June 29, 2018

Jun 29, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Happy Friday:
Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high priest whose name is Love who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands, my name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands no tongue can bid me thence depart.
Quotes worth Requoting
  • There have been as many as five times in church history in which it looked as if the church was going to the dogs. In each case it was the dogs who died. G.K. Chesterton
  • Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.  Fyodor Dostovsky
Change? If you want to be reminded of just how hard it is to change – and why it often takes a crisis to get people to do so – you can read this article on the scandal of…the fork. Apparently it was introduced in America on June 25, 1633 by then Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor, John Winthrop. To his dismay, the “split spoon” was dubbed “evil” by the local clergy, who declared that the only thing worthy of touching God’s food was our fingers.
Pastoral Advice:  At the risk of being written off as a windbag – or of being deemed even more of a windbag than previously thought – I am going to offer unsolicited pastoral advice for the third week in a row: if you are thinking about having an affair, don’t. I’m standing in the downstream carnage of two couples within which one of the partners strayed. The words ugly, messy, furry and regret do not do justice to either situation.
The Time Log: Peter Drucker instructed people like me (with unstructured jobs) to keep a time log for a few weeks every six months. I had heeded this counsel once every ten years, most recently this month. If you’ve never kept a time log, be prepared to be depressed. In the 80s I was shocked by how much TV I watched – especially since I didn’t think I watched any; in the 90s I was sobered by how little time I really spent in prayer and personal Bible Study; and in “the zips” it was how many hours a week I worked. What did I learn this time? I am depressed over how much time I spend on email.
REACH Videos: Since I suspect that if you keep a time log you will also be sobered by the things you are spending your life on, let me offer some encouragement. We played this two minute video at church last week. It chronicles a local man’s journey towards greater faith and service.
Without Comment: In The Fractured Republic, Yuval Levin reports that: in 1955, roughly 4.5 percent of children born in the US were born to unmarried mothers; in 1965, this figure had risen to 7.7 percent; by 1975, it was 14.3 percent; in 1985, it was 22 percent; in 1995, it was 32 percent; in 2005, it was 37 percent; in 2015, it was 41 percent. He then notes that nearly half of children raised by single mothers live in poverty, while only a tenth of children raised by their married parents are poor. While celebrating the “extraordinary and often heroic efforts” of single mothers to raise their children as best they can, he emphasizes the importance of marriage for children and for society.
Prayer Requests:  I have asked for this before, but given the levels of distrust and acrimony in place even before Justice Rehnquist retired, I am asking you to pray for unity and civility – both in society and in the Big C church. One hundred years ago, Yeats suggested that the center would not hold. At the moment it seems as though the left is moving left and the right is moving right and Yeats was right. “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7
Closing Prayer: I no longer want just to hear about you, beloved Lord, through messengers. I no longer want to hear doctrines about you, nor to have my emotions stirred by people speaking of you. I yearn for your presence. These messengers simply frustrate and grieve me, because they remind me of how distant I am from you. They reopen wounds in my heart, and they seem to delay your coming to me. From this day onward please send me no more messengers, no more doctrines, because they cannot satisfy my overwhelming desire for you. I want to give myself completely to you. And I want you to give yourself completely to me. The love which you show in glimpses, reveal to me fully. The love which you convey through messengers, speak it to me directly. I sometimes think you are mocking me by hiding yourself from me. Come to me with the priceless jewel of your love.
Amen. St. John of the Cross (1542 – 1591)

June 22, 2018

Jun 22, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Happy Friday:

More happened at the cross than many think. What exactly? Roman and Jewish officials believed a problem was put down. No. Popular songs suggest that “Jesus took a fall and thought of me above all.” Not really.  I often end up comparing the merits of the Christus Victor view of the atonement versus Penal Substitution. That is still not it. What happened?  Why does it matter? What did Jesus do? The Bible says Jesus defeated every enemy, rule, power, and authority.  It’s important that we do not limit what he accomplished, because if we do, we limit how we understand the Christian life.

It is also important that we simply step back and marvel.

Quotes Worth Requoting:

  • In many cases, we may, by the rules of the gospel, be obliged to give to others when we cannot do it without suffering ourselves. . . . We should be willing to suffer with our neighbor and to take part of his burden on ourselves.  Otherwise, how is that rule of ‘bearing one another’s burdens’ fulfilled?  If we are never obliged to relieve others’ burdens except when we can do it without burdening ourselves, then how do we bear our neighbor’s burdens when we bear no burden at all?  Jonathan Edwards
  • A perfect relationship isn’t actually perfect at all, it consists of two people who NEVER give up on each other despite any hurt or pain.
  • Jesus is not just nice, He is brilliant. He is the smartest man who ever lived.  Jesus is now supervising the entire course of world history (Rev. 1:5), while simultaneously preparing the rest of the universe for our future role in it (John 14:2). He always has the best information on everything — and certainly also on the things that matter most in human life. Let us now hear His teachings on who has “the good life,” on who is among the truly blessed.   Dallas Willard.

