November 23, 2018
Happy Friday
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Paul, I Thes. 5:18
Gratitude: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In spite of the encroachment of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber-Monday and other new “holy days,” – Thanksgiving keeps most commercialization at bay. It also elevates gratitude. I’ll trust that you got enough to eat and yet were able to find some clothes that still fit. I’ll also trust that you’ve: 1) rehearsed your blessings; 2) reminded yourself that gratitude leads to happiness (not the other way around); and 3) marveled a bit about the first T-day (if not, click here).
The Puritans: In the event that you do not know, the Pilgrims were Puritans, and the Puritans were not dour stooges as currently imagined. Instead, they were people so full of joy – and so given to “ribbons, lace, costly apparel, sporting and feasting” – that they were criticized for their earthly enjoyments. In his role as a Medieval and Renaissance scholar at Oxford, C.S. Lewis wrote, “We must picture these Puritans as the very opposite of those who bear that name today: as young, fierce, progressive intellectuals, very fashionable and up-to-date. They were not teetotalers; bishops, not beer, were their special aversion.”
Civility: This week I had a chance to hear Gil Hoffman, the chief political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, talk about politics in the Middle East. Hoffman (a Chicago native who gets up at 3 AM to watch Cubs games) focused his remarks on the events of the last two weeks. His fascinating insights reminded me of something I have thought both times I’ve visited Israel: that our news media (both FOX & CNN) gets much about the region wrong. BTW, I was especially taken by Hoffman’s observation that politics in Israel has become “less contentious and more civil over the last twenty years.” The reason? The people there realize that “elections do not matter”. Given our declining civility and increasing rancor, I asked if there were any lessons there for us. Sadly, he thinks not.
Three Books by Three Friends: Recently I’ve been reading books written by friends:
- Praying Through the Psalms, Yohanna Katanacho (Langham Global Library, 2018). Sheri and I became friends with Yohanna and Dina when they attended Christ Church during his PhD studies at Trinity. I’ve also been able to visit him twice in Israel, where he serves as the Academic Dean at Bethlehem Bible College and she is Director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society of Israel. In his book, Yohanna publishes prayers he has written for each Psalm. Perhaps I’m biased, but I value these prayers because of his unique perspective. There are not many Palestinian Christians who live in Nazareth and have a PhD in the Old Testament. For an example of a prayer, click here.
- The Furnace Girl: The Mysterious Case of Elfrieda Knaak, Kraig Moreland and Toby Jones: (Across the Lake Press, 2018). Toby-my fraternity pledge son – brings Kraig Moreland’s interest in a Lake Bluff cold case to life. I will not give anything away other than to say, Moreland believes he solved this nearly one hundred year-old murder and Toby sets Kraig’s theory in a work of historical fiction.
- Persistence of Light, by John Hotye. Twenty years ago, John Hoyte (and his wife, poet Luci Shaw) were our neighbors. We knew they were special, but we didn’t know the half of it. One of six children born to British medical missionaries in China, John spent four years in a Japanese prison camp, where he became friends with Eric Liddell (of Chariots of Fire fame). John also picked up a degree from Oxford, walked an elephant across the Alps (to prove Hannibal could do it), started a high tech company in Silicon Valley and had many other adventures. (Click here to read his brief comments about Eric Lidell).
Love, Sex and Marriage In Decline: I was struck by the following three surprisingly predictable news stories: 1) according to this report, the number of new marriages in Americans dropped 16% over the last 16 years, from 8.2 (per 1,000) in 2000, to 6.9 in 2016; 2) according to this report, fewer U.S. women are having abortions than at any time since Roe v. Wade; and 3) according to this Atlantic piece, young Americans are in a “sex recession”. The second bullet point is good news, but taken together they point to a decline in marital intimacy, especially among the young. (Which is something I have noted as a pastor). What is up? I am reminded of a comment made by an “environmental psychologist” twenty years ago. When I asked him what an environmental psychologist did, he told me about how he’d halted the spread of an invasive beetle by identifying, isolating and then manufacturing the pheromone that attracted male beetles to females. I then dumped gallons of it in the middle of a field. The males were drawn to the smell but it was so many times stronger than that produced by a real female, the two could never find each other.
Millennials: Speaking of young people, there’s a new Monopoly game for Millennials. In this version you do not buy real estate because – as the box jokes – “you can’t afford it.”
Go Bears: I cannot not note that Da Bears are 8 and 3!
Challenged: I’m challenged and encouraged by this three minute video of the work one business man is spearheading in North Chicago.
