Hvor hører du vel hjemme? – 5

Det siste landet jeg besøker i år er «Pekeland» (1). Det hørte med til barneoppdragelsen at: «Det er stygt å peke», og det kan være ubehagelig å bli pekt på.

Samtidig kan det være både en stor hjelp og velsignelse. Jeg tror apostlene opplevde det slik da Jesus «pekte dem ut» (2). Oppdraget de fikk var å forkynne. Forkynnelse kan sammenliknes med å peke. 

En som ofte blir framholdt som «Pekeren», er døperen Johannes. Gjennom sin gjerning og sine ord pekte han på Jesus:

«Se, Guds lam, som bærer bort verdens synd! ... han er det som døper med Den hellige ånd. Jeg har sett det, og jeg har vitnet: Han er Guds Sønn.»
Joh 1:29-34

Å avslutte et år med å bli minnet om hva jeg er kalt til å peke på, er godt å ta med seg inn i et nytt år. Jeg vil benytte anledningen til å takke dere som leser bloggen for året som gikk. Det har vært 150.000 lesere i 2016, og det å få meldinger om at det har bidratt til at flere har funnet tilbake til troen i løpet av året er en stor velsignelse. Da blir det enda flere borgere i «Pekeland»

Dagens ‘manna’:

I Guds rike peker vi på Jesus!

-------------------------------------------------
(1) Den aller viktigste julesangen
(2) Han pekte ut tolv, som han også kalte apostler, for at de skulle være sammen med ham, og for at han kunne sende dem ut for å forkynne.
Mark 3:14

Where do you belong? – 5

The last country I will visit this year is the “pointers’ land” (1). It was part of my upbringing to hear the warning: “It is rude to point”. And I admit that it can be an uncomfortable experience to be singled out when someone is pointing at me. However, it can also be a great help and a blessing. 

I believe the apostles felt good when Jesus singled out the twelve (2). The mission they received was to preach. 

It is easy to see the similarities between preaching, pointing and appointing. John the Baptist’s mission was to “point”. Through his ministry it was his aim to prepare the way for and point to Jesus:

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world … he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
John 1:29-34

It is good to end a year with the reminder that I am appointed to point, and I will carry the reminder  with me into the New Year. 

I will also take this opportunity to thank you for reading this blog during the past year. The blog has been visited 150,000 times in 2016, and to receive messages that it has contributed to people returning to faith and life in Christ, is a great blessing. It means that there are more people joining the “pointers” in God's kingdom.

‘Manna’ for today:

In God’s kingdom we point to Jesus!

-------------------------------------------------
(1) The most important Christmas song
(2) He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.
Mark 3:14

Hvor hører du vel hjemme? - 4

ENGLISH
I dag tar jeg meg en tur til «Hinkeland» (1). På norsk bruker vi det mest om å hoppe på en fot, men det kan også brukes som synonym for å halte. Synonymordboka (2) bruker også ord som ujevn, usikker og vaklende. 

I et åndelig perspektiv kjenner jeg mange som befinner seg i hinkeland, og som også vedkjenner seg det. Ofte tror jeg vedkjennelsen deres har utspring i frykten for å bli satt i «bås». I mine øyne har mange av dem tro så det holder. 

For meg er tro først og fremst et spørsmål om valg. Dersom jeg velger å tro, det vil si å handle som om det jeg tror faktisk er sant, da opplever jeg at troen bekreftes. Selvfølgelig kjenner jeg meg ustø når jeg handler på denne måten. Det er fordi jeg står på én fot, på Guds. Det er han som har kontrollen, og ikke jeg. Jeg minner om Søren Kierkegaards utsagn: «Å våge er å miste fotfestet for en stund; å ikke våge er å miste seg selv.»

