I leave for Egypt on December 4th....I am also done with that class other than the final.
Over the next 15 days, I have to memorize the whole semesters worth of Hebrew and basically the history of archeology in Jerusalem...it is overwhelming that one.
I've been thinking a lot about whats been going and in context to the big picture of why I am here. This blog is entitled "In the Desert", and I have explained why.
Our Jordan trip finished at Mt.Nebo, the place where Moses looked across into the Promised Land. That field study was pretty symbolic for myself in context to the "big picture":
In theory, I have physically left the desert.
As I have stated in my blog, my time in Israel has been a time for me to wander in my own wilderness; to find out where I am going in life.
I have physically followed the path of the Israelites. I have been ALL over Israel and Jordan. I know the trade routes, the rock types, I know the physical history of the Israelites as they left the Wilderness and attempted to live in the Land of Promise.
On a small scale, I have not spiritually accomplished this feat yet though....I have physically, but have not yet spiritually: I am still not who God wants me to be in order for me to enter the Promised Land.
On a large scale, I have reached this point though. I have a general idea on where I am headed and whats up: now its a matter of choice.
I see three distinct paths in front of me as to what to do with my life. I believe Adonai has given me the option to choose where to go....all of them are in His will.
In very fine summary:
1) Be done with school in a year, drum the rest of my life, live the Church scene, do youth pastor type stuff....etc.
2) go through academia, get a PHD, re-write the History of the Church, as in, show what has really happened, expose the lies and show the truth. Write books, do debates, define myself in the contexts of society...try and fit in with the way the world works. Maybe become a professor or a Messianic pastor.
3) Pursue #2 but from the world of the Messianic movement. Become a "Messianic Rabbi" in a sorts or something, or start a Synagogue/Community Congregation.
I can't really go into extreme details as to the differences in all three of these; especially #2 and #3.
A part of me really wants to just get some Joe-Shmoe job..like work at Menard's or something (Not that there is anything wrong with this! Some of the people I respect the most live this life) and drum as much as I can, with my Christian friends, at Crossroads and Sar-Shalom for worship, stay in the great awesome land of Duck-Duck-Grey-Duck (Minnesota), have a dinky little house somewhere, live the life that i have grown up around and have see so many people do.
However, a different part of me wants to go through Academia and get my PHD. All of this is coming out of one desire I have: exposing the truth.
I have a great idea for a thesis and study; amazingly it fits really well with things my girlfriend studies too (at least I think so…), so that helps:
I want to study and re-define the understanding of the 1st century Church and how that redefinition then sends a ripple through history. I would especially emphasize after the 1st century going especially up to Constantine's day. I want to use this redefinition to show the truth of the past 2,000 years of the theology and ways of the Church and in turn explain where it is all at today. That would then define what Messianic Judaism today is and why it is important for understanding the bigger, ultimate truth of the Scriptures. Also it would urge the Church to understand how Jews believing in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, changes the base theology of salvation and the gospel, which we would fine is exactly what the first century Church was like in the first place. The whole idea goes in a big circle: I end exactly where I started.
All of this would be based on so much of what I have already been studying, hence why I know I can do such a thing. I would do some serious studying on first, Jewish Culture of the Bible...which I have already done. Then I would do some serious studying on Roman/Hellenistic Culture, which I have done some of. Then I would study very, very specifically the lands of Turkey, through Archeology and Historical Geography. In other words, taking what I have learned here in Israel and applying the method to Asia Minor. From there I (and this where the beautiful mind of my girlfriend-Bekah-comes in) would take the Art History of the image of Christ throughout history, showing the connections of it to Greek mythological gods. Also show how the thinking of "the early fathers" is straight out of Egypt/Greek/Hellenistic/Greek Mythology ideology and how it lead to the destruction of Torah. This all would in and of itself explain the differences between Messianic Judaism and Christianity today. A part of this would also include the changes Judaism went through in this same time period as a result of what was going on with Rome...these changes I am talking about are the changes that took Judaism from what it was in the Bible to what Rabbinical Judaism is today. I would show the ancient Egyptian influence on Hellenism, and show that influence on Christianity and Judaism, show how this influences both sides today, and in turn will see that Judaism and Christianity today are the opposite of what I believe the 1st century Church REALLY was like, which I would have already defined and then would repeat that again in contrast to Judaism and Christianity. All of this would be oriented around basic theological teachings and understandings, archeology, art work, and comparing Egypt Mythology with Greek mythology and the connections this has to Christianity and how it is NOT what the 1st Century Church was like.
Make sense? It does in my mind…after a ton of research. I have gotten glimpses of all of this over the years, I really want to go all out on studying it and seeing what is there.
Over the past few years, I have been thinking about all of this stuff, however, it has been during this semester that I have realized how true it really is.
So, I have been thinking about going down this path. After Grad school, I am not sure what exactly I would do, other then probably spend the rest of my life elaborating and defending what I would do in Grad School.
Could be fun.
I have, over the past 2 years, looked online at every credible school I can find to see if there is a department or masters program that offers anything relatively resembling what I want to do for grad school.
Sadly, there is not.
I have looked through programs, I have even looked through thesis's that people have written that have anything to do with the church, archeology, and historical geography all combined. I have found nothing. It is almost as if no one has ever thought of studying the influence of Egypt and Rome on Christianity and the differences between the Church of the 1st century and the Church we see by Constantine's day.
The only desire I have to continue in school is to study this specific topic. I have, as of two days ago, found a school that looks intriguing in doing such a thing: New York University.
That be nuts. I don't even think I would make it in, much less afford it. Who know? We will see. But it has given me motivation, which is good.
So I can do that...or I can screw all of the above and become a hippy and live by a river in a VW van, living off of government issued cheese.
Just kidding...I know that is outside of God's will for me (at least anytime in the next 30 years of my life! HAHA!)
I could say heck with all of the above and study Messianic teachings and start a commune/congregation, like I had said in blogs past.
We will see.
Part of me really hopes ALL of this will become a reality (other than the van part...)...but I do not know how that could even begin to make sense or how that could happen. But it be amazing.
In the mean time, over the next year for sure, maybe 2 or 3, I plan on staying around good ol' Minnesota, work as much as I can with the awesome youth of Crossroads Church, start to try and work with the youth of Sar-Shalom, get a real job, and just play some music.
I should have a better understanding of all of this by may.
-Deuteronomy 34:10-