Closing Prayer: The following is a version of the prayer believed to be prayed by Reverend Hunt at the first Thanksgiving.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
November 16, 208
Happy Friday
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8
Trust: In Psalm 31, David cries, “I am cut off from your sight!” He later acknowledges this was not true, but it felt that way. And it does. When everything is going wrong, it can feel as though the Lord has pulled back. Conversely, when everything is going “well”, it can feel as though God is cheering us on. The first is wrong, the second may be. Like pilots who must learn to trust their instruments, we must learn to trust what God has revealed in Scripture. BTW, if we do not trust the Bible when it tells us what we do not want to hear, we are unlikely to trust it when it tells us things we do want to hear – e.g., the depth of his love, grace and forgiveness.
Anger Check: I got yelled at this week, and it was unsettling. The person yelling was an older person who has had a hard life and is overwhelmed by the changes happening around her. Her anger didn’t frighten me. So what was unsettling? Three things: 1) how little she has been transformed/comforted by the grace of God; 2) my inability to help her put things in perspective; and most of all; 3) the awareness that I might be just as blind to my prejudices and selfish thinking as she is of hers.
Speaking of Anger: According to a Pew Research study, the gap between the Left and Right has doubled since 1994 – i.e., the red has gotten redder and the blue a lot bluer. Can you imagine what 2020 is going to be like?
Tech Execs Saying No to Tech: In this recent New York Times article, the writer notes how many tech titans refuse to allow their kids to use their products. Why? Because they suspect too much tech has a deleterious effects on the hearts, minds and souls of those who use them.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- This country prides itself on being the land of the free, but there is no country in the western world where there are more people in recovery groups suffering from various addictions. America is not as free as she thinks. Os Guinness
- Happiness does not lead to gratitude. Gratitude leads to happiness. David Steindl-Rast
Gratitude: As we head towards THANKSgiving, REACH has handed me several things to be thankful for: 1) Christ Church’s church plant in Sogakope, Ghana – which is being done in partnership with International Needs Ghana – is off to a fast start; 2) back in Illinois, we baptized 13 people last weekend; 3) we just secured this year’s sixth Matthew Home (in North Chicago).
Keller Take Three: Three weeks ago I commented on Tim Keller’s lectures on the post-Christian trajectory of North America. Given how much interest that generated, a week later I included links to my notes from the lectures, and videos of the lectures themselves. (You can click here to get my notes or click here (and go to minute 56) and here (and go to minute 55) to listen/watch). Last week I got some more feedback, most notably a recommendation to avoid drinking the Keller Kool-aid! A young Latino scholar wrote to say that “a lot of the chicken little, sky-is-falling thinking is connected to the reality that White Americans are disaffiliating from organized religion at alarming rates…, but this misses the rapid church growth among non-majority churches in the U.S.” For more on this you can see the first chapter in Jared Alcantra’s book, Crossover Preaching.
Closing Prayer: Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Saint Augustine (354-430)
November 9, 2018
Happy Friday,
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
Beautiful or Useful? In the Psalm above, David asks to “gaze on the Lord.” He is not after a glance, he wants to sit and stare. This suggests less petitionary prayer and more praising, admiring and enjoying God. What about you? Do you seek his beauty or are you just hoping He will prove useful?
Fear: Articles in the popular press routinely list snakes and public speaking as our top fears. That is misleading and unhelpful. Our lives are profoundly shaped by fears that lie much deeper in our soul. We need to expose these phobias to the light so they will stop holding us back. We also need to follow them back to their root so they show us what we love the most. What might you love more than God?
I’m old. Current culture celebrates youth, consequently, we’re supposed to leverage hair coloring, workout routines, diets – even cosmetic surgery – to look years younger. Sixty is the new fifty and all of that. Other cultures find this curious. They are more likely to think age equals wisdom, and wisdom matters more than six pack abs. Full disclosure: I’m aging! This week I turned 58, which not only means I am 29 for the second time, it means I can only claim to be middle aged if I plan to live to be 116. (BTW, I hope not to. To live is Christ and to die is gain).
Observations from the Academy: Most people only read about higher education on the sports page or in accounts of higher-ed-gone-wrong – e.g., class presentations by porn stars; students (and deans) protesting micro-aggressions; egregious behavior by Spring Breakers, etc. We should be paying more attention to the ways the university souls and impacts culture. We should also note what they portend. For instance, it’s worth noting that UC Berkeley’s one-month-old data science major (i.e., big data analytics) is hot. There are 1,300 students in its intro courses.
Congrats to Crenshaw. Having mentioned micro-aggressions, let me commend Dan Crenshaw, the former Navy Seal / newly elected member of Congress. Crenshaw, who lost an eye in combat, was mocked in a Saturday Night Live skit over his appearance. You can read about it here if you want. Suffice it to say, no one thought the joke was funny. I’m mentioning Crenshaw to applaud his response to the skit. He tweeted: “I try hard not to offend; I try harder not to be offended.” Those are good words to live by.
