Consider others more important than yourselves.

Paul, Philippians 2:3

I wish it were easier to keep our loves rightly ordered. Alas, I have to put out very little effort to look out for my own interests – and love myself – but I need to work to love God first and others second.

Death: I have stopped being surprised by those who are unwilling to face their own death. But I haven’t accepted it either. Instead, as a pastor I make it a point to preach on death and bring it up in casual conversation. I’m sure some find it off-putting. But “to live is Christ and to die is gain,” and we need to learn to number our days.

It’s Time to be Reminded About this Year’s College Freshman: For over twenty years, Beloit College issued a report that shocked us with statements such as, “Today’s college freshman: think Wi-Fi is an entitlement; have never licked a postage stamp; have never known a world in which humans were not living (not just traveling) in space, or where same-sex marriage was not legal somewhere.” Last year, Beloit published their 21^st – and last – list. But a new group has taken it over, and you can find their 2019 list here.

Tradition: This week I ran across a definition of tradition worth passing along. “Tradition is a set of solutions for which we have forgotten the problems. Throw away the solution and you will get the problems back.”  BTW, the fact that I think this is an insightful definition probably means that I qualify as old.

Loneliness is Trending:  Richard Foster called loneliness “inner emptiness,” and compared it disfavorably with solitude, which is “inner fulfillment.”  He might have also called it trendy. Just over a month ago, then Prime Minister Theresa May appointed a Minister of Loneliness to her cabinet. And this week I ran across a Forbes article suggesting that loneliness may now kill more people than cancer or obesity.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• Human beings are the only animals that blush, and the only animals that need to. Mark Twain
• We have to be careful not to elevate our preferences to moral standards and judge others by them. We only do so to feel superior. Tim Keller

• According to a recent Pew Study, Soviet Atheism failed. Today only 14% of the region’s population identifies as atheist, agnostic or a “none.”
• Wealthy students demonstrate higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse than poor students do and suffer depression and anxiety at rates as much as triple those of their age peers.
• In 1962, the American Bar Association declared that there are “approximately 1,300 fee-earning hours per year” available to the typical lawyer. Today the number has risen to 2,400 billable hours. BTW, to bill 2,400 hours in a year would require working from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. six days a week, every day of the year, without vacation or sick days. (Those sound like the hours a pastor works).
• The number of babies born in the US fell to a 32 year low, and the US’s general fertility rate – defined as the number of births per 1,000 women aged 15 – 44 – fell to the lowest level since the start of federal record keeping.

The Church:  Several years ago, then Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson offered the following summary of church history: “In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America, where it became an enterprise.” May the enterprise die and our life re-center always and only on the Living Christ?

Sorry God, but….:  New York pastor, Tim Keller, identifies the top three reasons we disobey God. The first is by claiming that we cannot possibly forgive XYZ for what they did; the second is by claiming that we cannot tell her (or him) the truth (I would be humiliated or they would be destroyed); and the third is, I cannot resist doing this, even though I know it is wrong.”  Keller goes on to note that we should note that we may not be able to obey through sheer willpower.  But adds that we can get help, admit our problem, humble ourselves, cry out to God for mercy and transformation and seek accountability from others we respect.

Closing Prayer:  O God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant us, we pray thee, to be grounded and settled in the truth, by the coming down of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. That which we know not,…reveal; that which is wanting in us,…fill up; that which we know,…confirm, and keep us blameless in thy service; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. –Clement of Rome (died around 100)

The sea is the Lord’s, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:5

It’s worth reminding ourselves that – in a creative process we cannot understand or duplicate – God made everything everywhere. Creation ex nihilo means He started with nothing and created all we see. This not only includes you and me, it also includes things like time. It’s worth reminding ourselves that we could not create a bird if you gave us all the parts. It’s also worth reminding ourselves that because he made it, it’s his.  And in the words of Abraham Kyper, he retains all rights. “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

The Questions: Over the last twenty years, two friends and I have met for encouragement, accountability, laughter and bad golf.  Prominently featured during our time together is a discussion of “the questions.” I have shared them before. This year they were supplemented with some new questions.  The old ones are here. The new ones are here.

