Another Look at the Upper Room—Part 2—Lucan Parable of the Serving Master

Before I explore John 13 in more detail, I'd like to take a look at a parable recorded in Luke 12:35-38. Why this parable? Because in it the master of the house is depicted serving his slaves/servants. This post is based on chapter 29 of Kenneth E. Bailey's Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels, in which he discusses this parable.

 

[Luke 12:35] "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, [36] and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. [37] Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. [38] If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! (ESV)

 

Without going into a large amount of detail, the literary structure supports ending the parable with verse 38. Luke 12:39-48 is a new unit. (For those so inclined, compare parables in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, and also see Dr. Bailey's discussion of corresponding text in Poet and Peasant dealing with the "Jerusalem Document" and parable boundaries, p. 80-81, 108-109).

 

From Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Figure 29.1

1-a	Let your waist be girded	Servant (prepared)
b	And your lamps burning,	Servant (prepared)
2-a	And be like people who are expecting their master	Servant (alert)
b	when he withdraws from the wedding banquet,	Master (comes)
b'	so that when he comes and knocks,	Master (comes)
a'	Immediately they may open to him.	Servant (alert)
3-a	Blessed are those slaves	Slaves - blessed
b	who coming, the master finds awake.	Master - comes/finds
c	Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself	Master - serves
d	and cause them to recline [to eat],	"               "
c'	and come to them and serve them.	"               "
b'	If (in the second or third watch),     he comes and finds thus,	Master - comes/finds
a'	Blessed are those slaves.	Slaves - blessed

 

The choice of English words used to translate the passage and the phrase ordering become important so I have reproduced Dr. Bailey's translation in the table above.

 

The rhetorical style is important in identifying the main point of the parable. What we can see is that the parable consists of three stanzas. The first stanza sets the scene. The second stanza expands on the first by incorporating new material in the middle two lines. The third stanza repeats the motifs of the first two stanzas but expands the parable with an astonishing climax in its center.

 

A brief outline of the parable's rhetorical structure is as follows (from Bailey, c.f., third column of above table):

 

Stanza 1

Servants prepared

Servants prepared

Stanza 2

Servants alert

Master comes

Master comes

Servants alert

Stanza 3

Servants blessed

Master comes/finds

Master serves the servants

Master comes/finds

Servants blessed

 

Stanza One sets the initial scene. Girding one's waist with a belt indicates that the person is ready to work and/or travel. It tightens the loose-fitting robes around one's self so that it does not get in the way of strenuous activity. A directive to keep lamps burning places the scene in the evening, as darkness begins to fall.

 

Stanza Two adds more details. We learn why the servants are directed to be ready for activity. We also note two key translation differences between common English translations and the words Dr. Bailey has selected.

 

The first alternate translation is found in the first line of stanza two. The difference may appear trivial but it connotes a significant change in feeling. The ESV reads, "And be like men who are waiting for their master." Bailey translates this as, "And be like people who are expecting their master." Waiting conveys a passive feeling, something that is simply routine and ho-hum, a sense that the servants are sitting around looking at the clock. Expecting conveys a much more active feeling, a sense of great anticipation, and the servants are preparing for an imminent return.

 

The second alternate translation is found in the second line of stanza two. The ESV reads, "The master to come home from the wedding feast." Bailey translates this line as, "When he withdraws from the wedding banquet." The ESV translation conveys the image that the wedding feast is done and as a result the master is returning home. Bailey's translation (based on Syriac and Arabic texts) paints a picture where the wedding feast is still in progress and the master has temporarily and quietly taken leave of the feast to come to the servants. Bailey writes,

 

"I find this translation more authentic to the larger world of New Testament images into which this parable must be placed. This often-neglected option [to use "withdraw" rather than "come home"] brings added nuances to the story. If the master returns home after the party is over, then the reason for his return is obvious. The party is over -- of course he returns home. But if he withdraws from the party while it is in full swing, the reader wants to know why is he doing so?" (370)

 

We get to the third line in stanza two where the master comes and knocks. Bailey writes that in the Middle Eastern culture, only strangers knock on doors at night. Normally a person known to the house would vocally announce their presence. Those inside, upon hearing a familiar voice would open the door. They generally would not open the door to a stranger knocking.