Two Short Videos That Will Change Your Mood: I seldom recommend videos, but some deserve a shout out. The first – which will make you cry – reports a surprise celebration for Nichola Winton, who rescued fifty Jewish children from the Nazis – and did not mention it to anyone, including his wife. The second – which will make you smile – is a flash mob rendition of the song, “Every Praise,” which I searched for after hearing a Gospel Choir sing it last Sunday afternoon at the 118th anniversary celebration for First Baptist Church of Lake Forest.
Closing Prayer: Only now am I beginning to be a disciple. May nothing of powers visible or invisible prevent me, that I may attain unto Jesus Christ. Come fire and cross and grapplings with wild beasts, the rending of my bones and body, come all the torments of the wicked one upon me. Only let it be mine to attain unto Jesus Christ. Amen. (Ignatius of Antioch (35 – 107)
October 26, 2018
Happy Friday:
The earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2
Assessing Your Trajectory? We grow older. Between today and our death, aging is inevitable. The question is, do we also grow wiser? Are you “getting better”? Are you becoming more Christ-like? Many stop growing decades before their death. Peter did not. The letters he wrote not long before he was martyred (i.e., First and Second Peter) are so profound – and the Greek so polished and learned – that liberal religion professors argue they could not have been written by the impetuous and uneducated fisherman on display in the Gospels. But they were. Peter simply kept learning and growing. Are you?
Our Combined Total: This past weekend, my niece’s husband (Aaron) ran The Rim to Rim to Rim – which means he ran down one side of the Grand Canyon, across the valley, up the other side, back down, back across and back up to where he began. It took him 14 hours to cover the 55 miles. On the same weekend, one of my brothers ran a half marathon. I will always remember this weekend as the time when Aaron, Mark and I combined to run 71 miles.
Reunion Thoughts 2.0. A few weeks back, I shared about my 40th high school reunion – noting my encouragement at how many of my former classmates have come to a vital faith in Christ. I have shared similar things about my fraternity reunions, where so many are now following Christ that one of the lone hold outs asked if this was a fraternity reunion or a God-Squad meeting. I share all of this to say, I graduated from high school and college a bit discouraged that God had not answered more prayers for the conversion of friends. I needed a longer time horizon. We should not expect to plant and harvest on the same day.
Temptation: I am speaking on the Seventh Commandment this weekend – i.e., do not commit adultery. I am not about to suggest that I am immune to sexual temptation, but I suspect that one of my greatest temptations is to substitute what I’m doing for God for my time with God.
The Gospel: BTW, because we are all Pelagians at heart, let me remind you: we do not love God in order to be “purified”; we love God because our soul has been purified through the work of another (Christ).
What Undoes a Church? The headwinds blowing against churches have picked up. That is reason enough to ask, what causes a church to fail? Is it: bad preaching, a declining budget, the lack of a good smoke machine? No, it is slander, envy, deceit, malice, hypocrisy.
Three Insights from Keller. I spent last Friday at a conference designed to mobilize church planting efforts in North America. One of the speakers, Tim Keller, picked up on the work of Leslie Newbigen to argue that we must develop: 1) a Christian high theory and apologetic; 2) a truly Post Christendom Evangelism dynamic; 3) a category-defining Christian social project; 4) a counter catechism movement; and 5) “grace to the point.” In a future update I plan to develop what he said, which was a bit darker than I have heard him in the past. For now, let me share three of his observations: 1) Today’s culture is five to ten times stronger than it was 20 years ago. Meanwhile, the Christian subculture is growing weaker; 2) We should expect / prepare for a Western culture that is unrecognizable in five years; and 3) Modern efforts to be free are not working. As a result, we are left with: values that are relative, relationships that are transactional, and identities that are hyper fragile. (More to follow.)
Part of the Problem: It used to be that Ds and Rs agreed on the goal, they simply disagreed on means – i.e., both thought we should help the poor. The Ds wanted to raise taxes on the wealthy to provide aid, while the Rs thought it best to cut taxes so the economy would lift up more people. This is a simplistic summary. I share it only to say, the Ds and Rs now seldom agree on any goals.
Quotes Worth Requoting: On Wednesday of this week, two of the devotionals I read cited English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous phrase about the glory of God via nature. I am passing it along: Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God: But only he who sees takes off his shoes, the rest sit ’round it and pluck blackberries.
Gratitude: This week’s update is late because I ended up spending time in an ICU waiting room in Iowa. I am thankful to report that the brother-in-law we gathered around is trending well. I am also thankful that the extended family stepped up. We need each other! We need families to be strong. And we also need to be reminded that life is short, eternity is not and the opportunity to make a difference is now.
Prayer Requests: Given my brief summary from Keller and the upcoming elections, there are obvious prayer requests. To all of this, may I add the ongoing prayer that the Holy Spirit would draw us into a greater intimacy with Himself and that we would be willing to obey His guidance in all things.