Pastoral Advice:  A few weeks ago, I noted that people suffering from cancer chase clinical trials until the end, thereby denying everyone involved a chance to say goodbye. I have another pastoral observation – many of those who get knocked down do not accept help.  There are those who feel entitled and who think little of taking (sometimes demanding) help for months (if not years). But many who have spent their life helping others, do not accept help when they need it. They “do not want to be a burden,” and prefer to hide.  I understand, though I believe that  more than a little pride is involved.  And, once again, everyone loses. It can be an act of service to let others serve you.

On the Night Stand:  I am just finishing Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood, a George MacDonald novel about Harry Walton, a young pastor serving a country parish in a small village in 19thcentury England. It’s typical MacDonald – brilliant at times and confusing at others. That aside, what strikes me is the almost total lack of overlap between the way Walton spends his days and the way I spend mine. And I like his way better.

  • The Real Screen Time Problem:  According to Erika Christakis’s article in The Atlantic, parents should stop worrying about their kids’ screen time and take a hard look at their own: “Parents now have more face time with their children than did almost any parents in history. Despite a dramatic increase in the percentage of women in the workforce, mothers today astoundingly spend more time caring for their children than mothers did in the 1960s. But the engagement between parent and child is increasingly low-quality, even ersatz. Parents are constantly present in their children’s lives physically, but they are less emotionally attuned.”

 

  • Gaming Addictions: The World Health Organization recently recognized Gaming Disorder as a disease.  Those inclined to roll their eyes at this have likely not met someone with the addiction.  I have, so I am not surprised by the stories of people losing everything because they can’t walk away from a game. As I have noted before, as a pastor I have grown to hate addictions.  They rob people of dignity, eventually taking everything and offering nothing in return. In this article, Dr. Scott Rigby, a clinical and social psychologist, explains why on-line community games have become so problematic. Lord, may we develop a love for you that eclipses all of the lesser things that try to fill the void, and may we develop an inner world strong enough to handle the allure of the increasingly alluring vices of the external world.

Ripped from the Headlines:

  • World Cup: I am not sure I believe it, but seismographers claim that when Mexico scored a goal in their match against Germany, the number of people jumping up and down shook the planet substantially enough to mark the moment as a small earth quake. Read it for yourself in Mexico’s Revelry. 

 

  • Good News: It is easy to think the news is all bad. It is not. In some important areas, the world is getting better every day.

 

Prayer Requests:   As noted before, about a month ago I added a quick exercise to my journaling – list two things that I am thankful for. I remain surprised at two things: first, how much I have to be thankful for – such as all of the students returning safely from mission trips; and secondly, the fact that learning to see blessings is a skill we can develop. Shifting from thankfulness to petition: Pray that leaders rise up who have the ability to help unify our polarizing country and pray that Christ’s followers embrace the call to love neighbor and be both salt and light.

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

 

June 15, 2018

Jun 15, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Happy Friday – and Happy Father’s Day Weekend

 

The Bible has a lot to say about marriage, but it’s different than most think. The focus is more on the union of Christ and the church (his bride) than on events here on earth. Two things follow: first, in light of eternity, it will not seem odd that the marriage of the Lamb is compared to the union of a husband and wife, it will seem odd that our earthly marriages were ever compared to Christ’s love for his bride; second, those of us who are married should more aggressively find ways to follow the example of Jesus and sacrifice for our spouse.

 

Are you a Leader?  According to a recent study, leaders are unaware: 1) of how much they talk; 2) of how harshly they treat others; and 3) how often they change their mind.

 

Quotes Worth Requoting:

  • For the secular soul, Twitter is prayer–sharing your inmost thoughts with the greatest audience. Mark Dever
  • Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.Charles Kettering
  • It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. Pope John XXIII

 

100X:  I spent part of this week in Dallas attending events held in honor of Bob Buford, whorecently passed away. Buford, who wrote Half Time, started (and funded) the Leadership Network, and was the driving force behind the creation of the Peter Drucker Institute, was a remarkableman.  After making a Texas-sized fortune in cable TV, he accepted Drucker’s assignment to “spend the rest of his life finding ways to release the latent energy in the American Church.”  The list of business and ministry leaders who claim Buford as their most influential mentor reads like Who’s Who.  Among one of the things most celebrated about Bob was very few people knew who he was because he was determined that “the fruit of his life was going to grow on the trees of others.” I met Bob twenty years ago, and met with him a dozen times – including one memorable episode in which he read me the proverbial riot act.  Bob was a keen listener, a consummate encourager and someone who demanded you give your best to others. Acts 8:2.  (By the way, 100X – his short hand for the servant who got a one hundred fold return for his master in Matthew 13 – was Bob’s goal).

 

What’s Hot and What’s Not: In previous Updates I’ve drawn attention to trends (Jordan Peterson, discussions about the limits of liberalism, the decline in the global birthrate) and the things we would expect to hear about but do not (discussions about Jesus (and his impact) in a college classroom, ditto for the impact of the church, financial transparency among close friends, etc.).  What is suddenly hot?  Hospitality. Both secular and Christian blogs are writing about it. What’s not? Real men. In honor of Father’s Day allow me to point out that, even though there is growing acceptance of plus size female models, and even though we now have ethnic and age diversity among male models, I have yet to see an ad campaign that includes a male model who lacks broad shoulders and a flat stomach.

