Xavier Pacheco

I did not post last week because our Sabbath was spent, enjoying God's creation at Grand Teton National Park. We camped for five days and six nights in one of the most beautiful places in the world.   The psalmist wrote truly:

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

In my last post on the Sabbath, I said that the Sabbath attests to God as the Creator of all things.  When we look upon the magnificence of creation, it should compel us to worship the Creator, not creation itself.  Certainly, God's creation is worthy of our appreciation and stewardship, but never our worship. 

I wonder to what level we fail in directing our worship to God. I'm speaking primarily to those of us who call ourselves "Christians."  I can only expect non-Christians to worship "other gods", though they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20).  We, however, know that God alone is worthy of our worship.  So, I'm leaving this post open for discussion, I am wondering how we Christians fail in properly directing our worship to God.  I am not necessarily looking for a list of the things we worship, but rather how we fall short in our worship of God. I look forward to your comments.

Shabbat Shalom!

This week as the Sabbath approached my thoughts shifted from why we observe the Sabbath to why we celebrate it. We should not think of the Sabbath as a cyclical, repetitive event but rather as a final celebration of God's creative and redemptive activity.  A popular and faulty teaching is that the Sabbath is a necessary rest that allows us to be replenished for the upcoming six days of work. This teaching is antithetical to what Sabbath rest conveys.  In the creation account, God rested on the Sabbath when He had finished His work. There was no more work to be done in creation. God did not rest on the seventh day so that he could repeat His creative activity for another six days again and again. His creation was final and it was good.  As we celebrate the Sabbath we ought to be entering its rest in that frame of mind.  Yet, is it realistic to think that we can actually finish our work in the six days preceding the Sabbath?  In my line of work, this is unrealistic and unthinkable, oftentimes I approach the Sabbath with unfinished business.  I have heard the argument that it is more honoring to God that we finish our work rather than keep the Sabbath, but how does this line up with the theology behind the Sabbath?  One teaching of the Jewish sages on Exodus 20:9 that I believe well reflects the meaning of Sabbath rest is that we are to "Rest on the Sabbath as if all your work were done. Another interpretation: Rest even from the thought of labor."  ¹ .

This is utterly important because the Sabbath attests to God as the creator of all things. This truth, so foundational to our Christian faith, is expressed as a witness when we celebrate the Sabbath and affirms this essential creed.  Our unfinished efforts speak only to our finite limitations. Our celebration of the Sabbath, speaks to our acknowledgement of God's infinite being and perfect finisher of that which He begins. This has profound implications in the Sabbath's relation to God's redemptive purpose (a post for later).  To bring our "finished" business as a way to honor God, above His sanctified and holy day is no different than to bring an unworthy sacrifice in the manner of Cain.  George Elliott beautifully illustrates this purpose in the Sabbath:

The reason of the institution of the Sabbath is one which possesses an unchanging interest and importance to all mankind. The theme of the Creation is not particular to Israel, nor is worship of the Creator confined to the children of Abraham. The primary article of every religious creed, and the foundation of all true religion, is faith in one God as the Maker of all things. Against atheism, which denies the existence of a personal God; against materialism, which denies that this visible universe has its roots in the unseen; and against secularism, which denies the need of worship, the Sabbath is therefore an eternal witness. It symbolically commemorates that creative power which spoke all things into being, the wisdom which ordered their adaptations and harmony, and the love which made, as well as pronounced, all 'very good.' It is set as the perpetual guardian of man against the spiritual infirmity which has everywhere led him to a denial of God who made him, or to the degeneration of that God into a creature made with his own hand. ²

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you, bring not your unfinished (or finished) efforts as that by which to honor God. Rather, rest in Him and his Sabbath which He made for you (Mark 2:27). In a day when we tend to super-spiritualize God's ordinances we forget that they were given to us as blessings and reminders of who His is.

There is much to be said about the Sabbath and particularly as it relates to redemption in Christ. I intend to share my thoughts weekly, following the Sabbath. I will draw from various sources, Christian and Jewish. I look forward to receiving your thoughts and insights as well. 

Until next week,

   Shabbat Shalom!

  ¹ Quoted in: Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man. (New  York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1951), 32.

 ² George Elliott, The Abiding Sabbath. (New  York, 1884), 17-18.

Oh that preaching in America would be this bold!  I just love it when preachers preach uncompromisingly, unafraid to speak truth, unhindered by what people think about them.

When you take a look at American Christianity, it is based more upon a Godless culture than it is upon the Word of God.

The greatest heresy in the American evangelical and Protestant church is that if you pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart He will definitely come in.

Salvation is by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ! And Faith alone in Jesus Christ is preceded and followed by repentance! A turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates and a love for the things that God loves! A growing in Holiness!

For those uncomfortable with Paul Washer's comments, see this article (Paul Washer in Wikipedia). 