Closing Prayer: Lord, strengthen me with heavenly courage, that I may fight against pleasures and vanities that harm the soul. I do not expect or ask that trials and sorrows should cease. I ask only that, in your strength, I resist the temptations to seek consolation in sin. For I know that only by clinging to the gospel of righteousness, and by grasping at your eternal grace, can I ever experience true and lasting joy. Thomas a Kempis (1380 – 1471)
October 19, 2018
Happy Friday:
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Ps. 20:7
Idol Alert: David committed adultery with Bathsheba, arranged for the murder of her husband, then lied about his sins to cover them up. In spite of all this, God allowed him to continue as King. By contrast, Solomon (his son) worshipped other gods and lost it all. Idolatry is that dangerous and its consequences that severe. Who – or what – are you worshipping today?
Build on the Rock: Every hurricane (tornado, tsunami, etc.) inflicts massive damage… and yet one or two homes remain standing. Hurricane Michael was no different. Click here to see what I mean. And then ponder what Jesus said in the parable about building on rock not sand (Matthew 7:24-27). BTW, I read an interview with the owner of a home that survived when those of his neighbors did not. He claimed the differing results were easy to explain. He’d built his home to code and they had not. That leads me to ask, “Am I building my home per Christ’s code or not?”
No Secrets: During a recent staff training on ethnic diversity, we watched this five minute video – which I recommend. As an aside, be aware that when you spit in a tube so your DNA can be mapped and you can learn your lineage, you often learn something else. Two weeks ago I was asked for advice when a college student learned that she had cousins that she did not know about. Apparently Grandpa had not been as faithful as everyone assumed.
What’s Not Being Talked About: Occasionally I try to identify what is not being talked about. This week’s nomination is… neighbors. Remember them? Many of us know a lot more about what is going on around the world than we do across the street. I decided to take a small step to fight that, so last night I invited a dozen men from the neighborhood over for burgers. By the way, my quiet, dull suburban neighborhood is a testimony to globalism. Within six houses of me live: Niket, who was born in India; Sinan, who was born in Turkey; and Slavo, who was born in the Ukraine.
Dads, Read This!: Following this week’s sermon on the Fifth Commandment – in which I told a story about saving a voice mail message from my Dad in which he said, “I love you and I’m proud of you,” a man told me this story. “I was at a men’s retreat. The speaker handed out a sheet of paper and said, ‘I want you to take five minutes and think about what you wish your Dad would say to you. Then write it on the sheet of paper and fold it up.’ Sometime later he told us to ‘take out the sheet of paper in which you wrote, I love you and I’m proud of you.’ The speaker knew that is what we’d write. And indeed, it is what every man at that retreat had written.” Dads, set aside what you wish your Dad had said to you. When is the last time you told your kids, “I love you and I’m proud of you.”?
Huxley > Orwell: London journalist, Guy Davies, recently complained that everyone is reading George Orwell’s 1984 when they should be ready Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. I agree. So does Neal Postman. He ends the introduction to his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, by arguing that Orwell got it wrong, but that Huxley, the author of Brave New World, got it right. Many people believe they were both saying essentially the same thing because both describe rather bleak scenarios of very little freedom. But, as Postman points out, in Orwell’s nightmare people are overcome by an externally imposed oppression.
“But in Huxley’s vision no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think…What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be not one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny ‘failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distraction.’. In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us. This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.”
By the way, ten years ago I preached a sermon on the idol of entertainment, in which I ended with Postman’s quote. If you want to read that sermon, it is here.
Store Up God’s Word: When Jesus was tempted by Satan, he met every assault with a quotation from Deuteronomy. While carrying his cross, he cited Hosea. And as he was dying in agony, his words came from Psalm 22 and 31. The Word incarnate was so saturated with the Word written that it shaped how he faced every challenge. There are other stress management options available – relaxation techniques, positive thinking, b-mod exercises, etc. – but to His way of thinking, they were secondary to meditating on God’s Word.
Quotes Worth Requoting: Have you never tasted the luxury of indulging in hard thoughts against those who have, as you think, injured you? Have you never known what a positive fascination it is to brood over their unkindnesses, and to pry into their malice, and to imagine all sorts of wrong and uncomfortable things about them? It has made you wretched, of course, but it has been a fascinating sort of wretchedness that you could not easily give up. Hannah Whitehall Smith
Keller on Politics – Take Two: Last week I referenced a Christianity Today interview with Tim Keller. That link generated enough positive comments that I am citing a related New York Times editorial, entitled, “How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t.” If you want to read it, you can access it here.
Gratitude: I’m excited to report that the Open Mic Night we hosted to help mobilize a team to launch a multiethnic church in Highwood, drew a lot more people than expected. And the team we sent to India came back jazzed by some of the investments we made. (Our work in NE India is designed to help women who are being trafficked, and in particular, their children).
