13 See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15 so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied ;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Goodbye, Mr. iPod
So, my iPod shuffle just died. Or rather, I murdered it. I was getting it out of my sister's car and just as I was closing the door, it slipped out of my hand and got closed into the door. It didn't break, but kinda got bent in half. I tried turning it on to see if it would work, and nothing. I've had it for exactly two years, got it on my birthday! But, alas, it has played its last song. You will be missed, my friend. Sad face.
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Lone Summer Post
Yeah, so I haven't posted all summer. Big deal! J/k. Anyway, here's a few random, bulleted points of what I've been doing.
-Ok, first of all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is only three days away, and I'm like about to die. I am anxiously awaiting the seventh and final book of the HP series. So who's it gonna be...Harry or Voldemort? My prediction: Harry's going to live of course! You can't end a series like that with evil triumphing!
-Besides that, what have I been doing? Well, I started shadowing an ER doc at a hospital, because that's what I wanna be. Let me tell you, it's been pretty spiffy. I'm attracted to the ER because of it being so unpredictable.
-Well, before I can be a doctor, I have to devote four years of my life to med school, and admission to that requires taking the MCAT. So, yeah, I studied up for that the first half of my summer and took it June 15th. I'm supposed to be getting my score in like 24 hours so I'm kinda nervous about that...
-And, to bring us up to date to today, God taught me something really cool this morning. He taught me..........the gospel. You might think, "Matthew, you're a Christian, you should know what the gospel is..." Well, I did, and I do, but God really made a connection with me today that made me understand it so much better. Everytime I used to hear the word gospel, I would think about the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and what they contained, the teachings of Christ. Well, I was reading today in Galatians 3 and God shed light on something that I'm sure for most people is obvious, but for me it really was a revelation. In this passage, Paul is admonishing the Galatians for so quickly forgetting their new relationship and freedom in Christ and exchanging it for bondage through the law. Paul brings up the OT patriarch Abraham to make his point (v. 5-9). He explains that Abraham was counted righteous not by works but by his unwavering faith in God. And then it's so cool because Paul says that because of this, the Scripture foresees how the Gentiles would be justified and saved--through faith in God. So many times in the NT the people are told to not forget the gospel they were taught, to not turn to any other teachings, and at the beginning of this letter Paul says the same thing. And today we muddy things up so much, saying you've got to do this, got to be like this, got to give up this, and got to act like this to be saved, to be a Christian. But that is NOT the gospel. The gospel was revealed long ago to Abraham, and is still the same today. We are justified by faith (that's it) in Jesus Christ, are sealed with His Spirit, and are imputed with His righteousness (Galatians 3:5-9, Habakkuk 2:4, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 4:22-25).
-Ok, first of all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is only three days away, and I'm like about to die. I am anxiously awaiting the seventh and final book of the HP series. So who's it gonna be...Harry or Voldemort? My prediction: Harry's going to live of course! You can't end a series like that with evil triumphing!
-Besides that, what have I been doing? Well, I started shadowing an ER doc at a hospital, because that's what I wanna be. Let me tell you, it's been pretty spiffy. I'm attracted to the ER because of it being so unpredictable.
-Well, before I can be a doctor, I have to devote four years of my life to med school, and admission to that requires taking the MCAT. So, yeah, I studied up for that the first half of my summer and took it June 15th. I'm supposed to be getting my score in like 24 hours so I'm kinda nervous about that...
-And, to bring us up to date to today, God taught me something really cool this morning. He taught me..........the gospel. You might think, "Matthew, you're a Christian, you should know what the gospel is..." Well, I did, and I do, but God really made a connection with me today that made me understand it so much better. Everytime I used to hear the word gospel, I would think about the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and what they contained, the teachings of Christ. Well, I was reading today in Galatians 3 and God shed light on something that I'm sure for most people is obvious, but for me it really was a revelation. In this passage, Paul is admonishing the Galatians for so quickly forgetting their new relationship and freedom in Christ and exchanging it for bondage through the law. Paul brings up the OT patriarch Abraham to make his point (v. 5-9). He explains that Abraham was counted righteous not by works but by his unwavering faith in God. And then it's so cool because Paul says that because of this, the Scripture foresees how the Gentiles would be justified and saved--through faith in God. So many times in the NT the people are told to not forget the gospel they were taught, to not turn to any other teachings, and at the beginning of this letter Paul says the same thing. And today we muddy things up so much, saying you've got to do this, got to be like this, got to give up this, and got to act like this to be saved, to be a Christian. But that is NOT the gospel. The gospel was revealed long ago to Abraham, and is still the same today. We are justified by faith (that's it) in Jesus Christ, are sealed with His Spirit, and are imputed with His righteousness (Galatians 3:5-9, Habakkuk 2:4, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 4:22-25).
Thursday, April 26, 2007
O for the P
The Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Positive signs in the contemporary world are the growing awareness of the solidarity of the poor among themselves, their efforts to support one another, and their public demonstrations on the social scene which, without recourse to violence, present their own needs and rights in the face of the inefficiency or corruption of public authorities. By virtue of her own evangelical duty the Church feels called to take her stand beside the poor, to discern the justice of their requests, and to help satisfy them, without losing sight of the good of groups in the context of the common good. (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, para. 39)
As followers of Christ, we are challenged to make a preferential option for the poor, namely, to create conditions for marginalized voices to be heard, to defend the defenseless, and to assess lifestyles, policies and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor. The option for the poor does not mean pitting one group against another, but rather, it calls us to strengthen the whole community by assisting those who are most vulnerable.
