Happy Friday,

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

Scripture frequently reminds us to be thankful. The suggestion is that it’s not only the right response, it’s the pathway to a light heart. In recent years there has been a growing body of evidence that you become more joyful by developing the skill of gratitude. Do yourself – and everyone around you – a favor, and “give thanks to the Lord.”

Lewis on Thanks: BTW, if you’ve ever thought it God looked a bit desperate when he orders us to sing his praise, you have to read this quote from C.S. Lewis’s sermon, A Word About Praise.

Exhausting:  This article from The Hill chronicles the different pronouns students are using – and expecting others to use for them. The piece notes that given the gender identities students are choosing – including, but not limited to: genderfluid, third-gender, amalgagender, demigender, bi-gender, pans-gender, and a-gender – some professors are simply never using a pronoun. FWIW, here is the list as of today: He/She, They/Them, Ze/Hir (Ze, hir, hir, hirs, hirself), Ze/Zir (Ze, zir, zir, zirs, ze), Spivak (Ey, em, eir, eirs, ey), Ve (Ve, ver, vis, vis, verself), and Xe (Xe, xem, xyr, xyrs, xe).”

30^th Anniversary: If you’re one of the five people who has not read Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages – or at the very least, know what it is about – you’re missing out. I bring this up not only because it helped me, but also because the book is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. BTW, click here to join the 2.5 million people who take the Love Language Quiz every month.

Worth Noting: The Dun and Kreuger Effect – which holds that the more you study something the less you know about it for sure – looks like this on a graph. Given the convictions with which many speak about science, politics and the economy, I’d like to n light of Opinions are expensive. Be sure you can afford yours.

Please: When describing the views of those with whom you disagree, please do not describe them in such a way that they would not recognize or own them. Instead, put their argument in the best possible light. You have a much better chance of having a real conversation if you do this.   Another way to say this is, do not do what almost all talk radio hosts do.

Read. Read. Read. At the risk of sounding like a prig, you must read. And by read, I mean good books of all types. There are enough movies, TV shows, podcasts and  magazines to keep you diverted for the next 10,000 years – and more being created every day – so if you do not yet think of yourself as a reader, the first thing you will must do is say no to diversions and mind-candy that will divert you. Think of reading like getting in shape. Reading Tweets and 500 word People magazine articles is like doing curls with five pound weights.  If this is what you are reading, you are not in shape to pick up War and Peace. But you can get there. You are what you read.

Without Comment: 1) the life expectancy of American men decreased by two years during the pandemic; 2) in 2020, the US experienced the biggest rise in murder since murder records have been kept; 3) According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 1.5 million K-12 students opted out of public education this year; 4) 1 in 5 Black American newlyweds are interracially married; 6) the Dollar Store is raising prices on some items to more than a dollar; 6) Fender Musician Instruments sold a record number of guitars in 2020, driven in part by people forced to stay at home during the pandemic. The company calculates that one-third of those instruments were purchased by people who play in church worship teams.

Clarification: Last week I noted that some missiologists believe that more Muslims are coming to faith at this moment than virtually any other time in history. This led some to ask, “faith in what?”  Faith in Christ. While it is true that Islam is growing, it’s growth is mostly biological. Not many people convert to Islam.

Rethinking the God of the Gaps:  Even though the Secularization Theory has been dismissed by most scholars, some people still contend that as science marches ahead, the world will be less mysterious and people less religious. Why Atheists Need Faith, last week’s much-discussed WSJ editorial, argues otherwise.

The Dunning – Kruger Effect: The D-K Effect – which holds that the more you study something the less you know about it for sure – looks like this on a graph. Count me among those who suspect more than a few of those who yell the loudest – on TV, radio and via Social Media – have not yet moved past the “peak of Mt. Stupid” through the “Valley of Despair” and started to climb the “Slope of Enlightenment.”  Can I get three cheers for intellectual humility?

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you said that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Help us not to stray from you, for you are the Way; Nor to distrust you, for you are the Truth; Nor to rest on any other than you, as you are the Life. You have taught us what to believe, what to do, what to hope, and where to take our rest. Give us grace to follow you, the Way, to learn from you, the Truth, and live in you, the Life. Amen. (Desiderius Erasmus – 1467 – 1536)

Happy Friday,

But even if [God doesn’t rescue us], we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty: We will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego addressing Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 3:18

Just as we should not expect to make clutch free throws unless we’ve worked on them in practice, we should not expect to display bold faith unless we’ve cultivated it during life’s uninspired moments. Today’s trial may or may not prepare you for tomorrow’s challenge. What is certain, is that your response to today’s trial is revealing yesterday’s spiritual habits and practices (or the lack thereof).

Avoid the DMZ: There is a big difference between solitude and loneliness. Likewise, there is a lot of daylight between being around people and being fully present for them. Both solitude and engagement are to be embraced. We spend too much time in the DMZ between them.

One of Those Days? Ever have one of those days when: 1) You couldn’t get Siri to understand what you are saying; 2) You couldn’t get the automatic faucets to turn on no matter how much you waved your hand in front of the sensors; and 3) Your spelling is so poor that Spell Check can’t even figure out what word you are trying to spell?

The World is Not Having a Nervous Breakdown: First it was, we’ll be OK “if we can just flatten the curve.” Then it was, we’ll be OK “if we can make it through the election.” Then it was “we’ll be OK if we can get a vaccine,” then “if we get the kids back in school.” Then, well, there have been a couple dozen other “we’ll be OK if” things. I’d like to suggest, “we’re OK now.” Have things been rough? Yeah. A bit. Harder for some than others. But look around. Many are doing well. And many who think they are not doing well are OK. Let’s all work at keeping things in perspective. As I noted last week, anyone can act like Chicken Little. We need more who are committed to being “the non-anxious presence others need.”