Dagens vers er utfordrende:

Elia trådte fram for hele folket og sa: «Hvor lenge vil dere halte til begge sider? Er Herren Gud, så følg ham; og er Baal Gud, så følg ham!» Men folket svarte ham ikke et ord.
1 Kong 18:21

Det handler om å velge hvilken fot jeg vil stå på.

Dagens ‘manna’:

Julemysteriet er at Gud ble menneske for å gi oss sin fot å stå på.

------------------------------------------------
(1) Den aller viktigste julesangen
(2) Se «Hinke i synonymordboka»

Where do you belong? - 4

NORSK
Today I will take a trip to the “hobbling country" (1). To hobble has synonyms like to limp, shuffle, falter or even to proceed irregularly.

In a spiritual perspective, I know many who live in the land of hobbling people, and they even acknowledge that they live there. I think that they choose to confess their hobbling in fear of being labelled as believers. In my eyes many of them are true believers who have postponed their confession.

For me, faith is primarily a matter of choice. I choose to believe, and to act on what I believe with a presumption that it is actually true. This is also how I experience that my faith is confirmed.

Of course I feel that I lose my footing when I act this way. The reason is that I step on only one foot, on God’s. It is God who has the control and not me. Again I quote Søren Kierkegaard's statement: 

“To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”

Elijah challenged the people in this way:

“How long will you hobble back and forth between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow God. If Baal is God, follow Baal.” The people gave no answer.
1 Kings 18:21

Faith is about choosing which foot I will stand on.

'Manna' for today:

The Christmas mystery is that God became man to give us his foot to stand on.

------------------------------------------------
(1) The most important Christmas song

Hvor hører du vel hjemme? – 3

ENGLISH
Det er ikke bare i norske juletredanser vi tramper med føttene. Jeg har sett maorier gjøre det samme i sin Haka dans, blant annet på Boundless i 2015 - se bildet (3). 

Å trampe med føttene er et sterkt signal og er gjerne et uttrykk styrke eller aggressjon

Er 'trampeland' et sted jeg hører hjemme, eller er det et land jeg bør unngå?

Dersom det er aggresjonen som styrer meg, er det definitivt et land jeg ikke ønsker å høre hjemme i. Samtidig er det viktig at det viktig å sette foten ned når verdier trues.

For eksempel vil jeg trampe når jeg ser:

• Sosial urettferdighet
• Maktmisbruk
• Åndelig hovmod som sperrer veien for andre

Jesus satte foten ned i slike situasjoner (1), og det er jo i ham jeg hører hjemme.

Dagens ‘manna’:

Det er i Jesus jeg hører hjemme! (2)

--------------------------------
(1) Jfr Tempelrensingen
(2) For det er i ham vi lever, beveger oss og er til - Apg 17:28
(3) Jeg 'måtte' bruke dette bildet av hensyn til familefreden. Han ville nok gjerne ha vært med i dansen også, men da satte de foten ned... ;-)  

Where do you belong? – 3

NORSK
It is not only in a Norwegian Christmas-tree dances (1) that people stamp their feet. I have seen Maoris do the same when they dance their Haka. I even watched it at Boundless in 2015 (picture) (2). Stamping of feet is a strong signal and is often an expression of strength and aggression.

Is the “Stampers’ land” a place where I belong, or is it a land I should avoid?

If it is the aggression that controls me, it is definitely a place where I do not want to be. Nevertheless, it is very important to put the foot down when core-values are threatened.
I will stamp my feet when e.g. discover:

• Social injustice
• Abuse of power
• Spiritual arrogance that blocks the way for others

Jesus put his foot down (3), and it is in him I really belong

‘Manna’ for today:

It is in Jesus I belong! (4)

--------------------------------
(1)  See: The most important Christmas song
(2) I just ‘had to’ used this photo for the sake of family-peace. I am sure our son-in-law would have loved to stamp his feet in the dance too, but the Maoris put their feet down…. ;-) 
(3) E.g. The cleansing of the Temple
(4) For in him we live and move and have our being – Acts 17:28 

Hvor hører du vel hjemme? - 2

ENGLISH
I dag vil jeg se litt på svaret «Jeg hører hjemme i ‘hoppeland’»
Noen sitter faktisk fast i ‘hoppeland’ uten å være klar over det. Her er assosiasjonen: 

Når jeg tenker på «hopping» i en kristen sammenheng, tenker jeg umiddelbart på en av historiene som Terry Camsey brukte da han underviste om kirkevekst for 25 år siden. Han fortalte anekdoten om «de hoppende nonner». 

