Stuff Michael Meeks is doing
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This is my (in)activity log. You might like to visit
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- Up early, off to NCC; Mario preaching, played the
Vile-din.
- Back for lunch; out for a walk across the heath with
H. while J. ran. Read more of George Verwer.
- Gordon sermon Taking a stand
Daniel 3:1-18.
- Jesus knew that people would have a profound
existantial crisis, as to whether we should confess him
in front of others
(Mark 8):
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for
his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be
ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with
the holy angels..
- All the miracles in this text - eclipsed by
one, even the King of the super-power changing his mind and
worshiping God. The miracle of Shadrack, Mishak and
Abednego's refusal to conform to others.
- King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold
90 feet high, 9 feet wide, and set it up on the plain
of Dura.. Why ? in the Pagan mind-set, they offer
incense to Daniel
(2:46) - in order to offer it to his God. Similarly to an
image of the King's to him.
- How is it possible to have a divinely
inspired dream, whose lesson is the brevity and futility
of the work of our hands; and it's ultimately destruction,
then do this ? Some speculate many years have passed from
the last chapter; but commitments and loyalties are very
transient. The text implies the opposite.
- Nebuchadnezzar seems to have learned something
from his dream - the wrong lesson, an odd long, skinny
image - probably not a statue of a body; the 10x1 ratio
makes it likely it's an obelisk. Almost identical objects
in Egypt. On the sides of an obelisk depicted panels of
the Gods and King, a beautiful and impressive object.
Depictions of Gods giving to the King emblems of victory
and authority. A reminder of the right to rule, a
deification of the social order.
- Demands everyone shows it respect;
Nebuchadnezzar fixates on the gold in his dream - and
tries to 'fix' the problem; this image, gold top to
bottom; no feet of clay. Nebuchadnezzar has an idea for
holding the society together under him: civic religion.
Everyone will get together and bow down to
this vague image - make it what you want; but bow down,
make it a symbol of your aliegence / conformity.
- The 3 didn't give in - astonishing, given
their background & what they had to loose - they are
mayors / governors, having come from being captives. The
whole pomp and circumstance - easily rationalise going
along with it: "what good will we be dead ?; Nebuchadnezzar
is not asking us to disbelieve in our God, or believe in
his God, but offer him respect; like pledging aliegance
to the flag."
- Why is the obelisk 90 feet high ? impress the
world with the power / prestige; who in their right mind
would not bow down ? then get the movers and shakers - to
the dedication; all the cool people are on board.
- God has a strategy in the composition of a
healthy church; God puts social misfits there, in positions
of authority to shame the world's order. But God chose the
foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the
weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Cults choose to target the football starts, the cheerleaders
so the lemmings follow. God chooses the weakest, and most
foolish;
(1Cor1).
- Everyone agrees, everyone is doing it - why
arn't you !? Calvin: the most dangerous folly of all is to
confuse consent with reason - Moses
(Exodus): do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.
- We all acknowledge in self reflection, the
incredible power of music to impact / motivate us. Feeling
goose-bumps watching the olympics and hearing our national
anthem honouring a winner. The music - not there as window-dressing;
this music has another purpose - to make you feel like a party
pooper if you don't go along. Hitler's Nuremberg rallies -
the music to whip the crowd up.
- Then the big stick - over and over again, in
case you are one of the rare individuals that will rebel and
be non-conforming. It's so well known, you might think this
is all flannel from a children's story in Sunday school; but
these were not the last ovens to be used against faithful Jews
who refused to bow the knee against the claims of a deified
state.
- Martin Buber: Every nation is inclined to make
an idol of it's own inner spirit. Israel's calling was to erect
a throne to God, rather than to itself. That is why every nation
is bound to desire to get rid of us at the time that it is in the
act of setting itself up as the absolute.
It wants to marginalize and muzzle the voice of the faithful,
rule it out of court - inadmissable, not allowed to be expressed
in the public square.
- Every day in a position somewhat similar - we
have to take a stand; the 3 don't act like Gideon (in Israel) to
try to destroy the idol / get at their neighbours - but instead are
trying to preserve themselves from idolatory. Their
faithfulness at the risk of their lives; ours - often at the
risk of our status.
- We are not to be ashamed of Christ; I tell you,
whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also
acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns
me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
Luke 12:8-9.
My content in this blog and associated images / data under
images/ and data/ directories are (usually)
created by me and (unless obviously labelled otherwise) are licensed under
the public domain, and/or if that doesn't float your boat a CC0
license. I encourage linking back (of course) to help people decide for
themselves, in context, in the battle for ideas, and I love fixes /
improvements / corrections by private mail.
In case it's not painfully obvious: the reflections reflected here are my
own; mine, all mine ! and don't reflect the views of Collabora, SUSE,
Novell, The Document Foundation, Spaghetti Hurlers (International),
or anyone else.
It's also important to realise that I'm not in on the Swedish Conspiracy.
Occasionally people ask for formal photos for conferences
or fun.
Michael Meeks (michael.meeks@collabora.com)