A friend sent me this video. Normally, I watch and let them pass by.  However, just this morning I was talking with a brother about the Christian struggle. We spoke about being real, about our walk and learning to fully surrender to Jesus when under temptation. Is it not by His power and by His Spirit alone that we have any hope of escape from temptation (1 Cor 10:13)?   Yet there are so many things that pull us away from Christ and into this world.  With our self-righteous attitudes, we define spiritual battles with things like politics, social ills and everything else outside ourselves. The real question is, what do we truly love? What replaces Christ in our lives?  Satan doesn't have to conjure up elaborate schemes, he merely has to leave us to our own lustful desires. There is our spiritual battle!  It is the all consuming lust for money, sex, success, affirmation, esteem, you name it.  Yet we know that:

There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

Truly, is there anything, anything in life greater than Christ? I say No, nothing!

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?  Lifehouse, Everything

Here is a story (a real one for many, I'm sure) nicely told - artistically.

In looking to get a new bible for our 7-year old son Zack for scripture memorization. We were considering the bibles we (Anne and I) use at home.  For study we use the NASB though I have been enjoying the ESV.  Neither of us use the NKJV nor the NIV which are also popular.

Zack will be memorizing scripture with other kids who use the NKJV.  I felt that the NASB was a bit too technical for a 7-year old so it came down to either the ESV or the NKJV.  We decided to compare his first memory verse using the NASB, ESV and NKJV.  I fired up Logos, typed in 2 Corinthians 9:7 in the Parallel Bible Versions tool and here's what I ended up with:

Now personally, I liked the ESV's wording better.  Anne was also comparing these versions and she preferred the the NKJV over the ESV. I couldn't see a drastic difference until she read her version of the ESV as:

"Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

What concerned me was that there were two different texts for the same ESV translation!  What's up with this?  After looking further, Google reveals that there has been a 2007 text update to the ESV translation. I suppose this is normal, but I cannot see from my printed copy any way to determine which text version I have without doing an actual comparison of verses like 2 Corinthians 9:7.

I found one blog where the author has posted some of the differences.  As this author notes, Gen 30:35 is funny and my son would certainly have appreciated the humor of the 2001 version. 

Oh, btw, we decided upon the ESV but will be waiting to buy him a Bible when I know that the ESV Kids edition is based on the 2007 text update.

Every now and then while listening to new releases on Napster I find a truly gifted musician.  Sierra Hull, a 16-year old mandolin prodigy is such an artist. For those that appreciate bluegrass, you'll want to listen to her new album Secrets which was just released this month, I believe.

You can watch Sierra (a much younger Sierra) performing with Alison Krauss below, be careful though, you can't sit still and listen to this - almost spilled coffee on my keyboard!  Have fun!

Click here for more on Sierra Hull

Cluck Old Hen

Cluck old hen, cluck and sing
Ain't laid an egg since 'way last spring.

Cluck old hen, cluck and squall
Ain't laid an egg since 'way last fall.

My old hen's a good old hen
She lays eggs for the railroad men.

Sometimes one, sometimes two
Sometimes enough for the whole damn crew.

Sometimes nine, sometimes ten
That's enough eggs for the railroad men.

My old hen, she won't do
She lays eggs and taters too.

The old hen, she's raised on a farm
Now she's in the new ground, diggin' up corn.

The first time she cackled, she cackled a lot
Next time she cackled, cackled in the pot.

From: Vester Jones. Folkways 3811

The old hen cackled, she cackled in the lot
The next time she cackled, she cackled in the pot

The old hen cackled, she cackled for corn
The old hen cackled, now the chickens all gone

That old hen, she’s raised on a farm
Now she’s on new ground, digging up corn

From Brad Leftwich. Round Peak Style Clawhammer Banjo. Words from Tommy Jarrell. Key A

Cluclk old hen, cluck I said
Cluck old hen your widdies all dead

Cluck old hen, cluck for corn
Cluck old hen your widdies all gone

My old hen’s a good old hen
She lays eggs for railroad men
Sometimes one, sometimes two
Sometimes enough for the whole dang crew

I had an old he, she had a wooden leg
The best dang hen that ever laid an egg
She laid more eggs than the hens around the barn
Another little drink wouldn’t do me no harm

I have two words to say on this prayer, simply profound.

 “I asked the Lord that I might grow
in faith and love and every grace;
might more of his salvation know,
and seek, more earnestly, his face.

I thought that in some favoured hour
at once he’d answer my request;
and by his love’s constraining power,
subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this, he made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart,
and let the angry powers of hell
assault my soul in ev’ry part.

‘Lord, why is this?’ I trembling cried,
‘Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?;
‘Tis in this way’ the Lord replied,
‘I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ
from self and pride to set thee free,
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
‘That thou may’st seek thy ALL in me!”

                               -- John Newton

Well, I've done it. I've managed to convince my wife to blog.  Truth be told, she writes very well. She has read and edited most of my technical writings including the 1000+ page programming books and not once did she doze! She reads and edits almost every paper, article, class and anything else I write for public consumption.  Her focus, motherhood, homeschooling, Christian parenting and more - all great topics.

Welcome to the Blogsphere Anne!

Anne's Blog