Christian Notebook

A family of three tourists, all armed with cameras, were taking photos of each other on Michigan Avenue. It's not a rare occurance. People are always taking photos in front of Tribune Tower, but what was striking was that all three had cameras and all three were actively taking photos. Usually it's just one person taking all the photos.

Everyone was having their experience of Chicago through their camera. The camera was a means of communicating with each other. Just like talking with someone with words, these people communicated through their image-taking.

It just seemed really odd.

Got me to thinking about how we experience the world through our devices. We like our devices. We like to stare at phones on the train. We like to stare at computers and at facebook.

When we take photos, we think it's more of capturing the moment. Capturing the scene. Being able to archive a memory. But after seeing that family, it seems to me the act of taking the photo is more important than the photo itself. All these photos we take, how many actually get posted online. Or put into a photo album. I have thousands of photos that nobody else has seen.

but I enjoy taking them.

Just as we like to experience the world through a screen on our laptops and phones. We also like to experience the world as it appears in our camera screen. Our camera screen becomes how we see things. We relate to the camera. We like to see how things look on the camera.

The camera is consistent. It shows the world as it is. It frames it out into a nice digestable screen. We enjoy the consistency. The integrity. The regularity of how the camera screen shows the world.

As we have this relation and connection to our devices, we can also begin to understand why we get so frustrated when they start to behave slowly. They aren't behaving in the ways we'd like.

This nice digestable world that our cell phone cameras displayed now behaves differently and it's frustrating.

I wish there was a conclusion to this, but that's all for now.

We know God created us. But what are we? What did God create? Ephesians 2:10 is a very interesting verse:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are God’s workmanship. The original Greek word for “workmanship” is poiema.
poieo = to make
ma = result of
Something that is composed or constructed, something that is made, the product, the thing made. Poiema is where we get our English word “poem.” It also means any work of art. It could mean a statue or a song or architecture or a poem or a painting.

We are God’s artwork. But it doesn’t stop there. We aren’t just pretty paintings that hang on the wall for aesthetic purposes. Take a look at the rest of the verse. “created in Christ Jesus for good works” We aren’t to just exist, we are to do.

This gives me renewed vision of what “spudart” means. Ever since I was in college in the late 90s I said art serves a purpose, a function. Potatoes are able to do lots of things. Sustain as a staple food, delight tastebuds as french fries, unscrew light bulbs, power a clock, entertain children as Mr. Potato head. I’ve taken that metaphor to artwork. I want my artwork to do things. To make people think. To influence people to make changes. Spudart.

Now with new insight to Ephesians 2:10, I'm inspired to know that we are God's artwork. We are artwork made to do good things.

Studying the book of Jeremiah got me thinking about what God has planned for each of us. God says about to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born I consecrated you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5.

A clip from a sermon by John MacArthur on Jeremiah:

That extends to all of us, beloved. For you were predestined in Christ before the world began. You were chosen in Him from before the foundations of it. Your name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life before ever the world was spun into space. God not only designed that you should belong to him but designed that the Spirit of God would redeem you and gift you to serve within the framework of the kingdom in a unique way that no one else could match. Every believer in the Kingdom of God is under divine mandate to fulfill a task, an obligation, a ministry. We were created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk even in them.

I've had this sense with my photography that they need more depth, more meaning. More purpose. A purpose.

For the past 14 years I wanted to teach. Maybe I should have already been teaching. But right now I feel like I need to put more purpose in my art. If I teach now, would I just be raising up more people with this same non-purposeful art?

I want to inject more meaning into my art. Perhaps I can inspire or teach others to do the same.

I'm changing the focus of this blog at christiannotebook.com. Previously the title was "The adventures of a Missouri Synod Lutheran attending a non-denominational church." While that still holds true, I never really made any blog posts about that topic.

Instead I'm making a goal to post at least one blog post per week about the intersection of being both a Christian and an artist.

What does it mean to be a Christian and an artist? This blog will explore that.