Closing Prayer: You, O Lord, who command us to ask, grant that we may receive. You have put us on seeking; let us be happy in finding. You have bidden us knock; we pray you open to us. Be graciously pleased to direct and govern all our thoughts and actions, that for the future we may serve you and entirely devote ourselves to obeying you. Accept us, we ask you, and draw us to yourself, that we may henceforth be yours by obedience and love, who are already all your own as your creatures, even yours, O Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Augustine (354-430)

“You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus, John 8

The Gospel message is not an alternative to but a way to freedom, meaning and happiness.

The Task:  This week I am attending Willow Creek’s 25^th annual Global Leadership Summit (I’ve probably attended 10 of them). Next week I will pass along my notes. It’s with mixed sentiment that I am here this week. I usually learn some great things and leave both inspired and challenged. But in my mind, the Summit marks the end of summer. I’m not really ready for that.
Authenticity:  Many now say that what they value most in others is “authenticity.” Their plea is that we all need to be “our real selves”. I’m not so sure. Scholars studying authenticity note that there is no agreement on whether being authentic means living in line with our emotions or living in line with our ideals. They also note that it is even harder to measure than it is to define. I am left thinking the world would be better off if I passed on the invitation to be authentic and focused on the need to be more like Christ.

Last Week’s Brutality:  Much has been written about last week’s two mass shootings. I see no need to pile on, but will direct you to a piece you may not have seen. It’s a post by Russell Moore entitled, White Nationalist Terrorism and the Gospel.  Speaking of white nationalism, it’s worth noting that 83 years ago this week, Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the ’36 Olympics, seriously undermining Adolf Hitler’s claims of Aryan supremacy.

Screens > Books. I used to look forward to walking down the aisles of a jet to see what people were reading. (On one occasion, nearly everyone was consumed in the same Tom Clancy novel.)  No more. On the flight earlier this week, I noted the following. Of the not quite 100 people sitting in coach: thirty were staring at the screen on the back of the seat in front of them, twenty were watching a movie on their laptop or iPad and another twenty were sleeping. Of those remaining, a dozen were working on their laptop, five were using their computer to play some sort of game (e.g. Solitaire) and two were reading a book. Two.

Question of the Week: A friend gave me this week’s question. He said that he tells his staff, “I do not worry about what you think about me on my best days. What I want to know is, what do you think about me on my worst?”

The Church Wins: Today’s church is in crisis…, just like it always is. The early church was. The church during the Middle Ages was.  The church of the Reformation was. And it is a mess today. Crises have been a constant; heresies from within; persecution from without; too few leaders; too little money; moral scandals, etc. I could go on.  But you get the point.  So let me highlight the other constant: the church is stable. Indefatigable. Individual congregations may come and go, but the big “C” church is going strong. Jesus said He would build His Church and that it would prevail. And it will.

Helping the Homeless: Last week I noted a few ways to help the homeless. Several of you wrote with other ideas: 1) make an arrangement with a restaurant in the area, agreeing that you will send people their way and later stop by to cover the cost; 2) during the winter, pass out the hand-warmer packets that hunters use; 3) carry $5-$10 gift cards to Subway or Steak & Shake, etc.; and 4) in addition to providing physical and financial aid, offer to pray for them.

The Exhausted Majority:  In the 150 page report issued by More in Common (a NY based think-tank), the authors argue that we are not as polarized as we assume. Based on the results of a large-scale national survey, they make two claims: 1) that we break out into seven tribes: 8% are Progressive Activists, 11% are Traditional Liberals, 15% are Passive Liberals, 26% are Politically Disengaged, 15% are Moderates, 19% are Traditional Conservatives and 6% are Devoted Conservatives; and 2) that only the Progressive Activists, Traditional Conservatives and Devoted Conservatives are deeply entrenched and polarized. They believe most Americans fall into an “Exhausted Majority” who believe that our differences are not so great that we cannot come together.

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 in 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)

Jesus, during the Last Supper in Matthew 26:28

We have been forgiven much. When we really internalize that, we accept (even welcome) the opportunity to forgive others. To do otherwise becomes unthinkable. Thomas Merton summarizes this truth as well as any, writing, “We do not really know how to forgive until we know what it is to be forgiven. Therefore we should be glad that we can be forgiven by others. It is our forgiveness of one another that makes the love of Jesus manifest in our lives, for in forgiving one another we act towards one another as He has acted towards us.”

