September 7, 2018
It is only God’s opinion of us that counts or will prevail.
September Mourn: Last week I lamented the arrival of September. I’m not alone. A pastor friend told me that every September he likes to go to the train station to watch something that he doesn’t ave to get behind and push to get it moving.
The Desert Fathers: In the third century, Christian-ascetics moved into the desert. Those who have heard of the Desert Fathers assume they did so in order to escape the corrupting influences of society and more successfully pursue God. This is partly true. But those who’ve read the Desert Fathers writings know that what these nomads understood quite well was, when they were alone in the desert they would be forced to face the fact that their real problems were inside them. Jesus said as much in Matthew 15.
Running and Walking: A WSJ article on “running as you age”, explained the need for “reverse fartleks”. After noting that one can tell a runner from a non-runner by their response to the word “fartlek” (non-runners snicker, runners do not), the author explained that those who want to keep running into their 70s, should break up their runs with periods of walking – i.e., a reverse fartlek. I have no idea if I will be able to keep running in my 60s, to say nothing of my 70s. But I am glad to learn that walking during my runs puts me on the cutting edge of science. And that is the only reason I do it. I am not walking because I am old and tired. I walk during my runs in order to comply with the latest insights from science.
Aretha Franklin didn’t have a will. I’ve mentioned this before, but as a pastor, I attend to families where people have prepared for death (i.e., talked about it, had a will, etc.) and I have walked into the chaos that can follow those who died having given their death no thought. Do everyone a favor – including me if you’re thinking I will do your funeral: face your death, make provisions for your family and have a will.
Silence: I recently heard an interview with Erling Kagge, an adventurer, philosopher, and the first person to walk to the North Pole, South Pole and summit Everest alone. He said that for the first few days, the silence is awful. But after that, you settle down and the silence is wonderful. For what it’s worth, Kagge finds the visual noise of modern life more disruptive than the auditory. He also reports that one of the things he stops doing when he is alone is swear. He has heard others say the same thing and the common theory is that swearing is too negative to be part of any solo adventure in a high risk area.
Money Really Can’t Buy Happiness: An article in the New York Times reports that, “Real per capita income has more than tripled since the late 1950s, but the percentage of people saying they are very happy has, if anything, slightly declined”. Why? A Harvard study tracked a group of men for close to eighty years. Their findings? “It’s not money or status but strong interpersonal relationships that led to the greatest life satisfaction”. This is not surprising considering we were made in the image of a God who has always existed in the perfect fellowship of Himself. By the way, I keep reading about the great wealth creation that has happened in the last thirty years. This week I read that US stocks have increased from $5 trillion in ’88 to $31T today. Really? I’m sure the math is right, but I’m skeptical. Have we added $25 trillion dollars of value to the US economy in the last thirty years?
Quote Worth Requoting:
- Most couples don’t choose to drift apart, they just fail to plan to keep growing together. Gary Thomas
- What marks out God above all false gods is that they are not capable and ready for humility. In their otherworldliness and supernaturalness the gods are a reflection of the human pride which will not unbend, which will not stoop to that which is beneath it. God is not proud. In His high majesty He is humble. Karl Barth
- Nothing has contributed to the progress of the superstition of the Christians as their charity to strangers… the impious Galileans provide not only for their own poor, but for ours as well. Roman Emperor Julian, who despised the Christian faith, complaining about its spread.
Prayer Requests:
- After watching a bit of the Kavanaugh hearings, I am again asking for prayer for our nation and her leaders. Holding things together will take God’s wisdom and favor.
- We are about to launch the fall series, What If: Conversations for a Better World. I will set things up this weekend and then we dive into Ten Commandments one at a time. The start of a new academic year is one of the times some are open to discover life with God.
- By the way, all kinds of things are kicking off right now. I am finishing this up on Thursday AM, where the folks at the Crossroads campus are gearing up for MOPS. They are expecting over seventy women, which means probably that many two and three year olds.
Closing Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. Amen. (Francis of Assisi
August 31, 2018
Happy Friday
Tomorrow is September! Mark Twain suggested that the difference between the right word and the “almost right word” is the difference between lightening and lightening bug. Related things could be said about the difference between August 31 and September 1. On the one hand, not that much. On the other, they are miles apart. September is here? September? Are you kidding me?
So Much More Than Sinless: Christians often use the negative, rather chilly and boring word, sinless to describe Jesus. Yes, but hardly! Sinless is lifeless and limiting. It tells us that he was not selfish, cruel or petty. But it does little to describe the one so magnetic that people thronged just to touch his clothes, or so joyful that being with him is compared to hanging out with bridegroom at a wedding.
The State of our Soul: This week I got a glimpse of a survey of 2,000 non-churched Americans. (Non-churched refers to the 150M Americans who have not been to a church in the last six months, other than to attend a wedding or funeral.) Those conducting analysis promise books on what they find. Among their initial insights, several things got my attention: 1) 33% of the unchurched were formerly churched; 2) 54% of them describe themselves as Christians; 3) 50% say they would respond favorably to an invitation back to church – indeed, one-third of them said they expect to be active at church again in the future. As to how they became unchurched in the first place: 1) 1/3 lost trust; 2) 1/3 lost interest; and 3) 1/3 had life-circumstances that made attending harder.