Ordenens tradisjon var at nonnene hoppet mens de ba. Det er for så vidt ikke noe galt i å hoppe mens man ber, men da det ble stilt spørsmål om hvorfor, var det ingen som visste svaret. Ved nærmere undersøkelse kom man fram til at da ordenen ble opprettet brukte ikke nonnene sko på føttene når de ba. Bakgrunnen var skriftstedene hvor Moses og senere Josva (1) ble bedt om å ta av seg på føttene fordi de sto på hellig grunn. Kombinasjonen bare føtter og kalde steingulv førte til at nonnene valgte å hoppe for å holde varmen mens de ba. Dette fortsatte de med også etter at det ble lagt inn varme i klosteret. Hoppingen var blitt en del av tradisjonen uten å ha noen form for funksjon.

Det er ikke noe galt i tradisjoner så lenge jeg er klar over at de har en hensikt og funksjon. Men, det er utrolig farlig å bli sittende fast i et «hoppeland» der tradisjonen er tappet for innhold. 

Julemysteriet var og er et opprør med innholdsløse tradisjoner.

Dagens ‘manna’: 

Jeg hører hjemme i et innholdsrikt land!

-----------------------------------------------
(1) 2 Mos 3:5  & Jos 5:15

Where do you belong? – 2

Today I will reflect on the second answer of the “most important Christmas-song”. I will look into the answer: I belong in the “jumpers’ land”.

When I think about "jumping" in a Christian context, my thoughts immediately go to one of the stories Terry Camsey used when he taught about Church Growth for 25 years ago. He told the anecdote about the "jumping nuns". 

The tradition of the Order was that the nuns jumped while they were praying. There is no harm in jumping while praying, but when someone asked “why”, no one knew the answer. On closer examination, it came to light that when the order was founded, the nuns were barefooted when they prayed. The reason was the passages where Moses and later Joshua (1) were asked to take off their shoes because they stood on holy ground. The combination bare feet and a cold paved floor made to the nuns jump to keep warm while they prayed. They continued this tradition also after heating was installed in the monastery. Jumping had become part of the tradition.

There is nothing wrong with traditions as long as I know that they have a purpose and a function. However, it is dangerous to be stuck in a "jumpers’ land" where the tradition is drained of its content.

The Christmas Mystery was, and is, a protest against vain traditions.

'Manna' for today:

I belong in a land rich on content!

------------------------------------
(1) Exodus 3:5 & Jos 5:15

Hvor hører du vel hjemme? - 1

Dette er første refleksjon over svar på spørsmålet fra sangen «Jeg gikk meg over sjø og land» (1).

Min kjære svigerfar etterlot seg en del 8mm smal-film med opptak av familiebegivenheter fra et par tiår. Da vi kikket på materialet for noen år siden, var det timevis med vinking. Det gikk opp for meg at jeg hadde kommet inn i en familie som hørte hjemme i «vinkeland».

Da statsminister Erna Solberg var på offisielt besøk hos presidenten i USA nylig, spøkte president Obama med NRKs produksjoner av sakte-TV. Jeg fikk med meg noen få brudd-stykker av «Hurtigruta minutt for minutt». Det var en masse vakker natur og folk som vinket. Da skjønte jeg for alvor at jeg faktisk bor i «vinkeland». Vi vinker når vi drar fra hverandre og vi vinker når vi ikke er nær nok til å gi en klem. Derfor blir vinking et symbol på avstand. 

