chew your food before swallowing

CHEW YOUR FOOD BEFORE SWALLOWING!
or
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bible

scripture is a really fantastic thing. every time i pick up my Bible (or browse to biblegateway.com, depending on the translation i want and whether i left my Bible out in my car, hehe), i'm continually renewed, amazed, broken, moulded.

but when you read scripture, do you take the time to break it down into little pieces, try to really chew it well until it's just a puree inside your metaphorical mouth? roll it around on your tongue like smoke from a fine cigar or pipe, savor the rich flavour as you would a whiskey or wine?

i really hope so; i really, really do! it's how it was meant to be read. if not, let's change that now!

G-d speaks to everyone a little (or maybe even a lot!) differently, i think. but here's the basic process for how i personally go about breaking scripture down and how i try to draw the full flavour of it.

we'll be using Colossians 3, NIV unless otherwise noted.

1. read it over
2. sectionalize
3. context
4. comparison to general gospel/rest of Bible
5. relation to my/others life/lives
6. changes that would need to be necessary
7. rinse, repeat

READ IT OVER

at this stage we just want to give an initial read over the selection. don't worry about trying to think about it- we want to focus on initial reactions, interesting things that stick out to you (i've had some prophecies revealed to my heart this way). let it speak to your heart and put your mind on the backburner for now. this helps you get a general feeling of what it's about, for whom it's written, and really just a "feel" for it.

when i read over Col. 3, i get the general message of the word "unite".


SECTIONALIZE/CONTEXT/COMPARISON/ETC.

(okay. i cheated a bit. steps 2-6/7 are really seamless, as they really occur simultaneously. but they roughly occur in the procedure mentioned above. i suppose i really could have made the list only two items, but is that really a list? we'll leave that koan[1] for another day.)

luckily, this is usually done for you already through the in-chapter sections and paragraph breaks instead of trying to determine where to form a section yourself.

in this example, we see two sections with headers in bold: Rules for Holy Living and Rules for Christian Households.

we also notice several paragraph breaks under each of these.

"1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. "

verses 1-4 deals with a summary message, which is common. it's telling us to rejoice in the newfound life in Christ, and to abandon our old "lives"- the thin veil of self-deception that we are masters of our own lives, that there aren't consequences, that we are not incredibly intertwined with others and calls us to realise that EVERYTHING we do affects the lives of others, even if we think it doesn't and we aren't hurting anyone else.


"5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."

verses 5-11 give an interesting perspective. it's the message of equality. (hmm.. odd, there it is- unity! one of unity's hurdles is inequality). under Christ, we are all equal. the thief, the rapist, the priest, the hermit, the seven-year-old girl. (buddhists will instantly recognise this as Oneness). unlike the teachings of the buddha and bodhisattvas, however, we have something we are all truly equal UNDER- Christ. by the love of Hashem, we are bound together as children in a huge family.[2] MORE than just a family, we are a BODY! we all have different abilities (the eyes can see ahead and watch out for danger or direction, the skeleton supports and protects, the mouth serves to communicate to others, the fingers mould and touch and feel, the feet carry, etc.) and yet all these parts must work WITH each other. not only with, but integrally- the feet will stumble and trip and stub their toes if not for the eyes, who know what direction to take based upon the sensations of the fingers, who depend on the mouth who speaks for them, who needs the skeleton to give it proper shape of voice and tonation, etc. if one of these parts is missing, then there is more strain and even flat-out limitation put on the other parts of the body. verses 3-11 call us to be pure in Y'shua Moshiach, in order to keep our Body healthy (does it show that i'm a firm believer of holistic health, and "interconnectedness" of things?). if your stomach is empty, your mind suffers. in this way, if one part of the Body is in pain or hindered, even- Chas veShalom[3]!- by another part of the own Body by "illness" (malice, lust, greed, etc.), then the rest of the Body suffers- including the offending part, since it depends on the rest of the Body (even if it does not want to).