 

Chapter 7 or Chapter 13:  Faith in Christ involves repentance – i.e., we declare personal, spiritual bankruptcy. The question is, Chapter 7 (total liquidation) or Chapter 13 (relief from some of our debt and a chance to restructure the rest)?  Chapter 7 is required. Most think chapter 13. (By the way, though Chapter 7 allows you to dispense with most of your debt, it is not complete. Nothing comes close to be as amazing as God’s grace and forgiveness).

 

Prayer Request: As with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is a fun day for some and a horrible day for others. Pray that those who are hurting are cared for. Please also pray that the attention on North Korea leads toward peace on the global stage and help for the suffering in NK.

 

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

Friday, June 8, 2018

Jun 8, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Happy Friday
A joke is often told about the conversation between a young child and his mother. She asks what he is drawing. He says, “God.” She says, “but honey, no one knows what God looks like.” He replies, “Wait a minute and I’ll show you.” What does God look like? The writer of Hebrews says if we want to know we should look at Jesus.  T.F. Torrence suggests we also look at the cross. He goes on to write that there we see meekness, patience, compassion, and “beautiful heroism” on display. Torrence later notes that the cross points to “a God of holy love willing to fight the inhumanity of man and the tyranny of evil”.
How do we Grow? I’ve been thinking about growth lately. How does it happen? What does the New Testament say? Sheri recently noted two ways to fast forward: the refiner’s fire (Malachi 3)and the gardener’s shears (John 15).
Elevator Music: My interest in elevators comes honestly. My brothers both work for an elevator company and during the 80s I suffered a short-lived fear of them.  [BTW, I felt perfectly safe in elevators until I realized they let anyone design and build them, including my brothers.]  I share this to explain why I was reading an article about the origins of elevator music. The author rejects the conventional claim that music was piped in to calm the nerves of those terrified of falling. Sheclaims the reason was to relieve boredom. I think she’s wrong. For starters, soft, bland, vanilla music not only did nothing to calm my racing heart when I was facing my phobia, it is the definition of boring. More importantly, boredom is largely a modern problem. Previous generations struggled with boredom far less than modern ones. All of our toys keep us from developing our mind.
Foster Wallace on Freedom: Back in 2005, novelist David Foster Wallace gave an uncommonly memorable commencement address at Kenyon College.  I return to it from time to time because of what he said about worship. I turned to it recently while preparing for this weekend’s sermon on freedom. Wallace, a brilliant but troubled thinker who ended his life in 2008, understood that our culture’s definition of freedom – i.e., no right, no wrong, no rules and no limits – doesn’t work. In his remarks at Kenyon he said, “But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talked about in the great outside world of winning and achieving and displaying. The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad of petty little unsexy ways, every day. That is real freedom.”
Quotes Worth Requoting:
  • Courage is almost a contradiction in terms: It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die…The paradox of courage is that a man must be a little careless of his life even in order to keep it.  G.K. Chesterton
  • Why do people in church seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute?…Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us to where we can never return.” Annie Dillard
Journaling: I received several notes from journalers encouraging me not to give up. [I’m not.] One of the more helpful comments pointed out the difference between self-awareness and self-absorption. Lord, may I grow in the first and avoid the second.  While I’m here let me say I accepted a “gratitude challenge” – which requires each journal entry to include something I am thankful for – and found it surprisingly helpful. As I have shared, one of the reasons I changed my morning routine in an effort to more fully “enter the day soul first” (to quote Henri Nouwen). I have long been impressed by the story about David turning a very dark moment around by “encouraging himself in the Lord”. The gratitude challenge I accepted was to write down something I am thankful for each day. It’s that simple.  For the record, I would have said that I did something like that in my prayer time. But I am finding this simple exercise to be helpful. BTW, I have heard it said that gratitude isn’t about passive reflection but building resilience.
Worth Reading: Saying anything about this week’s Supreme Court decision means I am stepping into what David Brooks calls “the free form demolition derby of moral confrontation”.  But I want to be sure you see Skye Jethani’s insights. Jethani may make everyone mad, but I like his perspective.
Baby Aspirin: Since suffering a SCAD (spontaneous cerebral arterial dissection), I push baby aspirin. If you are over fifty and are not taking one every day, what’s wrong with you? Please.
Prayer Requests:
  • We are sending out 100 high school students on mission / serving trips this month. Our prayer is not simply for safety, but for transformation – for the people and areas being served, and for the students.
  • Also, since my days as a college pastor, I have been aware that the summer months are a time of spiritual growth for some, but laxity for most. My prayer is that we grow in love for God and care for others.
Closing Prayer: Lord, I sometimes wander away from you. But this is not because I am deliberately turning my back on you. It is because of the inconstancy of my mind. I weaken in my intention to give my whole soul to you, I fall back into thinking of myself as my own master. But when I wander from you, my life becomes a burden, and within me I find nothing but darkness…So I come back to you, and confess that I have sinned against you. And I know you will forgive me. Amen. Aelred or Rievaulx (1110 – 1167)

May 25, 208

May 25, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Christians often describe Jesus as sinless, which tells you what he was not. He was not selfish, not cruel, not abusive, not twisted, not proud, not petty, etc. Given the revelations about others that greet us daily, saying he is sinless is important.

