even "things that go bump in the night" (see also what Paul said in Colossians 2:15).
Questions: The Message paraphrases Romans 8:38-39 as follows: "I'm absolutely convinced that nothing -- nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable -- absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." What is it about "unthinkable" things that is frightening? Why? How does Paul's testimony here help?
What does Paul say that could or should provide comfort in the face of random events? Where is/was God in sinkholes, tsunamis, volcanoes and earthquakes?
Isaiah 27:1
On that day the LORD with his cruel and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea. (For context, read 27:1-13.)
The books of Job, Psalms and Isaiah all mention a creature named "Leviathan." While it's not certain what animal is being referred to, some Bible scholars believe it is the great white shark. Certainly the Leviathan in Job 41 could be the shark, for verse 14 comments, "There is terror all around its teeth." While sharks are God's creatures, we as human beings have gut-level fear reactions to some things, and for many of us, the whole idea of encountering a shark in the water is one of them.
Throughout history, terrors of nature, such as sharks and other predators, came to symbolize evil and chaos -- coming from "the deep" (places we know little about and thus that frighten us). And things that frighten us sometimes get exaggerated. Psalm 74:14 speaks of Leviathan as a dragon in the waters, a creature with several heads. And the Isaiah verse above refers to it as "a twisting serpent." Rather than trying to attach the name Leviathan to a specific creature, it's probably better to leave it unidentified and let us fill it in with something that terrifies us.
What that is will differ with each of us. For some, it may be a dark depression; for others, a crippling phobia. For still others, it could be the specter of a wasting illness, or the fear of loss of independence due to aging. Some worry about dreadfully bad choices their grown children have made, and the terrible consequences they must pay as a result. Many fear losing their job or becoming the victim of a crime. Some face the prospect of lost faith and others the fear of hell itself. Most of us can be rattled by the unexpected intrusions of chaos into our lives, where not only the orderliness we strive for but also the meaning we had clung to is suddenly taken away.
In the book of Job, God makes a point of demonstrating to Job that Leviathan and another unidentified beast, Behemoth (Job 40:15), are just toys as far as God is concerned. The biblical faith is anti-monster and, even more so, triumphant over monsters.
The world may not be safe, but in God we can be secure. To paraphrase the Christian essayist G.K. Chesterton, "it is not that we know that monsters exist, but that monsters can be beaten."
Question: Note that Isaiah declares above that God will "kill the dragon that is in the sea." How would you apply this verse to your life today?
Luke 13:4-5
Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them -- do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did. (For context, read 13:1-5.)
This rhetorical remark from Jesus helps us at least with the question of whether disaster victims are somehow more deserving of trouble than others. In the context of Luke 13, some people told Jesus about some Galileans who were slaughtered by order of the Roman prefect Pilate while they were in the process of offering sacrifices. Jesus responded with a rhetorical question: "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?" (v. 2). Then he added another example, asking about 18 people who were killed when a tower collapsed on them. Were they somehow worse offenders than others?
Clearly the answer Jesus wanted his hearers to come to was "No." His object here, however, was not to challenge the common belief in his day that trouble came to people who most deserved it, but rather to make the point that the coming judgment of God was inescapable and that all would face it. Still, his comments show that Jesus did not buy the notion that disaster -- or sinkholes -- sought out people who "deserved" the trouble. Jesus further showed his conviction that incidents of weather, geology or accident were not routinely used by God for reward or punishment when, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that God "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).
Questions: Imagine that the house with the sudden sinkhole was directly across the street from your house. Would you take the fact that your neighbor had been swallowed and you had not as any kind of message to you from God? If so, what message might it be? Why?
Revelation 21:2
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, ... (For context, read 21:1-8.)
This is from John of Patmos' vision of the new world God will bring. Remembering that we are trying to apply earthbound spatial and directional concepts to a heavenly realm that is surely not bound by them, we note that this holy city comes "down" out of heaven.
Question: However much we may, in our adult minds, remind ourselves that heaven is not high in the sky and hell is not deep in the earth, many of us subconsciously still think of good things coming from "above" and bad things from "below." But what is this verse and its context really telling us?
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on Numbers 16:28-34:  And Moses said, "This is how you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works; it has not been of my own accord: If these people die a natural death, or if a natural fate comes on them, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord."
    As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground under them was split apart. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their households -- everyone who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they with all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. All Israel around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "The earth will swallow us too!"
2. In view of the sinkhole story, comment on Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV): "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
3. In 1741, the American clergyman Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon to his Connecticut congregation titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," in which he emphasized that hell is a real place. (See the full sermon here.) He used vivid imagery to awaken his audience to the horrific reality that awaited them if they continued without Christ, but said that God has given human beings a chance to rectify their sins and be spared. One quote from the sermon: "We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by: thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies down to hell. What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?" How does this kind of theology jibe with your reading of the Bible?
4. View this painting of The Last Judgment by the 16th century artist Pieter Bruegel. What do you think caused him to choose the visual imagery he employed for this work?
5. Rephrase what Jesus said about the tower of Siloam to imagine what he might have said outside the sinkhole to reporters and family members.
Responding to the News
This is a good time to remember that God does not call the faithful to live in fear, but in the confidence of being children of God. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ ... " (Romans 8:14-17).
Closing Prayer
O Lord, be with the family of Jeff Bush that they may be comforted in this time of loss. In Jesus' name. Amen.

A Christian Decision? Cease Aiding Refugees to Assist the Well-Off

In the News
Mark Sheerin used to work in Third World countries for World Vision, which describes itself as "a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice." One of his projects with World Vision was aimed at rehabilitating children and women who'd been victims of human trafficking and child labor.
He now works for a financial planning and wealth management firm in Atlanta, Georgia -- Sherrill & Hutchins -- where as chief operations officer and part owner, he oversees business management for the company and implementation of client portfolios.