Perspective: It’s not hard to see “the bad”, after all, the dust of death touches everything. The challenge lies first in seeing the good. My decision to actively cultivate gratitude has helped me to see the good. It also draws me back to a journal entry made by Matthew Henry the day after he was mugged. “Let me be thankful, first, because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my wallet, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
Logos: In this three minute video on logos, we learn that they used to represent what companies did, but now they represent “who companies are”. Given that Nike’s swoosh and Apple’s apple are as ubiquitous as the cross, it’s worth pondering that odd statement for a bit. “Who companies are.”
The Class of 2022: Twenty years ago, Beloit College rolled out their first Mindset List, which they developed to remind professors that they were “teaching students not teaching courses” – and the students were changing! Over the years the list has generated lots of buzz. This is the last year with Beloit in charge. They go out as they came in, reminding us of how old we are and how fast the world is changing. Drum roll please: Freshman today… have no memory of 9/11, have never known a time when human beings were not living— not just traveling — in space, and have never known a time when same-sex marriage was not legal somewhere.
Wisdom: The Bible suggests that wisdom is more precious than gold. Pay attention and you realize that it’s also less common! Age, knowledge and experience do not make us wise. Reflection on age, knowledge and experience may lead to wisdom. But reflection is required.
Go Cubs. The only good thing to be said about the fact that it’s September, is that the Cardinals and Brewers are running out of time to catch the Cubbies.
Worth Reading: I whine because my job pulls me in opposite directions. On the one hand I am expected to be thoughtful, prayerful, contemplative and serene – all of which require reflection and quiet. On the other hand, I am also expected to lead a small enterprise – which requires meetings, memos, emails and budgets. I thought my experience was more unique than it is. In this Harvard Business Review article I see that it’s not. I also got some very helpful coaching.
Screens: Several years ago a friend noted that “as soon as a plane lands, everyone under thirty-five starts texting while most over thirty-five start talking on the phone.” Today very few make calls and even those over thirty-five start staring at a screen.
Reading: Speaking of planes and screens, in an article in The Guardian, Maryanne Wolf writes: Skim reading is the new normal, and that’s bad news: “Look around on your next plane trip. The iPad is the new pacifier for babies and toddlers. Younger school-aged children read stories on smartphones; older boys don’t read at all, but hunch over video games. Parents and other passengers read on Kindles or skim a flotilla of email and news feeds. Unbeknownst to most of us, an invisible, game-changing transformation links everyone in this picture: the neuronal circuit that underlies the brain’s ability to read is subtly, rapidly changing—a change with implications for everyone from the pre-reading toddler to the expert adult.”
Prayer Request / Update on REACH: Having done most of the leg work to help our partners plant churches in Istanbul, Chennai and Ghana, we are now focusing on Matthew Homes in North Chicago and a fourth site. Pray for all, in particular, for clarity around the location for site four.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. Annie Dillard
- It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy. John McCain
- One of the results of sin is that everything gets boring. We get tired of everything in life. But God never gets bored by life, he is life. What this means is that there’s no reason to worry that we’ll get bored in eternity. Not because we’ll be tricked or have our wills removed but because we’ll be more alive than ever before. G.K. Chesterton
Closing Prayer: Lord, I seek you with all my heart, with all my strength you have given me. I long to understand that which I believe. You are my only hope; please listen to me. Do not let my weariness lessen my desire to find you, to see your face. You created me in order to find you; you gave me strength to seek you. My strength and my weakness are in your hands: preserve my strength, and help my weakness. Where you have already opened the door, let me come in; where it is shut, open at my knocking. Let me always remember you, love you, meditate upon you, and pray to you, until you restore me to your perfect pattern. Amen. (Augustine)
August 24, 2018
Happy Friday
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:1)
What’s the Difference? Both Peter and Judas spent three years with Christ. Both denied him just days before his crucifixion. One is revered, the other reviled. Why? What makes them so different?
The Importance of Hope: Over the last few months, I have been talking with economists and politicians trying to figure out what’s to become of the Land of Lincoln. As you may know, Illinois is heading into an ugly fiscal storm. I’m trying to figure out how to prepare the church to serve well come what may. I’ve learned a lot – mostly about the state’s budget, what programs will likely be cut, what to watch for, etc. My biggest take-aways: 1) the importance of wise and selfless politicians; and 2) the importance of hope. Not optimism, but hope.
News About the News: Over the last several months, I attempted to “balance” my news intake by scanning lots of sources – e.g., The WSJ, NYT, NPR, FOX, Google, Huffington, The WA Post, various blogs, etc. The result? I’ve grown skeptical and depressed. I’ve also developed some views about the news: 1) Most reporters believe what they say, but what they really believe is that anyone who disagrees with them is an evil idiot; 2) when it comes to worldviews, no one lives in Geneva; and 3) we have a real problem on our hands. I realized just how much of a problem when I read up on Alex Jones. As you may know, a few weeks back, the Tech giants – Facebook, Google, Apple, et al. – decided to censure Jones and his show “Infowars”. This lit up the blogosphere with discussions about the First Amendment. My son encouraged me to watch a few minutes of Jones’s show before forming an opinion. I did. If you have 68 seconds, watch this. It’s entertaining, shocking, and impossible for me to describe. Jones claims the shooting at Sandy Hook featured child actors hired by the Obama Administration, that the U.S government dropped a “gay bomb” in Afghanistan and that the Clintons are running a pedophile ring out of a pizza shop. And here’s the kicker – as of two months ago, his YouTube channel had more subscribers than CNN had viewers.