But we can do better. Sinless is flat and sterile. Jesus was neither. People who strive to be sinless are generally unattractive and pinched. They are smug, religious and joyless. Jesus is beautiful. Not just sinless. And not simply good and useful, but beautiful. People came from everywhere to get near to him. Wherever he went, good things multiplied – things like health, healing, loaves and fish.

In his meditation on Christ, Michael Reeves writes, “Jesus is kinder than summer, he befriended the rejects and gave hope to the hopeless. The dirty and despised found that they mattered to him.” Jesus was described like a bridegroom at a wedding.

Sinless is an accurate word, but hardly adequate. If it is one of the first ways you think about Jesus, you need to look again.

Economics and Faith:

  • A recent study by Georgetown University found that the faith sector contributes $1.2 trillion to the US economy. That’s more than the combined revenue of the top ten technology companies in the country, including Apple, Amazon, and Google.
  • For years I’ve thought that Churchill’s comments about democracy should be said about capitalism– i.e., “that it is the worst system possible… except for all of the other systems.” Of course, criticizing capitalism gets you branded a Marxist, so every time I’m about to suggest that capitalism devoid of Christian compassion is trouble, I celebrate the market. I note that it has created lots of wealth and lifted hundreds of millions out of abject poverty. My days of trying to navigate discussions about capitalism are over. Now all I have to do is say, read “Redeeming Capitalism” by Ken Barnes.  Dr. Barnes, who chairs the Mockler Center for Faith & Ethics in the Workplace at Gordon Conwell, has written a helpful, thoughtful and readable book about the value – and challenges – of capitalism. It’s worth picking up.

Faith and the News:  Over the last month: 1) The Wall Street Journal quoted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying, “Moses brought water from Iraq,” when what he said was “Moses drew water from a rock,” alluding to Exodus 17; 2) NPR described Easter as the day “celebrating the idea that Jesus did not die and go to hell or purgatory at all, but rather rose to heaven”; and 3) NBC’s Chuck Todd celebrated Good Friday as the day to remind folks that “any day can become ‘good’, all it takes is a little selflessness on our own part.” In commenting on the gaffs, Washington Post reporter Christine Emba admits that many Americans – “particularly those in the news media” – are more likely to recognize a Harry Potter reference than a biblical one. She then went on to note that this is a problem because, “as a reference point, the Bible is a skeleton key that unlocks hundreds of years of culture, from Shakespeare to Kehinde Wiley.” I am inclined to laugh not cry when I hear these, and to remind myself that there are many things worse than not knowing the Book – e.g., not knowing the One who inspired it. But it is worth noting how comically uniformed our elite are on all things biblical.

Quotes Worth ReQuoting:

  • Only those who have faced their own dark side can be trusted to lead others towards the light. Ruth Haley Barton
  • I wouldn’t quite say that ‘religious practices help the search for truth’ for that might imply that they have no further use when the Truth has been found. I think about practices in terms of what a wise old priest said to me about a ‘rule of life’—‘It is not a stair but a bannister’ i.e., it is not the thing you ascend by, but it is a protective against falling off and a help-up. The stair is God’s grace. One’s climb from step to step is obedience. Many different kinds of bannisters exist, all legitimate. It is possible to get up without any bannisters, if need be: but no one would willingly build a staircase without them because it would be less safe, more laborious, and a little lacking in beauty. C.S. Lewis
  • At a dinner last week, Dr. David Dockery passed along one of the local golf rules he picked up when playing in Uganda, where monkeys are common. “Play the ball where the monkey throws it.” One wonders – is that a rule for golf in Uganda, or the job description for anyone in leadership?

What is Being Talked About: Two weeks ago I noted a spate of articles about loneliness. Last week it was liberals critiquing liberalism. This week, everywhere I look people are writing about small talk. Eugene Peterson – who I expected to be against it, spoke of its value, as did Bret McKay (who hosts a podcast on manliness). Small talk? The value of small talk? Is everyone suddenly covering this topic because it is trendy, or are a number of people so frustrated by the nature of today’s public discourse that they are providing tutorials on simple decency?

Being Poor: Last week’s citation of John Scalzi’s article, Being Poor, generated several heartfelt responses. If you did not read it, you have another chance, if you did and were moved, do something. If you are local and looking for ideas: here is a link to give to St. James, a benevolence fund that helps those in crisis (choose St. James Benevolence under giving reference); here is a link to the Cars Ministry that is doing wonderful work; and here is a link to North Chicago Community Partners – a group we have been working with for ten years.

Good News to Celebrate: I am thankful to report that: 1) ReNew Communities (RC) secured a lot to pilot its first new construction project (RC has been purchasing and then remodeling abandoned homes. This will be their first new construction project); and 2) Christ Church has green-lighted REACH funds to help plant three overseas churches. We will be helping a team in Istanbul working with Muslim refugees; we will be helping a group outside of Accra, Ghana plant a church targeting the young moving into the capital; and we will be helping HBI plant a church among IT professionals in Chennai, India. Please pray that we are good stewards with all of the opportunities in front of us.

