October 9, 2020
Happy Friday.
Peace: Because we control less than we’d like – and typically far less than we imagine – the peace we are after cannot depend on our circumstances. To be the “non-anxious presence” we instinctively admire, we must absorb the prevailing peace of God. Letting go of worry and control does not mean we do not care, it simply means we realize our limits and dependence.
Two Observations from the Cheap Seats: As a pastor, I have grown to fear both the success and failure of other Christ-followers. My back of envelope calculations suggest that about half grow through failure and only twenty percent survive success.
Flooding: From time to time I think about linking you to a picture (a piece of art, an image from space, etc.) Today I do. This is a series of pictures of flooding in France. I share them not just because they are spectacular – which they are – but because they illustrate both human fragility and the need for firm foundations. (By the way, how are your foundations?)
Podcast: Last week I was interviewed by a former Christ Church intern who is now the senior pastor of a church in Madison, WI. We discussed maintaining our spiritual wellbeing during the challenges of 2020. You can listen here.
Overheard: “If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it.” (This is another way of saying, absence the power of forgiveness, “hurt people, hurt people.”
So-Fi Stadium: Ken Follet’s novel about the construction of a cathedral during the Middle Ages – Pillars of Fire – has me thinking about buildings. Churchill’s quote – “First we shape our buildings and then they shape us.” – has me wondering what would be different if more churches met in cathedrals instead of strip malls. But I’m more taken by what our buildings say about us. Many believe that our most expensive buildings advertise our most important values. To this end they note: 1) in DC, height restrictions ensure nothing rivals the Lincoln Memorial; 2) In NY and Chicago, commercial buildings dominate the sky line; 3) in Vegas, it’s casinos that garner all the attention. In light of this I note, gone are the days when a church steeple was a city’s high point. Today’s most impressive cathedrals of Sunday worship are football stadiums. Case in point: LA’s new So-Fi stadium – which cost five billion – is amazing.
Screen Time: You can read – or reread – Jean Twenge’s memorable 2017 Atlantic Monthly article, Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?, here. But you do not need to, this is the money quote: “There’s not a single exception. All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all nonscreen activities are linked to more happiness. Eighth-graders who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 percent more likely to say they’re unhappy than those who devote less time to social media. The opposite is true of in-person interactions. Those who spend an above-average amount of time with their friends in person are 20 percent less likely to say they’re unhappy than those who hang out for a below-average amount of time.”
Without Comment:
- California is fighting the first “gigafire” – that is, a wildfire that reaches a million acres in size.
- Global deaths from COVID-19 recently passed one million.
- Though college faculty and fringe groups are increasingly stifling free speech, the latest UCLA study suggests freshman remain open to dissenting voices.
October 2, 2020
Happy Friday.
We’re told God loves a cheerful giver. Televangelists spin this to imply their followers should help them buy a second jet. In response, thoughtful people wince. As we should. God is not a slot machine, nor is He running a Ponzi scheme. But we are wrong to dismiss the circle of generosity. God may not promise prosperity to those who sacrificially give, but He does promise a blessing. In His economy, having more isn’t winning.
The COVID Chronicles: Views about COVID are fluid, both because scientists keep learning more about it and because reporters keep editing their reports based on their politics. As someone who has had it – and as someone who has friends on the front lines of the science and politics – I have some thoughts: 1) It’s real. I didn’t vote for it, but both Sheri and I had it; 2) it can be nasty, but mostly it isn’t; according to the latest CDC reports, COVID-19 SURVIVAL RATES are as follows: Ages 0-19: 99.997%, 20-49: 99.98%, 50-69: 99.5% and 70+: 94.6%. 3) Part of the reason the death rate is dropping (even as the numbers infected remains high), is because medical professionals are rock stars; 4) the vaccine will not be the silver bullet some hope. Along with masks, hand-washing and social distancing most think a vaccine (if / when it arrives) will help, but not eliminate our challenges. They suggest we will be riding the present sine wave for another year.
Without Comment:
- More than 16,000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln. The only person with more than 16,000? You guessed it, Jesus.
- There are five million new US gun owners since the start of 2020.
- Since 2008’s global financial crisis, while many forms of consumer debt have declined, student loan debt has tripled. Currently around 44.2M Americans owe a total of more than 1.5T in student debt.
The Debates: Much has been written about the first DJT vs JRB debate. All I will add is that more than seeming apropos for 2020, it seemed a reasonable summary of the current “rockem sockem” philosophy of national discourse.
Curated: Have you noticed that everything is curated these days. The word has enjoyed a renaissance matched by few things other than brussel sprouts and Purell hand-sanitizer. My sense that this was happening was confirmed this week when I saw a commercial for shaving in which the razor company promised it had curated the best products for my face. By the way, I worked hard to curate that story on curating.
Cut Flower Culture: In 1951, Will Herberg – an American Jewish philosopher and sociologist of religion – coined the phrase “cut flower culture” to describe the growing spiritual rootlessness of modern European and American societies. His argument was, just as cut flowers may look nice for a few days but will not last, so a society without faith in God may maintain virtue for a season, but it will not last. I suspect Herberg would not be surprised by our current societal angst and political vitriol. Those who have read Nietzsche know he would not. The question is whether or not the church will emerge as the kind of thoughtful, engaged, Christocentric and grace-filled community that He will use to turn things around.
Easter at Passion City Church: Those who have read the Update since it started know I have liked David Crowder since before he started growing facial hair. I stumbled upon his participation in this classic – Because He Lives.
Closing Prayer: I kiss your feet, dear Jesus; I press my lips to them, because despite my many sins, despite the burden of guilt upon me, despite my lack of discernment, I know that I have nothing to fear from you. I embrace your feet, Lord Jesus; I anoint them with the oil of my repentance. And as I crouch at your feet, I know that I am safe, because you despise no one, reject no one, repel no one, welcome everyone, admit everyone. Amen. Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
September 25, 2020
Speaking of Suffering: It comes in three categories: 1) we occasionally pay an idiot tax for violating God’s law; 2) sometimes we suffer for doing what is right (e.g., Joseph); and 3) sometimes we suffer for no perceivable reason (e.g., Job). In all of these, God is at work. I am seeking to make two points: First, in this broken world, we can do everything right and still suffer. Second, life is much easier when we expect difficulties not utopia.
Remember: In light of the pain washing over our land, it is important to remember: evil has an expiration date. He will return and bring His kingdom. Live in light of this promise.
Remember 2.0: In addition to rehearsing truth about evil, we should rehearse truth about truth. Though some think otherwise, truth does not accommodate our thinking. When a crowd responded to Lincoln’s question – “If I should call a sheep’s tail a leg, how many legs would it have?” – with the answer, “Five.” He said, “No. Only four. My calling the tail a leg does not make it so.”
The New Question: In previous Updates I’ve: expressed concern over the fragility of the country; reframed Yeats to ask, “can the center hold?” and encouraged you to listen more, talk less and absorb some of the pain of those around you. When it comes to race I have learned to ask a new question, “Tell me the journey to your convictions?”
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others. John Wesley
- 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. John Baille
Antisemitism: Let me remind you: 1) the Bible is not anti-Semitic, it is anti-sin; 2) “the Jews” did not kill Jesus, if they had, He would have been stoned not crucified; 3) God the Father takes responsibility for the death of His Son, saying that He sent Him; 4) Jesus also takes responsibility, saying that no one takes His life from Him, He lays it down; 5) finally, if you want to know who you should hold most responsible for His death, look in the mirror.
Suffering 3.0: I probably shouldn’t borrow trouble from tomorrow, but there is reason for concern. Both the White Sox and the Cubs are advancing into the postseason play. Given 2020’s track-record, it seems likely that we will get a crosstown World Series – but COVID will prevent us from attending the games!
Critical Theory: Since Critical Race Theory is dominating the news, I decided to try again to answer the question: what makes a theory critical? For years I have heard about critical race theory, critical legal theory, critical queer theory, etc., but no one could tell me how they were connected. I’m not sure I can explain it – and I am certainly too new to this topic to endorse anyone’s views – but here are a couple resources I found helpful: this piece is from David French’s blog, Frenchpress. And this presentation by Dr. Shenvi provides more historical context than most things I have read.
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, fill us, we pray, with your light and life, that we may reveal your wondrous glory. Grant that your love may so fill our lives that we may count nothing too small to do for you, nothing too much to give and nothing too hard to bear. Amen. (Ignatius Loyola – 1495-1556)
September 18, 2020
for thou art with me, thy rod, and thy staff they comfort me.
Godly Quietness: In 1549, Thomas Cranmer, wrote The Book of Common Prayer. Like the King James Bible, it is noteworthy for its prose. For instance, Cranmer invites us to pray for “peaceably ordered governance” so that we may live in “godly quietness.” Godly quietness. I’m not sure I know what that is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not what I read about in the news.
Celebrating Bush / Gore: I remember being impressed and thankful when Al Gore conceded the 2000 election. Even though Clinton and Gore were in power when the Supreme Court ruled for Bush, Gore conceded. I’d traveled outside the US enough to know that such peaceful transitions of power were not to be taken for granted.
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural: While I am being nostalgic for earlier days, I went back to Lincoln’s second Inaugural. You can read – or listen – to it here.
Enough Already: Count me among those who are happy that football is back, but who finds it quite weird to have golf, horse racing, hockey, baseball and basketball on at the same time. And yes, I do worry that NFL coliseums have simply replaced “the games” staged by Roman Emperors in Roman colosseums.
2020 as the new 1968?: After fires darkened West Coast skies, I started asking people, “When was the last time we had a year this challenging?” Responses ranged from, “This isn’t that bad. In the 14thcentury over 100M died of the Bubonic Plague,” to, “This isn’t as bad as 1976. That was the year Suzy Homer turned me down for prom. I’m still recovering.” Most of those who gave it some thought pointed to 1968, which was the year MLK and RFK were assassinated, the My Lai massacre was uncovered, 100 US cities had protests, the Dem’s Chicago convention descended into chaos and the Anti-Vietnam movement was surging.
It’s still MLK: Those who know that I’ve been reading on race have asked for the “one book” I would recommend on the topic. I am going with an author: Dr. King. I realize some now dismiss him for being “pollyannish”, but the more I read, the more I marvel at his wisdom: 1) his call for non-violent protests; 2) his concern for the soul of the racist; and 3) his use of Kingdom language set him above others. Oh for more Lincolns and Kings.
Revelation in Song: Last week I noted that I am preaching from Revelation this Fall. If you want a quick summary of the Book in song, click here.
The COVID Puppy Boom: I was told there will be no sheltering-in-place baby boom, but that there has been a puppy boom. And though my data is only anecdotal, I think that is right. I see more people walking puppies than I see pregnant women.
Quotes Worth Requoting: “The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Without Comment:
- The West Coast fires have consumed more than 3 million acres and produced a smoke cloud that covers almost a million square miles.
- India has reported the highest number of COVID cases in a day (90K).
September 11, 2020
If the Lord kept a record? If? He does keep a record. So, how are we standing? The Bible is one long answer to this question. And it points to Jesus. Part of the reason for a statement like this is to remind us of the lengths to which God has gone to rescue us, and how shocking is His grace-laden plan.
9.11.21: One year from today will mark twenty years since planes crashed and towers fell. It doesn’t seem possible. I find it both hard to imagine that it’s been that long, and hard to remember life pre-9/11. What have we learned since the attack? And what did we learn from that crisis that might help us in this one?
Do the Math: Social media is awash in reports that the richest among us are richer than they are. I’m not excited to be defending Bezos’s hundreds of billions, but for the record, he could not “easily give everyone in the US $1M dollars and still have $188.8 billion left over.” Nor could Michael Bloomberg give everyone in the US over $1M given how much he spent on his presidential campaign. You can read more about this nonsense here, but let me say, while Bloomberg could give every US citizen $1.52, that is a bit shy of the $1M. And many – including many who should know better! – are repeating this craziness. I would like to see anyone who makes this claim be sent back to 6th grade math class.
Being Proactive: In case you have not heard, I was one of the 1,492 people in Illinois who was diagnosed with the coronavirus on September 1. I am doing well (it has mostly been a nonevent), and tomorrow I am officially finished with quarantining! But COVID has given me time to think, and one of the things I have been pondering is my perspective. After reading a business article claiming that just a few perspective shifts can make a huge difference I decided to suspend cynicism and give it a try. My take – away is, I want to be more like Joseph. After being kidnapped, sold into slavery, framed, and left to rot in prison, he continued to respond as though God was real and could be trusted.
Speaking of Perspective: In preparation for Letters from God, a series on Christ’s seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor, I have been studying the Book of Revelation. Among my takeaways is the importance of perspective. Revelation 4:1 is certainly one of the key passages in the Book. There Jesus invites John to see what He is seeing – i.e., to gain the perspective of heaven. It makes all the difference. Lord God help us to see situations – and people! – as you do.
And there is more: And while I am thinking about things I need to think more about, there is this: God’s love is boundless; there is no sin too great for His grace; He knows the worst about me and loves me anyway; His church will prevail; love will win; the tomb really was empty; and He really will return.
My Life: Thomas Hobbes famously suggested that life is “poor, nasty, brutish and short.” Not mine. Nor does that appear to be the experience or expectation of most living in the US today. Indeed, one of the marvels of modern life is how much we take for granted. Along with others, I expect heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, food in the grocery stores and vaccines to keep me from getting sick. COVID would do us a favor if it helped us remember how fragile life really is and how many blessings we take for granted.
Quotes Worth Requoting: “The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.” Elisabeth Elliot
Without Comment: 1) A dentist in NYC reports an epidemic of cracked teeth. She blames pandemic-induced stress; 2) Fender reports record guitar sales this year; 3) Netflix stock is up 11,390 percent since 2009 and has added twenty-five million subscribers – i.e., more than the population of Australia – since the pandemic started.
Closing Prayer: Lord, how poorly I pray! Either I pray vaguely and halfheartedly, or I pray heatedly, accusingly telling you exactly what you must do. Teach me to pray with discipline and passion and yet also contentment with your will. Then through my prayers you will do much good in the world and in my heart. Amen. Tim Keller
September 4, 2020
Goldilocks: In his book The Goldilocks Enigma, Paul Davies lays out “the argument by design” – i.e., the “proof” for the existence of God that is also referred to as the anthropic principle, the watchmakers argument, intelligent design and the teleological argument. He explains his title this way: “Like the porridge in the tale of Goldilocks and the three bears, the universe seems ‘just right’ for life in many intriguing ways.” When I was in my 20s and 30s, I found arguments from design very persuasive. In my 40s and 50s (FYI: I am still in my 50s, if only for a few months), I found myself moved more by the beauty of Jesus. However, from time to time I return to some of the reasons to believe, there was a mind behind all of this. It appears that the same science that “demythologized” nature (thus taking God away), is bringing Him back. The more we learn, the more the universe points to a complexity that is impossible to imagine outside an intelligent creator. For more on this click here, and you will be taken to chapter four from Fence Post One – a book I wrote ten years ago. Pay attention to argument number two.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- Culture is the root of politics, and religion is the root of culture. Richard John Neuhaus
- Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- How sure are we that 2020 hasn’t been directed by M. Night Shyamalan? Sammy Rhodes
- Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson
- What do I lose when I have a praying life? Control. Independence. What do I gain? Friendship with God. A quiet heart. The living work of God in the hearts of those I love. The ability to roll back the tide of evil. Essentially, I lose my kingdom and get His. Paul Miller
Absorb Someone Else’s Pain: Those who study history know that things have been bad in the past. Much worse than today. But, today’s tension meter is rising, and it will likely do so up to the election and beyond. Want to be part of the solution? 1) Listen to those who are scared and in pain. You do not need to solve anything, just allow them to feel heard. And 2) do not swing back. As Solomon notes, a gentle answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). Make up your mind right now that you will willingly absorb five cheap shots a day. If you listen and respond in kindness, you help take some of the animas out of the equation.
Labor Day: On Monday we will honor America’s work force by giving them time off. If that wasn’t ironic enough, we will call it, “Labor Day.” Of course these things are not a problem. What is, is that too few see work as worship, and many embrace a sacred / secular divide that has no place in God’s kingdom. Monday and Sunday are linked. It’s all His. Everything and every part of every day belongs to God and He cares deeply about what you do and how you do it. And that is true whether you are teaching a class, making widgets or leading Bible Studies. (For more on this, catch Ben Dockery’s sermon this weekend. BTW, Ben, who did his PhD in Leadership, is active in Made to Flourish, a ministry that promotes the dignity of work).
Hamilton Fans: If you enjoyed Hamilton – and prefer high church liturgy – you will want to watch this.
Reading: What are people reading during the pandemic? According to this article in the WaPo, dystopias, social justice books and steamy romances.
Closing Prayer: Lord, I trust You completely; I am altogether Yours; I exalt You above all. I desire that I may feel no sense of possessing anything outside of You. I want constantly to be aware of Your overshadowing presence and to hear Your speaking voice. I long to live in restful sincerity of heart. I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all my thoughts may be like sweet incense ascending to You and every act of my life may be an act of worship. Therefore, I pray in the words of Your great servant of old, “I beseech Thee to cleanse the intent of mine heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee.” And all this I confidently believe You will grant me through the merits of Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen. A.W. Tozer
August 28, 2020
- Ten percent of black Americans use illegal drugs; 9% of white adults and 8% of Latinos do so. However, Blacks are nine times more likely than Whites and nearly three times more likely than Latinos to serve prison sentences for drug crimes. (William Stentz, The Collapse of American Criminal Justice (Harvard Univ. Press, 2011), p. 4.)
- Tesla’s stock has skyrocketed in recent weeks, rising 400% this year. Indeed, they now have a stock market capitalization greater than the market value of all the other major automobile manufactures combined.
- Adjusted for inflation, the 007 movies are the top-grossing film franchise of all time.
- An Exodus from the city to the suburbs is underway – e.g., in the second quarter, 6,786 households left Manhattan and 6,347 left Los Angeles, helping to fuel a rise in suburban house prices.
August 21, 2020
Joy 2.0: The most memorable response to last week’s comments about joy came from a person walking away from the faith. She expressed surprise at how hard she has to work to be joyful or “to appreciate pleasure just for the sake of pleasure.” She believes her problem is that the church gave her too little practice with joy. There may be something to that. However, she will also find pleasure a confusing and faithless mistress. The joy we are after is not found by seeking it. It is found in God. As I shared last week: “God is the most joyful being in the universe,” and “joy is the serious business of heaven.”
2020 Keeps Piling On: To the list of headaches, hassles and setbacks currently shaping our world – i.e., a global pandemic, racial discord, civil unrest, economic upheaval, murder hornets and meth-gators – we now add derechos and fire tornados. BTW, there is a reason you might not have heard about derechos before. They were explained to me as, “What you call a hurricane in Iowa.”
2020: While I’m commenting on 2020, let me laugh at those who developed “2020 Strategic Plans.” (Wait, I developed a 2020 Strategic Plan). And let me agree with the guy who tweeted, “I don’t know about y’all, but I could go for some precedented times.”
A Trillion: As Congress continues to debate various trillion dollar stimulus packages – and our national debt races towards 30T – I am reminded of the quip by the late senator Everett McKinley, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.” A billion? That’s pocket change. If you – like me – have only a vague concept of a trillion, click here for a visual. Also, here is a link to the US debt clock.
Speaking of Things I Do Not Understand: If you went to sleep in late January and just now woke up, you’d see the stock market is unchanged and might think things have been boring.
Grief and Hope: The Psalms balance both. We can do no less.
The Conventions: The WaPo notes that convention speeches have been shortened and remade into “strings of fifteen to thirty-second sound bites” in order to hold the attention of those shaped by TikTok and Snapchat. What would Neal Postman think? As a historical reference, in their debates, both Lincoln and Douglas were given one hour to make their opening remarks. (Years ago, I preached a message on the idol of entertainment. I leaned on Postman’s insights for several points. You can find that sermon here.)
Anxiety: I thought about Paul’s counsel to the Philippians this week – i.e., be anxious in nothing – after reading that: 1) anxiety is contagious; 2) today’s technology allows anxiety to go viral; and 3) some people are super-spreaders. Lord, may I increasingly be the kind of person who spreads peace and contentment not anxiety.
Generosity: Who is the most generous? According to Barna Studies (here and here) the older, rural and poor are more likely to be open-handed than the young, urban and wealthy. As side notes: 1) 84% of millennials – who state that giving is important to them – give less than $50 to charity annually; 2) only 5% of church members give regularly; 3) households with incomes over $75,000 are the least charitable; and 4) though Christians gave 3.3% of their income away during the Great Depression, today the average is 2.5%. Given what Paul says about cheerful givers, one wonders whether the lack of generosity is the cause or effect of the lack of joy.
Closing Prayer: Be kind to your little children, Lord. Be a gentle teacher, patient with our weakness and stupidity. And give us the strength and discernment to do what you tell us, and so grow in your likeness. May we all live in the peace that comes from you. May we journey toward your city, sailing through the waters of sin untouched by the waves, borne serenely along by the Holy Spirit. Night and day may we give you praise and thanks, because you have shown us that all things belong to you, and all blessings are gifts from you. To you, the essence of wisdom, the foundation of truth, be glory for evermore. Amen
Clement of Alexandria (150 – 215)
August 14, 2020
Chapter and Verse: A few weeks back I suggested those that could not sleep should avoid Twitter and pray instead. In my devotional reading this week I stumbled upon a text to support this: Psalm 63:6. It reads, “On my bed I remember you: I think of you through the watches of the night.” For the uninitiated, the “watches of night” is military jargon for “the changing of the guard.” The suggestion is two-fold: 1) David was awake for all of them; and 2) instead of letting his mind wander, he spent his sleepless moments clinging to God. I wish you a good night sleep. Should it not come, enjoy time with God.
Racism: For all the obvious reasons, I’ve been reading a lot about race. This includes everything from books promoting Critical Race Theory (i.e., White Fragility) to those written by conservative Black authors (e.g., Sowell, Shelby Steele, et al.) A few weeks back I noted that the more I read about America and race the more I appreciate the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King. Let me again suggest that you read Letter from a Birmingham Jail every year. Let me also say that I thought Tim Keller’s recent three-part exploration of race (The Bible and Race, The Sin of Racism and A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory) was also helpful. I think the last one is particularly helpful.
A Little Bit of Chicago: A few years ago I had the opportunity to preach at a small church in the Palestinian section of Old Jerusalem. Afterwards, a woman came to me and said, “I hear you live in Chicago. I bet you sure are glad to be visiting here – on the West Bank – and not back in that danger zone.” I smiled and asked her if she had ever been to Chicago. “No,” she said. “I’d never go. I’ve been to Dallas and Washington DC, but I’d never go to Chicago.” She later told me that every time there was violence in the Middle East they say, “A little bit of Chicago has come to our neighborhood.” I laughed then – and still think it’s a bit funny. But so far this year, Chicago has had 1,384 shootings, up from 978 last year at this time. That is an increase of 42 percent.
Trust: Our life depends on trust. Without it everything seizes up. Instead of easy interactions facilitated by love and good will, we get incivility, more laws (and law enforcement) and Darwinian struggles for power. These not only add cost and inertia to everything, they further erode trust. Among the curves I’d like to flatten is the one charting our growing lack of trust.
Happy? I read recently that if you are not happy, you should find better friends. Well, hmm. How does that work? I thought one of the things friends did was hang in there when things are difficult (read: not happy). There may be times I might think, I want “better friends.” But what if they feel the same. I sure do not want my friends looking for better friends. How about this, “If you are not happy, focus on making someone else happy… like one of your friends.”
Quotes Worth Requoting: “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” John Owen
Ending Well: A seminary professor recently noted that when his father turned 80, he asked God “to save me from the sins of old men.” What are these sins? 1) jealousy of the young; 2) laziness; 3) insufficient prayer for children and grandchildren; 4) a willingness to turn on the television to meet my loneliness; and 5) bitterness. It’s quite a list. It’s also sobering to realize that temptations to sin never go away, they just take different forms.
Another Comment for the Fifty Plus Set: While I am sharing comments for those in the second half (third, or fourth quarter, etc.), it’s worth revisiting John Maxwell’s question: “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
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August 7, 2020
“Save me, O God,” may be the most basic, common, and instinctive prayer of all. Over the years I have also developed a deep appreciation for the “Jesus Prayer” (also called the “Eastern Prayer”). It is: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Music: Reinforcing last week’s suggestion that we need to sing, I offer this compilation of 100 Pittsburgh churches. By the way, if you like it, also check this one.
It’s an Ice Age: Back when the Coronavirus was a news story from China, Andy Crouch wrote a piece warning that it was coming this way. At the time he said the only real question was whether it would bring “winter” or a “mini-ice age.” He recently Tweeted, “it’s an ice age.” Sadly, I think he is right.
Hope: I’ve had a run of things that keep reminding me of the classic line from the movie Airplane. I know there are more than one, so I will be specific. The line I am thinking of is, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.”
Helpful Insight: I share the Airplane line because laughter does help. For me, it’s also helpful to remember the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Sometimes you do others a great favor by simply absorbing their anger. It may be misdirected and unfair, but that hardly matters. Jesus is always cleaning up my messes. Consider it a privilege to help others move forward.
Masks?: Among the “discussions” I’m asked to referee, masks is one I did not see coming. At the risk of writing something more incendiary than my comments on Black Lives Matter, I thought David French recently made a good point. He noted the confusing overlap of those who expect a woman to carry a child to term “because life is so precious,” and those who are not willing to endure the inconvenience of a mask for the sake of others.
Question: What do you spend more time wanting—a closer walk with Christ or your old life back?
100 Points of Inflection: Since March, I’ve been posting a five minute video devotion on Monday through Friday. Two weeks ago, I added a Saturday educational reflection based on the one hundred most important events in Church History. It’s free. You sign up here.
Quotes Worth ReQuoting: “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” Jim Carey
Without Comment:
- Forty-six percent of Americans have established a “social bubble” of ten people or less.
- Sixty-two percent of Americans are afraid to share ideas for fear of offending others.
- The FBI has performed 50% more background checks on gun owners this year than it did last year.
- 79.7% of Harvard faculty consider themselves “very liberal” or “liberal”; 1.46 percent call themselves “conservative” or “very conservative.”
- Activists burned a stack of Bibles in front of the federal courthouse in Portland last Friday night.
Closing Prayer (written as a hymn): “O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry; Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us. The swords of scorn divide. Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride. From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen; from all the easy speeches that comfort cruel men; from sale and profanation, of honour and the sword, from sleep and from damnation, deliver us, good Lord. Tie in a living tether. The prince and priest and thrall; bind all our lives together, smite us and save us all; in ire and exultation, aflame with faith, and free, lift up a living nation, a single sword to thee. Amen.” G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)