Sheerin is a professing Christian, and he freely admits that the distance between his former work and his current employment "seems unbridgeable some days." Other days, however, "the two worlds look more similar than I imagined," he says.
In an article by Sheerin published last week in Christianity Today, he argues that that similarity is in the task of "creating redemptive spaces in a fallen and tangled world."
"If poverty is understood in terms of social constructs rather than economic ones, the playing field levels between the refugee and the investment banker," Sheerin explains.
Sheerin says that a sermon from his hometown pastor based on Jeremiah 29 helped him make the decision about the transition. In that chapter, God, through Jeremiah, tells the Jewish exiles how they should relate to the Babylonian culture in which they were forced to live. They were not to withdraw and reject the culture, but were to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city ... if it prospers, you  too will prosper." Applying this to himself, Sheerin writes, "Rather than keeping myself separated vocationally, here was a call to bind oneself to the lost in this world and to seek their holiness and prosperity."
Expanding on that, Sheerin says, "For my own life, it meant leaving explicitly Christian ministry and seeking the well-being of Atlanta by lashing myself to the mast of this city's ship. If I am to care about myself, I must by necessity also care about my colleagues, clients and the city in which I live."
Sheerin argues that the historic revivalist message of Christianity, which proclaimed the "urgency of salvation" had the "side effect of creating a message that was less comprehensive than what Jesus proclaimed."
"Jesus did not come to call the truly faithful to the mission field, the less faithful to the pastorate and the barely faithful to finance," Sheerin says.
Sheerin also cites Jesus' "mission statement" in Luke 4:18-19, and says, "Jesus came to earth not just to patch up a relationship between mankind and an offended Father, but to radically reconcile all things to himself. He came to bring redemption to institutions and individuals, to the realms of justice and law, to education and child-rearing, to farms, to cities, to finance -- to everything. Jesus came to undo the shattered world in which man stands alone and isolated," Sheerin adds.
"Believing that finance and feeding starving children both amount to good work in God's eyes still challenges me on my best days," Sheerin says. "But then I remember Jesus' mission to conquer sin and its effects in all its forms and in every place. Fighting against economic injustice through World Vision or through a financial planning firm are both mandated by God. Both tasks are valuable, both tasks seek redemption of broken systems and fallen people. Instead of digging wells, my firm walks with widows through the jungle of probate. Instead of sponsoring children, my firm partners with families through difficult, end-of-life decisions," Sheerin says.
He adds, "I now have a theology of place. I now work where I live where I worship. My job allows me to see and to seek God's restoration and un-breaking of the fall in the city where I live."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Why I Left World Vision for Finance. Christianity Today
World Vision
Sherrill & Hutchins Financial Advisory, Inc. (Click on the Mark Sheerin photo)
The Big Questions
1. Is Sheerin right? Can assisting the well-off with financial management be as much of a ministry as aiding impoverished refugees? What do you make of his statement that "Jesus did not come to call the truly faithful to the mission field, the less faithful to the pastorate and the barely faithful to finance"?
2. Bearing in mind that there are no explicit ministry aspects to Sheerin's current work in the wealth management field, in what ways can his work there be a fulfilling of his call to follow Jesus? In what ways do you see your employment as a fulfilling of your call to follow Jesus?
3. Sheerin speaks of "creating redemptive spaces" in both worlds in which he has worked. "Redemptive spaces" sounds like jargon. What do you think Sheerin means by the term? Could it be "redemptive situations in which people find themselves"? Could it be "sharing the good news of salvation"? Sheerin elaborates on redemptive spaces, saying, "... I remember Jesus' mission to conquer sin and its effects in all its forms and in every place. Fighting against economic injustice through World Vision or through a financial planning firm are both mandated by God. Both tasks are valuable, both tasks seek redemption of broken systems and fallen people." What might be an example of where redemption ought to be sought where you work?
4. When have you attempted to convince yourself that your choices are God's will because they are the thing you really wanted to do? Do you find that God pushes you toward difficult tasks? How does God confirm that you're right to pursue the work you're doing?
5. Sheerin's current work is likely to be more rewarding in terms of his personal income than was his former work, since the people he serves voluntarily pay him in the belief that his services have value. Does this affect the ministry aspect and the spiritual value of his service? Why or why not? Does the fact that a pastor of a large congregation often gets paid more than the pastor of a smaller congregation affect the spiritual value of that pastor's work?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Jeremiah 29:7
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (For context, read 29:1-14.)
We have cited this verse in several previous installments of TWW as it is appropriate to many topics related to living out one's faith. We're using it again here because it's a verse Sheerin specifically mentioned as supporting his decision to work in finance instead of in international aid.
The verse is from a letter the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the people of Judah shortly after they were exiled in Babylon, telling them that the exile would last a long time and that they should not only resign themselves to a long stay, but should actively seek the welfare of the land where they had been taken. They were actually to work for the good of Babylon. They were not to forget who they were or where they came from, but neither were they to think of themselves merely as short-term visitors with no stake in the well-being of Babylon.
Questions: Jeremiah's text was addressed to an oppressed, captive people who were strangers in a strange land. Is applying it in Sheerin's case a proper use of the text?
Should we pray for people in the financial industry and for those who use its services? If so, what should we pray regarding those folks? Should be pray for those who criticize or denigrate those in the financial industry or who use its services? If so, what should we pray regarding those folks? If we find ourselves in any of these categories, what should we pray concerning ourselves?
Nehemiah 5:14-15
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. (For context, read 5:14-19.)
Nehemiah has a respected place in the history of Israel, and is seen as one who did the Lord's will. He was not primarily a spiritual leader, however, but a civic one. It was he who instigated and oversaw the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Jewish exiles were allowed to return home.