A Nighttime Idea for Parents:  A Nighttime Blessing of Gospel Love is too good not to pass along. The one who shared it with me suggested the parent place their hand on their child’s face when they say it.
Parent: Do you see my eyes? Child: Yes.
Parent: Can you see that I see your eyes? Child: Yes.
Parent: Do you know that I love you? Child: Yes.
Parent: Do you know that I love you no matter what good things you do? Child: Yes.
Parent: Do you know that I love you no matter what bad things you do? Child: Yes.
Parent: Who else loves you like that? Child: God does.
Parent: Even more than me? Child: Yes.
Parent: Rest in that love.

Closing Prayer: O God, let something essential happen to me, something more than interesting or entertaining or thoughtful. O God, let something essential happen to me, something awesome, something real. Speak to my condition, Lord, and change me somewhere inside where it matters. Let something happen in me which is my real self. Ted Loder

May 18, 2018

May 18, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Psalm 1 suggests that we have two choices – to walk in the way of the wicked or to delight in the Law of the Lord. It seldom feels like there are two choices. Lord, please clarify the options.
Speaking of Clarity:  A while back, I decided to revamp my devotional routine. It had been what it had been for some time. And at some point I realized that what it was, was no longer enough. I needed to emerge from these times with more energy, more peace and more confidence. I do not mean to sound trite, but my sense was, I needed more God. To that end, I budgeted more time, added in a few things that had fallen away – e.g., journaling and silence – and began supplementing my Scripture reading with a few devotional books. It turns out, what is making the biggest difference is… the silence. I had spent times in silence before – and extended prayer includes silence. But this feels different. In fact, it is less silence than settling. My settling image comes from comments made by one of my son’s friends, whose initials are N.W. While working his way through college, N.W. spent time at a water filtration plant.
Me: “How does a city purify it’s drinking water?”
N.W.: “It’s pretty simple. We fill a huge pool with water from the river. We let the water sit in the pool for about a day. During that time, all of the mud and junk sinks to the bottom.”
Me: “And then?”
N.W.: And then you drink it.”
Me: “What? What about charcoal filters, triple reverse osmosis and lots of scientists running lots of tests? Please tell me you do all of that kind of stuff next.”
N.W. “Nope. We let it sit for 24 hours and then we send it to your home.”
Before you go buy a palette of bottled water, let me make my point: settling is significant. Sometimes all we really need to do is let the junk sink to the bottom so we can see what is really going on in our heart. If silence is not part of your daily diet, start with five minutes. After a brief time of prayer, I turn to the Psalms and then do some other reading. After that is over, I grab a piece of paper and sit back. As stray thoughts emerge – e.g., “don’t forget to call XYZ,” or “be sure to check the date of ABC,” etc. – write them down so you can forget about them, and then get back to listening. Over time, things emerge. It’s much easier to hear His voice when we are quiet.
To Be Read:
  • Some time ago, journalist John Scalzi wrote an unsettling piece about poverty. It’s called Being Poor. If you have not read it, you should. I you have not read it recently, you should read it again.
  • On a similar note, if it’s been a while since you rehearsed a bit of Lincoln, work that in as well. Here is his classic second inaugural.  It is also worth reading over and over.
Quotes:
  • The single, overwhelming fact of history is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. There is no military battle, no geographical exploration, no scientific discovery, no literary creation, no artistic achievement, no moral heroism that compares with it. It is unique, massive, monumental, unprecedented and unparalleled. The cross of Christ is not a small secret that may or may not get out. The cross of Christ is not a minor incident in the political history of the first century that is a nice illustration of courage. It is the center. Eugene Peterson
  • There is no religiously neutral definition of religious neutrality.
What is Not Being Said: In the last update, I noted our collective silence concerning death. What else is going unsaid? Discussions about personal finances. My experience is that people are more likely to share details of their sex life than they are to talk about their income.
What is Being Said: In the last month, I stumbled upon a handful of articles in which liberals (note: I am using “liberalism” in the classic sense, not to refer to “the left.”) have been discussing the limits of liberalism. I am struck by how refreshing it is to hear anyone criticize their own position; and by the growing concern (among liberals) that liberalism is destroying the non-liberal foundation that has allowed it to flourish. (If you want to read more, you can read reviews of either The Politics of Virtue: Post-Liberalism and the Human Future, by John Milbank and Adrian Pabst, or Why Liberalism Failed, by Patrick Deneen).
Thanks / Praise:
  • Since becoming a pastor, I have been aware of how difficult Mother’s Day is for many. That makes me all the more thankful that my Mom is doing well (and that I will be seeing here in a couple weeks); and that our boys were appreciatively attentive to their mother last weekend.
  • I am thankful for a chance to work with a great staff and with so many others (at Christ Church and beyond) that care passionately and invest sincerely in important projects.
Closing Prayer: My God, I am yours for time and eternity. Teach me to cast myself entirely into the arm of your loving providence with the most lively, unlimited confidence in your compassionate, tender pity…. Take from my heart all painful anxiety; suffer nothing to sadden me but sin, nothing to delight me but the hope of coming to the possession of you, my God and my all, in your everlasting kingdom. Amen. Catherine McAuley (1778-1841)

May 11, 2018

May 11, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Happy Friday

 

The Message and the Messenger: When I was in seminary, an 80 year old chapel preacher – whose name I have long since forgotten – said, “When I was young I spent all my time preparing the message. I now spend most of my time preparing the messenger.” I think I am starting to understand that.