Slik var også forholdet mellom Gud og mennesker inntil Jesus kom. Gud var en skikkelse langt borte. Gudsdyrkelsen ble en form for vinking. Ved å bli menneske, forvandlet Gud fullstendig det tidligere avstandsforholdet, han kom nær. Julens mysterium er nærheten som oppstår mellom Gud og mennesket. (2)

Dagens ‘manna’:

Jeg hører hjemme i Guds nærhet

---------------------------------
(1) Dersom du ikke kjenner sangen, finner du teksten her. Hvor jeg hører hjemme må kunne illustreres med en bevegelse.
(2) Men nå, i Kristus Jesus, er dere som var langt borte, kommet nær på grunn av Kristi blod. Ef 2:13

Where do you belong? - 1

I will follow up the question from yesterday’s reflection on the “most important Christmas-song” (1).

My dear father-in-law left behind a number of 8mm film coils with takes  of family events from a couple of decades. When we watched it a few years back, it was hours on end of family-members waving to the camera. 
It occurred to me that I had come into a family belonging to the "wavers' land". 

When the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, was on an official visit to USA, President Obama made a speech and joked with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s productions of “slow TV”. I was only able to watch a few glimpses of "The Coastal Steamer minute by minute". It contained a lot of beautiful scenery and even more people waving. So, I have finally realized that I actually live in the "wavers’ land". We wave when we go apart and we wave when we are not close enough for a hug. Therefore, waving in many ways symbolises distance. 

Distance was the characteristic of the relationship between God and man before Jesus came. God was a distant figure. Worship was a kind of “waving” from a distance. 

By becoming man, God transformed his relationship with men completely. He went from distance to presence. The Christmas mystery is God’s presence in the lives of people (2).

'Manna' for today:

I belong in God's presence

----------------------------------------------------
(1) The idea with this song is to give answers that can be acted out while dancing around the tree. The first example is “I belong to the wavers’ land, because everyone who can wave their hand, they belong to the wavers’ land.”

(2) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:13

Den aller viktigste julesangen

ENGLISH
For ei uke siden delte jeg juletanker på «Heimelaga julekonsert» i Kroken kjørke. På den siste konserten sa jeg på spøk at jeg alltid hadde savnet den aller viktigste julesangen i reportoaret til den flotte gjengen som holder julekonstertene hvert år. 

Deretter sang jeg litt fra «Jeg gikk meg over sjø og land». Den hører sannsynligvis hjemme blant våre mest overfladiske julesanger, men sangen stiller det desidert viktigste spørsmålet: «Hvor hører du vel hjemme?»

Da Johannes døperen pekte ut Jesus som «Guds lam» for to av sine disipler, fulgte disiplene etter Jesus. Da Jesus spurte han «Hva leter dere etter?» svarte de:

«Hvor bor du?»
Joh 1:38

Lenge tenkte jeg at dette var et meningsløst spørsmål å stille, men det var før jeg forsto hvordan Johannesevangeliet er skrevet. Spørsmålet «Hvor bor du?» handler om mer enn hvor du fysisk holder til. Det handler om hvor du har dine røtter. Det handler om hvor du er hjemme i forhold til verdier. Julemysteriet handler om å komme hjem der hvor jeg hører til. For Jesus sa og sier: «Kom og se!»

Dagens ‘manna’:

Jeg vet hvor jeg hører hjemme!

-----------------------------------

The most important Christmas song

NORSK
I guess that there will be a lot of discussions if we were to agree on which Christmas song is the most important. A week ago, I shared some Christmas thoughts in a Carol festival at our local church. At the last concert I jokingly said that I had always missed the most important Christmas song in the repertoire of the excellent local singers. 

Then I sang some bars from a Norwegian Christmas-tree dance with a very shallow content, apart from one question that is repeated again and again “Where then do you belong?”