Judah was no longer an independent state, but was now a district of the Persian Empire. Nehemiah was a Jew who'd been appointed governor of Judah by the Persian king, so his appointment was technically a secular one. But note how Nehemiah's faith ("the fear of God") influenced how he behaved in office. Unlike previous governors, he not only didn't use the food allowance granted by his office (which would have to be collected from the people), but he even regularly fed 150 people at his own expense (v. 17).
Question: Would you say that this was a "ministry" of Nehemiah, an example of how a disciple of God should behave when rooted in "secular" work? If not, what would you label it? What sort of opportunities are available in your line of work where you can be in ministry?
Luke 4:17-18
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free ..." (For context, read 4:16-30.)
This is the other text Sheerin specifically mentioned. Soon after Jesus "went public," he announced the tone for his ministry by reading from the book of Isaiah in his hometown synagogue. Invited to be the reader that morning, he turned to Isaiah 61:1-2, and read. No problem with that. But then he electrified the congregation by adding, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (v. 21). In other words, Jesus was saying that his work was to bring the good news that included proclamation of "release to the captives."
Questions: Since Jesus did not go on in his ministry to challenge the institution of slavery, some might want to argue that he was referring more to those who were spiritually enslaved to sin, but some of his followers ever since have understood his words as a call to confront and end all forms of oppression. How might Jesus' words apply to you where you work?
Do you think the passages of Scripture Sheerin cited from Jeremiah 29 and Luke 4 support his conclusion that his vocation is to create "redemptive spaces in a fallen and tangled world," and especially in the financial industry? Why or why not?
Matthew 19:23-24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." (For context, read 19:16-30.)
This sort of comment from Jesus and other biblical writers has led some to think that one cannot be wealthy and be faithful to God, and it probably contributes to the idea that the financial industry cannot be a place where God is served. But that is not what Jesus was saying. He was talking about how wealth can be a stumbling block or barrier on the road of faithfulness, but he was not saying one cannot be financially well-off and still serve God.
Question: On what basis is it possible for anyone -- rich or poor -- to enter the kingdom of God?
Respond to this, from a TWW team member: "It is evident that there are rich people in the New Testament. Each house church has a rich homeowner at the head. Mary of Magdala is a rich person. Lydia is a rich person. But James does not say in his letter to make sure you look after the rich people so they don't have to suffer any more than they already do. Jesus does not say, 'Blessed are the rich for they shall have loads of cash.'"
Colossians 1:19-20
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (For context, read 1:15-20.)
The words in Colossians 1:15-20 are probably the lyrics of an early Christian hymn that Paul is citing in support of his claims about Jesus as the Son of God. In the two verses quoted above, the hymn says that through Jesus, "God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things." Sheerin did not quote these verses, but he seems to be alluding to them when he said, "Jesus came to earth not just to patch up a relationship between mankind and an offended Father, but to radically reconcile all things to himself."
"All things," we suspect, means "all things." That is, even the institutions that we don't normally think of as spiritual realms, such as business, finance, politics, industry and more, are subject to the redemption Christ brings. And how does he do that? Perhaps through those faithful to him working in such arenas.
Questions: What does it mean to be reconciled to Christ? Regarding Christ's reconciling work, who benefits?
For Further Discussion
1. It's likely that the two main categories of reactions to the Sheerin article will be:
- How could he? He's just rationalizing and avoiding his calling.
- What's the big deal? God calls people to different vocations at different times, and there's no reason to believe this is any different.
Ask a class members to take the first position and another class member to take the second and have them debate Sheerin's decision. Then invite the rest of the class to comment on the issues raised by the debaters.
2. Regarding how ministry happens through one's employment, one TWW team member commented, "During the past year, the manager of the local Walmart has probably helped more poor people than the manager of the local soup kitchen." What do you understand that to mean? How does that relate to ministry and vocation?
3. From a spiritual standpoint, which is more of a ministry: assisting those who likely know they need help or assisting those who may have no idea they need help?
4. Under what circumstances are nonprofit groups the better way to address major human problems? Under what circumstances are for-profit groups the better way?
Responding to the News
If you've been thinking of your employment as "just a job" or "just a way to earn a living," this could be a good time to consider how it could also be a place where you help to create "redemptive spaces."

Closing Prayer
Show us, O Lord, how we can be your people in our workplaces. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Powerful Meteor Hits Earth While Asteroid Flies By

Two days after Ash Wednesday and the day after Valentine's Day, 2013, a brilliant 7,000- to 10,000-ton meteor shot from the heavens across Siberia at a speed of 40,000 miles an hour, exploding over the Ural Mountains with the force of 500 kilotons of TNT, or about 30 times that of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. Parts of the meteor fell through ice into Lake Chebarkul in a perfectly round hole about 20 feet in diameter.
Tatyana N. Vasiliyeva, a retired accountant who was walking with her husband on the lakeshore Friday morning, said she saw "a star getting brighter, like the sun ... a fiery star falling right on me, and so I thought I should just close my eyes now." Valentina Nikolayeva, a teacher in the industrial city of Chelyabinsk about 54 miles from the point of impact, described "an unreal light which never happens in life; it happens probably only in the end of the world."
Darya Frenn blogged that it felt like "summer in the yard," followed by chaos. "God forbid you should ever have to experience anything like this." She wondered if she was witnessing radiation, a plane crash or the beginning of a war. She worried about her family. When she heard it was a meteor, she thought it could happen again, so she packed a suitcase just in case, pondering where she could flee to safety if the entire Earth was under attack.
According to NASA, more than 500 meteorites, ranging in size from marbles to basketballs, hit Earth's atmosphere every year, but explosions of this magnitude are less frequent: The last time a space rock of this size, at least 50 feet in diameter, struck the Earth was in 1908.
This time, remarkably, no one was killed, though 1,158 people were injured in Chelyabinsk. A fourth-grade teacher, Yulia Karbysheva, was hailed as a hero for executing a Cold War-type of drill as she ordered her 44 students to "duck and cover" under their desks when she saw the flash; while she suffered serious lacerations, not one of her pupils was hurt.