 

Quotes Worth Requoting:  This week I have two quotes about worship from British author / Anglican Bishop – N.T. Wright:

 

  • You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.

 

  • When we begin to glimpse the reality of God, the natural reaction is to worship him. Not to have that reaction is a fairly sure sign that we haven’t yet really understood who he is or what he’s done.

 

IMHO:  In my experience, attacks from the right are mean, while attacks from the left are condescending. I dislike both and wish more people would just admit that I am always right. BTW, I recently learned that the H in IMHO is silent.

 

What is Not Being Said:  Much of what finds its way into these updates are things I hear or read. Years ago, Kelly Monroe – then a college minister at Harvard and soon to be the editor of Finding God at Harvard – suggested I pay equal attention to “what is not being said.” In her case, she noted that the “J-word” (Jesus) is never uttered at Harvard. What is not being said. My nomination for this week is “good-bye.”  When I started in ministry, people facing the end of their life (especially when it was being brought on by cancer) eventually stopped treatment, accepted that the end was near and prepared to die. This meant using their final days to make peace with God and say good-bye to those they loved. Today many cling to the hope that they are going to be accepted into a clinical trial for the new drug that is going to return them to health. And they not only hold onto this hope until their last breath, they refuse to prepare for death believing that to do so would be a lack of faith. What is not said, “I’m so glad I got to share my life with you. I love you so much. I am so proud of you. I will see you in heaven. Good-bye for now.”

 

What is Being Said?  If death is what is not being talked about, what is? Loneliness. I’ve been surprised recently by the number of articles discussing how lonely everyone is. According to a study of 20,000 Americans: 46% sometimes or always feel alone; 27% rarely (or never) feel that anyone understands them; and only 53% have meaningful in-person social interactions on a daily basis.  What surprised me most about recent studies is the suggestion that the youngest (18 to 20-somethings) are the most lonely and the oldest (those 72 and above) are the least.  Could it be that older people simply know how to be alone without being lonely? (Why not do your part to fight loneliness: invite your neighbors over for a BBQ).

 

The Second Most Important Thing.  C.S. Lewis claimed that what a person thinks about God is “the second most important thing about them.” (The first is, what God thinks about them).  InTraveling Light, Eugene Peterson develops Lewis’s point: One of the wickedest things one person can do to others is to lie to them about God, to represent God as other or less than he is. It is wicked to tell a person that God is an angry tyrant storming through the heavens, out to get every trespasser and throw him into the lake of fire. It is wicked to tell a person that God is a senile grandfather dozing in a celestial rocking chair with only the shortest of attention spans for what is going on in the world. It is wicked to tell a person that God is a compulsively efficient and utterly humorless manager of a tightly run cosmos, obsessed with getting the highest productivity possible out of history and with absolutely no concern for persons apart from their usefulness.

 

Prayer Request:

  • ReNew Communities – the 501C3 we started last year to enlist businesses, other churches and other ministries in helping under-resourced communities – is working on the next three Matthew homes. It is also working to secure additional homes and working on job creation / business development. Pray for David Weil as he provides point leadership for these efforts, raises funds, etc.
  • It’s Mother’s Day Weekend – which can be a wonderful time for some and a challenging time for others.
  • Ben Torres began his efforts to recruit a team of forty people (or more) to launch a church among second generation Hispanics in the Highland Park / Highwood area.

 

Closing Prayer:  Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours, and bind my heart in Thee. Give me eyes to see the world as You do. Give me ears to hear the cries of others and to love them as You do. Give me wisdom to separate what is of the world and what is of You. Give me courage to walk in Your truth. Lord, make me more like Jesus.  Make me more like You.