"12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

AHA! aaaaand boom goes the dynamite. THERE'S THE WORD! "unity."
this is, if you will, the "prescription for vitamins"- this is what keeps the Body strong, healthy, happy, and working in excellent shape. and Love is, if you will, echinacea- it is a source of overall health and what helps the entire Body, and binds it together (thusly pushing it towards unity).


"15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

it's funny. when i read over the chapter in that first step, it was a skim- i flat out skipped some words. but somehow both "unity" and the concept of the Body came to my mind, AND here they are, showing up in the actual content. mild prophecy, subconscious absorption, memory from sermons past.. it doesn't matter what it is, what matters is that it is put on my heart. and it's really encouraging to go in-depth and have it affirmed. but moving on, we see here further "prescriptions"- be of peace and understanding, but do not hesitate to admonish those that are falling ("diagnosing the sick/injured body parts"). i could spend an entire entry on this topic (and i will add it to the to-do list if any of my readers.. all three? of them- want me to) but i want to really just sum it up here and mention this: it's okay for us to be frank, honest (perhaps sometimes even when it may hurt us, them, or both), and diagnostic/of good discernment/of good judgment (NOT judgmental/critical. dictionary.com if you don't understand the difference) of our FRIENDS and/or FAMILY but NOT our Body of believers? i think it's because we fear being called hypocrites. and we WILL be called hypocrites. people quite often get defensive when shown their ugly selves- i know i do! but we call these faults in others because- and this is the important one- WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME FOR US. FOR us. not TO us. the eye does not know it's gone missing unless the finger pokes around an empty socket, and the mouth tells the eyesocket. that was a bit of a grisly and slightly-off analogy, but you understand it i hope. the important thing is to always, always bring concerns up in the Body in the name of our L-rd Jesus the Christ and NEVER for reasons of malice, defensiveness, "keeping score", vengeance, etc. for these will lead to the defilement, infection, and eventual destruction of your heart.


"18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."

well, i spent some time talking about this in a previous entry but just for a quick recap- wives, it's okay to trust your husbands. they love you, they care about you, and they want what's best for you, them, children (if any), pets (hah. kidding! well, 95% kidding), and MOST importantly the L-rd. i mean, that IS one of the reasons you married them, right? if not, well.. you've got to start off at a much more basic level :) (for you single lay-deez out there, don't marry a man you refuse to submit to- to fully trust in the name of Y'shua. i'm telling you now, it will really make things easier down the road). abandon your worries and trust the L-rd and your husband.


"19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. "

again, i previously touched upon this but i've been talking with a very, very dear friend of mine (female). she said the greatest fear of a woman's heart is abandonment. husbands, when you are harsh with your wives, or when they feel as if you do not love them, you have abandoned them. you have made their greatest fear come true. ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS make your wives feel loved, desired (not only physically but mentally, emotionally/romantically, and spiritually as well), and pursued. be sure to let her know that she is important to you, and that you are GLAD she's in your life. marriage is to be a BLESSING, not a curse- an enrichment, and one you would miss very, very much if it were not in your life.


"20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."

hoo, boy.
it took me 22 years to realize my parents were not the bad guys. (well, perhaps shorter than that if you factor in the lack of self-actualization and self-consciousness, the concept of parents, early childhood, etc. but bear with me)
in fact, once i moved out, i realized that my parents are pretty darn cool people. sure, my mom and i might not agree 100% and my dad might be a little geeky and aloof, but they did a pretty bang-up job of raising me through hell and highwater and i appreciate that. hindsight is 20/20, and i feel like any teenagers reading this are going "ew, my parents are ghey, whatevs" (that's how the kids talk these days, i'm told) but it's true- your parents are not your enemy. they just care an awful lot about you. sometimes it's really hard for them to be able to show it in a way for you to understand, though. why don't you take the time and show THEM that YOU care about them? this gives them an idea how THEY can show YOU how they care about you.

plus they have this whole "life-experience" thing that's really frickin' useful.


"21Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."
and mothers, too. don't think you get out of this.

let me tell you about myself. i hate organized sports. i think they're the most ridiculous, juvenile, incomprehensible waste of time. but you better believe that if my son wants to be on the football/soccer/baseball/etc. team, or my daughter wants to be on the softball/volleyball/etc. team (or hey! who knows, maybe even vice versa!), then i will want to come as often as possible to see my darling girl or my dear boy play. same goes with band, choir, etc.

if your children have dreams, challenge them. if your children have hopes, help them. if your children have a heart for the L-rd and a desire for good things, encourage them.

if your child desires unwise decisions, then do not flat out act with full ultimatums. compromise, seek understanding with them, help them understand your concerns. teenagers are pretty bright these days (even though they do some pretty stupid things), and taking the time to really get to know each others' stance can save plenty of heartache down the road. you DO, of course, get final say- but if your child grows bitter from your parenting methods, you may and most likely will lose your child(ren) to the Cynic's Death. speaking from experience, that is a very, very hard thing to overcome- and most never do.


"2Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism."

this, obviously, is not entirely culturally relevant. but an important note to take is slave, here, refers to a state slightly more restricted than indentured servant. slaves were usually treated very VERY well during these times. often even regarded as members of the family.
in fact, it was probably a much more preferred situation to be in than modern-day slaves- working for a temp agency, for example, where you are technically "sold" and treated as an "asset" rather than a human being (that's what was partly so atrocious about the early US slaveries, correct? funny how it's still happening, just has a different face...).


and with that, we're wrapped up. but the last step- the rinse and repeat- means let it soak in a while, roll it around in your mind, and meditate on it for the next couple of days or so. and always feel free to come back and review it, and repeat the whole thing over again. :)





POST-POST NOTES:

• sometimes it's easier to understand the "context" of a chapter if you examine the history surronding the times- for instance, Colossians is a letter (supposedly by Paul. there is some argument that it is, and some that it is not. i don't care either way; it's excellent advice so i don't give two hoots who actually wrote it as long as it is sound with the will of the L-rd) to a church of believers. wikipedia is a great start to finding information on a book or chaper perhaps, and will hopefully also provide some challenging things for you to think about from critics.
• context is also sometimes much easier gleaned by using different translations of the Bible. i usually use NIV; i understand it, i grew up with it, and it's pretty complete. sometimes i struggle with the language in it though (it IS- what, 50? years old or so) so i'll turn to the New Living Translation, or the Message, for a more culturally relative phrasing. alternatively, sometimes i feel the NIV "skimps" on some parts of the more poetic books- Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs/Solomon, etc. and for this i'll sometimes use KJV. the language is much more romantic and poetic in that translation.
• outlining helps. it really, really does. and i hate outlines. so that says a lot.
• MAKE TIME to read the Bible!
  

a. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
b. Colossians 3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient

[1] a koan is a zen buddhist puzzle, not really intending to have a "true" answer but intended moreso for meditation and po
[2] remind me to post the taoist tale of the stonecutter, as it holds some minor relevance to the concept of oneness and unity.
[3] "G-d forbid"

"i'll always be by your side, even when you're down and out"

[ "By Your Side" - CocoRosie ]

so i've been meaning to get to this for the past four days or so but i've been foolishly putting it off due to whatever sort of excuse i have at the moment- work, fatigue, what have you. i'm quite sleepy at the moment, so i apologize beforehand if it's a bit unintelligible. :) it will, regrettably, be nowhere near comprehensive or complete so i'm really hoping to see some discussion on this.

i've been meaning to write something on Ephesians 5.