We Are Not In Control: Last I checked: nearly 15,000 firefighters were battling blazes across the state of California; a 6.2 magnitude earthquake rattled the coast of Oregon and a significant hurricane was headed towards Hawaii. We may pretend we have things under control, but we do not. I am praying for the safety of those facing any event the insurance companies call, “an act of God”. I am also praying that these “Acts of God” lead people to realize how All-Mighty the Almighty is.
This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is Upon Us: Besides Alex Jones, there is this: the University of Akron announced that it is phasing out 80 degree programs in order to spend more on competitive video gaming. Among other things, they will open three facilities to accommodate varsity, club, and recreational gamers. The university said the centers would represent “the largest amount of dedicated eSports space of any university in the world to date”.
Quotes Worth Requoting: How many of us think we failed when, in reality, we quit. Erwin McManus
Phishing: Twice in the last week, I got calls from people responding to an email
that “doesn’t appear to be from you, but I am not sure.” One was sent by PasterMikeChristChurch@gmail.comand the other was from MikeWoodruffcclf@gmail.com. Neither of these are my email addresses. (Unlike whoever was phishing, I actually know how to spell “pastor”). My apologies if you were among those pinged. For what it’s worth, I do not have a gmail account; it was not my laptop that was hacked; and our I.T. department is trying to shut this down. By the way, it’s not lost on me that most of those who called said something to the effect that, “I didn’t think it was from you because it didn’t sound like you”. I finally asked someone, “What makes you say that? What do these letters ‘sound like’?” The response? “The email is very warm and friendly.” Ouch.
Bill and Bill: Syler Thomas, the long time Student Ministries Pastor at Christ Church, had an op/ed piece in this week’s Chicago Tribune. You do not want to miss it.
Two Wins: We took some ground on REACH Initiatives this week: 1) ReNew Communities secured another home in North Chicago, which means we now have four Matthew Homes in development in addition to the seven we have in place; {We are gaining momentum!}; 2) we had a great appreciation dinner for pastors from a dozen area churches. BTW, if you type “being a Pastor is hard” into Google, you get 26 million leads. (I was expecting 20 million, maybe even 21 million. But I think 26 million is excessive). Prayers in support of pastors who are overwhelmed – and many are – are appreciated.
Back to Peter and Judas: So, what does make Peter and Judas so different? In a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin, I’ll spell it out. Not R E S P E C T, but R E P E N T.
Closing Prayer: Oh God, by whom we are guided in judgment, and who raises up for us light in the darkness: grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do; that your Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
August 17, 2018
Happy Friday
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. Jesus (1 John 3:17-18)
Knowing God’s Will: Among the questions I am asked, one of the most common is: how can I know God’s will? My advice is pretty consistent: 1) pray; 2) study the Bible; 3) talk to godly and wise people; 4) fast. I then add two thing; 1) wait if you can, but step out when you need to make a decision; and 2) though I occasionally “hear” God’s voice (not audibly, but powerfully), most times I do not. However, I generally come away from the time of seeking him feeling that the process was a win, because it reshaped me. This week I heard someone say that we need to reach the point of “indifference,” which they said is wonderfully modeled by Mary. When the angel Gabriel tells her that she has found favor with God and will conceive and give birth to a son (Jesus), she says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Indifferent can be a blasé word. But that is not it’s tone here. Mary is not indifferent to her assignment. She is indifferent to her own agenda and willing to do whatever is asked. May we all move into that space.
What is America Asking? We can learn much about America by asking Google what Google is being asked. At this moment – i.e., six months through 2018 – the most common queries are about the following: in music – Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga; in pop culture – Matt Lauer and Meghan Markle; in tech – iPhone X; and in “general” two questions rise to the top: How do I make slime? And, how do I lose belly fat? By way of comparison, in 2017 we asked: How far can North Korean missiles go? How much will the wall cost? How many refugees are there in the world? And how do hurricanes form? In case you were wondering, the word most commonly typed into the Google search bar is… YouTube, followed by Amazon. Porn is number twenty.
This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is Upon Us: In “The Acceleration of Just About Everything,” James Gleick notes that, “the ‘close door’ button in an elevator is the one most likely to have the paint worn off.”
Higher Ed: According to a new poll, both left and right are mad at Higher Ed. Over 90 percent of Dems think it cost too much, while nearly three-fourths of Repubs believe the classroom is too politicized. The latter group also feels that “uncomfortable speech” is too restricted.
Quotes Worth Requoting: The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. Thoreau
Willow’s Global Summit: In last week’s update, I mentioned that I was attending Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit, albeit cautiously. Given their recent spate of problems, I wondered if they were positioned to teach others? I came away thinking the answer is yes. The event was not perfect, but after an opening apology – in which they accepted fault, vowed to get better and explained steps they were taking to be more transparent – they provided two days of helpful content and coaching. Notes from the summit are here.