When the meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere, its shock waves knocked out cell phone signals, shattered dishes and televisions, triggered car alarms, stopped traffic for hours and caused extensive property damage due to broken windows, exposed water pipes, collapsed walls, blown roofs and falling objects in homes, schools and businesses.
Russia mobilized 24,000 emergency officials to inspect critical infrastructure such as transportation lines, dams, hospitals, a space launch site, nuclear power plants, chemical factories and other industrial and military facilities in the forested rust-belt region. Most were unharmed, but Russian Minister of Civil Defense Vladimir Puchkov said 297 homes, 12 schools and other facilities did sustain damage. A city administrator in Chelyabinsk said that more than a million square feet of glass shattered.
The propagation effects of shock waves can produce strange results: The blast blew Anna V. Popova's balcony windows in but left her neighbor's identical set untouched. There was extensive damage at a brick-and-steel-reinforced zinc factory, while only a few yards away, a three-story glass building occupied by a Hundai dealership was unscathed.
"A lot of people suffered, not us alone," Ms. Popova said, but added that there seemed to be randomness in whose property was damaged. "Who are we supposed to blame for all this? Nobody, of course."
Local residents marvelled over their luck at having survived a cosmic near miss. Alyona V. Borchininova, a barmaid who stood on the edge of the hole in the lake, said, "It was eerie, so we stood there. And then somebody joked, 'Now the green men will crawl out and say hello.'"
Out on the lake, an ice fisherman, who gave his name only as Dmitri, shrugged off the event. "A meteor fell," he said. "So what? Who knows what can fall out of the sky? It didn't hit anybody. That is the important thing,"
But in the Church of the Transfiguration, on a hill overlooking Lake Chebarkul, Deacon Sergiy had a different interpretation. He had just closed the doors in a wall of icons symbolizing the entombment of Jesus after his crucifixion and the imminence of the Resurrection when the flash of the meteor flooded the chapel with brilliance. "It was like a new sun was born," he said. "This all gives us reason to think. Is the purpose of our life just to raise a family and die, or is it to live eternally? It was a reason for people on earth to look up, to look up at God."
"People can consider February 15 their second birthday," the governor of Chelyabinsk, Mikhail Yurevich, told reporters. "God directed danger away."
Just in case the meteor didn't get your attention, Space Rock DA14, an asteroid about 150 feet in diameter (about the size of an Olympic swimming pool), missed the Earth by about 17,100 miles the evening of the very same day. It passed closer than some satellites, over the Indian Ocean near Sumatra. Had the asteroid hit Earth in a vertical impact, it would have resulted in enormous damage and wiped out 750 square miles given its 143,000-ton heft, releasing energy equivalent to 2.4 million tons of TNT or about 120 atomic bombs such as those used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
According to NASA, an object of this size makes a close approach like this every 40 years. The likelihood of a strike is every 1,200 years. Astronomers called the fly-by of the asteroid and the fall of the meteor on the same day a coincidence, since the space objects appeared to be travelling in opposite directions.
But former Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart, chairman emeritus of the B612 Foundation dedicated to the mission of protecting Earth from dangerous asteroids, said, "We are in a shooting gallery and this is graphic evidence of it." Asteroid DA14, discovered by Spanish astronomers only last February, is "such a close call" that it is a "celestial torpedo across the bow of spaceship Earth," Schweickart said.
The same day the meteor struck and the asteroid missed Earth, passengers on board the Carnival cruise ship TRIUMPH finally made it safely back to shore after an unexpected grueling four-day delay, during which the travellers suffered shortages of food, medicine and adequate sanitation. Among the 4,000-plus passengers and crew who began the cruise on February 7 were Joseph and Cecilia Alvarez. The day before their scheduled return on Monday, February 11th, fire broke out in the engine room, stranding the vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. Cecilia's first thoughts were of their four children. "What if I don't go home?" she thought. "What if I don't see my kids anymore?"
One Bible verse kept coming to her mind, Joshua 1:9 (NIV): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." She and Joseph decided to meet with other passengers to study the Bible, pray, sing and share testimonies together for mutual encouragement.
"The Bible studies ... put our minds and our hearts at ease," Joseph said. "We felt peace the whole time. We knew that there was a Mighty Power out there that would get us home and keep us safe so we could get home and see our children."
They read Psalm 29:3 (NIV) – "the voice of the LORD is over the waters" – and Psalm 91 about taking refuge in God. "Whenever two or more are gathered in his name, he's there," Joseph said.
"I have God in my heart always," Cecilia said, "but this situation ... I really appreciate and love God for what he has done for us."
More on this story can be found at these links:
After Assault From the Heavens, Russians Search for Clues and Count Blessings. NYTimes.com
Shock Wave of Fireball Meteor Rattles Siberia, Injuring 1,200. NYTimes.com
In Russia, Ruins and Property Spared by Meteor, Side by Side. NYTimes.com
Meteor Strikes Russia While Asteroid Misses Earth. Forbes
Exploding Meteorite Injures a Thousand People in Russia. Forbes
Asteroid Misses Earth by 17,000 Miles After Meteor Strikes Russia. The Guardian
Asteroid Buzzes, Misses Earth -- Unlike Meteor. Time.com
Stranded Cruise Passengers Turn to Faith. billygraham.org
The Big Questions
1. Comment on this from TWW team member Heidi Mann: "The seeming randomness of what/who was affected (damaged, hurt, ruined) and what/who was not ... the seeming randomness of things in daily life: someone gets cancer, someone else doesn't; one family has tragedy after tragedy, another seemingly perpetual good luck; someone who eats well and exercises regularly drops dead of a heart attack while a longtime overeater, smoker, drinker, risk-taker lives to be 99 -- where is God in the midst of that? How do we understand it from a faith standpoint?"