May 4, 2018

May 4, 2018 | | 0 Comments

Happy day after the National Day of Prayer and day before Cinco de Mayo:
The Cubs moved into first place in their division this week. Briefly.
What drives you? The early part of Paul’s letter to the Galatians focuses on his attack on a group attacking him. They claim he failed to voice the requisite sacrifices required to earn God’s favor. They further claim he was silent because he wanted the Galatians to like him. This rogue group – called “the Judaizers” – said God’s plan is: Faith (in Christ) + Works (circumcision, a kosher diet, the observance of other aspects of the law, etc.) leads to Salvation, or F + W = S. Paul thunders back that F = S + W. He also tells the Galatians they are idiots if they give up the Gospel for the drivel the Judaizers are peddling and suggests they are equally misguided if they think he’d adjust God’s message in hopes of making them smile. In my sermon on Galatians 1:10, I explored motivation, noting that the Bible implies that four things should compel us: 1) fear (of God, the effects of sin and a wasted life); 2) pleasure; 3) rewards (especially eternal ones); and 4) love of God. I ended the message saying, all four categories are valid, over time number four should dominate. In my devotional reading this week, I ran across a great insight in Michael Reeve’s book, Rejoicing in Christ. It expands on point four. After noting that the Father is eternally motivated by his love for the Son, Reeves writes, “Jesus has satisfied the mind and the heart of an infinite God for eternity. If the Father can be infinitely and eternally satisfied with Christ, He must be all sufficient for us.” He later argues that any boredom we have with Christ must be from blindness.  Oh Lord, give me a clearer vision.
Leff on Law: As part of my study on Galatians, I’ve been reading about law and freedom. One of the articles I stumbled across is a 1979 Yale Law Review piece by the late Arthur Leff. I had not heard of Leff – who taught at Yale Law School and who was apparently an outspoken atheist – before reading this piece. But given what he says in Unspeakable Ethics, Unnatural Law, I imagine his lectures were riveting. Leff argues that absent a good God we’re stuck with a legal mess. He sounds like Nietzsche. Why am I sharing this? I found Leff on law a great reminder of God’s brilliance. Perhaps you will as well.
Power – Take Two: Of all the topics I’ve commented on in Friday Updates, few have generated more response than last week’s mention of power. I remember being surprised by the topic twenty-some years ago while prepping for a series entitled: The Character Assassins: Money, Sex and Power. If you want to read more about power, Andy Crouch’s book, Strong and Weak, is a good place to start. I am a big fan of Andy’s. Here is a link of a twenty minute talk he gave on power.
Losing Our Soul: In The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Ruth Haley Barton compares losing your soul with losing your credit card. She says, “you think it’s in your wallet so you don’t give it much thought, until one day you reach for it and it’s not there. The minute you realize that it’s gone, you start scrambling, trying to remember when you last used it or at least had it in your possession. No matter what is going on you stop and look for it, because otherwise major damage can be done. Oh that we would feel the same sense of urgency when we become aware that we have lost our souls!” Capital One’s marketing campaign for their credit card asks, “What’s in your wallet?” Perhaps the better question is, “have you seen your soul lately?”
Labberton on Life: Several months ago, I interviewed Mark Labberton – the president of Fuller Seminary – in front of a gathering of church staff and local seminary students. I have held out hope of typing – and then editing – a manuscript of our talk. That is not going to happen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hear it. You can. Click here. By the way, I think you will profit if you do.
Quotes Worth Requoting
  • We are especially tolerant these days in matters of religion. But much of the tolerance is simply indifference. Eugene Peterson, Traveling Light
  • Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life. Jerzy Gregorek
  • Why would you risk what you need and have for what you don’t need?  Warren Buffett
Prayer Requests:
  • As noted above, this is National Day of Prayer. Please pray for our nation and all those who lead and shape the path it follows (I Tim. 2:2).
  • It has been a long time since I have had as much difficulty pulling together a sermon as I have had this week. The text is Galatians 1:11 – 2:14. Much of the text is given over to Paul’s testimony. I plan to cover that, but focus on his assumptions – which differ markedly from those in vogue today. Prayers appreciated.
  • Next week Ben Torres joins the staff. He will work with Brad (the campus pastor at HP) and Carlos Herrera (the pastor of Journey Church in Waukegan) to launch a Saturday night worship service in Highland Park aimed at the growing number of second-generation Hispanics living in the area. Ben, who in a previous life worked in toy development (think Star Wars) has an MA in Christian Studies and is working on a second in Systematic Theology. Please pray the Lord blesses his efforts.
Closing Prayer: Father, you are love, and you see all the suffering, injustice and misery which reign in this world. Have pity, we implore you, on the work of your hands. Look mercifully on the poor, the oppressed, and all who are heavy laden with error, labor and sorrow. Fill our hearts with deep compassion for those who suffer, and hasten the coming of Your Kingdom of justice and trust, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Eugene Bersier (1831-1889)

April 27, 2018

Apr 27, 2018 | | 0 Comments

This weekend I will be speaking from Galatians 1:10, a passage in which Paul makes it clear that he’s not out to win friends, he’s out to honor God. My prep included reading about motivation and thinking about my own. Am I trying to be liked or focused on pleasing God? Why do I do what I do? When does healthy motivation become unbridled ambition? Have you pondered what got you up and running today?

Appreciating the Power Differential: A friend recently audited an ethics class at Harvard Business School. His most interesting take away? “The professor noted that over fifty percent of Americans cannot miss a paycheck, which means that when an employer asks them to do something, they feel they must comply, even if they do not want to.”  Most reading this update live lives of privilege. Which means, you do not understand the fear of living paycheck to paycheck, and you may be unaware of the power you hold over others.

Quotes Worth Requoting:

  • Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. Corrie Ten Boom
  • To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.Simone Weil
  • I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.[They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them[b] in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. Jesus, John 17, High Priestly Prayer

Do you Believe in God?: Pew recently surveyed Americans about God. The results suggest that 20 percent of Christians do not believe in the God of the Bible — and 17 percent of religious “nones” do. You can read what led to those results here.

Addictions: As a pastor, I’ve grown to hate addictions. Those seriously trapped by one give up everything and gain nothing. Are addictions sin? There are times when I think so. But there are other times when I think not. All of which makes this article, so interesting. Consider this quote: “The messy truth about addiction is that it lies somewhere in between choice and compulsion. Addictive cravings work in much the same way as the cravings that everyone experiences—for Netflix or chips, say. They do not simply take over one’s muscles like an internal puppeteer. Instead, they pull one’s choices toward the craved object, like a psychological kind of gravity.” This suggests that sin may be “something we can’t help and something we choose.” It also sounds a bit like Paul in Romans 7:15.