Closing Prayer: Most kind Jesus, grant me Your grace; Let it dwell in me, work in me, and abide in me to the end. Let Your will be mine, and let my will ever be conformed wholly to Your own. Grant that I may die to all things in this world, and for Your sake love to be despised and unknown. Grant me, above all else, to rest in You. For You are the heart’s true peace, its sole abiding place. In You, the sole, supreme, and eternal Good, I will dwell and take my rest. Amen. Thomas a ‘Kempis
October 12, 2018
Happy Friday
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. Psalm 119:7f
These Seven words Will Change Your Life: I hate headlines that make such outlandish promises. They make me feel, well, like you feel right now. You know that seven words are not going to change your life. The headline is a ploy, and yet… it does make you curious, so you scan ahead. I did. And I hope you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was when you see what seven words I am talking about. They come from I Samuel 3:10. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. (In the same vein, I also appreciate the 12 word Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner).
Why So Few: Max Lucado makes this surprising observation: “Jesus healed hundreds, fed thousands, but so far as we know, He only raised three: the daughter of Jairus, the boy near Nain, and Lazarus. Why so few?” Lucado offers these possibilities: “Could it be because He knew He’d be doing them no favors? Could it be because He couldn’t get any volunteers? Could it be that once someone is there, the last place they want to return to is here.”
My Fortieth High School Reunion: I spent last Friday evening with one hundred old friends (pun intended) from the United Township High School graduating class of 1978. It was our fortieth reunion. I’d been to two previous reunions – my 10th and 25th. The 40th was better, largely because most – though not all – have given up trying to impress others. I had two take-aways: 1) Most people’s lives make sense. By which I mean, while it is impossible to predict what people will do when they are 18, when you reconnect with them forty years later and hear what they’ve done, you think, “Yeah, that makes sense. Mark is a doctor, Steve is a pilot and Jude lives in Hollywood. I should have seen all of that coming.” 2) I am thankful for how many have come to faith. As with my college fraternity brothers, I wish I had adopted a longer view earlier on. Many who say “no” to Christ when they first seriously consider his claims, are really only saying, “ not yet.” I was often discouraged at who wasn’t interested. Forty years later, they are all in.”
Detroit: I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit with David Weil – who leads our work in North Chicago. We went to observe four ministries we’d heard good things about. As you likely know, the Motor City has had a rough ten years: the population dropped from 2 million to under 700K. This has left entire neighborhoods – and 70,000 homes – sitting vacant. Some say Detroit is back. But unless they are talking about quarterback Matt Stafford and the Lions, that’s not entirely true. The business corridor looks great. In fact, I ran along the river front and marveled at how nice, clean, safe and vibrant the core is. But many of the neighborhoods are in rough shape. And given the fact that 93% of kids are reading below grade level, 80% are living in concentrated poverty, 54% are living in actual poverty and unemployment is over forty percent, I’d say it’s not back. But be assured, as many were fleeing the Big D, some were running towards the fire. We had a chance to spend time with wise, thoughtful and humble people doing thoughtful, bold and important things. The light of Christ shines very brightly in dark corners. I left encouraged and challenged.
Keller on Kavanaugh: For both of the last two Updates, I drafted comments about the political moment, but pulled them at the recommendation of proof readers. Neither was partisan, but polarization is reaching such levels. that it’s probably best to save political observations to settings where you know you are being clear – i.e., not emails. That said, I do feel strongly enough about a Christianity Today interview with Tim Keller, and his efforts to navigate the moment, to send it along. You can listen to it here.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- Most people mistakenly believe that all you have to do to stop working is not work. The inventors of the Sabbath understood that it was a much more complicated undertaking. You cannot downshift casually and easily, the way you might slip into bed at the end of a long day. As the Cat in the Hat says, ”It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.” This is why the Puritan and Jewish Sabbaths were so exactingly intentional, requiring extensive advance preparation — at the very least a scrubbed house, a full larder and a bath. The rules did not exist to torture the faithful. They were meant to communicate the insight that interrupting the ceaseless round of striving requires a surprisingly strenuous act of will, one that has to be bolstered by habit as well as by social sanction. Judith Shulevitz, “Bring Back the Sabbath,” The New York Times, 2003.
- How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it . . . You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own little plot is always played. You would find yourself under a freer sky, in a street full of splendid strangers. G.K Chesterton, Orthodoxy (1908)
- No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it — not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ — because He was the only man who neveryielded to temptation — is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means. He is the only complete realist. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
- Busyness is moral laziness [because it is often a statement of our self-importance and our excuse to be inattentive to people]. . . . But God has given us just enough time to do what we need to do moment by moment to respond to him. And his grace is there; it is eternally present. Every moment is a sacrament where time touches eternity and there is exactly enough time to do what God has called us to do. Bruce Hindmarsh.
Prayer Requests: Our efforts to help plant three churches overseas is moving forward. The team in Ghana is preparing to select a pastor and break ground on a small building. And a group of 25 professionals in Chennai is in the early stages of forming a launch team, hoping to assemble and train a team of 100 soon. Both need prayer.