2. Have you ever thought "This is it; I'm not going to make it to my next birthday"? Have you ever faced something unexpected that caused you to think that perhaps your time on Earth might be shorter than you had thought likely? Did that experience change how you live life now?
3. When an unexpected trauma occurs, are you more likely to respond with the attitude of the barmaid, the ice fisherman or the deacon in the story? What other coping mechanisms do you see people using in Siberia and on board the cruise ship? How can you cope most effectively when you are in extreme stress?
4. Respond to Deacon Sergiy's statement: "This all gives us reason to think. Is the purpose of our life just to raise a family and die, or is it to live eternally? It was a reason for people on earth to look up, to look up at God."
5. On board the cruise ship Triumph, Cecilia came to appreciate God afresh. Why is it that times of stress seem to break some people's spirits but build other people's faith? How can you make it through such experiences stronger, rather than crushed in spirit?
Confronting the News with Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Joel 2:30-32
I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. (For context, read 2:28-32.)
Peter quotes this passage from the prophet Joel on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:16-21). The movement of God's Spirit is seen both in signs in the heavens and on the earth as well, in the outpouring of visions, dreams and prophetic ministry upon male and female, young and old, slave and free.
Questions: Do you see events such as the fall of the meteor to earth or the passing of the asteroid so close to earth primarily in scientific terms, or as a "portent" or "sign" of something? If the latter, to what future event might such signs point us? For what purpose might God show us portents in the heavens and on earth?
Does everything have to have significance? Are some things just random, and delightful in their randomness? Do you, or do people you know, often suggest that cosmic or human events point to the end times? How do you respond when you hear such statements? How do people respond to you when you make such statements?
Matthew 16:1-4
The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. (No context needed.)
Luke 16:29-31
Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them." He said, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." He said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (For context, read 16:19-31.)
The passage in Luke 16 records a story Jesus told of a rich man who had no mercy on a poor beggar in this life. After both had died, in agony in Hades, the rich man sought relief from the poor man now living in comfort "with Abraham." At the very least, perhaps Father Abraham might send a warning sign for his brothers who were still alive on earth.
Questions: What is the "sign of Jonah" to which Jesus refers? Why is that the only sign God gives to "an evil and adulterous generation"? Why does Father Abraham decline to send someone back from the dead to warn the rich man's brothers? If people do not listen to Moses and the prophets who spoke of Jesus (Luke 24:27), if they do not accept the sign of Jonah or the resurrection of Christ from the dead, of what use to them are portents in the heavens?
Luke 21:25-27
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory." (For context, read 21:5-36.)
Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which happened literally in 70 A.D., and figuratively when the temple of his body was crucified. His disciples wanted to know what sign they should look for that his prophecies were about to come true. Jesus predicted false messiahs, wars, rumor-mongering, earthquakes, famines, plagues, persecution, unimaginable suffering and the proclamation of the gospel to all nations. But through all these events Jesus' disciples are not to panic, worry or fall into debauchery, but rather be alert and prayerful so they can stand before Christ and as a testimony to him (Luke 21:34-36). After stars fall from heaven, Matthew 24:30 says, "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven."
Questions: How can you guard against panic and anxiety when you hear so many stories these days about natural disasters, dramatic events such as meteors falling from heaven and narrow misses by asteroids, and unexpected events like an engine fire that threatens the lives of 4,000-plus souls on board a luxury liner?
2 Corinthians 11:23-28
... with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death. Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. (No context needed.)
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. (For context, read 4:1, 5-18.)
Paul recounts the incredible suffering he has experienced and stresses that he is able to minister as he does, whatever adversity comes, because of the mercy (4:1) and power of God (4:7).
Questions: When you face a traumatic experience, how can it help to remember that the same God who brought light out of darkness at Creation also shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ (4:6)? On board the cruise ship Triumph, Cecilia Alvarez met a teenager who said they were there for a reason. Why does God allow us to go through such difficulties?
Acts 27:22-25, 44
I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you." So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. ... And so it was that all [two hundred and seventy-six souls] were brought safely to land. (For context, read 27:1-44.)
Paul was a prisoner on board a ship bound for Rome when the ship encountered violent weather and foundered for several days. The passengers and crew were in a terrible state, not having eaten for a long time. Paul had warned the ship's captain not to sail, but he had ignored his advice. After chiding the sailors with a bit of "I told you so," Paul encouraged them with a message of hope.
Questions: In times of adversity, how can you as a believer bring a word of hope and a witness of grace to those who are not yet in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ?

Pope's Resignation Stuns Catholics Worldwide

On Monday, Pope Benedict XVI surprised the Roman Catholic world by announcing that he will resign from the papacy on February 28, due to failing mental and physical strength to carry on the work of that office.
What made the 85-year-old pontiff's decision so startling is that almost all of his predecessors have stayed in office until their death. The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V in 1294. Gregory XII abdicated in 1415, but only to end a dispute with a rival claimant to the papacy.
Still, there's been no widespread condemnation of Benedict's decision, and many Catholics have expressed understanding. The crowd at the Ash Wednesday service at the Vatican cheered him.
Speaking in Latin, Benedict made his announcement to a meeting of Vatican cardinals on Monday morning. What follows is an English translation of his remarks:
"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.
"However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark [ship] of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way that, as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is."
The pope's decision to step down is likely to have little impact on non-Roman Catholic Christians. No Protestant, Orthodox or unclassified Christian body, including those with hierarchical structures, has a position that is equivalent to the papacy, and most non-Catholic Christians do not think of the pope as speaking for them.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Full Text of Pope Benedict XVI's Declaration. CNN
Pope's Sudden Resignation Sends Shockwaves Through Church. Reuters
Successor to Benedict Will Lead a Church at a Crossroads. New York Times

The Big Questions
1. In the realm of our faith, what is meant by a "calling"? What callings are normally understood as for a lifetime? What callings are normally understood as time-limited? What makes the difference? How do we know when we are called for a season rather than for a lifetime?
