Category: devotional

There are some words that are fun to use but the opportunities to use them are rare.  “Arcane” is such a word.  It is a descriptor meaning something is mysterious and understood only by a few.  There are arcane organizations.  These are akin to little boys building a house in a tree and only allowing a privileged few the knowledge of the secret password to enter their private world.

When I was a little boy the world of systematic theology was to me arcane.  As I have grown older systematic theology is not so arcane but the nature of God remains so.  I struggle with God having no beginning.  I grabble with Jesus being 100 per cent human and simultaneously being 100 per cent divine.  My mind fogs when I think of eternal life with endless mental development.  I fear the encroachment of deeper cynicism knowing how bad it has become for me in just a few decades.

Fifteen times Paul makes reference to the mystery of God, Jesus, evil and goodness.  His letter to the Ephesians contains seven.  One of them follows.

“In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.  (3:4-6)

This is wonderfully arcane!

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 2, 2002

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My son just gave me a beautiful leather bound copy of one of my favorite Bibles.  It is “The Message.” It is published by NavPress and there is an interesting guarantee printed on the page across from the table of contents.  It says, “Lifetime Guarantee – This Message Bible is manufactured to serve you for a lifetime.  If at any time the binding fails because of manufacturing defects, or if you just wear it out from use, you may return it for a free replacement.”

I think they are in trouble.  The very content of their product comes with another interestingly incredible guarantee.   In John 10 we find this promise, “My sheep recognize my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.  I give them real and eternal life.”

We are going to live forever.  Now I am sure their Bibles are well made but forever is forever and leather and paper will wear out.  This means they will have to give us new Bibles on a regular basis forever just because we bought the first one.  That is a great deal for us.  I am not sure how they will manage after a few million years.  In addition, because there is no death in heaven I think they are going to have trouble replacing the leather covers.

Like most guarantees there is a catch.  Their guarantee did say we have to send them our old Bibles if we are to get a new one.  Now just who would want to send them his or her marked up, written in old friend to get a new one?

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 10, 2006

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The word is “argot.”  It is a noun.  Christians are guilty of it and it really annoys people.  An “argot” is a specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group or culture.

I am a member of the Education Department at my college and we are very guilty of throwing around our jargon.  It makes us feel smart when faculty from other departments have to ask us what we are talking about.  It has a snooty quality.   Christians do it to.   We have our “argot.”  We sometimes call each other brother or sister and use terms like saved, the truth, in the Lord, the Lord told me and on and on.  I think you get the idea.

The problem is it makes others feel like outsiders.  They are not part of the club because they don’t know the club language.  I saw a sign in front of a church this week that said, “We are making room for you.”   I know the intention of the message was good but there was something about it that said to me, “We are already full but will make an exception for you if you want in.”   When I read it I felt like an outsider.

I realize I am being over-sensitive and critical but I want so much for people to come because it is their place.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, . . .”  Matthew 19:14    Argot hinders.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 31, 2002

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Each morning for the past week we have been rudely awakened at 5 AM by a family of blue jays.  The babies look full-grown but are still demanding to be fed.  It is their endless screaming for attention that rouses me from slumber.  I have tried closing the windows and putting a pillow over my head but to no avail.  I might just as well get up because this cacophony continues on and on as mom and dad blue jay rush to fill their bottomless pits.  I am reminded of one of Jesus’ beatitudes which says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.”  I am wishing those baby jays would soon be filled.

Jesus knew inside most people there is a hunger, a longing to be something they are not.  It is difficult to be content.  The more we have of something the more we want.  No one seems to have enough money.  I see people searching for love, power, prestige and fame.  It is a bottomless pit.  However, if what you are seeking is righteousness that Jesus has in abundance and is willing to share.  Like the blue jay parents He waits for His children to open up and He will rush to supply our need.

We can spend our lives trying to be good people only to be frustrated for if we are honest we know the truth about ourselves.  In Romans 7 Paul describes his frustrated quest but then proclaims to us the good news.  Jesus Christ will rescue us.  He will supply all our needs.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 26, 2002

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I saw the strangest thing this evening.  Three teenage boys were running back and forth across a busy highway in between rapidly moving cars.  I am not sure what kind of male ritual this was.  Were they trying to prove to each other how courageous they could be?  I do know they were upsetting a lot of drivers.

Despite their foolishness rituals are very important.  For as long as we have recorded history people have celebrated passages of life with rituals.  Births, transition through adolescence, graduations, weddings, memberships in organizations and deaths – each have a culturally prescribed way of marking its importance in our lives.  From them we learn the values and history of our heritage.  Sorry is the nation that has become so scientifically oriented that it has forgotten the spiritual importance of ceremony. Rituals are more than decorations or occasions for family to gather.  Rituals are mental milestones enabling people to evolve to a new stage in life.  Rituals instill values and respect generated from the experience of others.  Thus it was that Jesus submitted Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist.  He had no need for cleansing from sin.  He did have a need to prepare Himself for His ministry to follow.  So often we think of Jesus’ divine nature and forget He was also human and had needs just like each of us.