Loneliness:  John O’Donoahue, the late Catholic poet-thinker-philosopher, does a great job explaining that Spiritual But Not Religious leads to a diet of cotton candy that will not satisfy real hunger. He writes, “Post-modern culture is deeply lonely. This loneliness derives in large part from the intense drive to avoid suffering and pain and the repudiation of commitment. People relentlessly attempt to calm their inner turbulence by all manner of therapy and spirituality. They seek refuge in each new programme or method as if it offered final resolution. Yet so many of these programmes have no earth beneath the seductive surface. They can offer no growth, nor enable a person to identify the pain at the root of identity. Such external tamperings never manage to reach or embrace the inner loss which is a natural part of being a human person.”

Why Church:  Scott Sunquist’s new IVP release, Why Church, notes that our move into post-Christendom means that today’s church has more in common with the church of the 1^st century than the church of the 21^st century. Consequently he recommends: 1) returning to the view that the church is “essentially a missionary institution in a pluralistic world;” and 2) that we recognize that joining a church is a countercultural, and perhaps soon-to-be-illegal, activity. We should not expect the government to support the teaching of Christ. He also notes that this is not horrible news, and reminds us that the church will prevail.

Serve Your City:  A few weeks ago, “the church left the building” for our third Serve Your City weekend. Here is a 2 minute video of that day.

Without Comment:

• 82% of Americans think that the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves” is in the Bible. 12% think that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. And fifty percent of high school graduates think Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.
• Teen Vogue – a magazine that targets 12-13 year old girls – recently ran a piece advocating prostitution as a valid career option. Clearly, the only moral principle the author deems appropriate to govern sex is consent.
• It’s the 31^st season of Shark Week, and 35 million people have been watching. What is it about sharks?

• The Atlantic Monthly reports that though “secular churches” such as Oasis and Sunday Assembly (i.e., organizations designed to provide atheists with the benefits of weekly services with singing, sermons and potlucks) are losing steam. Two years ago there were reports of their growth and success. Many are now closed or closing.

How should a Christian respond to the appeals by homeless? One of the questions I am often asked is, what do I do when someone is begging – especially given what Jesus says in Matthew 25.  I do not have a definitive answer, but here are a few thoughts: 1) it is good to be unsettled by their plight. In fact, we need to work to keep our hearts soft; 2) it is good to support shelters and other ministries that offer thoughtful plans that start with crisis intervention and move people into jobs; 3) I seldom give money, though I make exceptions if I think children are suffering; 4) keep granola bars and other food items nearby and hand them to those asking for help.

Two Articles of Note: Readers of my Friday Update have heard me compare the different outcomes I see between those whose hospital room is full of family and friends, and those whose room is empty. This article cites yet another study trumpeting community. In this WSJ piece, Jason Willick explains the insights of UVA sociologist, James Davison Hunter concerning culture and “cultures wars.”

Speaking of Friends:  I saw some old friends this past week when I went home to run in my 21^st Bix 7. I ran my first Bix while in high school. At the time, all marveled that 2,000 people would sign up for a run. The Bix has grown to over 20,000. I think this two minute video of the start of the race is worth watching.

Question of the Week: A few weeks ago I started asking a weekly question. I do so believing that the quality of your life will be determined by the quality of the questions you ask. This week’s question:  What will be the last normal day of your life?

Quote of the Week:  Only with the Gospel do you get the verdict before the performance. Tim Keller

Closing Prayer: Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Anglican Book of Common Prayer

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

We are called to give thanks. No. Matter. What. It is a practice called for in the Psalms and modeled by both the apostles and Jesus. The command is: give thanks always. Does this mean we should be thankful for all things. No. We are not expected to be grateful for pains and losses. We are certainly not expected to be happy in the face of evil. But we can learn to be grateful in something, even if we cannot be grateful for it. And learning to be thankful in all things will make a huge difference.

Countdown:  As of today, there are less than six months until Christmas.

God’s Will: Few questions lead people into a pastor’s office as often as the desire to “know God’s will.” Those asking, generally want to do the right thing and fear missing it. Ten thousand articles have been written about this. I will not repeat all of the good advice, but I will note the three points I try to stress with those asking how to know God’s will: 1) The fact that you are asking is a win. You want His plan. This is great. Be encouraged. He is pleased. 2) Stop and think about what you really need: it’s God, not His will. Perhaps this should change your approach; And 3) Much of what you need to know is spelled out in the Bible. And if it’s not, it may not matter. Just do something. And here I point to Paul’s efforts (in Acts 16) to plant a church in Asia. God didn’t want Paul planting churches in Asia, so He redirected him to Europe. The point is, Paul was not doing nothing until things were clear.