Are there term limits for those serving in leadership for your congregation? Tell why that is or isn't a good idea.
2. At what point does continuing to serve in a position actually impede the goal the position was created to accomplish? What factors should be considered as indicators that it may be time for you to relinquish a position? Can retirement be a calling from God? How can a person know?
3. Sometimes people feel called to step down from a position when they are still effective in that work, are handling it well and are enjoying it. How do we determine when God may be calling us from one field of service to another?
4. In what sense does your service in a position within the church create a helpful legacy? When withdrawing from a position, how can you enable your successor to make a good start?
5. To what degree is your sense of who you are tied up with what you feel called to do? How is your identity affected when you are no longer working at that calling? What do you think it means that we are called  "human beings," not "human doings"?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Deuteronomy 31:2
I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the LORD has told me, "You shall not cross over this Jordan." (For context, read 31:1-8, 14-15.)
This statement is from Moses, acknowledging that his advancing age rendered him incapable to "get about." Despite this declaration, the Bible says Moses was still vigorous and had good eyesight (Deuteronomy 34:7), but he obviously felt he was no longer able to do the job to which God had called him. Moses had clearly been in communication with God about this, and God had even told him to commission his successor, Joshua.
Since Moses died a short time later (Deuteronomy 34:7), his calling was, in effect, "until death." But before his death, Moses was able to read the signs, and thus arranged for an orderly transition and a strong leader to carry on the work of leading the Israelites.
Questions: In what sense is retirement intended to contribute to orderly transitions and the continuation of the work? An expectation of "retirement" is a relatively recent concept in human history. What are some advantages and disadvantages of an expectation of retirement?
Have you observed or heard about instances where retired leaders continued to control a situation or provide leadership to the detriment of those who replaced them?
Exodus 39:32
In this way all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished; the Israelites had done everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. (For context, read 39:32-43.)
This verse is referring to the completion of the tabernacle, which was a portable center for sacrifice that the Israelites carried with them during their time in the wilderness. God gave specific instruction for its construction, adornment and furnishing, and craftspeople from the Israelite tribe contributed their skills and labor to create the structure and all that was in it. Two multi-skilled men, Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 35:30--36:2), were asked to supervise the work of the others.
This was a divine calling, not only for Bezalel and Oholiab, but for each artisan and laborer involved, but it was a time-limited calling. Once the task was finished, with everything done "just as the LORD had commanded Moses," the workers were released from their calling.
The Bible includes other examples of time-limited callings as well, including the people called to build the temple (both Solomon's temple and later the post-exilic temple), and those called to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah's day.
Questions: Should we value longer-term ministries more than shorter-term ministries? What is the value, for instance, of volunteering to teach a Sunday school class for a month, a quarter or only part of a year? Does your class have the same leader for an extended period of time, or is there a rotating leadership? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this sort of leadership?
What ongoing calling did the workers who built the tabernacle have even after their project was completed?
1 Samuel 12:2
See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. (For context, read 12:1-7, 23-25.)
Samuel had spent his life as the Lord's prophet, judge and priest, and he was now old and, apparently, hoping for some rest. His statement above sounds like he's planning to step down. He had anointed Saul to be Israel's first king and he had installed his two sons to be judges in his  place.
In verse 23, Samuel refers to his intention to continue to pray for the people and even to instruct them "in the good and the right way." But that sounds like post-retirement activity at a slower pace, leaving others to deal with active leadership.
As it happened, however, Saul disobeyed God and the Lord rejected him as Israel's king (1 Samuel 15:10-11). Samuel's sons proved to lack their father's character; "they took bribes and perverted justice" (1 Samuel 8:3). Thus, while Samuel may have intended to step down, circumstances demanded that he stay "in harness." At the Lord's instruction, he challenged Saul on his failure (1 Samuel 13:13-14) and anointed a new king, David (1 Samuel 16:11-13). It's not known if he was able to do anything about his sons' corruption, but clearly, his plans for a quiet retirement didn't come to fruition. Later, when Saul was trying to kill David, Samuel took David in and gave him sanctuary (1 Samuel 19:18-24). Samuel's death is recorded in 1 Samuel 25:1.
Question: To what degree do circumstances and need become evidence that God is calling you to carry on with a task or responsibility when you would rather step down?
2 Timothy 4:6-7
As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (For context, read 4:1-8.)
Clearly, Paul understood his call to be an evangelist for Christ as one that had no retirement plan, no cessation until he stepped into eternity.
Questions: In what ways should Paul's understanding of his call as ongoing affect our understanding of our service to the church? Can you think of occasions when the leadership of a congregation might have benefited from a long-time pastor, board chair or other leader stepping down sooner than he or she did?
Ephesians 1:17-18
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints ... (For context, read 1:15-23.)
Ephesians 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called ... (For context, read 4:1-6.)
Regarding our faith in Christ, some callings can be considered to be till death and even beyond. Here in Ephesians, Paul mentions two such callings: For one, we Christians are called to "hope" (that is, to the confidence that when all is said and done, God is the victor over sin, death, chaos, wrong, etc. That hope is what we express when we pray, "Thy kingdom come.")
For another, we are called to be Christ's disciples ("to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called").
Neither Christian hope nor discipleship is by itself a specific vocation, but both things are foundations from which specific vocational callings -- which might or might not be time-limited -- can emerge. The calls to trust God and to be Christ's disciple, however, have no expiration date.
Questions: What is entailed in Christian hope? What qualities ought to characterize "a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called"? How are each of those qualities a component of discipleship?
For Further Discussion
1. Ask your class members to name the responsibilities they carry in your congregation. To what degree do they see those tasks as open-ended callings? What would happen if they felt God was calling them to take on a different responsibility? Is there a difference between feeling that God was calling one to a different responsibility, and believing or thinking that God was making such a call?
