Caiaphas (Taken from drcrilley.blogspot.com)

I recently heard a preacher say that if a preacher disagrees with something another preacher says, then you will hear all about it on their blog. This same preacher says that if a preacher loves what another preacher says, then you will you will hear it when they preach it in their sermon this Sunday. Well, I won't be preaching on Caiaphas this Sunday, but I love what Dr. Crilley has to say about him in his most recent post. If you don't follow drcrilley.blogspot.com, you should start now - but don't be surprised if some of the material sounds familiar when I preach it sometime down the road.

History tells us that Caiaphas was the high priest of the Jewish Sanhedrin between the years AD 18 and 37. He was appointed by Valerius Gratus, the Roman governor prior to Pontius Pilate; and the primary reason that Caiaphas was able to hold on to the position for close to two decades is that he did exactly what was expected of him.

Basically, his job was to ensure that everything continued running as smoothly as possible: first, so that Jews stayed out of jail and off crosses, and second, because there were some clear advantages to cooperating with Rome. The roads were easier to travel, the streets safer at night, and having Roman troops at every corner obviously kept Israel from being invaded by anybody else!

True, the taxes were terrible; and no one really enjoyed living in an occupied territory. But the cost of challenging Caesar’s authority was considerably higher than the cost of compromising with him. You know the old saying—“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

And for most of the year, this forced alliance worked just fine. People may have grumbled about the Romans, but they usually did so under their breath and out of earshot of the soldiers. Passover was the only time when things could get a little dicey because of course, Passover was the celebration of Israel’s dramatic release from captivity, and it never took much to remind folks that release from captivity was still the number one priority.

So when the high priest heard reports of an itinerant Galilean preacher named Jesus, who was stirring up the people, and who was making his way toward Jerusalem for the Passover, Caiaphas’ mind went into overdrive. If he ignored the reports and simply let the agitator go on agitating, then who knows what could happen. The flames of religious fervor were easily stoked this time of year. There could be rioting in the streets. There might even be a full-scale revolt.

The result would be a swift and merciless crackdown by Rome, with many innocent people killed in the process. No matter how Caiaphas did the arithmetic, it always came out the same—better that one person should die than have an entire nation perish! I’m not sure what he had against Jesus personally; he was just being practical and taking care of business. If he wanted to keep his job, he needed to keep the peace.

The irony is that Jesus eventually reached the same conclusion—better for one to die so that everybody else can be spared. Only here’s the thing … Jesus’ death was not to keep the peace; it was to bring peace to us. For Caiaphas, it was “just business, nothing personal” … and for Jesus, it was all personal!

Hymns vs. Praise Music

I'm not sure if anyone is going to read this since it has been 8 months since my last post, but I received an email with a funny and insightful comparison of hymns and praise music (found after my comments). This got me to thinking about music in worship. I took a class in seminary on congregational music and I learned a lot (because I didn't know much to begin with). I am not an expert on music or even congregational music, but I love to worship and I know that faithful worship takes many different forms. I grew up with traditional hymns. I am the pastor of a church that sings traditional hymns. I love traditional hymns. But I also attended youth at a Church of Christ Church that sang acapella. When I went to ACU, we sang hymns and praise songs acapella. The music was beautiful. When I went to Princeton, we sang hymns, praise songs, global songs, etc. We had everything from strings and horns to guitars and bongos, everything from cantors to hip-hop. In all of my experiences, I have found that each of these styles can be showy and stuffy or showy and shallow, but they can all be faithful forms of worship as well. Truth be told, it's not always the style, but the song that should be evaluated. There are great hymns and poor hymns, great praise songs and poor praise songs. Wouldn't it be great, if we could celebrate the creativity of our creator by singing the best songs for that service of worship, no matter what the style. Now I know that not all congregations are able to do multiple styles of worship (it's hard to find room for a drumset and an organ, but it wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all be more accepting of each other and multiple styles of worship. For those in my congregation, I am not suggesting that we change our style of music. What I am suggesting is that all of us strive to become more open to the movement of the Spirit and see how music in worship can help bring us closer to God and one another.


