Sunday Adult Discussion - 5 October 2008

When I read Karen’s response I initially thought “That discusses the Hebrew vs the Greek perspectives on creation, but it does not address ‘Hebrew thought’ vs ’Greek thought.’

Later I realized that it is I who is incapable of embracing “Hebrew thought.”
Like Spock from StarTrek, I must be half-Vulcan, because I am capable of embracing only “Greek Thought.” If it is not logical, it does not compute, ergo it does not exist in my little universe.

Now I sing like Lee Marvin with a bad head cold, whereas Karen has the gift of being able to sing beautifully. Extending that thought, it is entirely possible that Karen has the gift of “Hebrew thought,” whereas I do not.
Therefore, while “Hebrew thought” is incomprehensible to me, its nonexistence does not follow logically. Modern astrophysics posits that 90% of the universe is composed of “dark matter” or “dark energy” which is undetectable to humans, but exists nonetheless. Similarly “Hebrew thought” exists because Karen, and others, are capable of experiencing it.

Dave

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Here's how I see it.
The Hebrew way sees the earth as good and God is present everywhere;
therefore when you look at anything on earth, a flower, tree, rock, etc.
you can see the goodness of God in it. And because of that you can feel
His presence simply by being around what he created.
The darn Greeks didn't agree with that. They say that although God
created the earth he didn't leave his presence in what he created.
Therefore when you look at trees, flowers, rocks, and PEOPLE, you do NOT
necessarily see the goodness of God in it. Matter of fact, these things
distract you from seeing God. You have to look OUTSIDE (Heaven?) to
find God.

I'm sure you can see which one I agree with. I believe that by simply
walking outside and concentrating on the things that God made (that
means not listening to music, cell phones, other conversations, etc.),
you can feel his presence and renew your spirituality and energy. I
love going to church for the communal aspect of the religion....sharing
in what we all believe together and remembering (because we do tend to
forget quite often) what it is we are supposed to be striving for and
why. But I feel God's presence most when I'm by myself in nature. And
sometimes when I hit that high note in church that I couldn't hit during
practice and know that he wanted to spare your ears by making me sing
better. :-)
Karen

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Lutheranism As A Way of Life
5 October 2008

Questions from Chapter Two – A Way of Hearing.

HELP! For this chapter, we are going to have to rely almost exclusively on topics and questions put forth by the other members of the Sunday Adult Discussion group, because I fundamentally do not comprehend the message of this chapter. The only portion I think I understand is the example of Greek thought as to how some Christians interpret the Bible. The rest of the chapter addressing “Hebrew Thought” and “Living Word” may as well have been written in Hebrew for all the understanding I have of it. (Maybe they call it “Hebrew Thought” cause when I read it from right to left, it makes just as much sense to me!)

1. Chapter Two states: "Lutheran teaching champions Hebrew thought over Greek thought. Hebrew thought affirms the goodness of the creation, an earth filled with the glory of God, while Greek thought sees matter as evil and therefore separates God from creation, the spiritual from the physical."

I don't understand. What does this mean?

2. What are some examples of "Hebrew thought," and how it has affected Christianity?

3. What are some examples of "Greek thought," and how has it affected Christianity?

4. What does "Truth is the Living Word" mean, and how does that differ from "Greek thought"?

(The examples given on Page 12 “Living Word is like…” do not compute with me, and add nothing to my understanding of “Living Word.”)

5. “Through Christ, God woos us and pleads with us, ‘I love you. I forgive you. I want you. Trust me. Obey me. Enter the joy of my kingdom.’ When we hear this call, we hear THE LIVING WORD.”

Ok – I can accept this. It makes sense as a “True Proposition” from my “Greek” way of thinking. What is the “Hebrew thinking” interpretation of this statement?

6. “If we say that the WORD comes to us as the living address of God, how then do we view the Bible…” “Luther taught that the Bible is like that manager because the Scriptures hold Christ, the Living Word, God’s address to us. The manger was ‘human.’ If it were made of wood, no doubt some boards were crooked and some nails were bent. Nevertheless, it held the divine WORD for the world. The Bible, likewise, is human. Yet it is ‘divine’ because …the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, holds the living Christ who, as the Scriptures are read and proclaimed, lives as God’s address to us.”

Ok – I can accept this. It makes sense as a “True Proposition” from my “Greek” way of thinking. It supports the Greek thinking argument:
"Other Christians say that the Bible is a fallible human book. However, by using reason to get behind primitive and legendary material, we can find eternal truths valid for all time."
What is the “Hebrew thinking” interpretation of this statement?

7. “We confess that the Holy Spirit opens our ears to hear the Living Word of God, the “address” which breaks into our lives shattering old ways of selfishness and illusion and creating in us a new way of obedient trust. This is the LUTHERAN WAY OF HEARING.”

Evidently I have a “Tin Ear” to more than just music, and need the Holy Spirit to open my ears to understand the meaning of this chapter.

Dave