G-d is so good. that's a good way to start.

there are five basic sections to Eph. 5:

-Summary
-Commandment/Warning
-Ascension
-Methodology/Road Map
-Dedication (three parts- general, wives, and husbands)

(all citations from NIV unless otherwise specified)

SUMMARY
"1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Ephesians 5:1-2

it's probably a bit odd to START a section with a summary, but there's a good reason. in biblical text, it's common practice to provide a sort of "thesis statement"- start with a statement on what should be and why/how it is done. that's not to say you can just read the first couple verses in a chapter or a stanza of a chaper and go "k done, got it"; rather, it's meant to give you an idea of what to expect. to use an analogy, it's like looking at a google maps satellite view of a place before you go there so you can know what to expect and how to prepare for it, and where it is in relation to where you are. as it should be incredibly painfully obvious to anyone who's even actually read the Bible, the biggest message of it is love. the entire core behind our existence, and the gospel of Y'shua Moshiach[1]


COMMANDMENT/WARNING
"3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them."
Ephesians 5:3-7

nobody likes being told what to do. nobody likes being told they're wrong. myself included. as i read through this section, it's a cold, harsh, and loving (weird to see those words together, isn't it?) reminder of how short i fall. i am an impure, immoral, greedy person. boy, am i! i make plenty of coarse and obscene jokes, i have been known to cuss like a sailor, however, we are not to dwell on our shortcomings but rather meditate on the hope and freedom we have in Christ. further examining this, however, there's something really rather strange, exciting and new- it is the shephard warning the flock about the wolves. take special notice of the last two verses- G-d is straight up telling us "hey! there are people out there who want to- and will try very hard to- break you, lie to you, cheat you, steal from you, ruin your life! do not give trust to those outside of Me easily if at all." it's a pretty intense statement. can you imagine never being able to trust anyone who was outside of the true Spirit of the L-rd Almighty? your life would be changed radically. there is, between the lines, a reminder here as well- love others. just because someone does not have your blind faith in them or your unfaltering trust does not mean you cannot love them- in fact, sometimes it gets easier to love them. when someone breaks your trust, it's most certainly harmful (or at least makes an impact upon) their readiness to love you. imagine how hurt Hashem must be! we lie to His face boldly and loudly, yet He already knows the truth. yet His love is so perfect and so unending that there is always grace, there is always hope, and forgiveness is always available for the repentant heart. only by the Spirit, i was reminded by an amazing friend of mine recently, can we ever hope to be able to offer the same amount of true love.


ASCENSION
"8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
'Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.'"
Ephesians 5:8-14

this is really a pretty self-explanatory part; it's calling us to be higher than the imperfect beings we are (and again, we can only do this by the grace of G-d and by the Holy Spirit alive within us).


METHODOLOGY/ROAD MAP
"15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:15-20

again, totally self-explanatory. G-d is saying "and THIS is how you can do what i want you to do above (ascend above the crap of the world)." by being in the Spirit with one another, and lifting each other up to Him. speak in scripture and words that bring glory to G-d. celebrate every chance you get- every single second you are alive is a gift from G-d and we all too often forget that "these lives are not our own"; we are only stewards not only of this planet but of ourSELVES, our bodies AND our lives. and, of course, there's the roadmap of being drunk on His Holy Spirit as opposed to wine (or in my case, dirty tennessee whiskey). ;) not too much to say there, except when you're immersed in the Holy Spirit, life can throw whatever it wants at you and it does not matter in the least because you know G-d is in control, and you're in tune and desire what He desires so everything else- insurance, job/money in general/finances, relationships, etc. they all have no power over you. it's really a wonderful thing.

DEDICATION

GENERAL
"21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Ephesians 5:21

because we are all belonging to G-d and not of our own selves, we are at the mercy and whim of His desire. here, he commands us to be in submission to one another in reverence to Y'shua. why? Y'shua lived his live in service to others through the will and gifts of the Holy Spirit- through love for them and love for G-d.


WIVES
"22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
Ephesians 5:22-24

i have a LOT to say on marriage- i've seen a LOT of marriages be hurt and damaged, and i've seen a handful that work the way they ought and keep love alive in each other by, through, and alongside love of G-d. this isn't going to be an entry on that. oh, believe me, that's DEFINITELY coming, but that will most likely be a doozy of one and i'll very likely need to make it a multi-part series which very most likely won't ever see an end because it's an incredibly vast, large, and involved subject which i have been blessed with wisdom on through others. you don't have to be married to know how marriages work, you just need to listen and watch. :)

what i AM going to focus on part is the concept of submission and respect as it's talked about in the last parts of Ephesians 5. it's a very, very controversial topic, as anyone can tell you). feminism is about equality, not about the feminine gender having MORE power/control/importance or the masculine gender having more submission than the feminine one, etc. (so take THAT and stick it and your SCUMM manifesto up your tailpipe, valerie solanas!)