Closing Prayer: Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you my whole being. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of your love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. Amen. Anselm, 1033 – 1109
October 5, 2018
Happy Friday:
Jesus is not a means to an end, He is the glorious end. Paul didn’t desire to depart to go to heaven, he desired to depart to be with Christ. Heaven would not be heaven – and salvation would not be salvation – without Christ.
Moses: This week I’ve been pondering the forty years Moses spent in the desert, mostly alone. I’ve watched enough people step “down” from big jobs to know that his transition from Pharaoh’s court to desert shepherd was unsettling. But is there any doubt that he became a better, nicer and more grounded person once he learned how to be alone?
Quotes Worth Requoting: “Buechner is my name. It is pronounced Beekner. If somebody mispronounces it in some foolish way, I have the feeling that what’s foolish is me. If somebody forgets it, I feel that it’s I who am forgotten. There’s something about it that embarrasses me in just the same way that there’s something about me that embarrasses me. I can’t imagine myself with any other name—Held, say, or Merrill or Hlavacek. If my name were different I would be different. When I tell somebody my name, I have given them a hold over me that he didn’t have before. If he calls it out, I will stop, look and listen, whether I want to or not. In the book of Exodus, God tells Moses his name is Yahweh, and God hasn’t had a peaceful moment since.”
A New Way to Be Behind: We used to fight a three-front battle: there were things to do, things to read and calls to be returned. Then came email. Now I’ve started to feel responsible for all of the videos and podcasts people send my way, and I don’t even bother with social media.
Holy and Joyful or Holy and Mean: I want to be holy – i.e., free of pride, greed, lust, envy, sloth and the like. However, when someone is described as being “holy”, I assume they are not much fun. In fact, I assume they are somber, self-righteous and a bit pinched. Why? Unless Christ is their focus – and their holiness is a by-product of their joy in Him -their external goodness is the result of a burdensome, lifeless, unsmiling morality. Truly holy, grace-changed may rightly be called, but they are more fun to be around than anyone.
I’m hoping for 27: What do I want most in heaven? I know the right answer – Jesus. But there are times when I’m quite drawn to the promise of a perfect, resurrection body. Over the last two thousand years, there has been more than a bit of ink spilled over the question about how old we’ll be in heaven. It’s all speculation, of course. And the conversation is only marginally more valid than the debate over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. But I have a number, 27. In heaven I want to be 27 again.
Talking to Myself: Management and self-improvement books occasionally discuss the importance of “self-talk” – but they are hardly the first. Psalms 42, 43, 103, 104 and 116 are among several where the writer speaks to his own soul. “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” David talks to himself in order to direct himself to hope in God. Do yourself a favor and follow his example. (By the way, talking to yourself is acceptable. Answering yourself is another matter.)
Gratitude: Last week a golf tourney was held in honor of Jason Surber, with the proceeds being directed towards the Matthew Home initiative of ReNew Communities. Over $250K was raised.
Prayer Requests: Our country needs prayer, as do all those involved in leading her. Please pray also for David Weil and me as we spend two days in Detroit meeting with those overseeing some of the leading inner city ministries there. We are going to benchmark the work we are doing in and around North Chicago.
Closing Prayer: This is a Greek Orthodox prayer from the 8th century: Almighty God, you are Lord of time and have neither beginning nor end: You are the redeemer of souls, the foundation of human reason and the guardian of our hearts; through all that you have created you have revealed your indescribable power; receive, O Lord, our supplication, provide fully for the needs of each one of us and make us worthy of your goodness. For your name is worthy of all honor and greatness and is to be glorified with hymns and blessing, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever, to the ages of ages, Amen.
September 28, 2018
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. Psalm 103:8f
The Leadership Challenge: In my devotional reading, I’ve been retracing the steps of Moses. You likely know the basics – forty years in Pharaoh’s court, forty years in the desert and then forty years leading the people. Two things have struck me recently. First, Moses does not appear to spend much time musing about leadership – and we know he wasn’t taping into the leadership books, blogs or podcasts we are swimming in. He just led.(And apparently reflected and grew on his own). The second thing is: his biggest leadership struggle was himself.
Moral Residue: Last week a friend noted that her work environment has been so demanding – and has provided so few chances for people to catch up or do their best work – that many of her colleagues are suffering from “moral residue”. I was unfamiliar with the term.It refers to the toll accrued when we do not do our best work, either because there is too much work to do, or because we are exhausted.I am leery of new maladies, but it sure seems that what she describes is real. I certainly feel the need to wash off a bit of moral residue at the moment.
John Stott’s Trinitarian Prayer: Of all the things I am asked to send to people, nothing rivals the frequency with which I am asked for “the John Stott prayer”. This wonderful – and wonderfully trinitarian – prayer is supposedly the first thing John said every morning. I have used it hundreds (thousands?) of times. I reprint it here after being asked for it again yesterday.