Righteous Anger: At a lecture hosted by Trinity University’s Henry Center, Russell Moore noted that every Christian who gets mad imagines their anger to be just as just as Christ’s when He overturned the Temple tables. Moore went on to note that, while anger always feels righteous, the average person is probably righteously angry only once or twice in their life.

Stop Crying Wolf: Back to the nervous breakdown claim, I’ve heard three things my entire adult life: 1) “This election is the most important one in our lifetime;” 2) “This election is our last chance to get it right;” and 2) “Today’s teens are the first generation in US history to not believe they will do as well as their parents.” I’m inclined to punch the next person who says this in the nose, but I doubt that would be righteous anger. And I do not want you to think that I’m having a breakdown.

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount…the world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.” General Omar Bradley, Nov. 11, 1948; 2) “Show me your friends and I will tell you your future.”

The Not Clues: Andy Stanley suggests that you use the “not clues” to prompt a spiritual conversation. That is, when you hear someone use the word NOT – e.g., “Things are NOT going well,”  “I’m NOT prepared for …”, or “I am NOT from here, we just moved to the area” – you know it’s time to start asking questions, such as, “Would you mind if I pray for you?” or “Would you like to join me in going to church this weekend?”

Worth Your Time: I thought this article and this podcast – neither perfect and both which touch on politics and culture – are worth your time.

The Relevance of Relevance: The history podcast I’m hosting is forcing me to read a lot of history. One of the things I’m noting is that relevant churches are seldom as effective over the long term.

Without Comment: 1) American faith-based groups contribute close to 320 billion dollars in goods and services and $1.2 trillion in socio-economic value to the country every year; 2) Some missiologists believe that more Muslims are coming to faith at this moment than virtually any other time in history.

Closing Prayer: Almighty and most merciful Father, we are thankful that your mercy is higher than the heavens, wider than our wanderings, and deeper than all our sin. Forgive our careless attitudes toward your purposes, our refusal to relieve the suffering of others, our envy of those who have more than we have, our obsession with creating a life of constant pleasure, our indifference to the treasures of heaven, our neglect of your wise and gracious law. Help us to change our way of life so that we may desire what is good, love what you love, and do what you command, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Unknown)

Happy Friday,

For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Paul, 2 Cor. 2:11

I’m not sure it’s fair to call our Adversary a one trick pony, but the description has some merit. Satan is not God’s equal-but-opposite. Not even close. He is a limited, broken, joyless and petty creature whose main weapon is deception. Satan lies and, well, that’s pretty much it. I’m not suggesting you underestimate evil. That plays into his hands. And though he is limited, we often help him multiply his work by adding our fear and pride to his deceit. I’m simply noting we should be alert to his schemes, after all, there is no reason to give the devil more than his due. BTW, the thing Satan lies about the most is Jesus. He works hard to persuade us that Jesus is neither as beautiful nor as merciful as He is.

Remember: You do not need to persuade me that COVID has downsides – sickness, death, lockdowns, loneliness, political acrimony and more. But just as C.S. Lewis saw upsides in war’s downside, we can see the same with COVID. In The Weight of Glory, Lewis wrote, “What does war do to death? It certainly does not make it more frequent: 100 percent of us die, and the percentage cannot be increased. Does it increase our chances of painful death? I doubt it. Does it decrease our chances of dying at peace with God? I cannot believe it. If active service does not persuade a man to prepare for death, what conceivable concatenation of circumstances would?” I share this quote because I am meeting more than a few who are terrified of COVID. Why, because they are terrified by death. It would be wrong to generalize, but it seems as though some think that if they avoid COVID they will avoid death. No. COVID does not increase the chance that we will die. In some ways, it does us a favor by reminding us that we will.

Scripture Memory: In a sermon a few weeks back, I encouraged people to memorize the first few verses of Romans 12. I’ve heard that I need to explain how to do that. Well, there are books, apps and systems to facilitate Scripture memory, but I’m pretty old school. I write out a verse on a 3×5 card and carry it my pocket. Then, throughout the day I take it out and read it. Eventually it sticks. Like much of life, it’s not complicated, it just takes discipline.

Without Comment: 1) Anxiety disorders affect 40M Americans, making it the most common mental illness in the US; 2) Video games produce more revenue than global movies and North American sports combined; 3) According to an NIH study, since COVID hit, college students are drinking a bit less alcohol but smoking a lot more marijuana.

Men’s Health: I avoid magazines that suggest I’ll see my abs again if I follow a few easy steps. (Those days are gone.) Consequently, my reference to men’s health is not a shout out to the magazine, it’s a reference to the state of men in the West. Alas, as this WSJ piece  documents, all is not well on that front. And this is tragic. Say what you will, but families seldom do better than the men in them.

Well Said: After a pastor was thanked for delivering ideal weather for an outdoor gathering, he replied, “I had nothing to do with it. I’m in sales, not management.” Great line. I will be using it in the future.

Practical Ministry 452: A few months ago, I remarked on how thankful I was to have taken a certain seminary class thirty years ago. The course was: Leading Through Global Pandemics, Racial Tension and Economic Collapse. A few readers missed my effort at humor. Sorry, I’ll try to be more obvious next time. BTW, the reason I didn’t take the class on pandemics is because it conflicted with Creating Online Worship Services, Managing Remote Clergy and Developing a Digital Discipleship Plan.