2. Some denominations have programs with names such as "Short-Term Mission Opportunities." What does "short-term" imply about the callings of God?
3. In many denominations, some ministers continue to pastor churches after they have retired. Why do you suppose that is the case?
4. How might the Roman Catholic Church benefit from Pope Benedict's willingness to admit his incapacity and step down?
5. Have you ever felt a faith-related calling from God that you ignored? Is it too late to do something about it now? Why or why not?
6. Relate occasions when you were part of, or observed, a successful transition in sharing offices in the church? Are there times when some may be doing a fine job, but new leadership brings new ideas? Do you know of times when this backfired and a person was called back into service?
7. Does your denomination assign pastors to a church and replace them on a regular basis, providing fresh leadership, sometimes before a person may have had time to accomplish something? Does your denomination practice a "call process" where there is no time limit or governing authority to make decisions about pastoral tenure? What are the advantages, in your opinion, to each system? The disadvantages?
Responding to the News
This is a good time to think about your responsibilities in the church and consider in what ways you think of them as divine callings.

Closing Prayer
O Lord, thank you because you work on earth through us, despite all our frailties, shortcomings and failures of energy and zeal. Help us to find the pace that enables us to serve in the ways best for where we are in the journey of life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Pastor Leaves No Tip, Creates Controversy

Alois Bell, a pastor in the St. Louis area, went to Applebee's for a meal with a group. Since the group was larger than eight, an automatic gratuity of 18 percent was added to the bill. Bell objected to this tip, so she scratched out the tip on her credit card receipt and put a zero in its place. In addition, she wrote the message, "I give God 10 percent … Why do you get 18?" and added the word "Pastor" above her signature.
Chelsea Welch, the waitress, took a photo of the bill and uploaded it to the website Reddit. "I thought the note was insulting, but also comical," she told Consumerist.com. "And I thought other users would find it entertaining."
Apparently, Alois Bell did not find it entertaining. The pastor complained to Welch's manager and the waitress was fired. According to Welch, Bell told the manager that the controversy had "ruined" her reputation.
Yahoo! News reports that Bell, a pastor at Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries Church, admitted that her handling of the tip was "a lapse in my character and judgment." She did not expect that her signature would be, as a friend reported to her, "all over Yahoo. You went viral!" Bell claimed to be heartbroken and admitted that she had "brought embarrassment to my church and ministry."
An Applebee's spokesman said that the company had apologized to Pastor Bell for violating her "right to privacy." Surprised that Applebee's fired her, the waitress said, "I had no intention of starting a witch hunt or hurting anyone. I just wanted to share a picture I found interesting .... I've been stiffed on tips before, but this is the first time I've seen the Big Man used as reasoning."
Author Justin Lee commented on this story on Huffington Post, saying, "I'm a Christian. I'm proud of my faith, and I love the church. But sometimes my fellow Christians make me want to scream." He argues that we Christians have often become our own worst enemies by shouting about social issues or political candidates while being slow to show grace and mercy in our everyday lives. His concern is that "these acts of ungrace by Christians have far more power to damage Christianity's reputation and influence than any attack launched at the church from the outside."
But is it fair to judge the whole church by the acts of one ungracious person? Lee reports that this pastor's bad behavior is not, unfortunately, an isolated incident. He tells the story of his first job waiting tables, and how "the church crowd" got a reputation for being "the most demanding" and "the worst tippers." In conversations with server friends across the country, Lee has heard the same sentiment echoed repeatedly.
In many countries, servers are paid a fair wage and tips are an added incentive. But in the United States, servers are usually paid a low hourly wage (often just a little over $2) and are expected to make their living from tips. Like it or not, this is our American system, so a low tip is not sending a message to the cook or the restaurant manager. Instead, it is simply hurting the server who depends on tips to pay his or her bills.
TWW Editorial Team Member Frank Ramirez writes, "Waiters are taxed based on the receipts whether or not they get a tip. Having had two children spend time as waiters and bartenders (one is now an Olive Garden manager), I always overtip. Since waiters are underpaid, this is a social justice issue." He acknowledges that waiters are going to have bad days, but no server should have to "earn justice" or jump through hoops to please customers.
"We Christians are supposed to be the generous ones, not the stingy and selfish ones," concludes Justin Lee. "And I can tell you from experience, when servers see a pattern of Christians who tip poorly, it gives them one more reason to distrust anything and everything connected with Christianity."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Applebee’s Fires Waitress Who Posted Receipt From Pastor Complaining About Auto-Tip. Yahoo! News
When Christians Are Christianity's Worst Enemy. Huffington Post

The Big Questions
1. What message was the pastor trying to send by withholding the tip? Can a 10 percent tithe be compared to an 18 percent tip? Why or why not? How was the message received by the waitress? How would you receive the message, if you were wait staff or the parent or spouse of wait staff?
2. For Christians, is tithing mandatory or optional? Is tipping mandatory or optional? What messages are sent by a failure to do either? What do you tip? Do you put conditions on your tipping?
3. What was the effect of the restaurant patron making a point of writing "Pastor" on the receipt, below the zero tip? Would you have felt differently about the person if she had quietly left no tip or a smaller tip, without identifying herself?
4. How is ensuring a fair wage for low-income servers a way of giving to God? Should people be concerned about what others make? Should society at large have economic winners and losers?
5. With the tremendous growth of non-profits, how do we decide where our money goes? What priority does the church have? Are there times when giving to a non-church-based organization is more of an offering than giving to the church?
6. How does how we act in public match (or not) with our claim to be Christian? And if it doesn't match, what impression does that leave of Christianity?
7. A letter was sent to a newspaper advice columnist from a man who identified himself as a Christian. He described how he handled the matter of tipping when he ate out. Instead of leaving any money for the server, he left a gospel tract, figuring that the best "tip" he could give was to tell the server about Christ. What message was sent by this type of tip? What would happen if the individual who left the tract attempted to pay the restaurant bill or any other bill with a tract?