Good morning heavenly Father, good morning Lord Jesus, good morning Holy Spirit. Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe. Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world. Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God. Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence and please you more and more.Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God, have mercy upon me. Amen.
Gandhi and Christianity:I was recently reminded of the great quote attributed to Gandhi, “I like the Christ of the Christians, but not the Christians of the Christ.” After checking, it’s not clear that he said it. Nevermind, others have said very similar things. And tragically, others have made similar observations.
Tiger Redux: After a five year hiatus, Tiger won last weekend’s Tour Championship. This was his 80thwin, which puts him two behind all-time leader, Sam Snead. In honor of his return from a physical, emotional and moral graveyard, I am posting this clip of his walk down the 18th fairway– it’s quite a moment. I am also posting a talk I gave shortly after his life imploded.The title is (was), Learning from Tiger.
From Christian Rock to Christians in Rock. In his literary blog, Micah Mattix noted that half of Billboard’s list of the twenty most popular rock songs of 2017 are by bands noted for their faith in God. Mattix suggests that this has much to do with faith no longer seeming alien to popular music. He also notes that this “makes Christian bands harder to ignore, and at times harder to identify.” Hmm, does this mean Christian rock triumphed, or that it’s gone soft.
Constantinople: On a visit to Turkey several years ago, I asked to be taken to Constantinople – more specifically, to the site where the Council of Nicaea was held. My driver told me I’d be disappointed, then drove me past a small history marker along a busy road – not far from a gas station. Thankfully, that sign is coming down.Last week, archeologists announced the discovery of the ruins of the church where the Council was held. They are under a lake, but that is better than next to a gas station! For more about the find,click here.
Prayer Requests:When I am tempted to whine about how hard ministry is these days, I think about the persecuted church around the world. China is large enough that everything you hear about it is possibly true, which means that there are some places where the government is allowing the church to thrive. But it does appear as though religious freedom is abating. Pray for the church in China. Pray for her leaders, and pray that she grows during this current moment in ways similar to her growth during the Cultural Revolution.
Closing Prayer: Lord, help me not care so much about what others think of me. And help me not to even care so much about what I think of myself. Remind my heart that when you look on me you find me “in Christ” and see beauty. Let me rest in that.Tim Keller
September 21, 2018
Happy Friday
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. The Apostle Paul, Letter to Colossians, Chapter 3
More Habits Four and Five Please: Not quite thirty years ago, Stephen Covey published The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I recently reread it, and it was as good as I remembered. The habits are: 1) be proactive; 2) begin with the end in mind; 3) put first things first; 4) think win-win; 5) seek first to understand, then to be understood; 6) synergize and 7) sharpen the saw. Oh for a bit more win-win and seeking first to understand.
What Ails Us? According to Jon Cramanica’s piece in The New York Times, the problem in America right now is a dearth of in-depth celebrity profiles. “Taylor Swift hasn’t given a substantive interview for at least two years.” Silly me, I was under the impression we had bigger concerns.
Bad Religion: When religion goes bad it’s toxic. How does this happen? One way happens when religious people make big things small and small things big. Have you done either recently?
Trending: Everywhere I look right now, I’m seeing articles about rest and restoration – e.g., this week Bezos joined Arianna Huffington in advocating eight hours of sleep. I suspect I am noticing these in part because I’ll soon be preaching on the fourth commandment (and I’m feeling a bit skittish about it. This is the one I break the most brazenly). I am skimming all references to test a theory: as much as discussions of rest found in Inc, HBR and Huffington Post appear to overlap with the fourth commandment, the popular press sells rest by promising that we’ll actually get more done. In contrast, God invites us to enjoy His goodness.
Pondering: I had lunch this week with Greg Forster, a professor at the local seminary. Greg’s first PhD – which was in political theory at Yale – explored how a society works (or doesn’t) when there is no shared religion. His second PhD looks at the same question from a theological perspective. I walked away unsettled by three of his observations: 1) modern society requires churches that it is no longer able to protect; 2) modern Americans appreciate both the individual and society, but seldom the institutions in the middle (e.g., the local church); 3) when societies flounder there are three options – fight, flight or revival.
The Plimsoll Line: One of the more memorable – and unique – illustrations about rest, involves a 19thcentury British social reformer named Plimsoll. Frustrated by the number of seamen who lost their life each year because unscrupulous merchants insisted on overloading transportation boats, he crusaded for legislation to prevent it. In 1873 Parliament passed the Merchant Shipping Act, which required all ships to have a line painted around their hulls (a Plimsoll Line). If it was below the waterline the ship was overloaded and the owners fined. (It would be nice to have a Plimsoll Line painted on our calendar).