Numbering Our Days: I am officiating at a funeral this week, which made my reading of Psalm 90 significant. Verse 12 reads: Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. The woman who passed away was significantly younger than I am. This is becoming less unusual.  It reminds me of stumbling upon a small cemetery years ago. For whatever reason, in addition to including the years someone had lived, every tomb stone also listed how old the person was when they died. And these numbers jumped out at me because as I walked through the cemetery I could not find anyone who had lived to be as old as I was at that time. (The cemetery was in Europe, and the graves were all from the 1600 and 1700s). Life is short. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• Face sin and death or be out of touch with reality.  Tim Keller
• All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. J.R. Tolkien
• War is not exceptional; peace is. Worry is not exceptional; trust is. Decay is not exceptional; gratitude is. Selfishness is not exceptional; sacrifice is. Defensiveness is not exceptional; love is. And judgmentalism is not exceptional; grace is. Brant Hanson

• After fifty years of decline, there is a spike in the number of American women planning to become nuns. And the age of final vows is dropping. Ten years ago it was forty. Today it is 24.
• According to a 2019 Deloitte study, 77 percent of Americans who watch streaming TV consumed an average of four hours per sitting. Four hours.
• Over three million people have now signed an online petition promising to storm Area 51 of Edwards Airforce Base in Nevada on September 20th. The idea – which started as a joke, and clearly remains that for some if not most of the signers – is that if enough people “storm the gates,” the authorities will not be able to stop them from finding ET (or something of the sort).

Avengers: End Game: In what is now the best-selling movie of all time, Thanos – the Mad Titan – states, “Reality can be whatever I want it to be.” Alas, many now think that is true. We think that if we dream big, work hard and push through the pain we can will whatever into existence. And yet, we are formed for health and healing only after we declare our finitude and dependence on Christ.

Prayer Requests:  I am sobered by how polarized our country is, and have started to expect that whoever loses the next Presidential election will dismiss results as having been hacked by Russians (and/or others).

Closing Prayer:  In your mercy, Lord my God, tell me what you are to me. “Say to my soul, I am your salvation.” So speak that I may hear you. The ears of my heart are turned to you, Lord; open them and say to my soul: “I am your salvation.” I will run after your voice, and I will lay hold of you. Do not hide your face from me. Let me see your face even if I die, for if I see it not, I shall die of longing. [Amen.] –Augustine (354-430)

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on a pilgrimage.

Psalm 84:5

The longing for nearness to God is seldom fulfilled in a stroke. As the Psalmist notes, it’s more often a journey.
Responding to Persecution:  As the cultural divide grows and public dialogue becomes more caustic and threatening, a few things are worth noting. First, Jesus promised us that in this world we should expect tribulation. Second, we are to love our enemies. And third, the early church faced far worse than ugly screeds and some legal challenges. And yet…at least occasionally those following Christ did a standup job of applying Christ’s command to “do good to those who hate you.”  In his Epistle to Diognetus (AD 130) Mathetes described Christians this way: “They are evil spoken of and yet are justified; they are reviled and bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life”.  Writing to explain the explosive growth of the early church, sociologist Rodney Stark affirms what Mathetes wrote: “To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity”.

Good News/Bad News:  Fewer than half of all Americans have a positive view of clergy.  Apparently, they are skeptical of our ethics and honesty, I suspect TV preachers and sex scandals have not helped our polling numbers. The good news? We are way ahead of both Congress and mass murderers. (Actually, I made up the part about being ahead of mass murderers, it may not be true. But pastors do poll ahead of Congress).

Question of the Week:  When one reaches the highest degree of human maturity, one has only one question left:  How can I be helpful?  Teresa of Avila. 

Graph of the Century.  One of the economic bloggers I scan recently reposted his “Graph of the Century”. If you are interested to see how the price of things has changed relative to earning power over the last 20 years, click here. If you do, be sure to read enough of the accompanying article to note that blue items are those not controlled by regulation, while red items are those that are controlled.