It’s Been a While: It’s been a while since I’ve seen Alexander Fraser Tytler’s (aka, Lord Woodhouselee) Eight Stages of Democracy. As you may know, card carrying academics think little of this kind of thing. I understand why, history is not so neat. But I do think Woodhouselee’s piece deserves a review from time to time. BTW, if you think it has merit, what stage do you think the US is at right now? “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: 1) From bondage to spiritual faith; 2) From spiritual faith to great courage; 3) From courage to liberty; 4) From liberty to abundance; 5) From abundance to selfishness; 6) From selfishness to apathy; 7) From apathy to dependence; and 8) From dependence back into bondage.

Have You Studied the Study Guide? In college, some professors handed out the final exam in advance. I always appreciated that. Of course, not everyone took full advantage of the study guide. Be sure you do. (In the event that it’s not just my humor that is too subtle, let me be more direct. God has passed out the final exam questions. One of them is summarized in Matthew 25. Be sure to read it.)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Make a Difference Today: The Ambient Anger Index is climbing. Embrace the hope and peace of Jesus today and be the non-anxious presence those around you need.

Closing Prayer: You taught us, Lord, that the greatest love a man can show is to lay down his life for his friends. But your love was greater still because you laid down your life for your enemies. It was while we were still enemies that you reconciled us to yourself by your death. What other love has ever been, or could ever be, like yours? You suffered unjustly for the sake of the unjust. You died at the hands of sinners for the sake of the sinful. You became a slave to tyrants, to set the oppressed free. Amen. (Bernard of Clairvaux – 1090-1153)

Happy Friday,

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him;

but if Baal is God, follow him.”

Elijah, I Kings 18

We tend to make life more complicated than it is. At one level, we are the decisions we make. Wavering is ill-advised. Make the call.

The Second Most Important Thing: What we think about God is the second most important thing about us. It shapes how we think and live. If I could climb inside your head and perfectly understand your thoughts about God, I would know the life you’d live. Our view of ultimate matters ultimately shapes us. What we think about God is the second most important thing about us.

Did God Send COVID-19 to Punish Us? I’m sure someone is claiming God sent the virus as judgment. I’m equally sure they know exactly what we are being judged for. (They likely also have a fund you can contribute to help make things right.) However, it is worth noting, I have yet to hear anyone reporting on this story. FWIW, I’m not persuaded that COVID-19 was sent as punishment for our sins, but I’m not sure it’s a good thing that no one is even entertaining that possibility.

The Most Important Thing: BTW, I suspect you are wondering, “If what we think about God is the second most important thing about us, what is the most important thing?” According to C.S. Lewis, it’s what God thinks about us.

Question of the Day: How many of the Ten Commandments can you name? I ask because many who claim to base their life on them can name less than four. (You can turn to Exodus 20 for the list, or just ask Siri or Alexa.)

Worth Noting: We should be aware that our deepest longings are not necessarily our strongest ones. Furthermore, we should understand that we can only tell the difference if we slow down once in a while. On a related note, technology – and the 24×7 news it delivers – is wonderful in helping us stay “on top of the news.” But it does us a disservice if our goal is to “get to the bottom of things.”

What an Odd World. I recently learned that Phil Knight, the former CEO of Nike, said, “For years we thought of ourselves as a production-oriented company, meaning we put all our emphasis on designing and manufacturing [shoes]. But now we understand the most important thing we do is market [the shoes].” He went on to say that Nike’s mission is, “To nurture relevant emotional ties between the Nike brand and the consumer.” Emotional ties? With my shoes? Or – more specifically – with the logos on my shoes? Wow, things are getting weird.

The Chosen: I’ve not seen The Chosen, but it’s been recommended enough times, and by enough different sources – e.g., Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Rotten Tomatoes, The Atlantic, friends and family – that I plan to. It also feels like I should encourage you to watch it as well. You can watch the first season on YouTube or download this app to watch all of it.

Connected Yet Disconnected: More reports have rolled out noting that today’s 18–22 year-olds are the “most virtually connected and loneliest” segment of the U.S. population. That observation led a friend to send this Oct. 11, 2019, WSJ piece on friendship.

Without Comment: 1) There has been a decade-to-decade increase of over 4,400 percent in the number of teenage girls seeking treatment at the U.K.’s national gender clinic; 2) Since Air Jordans were released twenty years ago, it is estimated that 1,200 people are killed for their sneakers each year; 3) The Washington Post recently reported that nearly one in three Americans experienced a weather disaster this summer.

The World of Bowling: Years ago, a friend claimed the world was divided into three groups: scholars, athletes, and bowlers. He went on to claim that he was the rare scholar-athlete, and that the reason he’d lost to me in bowling was because, although I’d only bowled a few times in my life, I was clearly a bowler at heart. This video – which oddly made me laugh – made me think of my friend’s claims, which made me laugh some more. No promises, but I think we need more laughter these days. The ambient anger index is climbing. 

Closing Prayer: In light of the opening challenge by Elijah, I offer this prayer, which Skye Jethani recently brought to my attention. “Blessed be your name, Lord God, who has set before me life and death, and has invited me to choose life. Now, Lord God, I choose life, with all my heart. I choose you, my God, for you are my life. Lord, make me completely holy, that all my spirit, soul, and body may be a temple for you. Live in me and be my God and I will be your servant. Amen.” (Thomas Ken – 1637 – 1711)

Happy Friday:

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus, Matthew 6:34

I often wish I could see around the corner. It turns out, God knows best. I’m not sure what I would have done had you told me 18 months ago that COVID would disrupt a third school year. And I really can’t imagine what I would have thought if, back in 2001, you had told me the Taliban would be surging twenty years into the future. It is a great mercy that the Lord shields us from the future.