Here is the email I received:


Praise Songs explained...
Not long ago a farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. "Well," said the farmer, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."
"Praise choruses," said his wife, "What are those?"
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.
""Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.
The farmer said, "Well it's like this - If I were to say to you:
`Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:
`Martha Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN,'
Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."
(author unknown - from an email circulated a few years ago)

Hymns explained...
A young, new Christian from the big city attended the small town church one weekend. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
"Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs."
"Hymns," said his wife, "What are those?"
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man.
"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.
The young man said, "Well it's like this - If I were to say to you, `Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:
Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth. Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.
For the way of the animals who can explain There in their heads is no shadow of sense, Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.
Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight, Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed. Then goaded by minions of darkness and night They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.
So look to that bright shining day by and by, Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn. Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.
Then, if I were to do only verses one, three, and four and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."
(author unknown - from an email circulated a few years ago)

Putting it all in perspective...
And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that their worship style was the only acceptable form:
Four men went up in to the temple to pray, two traditional music directors and two contemporary worship leaders.
One of the traditional music directors stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like many other church musicians: untrained, unrefined, undignified, or even like these contemporary worship leaders. I program only the finest art music; I present only those works truly worthy of Thee.'
One of the contemporary worship leaders was standing off to the other side, praying like this: 'O Lord, I thank You that I am not like many other church musicians: stuffy, inhibited, stuck in a rut of boring and irrelevant music of the past. I present only the very latest songs and reach people where they're at.'
In another corner the other traditional music director and the other contemporary worship leader were kneeling and praying together.
The traditional music director prayed: 'Lord God, You know how easily the striving for artistic excellence can become idolatrous. When I use my gifts, may I always remember that they come from Your hand, and that You delight in all of the genuine gifts of worship which Your children bring, in all of their variety.'
The contemporary worship leader prayed: 'God, I only know four chords on the guitar, and I am not a polished performer; but I thank You for Your grace in allowing me to come near in worship, and for the privilege in leading others to Your throne. Thank You for all the different ways that Your people can praise You.'
"I tell you, these last two went away with their offerings of worship received by the Lord, rather than the others; for God is not so much concerned with the style of the musical gifts you bring, as He is with the humility of heart and genuineness of love with which you bring them."

Summer Blockbusters Seen Through the Lens of Faith

For those of you that don’t know, I am a huge movie buff. My mother was a movie critic, so it comes with the territory. I love to look at the way Christianity influences culture and how culture interprets Christianity. Sometimes we are better able to connect with a biblical theme when we can see it on the silver screen or our television. Sometimes we can better understand what we believe when we discuss something that strikes a chord with us or when something rubs us the wrong way. It is important to see how our faith influences the way we view the world.

When I was a youth director, I often used clips from films to begin our lessons. I thought that if we practiced reflecting on our faith as we engaged pop-culture, the youth might begin to see the world through the lens of faith. I was thrilled when these teenagers began talking with me about how a new show or some song they heard on the radio reminded them of something they learned in church or read in their Bible. We should all reflect on how culture interprets Christianity and how our faith influences the way we encounter culture.

With that said, there are a number of blockbuster movies coming out this summer. In the coming weeks, I will be reviewing Star Trek, Wolverine, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Transformers 2. Some of these blockbusters are full of Christian symbols and themes, while others may be a bit of a stretch. Many of these films are not appropriate for all ages. They often glorify violence, which is not the way we are called to act as Christians. I am not recommending these movies for everyone, but if you plan to see them, I would recommend that you take some time to look at them through the lens of faith.

A Free Cup of Coffee

After a very busy Holy Week, the family and I went to Washington to visit our best friends from seminary. After enjoying their small town for a while we all packed up and drove to Seattle. We pushed the strollers through down town and ate seafood, looked at the space needle, and checked out a children’s museum. But the best part of the trip was Pike’s Place Market. This market had fresh flowers, produce, meat, cheese, pastries, and fish. The market is known for a particular stand where men in rubber pants fling fish over the counter. We were told that we missed seeing the Globetrotters by a few hours. The market is also known as the birthplace of Starbucks. I’m not sure about you, but I have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks. I love their mochas and frappuccinos, but I hate the cost and I can live without the calories. On our last morning in town I was sent to get doughnut holes from one of the pastry stands. It was raining (the only time it rained on us in Seattle), so I went by myself. The kids had woken up so early that the doughnuts weren’t ready yet. So I decided to find the original Starbucks.

