My computer is so screwy that I can't even post a comment on my own blog. Oy g'veigh! What's an eclectic gal to do? So, nu, I'm just making a blog post because my comment was getting long-ish anyway.
The blog is eclectic, I really am not. In fact, I'm pretty much a one note nellie. Even my unpublished (forgot) Rosh Hashanah post! It's all about love of God. Living in it more, expanding awareness of it, expressing it better, being able to find language for it, learning new ways to think about it... it's really all from the same motivation. Whether it's the Hebrew, or reading through the Tao, Kabbalah, meditating on the lives of the saints... it's all because I can't get over this God!
I don't even allow myself to actually dwell on it too much because it takes all my time and it blows me too far away! I can't even say any more about it.
+++++
I wanted to do more of a post on Beth Moore. But, why? I mean, I'm preaching to the choir. Even if I thought any of the Moore-ites would be open to hearing my brilliant and much-needed insight, what good would it do?
Look, it's true that the "Bible Studies" don't acknowledge the massive glory of the book we call the Bible. (They call it "The Word.") Beth Moore skips across centuries, she dances through cultures and language as if they weren't there, she's impervious to any consideration of literatry form, she's a nimble proof-texter, and she's got these women believing that if they look up an english word in a greek lexicon that they have done a greek word study on it, you know, in "the" greek. Really, you all don't want to get me going on that.
But, I thought about it a little bit this afternoon. What good would it do for me to tell them these things? Maybe one person would start to think a little bit. Probably not. More likely they would just feel sorry for me and call me an intellectual. The standard for that is pretty low I think.
And I don't think it's doing any harm to just let them go on with what they are doing. I mean, they really believe they are doing serious Bible Study and if they keep believing that... well, maybe one day they will! I don't want to be the one to derail whatever path they are on. I've had people try to do that to me and I didn't like it too much.
The thing is, I am feeling more tenderly towards the Beth Moore-ites. I can't help it.
This morning a paper they gave me fell out of my Bible. It was a list of some Hebrew names for God. I think there were ten, maybe twelve, of them. Bless their hearts. They are just like me: Looking for more ways to think about God, more ways to know this unknowable entity, they too want to talk about God and express their love for God. And, somehow they've come up with these ten or twelve names and written them down and shared them with me. Isn't that precious? I just about cried for the sweetness of it.
As a little experiment I listed the ones I could come up off the top of my head this afternoon. I was embarassed that I only had 27. But, I was more embarassed that I rarely ever meditate on more than a handful of them. I hardly ever think of Tesemach Adonai (branch of the Lord), I wouldn't even have thought about it except that it was in my reading a few days ago. And I especially never think of Avi or Avi-ad (father). And I double especially don't enjoy too much thinking about Shofet (Judge), unless it's in relation to my enemies. I am more of an Mascheck or Ma'on (shelter) kind of thinker. I am also fond of El'or, God of Light... stuff like that. So, I am not convinced that having so many is a real assett, unless you just want to show off. We don't want to be like that, do we? Sometimes we do. But, we overcome it.
The names are important. They let us know of God's gender (El is a boy, El Shaddai is a girl), they tell about God's number (Yashar is just one, Elokem is plural), and they each allow us another peak at this unending mystery in which we live. Having more names is better than fewer, I would say. But, what is more important is what you do with the ones you've got. If all you have is ten names for God, well, dayenu! That is enough.
And if Beth Moore is the Bible Study teacher you've got, dayenu! And, if you enjoy looking things up in a greek lexicon, what's the harm? God can use anything.
So, that's where I am with the Beth Moore-ites. I want more for them but realize they are happy where they are and as a Star Trekkie I know that the prime directive is not to interfere. They have God, and that is always enough.
Dayenu!
7 comments:
Lindy, you shame me. I was not nearly so good as you in the Alpha class. Some folks were enjoying it, and I may have spoiled it for them.
I think I can't do that sort of thing. For me, it's a question of time. I'm old. How do I spend the rest of the time I have left? Not with Alpha groups, and not, I think, with Beth Moore-ites.
I laughed as I was reading, but your post is sweet in a good way. I trust that if they seek God, they will find God.
Dayenu!
I do want to figure out what it is about Beth Moore. I think she is accessible, and I want the things i believe to be accessible, too.
It's not that I am so good, G'mère, as anyone who knows me in real life can attest. It's just that they're on their path. My own path has included plenty of time-wasting, feel-good activities. It was still on my path and I needed it for something.
Diane, I don't know if it's about accessibility. I mean, it IS accessible. But, Beth is also telling them what they want to hear. The women in the class are bright enough, mainly school teachers. They are smart enough to get through something even if it is less accessible.
My question is why do bright people believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God even though that is silly and they clearly don't follow every single word if it themselves? How did historicity come to equal truth?Why is it so hard for them to say that some parts of the Bible are for teaching and some are for inspiration and some are just good stories which may or may not be true? Why is that so hard? And, again, these are not trogdalytes. They are smart enough for that. But, Beth Moore continues to get laughs out of The Jesus Seminar which, whether you agree with them or not, is just the path that they are on. I feel lucky that they share it with the rest of us.
Let's face it, lots of the xian life are not that pleasant and I think that Beth Moore has just discovered that people don't want to hear about that part. Which is mainly right. And she tells them how blessed they are and that they can have spiritual authority -- very appealing to women in some of these denominations -- just by doing certian things. And they like that.
There's no history, no tradition, and no big words. Just praise Geasus, you are blessed -- as long as you believe, etc... Jesus apparently is easily manipulated.
I believe a lot of Beth Moore's premis. I believe that God is good, that God is willing, that God desires all good for me. I believe that. But, there are other truths that go along with those and we ignore those to our peril I think.
Just me.
Love to all.
Lindy
Jesus was not one to mince words.
I dunno - once I was asked to do a class on the Gospel of John for a "bethmoorite" type group - but they always had to have a man in the room to check up on them!! I was never asked back - do you think my entertaining the Dionysian influence in the wedding at Cana was the reason! LOL
Ann, you shouldn't have talked about that. It's not actually IN the Bible, you know. No more using your mind now... Do you think you're an Anglican or something?
Actually the thought of that warms my heart like a big glass of ruby port. Thanks Ann.
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