James, the brother of our Lord -
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A half-brother of our Lord

Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? (Mat 13:55 ESV)
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Did not believe in his brother at first

For not even his brothers believed in him. (Jhn 7:5 ESV)
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He became a disciple following the resurrection

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (1Cr 15:7 ESV)

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (Act 1:14 ESV)

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Gained prominence in the church at Jerusalem

and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Gal 2:9 ESV)
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As evidence of his prominence, Peter sent him a special message following his own release from prison

But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place. (Act 12:17 ESV)
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James also played an important role in the conference at Jerusalem

After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.' Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. (Act 15:13-33 ESV)
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Paul brought him greetings upon arriving at Jerusalem

On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. (Act 21:18-19 ESV)

In lesson 3 of the the study "Keeping your focus when your dreams are shattered" it asks us to look up 13 scripture references to famine. Genesis 12:10; Genesis 26:1; Leviticus 26:14-29; 2 Chronicles 6:13, 2 Chronicles 6:26-31; Isaiah 3:1-8; Jeremiah 14:11-18; Jeremiah 29:17-19; 2 Kings 25:1-3; 2 Samuel 21:1; Ezekiel 14:13-21; Psalm 33:18-22; Psalm 37:18-20; Psalm 105:16-22; Luke 21:7-11; Revelation 6:5-8

Here are all thirteen references in one place:

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. (Gen 12:10 ESV)

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. (Gen 26:1 ESV)

"But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. "Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted. "And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied. "But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. (Lev 26:14-29 ESV)

Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. (2Ch 6:13, 26-31 ESV)

For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. For a man will take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying:"You have a cloak; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule"; in that day he will speak out, saying:"I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; you shall not make me leader of the people." For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. (Isa 3:1-8 ESV)

The Lord said to me:"Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." Then I said:"Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'" And the Lord said to me:"The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, 'Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them--them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them. "You shall say to them this word:'Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound, with a very grievous blow. If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.'" (Jer 14:11-18 ESV)

'Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the Lord, that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the Lord.' (Jer 29:17-19 ESV)

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. (2Ki 25:1-3 ESV)

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." (2Sa 21:1 ESV)

"Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God. "If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. "Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered. "Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. "For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! (Eze 14:13-21 ESV)

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psa 33:18-22 ESV)

The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish--like smoke they vanish away. (Psa 37:18-20 ESV)

When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. (Psa 105:16-22 ESV)

And they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?" And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. (Luk 21:7-11 ESV)

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!" When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:5-8 ESV)

During the closing prayer one of the things asked was something like, "please help us to turn off the radio and other distractions and focus on you, Lord."

Is that odd to ask that we turn off the radio? Do people still listen to the radio? That made me pray to help turn off the TV. (which isn't much a problem for me) and the computer. Oh yes, the computer. That is the real distraction. And specifically facebook. And get into God's book.

I liked that comparison. Turn off the facebook and get into Godsbook.

My small group is doing Keeping Your Focus When Your Dreams Are Shattered - A Study on Joseph - (Genesis 37-50). In the second lesson, it lists 22 characteristics of God. Each characteristic has about two or three verses. But they only give the reference, not the verse itself. They make the point that it's good to look up verses in your bible and write the characteristic in the margin. But I also like being able to look through all the verses together.

Here's all the characteristics with their complete verses from the ESV.

Omniscient - God knows all. He has a perfect knowledge of everything that is past, present, or future.

Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, (Job 37:16 ESV)

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psa 139:1-6 ESV)

Omnipotent - God possesses all power. He is able to bring into being anything that He has decided to do, with or without the use of any means.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Gen 18:14 ESV)

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2 ESV)

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jer 32:27 ESV)

Omnipresent - God is present everywhere, in the entire universe, at all times, in the totality of His character.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Pro 15:3 ESV)

“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. (Jer 23:23-24 ESV)

Eternal - God has no beginning, and He has no end. He is not confined to the finiteness of time or of man’s reckoning of time. He is, in fact, the cause of time.

For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, (Deu 32:40 ESV)

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:”I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isa 57:15 ESV)

• Joseph precepts

An interesting devotion on "Santa Claus is coming to town"

"No Disappointment Here"

December 26, 2006

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. Titus 3:4-5

You've probably all heard the following lyrics: "He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake." Santa has become known for rewarding the good and punishing the bad. After all, this is the way the world works and Santa is a very worldly guy.

Fortunately, Jesus doesn't work that way at all! Scripture tells us that, apart from Jesus, "there is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). If our salvation depended on the theory of Santa, then no one would be saved … because no one could ever be good enough to earn salvation on his or her own merit. Jesus saved us because He is merciful, not because we deserved it.

Jesus knows exactly how full of sin we are, and yet He came to save us at great personal cost. No wonder St. Paul tells Titus about the "kindness and love of God our Savior." Santa might be a symbol for kindness and generosity, but he can't compare to Jesus. You can truly put your faith in Jesus and never be disappointed.

Prayer: Dearest King of Kings, born to us a child in Bethlehem to take away the sin of the world, may we ever adore Thee Christ our Lord. Amen.

© 2006 Lutheran Hour Ministries