Freshman Orientation: Colleges regularly require incoming freshmen to participate in a First-Year Experience, which often centers around a book. In this piece, John Tierney complains that the selected books are seldom classics or works of great literature. He posits that they are selected less to orient than to indoctrinate.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. Oliver Wendell Holmes
- He (the devil) always sends errors into the world in pairs – pairs of opposites… He relies on your extra dislike of one to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors. We have no other concern than that with either of them. C.S. Lewis
Reasons to Be Thankful: Good things are happening at the church. Awana and MOPS are among the programs with record enrollment. The Cancer and Divorce Care groups are offering love and grace to those who wished they didn’t qualify for the attention; Route 6:6 just celebrated its 15th anniversary, and the staff are in a good spot. There are challenges, but it’s been a good week.
Prayer Requests: Churches in Chicago are organizing for an all-Chicago, church-based outreach called Explore God Chicago. It pivots around the Seven Big Questions. The goal is to have 1,000 or more. I am aware that efforts to push back the night are met with push back.
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)
September 14, 208
Happy Friday
Our thinking about God should always be done in the shadow of the cross.
Quiet #38: Sheri and I spent part of last week in Michigan. Our trip started at the Ford Presidential Library in Grand Rapids. Having visited the libraries for Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and Clinton, we know the president (and his advocates) control the narrative – e.g., there is little at Nixon’s library about Watergate or at Clinton’s about Monica – you show up knowing this. Ford had his issues (not very exciting, lots of vetoes, the pardon of Nixon) but you come away really liking him. His understated library gives off a low-key, honest, stabilizing vibe. It’s hard to say much about Ford without it seeming like it’s a comment on Trump. But the Ford Library reminds you of what quiet and calming leadership looks like.
My Dad / Union City: After the Ford Museum we went to Union City to accept an honor for my late father. Union City – a small Michigan village located not far from Battle Creek (next to Hodunk and Cold Water if that helps) – is where my Dad grew up. If he ever talked about being on an undefeated, untied high school football team, I missed it. But when he was a sophomore their high school football and basketball teams had perfect seasons. I had not been in Union City for fifty years. I wanted to get back while some people who remembered him could show me around. It was great, and made better by the fact that two of my cousins – who I had not seen in fifty years – were there in honor of their Dad (my Uncle) who was on the same team.
Worth Pondering: Jesus disappointed his family, his friends, the disciples, the crowds and the religious leaders. It wasn’t that he was selfish. He simply knew who he was, who God was and what mattered.
This Week’s Sign of the Apocalypse: A study was done on the effects of talk radio. For three months, those on the left listened to radio hosts on the right, while those on the right listened to those on the left. The result? Those on the left moved a bit further to the left, and those on the right moved a lot further to the right.
If You Need to Laugh: When the stresses of life and ministry overwhelm me, I pray and go for a long run. (Note: “long” used to refer to distance. Now it refers to the time it takes me to run a not so long distance). That is usually enough. When it’s not, I look for something that will help me laugh. The next time you’re looking for something along those lines, click here.
Fake News: I recently read that twenty percent of news stories are “fake.” That seems high. Indeed, if you avoid the tabloids, Alex Jones and The Onion, that seems really high. Which made me think: the claim that twenty percent of news is fake news, is fake news. Which led me to think, maybe twenty percent isn’t high.
Self Awareness: An awareness of yourself is critical for a healthy, growing relationship with God – so says everyone:
- How can you draw near to God when you are far from your own self. Augustine, 400 AD
- No one can know God who does not first know himself. Meister Eckhart, 13th century
- Almost all problems in the spiritual life stem from a lack of self-knowledge. St. Teresa of Avila
- Our wisdom consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together with many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. John Calvin
Other Quotes Worth ReQuoting:
- Sick families don’t have friends, they have secrets. Jack Deere
- It is not the strength of our faith, but the object that actually saves us. Tim Keller
Text Don’t Call: In 2012, we sent 14.7 trillion text messages. Last year that number grew to 28.2 trillion. If you care to read about this – i.e., learn why texting is still cool whereas email is not!– click here.
Prayer Requests: We kick off the fall series – What If: Conversations for a Better World – this weekend. I’m excited. Our organizational work around launching a second-generation Hispanic service is ongoing.
Closing Prayer: Pardon us, O Lord, pardon us. We beg to shift the blame for our sins, we make excuses. But no one can hide himself from the light of your truth, which both enlightens those who turn to it, and exposes those who turn away. Even our blood and our bones are visible to you, who created us out of dust. How foolish are we to think that we can rule our own lives, satisfying our own desires, without thought of you. How stupid we are to imagine that we can keep our sins hidden. But although we may deceive other people, we cannot deceive you. And since you see into our hearts, we cannot deceive ourselves, for your light reveals to us our own spiritual corruption. Let us, therefore, fall down before you, weeping with tears of shame. May your judgments give new shape to our souls. May your power mould our hearts to reflect your love. May your grace infuse our minds, so that our thoughts reflect your will. Amen (William of Saint Thierry 1065 – 1148)