Retraction of the Hour:  I got lots of comments about how cool last week’s wolf video was.  And then I heard that the claims in the video were overstated. You can click here to see a video that makes it clear that not everyone with an educated opinion is on board. I am sad, but in retrospect, the only surprising thing is that I believed it so thoroughly last week.  There is so much spin out there these days that when a news reporter tells me it’s raining, I wonder what his/her angle on the story is. I really miss not trusting the news.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• Success is not what I’ve done compared with what others have done. Success is what I’ve done compared with what God has called me to do. Lecrae
• The most important thing in your life is not what you do — it’s who you become.  That’s what you will take into eternity.  The main thing God gets out of your life is not the achievements you accomplish. It’s the person you become . . . Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you. Dallas Willard (1935-2013)

Prime Time:  Most Americans celebrate ten holidays each year, beginning with New Year’s Day and ending with Christmas. Now it seems we’ve added an eleventh.  As numerous cultural commentators recently noted, Amazon Prime Day now generates national holiday level fanfare.

Prayer Requests: This weekend Christ Church hosts former-atheist-turned Christian-apologist, Lee Strobel.  Strobel, a Yale Law grad who worked as an investigative reporter before launching his bestselling series of books (The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ, etc.), will be speaking on The Case for Miracles.

Closing Prayer:  Lord, I desire not to be exempted from sufferings, but to be supported under them. If your glory can be promoted by my trials, lo, here I am, scourge me, try me as it seems good in your sight! –George Whitefield (1714-1770)

Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But that seed’s death will produce many new kernels —
a plentiful harvest of new lives.

Jesus

We will not reach a place of perfection this side of Heaven. But we can – and should – be moving in that direction under the direction of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit. Part of what is required of us is surrender. This is not passivity. Discipline and initiative are required.  Surrender involves yielding to Him, offering obedience and dying to self.

Learning to speak Psalms:  One of the challenges of studying a foreign language – or learning to play a musical instrument, etc. – is that you must invest a lot of time before you get a return. If you persevere, you eventually reach a tipping point and new vistas open before you. But many (most?) quit before that. Over the last three months, I have been preaching from the Psalms. At some point it occurred to me that they unfold a bit like a foreign language. If you read them over and over (and over and over) – and learn them as well as you know the National Anthem – they lead to wonder and peace. But you have to log quite a bit of time before you learn to speak Psalms. The view is worth the climb, but the climb is steeper than many expect.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.  Mark Twain
• When people say, ‘I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself,’ they mean that they have failed an idol, whose approval is more important than God’s. Tim Keller

Wolves: Wolves? Why am I writing about wolves in this Update? Because this past week I watched this five minute video about how wolves change the course or rivers. It’s fascinating on its own, and it speaks to how little we understand the unintended consequences of our actions. But the reason I’m directing you to this video is because it reminds me of how remarkable God’s creation is, which in turn makes me marvel all the more at the Creator.

Perot:  It’s been interesting to read various obits of Ross Perot, the billionaire businessman who ran as an independent for President twice. The Dallas Morning News offers a positive take. The Washington Post not so much. These two approaches attest to the well-discussed division in our land. They may also say something about how fickle legacies are. Far better to play for an audience of One. BTW, when Perot was asked what he wanted to be remembered for, he said: “Aw, I don’t worry about that.”

Judgement: This past weekend I preached on judgement ala Psalm 98.  (It seemed like a lot better idea a year ago when I was mapping out sermons than it did last week when I was preparing to give it). As you might expect, my email spiked on Sunday afternoon. What you might be surprised to hear is that most of the comments were positive. One emailer referenced a recent interview with the creator of the Netflix series, Breaking Bad. It reinforced one of my points – that is, that there must be a judgment or society collapses and life has no meaning. “If there’s a larger lesson to ‘Breaking Bad,’ it’s that actions have consequences,” Gilligan said during lunch one day in his trailer. “If religion is a reaction of man, and nothing more, it seems to me that it represents a human desire for wrongdoers to be punished. I hate the idea of Idi Amin living in Saudi Arabia for the last 25 years of his life. That galls me to no end.” And later in the article, “I want to believe there’s a heaven. But I can’t not believe there’s a hell.”

Options:  It’s not clear who first said it, but a Medieval philosopher noted that, “every choice is a thousand renunciations.”  Saying yes to A means saying no to B, C and D (and perhaps E, F and G as well). We would be wise to learn this and embrace our limitations. But wow, is it hard.

Question of the Week:  “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”  Dr. Martin Luther King.