 

Here again our images of the parable are challenged. We have typically interpreted the wedding feast occurring at some other location, separate from the master's house. But what is actually happening is that the wedding feast is taking place at the master's house. The master is knocking on an inside door. The servants are in a secure location. It is not a stranger on the outside coming unannounced. They can safely open the door. The master knocks (quietly) rather than announcing himself because he does not want to alert the other party-goers to his temporary withdrawal.

 

The third stanza reveals why the master has withdrawn from the feast to come to the servants, now identified as slaves (in the first two stanzas, the precise standing of the 'servants' are still unclear). So the master has come to the lowest of the low (according to the social standings of the time).

 

First it is said that the servants are blessed. The word 'blessed' is makarios (most famously in the Beatitudes), a state that is not in the future, but a condition that is already present. In other words these slaves are not blessed because they have kept awake, lamps burning, and opened the door. The slaves do these things because they are already in a state of makarios. They are expecting their master to come to them, even in the middle of the night, even while the wedding feast is going on in another part of the house.

 

The surprise and the main point of this parable is found in the center of this third stanza (3-cdc'). The servants/slaves are expecting to serve the master upon his return, but in a dramatic twist the master immediately girds up his robes in preparation for doing work -- lowly work such as scrubbing the floor. Bailey writes, "Only lower-class servants and slaves, belt their robes [in preparation for work]." (372)

 

The master commands the servants to recline at the table [triclenium]. They cannot refuse. The slave is no longer a slave. There is only one reason why they have been ordered to recline at the table. It is for a meal. But from where is the food to come? It is the duty of the slaves to prepare the food, but the master had been at the feast. The slaves had no reason to expect the need to prepare food.

 

We now discover the reason the master slipped away from the wedding feast. Amid the celebration he thought about his servants, allocated portions from the feast itself, and took these portions to them. He then proceeded to serve the servants. The master did not call upon another servant to take the food out, but he himself did all the work, even going so far as to do it quietly so as to not draw attention to himself. Such an action would be utterly inconceivable and against the entire culture of social hierarchy and honor.

 

Why did I choose to spend so much space discussing this Lucan parable? Because I believe it informs and provides details that can guide our interpretation of the Upper Room event of John 13.

 

In the Upper Room event Jesus girds himself just as in the parable. Jesus is making himself a slave, one lower than the lowest disciple. The astonishment of the disciples (exemplified by Peter's protest) at Jesus' action is understandable. Jesus does not order angels or other human beings to do his work, but comes to the disciples himself, just as the master did in the parable. The disciples are called blessed (makarios) in John 13:17, as were the servants in the parable. The Upper Room event is a taste of the wedding feast that is going on now. We are already blessed. Jesus' actions changes our standing. We are no longer slaves, but partners and friends of Jesus (John 15:15). We do not know precisely when Jesus will return, but we know that he will return. And so we wait, not sitting around and staring at the clock, but in expectant activity.

 

The gospel writers are different, but the parallels between the parable and the Upper Room event are far too many and related to be given over to mere coincidence. Jesus taking on the position of a slave in order to serve and elevate the standing of his disciples (even knowing the ones who would betray and deny him) appears to be the theme of the Upper Room story.

Another Look at the Upper Room–Part 1–Introduction

This is a short series where I take another look at what happened in the Upper Room immediately preceding Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion. In part 1 I provide a little personal background as to why this is significant to me.

I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist faith tradition. Adventist churches followed a general rule that Communion be held once a quarter, for a total of four times a year. In many churches, Communion Sabbath, as it was called, would often see attendance diminish. This may seem strange and inexplicable to those outside Adventism. Why would people stay away from such an important observance?

There are at least two reasons that I believe contribute to this phenomenon.

The primary reason is that in the Adventist tradition, the bread and juice portion of Communion is preceded by a foot washing service, called the Ordinance of Humility, where church members would separate by gender (though some churches also have "family" rooms) to wash one another's feet. This can be cause for considerable discomfort for nearly all involved.

