Genesis 9:18-29…The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah; from these three the whole Earth was populated. Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father’s nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father’s exposed body. When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done. He said, 
Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, 
a slave to his brothers! Blessed be God, the God of Shem, 
but Canaan shall be his slave.  God prosper Japheth, 
living spaciously in the tents of Shem. 
But Canaan shall be his slave. Noah lived another 350 years following the flood. He lived a total of 950 years. And he died.

Noah is known most as the man who saved the world from the flood. But what happens next is kind of an odd way for the author to conclude the story of Noah.

The writer of Genesis, Moses, some hundreds of years later, retells this story to the Jewish people to a group of wandering slaves in the middle of a desert.

Why this story?

Why speak of a drunken Noah and naked Noah, if they were to be like Noah?

This story really isn’t even about Noah if you look a little deeper than the surface. This story is really about Ham and his two brothers.

It’s a story about the way God intends people to treat those around us and the result of the way we treat the people around us.

Nudity

The Jewish people believe that modesty is the foundation of Jewish values and is one of the fundamental underpinnings of the Jewish family. Tz’ni’ut is the Hebrew word for modesty (meaning simplicity, a touch of bashfulness, and reserve). But perhaps above these, it signifies privacy. It is the hallmark of Jewish marriage, and the rabbis refer to it as the specific quality to look for in the ideal mate.

Tz’ni’ut also means discreet habits, quiet speech, and infers the avoidance of grossness, raucous behavior, and even “loud” ornaments. This is not merely a series of behavioral niceties, a sort of Bible’s guide to etiquette, but a philosophy of life.

The idea of Tz’ni’ut was intended to preserve the sanctity of the human being from assault by the coarseness of daily life.

The problem comes when Ham does nothing about his Father lack of Tz’ni’ut. Instead, he just goes and tells his brothers.

Shem and Japheth take action. They grab a sheet, walk backwards, and cover their father. The Israelites are descendants of Shem.

There is more going on here than drinking and nudity. More than too much wine.

The New Humanity

Remember Moses, the author.

He was writing to the Jewish people, who had no identity. They had been slaves so long they didn’t know how to live life God’s way.

What’s he trying to tell the Jewish people in this story?

Don’t be like Ham.

Deuteronomy 10:12-19…Israel, what does the LORD your God want you to do? He wants you to fear him, follow all his directions, love him, and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul. 13 The LORD wants you to obey his commands and laws that I’m giving you today for your own good. 14 Remember that the sky, the highest heaven, the earth and everything it contains belong to the LORD your God. 15 The LORD set his heart on your ancestors and loved them. Because of this, today he chooses you, their descendants, out of all the people of the world. 16 So circumcise your uncircumcised hearts, and don’t be impossible to deal with any longer. 17 The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, powerful, and awe-inspiring God. He never plays favorites and never takes a bribe. 18 He makes sure orphans and widows receive justice. He loves foreigners and gives them food and clothes. 19 So you should love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt.

Don’t be like Ham. Don’t be like Egypt.

Don’t walk away from those in need.

Dare to preserve human dignity at all costs.

Care of orphans and widows. Make justice happen. Give to foreigners.

I love sushi.

A little over 4 years ago (May 27th,2005) I went on my first date  with my future wife here to Fishbones. We talked, held hands, and ate some great seafood (she got sushi). We dated for 8 months and got married July 14th, 2006. She is my best friend. I am so glad I went to Fishbones that night because for 4 years my life has been richer, deeper, and more beautiful than I could imagine.

I remember my first date (and lots of others as well). I even remember some of the food we ate.

On our honeymoon in Ft. Lauderdale,FL we discovered our favorite sushi place called RA Sushi. The sushi was some of the most amazing we’d ever had (we went twice while there) and loved the design of the restaurant.

I used to hate sushi.

The first time I tried it, it almost made me throw up.

Some of my favorite memories take place around a table. First dates, honeymoon sushi, birthday celebration, and holidays all take place around a table.

The table  and food are one of the most central themes in scripture.

Communion. Feasts. Kosher. Love Feasts.

The table and food are not one of the central themes in most of our lives.

Not just eating food. We do that very well in America. But the table. The place where no one sits higher or lower than anyone, where everyone takes and shares, and the place where laughter, love, and life happens at its best.

When is the last time you can down with a group of people for a real meal?

Think Thanksgiving on steroids. Think Christmas ham. Think Easter dinner.

Why only then? Why not tonight?

Stop.

Go read Genesis 6-8.

The Midrash, a collection of Rabbi’s teaching from mostly the 3^rd century, speaks of how heart-broken over the violence of humanity God was. Launching from Cain and Abel to Noah (covering over 1600 years) was death, murder, exploitation, hate, and it had polluted the earth. They believed that the ultimate insult to God was to do violence to another (other than idolatry).

• Is there a difference between the violence on the earth thousands of years ago, hundreds of years ago, sixty years ago, or 5 years ago?

• Whether it takes place in the day of Noah or in the day of Kevin-violence is the opposite of God.  Time doesn’t discriminate. Hate and exploitation can be seen across the timeline of history; it crosses race, religion, time, and location.

Possibly one of the most amazing statements in the entire Bible happens next in the story of Noah, and continues throughout the rest of the story of scripture. I’m sorry that I made them.” BUT the LORD was pleased with Noah.

BUT

There was a difference between Noah and the rest of the humanity. There was a difference between the way he lived and the way the rest of humanity lived. He wasn’t among the violent.

In fact, God was pleased with Noah…because he lived differently.

The writer of Genesis, Moses, some hundreds of years later, retells the story to a group of wandering slaves in the middle of a desert.

Moses spent the first 40 years of his life in the best of times…then killed someone.

The next 40 years he spent in the ‘backside’ of the desert…a wasteland, herding sheep.

Then at 80, God told him to lead his native people out of Egypt into a new place God was taking them. So he did. He led them out of Egypt, through a parted sea, and to a mountain where God spoke to them.

But the Jewish people had no identity. They had been slaves so long they didn’t know how to live life God’s way.

Their past was marked by violence, hate, and persecution. They were slaves, used and abused by the powers that be.

What’s he trying to tell the Jewish people in this story?

He’s telling them to be like Noah.

He’s telling them that they can be saved like Noah.

Imagine the thoughts they had as they sat by the Red Sea as the haters and the violent drown. God just saved them through water…like Noah.

He’s telling these people who have been rescued (like Noah was rescued) to be a Noah in the land God was leading them to.

That even when they are surrounded, like Noah was, by people living the wrong way to live blameless and right.

Noah became the ‘new humanity’…not perfect (he’s the first drunk and flasher a few chapters later) but a new humanity not based on violence but a promise.

A promise of rescue. A promise of provision. A promise of a new start.

I’m going to live in the new humanity.

Art by Fabu

I got a phone call yesterday.

It was someone I wanted to meet with, so we planned to meet a few hours later.

It was great to be able to hear from this person since I haven’t gotten to talk to them for a while. We talked causally for a few moments and then they broke down.

They told me about how wrecked their life was.

How one moment seemed to erase years of hope and joy.

How someone stole from them their innocence, their purity, and their peace.

I don’t plan for days like yesterday.

(I can barely finish typing this blog because of the tears streaming down my face)

Why?

How?

I don’t have most of the answers. My heart is broken for my friend. My heart is broken for people like my friend who have had their innocence, purity, hope, and joy stolen from them.

But…

Because I believe and live in the kingdom of God, I have hope for a better way of life and of a better way.

I have this great hope that people who’ve been broken by others will be restored.

I have this great hope that people who’ve been exploited and used will be remedied.

I have this great hope that people who exploit and break others will be redeemed.

For now I pray.

Will you pray with me, for this kingdom, for this healing, for this hope.

“Now look: Suppose that this child has a child who sees all the sins done by his parent. The child sees them, but doesn’t follow in the parent’s footsteps—

doesn’t eat at the pagan shrines, 
doesn’t worship the popular idols of Israel, 
doesn’t seduce his neighbor’s spouse,

doesn’t bully anyone, 
doesn’t refuse to loan money, 
doesn’t steal, 
doesn’t refuse food to the hungry, 
doesn’t refuse to give clothes to the ill-clad,

doesn’t live by impulse and greed, 
doesn’t exploit the poor.

He does what I say; he performs my laws and lives by my statutes. 
“This person will not die for the sins of the parent; he will live truly and well.”                   -Ezekiel 18:14-17

• Impulse|ˈimˌpəls|: a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act…from Latin impuls- ‘driven on,’ .

Do you live life based on your needs, your urges, or your desires?

I had to ask myself this question today, several times.

Do I have to drink coffee?

Do I have to check my Twitter every 5 minutes?

Do I have drink pop during lunch?

I found myself asking myself this alot: Do I have to ______

The have to have’s is a powerful and dangerous attitude and lifestyle. It can quickly kill a relationship, a job, and most ministry opportunities.

We all have things we feel like we have to have.

Think about it.

We all have things we feel like we have to have.

The have to have syndrome is serious business. It affects most areas of our lives.

Call it pride, call it lust, call it greed. The syndrome is the same-our need to promote self, to praise self, and to place our selves first is the root of most social, global, and relational issues.

How do we change?

Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need.-Ephesians 4:28

• Quit It…Wanna change? It’s pretty simply-STOP it!
• Get A Job…Fill your life with purpose (if you used to steal…now work hard)…if you used to lust after girls now get involved in God’s work (protect them).
• Do Something Good…Do something with purpose…replace your lust with good towards others.
• Share It…Spend time doing things for others so you focus less on your lust and less on you.

I wrote this prayer well I was praying on a early Tuesday morning (like 5 am early) as the sun was rising over the these mountains.

Jesus,

I give you permission to change my plans, rearrange my life, and to do whatever you want.

I surrender my inability to trust you, when you call me to risk it all.

I surrender my fears and my inability to believe you’ll come through.

I surrender my busy attempts to please you.

I surrender my desire for success and the cost of what really matters.

I surrender my need for applause.

I surrender my false perceptions of what I think church should be.

My Father, may your name be honored. I want your wish to be done and your kingdom to come, just like it is in Heaven. Forgive my sin and help me to forgive. Provide for me exactly what I need. Keep me far from temptation and deliver me from the Evil One.

Love, Me

I can’t get it out of my head or my heart.

I spent Monday in Estes Park, CO a part of a gathering called: Rhythm In Twenty.

We talked about listening.

We talked about pursuing.

We talked about priorities. We rediscovered togetherness and learned that were not alone.

Some of our time together was spent in complete silence.

We went to Rocky Mountain National Park for 3 hours to be alone and be with God.

I climbed this mountain.

As I climbed this mountain I reached a point where there were several boulders with deep cliffs looking over a beautiful valley. I could see snow caped mountains, less than a mile away.

Elk walked within 100 ft of me.

As I was sitting looking at one of the most beautiful scenes of my life thus far I discovered reality.

Reality is a scary thing.

When your alone on a mountain only a few feet from an Elk, you quickly discover the reality that life as you’ve been living it isn’t really the life God wants.

Sitting on this mountain looking hundreds of feet below me, reality broke me.

When was the last time you climbed a mountain and looked deep into your heart, your priorities, and your dreams?

If you haven’t it’s quite possible the your reality isn’t God’s reality.

LOVE

(Anyone know who wrote this)

If I talk a lot about God and the Bible and the Church, but I fail to
ask about your needs and then help you, I’m simply making a lot of empty
religious noise.

If I graduate from theological seminary and know all the answers to
questions you’ll never even think of asking, and if I have all the degrees
to prove it and if I say I believe in God with all my heart, and soul
and strength, and claim to have incredible answers to my prayers to show
it, but I fail to take the time to find out where you’re at and what
makes you laugh and why you cry, I’m nothing.

If I sell an extra car and some of my books to raise money for some
poor starving kids somewhere, and if I give my life for God’s service and
burn out after pouring everything I have into the work, but do it all
without ever once thinking about the people, the real hurting people-the
moms and dads and sons and daughters and orphans and widows and the
lonely and hurting-if I pour my life into the Kingdom but forget to make
it relevant to those here on earth, my energy is wasted, and so is my
life.

Here is what love is like–genuine love. God’s kind of love. It’s
patient. It can wait. It helps others, even if they never find out who did
it. Love doesn’t look for greener pastures or dream of how things could
be better if I just got rid of all my current commitments. Love doesn’t
boast. It doesn’t try to build itself up to be something it isn’t. Love
doesn’t act in a loose, immoral way. It doesn’t seek to take, but it
willingly gives. Love doesn’t lose its cool. It doesn’t turn on and off.
Love doesn’t think about how bad the other person is, and certainly
doesn’t think of how it could get back at someone. Love is grieved deeply
(as God is) over the evil in this world, but it rejoices over truth.

Love comes and sits with you when you’re feeling down and finds out
what is wrong. It empathizes with you and believes in you. Love knows
you’ll come through just as God planned, and love sticks right beside you
all the way. Love doesn’t give up, or quit, or diminish or go home. Love
keeps on keeping on, even when everything goes wrong and the feelings
leave and the other person doesn’t seem as special anymore. Love
succeeds 100 percent of the time. That, my friend, is what real love is!

Today, Chicago was rescued!

Check out this video featuring the song the did until Oprah rescued them…

After 7 full days and 6 nights of sleeping outside in Chicago, those who were apart of ‘The Rescue” in Chicago have been rescued!!!