Anti-Semitism:  As many recent stories attest (see here and here), anger and violence against the Jews is rising. Given this, it’s worth debunking (yet again) the claim that the Jews should be blamed for killing Jesus. 1) For starters, the Bible is a Jewish story – from Genesis 12 through the middle of the book of Acts, virtually everyone discussed (including Jesus!) is a Jew. 2) Though the Jewish religious leaders wanted Jesus put to death, they lacked the power to do so. (If the Jews had killed Jesus, He would have been stoned not crucified). The actual execution of Jesus was carried out by the Romans. 3) When we actually look at what Scripture says, two things are clear: 1) God the Father sent the Son to die for the atonement of our sins; and Jesus willingly laid down his life for us. It is also worth noting, Scripture clearly teaches that Christ died for my sins (and yours). So, if you are looking for someone to blame for Christ’s death, look in the mirror, but unless you are Jewish, leave the Jews out of this.

Prayer Requests:  This week Christ Church will hold its third Serve Your City. Pray that “people see our God works and glorify God in heaven.” Pray also for good weather, it will make the day so much better.

Closing Prayer:  O Lord, reassure me with Your quickening Spirit; without You I can do nothing. Mortify in me all ambition, vanity, vainglory, worldliness, pride, selfishness, and resistance from God, and fill me with love, peace and all the fruits of the Spirit. O Lord, I know not what I am, but to You I flee for refuge. I would suffer myself to You, trusting Your precious promises and against hope believing in hope. [Amen] –William Wilberforce (1759-1833)

“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Jesus, Matthew 22

Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another. Note: these two commands are fulfilled, at least in part, through prayer. When we pray for someone else, we stand as a conduit between a hurting world and the Lord who is actively redeeming it.  In this position, the two greatest commandments are fulfilled in a single act.

July 4^th:  I’m not sure I heard the word nationalism ten times in 2018. I hear it ten times a week today, albeit, in two very different ways: some equate nationalism with patriotism; others link it to Nazism. Few words capture our nation’s growing divide quite so well.

Lewis on Patriotism: Speaking of patriotism, how should American Christians think about the US?  (I write this on July 4^th from Lake Bluff, whose patron saint is Norman Rockwell, and whose population quintuples for the July 4^th parade). As is often the case, C.S. Lewis offers some good coaching.  In this article, which frames Lewis’s book, The Four Loves, we are reminded that love of country is better than self-love, but not as ideal as agape love.

Guinness’s Golden Triangle: Os Guinness – the British sociologist who often writes about America – argues that our “experiment in self-government” depends on three things: liberty, which depends on virtue; virtue which depends on religion; and religion which depends on freedom.

Insight:  I’ve been sending out scattered thoughts via The Friday Update for over a year now. I see value in passing along the things I pick up in a week of reading, but increasingly I am aware that scattered insights – even of a spiritual nature – are not nearly as valuable as insights organized into a coherent whole. Our world is full of scattered insights absent coherence.

Fathers: I know Father’s Day is behind us – and I also know that comments about Dads are painful to some – but I finally found the stats I was looking for.  They are ten years old, but worth revisiting: 1) only 1 in 4 children live now with their paternal fathers; 2) in 1996, 42% of female-headed households with children were poor, compared with 8% of families with children headed by married parents; 3) girls without fathers in their lives are 2 & 1/2 times more likely to get pregnant and 53% more likely to commit suicide; 4) boys without fathers in their lives are 63% more likely to run away from home and 37% more likely to use drugs; 5) boys and girls without father involvement are twice as likely to drop out of school, twice as likely to go to jail and nearly four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems; 6) the average American father spends only 7 ½ uninterrupted minutes per week with his children but 32 hours a week watching TV.

The Decline of Charitable Giving:  This article confirms that recent changes in tax law led to the steepest decline in charitable giving since the Great Recession.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:  

• We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate. Thomas Jefferson
• Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked “No Entrance,” and left through a door marked “No Exit.”  Peter Larson

Stats Without Comment: According to Jake Meador, in In Search of the Common Good (IVP, 2019), between 1940 and 2010, the US population grew by 134 percent.  And the number of therapeutic professionals – i.e., clinical psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, etc. – grew by 3,206 percent.

God’s Beauty:  Many people look to God for what they can get – i.e., heaven, forgiveness, answered prayer. This is not as selfish as it sounds. We were made to be in a relationship with him. But at some point we need to be enamored by his beauty and goodness and start caring less about ourselves.

