Hello, great article! The OT and its seeming contradictions can be hard to wrestle with. I am commenting with a Catholic perspective to the point about reaching out to those on the outside without forming those on the inside. St. John of the Cross wrote this:
“Let those, then, who are singularly active, who think they can win the world with their preaching and exterior works, observe here that they would profit the Church and please God much more, not to mention the good example they would give, were they to spend at least half of this time with God in prayer… They would then certainly accomplish more, and with less labor, by one work than they otherwise would by a thousand. For through their prayer they would merit this result, and themselves be spiritually strengthened. Without prayer they would do a great deal of hammering but accomplish little, and sometimes nothing, and even at times cause harm.”
Our own hearts MUST be the first and primary mission field. Getting distracted from our own prayer and formation is a sad thing because it not only allows our relationship with God to atrophy, it shows a distrust in the efficacy of prayer. Do we believe God hears and answers prayers, or do we feel we must constantly be doing something “real”? Thank you for sharing your writing, it is inspiring me to set aside time for God tonight!!
Wow, I love that quote from St. John of the Cross. So good. Ha, I might be using that quote elsewhere. Thanks so much for drawing my attention to it! And well said. I'm so glad this has in some way inspired you to set aside time with the Lord. I couldn't ask for much more than that.
Ross, don’t you also think that the foreigners who were included were included because they rejected their gods and their culture— that like Ruth and rehab, they turned to God in faith and thereby were included in his covenant community? I think of these verses about the foreigner being included in God’s people as a foreshadow of the church, that even in the OT there was a path to God by faith. That like Peter said, God calls people from every nation. What do you think about that?
It’s like faith and works. Faith being the relationship with God leading to holiness and then our works naturally bloom out in the form of inclusiveness and love for our neighbor. Outstanding!
This is amazing. Thank you!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
This was fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Ma!
Hello, great article! The OT and its seeming contradictions can be hard to wrestle with. I am commenting with a Catholic perspective to the point about reaching out to those on the outside without forming those on the inside. St. John of the Cross wrote this:
“Let those, then, who are singularly active, who think they can win the world with their preaching and exterior works, observe here that they would profit the Church and please God much more, not to mention the good example they would give, were they to spend at least half of this time with God in prayer… They would then certainly accomplish more, and with less labor, by one work than they otherwise would by a thousand. For through their prayer they would merit this result, and themselves be spiritually strengthened. Without prayer they would do a great deal of hammering but accomplish little, and sometimes nothing, and even at times cause harm.”
Our own hearts MUST be the first and primary mission field. Getting distracted from our own prayer and formation is a sad thing because it not only allows our relationship with God to atrophy, it shows a distrust in the efficacy of prayer. Do we believe God hears and answers prayers, or do we feel we must constantly be doing something “real”? Thank you for sharing your writing, it is inspiring me to set aside time for God tonight!!
Wow, I love that quote from St. John of the Cross. So good. Ha, I might be using that quote elsewhere. Thanks so much for drawing my attention to it! And well said. I'm so glad this has in some way inspired you to set aside time with the Lord. I couldn't ask for much more than that.
Ross, don’t you also think that the foreigners who were included were included because they rejected their gods and their culture— that like Ruth and rehab, they turned to God in faith and thereby were included in his covenant community? I think of these verses about the foreigner being included in God’s people as a foreshadow of the church, that even in the OT there was a path to God by faith. That like Peter said, God calls people from every nation. What do you think about that?
What a beautiful paradox!
It’s like faith and works. Faith being the relationship with God leading to holiness and then our works naturally bloom out in the form of inclusiveness and love for our neighbor. Outstanding!