Matthew 21:18,  “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 23, 2002

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Earlier I mentioned the joy of picking wild blueberries in the mountains of Massachusetts.  One of the things I did not mention was the other crop we brought home.  Both my dog and I became the host for a host of ticks.  While I got them off of me quite soon upon arrival at home I am still scratching some bites and just a few minutes ago I found a tiny one on my dog.  They are miserable little bloodsuckers.

I looked to see if they are mentioned in Scripture but could not find any reference.  However, I did find a reference to another kind of bloodsucker.  In Proverbs 30:15  I found, “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:”  The other three things are the grave, the barren womb and thirsty ground.

Have you ever met someone who fits the above metaphors?  They are emotional black holes.  They soak up all the attention and all the emotional support others can give.  They leave you exhausted and totally unsatisfied because you gave all you could and still it wasn’t enough.  The only solution for these people is a healthy intimate relationship with Jesus.   He does promise, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”   He told the woman at the well if she would drink what He had to give she would never thirst again.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 19, 2002

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It was such a warm afternoon and seeing the Dairy Queen approaching as we came down the street I could not resist.  My Peanut Buster Parfait was just what the doctor ordered.  Spotting a nice maple tree with a picnic bench I sat down to slowly savor my treat.  If you eat at just the right speed you can just stay ahead of meltdown and make it last as long as possible.  It was then that I noticed the fence behind the picnic table.  It was the fence surrounding the city sewerage plant; obviously the perfect environment for eating my Peanut Buster Parfait.

I continually remind myself that Jesus deliberately introduced Himself to a planet that could easily be described as the sewerage plant of the universe.  A day in the past the news was filled with the story about some monster that thinks he is human snatching up and killing a sweet little girl.  This was mixed with the story of another family whose daughter was taken from her bedroom.  I could go on and on but the point is easily made.  Jesus came here to seek and save the garbage, the refuse, we call people.

Hebrews 7:25 says,  “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, . . .”  Sometimes in my moral smugness and feelings of moral superiority I forget this text is talking about me just as much as the monster mentioned above.

Thank God Jesus did not refrain from coming to the sewerage plant.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 14, 2007

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I received a very interesting compliment today from one of my grad students.  We were listing all the things we have to accomplish each day and when it was my turn one of the ladies said, “Why you’re almost a woman!”

Psychologists have long noted women multi-task much better than men.  Generally speaking men have better focus on one task while women seem to be tuned in to several things at the same time.  An example of this would be a woman elementary teacher who is able to teach, give individualized attention to each student and monitor the total environment all at the same time, whereas men seem to focus exclusively on the sporting event on TV.   Of course there are exceptions to this.  I am only speaking in generalized terms.

A fellow by the name of King Lemuel had a mother who told him all about this.  You can read it is Proverbs 31.   Verses 15 and 16 are a sample of what she said, “She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.  She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.”   As you read the entire chapter there seems to be little left for the man to do.

God carefully designed us with different skill sets.  Men do their part and women do their part and society and family prosper.   I was flattered when I was told I was “almost a woman.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 18, 2002

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In less than three quarters of a mile this evening I had three cars pull out in front of me from side streets.  All three times I had to slam on my brakes to keep from smashing them.  I began to wonder if my truck and I had become invisible without me knowing it.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you really could be invisible for a time?   I imagine most everyone has wondered what it would be like.   Whenever I think of it I don’t like myself because the things I would do are not very nice.  Thinking about it becomes an indictment of my character.  I have come to believe the measure of one’s character is what you would do if no one saw you.

I am thankful God always sees me.  The very idea acts as a constraint.  Yes, I know that is not a very highly developed sense of morality and I should be pious and say I would act no differently.  However, that would not be honest.  What I am truly counting on is the mercy of God poured out as a fruit of the death of our Jesus.   At the end of Ecclesiastes Solomon reminds us that a God who sees all things will bring all things to judgment, but John promises us in I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   So there is nothing left to bring up in judgment.   I like that.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 14, 2007

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The chimes from the grandfather clock echoed up the hallway announcing midnight. I turned out the light hoping to quickly drift into sleep when it started.  It must have emerged from some obscure crack in the woodwork. I could hear it coming.  At first it was content to buzz about the inside of the screened window but then it discovered me lying silently in bed.  It was a gigantic fly.  I could not see it in the darkness but it had to be gigantic for soon the roar of its aerobatics filled the room with deafening dopplerized sound.  How could I ever get to sleep?  Then it was silent.  “Ahh,” I thought, “it has gone into another room.”   I could not have been more mistaken for in a moment I felt it walk off the bedcovers unto my nose.

I am not sure how long this sick party went on for I eventually drifted off.  Too soon it was morning.   As I staggered across the room I spotted the monster.  He was lying belly up, feet to the sky, by a window.  I felt not a twinge of remorse.  I was glad he was gone to fly heaven.  I cannot even imagine what that must be like.  Actually I can but don’t want to mention it.

Flies don’t fare well in Scripture.  They star in Exodus 8 during the plagues in Egypt and Solomon does mention them in Ecclesiastes 10.  He wrote, “As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 15, 2002

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