study links

last week in luke chapter 9 we studied about the call to take up our cross being a call to live a life that is threatening to the "powers" (see the post below "run in such a way, as not without aim"). but this week in chapter 10 we read Jesus telling the disciples that he is sending them out as "lambs in the midst of wolves". so the question is, how are lambs a threat to wolves? we came up with a few ideas in our discussion, but let us know what you think.

here is a link to an excellent article by a woman journalist writing from the midst of apartheid violence in south africa in the 90's. she connects an experience there with the same verses in luke chapter 10 that we were studying. it gives a good concrete example of one possible way those verses could be applied. http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20070702JJ.shtml


we also watched a video from teacher and historian ray vander laan. the particular lesson we watched was filmed on location in priene, turkey and was titled "the presence of God: a counter cultural community". it showed clearly how just by trying to be faithful to God the early christian communities radically confronted their culture. if you'd like to borrow it and see for yourself just let us know.
i highly recommend checking out any of his stuff. he uses archeology, history, and geography to show a clearer context to our scriptures then most of us already know. this brings out a lot of meanings that would have been obvious to the first hearers of the word, but that can often escape us as we are separated in many ways from the world the bible was formed in. his teaching goes into a lot of the jewish roots of our faith which are extremely important for christians to know. here's a link to the website of his organization where you can find lots of studies of this sort and hopefully grow in your knowledge of our faith:
http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1458

and one more link here to an article by theologian ched myers that gives another incredible perspective on what it means to be lambs that threaten the wolves in an essay on the revolutionary roots of the pentecostal church and its connections with jazz. he presents a very interesting take on speaking in tongues, and being baptized in the spirit as subversive tactics against the dominant culture.
http://bcm-net.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/Cultural%20Insurgency.pdf