When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said: “Look, the Lamb of God!", two of his disciples followed Jesus. When discovered that, he asked: “What do you want?” They answered:

"Where do you live?"
John 1:38

For a long time, I thought that this was a meaningless question to ask. However, that was before I understood how John had composed his gospel. The question "Where do you live?" is far deeper than a reference to a physical residence. It is about where you have your roots. It is about where your values are. The Christmas mystery is about to coming home to where I belong. Because Jesus came to said and says: "Come and see!" 

'Manna' for today:

I know where I belong!

Et barn er født i Betlehem

ENGLISH
Refleksjonene nå i jula kommer til å bli relativt korte. Jeg lever i julemysteriet, og i dag gleder jeg meg enda en gang over Betlehem. 

Selvfølgelig måtte Jesus bli født akkurat der og ikke «hjemme» i Nasaret. Det er fordi han er "Brødet fra himmelen" som vi «spiser» for at han skal bli en del av vår kropp slik at vi kan bli en del av hans. Da er det eneste logiske stedet for fødselen hans: «Brødhuset» = Betlehem.

I dag befinner jeg meg på «Brødsjø». Det har dessverre ingenting med brød å gjøre, men henger sammen med det faktum at «bred» på telemarksdialekt er blitt til «brød».

Men «bred» passer også godt med juleevangeliet. Det er er så bredt at det favner hele verden. Det betyr også at uansett hvilket sted jeg befinner meg på, kan bli et Betlehem; altså et brødhus hvor mennesker kan finne næring for veien videre fordi jeg er akkurat der. Julemysterieter er brødhusmysteriet.

Dagens ‘manna’:

Brødhusmysteriet skjer i dag.

-------------------------------

Born in Bethlehem

NORSK
During the Christmas season I will keep my reflections relatively short. These days I live in the Christmas mystery, and today I rejoice once again over Bethlehem. It seems obvious that Jesus had to be born in that place and not "at home" in Nazareth. He is ‘the bread from heaven’ that we "eat", so that he can become part of us and we become a part of him. The only logical place for his birth was the "Bread house" = Bethlehem.

We celebrate Christmas in a small area named after the local lake – translated into English the name is “Bread-sea”. I like the name, but unfortunately it has nothing to do with bread, but rather is result of a dialectic development from "broad" to "bread". But even that is part of the Christmas message, it is a broad-casting of the good news embracing the whole world. That means that wherever I happen to be at any time, can become a Bethlehem – a bread house where people can find nurture for their journey of eternity – just because a believer is in that place. The Christmas mystery, is the mystery of the Bread-house.

'Manna' for today:

The Bread-house-mystery is happening today.

-------------------------------------

En julebekjennelse

(For English see under)
Det finnes mange trosbekjennelser. Den som brukes mest i Norge kalles «Den apostoliske trosbekjennelsen», men det finnes også flere andre (1). I tillegg finner vi spor av slike bekjennelser i brevene til Paulus, og jeg har allerede nevnt en av dem vi finner i brevene til Timoteus. I dag kommer det en til, og det passer i grunnen godt på en julaften:

Samstemt bekjenner vi at gudsfryktens mysterium er stort.
Han ble åpenbart i kjøtt og blod,
rettferdiggjort i Ånden,
sett av engler,
forkynt for folkeslag,
trodd i verden,
tatt opp i herlighet.
1 Tim 3:18

I dag fryder jeg meg over gudsfryktens stor mysterium. Gud ble menneske! Når jeg griper en flik av det, griper han meg slik at jeg blir en del av mysteriet.

Dagens ‘manna’:

Det er nok å gripe en «flik» for selv å bli grepet!

Jeg ønsker dere alle en velsignet julehøytid!