Additional Questions: A few weeks back, I listed my Eight Big Questions. I also invited you to send me yours. Many of you did. A few stood out for me: 1) Will the pace of change slow down, or is an accelerating pace of change the new normal? 2) How will the US Presidency change after Trump? 3) When and how will tensions in the Middle East abate? 4) How does the aging, mostly financially unprepared to retire, population of the United States change our country?; 5) Given that global church leadership is shifting South and East, how will that change the nature and focus of the church?
Mission Impossible: I have two thoughts after seeing MI # 5 – Fallout. First, I am jealous of Tom Cruise’s ability to run and jump. He and I are the same age, and no amount of camera angles could make me look that cool. {BTW, when did Cruise become cool again? He was written off after jumping on Oprah’s couch. He’s back to being a box office draw. May we all rebound so well.} Second, I am unsettled by movie previews. It’s not that they leave me discouraged by how dark and mindless the upcoming movies are, it’s that they are so effective at making me want to see them all.
Prayer: Thanks for Praying for Serve Your City. We had close to 1,000 people serving at over forty projects. Good stuff.
Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, today I thought of the words of Vincent van Gogh: “It is true there is an ebb and flow, but the sea remains the sea.” You are the sea. Although I experience many ups and downs in my emotions and often feel great shifts and changes in my inner life, you remain the same. Your sameness is not the sameness of a rock, but the sameness of a faithful lover. Out of your love I came to life; by your love I am sustained, and to your love I am always called back. There are days of sadness and days of joy; there are feelings of guilt and feelings of gratitude; there are moments of failure and moments of success; but all of them are embraced by your unwavering love. Amen. Henri Nouwen (1932 – 1996).
August 10, 2018
Happy Friday
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” Isaiah 54:10. This week I had a chance to drive through Rocky Mountain National Park – which is spectacular. Both the mountains and the oceans make me (and my problems) feel wonderfully small. And they remind me of just how big God is. It is great to hear Him speak through Isaiah and say, “my love and commitment to you are bigger than the mountains.”
Be Thankful!: In previous updates, I’ve talked about journaling in general and my new habit of daily listing two things that I am thankful for – one in general and one specifically focused on Sheri. A recent article suggests that a “gratitude practice” has real benefits. According to research done at UC David Medical School: Keeping a gratitude diary for two weeks lowers both stress, depression and blood pressure. It also reduces feelings of hopelessness.
Who am I? A friend just returned from a three-month sabbatical. When I asked him for his biggest take-away, he said that while he’d gained a lot simply by reminding himself the order of his priorities – i.e., Christ-follower, husband, father, pastor, employee of the church, the real insight had come by realizing how each built on the other. “I can’t be a good employee if I am not a good pastor; I can’t be a good pastor unless I am a good father; I can’t be a good father unless I am a good husband; and I can’t be a good husband unless I am a faithful disciple. Everything I want to do and be grows out of more diligently focusing on Christ.”
Think like a farmer not like a student. In college we learn to cram a semester’s worth of material into our head days before the final exam. Unfortunately, that is not really a life-skill. Those who survive and thrive learn to think like farmers, not college students. And farmers know that if you want to harvest in the fall you have to plant in the spring. What are you planting right now?
Willow: I’ve not yet said anything about Bill Hybels and Willow Creek, but after last weekend’s NYT piece, it feels like I should say something. Am I surprised by Bill’s behavior and duplicity? Yes. Completely? No. I am very sad and very mad, but not very surprised. Why not? 1) I am aware that few people live up to their public image; 2) I’ve been in ministry long enough that I’ve stopped being surprised by sin; 3) I was aware that Bill had a hard time holding onto senior staff (which suggested something wasn’t quite right); and 4) I am aware of the darkness in my own dark heart. I am praying for the Hybels family and for those left picking up the pieces. I have learned a lot from Hybels and Willow – indeed, this week I am finishing this update from Willow’s campus, where I am attending the Global Leadership Summit. But the question I am asking is, how much of the leadership model he promoted is flawed. (More to follow.)
Fiftieth: I was in Colorado this week to officiate at a renewal of fiftieth wedding vows. It was great fun. Renewals can be a gift to children and grandchildren. This one was. As I have mentioned before, it’s one thing for beautiful, star-eyed twenty-somethings to say, “I do”. Those who have been married more than a few weeks know that the couple making the pledge have no idea what they are signing up for. (They not only do not really understand marriage, they hardly know the person they are marrying). It’s another thing for those who have weathered the challenges of five decades to say, “there is no one I’d rather replay my life with than you.”
The Bachelor is 1 for 22. In a move from the sublime to the ridiculous: after 22 seasons on the air, it turns out that only one of the couples matched on The Bachelor are still together. Apparently speed dating in a hot tub seldom leads to fifty year vow renewals.
Quotes Worth ReQuoting:
- Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Charles Spurgeon
- Eaglets do not learn how to fly by flying, they learn how to fly by falling. T.D. Jakes.
Prayer Requests:
- One of the REACH initiatives at Christ Church is helping three of our global partners plant churches. At the moment: 1) those mobilizing to plant a church in Sogakope, Ghana (a suburb of Ackra) are selecting the church planter to lead this effort; 2) the leaders of the initiative in Chennai, India are training the team that will launch this fall.
- A second REACH initiative is donating 100,000 volunteer hours into the community. We are on the way of meeting this goal. And we are hoping to take steps forward this Sunday during Serve Your City. The hope is that over 1,000 people will be serving at one of 40 different work sites in Lake County. Please pray for good weather.