As I entered the coffee shop, I heard a rather loud customer suggesting that he should work as a quality control rep for Starbucks because he had been to every single one in Seattle (no small task) and visited others whenever he was out of town. I thought the man might need to lay off of the espresso for a while. I tuned him out while I looked at the mugs. As he was walking out another man came in and placed his order. The barista (fancy name for someone who serves coffee at Starbucks) said that if this man would commit to calling his mother on Mother’s Day that his coffee would be free. The young man looked puzzled and the barista said that the loud man who had just walked out had paid for the coffee for the next fifty people that came in and said that they would call their mothers on Mother’s Day. No one knew when Mother’s Day was, so I joined in and said that it was May 10 (husbands and children – this is your reminder). I ordered my coffee and noticed that the loud man was talking on his phone outside. As the other man and I walked out together we thanked him for the coffee and he said something to the effect of, “That’s what I’m all about, making sure people have a good day.”

I wondered why someone would pay for fifty cups of coffee. Apparently the other man was curious too. He asked why anyone would do that. We wondered if he knew that people like me like coffee, but don’t like paying for it. We wondered if he really appreciated his own mother and wanted others to do the same, or if had some regrets about not talking to his mother and didn’t want anyone else to make the same mistake. We wondered if he had watched the movie “Pay it Forward” and this was his way of helping people start the day off on the right foot. The other man thought that this was a strange way to help others. And truth be told, so did I. I wondered if there was a better way to use this money for those who truly need it (because no one really needs an overpriced cup of coffee).

I knew there was a lesson to be learned here, but I wasn’t sure what it was. The oddity of the act prevented me from suggesting that maybe this was done because the man was religious – this could have started a conversation that may have led to an opportunity for evangelism. As I was about to move the conversation in that direction the man excused himself and walked to the stand where he worked. An opportunity missed. I learned a lesson, but I thought there was more to be learned here.

I started to think about this man’s generosity and how it raised people’s curiosity. We wondered why he was so generous. Shouldn’t we Christians live our lives in such a way that people wonder why we are so different? Shouldn’t we be just as generous? According to all my friends who have worked in the food service industry, Protestants are known to be penny-pinchers. I have known waiters that hated working on Sundays because all of the churchgoers would come in and leave lousy tips. While I think we are called to be good stewards of our money, what does it say when non-Christians are more generous than Christians? Perhaps one of the lessons we can learn from this free cup of coffee is that we are called to be generous and when people wonder why we can let them know that it is because we believe God has been so generous to us.

As I thought more about this strange event, I began to connect this story with the anointing of Jesus. Jesus is sitting at a table with his disciples when a woman comes in and pours perfume on Jesus’ feet. It seems like a waste, like paying for overpriced coffee. In fact, the people around Jesus suggest that this perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. I know I thought the money that paid for my cup of coffee could have been used for a lot of different things. But Jesus reprimands those that question this woman and says that wherever the gospel is preached this story will be told. This story is told in all four gospels. The coffee was a gift, just as the perfume was a gift. The first prepared people for a great day, the second prepared Jesus for his burial. As we prepare for a new day, let us celebrate the new life we have received as God’s gracious gift.

Cliff's Notes

Cliff Stewart is one of my mentors. He is the paster of First Central Presbyterian Church. He has a healthy sense of humor, he reads a lot, and he is very technologically savvy. He has a facebook page and he sends out frequent emails. This morning he sent an email with the following prayer attached. I really liked the prayer. What do you think?

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love. -- Anonymous

Kings on NBC - Episode Three - "First Night"