Closing Prayer:  O Lord Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd of the sheep, who came to seek the lost and to gather them to your fold, have compassion on those who have wandered from you; feed those who hunger, cause the weary to lie down in your pastures, bind up those who are broken in heart and strengthen those who are weak, that we, relying on your care and being comforted by your love, may abide in your guidance to our lives’ end; for your name’s sake. Amen. Anonymous

For God so loved the world that He sent his only Son.

God’s love changes everything for us. The fact that He loves us simply because He loves us – i.e., He loves us because He is loving, not because we are lovable – means we can be encouraged and secure. He knows the worst about us and loves us anyway. He is that amazing.

Stuff:  According to this article, the size of the average American home has tripled over the last fifty years, nevertheless, we now have so much stuff that 1 in 10 Americans rent offsite storage, and less than half of us can fit both cars in a two car garage. There is more – e.g., the US has five times more storage facilities than it has Starbucks, and the average 10-year-old has 238 toys, but plays with just 12. It leads me to ask, “How many toys do you have that you haven’t played with in a long time?”  It also leads me to Christ’s comments in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

Money: By the way, money is not usually an idol. It’s what we spend our money on that is the best indication of what we might be idolizing.

The Hardest Part of the Job: If you ask a pastor how hard their job is, you can expect to hear “HARD”. You can also expect them to cite a quote by Drucker that says as much. Perhaps it is. The latest stats suggest only ten percent of those who attend seminary retire as a pastor. I’m skeptical that it is as bad as we make it. (For starters, I think that since Genesis 3, many people think their job is hard). But I have been curious enough about the Drucker quote to ask other pastors, “What do you think is the hardest part of serving as a pastor?”.  Of the things I have heard from others – boards, budgets, spiritual indifference, critics – two resonate: 1) keeping people – and the church – looking out rather than looking in; and 2) making the Good News clear.

This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is Near:  Breakdancing is slated to become an Olympic Sport. The IOC will not officially rule on the request to add “breakers” until 2020, but according to this article, 16 member breakdance teams are likely to join “surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing” as new Olympic events.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

• Sometimes God doesn’t change your situation because He’s trying to change your heart.  Lecrae
• Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott

The Border Crisis:  Count me among those trying to figure out what is really happening at the US border and what I should be doing about it. I found Border Crisis 101, which is published by the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT), to be helpful. FYI, I know and trust some of those who serve on the board of EIT.

SBNR:  Psychology Today recently noted that those who are SBNR – i.e., spiritual but not religious – have significantly higher incidences of depression than those who are “religious.”  The speculation is that religion entails interactions with other humans, which is good for us.

Question:  Does your faith shape your politics or does your politics shape your faith?  Are you sure?

Closing Prayer:  O Lord, our Savior, who has warned us that you will require much of those to whom much is given; grant that we whose lot is cast in so godly a heritage may strive together more abundantly by prayer, by almsgiving, by fasting, and by every other appointed means, to extend to others what we so richly enjoy; and as we have entered into the labors of other men, so to labor that in their turn other men may enter into ours, to the fulfillment of your holy will, and our own everlasting salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Augustine (354-430)

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 37:7

We all want to be more patient, but seldom like the process by which patience is acquired. In Andrew Murray’s classic – Waiting on God – he makes a few points worth pondering: God longs to bless us more than we long to be blessed; our greatest gain comes not in getting the help we seek, but in drawing near to the Helper.

Good Grief: At Christ Church I’ve been in a three month series on the Psalms. A few weeks ago the topic was lament. That sermon is here. Last week’s sermon on doubt is here.  I noted how devastated C.S. Lewis was after the passing of his wife. And – more to the point – how little help he found from The Problem of Pain, the book he wrote about dealing with loss and trials. It is worth noting that many around you are sad and struggling. You may not see it, because in our culture it is more acceptable to be angry than sad. About all of this, author Steve Arterburn writes, “the Bible offers no precedent for us to suppress our sadness”. The Old Testament depicts many people showing real grief. The men of Israel would rip their clothes, sprinkle themselves with ashes, wear black armbands, and spend time in mourning. They would wail before the Lord without feeling shame. That experience allowed them to express their emotions and then move on without the baggage of repressed feelings. When we don’t grieve, we stuff our disappointments and sadness, and compensate for them with other less-threatening emotions, and at the top of the list is anger. But Scripture gives you liberty to grieve. So when you need to, openly grieve!

How Does Your City Rate:  Two new studies rank cities. Barna’s list uses church attendance, belief in God, frequency of Bible reading, frequency of prayer, etc. to compile a list of the most Post-Christian cities in America (Springfield, MA is number one and Chicago is 27^th). Another study used violent crime rates, bullying statistics, child abuse cases, and “hostile Internet comments” to rank the sinfulness of the fifty states. Nevada won (or maybe I should say, lost).

What Doesn’t Kill You: In scientific careers, it is commonly assumed that early research success begets future success. But a new study reveals that, in the long run, individuals who face early setbacks systematically outperform peers who achieve early success. In other words, early failure should not be viewed as fatal, but as an opportunity for perseverance and long-term success.

Spiritual = Thou Shall.  Many think “spiritual” means boring and stuffy. In his classic 1918 book He That Is Spiritual, theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer argued the opposite, noting that God is not against play, diversion, and helpful amusement, our enemy simply wants us to think that He is. “Spirituality is not a pious pose. It is not a ‘Thou shalt not!’ It is ‘Thou shall!’ It flings open the doors into the eternal blessing, energies and resources of God. God has provided that our joy shall be full.”

Two Small Reads:  Six months ago I picked up Jacques Philippe’s 2002 book, Interior Freedom. It’s 130 pages, you read a couple paragraphs at a time. Recently I also read Rupert Shortt’s 2019 work, Does Religion Do More Harm Than Good? which is only 76 pages. I recommend Philippe’s work for anyone ready to think well and look within. I recommend Shortt’s for anyone looking for a sociological overview that compares those who claim that “religion is harmful because it is based on dubious speculation,” and those who argue that the “major religions provide great social capital and help humans gain a transcendent horizon.” I am commenting on them here mostly to note the trend towards smaller and smaller books. When I started writing for various magazines back in the early 90s, it was not unusual for editors to ask for articles that were 4,000 words in length. In the mid-90s, they cut the word count to 2,000 and added more white space and pull outs. A few years later, they halved the words again – adding more pictures. By the early 2000s it was not unusual for editors to limit me to 750 words. In the mid-2000s I was asked me to write a 400 word column. I tried for a few months and then quit.  It’s not just that there is no time to develop an argument or engage in nuance in 400 words, it is – as Neil Postman notes in Amusing Ourselves to Death – that the brief format changes both the way you think and the conclusions you reach. By the way, today Twitter gives you 140 characters.

Statistics Worth Noting:

• Cohabiting:  The Census Bureau reports that fifty years ago, 39.2% of 18-24 year old’s lived with a spouse, and only 0.1% lived together outside of marriage. Today, 9.4 percent of 18-24 year old’s are living with a partner, while only 7.3 percent of young adults are living with a spouse.
• Generosity: 9 in 10 practicing Christians say that generosity is either “extremely” or “very” important to them, and one-third (32%) feels very satisfied with their personal generosity. Millennials lead the way in feeling great about their giving, yet only 13 percent of Millennials – and only 6% of Gen Z – give money on a frequent basis. What’s up? Millennials are less inclined to give money but more inclined to offer emotional support, hospitality and service (volunteering).
• Higher Education: At the peak – which occurred in the 2013-2014 academic year – the US was home to 3,122 four year colleges. Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen – recently stated that he believes one-half will close in the next fifteen years.

Incompetence: Medical schools believe they produce competent physicians. Law schools believe they produce competent attorneys. But a seminary that is paying attention to the Bible realizes that it cannot produce competent pastors. In fact, one of the most important insights a seminarian learns is, in the things that matter most, he or she will always be inadequate to the task. 

Prayer Requests: The annual report card on religious persecution – which is issued by Voice of the Martyrs – notes a global spike against Christians, most notably in China, India, and Nigeria. Other countries of specific concern include North Korea, Eritrea and Pakistan. What can we do? Pray.

Closing Prayer: O Holy Spirit of God, very God, who descended on Christ at the river Jordan and on the apostles in the upper chamber, we have sinned against heaven and before you; purify us again, we ask you, with your divine fire, and have mercy on us; for Christ’s sake. Amen. Nerses of Clajes (4th Century)