From the Scriptures we learn that the justice of a society is tested and judged by its treatment of the poor. God’s covenant with Israel was dependant on the way the community treated the poor and unprotected—the widow, the orphan and the stranger (Deut. 16.11-12, Ex. 22.21-27, Isa. 1.16-17). Throughout Israel’s history and in the New Testament, the poor are agents of God’s transforming power. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims that he has been anointed to bring good news to the poor (4.1-22). Similarly, in the Last Judgment, we are told that we will be judged according to how we respond to the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoner and the stranger (Matthew 25.31-46).
Therefore, the preferential option for the poor is not optional. Each Christian must make a choice to lift up the poor and disadvantaged in very real and concrete ways. Preferential option for the poor means that Christians are called to look at the world from the perspective of the marginalized and to work in solidarity for justice.
Student Reflection:
The option for the poor asks everyone to realize the plight of those who struggle to survive, and to put the needs of these most vulnerable members of society ahead of individual selfish interests…We can never stop questioning an oppressive system that forces billions of our brothers and sisters in our country and around the world to live in poverty. We need to ask “why?” Why are people starving around the world? How can the United States, the richest nation in the world, allow its people to live in poverty, to be homeless in the “land of opportunity,” to lack good education and adequate health care and to starve to death?…What occurs in the United States and throughout the world that allows so many to have so little when so few have so much? As one of the elite—the fed, the clothed, the sheltered, the educated—what are my responsibilities as I step out into this unjust world society and try to make my way?-- Christine Raslavsky, Seminar on Poverty and Development in Chile, 1995.
Questions for discussion/reflection:
1. The Bishop’s Pastoral on the U.S. Economy states, “Followers of Christ must avoid a tragic separation between faith and everyday life…economic life is one of the chief areas where we live out our faith [and] love our neighbor.” In what ways ought we manage our economic resources as faithful Christians? In what ways are you conscious of those who are economically poor or disadvantaged?
2. What are some very concrete ways that you can make a preferential option for the poor?
3. Are we collectively responsible for the conditions of poverty both locally and globally? What can you do both directly and indirectly to work for change?
http://centerforsocialconcerns.nd.edu/mission/cst/cst4.shtml
Positive signs in the contemporary world are the growing awareness of the solidarity of the poor among themselves, their efforts to support one another, and their public demonstrations on the social scene which, without recourse to violence, present their own needs and rights in the face of the inefficiency or corruption of public authorities. By virtue of her own evangelical duty the Church feels called to take her stand beside the poor, to discern the justice of their requests, and to help satisfy them, without losing sight of the good of groups in the context of the common good. (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, para. 39)
As followers of Christ, we are challenged to make a preferential option for the poor, namely, to create conditions for marginalized voices to be heard, to defend the defenseless, and to assess lifestyles, policies and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor. The option for the poor does not mean pitting one group against another, but rather, it calls us to strengthen the whole community by assisting those who are most vulnerable.
From the Scriptures we learn that the justice of a society is tested and judged by its treatment of the poor. God’s covenant with Israel was dependant on the way the community treated the poor and unprotected—the widow, the orphan and the stranger (Deut. 16.11-12, Ex. 22.21-27, Isa. 1.16-17). Throughout Israel’s history and in the New Testament, the poor are agents of God’s transforming power. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims that he has been anointed to bring good news to the poor (4.1-22). Similarly, in the Last Judgment, we are told that we will be judged according to how we respond to the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoner and the stranger (Matthew 25.31-46).
Therefore, the preferential option for the poor is not optional. Each Christian must make a choice to lift up the poor and disadvantaged in very real and concrete ways. Preferential option for the poor means that Christians are called to look at the world from the perspective of the marginalized and to work in solidarity for justice.
Student Reflection:
The option for the poor asks everyone to realize the plight of those who struggle to survive, and to put the needs of these most vulnerable members of society ahead of individual selfish interests…We can never stop questioning an oppressive system that forces billions of our brothers and sisters in our country and around the world to live in poverty. We need to ask “why?” Why are people starving around the world? How can the United States, the richest nation in the world, allow its people to live in poverty, to be homeless in the “land of opportunity,” to lack good education and adequate health care and to starve to death?…What occurs in the United States and throughout the world that allows so many to have so little when so few have so much? As one of the elite—the fed, the clothed, the sheltered, the educated—what are my responsibilities as I step out into this unjust world society and try to make my way?-- Christine Raslavsky, Seminar on Poverty and Development in Chile, 1995.
Questions for discussion/reflection:
1. The Bishop’s Pastoral on the U.S. Economy states, “Followers of Christ must avoid a tragic separation between faith and everyday life…economic life is one of the chief areas where we live out our faith [and] love our neighbor.” In what ways ought we manage our economic resources as faithful Christians? In what ways are you conscious of those who are economically poor or disadvantaged?
2. What are some very concrete ways that you can make a preferential option for the poor?
3. Are we collectively responsible for the conditions of poverty both locally and globally? What can you do both directly and indirectly to work for change?
http://centerforsocialconcerns.nd.edu/mission/cst/cst4.shtml
Psalm 73
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
None But Jesus-Hillsong United
In the quiet, in the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored
When You call I won’t refuse
Each new day again I’ll choose
There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise
In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re Sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will
When You call I won’t delay
This my song through all my days
All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope, all of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord Forevermore
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored
When You call I won’t refuse
Each new day again I’ll choose
There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise
In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re Sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will
When You call I won’t delay
This my song through all my days
All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope, all of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord Forevermore
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