In this episode, the Queen is hosting a ballet. A generous donor has asked to sit next to David and is willing to pay $100,000 for the seat. The seat next to Silas was only going to catch $10,000. The Queen then makes a thinly veiled reference to I Samuel 18:7 when she says, "Silas commands his thousands, while David brings his hundred thousand." The Queen has Thomasina (the King's right-hand w0man) tell David that his seat is needed for a generous donor. He is uninvited and Jack sees this as an opportunity to "befriend" David. Someone recently pointed out that they always thought it was strange that the biblical Jonathan was willing to help David oppose his own father, and in effect, his own chance to rule. I think they were suggesting that Jack may represent what kind of friends they really were. I don't think so, as strange as it may seem, I think Jonathan really did love David as he loved himself (I Samuel 18:3). One thing we shouldn't do is read too much into the show. This "friendly" relationship may be more dramatic as it plays with the tension between these two up and coming leaders, but it goes beyond the biblical story. While Jack tries to set up David for a smear campaign, the Queen tries to set her daughter up with a rich young buisnessman. But neither of these stories is nearly as powerful as the tension between Silas and Rev. Samuel. During the ballet, the King gets a call from his mistress who says that his illegitimate son is in the hospital. Nothing is working, so Silas has Samuel picked up and dropped off on the side of a road. Samuel thinks he is being arrested, but Silas says he needs his consultation. They engage in the following conversation concerning God.

Silas: What does He want from me? Why does He act my enemy? Port Prosperity, is that the cost? I’ll take it back, I will rescind my offer.

Samuel: I cannot tell you of God’s mind. He shares with me at his pleasure. About this, He is silent.

Silas: I did right by Him. This land was once a place where men of faith feared to walk the streets and prayers came in whispers. I made it safe for men like you.

Samuel: So God owes you?

Silas: If not Him, you. Tell me what’s the fair trade?

Samuel: One offers sacrifice according to the offense. Only you can name that.

Silas: Sacrifice? Has he not moved past that yet? Give Him my best. Tell Him I've given too much.

Samuel: We make amends Silas. The pure, the unblemished for our sins.

Silas: He wants what I will not let him take. I will not leave this on the altar.

Samuel: Then you find another lamb.

Silas: No. Not even God is that cruel.

Silas drives off and hits an animal.

Silas: (looks up) Is this what you need? Something beautiful has to die to make you happy. (then he kisses the animal before snapping the dying animal's neck)

At the end of the show, Silas is sitting in the hospital. When his son wakes up he sees Silas and says, “Daddy.” Silas looks up. He kisses his son on the forehead. His mistress moves to touch his forehead, where there is blood. He tells her no and begins to walk out. She asks, “You have to go? What is it?” He says, “The cost.”

Roughly two thousand years ago Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. This holiday is called the Passover because it is when the final plague, the angel of death passed over all the houses that had the blood of a lamb sprinkled on its door (Exodus). Jesus says that he is the lamb. He is the pure unblemished sacrifice. He who knew no sin, became sin so that we might be considered righteous. God is holy. Our sin separates us from God. In order to bring us to Him, God had to send the Son to die and rise for us. There is no longer any need for animal sacrifices for our sins. They have been covered by the Lamb, Jesus Christ. But that does not mean that we should no longer offer sacrifices. Jesus says that if we want to follow him, we must pick up our cross and carry it each day. God sent the Son as a sacrifice for our sins, let us respond by sacrificing the things that get in the way of a closer relationship with God and others. Let us sacrifice some of our comforts in order to comfort others. Let us not forget the scandal of the cross. God's love for us is scandalous. Let us give thanks to God by loving God and others in return.

The Resurrection and the Phoenix

I just finished reading an article by John Spencer Hill from the "Journal of Biblical Literature" (101 no 1 March 1982, p. 133-35). The article looks at the Greek in John 12:13, and notes that there are two references to Palm trees in the same sentence: "the crowd took palm branches from palm trees. Hill suggests that the strange sentence structure is on purpose. He goes on to say that the Greek words for palm tree and phoenix are very similar in the way they are spelled and sound. Hill argues that John uses the word twice to help it stand out and to make a subtle reference to the phoenix. I think this is a major stretch. How often do you use a word twice in order to make a subtle reference to a word that sounds like the one you are using? Most people are going to miss the subtlety because it is too subtle. Even though I disagree with the author's argument, I do think that the phoenix is an appropriate image for the church (even though the only reference to a phoenix is in Job 29:18). The mythical creature that dies and rises from its ashes has been a symbol of resurrection for thousands of years. This symbol found new meaning when Christ rose from the grave. It is a precursor; it points to the resurrection and the life found in Jesus Christ.

This mythical creature found new life for folks when J.K. Rowling (a Christian) decided to give the bird a lot of press in her Harry Potter series. While this bird is a myth, it does serve as a symbol for the true resurrection found in the person of Jesus Christ.