- Pray for Willow.
Closing Prayer: Holy Spirit dwell in me, that I may become prayer. Whether I sleep or wake, eat or drink, labour or rest, may the fragrance of prayer rise, without effort, in my heart. Purify my soul and never leave me, so that the movements of my heart and mind may, with voices full of sweetness, sing in secret to God. Amen.
St. Isaac the Syrian (7th Century)
August 3, 2018
Happy Friday
During a sabbatical ten years ago, I spent three months focused on Jesus. It was remarkable. Going into the time, I was a bit worried that my focus on Jesus might prove limiting. I even wondered if I’d learn much. I ended up feeling like I’d done little more than splash my toe in a deep ocean. The more I looked, the more wonderful, majestic, amazing and unique He became. I was reminded of that time this week when I ran across this quote: “Jesus has satisfied the mind and heart of our infinite God for eternity. If we are bored with Jesus, it is blindness to who He is.”
Unity: Between the time Judas betrayed him and his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for unity among his followers.Think about that for a moment. Even though he had already been betrayed once, and would be betrayed again, he still believed in the possibility of unity among his followers. His prayer was, “protect them … so they can be one.”(John 17:11). It was not, “protect them so they can preach the Gospel or defeat evil or build the kingdom.” As worthy as those endeavors might have been, Jesus prayed, “protect them so that they may be one.” Perhaps it is only in unity that we can see any of those things happen.
The Latest Fad: More than 125 million people now play the online video game, Fortnite. And according to the Wall Street Journal, parents are less concerned about the game’s violence – or it’s addictive nature – than they are with the possibility that their kids might not be any good at it. As a result, a new industry is emerging. It is made up of Fortnite coaches.
The Bix: Last Saturday, Austin (our oldest son) and I went to Davenport, Iowa to run in the 44th Bix 7. About eighteen thousand others joined us. I ran in one of the earliest Bix races forty years ago, and have run in 24 since then. I now finish way back in the pack – somewhere just behind the Elvises and moms pushing strollers and just ahead of the guys on stilts – which means The Bix is more an event than a race. But it’s a blast. The course is lined with bands, choirs and fans and the out-and-back design means you get to see the leaders race by. I plan to run my 25th Bix on Saturday, July 27, 2019. If you plan to run it, let me know. If we get enough people from Christ Church, I’ll have t-shirts made up.
Every Church Needs a Cemetery. Zoning laws make it impossible for most churches to have a cemetery. But I wish they could. There is something grounding about walking to church past the graves of your ancestors. It forces you to face your mortality and helps keep other things in perspective. I was involved in two funerals last week. One for a Fortune 500 CEO. The other for a 95 year old affectionately known as “Aunt Boo”. Thoughts of heaven featured prominently in both. After the second, I went back to reread the end of The Last Battle, in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. As the story draws to a conclusion, with (spoiler alert!) the tragic deaths of the children who have been in Narnia, Lewis reflects on heaven. “All their life in this world and all their adventures had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
On this Day in History: 526 years ago, Columbus set out from Spain with the Santa María, Pinta and Niña. 84 years ago, Adolph Hitler declared himself “Führer”. For better or worse, some people make things happen.
Eight Big Questions: Over the last few weeks, I’ve been assembling a list of “big questions”. These are not the “ultimate questions” such as, What ultimately matters? Who am I? What is expected of me? What happens when I die? But they are big questions all the same. I believe that if we could answer these eight, we’d know quite a lot about how the next ten years will unfold.
- Will the US embrace a principled pluralism – i.e., will we find ways to peacefully co-exist or will the culture wars escalate? At the moment, the left is moving further left and the right is moving further right, and both sides are acting as if this is a winner take all contest. Can the center hold, and if it doesn’t, what happens next?
- Will moderate Muslims regain control of Islam, or will the world’s second largest religion be controlled by the radicals? And if it’s the latter, how do we avoid the “clash of civilizations” Samuel Huntington forecasted?
- What is the future of the church? The mainline church in the West has been in decline for decades. In recent years, evangelicals have lost favor and momentum. But the church in Africa, Asia and Latin America is exploding. How does what is happening over there affect here? How does the church here navigate the present moment? Who emerges to shape the next ten years?
- How real is climate change? I’ve avoided reading much about climate change because the answers are shaped more by politics than science, and because I do not understand the science. But there can be little doubt that changes in our weather are having consequences, and some think devastating consequences are coming. How much of this is man-made and what should be done?
- How will local, state, national and international governments deal with growing debt levels? To make this more personal, how will Illinois deal with the dark storm clouds of unfunded pension commitments?
- What happens to those whose jobs are eliminated by Artificial Intelligence? I’ve read Utopian and Dystopian scenarios about my life once machines are smarter than I am. Which is it?
- Where does the sexual revolution lead? Where does sex go next? What happens to marriage? The family? To what extent will sexual expression drive identity? How much will gender fluidity become mainstream?
- Can everyone keep their hands off the button? Nine countries have nukes. Will more join the list? Will those who have them be able to avoid using them, or will our planet be visited by colossal destruction?
There are other questions that deserve honorable mention – i.e., Are we entering a new cold war with Russia? Will block chain live up to its hype? What is the future of higher ed?, etc. – but these are my eight. If you have questions you think deserve to be listed, send them my way. Thanks.