-------------------------------------------
(1) Se Trosbekjennelsene

A Christmas Creed

There are many creeds. The most commonly used in evangelical churches is the "Apostles' Creed," but there are several others as well (1). In addition, we find traces of creeds in Paul's letters, and I have already mentioned one from his letter to Timothy. Today I have reached another one, and it fits in well on a Christmas Eve:

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
1 Tim 3:16

Today I rejoice in the great mystery from which true godliness springs: God became man! When I grab hold of the tiny bit I see, God grabs hold of me and I become part of the mystery.

‘Manna’ for today:

It is enough to grab hold of a tiny bit to grabbed hold of yourself

I wish you a blessed Christmas in God’s great mystery!

------------------------------------
(1) E.g. the Nicaean Creed and the Athanasian Creed

What is the church of the living God?

NORSK
Yesterday, I quoted Paul’s reason for his high expectations concerning the lifestyle of the leaders of the church:

I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1 Tim 3:15

In this verse Paul uses several images to illustrate the nature of a church

• The house of God

It strange how easy it is to associate the house of God with a physical building. I admit that a physical place to gather for worship can be useful for the church, but the core of the New Covenant is that the house of God, the Tabernacle of the Lord or the temple of the Spirit, is found where follower of Christ is found. Therefore, I always find myself in God’s household wherever I am on the planet.

• The foundation of truth

Paul used the image of a building and a temple in a letter to the church in Corinth. Also there he refers to the foundation, like he did in the letter to Timothy:

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 3:10-11

It is interesting that he wrote that foundation is Jesus Christ in this letter, while ‘the church of God’ is the foundation of truth in the letter he wrote to Timothy. I cannot see any contradiction in this. Because, if the church is Jesus in the world today, the church should also convey the truth in our time. But the church is not only the foundation of truth, it is also

• The pillar of truth

The function of a pillar is to support. I like the idea of the church being a support of truth. But in addition, pillars are often made beautiful because of their visibility. This was definitely true at time when Paul wrote this. The church should be ‘beautiful’ to make the truth even more visible. Remember that I still write about the church of the living God, not about a physical church-building. The challenge in our time is that the church tends to obscure the truth. If the truth is obscured by the church, it must be legitimate to ask whether it is still a church of the living God.

‘Manna’ for today:

The church of the living God is nothing less than a miracle!

-------------------------------------------

Ready for a noble task?

NORSK
When Paul chose to write to Timothy about church leaders and members, it was because he wanted Timothy to:

“…know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:15

In other words, it is Paul’s concern for the church that is the motive for the high expectations he has to the appointed leaders. I will not at this stage reflect on the details, they need no explanation and are found in the third chapter. I choose to dwell on the opening phrase:

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.
1 Tim 3:1

This verse has always intrigued me, and I used it as an introduction to the first leadership course I published more than 25 years back. The verse puzzles me because I wonder if there really are a lot people who desire to be an overseer? It seems even more strange if they have read all the requirements found in chapter three.

Experience confirms that the church needs people who are willing to take on such roles. A few days ago I spoke with a young family who are members of a well-run church. After a long period without a pastor, a few months they welcomed one who accepted the challenge. "It was not until after he had arrived that we realized how much we have missed having a pastor", the young family commented.

I know their new pastor. He knows what it is all about and what he has committed himself to, and I know his motivation - he is one of the best pastors I know. I think “motive” was Paul’s concern. The demands for qualifications are in many ways unlimited, but the person who takes on such a mission with the right motive, also understands that it is a noble task he has taken on. It is a task that needs to be done and therefore it is part of ‘the good deposit’, for which all disciples are responsible stewards. Therefore, we should support those who face the challenge of leadership.

'Manna' for today:

Discipleship is about being ready for noble tasks.

----------------------------------------------

When "everything else" all of a sudden becomes important

NORSK
... We are often reminded of the evil in the world, and with the attacks on ‘evacuation-buses’ in Aleppo, the murder of the Russian ambassador in Turkey and the IS-attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, it is confirmed that evil is not defeated.

