Sermon Podcast: Crossing Jordan

Crossing_Jordan_10_30_2011.m4a Listen on Posterous

Listen to a sermon by the Rev. Daniel Haas. It was based on Joshua 3:14-17 and delivered at Provo Community United Church of Christ on October 30th 2011.

Comfort Food for the Soul

Little is known about the minor prophet named Nahum. His name means “comforter”. And he has a comforting theology – God is presented as a God who will punish evil but will protect those who trust in Him:

“The LORD does not easily become angry, but he is powerful and never lets the guilty go unpunished.”

“The LORD is good; he protects his people in times of trouble; he takes care of those who turn to him.”

I trust no one, not even myself

Trust issues are pretty common:

“You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself.”
― Marilyn Monroe

“I trust no one, not even myself.”
― Joseph Stalin

“Don’t believe your neighbor or trust your friend. Be careful what you say even to your husband or wife. In these times sons treat their fathers like fools, daughters oppose their mothers, and young women quarrel with their mothers-in-law; your enemies are the members of your own family.”
― Micah 7

God has told you, O mortal, what is good

Today’s Reading is from Micah 6:
“God has told you, O mortal, what is good”
This short line looks so straightforward but it has a couple of profound insights:
1. We need to be told what is good, we cannot do that ourselves!
2. We need to be willing to listen, which more often than not we don’t do!

Social Media Break evaluated

This past week I have been on a social media hiatus. I did not personally log onto twitter or facebook for seven days.

Emotions:
:-) It was not as hard. I did not feel any withdrawal symptoms, just the occasional inconvenience of not having people’s email or phone numbers handy without using facebook as my telephone book. But then again, it was only a week.

News:
I do not miss any news that are important to me due to a lack of facebook or twitter. Everything I need to know I learn through the 67 RSS feeds I am currently subscribed to. I guess I am simply an old-school blogger.

vs. Facebook:
In an earlier post I reflected on my use of facebook versus my use of twitter. With facebook being about the people I am really engaging with, turns out I do not really need to access twitter personally.

Conclusion:
is useful for building and maintaining relationships. Facebook is not a news source or pastime for me. I will remain a power user.
Twitter does not serve my communication or information needs. I will only use it as one outlet for my publications.

Taking this one week break hurt my Klout. Klout is the standard measure of online influence and mine dropped 1.35 points. Not a good thing. I am glad to be back.

Is it Christmas yet?

Micah sure thinks so: The LORD says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.”

Swords to Plowshares

Many references are being made to this prophetic vision, e.g. Isaiah or Micah:
“He will settle disputes among the nations, among the great powers near and far. They will hammer their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will never again go to war, never prepare for battle again.”
The United Nations have a statue using this image:

Wikipedia has a list that shows the dual-use nature of technology, which does not always clearly convey the intention of the phrase nor how it is used today:
– Radar was initially developed for detection of incoming bombers
– The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed under the United States Department of Defense for military navigational purposes.
– Roman roads were designed for the rapid transport of troops
– the Autobahn was originally conceived and put under construction as a means for German artillery to get across Europe during WWII.

Touch the Screen

Today’s Reading is from Micah 3:
“The city’s rulers govern for bribes, the priests interpret the Law for pay, the prophets give their revelations for money—and they all claim that the LORD is with them.”
Sounds awfully familiar:

Eminent domain

The public’s power to seize private property has always been abused and will always be abused. Yet it makes sense to be able to use eminent domain for the common good within clearly defined, strict limits:
“When they want fields, they seize them; when they want houses, they take them. No one’s family or property is safe”, criticizes the prophet Micah.

The one and only site for God’s Temple

There is only one place God has ever commanded a temple be built. Remember where that was?
Hint: It was not Gerizim.

Micah knows God is serious about this:
“The LORD is coming from his holy place; he will come down and walk on the tops of the mountains. Then the mountains will melt under him like wax in a fire; they will pour down into the valleys like water pouring down a hill. All this will happen because the people of Israel have sinned and rebelled against God.”

The correct answer is הַר הַבַּיִת‎