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 temptation 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. Amen. Thomas a Kempis (1380–1471)
July 27, 2018
Happy Friday
Jesus instructs us to love our enemies. This does not mean we must turn them into friends – which is what we are inclined to do (principally by trying to persuade them to think and act more like us). Instead, we are instructed to become the kind of people who treat an enemy as if they were a friend. How? Whatever else is required, we must pray for them (Mt 5:44b). I have found it very difficult to pray for “an enemy” and not have my heart soften towards them.
Reviewing Self-Leadership Classics: Two weeks ago I led a doctoral seminar for pastors. The course married spiritual formation with management theory – think the church fathers/Puritan theologians/Catholic mystics meet Peter Drucker/Jim Collins/Steven Covey. I opened the class by telling the students they were unlikely to learn anything new, but they were very likely to be reminded of a lot of important practices they’d pushed aside. I’ll share a few in the weeks ahead. Here are two: 1) focus on the important not the urgent – even if you only get an hour or two to do so, you are going to take ground; and 2) understand that self-care is often a form of self-denial – i.e., stopping to exercise (or for Sabbath rest) may keep us from checking things off our list, but it’s the right thing to do.
Moral Injury: One of the students is a military chaplain focusing on Moral Injury. While those who suffer from PTSD need to learn how to process fear, those with a moral injury are paralyzed by guilt, shame and anger, either from what they’ve done or seen. The path forward pivots around learning to trust in “good.” When it happens, recovery from a moral injury happens in a caring community. I was tempted to write, “I am thankful I’ve avoided serious moral injury to my soul.” But I have not. So I will say, I’m thankful I have been spared the hardships and unthinkable choices forced on many, and I am very thankful for the grace of God that covers all my sin.
Visual > Print: We hardly need more evidence that pictures are eclipsing words, but more arrived: one of the nominees for this year’s Man Booker prize is a graphic novel.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped. Evelyn Underhill
- If you want me to believe in your redeemer, you are going to have to look a lot more redeemed.Friedrich Nietzsche
Table Tennis?: The NFL dominates the American fall. Whether it continues to do so depends a great deal on the concussion challenge it faces. The fact is, it may soon drop out of the top ten most watched sports. According to www.mostpopularsports.net, the global list unfolds as follows: 1) Soccer; 2) Cricket; 3) Field Hockey; 4) Tennis; 5) Volleyball; 6) Table Tennis; 7) Baseball; and 8) golf. American football is tied with basketball for #9.
Articles for Reflection:
- In Futureview, I argued that we are only beginning to understand the full cost of the 60s sexual revolution. I also suggested that most of the cost is borne by women. (See University of Texas sociologists, Mark Regnerus’s book, Cheap Sex, for more on that). In the July 12, issue of the NYT, Adam Kirsch argues that many men lose out as well – or at least some feel that they are.Click here to read “A French Novelist Imagined Sexual Dystopia. Now It’s Arrived.”
- Second Thoughts on that Bucket List: In the July 20 issue of The WSJ, Joe Queenan notes that Americans have become obsessed with “transformative experiences.” He then wonders if “bungee-jumping in Madagascar is really what makes life complete?” To read, It’s Time to Kick the Bucket List, click here.
Closing Prayer: God, I want your guidance and direction in all I do. Let your wisdom counsel me, your hand lead me, and your arm support me. I put myself into your hands. Breathe into my soul holy and heavenly desires. Conform me to your own image. Make me like my Savior. Enable me in some measure to live here on earth as he lived, and to act in all things as he would have acted. Ashton Oxenden (1808 – 1892)
July 20, 2018
Happy Friday.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. Psalm 95
Advice Only Works if… you apply it: Years ago, while jogging with a friend on a trail near his home (in Canada), he casually noted that, “if we run into a bear I should follow protocol: ‘Black attack, hump lump.’” (You are supposed to charge a black bear and scare it off, but your best bet with a grizzly (which has a hump) is to play dead). After not very calmly asking why we were running on trails where bears might show up, I said, “Black attack; hump lump, I cannot imagine advice I am less likely to follow.” I’ve been bothered by that discussion a lot since then, not because of the danger we may have been in or because I was unlikely to follow that specific advice, but because I often ignore wise advice. And advice only works if…
Thinking About Wealth: Jesus says scary things to those of us with money. It makes me wonder what he knows about it that we do not. Exactly how does $ undo us? The following quote doesn’t provide an answer, but I think there’s something there to ponder. “We should not romanticize abject poverty. It is a plague. And yet when I am in a slum, I am never much tempted by atheism. I acutely feel the weight of evil and suffering. My heart is shattered. I do not feel happy I believe in God. I feel terrible and torn and conflicted, but when I am in a slum, I do believe in God. I want to believe in God. A primal desire for God wells up within me. Because I cannot not want there to be a God who enters the slums to gather the bloodied and forgotten—a God who washes their feet and places a crown on their brow.” Austin Fischer
Front Row Seat: Both of my brothers work for Kone – a global elevator / escalator company based out of Finland. One of them has been in Helsinki for most of the month. He wrote late last week to say that everyone in his hotel had suddenly been moved to another location without being told why. He also said that their old hotel was now surrounded by “muscular Americans wearing suits and dark sun-glasses.” He suspected that Trump and Putin were going to meet there. I asked if I could alert readers of this email in the event that any of them (you) wanted him to pass along messages for either Donald or Vladimir. He said he didn’t want to attract the attention of the men in the dark sunglasses.