Prayer Requests:  In preparation for some teaching this summer, I have been reading about self-leadership. I have greatly enjoyed the excuse to review books I’ve not looked at in decades (e.g., Covey’s Seven Habits, MacDonald’s Ordering Your Private World, Drucker’s On Self Leadership, etc.). But my study has had a sobering side. It has made me aware of wasted time and reminded me that I cannot lead people where I have not gone. My prayer request is that I am a good steward of the many opportunities He provides.

Closing Prayer: Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent that my love may go out to my neighbor. I do not have strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me and strengthen my faith and trust in you. Martin Luther.

April 20, 2018

Apr 20, 2018 | | 0 Comments

In Mark 9:14, Jesus tells the disciples to pray. More specifically, he lets them know that some of what they want to do is impossible without prayer. Question: what would the world look like if all of your prayers were answered? Would it be better? Would your neighbors be thriving? Would Syria know peace? In a sermon on Mark 9, Martin Lloyd-Jones implored us to realize our need for God’s strength:
  • We must cease to have so much confidence in ourselves, and in all our methods and organizations, and in all our slickness. We have got to realize that we must be filled with God’s Spirit… We must realize that what we need is not more knowledge, more understanding, more apologetics, more reconciliation of philosophy and science and religion, and all modern techniques. No, we need a power that can enter into the souls of men and break them and smash them and humble them and then make them anew. And that is the power of the living God.
A Path forward for Illinois?: Earlier this week, Christ Church hosted local clergy for a lunch with the Mayors of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. After lamenting the woes heaped on cities by state pols, the mayor of LF said, “We need to crash so we can hurry up and recover.” I wrote FutureView a few years ago after trying to figure out what lay ahead for the Land of Lincoln – whose fiscal woes are worse than any other state. I am not sure if the mayor is right, but I found the idea of getting this over with, encouraging.
From the Headlines:
  • The secularization theory holds that the more advanced a society becomes, the less religious it will be. According to a recent study by the Pew Center, the opposite is happening. The world is becoming more religious. And among Christians, more education correlates to higher religious commitment.
  • Who spends the most time on social media? According to Nielson, it is not 18 – 34 year old Millennials, but 35 – 49 year old Xers. In fact, middle-aged people in the US spend more time than Millennials on every type of device – phone, computer and tablet.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
  • The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that, while it has established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order is to give room for good things to run wild. G.K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy
  • How do you become a really good person? You place your confidence in Jesus Christ and become His student or apprentice in kingdom living. That amounts to progressively entering into the abundance of life He brings to us. You learn from Him how to live in the kingdom of God as He Himself did. There is much to learn after you enter:  To go through the door is not necessarily to live in the house. Dallas Willard
On the Night Stand:
  • Hardly a week goes by that I do not consult C.S. Lewis on something. In light of that, I’ve not only read many of his books, but more than a few of the biographies about him. Alister McGrath’s C.S. Lewis, A Life, is the one I recommend, although my endorsement comes with a warning. Lewis was profoundly damaged by the early death of his mother, the many missteps of his father, and World War I. Before coming to faith, his life and views were not the stuff of Narnia (of Disney) movies. In this week’s issue of The National Review, their editor writes a piece that touches on Lewis’s experiences in combat. It’s called C.S. Lewis and the Great War.
  • We regularly hear about how dangerous religious people can be. And it’s true. Violent and reprehensible things have been done in the name of God. But before we complain about the smell inside the church, we should realize that it is worse outside of it. More people have been hurt and killed by secular movements than by religions ones. And a recent New York Time Review of Books article, suggests that Mao was the worst of all time. After surveying several new books, Ian Johnson concludes that Mao is responsible for the deaths of 45 million people, which is more than Stalin and Hitler combined.
New Words: This may be old news to those under the age of 25, but many purveyors of Instagram have two accounts: 1) a Rinsta, which portrays the public and professional persona of a person; and 2) a Finsta, which keeps select friends updated and avoids the watchful eye of parents. As broken people, we want to hide. And we scream when we learn that Google or Amazon (or the US Government) has a record of our clicks or orders.
 
Philosophy Made Easy: Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga was recently awarded the prestigious Templeton Prize. His writing – and thinking – can be dense, but a series of short, animated videos have been released that explain his insights. I may be misleading you with the header, Philosophy Made Easy. Philosophy Made Easier may be more accurate. But I wish someone had been making these videos thirty years ago when I was taking philosophy classes.
Prayer Requests: This weekend I will be presenting The Gospel from Galatians 1. I believe that the grace of God is so good that few of us can appreciate it. My prayer is that I can persuade at least a few to lean into gracious and loving arms of the Father.
A Closing Prayer: Grant me, O most sweet loving Jesus, to rest in you above every creature, above all health and beauty, above all glory and honor, above all power and dignity, above all knowledge and subtlety, above all riches and arts, above all joy and exultation, above all fame and praise, above all sweetness and consolation, above all hope and promise, above all desert and desire, above all gifts and presents which you are able to bestow or infuse, above all joy and gladness which the mind is capable of receiving and feeling; finally, above angels and archangels, and above all the heavenly host, above all things visible and invisible, and above all you are not, O my God!  (Thomas a Kempis, 1380 – 1471)