Why, if it is the source of so much discomfort continue to do so? Why do people participate in spite of the discomfort? First, it is one of the official services of the church (c.f., Church Manual). Tradition ascribes to this ritual the preparing of one's heart, through a reminder of forgiveness of sins implied by the act of washing and the proper attitude of humility through participation, to partake of the bread and juice in a worthy manner (c.f., 1 Corinthians 11:27-29). Non-participation, then, induces a sense of guilt.

Thus some who would rather not participate choose to skip the service altogether.

The second reason is that all this adds up to what is frequently a lengthy service. It isn't always predictable as to how much time the whole thing will take. With kids, lunch, afternoon plans it's much easier to just skip this once-a-quarter ordeal.

The primary basis in the Adventist church for practicing washing feet as part of Communion is derived from John 13:14-15 where Jesus is recorded saying,

"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." (ESV)

A secondary basis (though some might argue, this is the primary basis) is found in the writing of Ellen G. White where she expounded greatly (c.f., Desire of Ages) on the meaning of this act by Jesus.

The Adventist church is one of the few denominations to take a very literal interpretation of these two texts. It hinges on the phrase "you also should do just as I have done to you" and the interpretation that the referent of "example" is "washed your feet."

Lest you might think otherwise, I don't intend any of this as a disparagement of Adventist tradition or beliefs. As I've participated in Communion at quite a few non-Adventist churches over the last several years, I've found that Communion is not regarded as an almost-dreaded experience in these churches. (I hasten to add that this is my personal experience and observation. I write this based on a sample size of one, which means the margin of error is rather high.) I find the difference curious and intriguing. What did Jesus intend when he said, "You also should do just as I have done to you"?

I was reading John 13 a few days ago and noticed that John 13:34 contains words and phrases that are very similar to John 13:15.

John 13:15
For I have given (δίδωμι [didōmi]; "commanded") you an example, that you also should do just as (καθώς [kathōs]) I have done to you.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give (δίδωμι [didōmi]) to you, that you love one another: just as (καθώς [kathōs]) I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

That got me thinking: what if the "example" of verse 15 is not the washing of feet, but what is underneath it—love? One commentary points out that Jesus did not say "do what I have done" but rather "do as I have done," a subtle but, possibly, significant difference.

What clinched for me the conclusion that the "example" Jesus commanded was not the washing of feet but love comes at the very beginning of the Upper Room episode in John:

John 13:1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. [emphasis mine]

This sets the stage and the theme of John's recounting of the Upper Room story. It is a story that describes what "loving to the end" looks like. So it should not be surprising that the command to love one another as Jesus loved them is given twice: in the center and once more at the end of the story.

In support of this line of thought is that the two named disciples who interact with Jesus are Judas Iscariot and Peter—the first, a betrayer, and the second, a denier.

With these broad thoughts in place I'd like to take a closer look at John 13: another look at the Upper Room.

Every commentary and study Bible has outlines and thematic groupings of verses in this chapter. Here is how I chose to organize the chapter:

1. Jesus loves to the end (John 13:1)
2. Scene 1
   1. Jesus knows his betrayer (13:2)
   2. Example of love (13:3-11)
   3. Command to love (13:12-16)
   4. Result of loving (13:17-20)
3. Scene 2
   1. Jesus reveals his betrayer (13:21-26a)
   2. Example of love (13:26b-30)
   3. Command to love (13:31-34)
   4. Result of loving (13:35)
4. Jesus knows who will deny him at the end (13:36-38)

Notice how the arrangement of the story seems to revolve around Jesus' knowledge of what some of his closest disciples will do, yet he continues to love them. I believe that is the theme of this story.

Here is my posting plan for this series on the Upper Room:

1. Introduction [this post]
2. Lucan parable [Luke 12:35-38]
3. John 13, Part 1 [A & B]
4. John 13, Part 2 [C & D]
5. Concluding Comments

To question God or not

In this piece I discuss two vastly different conclusions one reaches from the final chapter of the book of Job depending on whether s/he reads the Hebrew/Aramaic based translations or the Septuagint.

