Saturday, September 5, 2015

             
My soul is exhilarated by the thought of reading, hearing, or uttering scripture from the Bible. Perhaps it is because I have spent considerable time over the last twenty years reading, gleaning, learning, and teaching lessons from the Bible. Although I have formal education in the Bible, my experience and initial feasting from the reading and hearing of the scripture goes back as far as I can remember. My grandmother and uncle taught bible study when I was growing up. Bible study happened in Sunday school with teachers that were laity. Wednesday evening and Thursday noon Bible study was taught by the pastor. Studying the scripture was a part of life not just something to do, nor was it a chore. Studying was not simply reading, it was also speaking, hearing, and being. As youngsters, we were taught not to just recite scripture on special Sundays like Easter, we were expected to recite it as though we were conveying the very Words of God. We were asked to recite with clarity of speech and as if we believed it. These experiences formed my personal exegetical identity to seek God through the Word of God and in the act of doing so, God would accomplish His Word in me. The teachers and preachers were story tellers and made the scripture come alive. As the preacher or teacher would describe the context of the scripture, often referred to by the preachers as the “backdrop” or the “scene” using illustrations from inner city situations to help give us an idea of what it might have been like—we were transported into the feelings and passions of the persons in the Bible. There were many enactments, skits, plays that helped us to remember. My soul rejoices in the rich heritage of learning.        
          In my scripture learning experience, there was an expectation that God was present and that the scripture and God’s personal message in and through the scripture would reach into the persons present and make an inward difference that would produce healing, deliverance, grace, strength, provision, transformation, and revelation even to those who didn’t want to hear because it was always taught to us that “God’s Word would not return void,” a direct reference from Isaiah 55:11 wherein God says through the prophet, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (NASB) Our teachers reasoned with us with their rapid-firing cross references: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever"(Isaiah 40:8) and in the same breath teaching Trinitarian theology by quoting Jesus words in Matthew  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  Whether the hermeneutical principles were adequate or not, the apparent affect was noticeable in the lives of those teachers personally and also in me.  As I reflect on those times, I ponder what instances were eisegetical and which were exegetical. Nevertheless, it is my observation upon reflection that similar and admirable methodology was used to exegete the text as was stated in the Osborne text(The Hermeneutical Spiral)—to deal with the text which would include the syntax and etymology or linguistics, the context—time, people, land—and the intent of the writer.
               My approach to scripture is not just what I learned in Bible College nor seminary but reaches back into the crucible of my formative years. It includes prayer, attention to the text first, the context, and partaking of the Spirit of God’s movement through that time with the Word and thus with God personally.  I learned to do sentence diagramming—although I’m not an expert—it did always help me to dig deeper not only with myself but with those I taught. I can sometimes work in one passage for months. When I go to the Caribbean, I find myself without distractions. As a result, I take my time and come back refreshed when I commune with God through the scriptures. My workbook is full of sentences and words with blocks and circles and arrows showing word relationships, synthesis to timeless principles and notes. The challenge in my life now where it relates to my scripture feeding disciplines is that of swift transitions, trying to meet the expectations of others, and managing my own time.  My desire is to be immersed in the scripture and the application of such truth manifest in my life every day. I find myself making renewed commitments every three months. I also belong to a couple of covenant groups as well. I am reminded that this is a journey and in that I do find hope and grace.

               In Eat This Book, Peterson stated, “...every part of the revelation, every aspect, every form is personal—God is relational at the core—and so whatever is said, whatever is revealed is also personal and relational.” I greatly appreciate the grace-filled opportunities the relational aspect of life, love, and God afford.  If relationships are part of the key to Organizational Leadership, exegetical studies can reveal new insights, timeless principles, and key learnings that would be beneficial in assessing Organizational Leadership best practices particularly since context will differ in how leadership is understood, and since every organizational leader has a context in which she or he has developed. 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

ON MY WAY TO IOWA

I am embarking on a new thing. God is doing a new thing. I must look forward with God's love and grace as my guide! In reflecting, I was reminded of this message from my archives. 

"A New Beginning"

Scripture: II Corinthians 5:14-21
Key Verses:  Either way, Christ’s love controls us.  Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Key Idea: A new beginnings is possible through the ministry of reconciliation and with God's love and guidance.  

How do I actualize a new beginning?

*      By understanding that there is an avenue to receive Jesus Christ or to move forward in Christ that does not require anything but opening up to receive the gift of new life.  
*      By encouraging yourself to and giving others the chance to move forward.

Think About This:   
                We have a hard time letting go of hurts, pains, frustrations, offenses so it becomes difficult for us to forgive, forget, etc…We have a hard time with reconciliation. But letting go opens your hand and life to new relationships, new ministries, a new you! 