that being said, at first glance this looks HUGELY imbalanced! but let's take a look at the New Living Translation for a bit of a more in-depth and modern contextual adaptation:

"22For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything."
Ephesians 5:22-24 NLT

take note here, it doesn't imply that the man is the center in the relationship. rather, it implies the strong anchor of the relationship between both husband/wife AND couple/G-d should be on the shoulders of the husband, and should be followed by the efforts of the wife. notice, also, that it only mentions man and wife and NOT man/woman. marriage is when two become one single entity- in a Christ-centered marriage, it is literally impossible for one to be greater than the other since they provide for, care for, and love each other by the grace and through G-d.

a simple example here would be sally and joe are married. joe has just been laid off, and has heard G-d calling him to move to a different state. sally, however, does not want to move; she's fond of this state for whatever reason(s)- friends, food, history, nostalgia, whatever. instead of praying and listening for G-d's will (she should be praying with her husband through this) she instead starts an argument, becomes defensive, etc.

this is a prime example of NOT submitting in the biblical context.

submission also largely depends on her husband, as well (women of the L-rd: don't yoke yourself to someone you wouldn't trust to submit to!). for instance, i personally would be pretty conservative in my requests of my wife. more on that later, though.

interestingly/alternatively, this had a lot of defenses of a more traditional viewpoint, all of which i felt were at the very least definitely important things to think about. i may not agree with all of the defenses, but it definitely provides a lot of good reasons why a more traditional stance is valid.

i know of at least one person who reads this in a Christ-centered marriage and i'd really love to get her comments on the whole topic of submission, so keep an eye out in the comments section on that.


HUSBANDS
"25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
Ephesians 5:25-33

whew! and you thought the women had it rough with submission!

the main thing here, i think, is that Christ gave EVERYTHING for His Church (that's Church, not church- as in the community of believers, not the building/denomination). husbands, if you aren't prepared for that sacrifice for your wives, well... you're in trouble. :) it's important for husbands to define roles, and most of all to be creative with new ways on how to bring the family together both to each other and to G-d.

i think of it this way- the husbands are the heads, and the wives are the shoulders/neck. the heads NEED the shoulders/neck for support and a base- a head without shoulders or a neck is really not much to brag about. likewise, with no head the shoulders/neck have no direction and doesn't know which way to turn the body. i really feel that analogy sums up what i'm attempting to explain and failing miserably at.

it warns husbands to love and cherish and be prepared to sacrifice for your wives, i think that has a direct result on the types of requests and expectations you'd make of your wife.

i think i can really sum up the requests of my wife's submission in a couple basic things:

1. love the L-rd our G-d before me. always.
2. love no other (hu)man before me/no infidelity (well, if we had children, that'd be a bit of a grey area obviously. ;) it's definitely a different kind of love and a very important kind of love, so that kind of disqualifies itself from this one)
3. equal involvement in chores/children/each other etc.
4. if you doubt, pray with me and talk it through. i vow to listen to your concerns, and you must vow to listen to my concerns.

that's really pretty much all there is to what i'd ask my wife to submit to. not really that big a deal, pretty standard i'd think.



it is now 0630, i'm exhausted, and i was supposed to have this posted days ago. so i'm drawing it to a close here and super-hoping for discussion to continue in the comments section.

peace, love, joy, and wisdom in your life eem yirtze Hashem.

baruch Hashem; amen.




[a] Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Christ and God
[b] Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
[c] Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

[1] hebrew, "Jesus Christ"- Christ is, contrary to popular belief, NOT a last name but rather a title. from the greek Khristos, literally meaning "the Anointed One", it means Saviour. the hebrew word for Saviour is Moshiach- "Messiah".