That makes "everything else" important. Exhortations to pray for all people and those in leadership positions in particular, seems to be the best we can do (1), and several of Paul’s other exhortations may be useful to recall when the world is so dark that it threatens to hide the light.

Here is a small excerpt:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves… Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse… Do not repay anyone evil for evil… If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12: 9-21

This has its roots in the most important: In God, who is love. This love became man and was tested in "everything else" like us, but love prevailed. I need to be reminded about this fact on the dark days. It gives light, and it gives hope.

And amidst all the evil, I constantly see kindness expressed around me. Some call the goodness “tyranny”. If it is correct, I wish for more tyranny, yes, I will gladly fight for this kind of tyranny until good has overcome evil.

'Manna' for today: 

Love will triumph!

PS tomorrow it is about leadership in the church.
---------------------------------------------------
(1) See: “Instructions on prayer”

“Everyday exhortations”

NORSK
The ‘everyday exhortations’ in today’s verses are typical examples of “everything else”, which was the focus of yesterday’s reflection. In these verses Paul presents challenges both for men and women, and it is about behaviour:

I will therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands, without anger and contention. In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly attire, but as it becometh women professing godliness, with good works.
1 Tim 2:8-10

In the antique era, it was common practice to lift the hands towards heaven in prayers. Pure hands were associated with innocence (1), and the act of lifting hands in prayer was in itself considered pure and a sign of blessing (2).

In the pious tradition, the concept of “Godliness with austerity” was a virtue highly valued. Since all people are of equal value to God, the women were challenged to “adorn themselves with modesty and sobriety”. The same principal is a primary reason for uniform-wearing in the Salvation Army. Originally it was a cheap outfit that everyone could afford, and to wear jewellery together with uniform, was unthinkable – because jewellery was a sign of wealth.

As a young soldier in the Salvation Army, my grandma bought a new hath decorated with a beautiful feather. She came to a meeting in casual clothes wearing her new hat. During the first song a female officer came down from the platform and cut of the feather with a pair of scissors. Fortunately, a lot has changed over the past 70 years, but even today there is a danger that the less important become more important than the most important.

‘Manna’ for today:

What is the most important?

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(1) e.g. Pilate washed his hands. Matt 27:24
(2) See: Psalm 134

What about “everything else?”

NORSK

If everything that is not vital is taken away, and I am left with "the gospel in a nutshell" as described yesterday's reflection, what about “everything else”? I must admit that this question is one of the most challenging questions I have as a Christian leader, and it is also one of the areas where Paul may seem like an enigma.

When I interpret Paul, it can be confusing if one passage is read in isolation. Paul is very concerned that we are no longer under the law but under grace (1), but in the next moment, he makes clear exhortations with regard to interactions between Christians. I find this in many of his letters. One example: To the Corinthians he wrote:

God has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Cor 3:6

However, no other church received so much rebuke from Paul as the Corinthians. He confronted them in strong words for their lifestyle, influenced by adultery and internal conflicts – or to use my phrase: "everything else."

“Everything else” does not concern the foundation of salvation, it is about living. That does not necessarily make it simpler, because some behavioural matters are culturally determined, while others may be pragmatic and strategic choices for achieving the most important goal.
 
Paul’s letter to Philemon proves this. It reveals that Paul sees the "master" Philemon and the "slave" Onesimus as equal brothers in Christ, but he hesitates to ‘order’ Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother and not as slave, but he appeals to him to do it on the basis of love (2).

I think it is because transformed people will transform society gradually. The history of revivals show that transformed people can revolutionize a society. While revolutions caused by political revolt, does not have the same effect on the people inflicted.

This is important to keep in mind when I look closer at the interaction between Paul and Timothy. Tomorrow will look at some exhortations about church life.

'Manna' for today:

The less important must never overshadow the most important

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(1) Gal 5:6

(2) Philemon1:8-10