Cubs / Sosa / Repentance: Not every writer can weave together the Cubs and theological insights. But Bob Hiller does in this piece entitled, “The Sin of Sammy’s Innocence,” BTW, the Cubs are back in first place.
The When / Then Fallacy: We often say, “When I am done with ABC, then I will do XYZ.” Studies show that this seldom happens. The patterns we lay down today profoundly shape what we do tomorrow. If you hear yourself say “when / then” you should realize that that is unlikely. Do it now.
Another Look to the Future: In this short article, Philip Bump notes that in twenty years, nearly half the U.S. population will reside in just eight states, with another twenty percent in the next five. If true, it means that thirty percent of the population will control 70 US Senate seats. And that 30 percent will be predominately: older, white, male and urban.
Huxley > Bradbury: Austin, Sheri and I are in Colorado visiting Jason and Hannah. (They are in Denver for a summer internship). On the flight out, Austin finished Fahrenheit 451, which led me to search out this quote, where Neal Postman says Bradbury got it wrong and Aldous Huxley got it right. “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 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 bumble-puppy. 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 distractions.’ 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.
Closing Prayer: Most gracious Lord God, from whom proceeds every good and perfect gift, I offer to your divine majesty my unfeigned praise and thanksgiving for all your mercies toward me…. Instruct me in the particulars of my duty, and suffer me not to be tempted above what you give me the strength to bear. Take care, I pray, of my affairs and more and more direct me in your truth… Suffer me not to be drawn away from you by the blandishments of the world…. Render me charitable, pure, holy, patient, and heavenly minded…. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind…. Bless my friends, and grant me grace to forgive my enemies as heartily as I desire forgiveness from you, my heavenly Father. I beseech you to defend me…and do more for me than I can think or ask, for Jesus Christ’s sake, in whose most holy name I pray. Amen. George Washington
July 13, 2018
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. King David, Psalm 143:8
What Matters: Trade war with China. Thai rescue. Germany’s deal with Russia. How many of the today’s news stories will matter tomorrow? How many will even be remembered in 48 hours. Martin Marty claims he made his mark as a scholar by ignoring earthquakes (i.e., events that gain everyone’s attention but seldom change anything) and focusing on glaciers (i.e., slow moving trends that everyone sees but largely ignores). Micah Mattix – who sends out a literary email called Profrock, laments that the stories reported “by beautiful people with flawless skin” grab our attention but seldom matter for long. We need to focus much more on the eternal and less on the trendy and fashionable.
Go Croatia: The Cubs sap any emotional energy I have available for sports, so I’m as late to World Cup fever as the typical American. But now that it’s down to Croatia versus France, I’m all in for Croatia. Why? I’m not sure. If you handed me a map, I couldn’t tell Croatia from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, or Montenegro. (That whole region is a blur to me). Perhaps it’s that they are the underdogs and – according to those in the know – have cooler uniforms. Perhaps I just can’t bring myself to root for France. As Donald Rumsfeld famously quipped after France declined to join other nations in combating Saddam Hussein, “Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion.”
Renewal: One of the highlights of my week was officiating at a renewal ceremony for a couple celebrating 47 years of marriage. Forty-seven is an odd milestone, but he is battling ALS, so this is an early 50th. It’s one thing to watch one healthy, vibrant and beautiful twenty-something pledge their undying love to another healthy, vibrant and beautiful twenty-something. It’s something else when those who have been broken by life say to another who has been broken by life, “I’m more in love with you now than ever before, and I will stand by your side come what may.”
The Radical Nature of Wedding Vows: One of the things I now include in my comments to the bride and groom is, “No competent attorney would willingly let their client agree to the vows you are about to repeat. For better or worse? For richer and for poorer? In sickness and in health? No, no and no. You should only agree to keep your end of the deal if they keep theirs.” Tim and Kathy Keller expand on the counter-cultural nature of marriage in their thoughtful book, The Meaning of Marriage. “Sociologists argue that in contemporary Western society, the marketplace has become so dominant that the ‘consumer model’ increasingly characterizes most relationships that historically were covenantal — including marriage. Today we stay connected to people only as long as they are meeting our particular needs at an acceptable cost to us. When we cease to “make a profit” — that is, when the relationship appears to require more love and affirmation from us than we are getting back — then we ‘cut our losses’ and drop the relationship. This has also been called ‘commodification’, a process by which social relationships are reduced to economic exchange relationships, and so the very idea of ‘covenant’ is disappearing in our culture. Covenant is therefore a concept increasingly foreign to us, and yet the Bible says it is the essence of marriage.”
Change: Most people want to “get better” and help transform everything around us. At least, we want this in theory. Of course we’re assuming such efforts will be fun and fit neatly into our busy schedules. The Book of Acts suggests otherwise. Over its twenty-eight chapters, everything between Jerusalem and Rome is rocked by the Gospel: cultures are upended, churches are launched, people are born-again and social segregation is dismantled. But wow is it costly. Riots, persecutions, and imprisonments . Stephen is killed. Paul says, “five times I received forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-27). Lord I want to grow in your image and help make the world a better place. I have Tuesday’s from 4 – 5 available.
