We called it “The Lincoln speech”. It happened on the last day of the US History class. This talk was so popular that some took the course just to hear it. In most years the white-haired professor got a standing ovation. But then he retired and it was gone. The times had changed. But now once again last lectures are popular, as The Last Lecture viewer numbers prove.
In Deuteronomy we have the collected speeches Moses made to Israel.
Read More challenge, leadershipFailure is never fun! And it is not what we are planning on either. No one sets out in the morning saying, “How can I fail today?” “What problem can I run away from now?” And Israel, Moses reminds us, is no different. But they let their fears and anxieties win. It took a major resetting of priorities for them to succeed. Can we do any better?
The story in Deuteronomy is aimed at people who are trying new things.
Read More forgiveness, Future, failure, courageSuccess formulas are everywhere. Moses had a formula too. It was simple and catchy—listen to God, obey his commands and you will live well and prosper. Listen, obey, live well and prosper. That almost sounds like Spock in a Star Trek movie trailer. The difference, and it is an enormous one, is that this one comes with a proven track record. This isn’t just hope at the end of a script writer’s pen. It has been tested on the fiery mountain of God.
Read More obedience, listening, prosperityWork-life balance dominates our thinking in a 24-7 work world. Navigating the daily digital demands is the new stressor replacing the old work-week grind. Consulting gurus talk about the “creative destruction” of business, medicine, education and government. Long standing social formations are tottering everywhere. The economic signals from long stable national economies are alarming. What is going on?
Read More law, gospel, Ten Commandments, Dix Commandements @en, loi @en, bonne nouvellePay attention! Moses almost seems to shout it out. That is particularly good advice if you have failed a test. But Moses was not just looking backward. He was laying down a personal devotional practice for the emerging nation. It would cement their identity as God-seekers. “Listen, Israel!” (Shemain Hebrew). From this demand has come down a practice of prayer for the centuries. It defines daily life for many today.
Read More listening, shema, attentionMoses had his game face on. Imagine standing at the Jordan River, preparing to take the field spreading out before you. The time of testing has come. Strength, skill and courage will all be tested. Faith is not only a contemplative matter. It is made visible in the place where testing occurs. Moses knew something of fear in his own life experience. He had once been on the run but God called him back to face down those fears.
Read More fear, faith, provisionThree things make us happy in our communities, according to Richard Florida(1). First is living in a physically beautiful place. Next is the ease of meeting others, followed by social diversity with equality of opportunity. The land that Moses describes certainly has the first attribute. It was a land that could make you happy and economically successful.
Success, this passage seems to say, is a gratitude test.
Read More trust, provision, gratitudeMoses was a master preacher. His speeches are a guide for this emerging nation-state. Following these rules Israel can become the example. Surrounding nations will recognize God’s love for all humanity, and the creatures too. But Moses was more than a powerful preacher. He was also the accomplished teacher, a master of his craft.
Read More love, teaching, creation, obedienceThere are ‘means’ and there are ‘ends’ and confusing the two can get you in trouble. Becoming ‘God’s people on the land’ meant that they had to get this basic social calculus right. The Bible is a profoundly relational book. And as one person said, “total love of God is the only adequate basis for the demanding social program laid out in Deuteronomy’s pastoral strategy.” (1) Moses is unfailingly clear that caring for people and caring for the land go hand in hand. God requires nothing less from us as he did from them.
Read More injustice, money, sabbaticalImagine being at the river on the day that Israel crossed over? What must it have looked like, sounded like, and smelled like that day! And then there were the battles for land – triumph, defeat and repentance. They had come out of Egypt in a hurry. They were driven away in scorn and fear. This was a story to celebrate down the ages.
Now fast forward to a humble birth in Bethlehem.
Read More celebration, gratitude