Repent: I’ve been dressed down more than a few times, but nothing quite as devastating – or as public and lasting – as when Jesus looked at Peter and said, “Get behind me Satan.” Ouch. Though Peter had left behind his boat and his nets, he had been unable to leave behind his old nature. Thankfully, he kept growing. Peter owned his actions, repented, and continued to follow Christ. We must not forget, two men denied Jesus. Only one repented. Be a Peter not a Judas.

It’s That Time: A pastor friend of mine told me that this is the time of year he likes to stop by the Metra station and watch the trains come and go. When I asked why, he said, “It’s fun to see something start moving forward without me standing behind it and pushing.”

Our Time Horizon: In the last few years, it’s become trendy to talk about “human flourishing.” I understand why. Who doesn’t want to flourish? But the term needs to be unpacked. If you ask me what I need to “flourish in the next 30 minutes,” I’m likely to mention a donut and a nap. If you ask me what I need to be flourishing next month, I’ll probably talk about the money I need to fix a problem. But if you ask me what I need to flourish in light of eternity, I’ll eventually admit that a trial is likely what would help me the most. We grow during suffering. Because Jesus plays the long game, he doesn’t talk about donuts and naps. He talks about “dying to self,” “turning the other cheek,” and “offering ourselves as a living sacrifice.”

The Move to 14: I remember when a staff member asked me to start printing documents in 12 font instead of 10. I didn’t understand why, and when she explained it, I thought, “Wow, are you old.” FYI, I recently started asking people to print my documents in 14.

Kennedy Had it Right: In his memorable inauguration speech, JFK said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Yes. Societies that work talk more about responsibilities than rights. Furthermore, they are more heavily populated by givers than takers. Earlier generations understood this. Indeed, this is why some – Patrick Henry and George Washington among them – wanted the state to fund churches. They realized a country needs virtuous people to survive, and reasoned funding churches was the best way to get virtue. I’m glad they lost out to Jefferson and others. (State churches do not thrive.) But we should note, no country survives for long without virtue. And our modern views of freedom are trouble. They are dismissing the inconvenient bonds that are holding things together.

The Book: One of the benefits of doing One Hundred Plus – the history podcast I started last year – is the ongoing reminder about the resilience of the Church. Many have tried to stomp it out – and there have been moments when it looked like they would. But as the bumper sticker reads, The Church: Outlasting Oppressive Governments Since 33 AD. While we’re here, let’s note that the same can be said about the Bible. It has not only been derided and dismissed, but it has also been banned and burned more than any other book in history. And yet… the Word of God remains the perennial best seller. Have no doubts. God wins. The Church prevails, and the Word of the Lord will last forever.

Speaking Of: I seldom read a book twice. There are exceptions – I read MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail every year. I also read a number of C.S. Lewis books over and over. (And FWIW, I’ve read The Brothers Karamazov twice and still do not understand it.) But most books do not hold my attention past the first read. The Bible is an exception. Christ’s words remain “mic drop moments” even on the 100^th pass.

This Week’s Sign of the Apocalypse: So many people grew so tired of seeing their face on Zoom, that they are now seeking cosmetic surgery. The condition is called Zoom Dysphoria.

Be Patient: I was going to list my Ambient Anger Index this week, but I think I saw less anger than I saw fear and weariness. Be patient and share hope. I’ve heard it said that everyone you meet is hiding something. It is not that they’re being deceptive. It’s just that some wounds are too personal to talk about.

Self-Care: Given the weariness blanketing the land, let me note: if sleep doesn’t bring rest, if play doesn’t bring joy and if work doesn’t bring results, you need to ask for help.

Closing Prayer: Loving God, who sees in us nothing that you have not given yourself, make my body healthy and agile, my mind sharp and clear, my heart joyful and contented, my soul faithful and loving. And surround me with the company of people and angels who share my devotion to you. Above all let me live in your presence, for with you all fear is banished, and there is only harmony and peace. Let every day combine the beauty of spring, the brightness of summer, the abundance of autumn, and the repose of winter. And at the end of my life on earth, grant that I may come to see and know you in the fullness of your glory. Amen. (Thomas Aquinas – 1225-1274)

Happy Friday,

But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

Nehemiah 4:6-9

Some Christians act as if prayer is all that matters. More claim that prayer matters, but pray little. Nehemiah modeled a third path. During his efforts to lead the Jews in rebuilding the wall – which they worked on day and night, including while being attacked – he led the people in praying and acting. We must do both.

Technology: Technology is not neutral. It changes what we do and how we do it. More importantly, it changes us. This does not mean it is bad. Hardly. Medical technology kept me alive several years ago, and without computer technology you would not be able to read this. I’m simply reminding myself (and you) to stop underestimating the way tech is forming (and malforming) us. If you’ve not already read Andy Crouch’s book, The Tech Wise Family, you need to. If you have, it might be time to read it again.

Marriage: Tim Keller recommends that each spouse say to the other, “I will treat my selfishness as the main problem in this marriage.” He also notes that suggesting your spouse embrace his advice is a bad idea.

Yes: In last week’s Update, I pushed back on former Governor Cuomo’s claim that government is the best vehicle for social change. In that piece, I argued that the family was more important. Alas, I should have also championed the church. I had it in my first draft, but pulled it for some reason. My bad. The truth is, God ordained three institutions – the family, the church and government – to shape society. We need all three. And, I think we need them in that order.

Overheard: It is hard to make new old friends.

Skepticism but Not Cynicism: My chief reason for dismissing conspiracy theories is that I’ve yet to find the company (or government agency) with the competence to pull one off. Furthermore, I’m quite sure that if they did, they could not keep it a secret. To be clear, I think we are right to be skeptical of what we are told by government agencies, big business and others. We have been lied to in the past. But while skepticism is healthy, cynicism is not.

Perspective: As is often the case, even though he has been dead for almost sixty years, C.S. Lewis has helpful insights on how to navigate the events of the day. You can find his brief article – On Living in an Atomic Age – here.

Signs of the Times: This piece from The NYT, makes note of Harvard’s appointment of an atheist as their new chief chaplain. Though I disagree with some of what is reported, there is much in the piece to ponder.

Shame: Jeremiah laments that the people of his day had lost their ability to blush (Jer. 6:15). We have as well. But I wonder if there is an opportunity here. If it is popular to show no shame, it should be easier to stand with Paul when he announces that he is not “ashamed of the Gospel.” (Rom. 1:16) BTW, it may help to expect to be booed. The church has lost whatever home field advantage we previously had. That means we are the visiting team. And visiting teams often get booed. It is hardly the worst thing. Let’s just be sure we are getting booed for the right things. Often we are booed for good reason.

Sex, Sex, Sex: Our rejection of God’s sexual ethic has led to hard hearts, ubiquitous pornography, a marriage recession and the trafficking of young girls. It has also led to less sex, less happiness and fewer babies. It would seem as though we took a wrong turn.

Prayer Request: I encourage you to use the unfolding events in Afghanistan as a call to prayer. Many need hope and a path to safety. Leaders need wisdom. Pray for the Lord to use the evil for good. Pray also for our troops and for the ongoing needs of the underground Afghan church.

Closing Prayer: Lord God, our Father. You are the light that can never be put out; and now you give us a light that shall drive away all darkness. You are love without coldness, and you have given us such warmth in our hearts that we can love all when we meet. You are the life that defies death, and you have opened for us the way that leads to eternal life. None of us is a great Christian; we are all humble and ordinary. But your grace is enough for us. Arouse in us that small degree of joy and thankfulness of which we are capable, to the timid faith which we can muster, to the cautious obedience which we cannot refuse, and thus to the wholeness of life which you have prepared for all of us through the death and resurrection of your Son. Do not allow any of us to remain apathetic or indifferent to the wondrous glory of Easter, but let the light of our risen Lord reach every corner of our dull hearts. Amen. (Karl Barth – 1886-1968)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Ps. 46:1

Given that Christ typically greeted His friends by saying, “Fear not,” we can assume that fear was as prevalent in the 1^stcentury as it is today. That should not surprise us. After all, there were at least as many things to be anxious about then, and we do not need to look for things to unsettle us today. Fear finds us, even when we try to hide from it. However, it does not need to get the last word. Learn to rehearse the promises of Psalm 46 – the very passage that inspired Martin Luther to write the hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. His care for you is not a wish for the future but a fact in the present. As Jesus said, “Fear not!”

9/11: Just over twenty years ago, a young scholar from the Central African Republic was told by his doctoral committee that they were not approving his proposal to write on radical Islam because they did not think his topic was large enough to be relevant. Two weeks later – i.e., one day after jets crashed into the Pentagon, the Twin Towers, etc. – the committee reversed their decision. The horrors that unfolded this week in Afghanistan left me thinking about how much I wish they had been right the first time. They also reminded me of one of the things that young scholar – who I know because he was sponsored by ScholarLeaders International – taught me. “We must not confuse our enemy with the victims of our enemy.”

A Modest Apologetic: Ross Douthat, the conservative Catholic who writes for The NYT, published an interesting op/ed this week. In A Guide to Finding Faith, he argues that those who’ve walked away from belief in God – especially those who walked away because they thought 21^st century life demanded as much – have good reasons to rethink their views. It’s not a CS Lewis piece, but I am encouraged that Douthat has this platform. Pray he uses it well. You can read his article here.

Quotes Worth Noting: I often share a line I’d like you to ponder. What follows is not that. (It’s a Quote Worth Noting, not a Quote Worth Requoting). The statement was made by Andrew Cuomo during his resignation speech from the governorship of New York. After explaining that he was stepping down so others “could get back to the important work of governing,” he claimed that “government is still the best vehicle for making positive, social change.” I thought little of Cuomo’s comments at the time, but “after further review” the ruling on the field is being reversed. The family, not the government, is the best vehicle for positive, social change. We get into a lot of trouble when we forget this.

Orwell’s Comeback: Scholars typically claim that Huxley’s Brave New World does a better job describing this moment than Orwell’s 1984. I suspect they’re right (and cited Postman saying as much in this sermon). But don’t dismiss Orwell just yet. After all, Big Brother is watching. And there is a lot of Doublespeak being bandied about. In fact, the other day I think I overheard, “Four legs good. Two legs better.”

Keep Your Perspective: It used to be that everyone had a church, even if they didn’t attend it. Not today. Secularism has spread from Western Europe, the faculty lounges in Boston and the editorial offices of more than a few papers to, well, most of the Western World. And one of the results is that church attendance is down. But on this issue – as with so many others – we need to keep our perspective. Jesus will prevail and secularism will collapse. Indeed, secularism has never grown biologically (secular people tend not to have children), and societies that embrace it break down. It cannot be otherwise, because “there is no ‘there’ there.” Yes it remains rough out there. (I was told this week that everyone I meet is either paralyzed by fear, medicated for anxiety, or angry.) But as I noted above, your days can be shaped by hope. Remind yourself that God loves you and that your future is not in doubt. And while you are at it, be the hope you hope to see. If you are hoping for kindness, compassion and grace, embody that. After all, hope, like fear, is contagious.

Who Moved: As promised, here is the study that led me to suggest the Left has moved further left than the Right have moved right. It explains the research conducted by the Pew Research Center late in 2017. 

Good Enough: The late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones – a prominent British pastor – used to ask people, “Are you now ready to say that you’re a Christian?” If they responded with anything that suggested they were not quite good enough to make that claim, he knew they did not yet understand the Gospel. “It sounds very modest, but it is a lie of the devil, it is a denial of the faith . . . you will never be good enough; nobody has ever been good enough. The essence of Christian salvation is to say that Jesus is good enough — and that I am in Him!”     

Without Comment: 1) According to a May study at Carnegie Mellon, vaccine hesitancy (defined as those who “probably will not” or “definitely will not” get the vaccine) breaks out by education level the following way: a. High school or less – 20.8%; b. Some college – 18.3%; c. A bachelor’s degree – 11.0%; d. MA – 8.3%; e. Professional (e.g., JD) – 12.3%; and f. PhD – 23.9% (you can see the chart here); 2) According to the Dept. of Ed., the class of 2021 has 41.1% males and 58.9% females; 3) According to a recent Barna study, COVID prompted enough people to start reading the Bible that “the proportion of American adults who never use the Bible has fallen to just 29 percent;“ 4) According to the recently released 2020 census of the 331,449,281 people living in the United States: the White population declined for the first time on record, while Hispanic, Asian, and multi-race populations grew significantly. Also, Phoenix kicked Philadelphia off the “Top 5 Biggest U.S. Cities.” It is now: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix.

Please Pray: As you likely know, the challenges being faced by Afghans – especially Afghan women and Afghan Christians – are unthinkable. Please pray for wisdom for those with an ability to help mitigate the chaos and suffering.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, the house of my soul is narrow; enlarge it that You may enter in. It is ruinous, O repair it! It displeases Your sight. I confess it, I know. But who shall cleanse it, to whom shall I cry but to You? Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord, and spare Your servant from strange sins. Amen. (Augustine of Hippo)

Happy Friday,

Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.

The Apostle Paul, I Cor. 9:24

If you were inspired by any of the athletic performances in Tokyo, remember that Paul leveraged the Panhellenic Games of the 1^st century to challenge Christians to raise their game. The practiced brilliance of world-class athletes is a model for the grace-filled, disciplined pursuit of Christ we are called to. What might it look like for you to consider ways to bring an athlete’s commitment to their sport to your commitment to Christ? Press on towards the goal for the prize of the higher calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The Gini Coefficient: The Economist is reporting that researchers are closing in on the “magic” variable related to COVID-19. As you may have noted, something less than universal agreement exists on a few of the details surrounding the virus (e.g., its origin, spread, death rates, best treatment options, the effectiveness of masks, the effectiveness of lockdowns, States’ rights, everything related to COVID and students, etc.) If The Economist is right, the key variable in COVID and its impact has little to do with health measures, climate or geography and much to do with economics. They specifically cite the Gini Coefficient (which I have explained earlier). Hmm. On the one hand, one expects a magazine called The Economist to suggest the economy is more important than others realize. On the other hand, I look forward to the day when we have greater clarity about this disease. 

Truth: On a possibly related note, when I was young, I was told the next war would be over communism. When I was in college, I was told it would be over food. Then I was told it would be water. Then it was oil. Then it was water again. FWIW, though today’s hostilities do not constitute a war, what we seem to be fighting over at the moment is truth. Behind the claims about fake news and conspiracy theories lies a battle over truth itself. And not just over whether a specific matter is true or false, but who gets to define truth.

Thoreau: Because I’ve grown concerned that my efforts to stay informed are deforming me, I’m reading the news less and reading about it more (Malcolm Muggeridge’s Christ and the Media and Jeffrey Bilbro’s Reading the Times). To that end, I recently ran across Henry David T’s Walden lament about the news. His complaint? The advent of the railroad meant the speed at which news reached us had dramatically accelerated. He longed for the days when information traveled no faster than a horse.

FWIW: My suggestion in last week’s update (here) – that the Left has moved further left than the Right has moved right – generated pushback. I still think it’s true, but I am working to better understand the study I cited. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, if you have empirical data about this, please send it my way.

Question: How did you decide how to spend your time yesterday? What criteria are you using to decide how you will allocate it tomorrow? Not that you are asking, but John Calvin – the reformer one seminary professor would identify as, “the theologian who shared the same initials as our Lord” – is on record stating that “Our daily task is to make God’s invisible Kingdom visible in our midst.”       

Big Brother: I suspect I’m as against child pornography as anyone. Indeed, I fear the pornography juggernaut unleashed by the web is doing so much daily damage that there will be growing cries for censorship. (Supposedly 35 percent of all Internet downloads are pornographic.) However, all that aside, I’m a bit unsettled by Apple’s announcement that it will use “NeuralHash” to scan our iPhones for images of child sexual abuse.

Virtues > Values: In this 2008 lecture by the late Gertrude Himmelfarb – author, historian and social critic – she explains something previously lost on me. Apparently, the advocacy of “values” was initially championed by Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher famous for pronouncing the death of God. Nietzsche was anxious to move society away from the Christian “virtues” of faith, hope and love. Value-based living was promoted, not as a way to raise society’s game, but to lower it.

Good News, I Guess: I was recently assured that no matter how contentious today’s debates become, actual Civil War is unlikely. I agree. Unfortunately, the reasons they offered for assurance were less than reassuring. The speaker argued two points: 1) We are too lazy to fight (he noted that today people think they’ve acted valiantly if they’ve posted on social media); and 2) We are too old. “This isn’t the sixties, with lots of young people coming of age. Today the most politically agitated on the left are middle-aged women, and the most politically agitated on the right are in their 70s. And neither are known for violent protests.” I’m not sure how to respond. As noted above, I have not been worried about an actual civil war but being told we are too lazy and old to do anything but get steamed hardly leaves me thinking, “The state of the union is strong.” (BTW, we are certainly aging. I remember hearing that at 69, Ronald Raegan was too old to be President. At the moment: Biden is 78; Schumer is 70; McConnell is 79 and Pelosi is 81.)

Closing Prayer: Almighty God, you are Lord of time and have neither beginning nor end: You are the redeemer of souls, the foundation of human reason and the guardian of our hearts; through all that you have created you have revealed your indescribable power; receive, O Lord, our supplication, provide fully for the needs of each one of us and make us worthy of your goodness. For your name is worthy of all honor and greatness and is to be glorified with hymns and blessing, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever, to the ages of ages, Amen. (An 8^th century Greek Orthodox Prayer)

Happy Friday,

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling…

The Apostle Paul, Phil. 2:12b

The Bible does not tell us to work for our salvation — indeed, it emphatically states that we cannot. (If you think I’m wrong, note Paul’s barely concealed rage in his letter to the Galatians.) However, saying we cannot work for our salvation does not mean we should not be working on it. Good Works (W) ≠ Salvation (S). But those who say Faith (F) = S are also wrong. The equation is: F = S + W. Look for the W in your own life. Turn to the grace and love of God to find the strength, hope and joy to love God and serve others. S is a free gift. But W is expected.

COVID: I hardly have the energy to say this, but COVID is spiking again, and it’s sending people scrambling. Some are heading back inside, some are announcing their unwillingness to embrace previous protocols. I’m not a doctor, but if I could write a prescription it would be for Patience and Hope – 40Mg of each, 3x a day. We will get through this, but we need to be kind to one another in the process, especially now. BTW, speaking of “racing back inside,” the WSJ is reporting that some are not sure they ever want to come back out. The phenomenon is so common that it has its own name, “the cave syndrome.”

Ambient Anger: While we’re here, let me say something about anger. As you know, there’s always some in the system, and when it’s low – let’s say, it measures 2 or less out of 7 – it’s not a problem. It can be self-contained. However, when it’s higher, it tends to spill out on others. I am not sure what the current Ambient Anger Level is, but it is spilling all over the place. (I got some on me this week.) One more thing, psychologists tell us that anger is a secondary emotion, which means we do not get angry, instead a primary emotion – such as fear or sadness – manifests itself as anger. So, if you’ve been spilling all over others, you might pause to ask yourself, what is going on in my heart?

Freedom: There are few topics about which more has been written than freedom. Tragically, much of it is abstract and most of it goes unread. As a result, many today naïvely think they have a divine and constitutional right to do as they please without being bothered by any unwanted consequences. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Hey, I’d like to eat whatever I want without gaining weight, but reality tends to insert itself. The Bible – and many other writings from the past – have much to offer us here, starting with the idea that constraints do not stifle true freedom, they contribute to it. A train may wish to be free of the tracks, but that doesn’t work well. Finally, at the risk of sounding like the old guy who is rolling his eyes while mumbling under his breath, “What are they teaching kids these days?” Let me note: when people are more interested in their rights than their responsibilities, society stops working.

Metaverse: As an aside, if you’d like to leave reality behind you’ll soon have more options. Zuckerberg is working on a metaverse – i.e., “a maximalist, interconnected set of experiences.” (The term was coined in Snow Crash, a 1992 sci-fi novel). According to those at Facebook, this metaverse will be “a convergence of physical, augmented and virtual reality in a shared online space” that will “span the physical and virtual worlds with a fully-fledged economy offering ‘unprecedented interoperability.’” I’m sure this will go well. After all, escapism and Gnosticism have great track records. Nevertheless I think I’ll stick with reality and it’s problems. I know how this story ends.

Without Comment: 1) A Citibank report notes that between 1995 and 2020, Contemporary art prices outperformed the S&P by 174%; 2) A recent report out of Japan suggests that 42 percent of that nation’s jobs could be displaced by automation by 2030; 3) This Web MD report notes the AMA’s suggestion that sexual identity be removed from birth certificates.

Question: NYC pastor, Jon Tyson, encourages us to wonder: Who am I becoming by what I am doing?

Quotes Worth Requoting: “He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.” John Stuart Mill

Corrections: In last week’s Update I suggested that 1968 stood out because of the assassinations of JFK and the North Korean’s launch of the TET Offensive. Wow, two mistakes in one line. It was RFK not JFK, and it was the North Vietnamese not the North Koreans.

Who Moved: About a year ago – after claiming that the divide between the left and the right felt greater than before – I asked: Who do you think moved the most? This study – compiled by The Economist – suggests an answer. It argues that in 1994, the left was at a 5 and the right was at a 6, but by 2017 the left was at a 2 and the right was at a 6.5. I do not expect everyone to agree with their claim, but it makes sense to me. By definition, progressives want to keep progressing, and – at least according to WFB – a conservative is someone “who stands athwart history, yelling ‘Stop.’”

Closing Prayer: High King of heaven, Lord of the years and sovereign over time and history, grant to us such an overpowering knowledge of who you are that our trust in you may be unshakable. Grant to us too a sufficient understanding of the signs of the times in which we live that we may know how to serve your purposes in our generation and more truly be your people in our world today. To that end, O Lord, revive us again and draw us closer to yourself and to each other. Where there is false contentment with our present condition, sow in us a holy restlessness. Where there is discouragement, grant us fresh heart. Where there is despair, be our hope again. For your sake empower us to be your salt and light in the world, and thus your force for the true human flourishing of your shalom. In the name of Jesus, Amen. (Os Guinness)

Happy Friday,

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

The Prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 29:7

Though some think otherwise, our assignment is not to lord over the kingdoms of this world. It is a call to something much harder: to advance the love of God lovingly and sacrificially. This means being salt and light in this broken, strife-filled, and angry world that God loves. BTW, at the risk of sounding preachy, let me remind you that we are not to grow weary of doing good.

A Preview: On a Zoom call convened to help select the next leader of a foundation, the group was asked: What will the next president need to be prepared to deal with? Alongside the expected answers (diversity issues, Generation Alpha, unrest, China, climate change and political discord) were two I didn’t see coming: more mental health issues and institutional collapse.

The State of the Pastorate: I hear – but do not believe – the statistics about widespread pastoral burnout. Yes, it’s rough out there. And yes, more than a few pastors are running on fumes. But most of the ministry leaders I know are resilient. And in some settings – and in some ways – COVID made pastors’ lives easier. I am doing quite well, thanks for asking. I credit a great family, exceptional staff, and my foresight in grad school. I am so glad I signed up for, “Leading through Global Pandemics, Racial Strife and Political Polarization,” when it was offered thirty years ago.

Covid Winners: Having surged past its Corona competition, the Delta variant is enjoying fifteen minutes of Warholian fame. It makes me wonder when we’ll formally recognize another COVID winner: postmodernity (PM). Academic journals have been discussing the rise of PM for years, and generally agreeing on little. One of the debates has been over whether PM has eclipsed M in the West. I do not want to suggest that M has been squelched. Hardly. But it seems hard to imagine our current percentage of unvaccinated people if M was not seriously wounded. Two asides: 1) Though NFL training camps are about to begin, only thirteen of the thirty-two teams have reached the league’s eighty-five percent vaccination threshold. (The NFL does not plan on canceling any games this year due to COVID, but teams under the threshold will face additional travel and training restrictions); 2) The percentage of Americans who have a “great deal” of trust in the CDC is fifty percent.

COVID Winners 2.0: While we’re declaring winners, it’s worth saying something about the power of partisan politics. When Trump was president, the right favored vaccines while the left said, “No thanks.” As soon as Biden was elected, more than a few switched positions. Whether people see this or not, for many: politics > science. As an aside, while I line up with those who say, “trust the science,” for most of us that means trust the scientists. I took a fair bit of science in college, but I do not understand much of the science I am being asked to trust.

Quotes Worth Requoting: Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that gives value to survival. C.S. Lewis

Without Comment: 1) Optimism is down nearly twenty points since May, with fifty-five percent of the public now saying they are pessimistic about the direction of the country; 2) In 1990, thirty-three percent of us said we had ten or more close friends; in 2021, that number had fallen to thirteen percent; 3) Between July 17 and July 23, the Gun Violence Archive tracked 915 shooting incidents – i.e., one every twelve minutes; 4) Though Millennials – long cast as the great progressive hope – lean left, they aspire to become like their parents – i.e., married, living in the suburbs and embracing centrist politics; 5) Brisbane, Australia was recently selected as host of the 2032 games – which was not a surprise given that it was the only city that submitted a bid; 6) Forty-four precent of the US military comes from sixteen southern States; 7) The Oregon Association of Scholars reports that between 96 and 98 percent of all political donations made by the faculty of Oregon’s three largest public universities went to Democrats; 8) A conservative is seven percent more likely to want to travel to the past than to the future, while a liberal is seventy percent more likely to want to travel to the future than the past.

What’s Next: As cultural commentators look ahead, 1968 is getting more ink. As you may remember, that was the year when: JFK and MLK were assassinated, the Chicago Democratic Convention was disrupted by riots and North Koreans launched the TET Offensive. What followed ’68? Among other things, an explosion of conversions to Christ. As an aside, I understand why it is being suggested that the American Church “has lost its homefield advantage.” But I am starting to wonder if “the advantage” was really an advantage.

Question: What is the thing you are most worried about losing? What is the thing you are most worried about not attaining?

Resilience: I can hardly imagine two people with more physical strength per pound than Michael Phelps and Simone Biles. Their willingness to speak out on their mental health challenges is a good thing. But it does make me wonder about the resilience of today’s young. What is going on? How do we do better? BTW, I heard last week that some branches of the military are expanding boot camp from eight to ten weeks because today’s recruits need more time to pass the physical and mental requirements.

Closing Prayer: Teach me, O God, to use all the circumstances of my life today to nurture the fruits of the Spirit rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience; Let me use success as material for thankfulness; Let me use anxiety as material for perseverance; Let me use danger as material for courage; Let me use criticism as material for learning; Let me use praise as material for humility; Let me use pleasures as material for self-control; Let me use pain as material for endurance. Amen (John Baillie – 1886 – 1960)