Good News: God has given us new life through Christ and we have been given the high call to the ministry of reconciliation! With it, we CAN make a difference!

Let Go & Let God! 

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

rebecca fisher live!: What's Love Got to Do With It

rebecca fisher live!: What's Love Got to Do With It

What's Love Got to Do With It


"What's Love Got To Do With It" is the second single released from Tina Turner's fifth solo album Private Dancer.  It became Turner's most successful single.  The song ranked #309 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It also ranked #38 on Songs of the Century. It was the 17th best-selling single of 1984 in the UK. In 1993, the song's name was used as the title for What's Love Got To Do With It, a biographical film about Tina Turner's life. It was originally recorded by UK pop group Bucks Fizz, whose version remained unreleased until 2000.  In 2012, "What's Love Got To Do With It" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. (Wikipedia.com)  
When we listen to the song lyrics, love is described as a "second hand" emotion--an emotion that comes after physical attraction. The lyric describes a person who is afraid of the fact that her perception and proclamation is not the ideal. 

Young Adults Gathered on 4/28 and we had a great time discussing AGAPEO Love. We studied and discussed Matthew and Mark located in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. We asked the question, What's love got to do with it? God, Life, our own Spiritual Maturity, the Church? So we inviting you to join in the discussion. Please post comments regularly. Here is the basic format: 

Informing Our Minds: 

agapao/agapeo /ag-ap-ah'-o/love     www.crosswalk.com

Definition
  1. of persons : to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
  2. of things: to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing
New American Standard Word Usage - Total: 143
beloved 8, felt a love for 1, love 1, love 75, loved 38, loves 20

Preparation for Spiritual Understanding
Read Aloud

Matthew 5:43-44;  Matthew 5:46;

Matthew 6:24;  Matthew 19:19;

Matthew 22:37; Matthew 22:39 

Mark 10:21; Mark 12:30-31; Mark 12:33 

Discuss for Understanding and Application:
How is agapeo described? What characterizes its behavior?
What is challenging about how Jesus describes the way we should love?
Is it possible for you to love this way? Do you want to?
Share some practical ways we can demonstrate agapeo all the time?
How will you be accountable? 

It is my sincere prayer and hope that you will grow as you read, discuss/process, and find ways to grow spiritually. If you have yet to connect with a group of young adults in Bloomington, we invite you to join us. We meet 1x a month but may do some leisure activities spontaneously. Most of us go to Fairview Church on 6th St but some who come do not--so feel free to join us. There is plenty of food and plenty of room. And--Pastor Rebecca is the Chef! If interested e-mail: rebecca.fisher@inumc.org and we'll get ya involved. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

"We Don' Talk about Religion nor Politics"

When I was growing up, I was told by some that "We don't talk about Religion nor Politics."  The advice was given me to insure that I would avoid personality and agenda clashes and "be friends" with everyone. Another saying was, "Can't we all just get along?" These were spoken by well intended folks who desired for relationships to be amiable and easy. Yet, breaking ceilings and barriers rarely is amiable or easy.

So, over the years, I avoided these discussions in the name of peace. I soon discovered that religion is about doing things religiously and politics is about how a group of people utilize power to make decisions--neither of which I am a fan. I figured out the thing about religion--I am about a relationship with God not religion so I tend to upset religious structures to make room for new people, new ideas, and new stuff. But for the politics thing, I studied the issues to find that many of the decision made by existing power structures that affect daily life are rooted in some kind of moral understanding which in essecnce is "right" and "wrong." Cross-cultural experience helped me to understand that "right" is not "right" everywhere and neither is "wrong." Realizing that where you come from, how you were raised, and bottom line what you believe informs your politics helped me to put the politics thing in perspective. Here is what I learned:


When faith meets politics the existing "power" is transformed.   

Question: How do we do our part to transform the existing power structures?

*      When we stand in the Holy Spirit ready to publicly practice our faith.

*      When we realize that our personal salvation means little without personal responsibility to others.

*      When we make the shift from favoring those with power and begin speaking truth to power.
And, this is why I vote--to speak truth to power, to take responsibility, and to publically practice my faith.
What do you think?

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Family

I want to just express my sincere thanks to God who with infinite wisdom gave me the privilege of being in the family I am in. I know that everyone may not experience the depth of love that I do in my family so my heart goes out right now to those who are lacking. Yet, I do know that great earthly family or not, God gives us a spiritual family that shines for the glory of God in the time of need. Each one of us can shine the light into someone's darkness every day. I pray to shine like my family shines as a beacon of God's grace to me. I pray that you shine like the Son! Be someone's spiritual family today.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

A WORD FOR YOU TODAY ...Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:2-3