The last chapter of the book of Job in the Old Testament reads more or less as follows in most English translations.

Job 42 (ESV)
1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 "I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? '
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ' Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me. '
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes."

According to the above reading Job appears to be repenting (c.f., verse 6b) of his earlier questioning of God. In verses 3 and 4 Job appears to be quoting questions that God asked of him [Job] some chapters back (c.f., 38:2, 3). With this reading the conclusion the reader might come to is that it isn’t right to question God about things that we don’t understand, that God considers such questions meaningless and offensive.

But is this reading the only one?

Let’s take a look at the Septuagint (LXX) reading. History reveals that the LXX is the scripture text that Jesus, the Apostles, the Jews, and the early Christians had in front of them. The Old Testament text that we English readers have is a much later discovery. How would they have read this passage?

Iob 40^a (NETS)
1 Now Iob said in reply to the Lord: 2 "I know that you can do anything,
and nothing is impossible for you.
3 For who is it that hides counsel from you,
and being sparing with words thinks to hide them from you as well?
But who will tell me what I did not know,
great and marvelous things that I did not understand?
4 Now hear me, Lord, that I too may speak;
then I will question you, and you, teach me!
5 Whereas before I would hear an aural report of you,
now, however, my eye has seen you;
6 therefore I disparaged myself and wasted away,
and I regard myself as dust and ashes."

When comparing the LXX to our English, we may notice the following:

1. Verses 1 and 2 remain the same
2. Divergence begins with verse 3. Instead of a statement that Job has uttered words in ignorance (EN), it is a series of questions that Job poses to God (LXX): Who is able to hide knowledge from you? Who then, is best able to reveal them to me?
3. In verse 4, rather than a quote of God from earlier (EN), it is another question that Job poses to God (LXX): You’ve been speaking and asking of me for a while now. Let me now speak and ask you questions so that you can teach me and I can learn from you.
4. Verse 5 remains the same.
5. Verse 6 is profoundly different. Rather than the interpretation “repent in dust and ashes” (EN) the LXX interprets this phrase as “I regard myself as dust and ashes.” What Job appears to be expressing is the the surprise and astonishment that God has actually responded to his [Job’s] earlier demands that he be granted an audience with God. It is not a sense of remorse, that he has somehow done wrong or spoken out of place, but a sense of awe. I think it is best to interpret verses 5 and 6 together as using poetic parallelism:

a: Whereas before I would hear an aural report of you,
b: Now, however, my eye has seen you;

a’: Therefore I disparaged myself and wasted away,
b’: And I regard myself as dust and ashes.

What Job appears to be saying is that when all he had were second-hand reports about God, he [Job] thought he was just a pawn being tossed about in the winds of fate. But now that Job has seen (experienced in-person) God’s presence, Job no longer belittles himself, but he understands how little he knows and understands. Job sees himself in a position where he has much to learn from God.

The conclusion of this comparison is that the interpretation that we get from reading the translations from the Septuagint is vastly different from what we get from the Hebrew/Aramaic. One seems to imply that excessive questioning of God’s mysteries is wrong. The other implies we should and must.

---

^a Chapter numbering differs between LXX and modern translations. NETS employs the phonetic translation of Job—Iob [ey-ob].

Fourth of July in PSG - 2013

A photo album and a couple of videos of the celebrations that took place in Petersburg this Fourth. (I was too lazy to go out for the fireworks.)

Some scenes from the parade: PVFD, EMS, Lutheran Church, Ragnarok Rollers, and the Grand Marshall.

A few of the street games that took place in the afternoon. Slow bike race, 2x6 stomp, giant trike race.

PSG July 4 2013 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Unfundamentalist Christian Statement of Beliefs

I've debated for some time whether or not to try to craft a list of beliefs that reflect my positions in regards to religion, spirituality, and Christianity. Doing so could help others understand at a glance how I see things. On the other hand it might just pigeonhole me. While browsing my morning news and blog updates today I found the About page for Unfundamentalist Christians founded by John Shore. While I don't agree with every detail there, in the whole it does articulate my position quite well. For now then, I will point to it as my statement of beliefs.

