Sharing on oppressed lives of Latin Americans

Psalm 25

This psalm does not track a central theme

What I mean, is that we cannot say, “This is a psalm of praise,”
- or “Psalm of confession,” or “thanksgiving psalm,” or “supplication psalm”
• this doesn’t mean the structure of the poem is random,
◦ only that it doesn’t tell a story or develop a specific point
• nevertheless, there is a pattern to the psalm,
◦ but we don’t find it arranged in an obvious pattern
- the first Hebrew letter in the first word of the first verse is alef
(like 'A' is the first letter of our alphabet)
• the first letter in the first word of the second verse is bet
(like 'B' is the second letter of our alphabet)
◦ alef and bet are the first two letters in the Hebrew alphabet
◦ that’s what the poet used for the outline of the entire psalm
• it’s like the nursery rhyme, “A is for apple; B is for ball . . . .”
◦ except that two letters from the Hebrew alphabet are missing

There are several psalms that use this acrostic device
- Psalm 119 is the most radical example, supplying eight verses (each beginning with the same letter) for every letter of the Hebrew alphabet

The last two weeks I’ve been encouraging you to listen for God’s voice

Now, today, using this spectacular episode of Isaiah’s life is neither practical nor fair
– he was chosen by God to be a prophet,
• and the prophet’s calling is in most instances very dramatic
◦ e.g., Moses and the mysterious flames; Ezekiel’s fantastic vision, impossible to imagine
• so if there’s a legitimate reason for us to consider Isaiah’s experience,
◦ it’s because in his vision he saw and heard God speak to him
◦ that is what defines the prophet
– even if we never have a dramatic or spectacular encounter like Isaiah,
• we can draw lessons from what he describes, because we want to hear God’s voice
◦ and Isaiah’s experience may help us navigate our own less dramatic experiences
• let’s see what we can find in this story that will be useful to us

About six years before my dad died,

For some reason, that I don’t remember,
- I got the idea that it was really important for him to tell his life’s story
• there were already a lot of fictional stories regarding his life,
◦ and how he came to be the founder of a new church movement
• I suppose, that as his son, it was important to me,
◦ that people learned how God worked in his life to make him the man he was
- however, I knew that though dad was a gifted storyteller,
• he was not a writer, and would never find the time to produce an autobiography
◦ so I volunteered to be his ghost-writer, and he agreed
• I’m telling you this, because there’s something in his book I’m going to read

What are we witnessing in this archetypal story?

First, why do I refer to the story as “archetypal”?
– archetypes have to do with basic themes planted in the human mind
• familiar themes are revealed in the heroes, heroines, and villains of fables, myths, and fairytales
◦ these characters represent specific qualities that define human persons and their behavior
◦ including: virtuous, courageous, clever, creative, wise or foolish, industrious or lazy
• the plot of the stories, and the actors differ from culture to culture,
◦ but the qualities are universal, so we recognize when they’re pointed out to us
– in this story of Eli and Samuel, the archetypal theme is similar to the “the sorcerer’s apprentice”
• it doesn’t follow specific rules, because Eli was a priest and not a prophet
◦ but he was familiar with prophecy and could give Samuel basic instructions
• so first, after a delayed response, Eli discerns what is happening to Samuel
◦ he is able to explain to the boy that God is calling to him
◦ and, then he instructs him how to respond to receive God’s message

 Romans 14
• A deep story describes a collective, emotionally rooted narrative that individuals and groups use to make sense of their lives and the world, prioritizing feelings and metaphors over cold facts or moral judgments.
• The concept was developed by Arlie Russell Hochschild, a sociologist and we will talk about her more in a bit.
• Today we will be considering how competing "deep stories" lead to conflict and how we can, in our spheres of influence contribute to understanding, healing and hope.
• First we will look at competing deep stories in the New Testament, then we will look at how some deep stories are impacting the Church and society today. 

Some time ago, I took a course in speed-reading

We were required to practice every day for at least an hour
- the only drawback–I chose to read books that didn’t interest me, so I wouldn't get distracted by their content
• but going fast, I got nothing at all from them – I wasn’t reading, but just looking at words
- later on I was exposed to a method of slow-reading
• the purpose: to get as much as possible from what I read
◦ this applied specifically to reading the Scriptures
◦ the benefit is hearing God speak to me clearly and directly
• and that is what I want to teach you this morning

Here we are, after several weeks, at the end of Jude

There’s not another letter in the New Testament exactly like it
- a small bit of 2 Peter incorporates some of the same lines
• but the overall structure and content of Jude are unusual,
◦ and his quotations from two non-biblical books is unique
• but coming to the end, he closes with a familiar prayer
◦ it’s not his exact words that are familiar, but how the words are arranged
◦ Jude signs off with a “doxology”
- the Greek word doxa, is frequently translated “glory”
• and this word usually appears in doxologies, making it easy to identify them
• a doxology is a prayer or song in praise of God
◦ in many churches doxologies are read, recited, or sung every week

My friend, Clint Freeman, sent me an article this week

It has to do with Artificial Intelligence and I added it to my “weird news” file
Darin White, “Four in ten Gen-Z and millennial adults say spiritual advice from AI is just as trustworthy as advice from a pastor. One-third of teenagers have talked to an AI companion rather than a human being about serious, personal issues. Thirty-nine percent of Gen Z would skip or delay a doctor’s visit if AI told them their symptoms were low risk . . . . And 26 percent of Gen Z adults have engaged in some form of romantic or companion relationship with an AI chat bot.”
- this is either scary or silly, but there is another development that is more serious for us
White, "[In] April, a tech company . . . launched an AI-generated avatar of Jesus that people can talk to, pray with, and seek spiritual counsel from for $1.99 per minute. The avatar was trained on the King James Bible . . . .”
- one of the concerns I have about this, is AI is not bullet-proof
• I’ve been reading Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations
◦ in chapter 5, he quotes an author without naming him, but claims he was,
Adam Smith, “by far the most illustrious philosopher and historian of the present age”
◦ I assumed he was referring to David Hume, because he was a friend that Smith admired
• when I looked it up, an AI engine immediately popped up and curtly (I felt) reported,
"no philosopher is quoted in book 5 of The Wealth of Nations
◦ dissatisfied, I searched for the actual quote, and that was in Hume’s writings
◦ feeling vindicated, I corrected the snobbish AI bot

A couple weeks ago I got a phone call

The number looked familiar, so I answered – “Hello”
- a man’s voice asked, “Is this Charles?”
• at that point it was obvious he didn’t know me
• so I said, “Maybe”
- there are too many scams running in our world for me to take chances
• if you respond to a text or call, a fake offer, a warning,
◦ or a simple “click” and next thing you discover is that your bank account is emptied,
◦ or your credit card is hacked, or your identity is stolen
• I appreciate the warnings I receive regarding the con artist who are constantly fishing for personal information

That is how we are to read Jude's letter

What he wrote was a “fraud alert” – as he has said,
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed”