Dear Church Family,
Mystery Man #1
Yesterday I walked around a corner in the Cupertino Community Center and there I stood, face to face, with a mystery man. We locked eyes. He smiled. I waved “hello” and then walked to a bench to write a text message. Then “Johnson” (that’s his name) ran up and hugged my legs! (Did I mention that Johnson is a one-year-old?) I had never seen this kid before. Then he wanted me to pick him up, so I did. His mother didn’t seem to mind. I guess people with my particular facial features (e.g, prominent, aquiline nose and swarthy complexion) appear trustworthy to little children. Go figure!
Anyway, I struck up a conversation with Johnson’s mom Sophie and invited her to MOPS which starts Friday, Sept. 7. She’s delighted to come! Allison Thomasson and Emily Thimbleby have already reached out to her. Isn’t it great to have hospitable places to invite people we meet?
Who are YOU going to invite this fall to MOPS, our Soul Care Classes, Women’s Bible Study, the Men’s Breakfast, AWANA, Disciple Group/Sunday School Class or our youth ministries?
What else is on my mind? Recently I saw this bumper sticker and it made me think of Alpha, which starts Tuesday, September 25. I LOVE Alpha. Honestly, wild horses couldn’t keep me from inviting others and being involved.
But back to the bumper sticker. Can you read it? (I know what you’re thinking: “Darren, your picture won’t win any amateur photography awards.” Hey, we can’t all shoot at the level of Ken Fong and Tony Cheng.) Anyway, it says: “Love People. Cook them Tasty Food.” Out of love, Jesus fed crowds and his disciples. He even insisted that a little girl whom he healed get some much-needed nourishment (Mk. 5:43). Give your friends tasty food, friendship, respect and truth at Alpha. Who will YOU invite?
Mystery Man #2
Speaking of wild horses, I snapped this picture below when I was with Kurt the other day because it reminded me of our series in the Minor Prophets.
What do powerful steeds and the Minor Prophets have in common? Well, Zechariah — our book for Sunday — features horses at the beginning, middle and end. And not just horses, but other wonders like gold lampstands, flying scrolls/baskets, bronze mountains and most amazing of all, the promise of a “priest on his throne” (Zech. 3:13). (By the way, notice the striking similarities between the fine horse in the painting and Mystery Man #2: (1) both are in profile; (2) both have dark “manes”; (3) both have auburn coloring; and (4) both have bright smiles. Mysterious indeed!
Mystery Man #3
This brings me to my third and final mystery man. I recently read an article in the Jerusalem Post called “You, Your Name and Your People.” The basic gist is as follows: all the marvelous multiplicity in the world stems from the one God. This is true. And Jews are reminded daily of the oneness of God when they pray:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deu 6:4).
The journalist went on to write that God is “truly beyond the world of the many…He’s one — simple, no parts.” This is true, for there is “one God” (1 Tim. 2:5). And yet the Hebrew Bible itself muddies the water a little. There are hints in the Old Testament Scriptures that there is a multiplicity within the unity that is our one God. Prime examples are the references to the third mystery man, “the Angel of the LORD” in Zechariah 3 and other places in the Hebrew Bible.
In a passage that we will look at this Sunday, a person who in verse 1 is called “the angel of the LORD,” is simply called “the LORD” in verse 2. Jewish scholars have struggled with this. The renowned medieval rabbi Rashi dealt with the tension by explaining: “This is said of the angel, who is called by the name of his master…” But as Rev. Alexander McCaul pointed out in a classic 19th century commentary on Zechariah, this is not true of all angels in the Bible. Rev. McCaul wrote: “In the eighth and ninth chapters of Daniel, an angel is sent to Daniel, but he is not called by the name of Him that sent him, but is called Gabriel.” What’s more, this “angel” (and the word simply means “messenger”) has a special dignity and authority that is accorded to deity. This is mysterious indeed. As Professor Edward Pusey wrote in his famous commentary: “It may be that God, by such sayings…accustomed men, before Christ came, to believe in the Plurality of Persons in the One Godhead.”
Here’s a final picture of my friend Pat who quietly services us each week by stuffing our bulletins with information about opportunities for our blessing.
Please come on Sunday and let’s learn and worship together.
Love in Christ,
Darren