Enchilada Lasagna

This is about as lazy as you can get for a casserole. Opens some cans, mix them together, open a package of corn tortillas, place them all in a pan, bake. Easy to scale up or down depending on need. I forgot to photograph it.

• 2 x 14 oz cans, fire-roasted, diced tomatoes with chile (I used Muir Glen Organics)
• 2 x 14 oz cans, refried black beans
• 1# bag frozen southwestern vegetables mix (mix of corn, peppers, onions)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt
• 1 small can, mild enchilada sauce
• 18 small corn tortillas
• Queso Fresco
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Spray 13x19 baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Combine tomatoes (with juice), black beans, frozen vegetables and Parmesan in a large bowl. Add salt to taste.
3. Spread about half of enchilada sauce on bottom of dish. Layer six tortillas over the sauce. Spread half the tomatoes and beans mix over the tortillas. Layer another six tortillas, then the rest of the tomatoes and beans. Finish with remaining tortillas. Spread remaining enchilada sauce over top and top evenly with cheddar.
4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Crumble Queso Fresco over top, then sprinkle cilantro over top. Serve.

Sermon: El Roi–The God Who Sees

Primary text: Luke 7:11-17
Secondary text: 1 Kings 17:17-24
Manuscript: PDF – 596KB
Audio: MP3 – 18 min – 2.64MB

This sermon is based on Luke’s account of Jesus at Nain, where he encounters a funeral procession. He returns the dead man to life and returns him to his mother in an echo of Elijah’s account with the widow and her son at Zarephath.

Sermon Prep: Luke 7:11-17

I’ve been asked to provide the sermon at the Presbyterian Church this Sunday. I chose to speak on the gospel text for this week from the Lectionary. It is the story of Jesus going to the town of Nain and raising back to life a widow’s son. There are strong connections to the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath and her son, found in 1 Kings 17. I see (pun intended) also a tangential connection between “Jesus seeing” and Hagar calling God “El Roi” meaning “God of seeing” in Genesis 16. The act of Jesus speaking as the action that works the miracle ties this story to the previous one regarding the Centurion and his sick servant.

The sequence of stories and teachings from Luke 3 through most of Luke 7 appears to be a single unit (bookends are John the Baptist) that explains the nature and mission of Jesus, but I don’t have the time to work through all that in a single sermon, so my focus will be on just this particular story.

Here is how I’ve organized the text to draw out what I think Luke is trying to tell me.

Jesus and Definition of Family

There are two passages in the gospel describing one event that is often used to show that Christian relationships must take priority over physical family relationships.

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50, ESV)

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:19-21, ESV)

In the Western, individualistic, modernist culture, where we tend to think in either-or terms, we read Jesus seeming to say that a Christian must choose to prioritize either physical familial relationships or the spiritual relationship that s/he enters into upon acceptance of Christ as Lord.

But is there an alternative interpretation that may be more faithful to the culture and intent when the words were spoken? What might an ancient Middle Eastern, collectivist culture have heard in Jesus’ words? What if we took a both-and stance instead of either-or? E. Randolph Richards (M.Div. and Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Brandon J. O’Brien (M.A., Wheaton College Graduate School), in Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes writes,

The non-Western concept of family is broader than the Western. But Jesus expanded it even more. For Jesus, family not only designated one’s immediate, biological relatives but included all who are knit together in faith. Once while Jesus was teaching in someone’s home, a messenger told him his mother and brothers wanted to speak with him. Jesus pointed to his disciples and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Mt 12:49-50). This is a radical statement in a culture in which birth determines your family.^[1]

What Richards and O’Brien are telling us is that Jesus didn’t say that a spiritual family takes precedence over the biological, or that the more genuine family is a spiritual one; but rather, the definition of family now includes both biological and those who join in through a spiritual, faith relationship.

---

^[1] Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understanding the Bible. Kindle edition, location 1114.

What would Romans read like today?