Confronting the News with Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Proverbs 11:24
Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want. (For context, read 11:23-31a.)
This collection of the wise sayings of King Solomon contains a number of insights into how righteous and generous people behave, predicting that "the desire of the righteous ends only in good" (v. 23), "a generous person will be enriched" (v. 25) and "the righteous are repaid on earth" (v. 31a).
Questions: Where have you seen evidence that people who give freely "grow all the richer"? How are generous people enriched? What kinds of compensation do the righteous receive in life? Have you been treated with generosity in circumstances where you may not have deserved it? When have you been treated with less than generosity?
Isaiah 58:6
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? (For context, read 58:1-14.)
The prophet Isaiah speaks of false worship, which includes the maintenance of self-serving fast days while you (the people of Israel) "oppress all your workers" (v. 3). In place of such fast days, God calls for his people "to loose the bonds of injustice" and "let the oppressed go free" (the latter, a line which Jesus quotes at the beginning of his ministry in Luke 4:18). Isaiah challenges the people to "share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house" (v. 7).
Questions: In what ways are we guilty of oppressing our workers? How can we work for justice through the tips we give service workers? How do our tithes and offerings in church help to free the oppressed?
Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. (For context, read 3:8-15.)
The prophet Malachi warns the people of Israel not to rob God by skimping on their tithe, a gift of 10 percent. God promises that overflowing blessings will be given to those who offer the full tithe, including protection from locusts and the gift of fertile vines. Malachi admonishes the people for questioning whether there is profit in keeping the commands of God (v. 14).
Questions: Where do you see value in offering a full tithe to God today? What benefits come to those who give this percentage? Are there charities besides the church that do God's work and deserve a portion of the tithe, or should such giving be above and beyond the 10 percent?
Luke 6:43-45
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. (For context, read 6:37-49.)
Jesus warns his followers about judging others, warning them about seeing the speck in a neighbor's eye while failing to notice the log in their own eye (v. 41). He also observes that we will be known by our fruits, and that good people produce good while evil people produce evil. He concludes by encouraging us to build our lives on the firm foundation of hearing his words and acting on them (vv. 46-49).
Questions: Why should we not rush to judgment about the pastor who failed to tip her waitress? What is the good that we should do in our relationships with those who serve us? If we hear the words of Jesus and act on them, how will we compensate those who serve us? How will we serve those who monetarily compensate us? And how will we support the ministry and mission of the church?
1 Corinthians 13:1-5
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. (For context, read 12:29--13:13.)
After writing to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, the apostle Paul promises to show them "a still more excellent way" (12:29). His chapter on the gift of love reminds us that if we do not have love, we are nothing. Among the many qualities of love are patience and kindness, with no place in love for envy, boasting, arrogance or rudeness.
Questions: Where could you be more patient and loving in your contact with service workers? What conclusions do our neighbors make when they see Christians showing arrogance or rudeness? How can this be addressed in the church? Did the pastor show love by leaving a note instead of a tip? Did the waitress show love by posting the receipt online? Did the restaurant show love by firing her? How might the "better way" Paul proposes have produced a better result?
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (For context, read 9:1-15).
Paul is embarking on a collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem, and is asking the Corinthians to provide a "bountiful gift" (v. 5). He wants them to consider this a voluntary gift, not an extortion, so he reminds them that "God loves a cheerful giver," and promises them that "God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance" (v. 8). Paul predicts that they "will be enriched in every way" for their great generosity (v. 11).
Questions: What are the factors that prevent us from being cheerful givers in church and society? When do you feel you are being asked to give reluctantly or under compulsion? What could be done to improve your attitude toward giving?
James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (For context, read 2:14-26.)
James asserts that Christian faith without works is dead, and makes the case that faith is "brought to completion" by works (v. 22). Using a physical analogy, he points out that "just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead" (v. 26). Later in his letter, he issues a warning to rich oppressors, saying, "Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts" (5:4).
Questions: How is our Christian faith brought to completion by our use of money? If the people who serve us in restaurants, hotels, hair salons and cabs are among the lowest wage-earners in our society, what should we do to "supply their bodily needs"? Where do you see evidence that some laborers are cheated out of wages today? What evidence do you see that some laborers are cheating their employers today?

For Further Discussion
1. What are the forces that work against tithing in church today? What can be done to increase the size of gifts in support of God's work?
2. When do you give the biggest tips to restaurant servers? When do you give smaller tips? Should tips always be the same percentage? Why or why not?
3. In some parts of Europe, restaurant servers are paid their full wages directly, and tips are usually just a coin or two to show appreciation. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the European system? Should it be adopted here?
4. The pastor in the Applebee's story said that her handling of the tip was "a lapse in my character and judgment." The waitress showed no similar remorse about her decision to post a picture of the receipt online. How could she have handled the situation differently?
5. Dr. Harry Wendt, Bible scholar and President of Crossways International, teaches that we should consider everything we have to be God's, on loan to us. If we "give back" 10 percent and think the rest is ours to do with as we choose, are we, in effect, robbing God of the 90 percent? What is the significance of giving more than 10 percent to God?
6. Where do you see opportunities for Christians to use their money in ways that have a positive impact on society, and to spread a message of grace, generosity and love?
7. TWW editorial team Member Frank Ramirez recommends that when you leave a tip, "round up." Ask yourself: What exactly could you do with the change you'd save by figuring out fifteen percent exactly? Not much. But more important, ask yourself: What does it say about you? When you give people more than they deserve, you are showing grace. Discuss what tipping tells the world about the quality of Christian life.
Responding to the News
When you go out to a restaurant this week, leave a slightly larger tip than you normally would. Think about how it makes the server feel, and how it makes you feel. Consider it an act of grace in a world so in need of the love of Jesus Christ.