Quotes Worth Re-quoting.
- Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions. G.K. Chesterton
- To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible’s teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn’t have any views that upset you. Does that belief make sense? Tim Keller, The Reason for God.
Worth Reading: I am helping teach a doctor of ministry seminar next week. In preparing for the class – which is on self-leadership – I have been rereading lots of things. Not surprisingly, Drucker’s stuff stands out. If you’ve not read Managing Oneself, it’s worth doing so.
Prayer Requests: Two years ago, Christ Church updated its vision to: fuel a movement that Reaches People and Renews Communities. As part of this, we want to help other churches grow and thrive, which includes helping their pastors. Given that the average church in the US has 75 members, and the average pastor is bi-vocational, underpaid and overworked, one of my goals when I teach a class like the one I am leading next week, is that the pastors leave feeling encouraged. Please pray to that end. Also, we have several important hires to make.
Closing Prayer: I kiss your feet, dear Jesus, I press my lips to them, because despite my many sins, despite the burden of guilt upon me, despite my lack of discernment, I know that I have nothing to fear from you. I embrace your feet, Lord Jesus; I anoint them with the oil of my repentance. And as I crouch at your feet, I know that I am safe, because you despise no one, reject no one, repel no one, welcome everyone, admit everyone. Amen. Aelred of Rievaulx (1110 – 1167)
July 6, 2018
Happy 6th. I hope you had a good 4th.
The Lamb wins! If you are following the news, it’s easy to think many now start their day with a devotional reading from Machiavelli’s The Prince. I have been reading the Book of Revelation to fuel a different perspective. We cannot forget that the most powerful being in the universe used his power to serve others. At great personal expense, Jesus stepped down in order to lift others up.
And after he went lower than anyone else ever could, he was exalted. The Lamb suffered and won. The Lamb wins!
A News Black Out: I have a friend who stopped following current events two years ago. I do not mean he cut back. I mean, he made “my promise to never bring up any current event in his presence” a condition of friendship. I think his approach is silly and ill-advised, but he is setting trends. Bloomberg recently noted that Americans are “escaping” the news; Pew says seventy percent of Americans have “news fatigue;” the American Psychological Association says two-thirds of us now list “the state of the nation” as our primary source of stress; and Discovery Inc. – which owns HGTV, Food Network, and TLC – says viewership is up by double digits since the election as people seek to escape the news. BTW, the head of Hallmark Channel recently said, “When we recently asked people why they watched Hallmark, we heard, ‘I want to be reminded that there’s still love in the world.'”
Quotes Worth Requoting: How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing…it is irresistible. CS Lewis
Spiritual maturity: when the span of time between knowing what you should do and actually doing it shrinks.
Five Easy and Quick Secrets to a Better Marriage: Blogs, tweets and check-out-stand rags often promise an easy path to an easy marriage – one full of laughter and lots of sex. All you need to do is apply a few painless techniques (see page 95 and get started today!!!). If only. Those married more than a few months know a good marriage is hard work. And the way forward is generally for each spouse to believe that their selfishness is the biggest barrier to the oneness they are after. A recent series of events have reconnected me with Gary Thomas, with whom I worked shortly after Luther nailed his treatise to the castle door in Wittenberg. Gary is now a best-selling author, mostly on marriage. I thought this particular blog entry of his was particularly spot on. What is the long, winding and occasionally painful path to a joyful marriage? Love God and follow Christ’s example of serving.
Relativism: There was a time when people described our age as “relativistic.” In one sense it still is – after all, we are free to establish our own morals, and woe to anyone who suggests otherwise. But the polarization of the moment makes it clear that even those who think we are free to adjust our morals, believe their morals are the right ones. And many also think they are entitled to impose their views on others. What we are now navigating is a rigid relativism.
The Questions: Once a year I huddle with two close friends to intentionally review life. In preparation for our time together we prepare written answers to a set of questions. It is terrifying and wonderful to examine your life in front of trusted friends. It’s also an opportunity for insight, grace, confession and growth. Click here for a copy of the questions. They come from one of the books in the Broken series.
Thirty is Not the New Twenty: TED Talk fans may be familiar with Meg Jay. When she gave this talk a few years ago it got a lot of press. I am passing it along because I contine to find myself recommending it. Her premise is, just because everything is happening later – i.e., marriage, first real job, etc. – doesn’t mean that is a good thing or that we are free to “waste our twenties.” Meg, who is a therapist and professor, finds that many thirty year-olds discover too late that your twenties are “the defining decade.” The talk is here.
On the Night Stand: A week ago I picked up A Distant Land, a collection of short stories by Wendell Berry. Berry, an award-winning octogenarian, who writes essays on economics and spiritual well-being in addition to his fiction, emerged as a hero for some evangelicals about ten years ago. Most of his fiction is set in Port William. This line from the story I read last night, is vintage Berry. “‘If the devil don’t exist,’ Athey used to say, ‘how do you explain that some people are a lot worse than their smart enough to be?’”
Closing Prayer: O God, early in the morning I cry to you. Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you; I cannot do this alone. In me there is darkness, but with you there is light; I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help; I am restless, but with you there is peace. In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience; I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me. Amen. Dietrich Bonhoeffer