I came across a blog-omentary by James F. McGrath on the epistle to the Romans. How might the letter read if Paul was writing it today? The posts have just begun (May 2013) and still has some ways to go, but you might find the modernized interpretative reading fascinating and educational.

Find the blog-omentary entries here.

MayFest 2013–Friday Scenes

Images from about town on Friday of MayFest: Main Street, Norwegian fashions, parade, and herring toss.

		MayFest 2013-Friday VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Words and ideas between cultures

Huffington Post now has a Japanese feed, and I’ve subscribed to its Twitter feed. As a result I get a daily stream of new articles in Japanese. One headline that caught my eye contained the phrase｢生きづらさ｣ (ikizurasa).

In our Bible studies, on a number of occasions, we’ve discussed the idea that words can be translated directly into another language but lose their meanings across cultures. What I found above is an example.

Ikizurasa is literally translated (by Google) as “Difficulty in living.” That is a literally precise translation and it make sense. The phrase really is about a general sense in which people find it difficult to live their lives.

Now when I first saw that phrase I “knew” what it meant. As I struggled to find the right English word or phrase, what came to my mind was not the literal translation but the thought equivalents of “depression” and “hopelessness.” The fact is that there are other literal Japanese translations for these words.

In the article that I first saw ikizurasa, the causes for this state of being included things such as bullying, corporal punishment, abuse, experiences of significant loss, romantic heartbreak, and “hired” romance. The article described self-injury and suicide as possible results of this state. I searched for the use of this term and additional causes include un- under-employment, the sense that one has no ability to change his/her circumstances, and the inability to find meaning and purpose in life. In the American culture, we would call someone experiencing these thoughts and feelings, depressed.

Yet “depression” fails to adequately account for the entire state of being that is connoted by ikizurasa. Hence the automatic translation does not see the two as equivalent.

I thought of another word that helps translate ikizurasa. This is the French term ennui which has found its way into English and other languages (including Japanese, as a direct phonetic of the French). But that too, describes only a subset of what I conjure up in my mind when I hear ikizurasa.

I think this is a real-life, contemporary reminder of how we misread, misinterpret, misunderstand, and misapply the Bible because we assume that a word we read in English means what is means in English, today, to us. In reality, the word may mean much more or less, and something quite different from what we assume. The translator may have had no better words and found the closest approximation. Or the translator may have precisely and literally translated to English, but the meaning is something altogether different.

For me this is a warning against stating any definitive conclusions based solely upon the biblical text, particularly from a translated text. And even if one uses the “original” text, it is impossible to truly identify and immerse into the culture where and when it was written, thus disallowing any sort of definitive interpretation. All interpretations are approximations with a strong component of opinion. We need to see them in that light.

Book Review: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best way to get a feel for this book is to look at my individual chapter notes.

This book discusses nine ways in which Western (esp. American) Christians misread the Bible. It is arranged using an iceberg metaphor: the obviously visible tip to the much larger ice beneath the surface, but which more profoundly affects the reading.

I've read a number of works in this field, particularly that of Kenneth E. Bailey. I found that I learned quite a bit that was new in this present book that was immediately useful and practical in my bible studies.

View all my reviews

AMHS 50th Celebration, Part 2: Fireworks

As the M/V Malaspina left dock to sail on her way north, Petersburg celebrated with fireworks. Residents lined up (many inside waterfront houses) along North Nordic to watch the ferry sail under the fireworks.

AMHS 50th Celebration - Fireworks VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Happy 50th, Alaska Marine Highway!

The ferry M/V Malaspina came to port as part of the celebration of the Alaska Marine Highway System’s 50th birthday. This ferry was the one that brought us to Petersburg in September 2006, so it holds special memories for us. Not too long after that the Malaspina was reassigned to a different part of the state, so it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen her in our waters.

On this occasion we got to board the boat and wander around the decks as well as take a tour of the bridge. The ship certainly has new equipment and electronics, but it still has quite a bit of original 1963 equipment that is maintained and used as backup in case primary systems fail.

AMHS 50 Years VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL