Count it all joy when you encounter various trials, know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

The Apostle James

Many believe US Christians are spiritually immature. Perhaps. If so, why? Bad preaching? Shallow books? Too little prayer? Gordon MacDonald suggests it’s our avoidance of suffering. Dallas Willard agrees, writing, “It is essential to our growth into the ‘mind’ of Jesus that we accept the ‘trials’ of ordinary existence as the place where we experience and find the reign of God-with-us as actual reality. We are not to try to get in a position to avoid trials. And we are not to ‘catastrophize’ and declare ‘the end of the world’ when things happen.” If these two are right, and I believe they are, the trials we face are not evils to avoid, challenges to overcome, or evidence of God’s disfavor. They are the place where God and growth are to be found.

Congrats to the Nats. I wish it were the Cubs, but at least it wasn’t the Cardinals. And besides, it’s fun to be able to cheer something coming out of D.C.

What to make of Kanye?  Last week, Kayne West – the musician / media mogul / entrepreneur/ husband of Kim Kardashian and generally all-around controversial personality – released a new album, called Jesus is King. As always, West has generated lots of reaction of all types, including this piece  by National Review editor, David French. How to respond? I think it’s prudent to take reports of his conversion seriously, and to pray for him.

The Nones: Much is reported about those who select “no faith” as their religion of choice, but few mine the data to see all that is going on. According to a recent survey, eighty-two percent of Americans who do not go to church, say they would go “if invited by a friend.”Some even suggest that they are hoping someone asks them. Sadly, according to a different survey, only two percent of church-attenders invite anyone to church during the course of any given year.

The USA in 2045:  At last week’s Q Commons event, we supplemented national talks by Malcolm Gladwell, Francis Chan and Rebekah Lyons with one from Greg Jao, a senior IVCF staff member. Jao spoke on the US in 2045 – which is just one generation (25 years) away, and which is the projected date that will end a white majority in the US. What will the US be like when it’s comprised of 49.7% whites, 24.6% blacks, 13.1% Hispanics, 7.9% Asians, 3.8% Multiracial and .9% other? Jao says, look to today’s teens and twentysomethings for your answer. That is their current reality.

Location: In some academic circles, attention has returned to place. After saying that technology made our zip code irrelevant, they now say the opposite: both where you were born and where you currently live are now thought to matter. All of this has brought back the debate about which locations are most important. New York? Silicon Valley? Washington DC? Hong Kong? Hmm, I always thought the most important places of all were Bethlehem and Golgotha.

Fifty-five Going on Sixteen: Several years ago, Dr. Robert Lewis – the founder of Men’s Fraternity – made a somewhat chilling observation. He noted that empty-nesters are a lot like high school juniors and seniors. How so? Both suddenly find themselves with newfound freedom. And many mishandle it and suffer spiritually.

Fifty-Nine: Speaking of fifty-year-old’s, next week I turn 59. In case you haven’t heard, it’s the new 58. (By the way, I am pretty sure I can already read at a 61-year-old level). Joking aside, it’s interesting to grow older in a society that values youth. Some say “growing old is not for cowards,” which I understand. (What “mature” adult wouldn’t jump at the chance to have their 25-year-old body again?). What I am not sure how to respond to are those who tell me, “Growing old is hard. But it beats the alternative.” I’m tempted to say, “Jesus and Paul say otherwise!”

The Outrage Culture: Many claim that outrage is the new normal, and suggest we adapt. Do not listen to them. Let those outside the church scream and shout. The new normal we are to aspire to is to be characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Challenges:  Two years ago, Christ Church launched REACH, an initiative focused on starting new “communities of grace, hope and love” and serving others, especially those outside our walls. We are moving into our second year of the rollout, and there are lots of fun things to report. But the work we are trying to do is an act of war against evil, and it’s full of challenges. When I am tempted to whine, I reread Paul’s report of his challenges found in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and realize how easily things are going!

Medical Emergencies 2.0: Last week I passed along a fireman’s comments about how 911 calls have been changing. He said: more calls to help the elderly and more psych calls. Others with related expertise agreed, but added one other trend: patients – especially those in their 30s, 40s and 50s – weigh more than in the past. In fact, the change is so significant that many departments have had to move to heavier-duty gurneys in order to accommodate patients.

Closing Prayer:  Lord, I pray that you may be a lamp for me in the darkness. Touch my soul and kindle a fire within it, that it may burn brightly and give light to my life. Thus my body may truly become your temple, lit by your perpetual flame burning on the altar of my heart. And may the light within me shine on my brethren that it may drive away the darkness of ignorance and sin from them also. Thus together let us be to the world, manifesting the bright beauty of your gospel to all around us. Amen. (Columbanus 543-615)

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100

We are never ordered to worship, but we are frequently ordered to worship God. This is not because He needs the encouragement. Rather, it is because He loves us, and He knows that our lives only truly work when we rightly order our loves.

Dallas Willard 2.0: Among the late USC philosophy professor’s insights, few seem as prescient as his argument that we must “ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives.” To be clear, Willard wasn’t arguing that our pace of life was a physical problem, he simply claimed that we cannot expect to reflect and grow unless we slow down. A growing number of people – both Christian and secular – are now echoing his call. This article from The Atlantic makes a related argument.  (It may be worth a moment of reflection if you believe that you are too far behind to read an article advocating reflection).

Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: In an effort to better understand the pea soup we are swimming in, I have been listening to both sides of the talk radio dial. I do not recommend it. For starters, it’s depressing. Secondly, it’s misleading (numerous studies suggest 75 percent of the country is simply keeping their head down because they do not want to rile the fringe.) Finally, it cultivates pride. I quoted the refrain from Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty’s 1972 song, because that is how I feel when I listen to those who disagree with me. “Why can’t everyone be as thoughtful and wise as I am?”

Ten Second Rule: In last week’s sermon, I shared a surprisingly simple yet helpful path forward. Instead of trying to figure out a comprehensive plan, I’ve started asking: “What am I reasonably certain Jesus would have me do for the next ten seconds?” It’s not a perfect way forward, but in his book on obedience, The Ten Second Rule: Following Jesus Made Simple, Clare DeGraaf builds a case for utilizing this simple question.

Jud’s Homily: Two weeks ago, I noted two friends had been tragically killed in a car accident. John Ortberg delivered the eulogy at their funeral two weeks ago. I am still thinking about it. You can read it here.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting: The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway

The Church as Melting Pot: Christ Church was recently awarded a small grant to explore an intersection of faith and science. The money – which originates with the Templeton Foundation but is being governed by the Carl Henry Center – is being given to us for two reasons: first, after years of asking scientists to study faith, Templeton thought it was time to have people of faith assess science; secondly, there is a belief that the church is one of the last truly interdisciplinary places around. The university is supposed to be that, but it turns out that very little unifies the university any longer. We will be using the money to study mental health, bringing together a theologian, a few big Pharma researchers, a psychiatrist, a therapist, a neurosurgeon, a theologian and a social worker.
Without Comment:

• Malnutrition is the single greatest health inequity in the world. Bill Gates, after noting that 1 in 3 children today are either undernourished or overweight.
• According to a Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service survey, the average American voter believes the U.S. is “two-thirds of the way toward the ‘edge of a civil war.’”
• The average American watches five hours of TV a day, and the average American 21-year-old has spent 10,000 hours gaming – which is more time than they have spent in middle school and high school combined.
• For the tenth straight year, women earned the majority of doctoral degrees. (Note: women outnumber men in grad school 139 to 100).
• Amazon lists over 860,000 self-help books for sale.

Canadian Cannabis: This week marks the first anniversary of Canada’s decision to legalize recreational marijuana. It turns out that all ten of the leading cannabis producers have lost money. Apparently pot jokes are easier to manufacture than pot profits, and the kid selling behind the high school can sell weed for less than the dispensary paying high taxes. Who knew?

A Firefighter’s Observations: I occasionally ask people how their job is changing. What I frequently hear are reports about the impact of technology.  Last week I asked a firefighter. He noted two significant changes concerning the medical calls they respond to: 1) a growing number of issues involving the elderly; and 2) a big spike in the number of psych calls.

Closing Prayer: Open the eyes of our hearts to know you, who are the highest of the high, the holiest of the holy. You bring down the haughtiness of the proud, and thwart the schemes of the dishonest. You raise up the lowly and cast down the lofty. Riches and poverty, death and life, are in your hand. You alone can discern every spirit, looking into the depths of every soul. You protect those in danger, give hope to those in despair, and guide every creature on earth. By your power the nations of the earth can flourish and increase. Grant us, Lord, we beseech you, your grace. Pity the poor, encourage those who are sad, enlighten those whose spirits are in darkness, heal the sick, guide the confused, feed the hungry, release those who are unjustly imprisoned, support the weak, comfort the faint-hearted. Let all the nations of the world know that you are God, that Jesus Christ is your child, and that we are your people. Amen. Clement of Rome (died 96).

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

Jesus, Sermon on the Mount

Worrying about tomorrow is easy to do. But it is ill-advised. For starters, thinking about suffering is almost always worse than the suffering itself. More significantly, things end well for all those who are in Christ. That doesn’t mean the path between now and then will be easy. In fact, we are told to expect otherwise. But we need not worry. God has all things in hand. Plan ahead. Trust God. Do not worry.

What’s Trending: News filters and social-media apps can alert us to the stories, articles and cat videos that are trending. My observations are less data driven, but I think they are true. What is trending? Loneliness. I base my conclusion on conversations I’m in and the dramatic spike in articles about loneliness.  Here and here are two recent ones from among the dozens I could chose from.

Marathons: Last week, Eliud Kipchoge broke the 2 hour marathon barrier. I was disappointed to see him do it, having hoped to break that record myself. (I can already easily match his pace, provided I am allowed to ride in a car). But the marathon news I have been pondering this week is not international. It came from a friend who had just watched 45,000 runners file past his Chicago home. Reflecting on his participation in the race back in 2001, he said, “It was 26 miles of only-encouraging voices.” If only that was true of more than just marathons.

Barr at Notre Dame: This week, Attorney General William Barr gave a speech at Notre Dame outlining attacks on religious freedom. You can read his remarks here, or you can read this report from the WSJ about it. My quick summary of Barr’s remarks reduces it to four points: 1) religion helps frame a moral culture and encourages discipline; 2) the rise of secularism has had a negative impact on the family; 3) the decline of the family is causing massive amounts of pain; and 4) many expect the state to address the results without addressing the cause. As you might expect, the reaction against what Barr said was strong and immediate.

George Washington: While Barr did not plagiarize George Washington, he came close. In his Farewell Address, GW said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.” He also added: “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

The Hardest Part of Being a Pastor: A few weeks ago I was asked, “What is the hardest part of being a pastor?”  I cannot know how others might answer this question, but I said, “Getting people to understand the Gospel. Most think Christianity is a religion, and that Jesus is an ethical guide. Few understand grace or what it actually means to be a Christian. Yet because they assume they do, they do not listen carefully to the offer God extends.” In light of this problem, let me share a quote from Martin Lloyd Jones.

To make it quite practical I have a very simple test. After I have explained the way of Christ to somebody I say “Now, are you ready to say that you are a Christian?” And they hesitate. And then I say, “What’s the matter? Why are you hesitating?” And so often people say, “I don’t feel like I’m good enough yet. I don’t think I’m ready to say I’m a Christian now.” And at once I know that I have been wasting my breath. They are still thinking in terms of themselves. They have to do it. It sounds very modest to say, “Well, I don’t think I’m good enough,” but it’s a very denial of the faith. The very essence of the Christian faith is to say that He is good enough and I am in Him. As long as you go on thinking about yourself like that and saying, “I’m not good enough; Oh, I’m not good enough,” you are denying God – you are denying the Gospel – you are denying the very essence of the faith and you will never be happy. How can I put it plainly? It doesn’t matter if you have almost entered into the depths of hell. It does not matter if you are guilty of murder as well as every other vile sin. It does not matter from the standpoint of being justified before God at all. You are no more hopeless than the most moral and respectable person in the world.

Tim Elmore:  A few weeks ago, Christ Church hosted Dr. Tim Elmore – a popular speaker and author – for a talk about generational differences. Many found his comments very helpful. You can watch his talk here.

Closing Prayer:  My Father, gird me still with your presence, both by day and by night. By day, teach me to remember my weakness, and by night tell me where lies my strength. By day point me down into Gethsemane, and by night lead me up into the mount of transfigured glory. By day show me the burden, and by night reveal to me the crown, so shall my days and nights be girded about with you. George Matheson (1842-1906)

They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass.

Psalm 106:19

After the miracles God did to secure the Jewish people’s release from Egypt, “they forgot the God who saved them,” and worshipped the image of a bull. If you read through Exodus you see that they started to ask the question, “God, what have you done for me lately?” and ended up heading down the path of worshipping a hand-crafted idol. Sin is stupid like that. But it can be hard to see in ourselves. When your heart starts to wonder what God has done for you lately, remind yourself of the cross. Jesus took the wrath upon himself so that if we believe in him, there is no wrath remaining for us to take (Heb. 9:5, Romans 8:1). Remember Christ’s death. Even if he never does another thing for us, He has done that!

The Joker: Hollywood has a thing for evil. At least they say they do. I stopped going to movies designed to keep me up at night after a movie kept me up one night. So I have not yet seen The Joker. And in spite of its record opening, I do not know if I will. But I am curious about what I read regarding Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker as evil. Perhaps evil shows up in that way however, many horror movies mislabel what they offer. They feature frightening (i.e., they surprise and shock us),  scary (spiders, snakes, cemeteries and zombies), cruel e.g., torture and abuse), naughty (either high school pranks or a dark spin on sex) or introspective / painful / antisocial / complex. Evil is something different. It has aspects of some of these, but it’s important to remember, in the end, a key mark of evil is boring. As Simone Weil said so astutely:  “Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating.”

A Week of Contrasts: Last week, Sheri and I attended a joyous wedding, doing so shortly after learning about the tragic deaths of friends whose lives were ended by a drunk driver. Attending a wedding when you are grieving seems odd, but as others have noted, there is no inherent conflict between the celebration and the grief; both are from love. “Choosing to avoid the wedding would only have been a reflection of our limits to hold onto both emotions at the same time.”

Three Things Money Cannot Buy: I do not know Italian designer (and billionaire) Brunello Cucinelli, but he recently noted that there are three things money cannot buy: 1) Fitness (you have to keep fit whether you’re rich or not); 2) Diet (you cannot pay someone to be on a diet for you); and 3) looking after your soul. I think he is right.  And while we are here it’s worth noting, Jesus strongly suggests that having a lot of money makes caring for our soul difficult.

Quotes Worth Requoting:

• A new study finds that cats actually bond with people like dogs do, but they’re too aloof to show it. Which is why I named my cat ‘Dad.’ Saturday Night Live Host.
• We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it. Madeleine L’Engle.
• I am dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly in need of mending. Ishmael (Moby Dick)

SCOTUS: There are big issues to be decided this term, so please join me in asking the Lord to provide wisdom for the nine members of the bench. As an aside, for the second time this year, an Iowa federal judge has ruled that the University of Iowa violated students’ First Amendment rights when various religious student groups lost their official status. And this time university administrators will be held financially liable for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s fight to stay on campus.

Church Attendance:  Is US church attendance declining? Christian Smith, a Notre Dame sociologist, says yes. He cites the rise of the religiously unaffiliated (the so-called “nones”) from 8% in 1990 to 23% today, and argues that: 1) younger Americans are turned off by conservative Christians who are associated with the Republican party; 2) the end of the Cold War made it possible to embrace atheism without appearing to support the Soviet Union; and 3) the post 9/11 spike in the belief that all religions are inherently destructive. In Glenn Stanton’s new book, The Myth of the Dying Church, he claims things are more complicated. For starters, Stanton notes that the percentage of young adults regularly attending evangelical and nondenominational churches has roughly doubled between 1972 and today, and claims that declining churches are almost all in the mainline, more liberal denominations.

The Psalms CD:  During the late Spring and early summer, I preached a number of sermons on the Psalms, and Christ Church musicians wrote originals songs for each of the sermons.  Those songs have been collected on a CD, that is available for $10. You can order the CD – or listen to a few of the songs to see if you would like to – by clicking here. 

Closing Prayer:  Adorable Spirit, may the rushing wind of your mercy blow away all trace of sin within us, and may your unquenchable fire purify our souls. We believe that you comfort those who mourn, uplift those who are depressed, calm those who are angry, guide those who are confused, console those who are lonely, reconcile those who are estranged, and bring joy to all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. We pray that you will live in our simple and humble hearts, and so make us truly temples of your glorious love. Amen. Erasmus 1469 – 1536

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Paul, Ephesians 2:8f

President Kennedy famously said, “Our problems are manmade, therefore they can be solved by man.” As political rhetoric goes, this works. As religion goes, this is common. But Kennedy’s comments do not line up with the Gospel. The Bible teaches that the power unleashed by sin is not something we can overcome on our own. Therefore God sent his Son, who was a teacher and guide, but much more than just that, He is Savior and Lord.

Two Too-Good-Not-to-Revisit Items:

• EV Hill speaking on the Power of the Bible. Starting in the late 80s, I spent seven successive Spring Breaks leading teams of college students into South Central Los Angeles. We worked at soup kitchens, staffed after-school programs for low-income students, lead Bible studies and did various other work – all while sleeping at the EV Hill-ton (i.e., the floor of Hill’s church). Hill was a very gifted leader and a very powerful preacher – as is evident from this four and a half minute video.

• David Brooks in the Days After 9-11:  Sixteen years ago, David Brooks wrote this article for The Atlantic. Those were post 9-11 days, and he was waking up to the fact that the SecularizationTheory, which he grew up with, was wrong. The world was not becoming less religious, it was becoming more. And this was news to everyone he knew.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade public life. Lord Melbourne. (Obviously I do not share Melbourne’s sentiments – note, he was William Wilberforce’s chief opponent in the drive to abolish slavery throughout the British realm – but many do. Technically speaking – the move to keep religion a private matter that remains removed from public life – is called secularism. And though the number of card carrying secularlists is decreasing (mostly because secular people tend not to have children), it’s influence is growing. I grow increasingly tired of trying to explain to people that everyone has a worldview and that there is no such things as a value-free, neutral view of the world.

• In life we either learn to pray or we become very good at worrying! What you give to God, He handles. What you keep to yourself, you handle. Unknown.

They are Coming! UPS’s drone service just received official airline certification. “Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … my Amazon order.”

Sagrada Familia:  Sheri and I are in Spain where I am officiating a wedding. During our day in Barcelona we visited Sagrada Familia, the large, unfinished Roman Catholic Basilica designed by Gaudi. Construction – which began in 1882 – is due to be completed in 2026, the 100^th anniversary of his death. Tourist material describes the building as “the Bible in stone.” I’ll say, it is nothing if not grand, and designed in many ways to give honor to Christ. If you are nearby, it’s worth a visit. But get tickets in advance otherwise you will wait two hours to get in. If only other churches in Spain had that problem.

Politics: Reading US news from this side of the pond adds perspective – which seems to increase the pain. I am reminded of a point made by the late Charles Colson, “Politics is nothing but an expression of culture.” He then helpfully added, “It is not enough to win elections, for political power alone cannot change how people live or change their values. It is essential to change hearts and minds as well. And that starts, not in Washington, but with our neighbors.”

Being Centered?: While working on a sermon about Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:22f), I was struck by the way spirituality is packaged in modern life. Many encourage us to “be centered,” promising that if we are, our lives will be calm and peaceful. Tell that to Jacob! Or Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses, Jesus, etc. True encounters with God are not always relaxing.

Closing Prayer:  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. –Martin Luther’s morning prayer (1483-1546)

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 25:9

Much has been written about how God guides us. Perhaps we should give more notice to who God guides.

The Pace:  Mark Twain once said, “If the end of the world comes, I’m going to Ohio, because everything happens there ten years later.” Perhaps that was true during his lifetime (1835-1910). But it’s not true today. Today’s pace is fast, and getting faster, even in the “flyover” parts of the US. We must manage it to survive. I’m increasingly persuaded that slow is the new fast.

• The religious life is often compared to holding a beach ball underwater. Every once in a while, we lose control and our sin nature pops above the surface. It can be embarrassing so we shove it back under. It is exhausting to try to keep the ball below the water. The Gospel invites us to stop performing and pretending.

• Tim Keller writes: “The gospel is news about what has been done by Jesus Christ to put right our relationship with God. Becoming a Christian is about a change of status. I John 3:14 states that ‘we have passed from death to life’ – not that we are passing from death to life. You are either in Christ or you are not; you are either pardoned and accepted or you are not; you either have eternal life or you do not. This is why Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones often used a diagnostic question to determine a person’s spiritual under-standing and condition. He would ask, ‘Are you now ready to say that you are a Christian?’ He recounts that over the years, whenever he would ask the question, people would often hesitate and then say, ‘I do not feel that I am good enough [to say that I am a Christian].’ To that, he gives this response, ‘At once I know that . . . they are still thinking in terms of them-selves; their idea still is that they have to make themselves good enough to be a Christian . . . It sounds very modest but it is the 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 the Christian salvation is to say that Jesus is good enough – and that I am in Him!’

• Lloyd-Jones’s point is that becoming a Christian is a change in our relationship with God. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection work – when it is believed and rested in – instantly changes our standing before God. We are ‘in Him.

Question of the Week: What does conformity cost you?

Iran in the News:  Iran has been in the news a fair bit lately. If you Google news and Iran, up pops centrifuges, sanctions, hostages, drone attacks and more. But have you heard this? The fastest growing church in the world today is in Iran

Fear Not:  Evil is real, but that does not mean we need to fear it. I am not suggesting indifference. Evil can lead us astray, and in some cases, it can cause us to suffer. But evil can only truly harm us if we react badly to it – e.g., by fear, worry, discouragement, refusal to forgive, bitterness, etc. Real harm does not come from external circumstances. The sins of others – both inside the Church and in society – do not become an evil for us unless we let it penetrate our hearts. As Jesus says in Mark: “There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him!”

The Beauty of a Spread Sheet:  In this article, architect David Greusel – who designed the ball parks for both the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates – celebrates the contributions and creativity of spreadsheets and those who design them. You might think this an odd article to reference here, but I have also thought spreadsheets to be things of beauty. And I have also been humbled by the quiet contributions of those who design them, and of others who advance many things via deft administration gifts. Romans 12 should not be overlooked.

Take the Happiness Challenge: Many believe that the happiest people are those who are determined to make others happy. (FYI, I prefer the term joy instead, but alas, those launching the happiness challenge did not ask my opinion).  Do your best this week to make ten people happy and see if it works. (BTW, if you take the challenge, let me know how it goes).

Closing Prayer:  Most merciful God, the Granter of all peace and quietness, the Giver of all good gifts, the Defender of all nations, who hast willed all men to be accounted as our neighbours, and commanded us to love them as ourself, and not to hate our enemies, but rather to wish them, yea and also to do them good if we can: Give to all a desire of peace, unity, and quietness, and a speedy wearisomeness of all war, hostility, and enmity to all of them that be our enemies; that we and they may, in one heart and charitable agreement, praise thy most holy name, and reform our lives to thy godly commandments. Thomas Cranmer wrote this prayer in 1548, during the war between England and Scotland.

 O Lord, make me know my end and the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting our lives are.

King David, Psalm 39:4

Perhaps a passage like this hits me with more force because I am approaching my 59^th B-day – and thus can only consider myself middle-aged if I plan to live to about 120 – but I am increasingly aware of how short life is. “Yes, Lord, teach us to number our days. Help us invest in all that matters to you and will matter forever.”

Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: Back in 1984, when I was a second year graduate student at Trinity, I attended a discussion one evening between a Lake Forest College religion professor and Dr. William Lane Craig, then a Trinity philosophy professor. I no longer remember the name of the religion professor, or the topic they were scheduled to discuss. All I remember is that, as soon as the religion professor claimed that God and truth were “trans-rational,” everything came apart. Dr. Craig protested that if truth was non-rational, then conversation was impossible because anything could mean anything at all. I was reminded of all of this a few days ago when I was back at Lake Forest College speaking to a small group of students on the topic of faith, doubt and skepticism. BTW: 1) I consider that night my first exposure to post-modernity; and 2) Dr. Craig has gone on to spend many more nights in many more “discussions.”  You can click here to find links to his debates against folks such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins.

Eighteen Years Ago This Week: In the days just after 9-11, I interviewed Dr. Martin Marty, the prominent public intellectual at the University of Chicago. I had arranged to interview Marty months earlier, intending to solicit his views on the future of higher education. Given what had just happened, I instead asked Marty how he thought 9-11 would change the US. He started by asking if the events of 9-11 were an “earthquake” or a “glacier.” He then explained that while earthquakes get a lot of attention, as soon as they are over, people clean up the mess and things go back to the way they were. In contrast, though glaciers move so slowly that no one gives them much attention, once they carve up an area, it is never the same. Marty thought 9-11 would prove to be an earthquake, not a glacier. I think he was right. 9-11 briefly changed things, but not as much as anyone initially expected.

The Ohio State University:  The US Patent and Trademark Office recently denied the Ohio State University’s application to trademark the word “the“. Given that I occasionally use the word the while writing The Friday Update – I am thankful. I’m also a bit miffed. Who do they think they are, trying to trademark the word the? Consequently, I’m now rooting for Michigan in any games The University of Michigan plays against any public college located in Columbus, Ohio.

Advice That is as Wise as it is Counter-Cultural:  Here are two pieces of advice that will improve your life to the extent you heed them: 1) Kill sin before it kills you; and 2) If you want to be joyful, serve others.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. C.S. Lewis
• Culture is never so bad that it can’t be redeemed or so good that it can’t be critiqued. Tim Keller

The Return of The Far Side. Just over a year ago, I discovered that Opus and his Bloom County comrades were appearing in new strips online. This week I read that Gary Larson is relaunching The Far Side.

The Story Not Reported:  This past Wednesday, the Guttmacher Institute announced that abortion rates continued their decline from their highwater mark in 1980. Several months ago, The Wall Street Journal announced that live births are also down. In fact, the number of babies born in the US is at a 32 year low, and the US fertility rate (the number of births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44) fell to the lowest level since the start of federal record-keeping. The main reason that both abortions and live births are down is because of birth control. However, there is another reason: people are having sex less often. Given Tinder, friends-with-benefits and ubiquitous porn, you may be surprised to hear that people today are less sexually active than people in the 1980s. But as it turns out, sex is a bit fragile. One of the deleterious downstream effects of the sexual revolution is sexual decline.

Closing Prayer: Almighty God, through the death of your Son you have destroyed sin and death. Through his resurrection, you have restored innocence and eternal life. We who are delivered from the power of the devil may live in your kingdom. Give us grace that we may believe this with our whole heart. Enable us, always, to steadfastly praise and thank you in this faith, through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. -Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

Jesus, Luke 17:33

Our culture says: the good life = avoiding suffering + seeking pleasure. The Greek Hedonists thought the same until they discovered this formula doesn’t work. In fact, there may be no surer way to make ourselves unhappy than to follow this path. The Gospel of Jesus invites us to rest in His grace and love of God. It also suggests that joy is found in serving. The idea that the way up is down is counter-intuitive. But Jesus is clear, he who loses his life finds it.

First World Problems: I’m tired of the “first world problems” cliché. But that may be because I need to keep reminding myself that long lines at Starbucks and five minute delays while my laptop updates, are not real hardships. No one living in the Bahamas at the moment would think so. I’m quite sure they would also be willing to trade places with those who are bothered by the Cubs slide into third place and the Bears home opener loss.

Helping those in the Bahamas: Speaking of real need, if you want to offer help but have been unsure exactly how to proceed, you can click here for a link to a couple opportunities we have vetted.

Choosing to be Amazed: A friend’s memory of a sermon he heard years ago applies here. “The pastor said, ‘Why shouldn’t I wake up each morning, look out the window at the Camry parked in the driveway, and then jostle my wife and say excitedly, ‘Leigh, Leigh—you know that 2015 Camry that’s been in our driveway the past 4 years? The one we get to drive? Well—it’s still in the driveway! We get to use it again today! Can you believe it!! Thanks be to God for providing that.’”

Courage: Twenty years ago, I invited David French – then a newly minted Harvard Law grad – to talk about the legal rights of campus ministries at an Ivy Jungle Conference. Since then, David has served in the Iraq War, become an editor at The National Review, and contemplated a run for the US Presidency. I look on from a distance, pretty consistently amazed. Two weeks ago I was particularly challenged by this piece he wrote. It has left me wondering: how courageous am I prepared to be?

Systems > Stars. Like many others, I dislike the New England Patriots. But after watching just a few minutes of their dominant win last weekend, I was forced to acknowledge that,even without many of last year’s key players, – they are really good. It led me to reflect on how important systems are. And to wonder if there might be something to learn from their head coach, Bill Belicheck.  (I’m hoping not. Did I mention that I really dislike the Pats).

Blindspots: Last weekend we kicked off a new ministry year with a Genesis series called Blindspots. It’s based on the idea that we cause many of our own
problems, often without realizing it. Tim Keller summarized much of the opening sermon
(which is here) in this quote, “The sin that is killing you the most right now is the one you are most defensive about, or just completely unaware of.”

Character: No one ever pays you to work on the most important things, such as your character. They just fire you if you do not.

Mental Health:  The blogs I read lit up earlier this week after Jarrid Wilson, a prominent 30-year-old pastor and author, ended his own life. Jarrid, a gifted man known for his passion for Jesus and his advocacy for the mentally ill, had been quite open about his struggles with depression. In fact, the day before he died, he had tweeted: “Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. … But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort.”

On a Related Note: Christ Church recently received a grant from the Henry Center as part of their distribution of Templeton funds to congregations that will focus on the intersection of science and faith. Our area of focus will be mental health, something the church generally says too little about.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter. Francis Chan
• Repent daily. Protect the weak. Sacrifice comfort. Forgive neighbors. Love enemies. Practice generosity. Don Bailey
• If you want to make sure of keeping your heart intact, you must give it to no one — not even an animal. Wrap your heart carefully ’round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change: Your heart will not be broken;  it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.  C.S. Lewis

Three Stabilizing Institutions:  There are three stabilizing institutions in society: the family, the church and the state. As the first two have struggled, the third has grown.

Closing Prayer:  Grant, Almighty God, that as you see us laboring under so much weakness, yes, with our minds so blinded that our faith falters at the smallest perplexities, and almost fails altogether– O grant that by the power of your Spirit we may be raised up above the world, and learn more and more to renounce our own counsels, and so to come to you, that we may stand fixed in our watchtower, ever hoping through your power for whatever you have promised us, though you should not immediately make it manifest to us that you have faithfully spoken. -John Calvin (1509-1564)

Praise the Lord, o my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Psalm 100:1

In Psalm 100, David doesn’t really pray, he just talks to himself. A more cultured way of saying this is, he meditates. Call it what you want, David models directing his thoughts towards God. BTW, the goal of biblical meditation is not to relax or empty our mind, it is to fill our heart and mind (our soul) with the truth about God’s glorious nature and goodness.
Jesus > Plato: Twentieth-century scholar, Alfred North Whitehead, once suggested that Western thought is little more than “a series of footnotes on Plato.” Perhaps, but the bigger point is that the history of the world pivots around Christ’s claim to build a movement that will prevail over all.

Worth Noting: Like millions of others, I have been dialed into the course of Dorian. In addition to praying, I find myself marveling: 1) at winds that approach 200 mph; 2) that in spite of our best efforts, we cannot predict a storm’s course; and 3) that with just a word, Jesus calmed a storm. “Who is this man, that even the wind and rains obey him?”  (Mt. 8:27)

New Word: I’m not seeing polyamory quite as often as I’m seeing pumpkin spice, but polyamory is surging. In fact, I suspect I’ve seen the word as many times in the last few weeks as in the last fifty years. (“What is Polyamory and Why is it Gaining in Popularity” Men’s Health,  “Gaby Dunn on embracing her polyamorous bisexuality and why she loves ‘The Bachelor’” NBC News, “The Pros and Cons of Being in a Polyamorous Relationship,” InStyle, etc. etc.) What is polyamory?  Or, to frame the real question, what – other than the next phase in the sexual revolution – is polyamory?  pol·y·am·o·ry. /ˌpälēˈamərē/  noun the practice of engaging in multiple sexual relationships with the consent of all the people involved.

Many Things Are Getting Better. While preparing for next week’s talk at The Forum, I was reminded of how many things are improving. Yes, yes, yes, I know that many things are unraveling. But we hear about those all the time. It’s worth reminding ourselves of how much is going right. There are many sources I could cite for this. I think Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton’s recent comments are as good as any:

• According to World Bank estimates, the number of people living on less than $1.90 per day, adjusted for international price differences, fell from 1.9 billion in 1981 to .77 billion in 2013. Income inequality across all persons in the world has fallen, too, driven to a large extent by China, but also by India. The world distribution of income has narrowed as erstwhile very poor people have moved from the bottom to something like the middle. Life expectancy has risen almost everywhere over the last 250 years, and especially over the last 60 years. There is no country in the world today where infant mortality is higher than it was in 1950. No country—not one.

And BTW, the Good Old Days Were Not as Good as Some Like to Think. Years ago, Will Rogers said, “Things aren’t what they used to be and probably never were.” Matt Ridley, an Oxford professor, sets this up by comparing our perception of the past with reality.  He starts by asking us to imagine a better-off-than-average family living somewhere in Western Europe in 1800.

• The family is gathering around the hearth in the simple timber-framed house. Father reads aloud from the Bible while Mother prepares to dish out a stew of beef and onions. The baby boy is being comforted by one of his sisters and the eldest lad is pouring water from a pitcher into the earthenware mugs on the table. His elder sister is feeding the horse in the stable. Outside there is no noise of traffic, there are no drug dealers, and neither dioxins nor radioactive fall-out have been found in the cow’s milk. All is tranquil; a bird sings outside the window.

Ridley then writes:

• Oh please! Though this is one of the better-off families in the village, father’s Scripture reading is interrupted by a bronchitic cough that presages the pneumonia that will kill him at 53—not helped by the wood smoke of the fire. (He is lucky: life expectancy even in England was less than 40 in 1800.) The baby will die of smallpox that is now causing him to cry; his sister will soon be the chattel of a drunken husband. The water the son is pouring tastes of the cows that drink from the brook. Toothache tortures the mother. The neighbor’s lodger is getting the other girl pregnant in the hayshed even now and her child will be sent to an orphanage. The stew is grey and gristly yet meat is a rare change from gruel; there is no fruit or salad at this season. It is eaten with a wooden spoon from a wooden bowl. Candles cost too much, so firelight is all there is to see by. Nobody in the family has ever seen a play, painted a picture, or heard a piano. School is a few years of dull Latin … Father visited the city once, but the travel cost him a week’s wages and the others have never traveled more than fifteen miles from home. Each daughter owns two wool dresses, two linen shirts and one pair of shoes. Father’s jacket cost him a month’s wages but is now infested with lice. The children sleep two to a bed on straw mattresses on the floor. As for the bird outside the window, tomorrow it will be trapped and eaten by the boy.

Prayer Requests: In addition to prayer support for the many struggling after Dorian – and the tens of thousands who are showing up to help – please pray for churches as they settle into a new ministry year. Old programs will be starting back up, and new ones launching. This weekend at Christ Church, we’ll be starting the Fall sermon series, and launching Rev 7:9, a service focused on serving second-generation Hispanics in Highwood. Also, I would appreciate prayers for my talk at Monday night’s Forum, a men’s event being held at a local sports bar.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, let me seek you by desiring you, and let me desire you by seeking you; let me find you by loving you, and love you in finding you. I confess, Lord, with thanksgiving, that you have made me in your image, so that I can remember you, think of you, and love you. But that image is so worn and blotted out by faults, and darkened by the smoke of sin, that it cannot do that for which it was made, unless you renew and refashion it. Lord, I am not trying to make my way to your height, for my understanding is no way equal to that, but I do desire to understand a little of your truth which my heart already believes and loves. I do not seek to understand so that I can believe, but I believe so that I may understand; and what is more, I believe that unless I do believe, I shall not understand. Amen. -Anselm (1033-1109)

Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.

I Samuel 12:23

God grants us access to him through prayer. In the passage above, we see how highly Samuel viewed this gift.  Do you?

The Survey Says: A survey revealed that Americans believe strongly in hard work, patriotism, commitment to religion, and the goal of having children. However, that survey was taken 21 years ago. When the same survey was conducted recently, it found that “belief in God” was valued by 67 percent of those fifty-five and older, but only by 30 percent of those eighteen to thirty-eight; patriotism was valued by 79 percent of older adults but only 42 percent for young; and having children was valued by 54 percent of older adults but only 32 percent for young adults.

Overwhelmed by the Gospel:  My goal for my morning time with God is not simply to sit before Him. Nor is it to learn about Him. I want to be overwhelmed by the Gospel. My goal is to be reminded that: 1) even though I am broken and selfish, He loves me; and 2) that I can do nothing to make Him love me more. When I launch my day from a Gospel perspective, I do not need to earn, win or achieve. I am free to give not get.

How to Start Spiritual Conversations: Rick Richardson, a professor of Evangelism at Wheaton College, suggests that the way to share our faith is to learn, “to ask good questions of people about God, and good questions to God about people.” What are those questions?

• Questions to Ask People: 1) Do you have any religious background and does it mean anything to you today? 2) Have you ever had what you would consider a spiritual experience? What was that like? 3) Do you think there is a God, and what do you think God is like? and 4) Would you say you ever pray? And what do you think that does?
• Questions to Ask God: 1) Jesus, where are you already at work? Jesus, lead me to those who are receptive? 2) Is there someone you want me to talk to, or care for, or pray with? Is there someone here who is hurting? And what are you doing? And 3) Do I notice anything about this person that you might notice? What might you say to them in this moment?

Population Decline:  The September / October issue of Foreign Affairs , warns that the demographic decline we are facing will end capitalism as we know it. Zachary Karabell writes that “most parts of the world are witnessing sharp and sudden contractions in either birthrates or absolute population.” He goes on to note that these trend lines are likely to profoundly shape global economics: “A world of zero population growth is likely to be a world of zero economic growth, because fewer and older people consume less.”

Signs of the Times:  When a preschooler was asked if she knew where milk came from, she answered: Almonds.

Without Comment: According to a new Pew poll, Americans now have less faith in technology companies than they do in the church. Wow. For years I have thought the only groups we were polling ahead of was Congress. I never dreamed we’d poll ahead of Google.

Prayer Request: On Monday, September 9^th, I am speaking at our Fall Forum Kick Off – a men’s event that we hold at a local sports bar.  I am working to pull together an update of FutureView, the book I wrote a few years back. I am not a futurist, so this is not the kind of talk I can give quickly and easily. My request is that the talk works to the end that it helps a few men takes steps back towards God.

Closing Prayer:  Almighty God, who knows our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: set free your servants from all anxious thoughts for the morrow. Give us contentment with your good gifts. Confirm our faith that, according as we seek your kingdom, you will not suffer us to lack any good thing. Provide, therefore, whatever you see to be necessary for our health and salvation. Of your fatherly love and compassion, give us whatever else would truly bless us. All our desire is known, O Lord, to you. Therefore perfect in us what your Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. Amen. Augustine (354-430)