Federico Villanueva on Psalm 19; children as seen and blessed in Genesis 1; and shut up and write!
Welcome to my newsletter, ‘Bible, Mission, and More’, where I share what’s on my mind as I teach, research, and write on the Bible and mission, children-at-risk in the Bible and contemporary society, Psalms and Wisdom Literature, and a range of other topics. I teach at All Nations Christian College in the UK, though views are my own.
Each Tuesday I’ll share something I’ve read, something I’ve written or recorded, something on learning and teaching, and a quote to reflect on.
Something read – Federico Villanueva on Psalm 19
I am slowly making my way through the Psalms and am currently living with Psalm 19, the wonderful poem about God’s creation, God’s instruction, and the desire for a pure heart. The Psalm has a lot to unpack, including some rich potential for missional readings. For example, how might it contribute to a biblical understanding of creation care? To what extent does it include a polemic against the sun-worship of Israel’s neighbours, and how might that fit into a missional reading of Psalm 19?
Federico Villanueva teaches at Asia Graduate School of Theology and Loyola School of Theology in Manila, Philippines. He has written a two-volume commentary on Psalms for the Langham Asia Bible Commentary series, a series that aims to empower ‘Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible.’ (Langham website)
I found Villanueva’s comments on Psalm 19 very helpful, giving plenty of insight into the text while also drawing out its significance today. In particular I was stuck by his reflections on the need to listen and discern, a practice that requires us to slow down. We live at a time, he says, when we are too busy and preoccupied to hear God in the ‘still, small voice’, using or neglecting others in pursuit of our goals. He adds:
‘When we do that to people, it will not be a surprise when we do the same to creation. As they say, “Ang basura ng lipunan ay nanggagaling sa basura ng puso” (The garbage of society comes from the garbage of the heart). We treat creation as something to be used and abused; we no longer have respect for it. Instead, we use it for our own selfish benefit, without regard for the effects on creation and the next generation. We have given Genesis 1:28 a wrong interpretation. We have literally taken dominion of the earth and used it for our own purposes.’ (Villanueva, 2016, CREATION AND MEDITATION section)
If you have access to Perlego, you will find the commentary there. Otherwise, here is a link to the publisher’s website: Psalms 1-72: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary.
Something written – Genesis 1 and identity: being seen and being blessed
As part of my role as Theologian in Residence at Home for Good, I wrote short article on the theme of ‘Identity: being seen and being blessed’.
Much has been written on what it means to be human, to be made in God’s image. This is a key starting point for me in my work connecting the Bible and children-at-risk. The creation narrative in Genesis 1 is deeply subversive when it writes about what it means to be human.
In the article I draw out what the passage tells us about the inherent value of people, regardless of our abilities, productivity, or consumption. I also point to the vocation we all share in partnering with God in what he is doing in the world. A third point I make is the repetition in the narrative of God seeing and declaring good, and the theme of God blessing. Seeing and declaring blessed: could this be one of the ways we could summarise working with children and young people?
You can read the full article on the Home for Good website: ‘Identity: being seen and being blessed’
Learning and teaching – Shut Up and Write!
There are many challenges to studying, especially when you get to the dissertation stage of a postgraduate programme. However, keeping motivated and productive when you are working on your own on a large project is surely up there. I think this is especially the case for students who are not based on campus.
One thing we like to do at All Nations to help with this is run writing sessions, inspired by the Shut Up and Write! movement. Our current practice is to have a two-hour session which is open to both students and staff who want to get some writing done.
Someone (usually my brilliant colleague Dr Kate Wiseman) will welcome everyone and explain how it will work. Typically we share what writing goals we have for the session (the more concrete the better) and then we put a timer on for 25 minutes, à la the pomodoro technique. Everyone works in silence on whatever writing they want to focus on and then, after 25 minutes, we have a five-minute break. And repeat until the session is nearly done, where we share how we got on.
It is such a simple practice but the combination of focus, community, and gentle accountability is really effective. I also think it is beneficial for students to see lecturers using the opportunity. Why not set up your own group or find one through the Shut Up and Write! website?
Quote - Federico Villanueva on empty words
‘Words become empty when they are used for selfish ends.’
(Villanueva, 2016, Psalm 19 section – see above)
Thanks for joining the journey and see you next week,
Tim