Happy Friday,

Jesus is Lord.

Romans 10:9

Like the prayer, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner,” the brevity and simplicity of the church’s first creed is part of its power. Count me among those who think we should rehearse it often. BTW, stating “Jesus is Lord” used to be a way of whispering that Caesar was not.

WOTW: Honorable mention goes to: cry bullies (a species fond of higher education), Tumblebreed(a dog whose shed hair morphs into tumbleweeds that collect in the corner of the room), photosapiens (which seems an appropriate designation to those who regularly take selfies), and Slacktivists (those who show their support for a cause via social media but do little else). Full honors go to streitsüchtig, a German word often translated “quarrelsome,” but which can mean dispute-addicted. I see more streitsüchtig than I see cry bullies, photosapiens, tumblebreeds, or slacktivists.

Without Comment: 1) Per this U of Arkansas study, students graduating from religious schools are more politically tolerant than those graduating from secular schools; 2) Per Timothy Carney, author of Family Unfriendly, “Religiosity makes adults more likely to have kids; and having kids makes adults more serious about religion;” 3) Per UVA sociologist Brad Wilcox, “boys from non-intact families are more likely to spend time in jail before age 30 than they are to graduate from college;” 4) Per this report, 2.5% of all US births in 2022 were the result of IVF; 5) Per this study, dumb phones are making a comeback; 6) Per this LA Times article, President Biden has a 33-point lead over Donald Trump among young women, but only a 6-point lead among young men; and 7) Per this article, one of the most frequently stolen items from the store is… a package of razors.

With Comment: 1) Per this report from Deezer — a European streaming service — our ability to adapt to new music peaks in our 20s and stagnates in our 30s. This is news to no pastor who has tried to hold together a multi-generational church; 2) Though most people claim they pay off their balance every month, according to the Government Accountability Office (there is a joke there) US credit card debt now stands well over $1 trillion; 3) An executive at a large foundation believes “the declension narrative is being overplayed.” Many institutions are dying, but “their departure is creating a rich compost in which many new things can grow.”; 4) As Ryan Burge notes in “Dropping out of Everything,” if Robert Putnam was writing Bowling Alone today, it would be called Netflixing Alone, and the statistical support for his thesis would be much stronger. “People are dropping out of everything.”; and 5) I still find it surprising that we never settled on what to call the first decade of the 2000s — the zips, the aughts, or the zeros.

Fear and the Future: I say little about politics these days because most people are exhausted by both the topic and those talking about it. And yet… we cannot do nothing. As Christ-followers we are citizens of the City of God AND the City of Man. Things must be said about the second. So, in the spirit of Richard John Neuhaus — whose journal First Things assumes that politics is downstream from culture, and culture is downstream from faith, so we need to promote faith in order to civilize politics — let me say this: we need to avoid arguments and appeals shaped by fear, greed or hate. And we must remain sober-minded about what government can do. Romans 13 (and other passages) remind us that the Kingdom of God is not going to arrive via Air Force One.

Worth Monitoring: 1) Comedian Russell Brand’s conversion to Christ; and 2) The US’s response to the Cass Report on the efficacy of transgender medical practices in the UK.

Urgent Not Ultimate: Xi’s comments about Taiwan may matter more than the cat videos your great aunt keeps sending you, but even thoughtful, well-written, “above-the-fold” stories published by major media outlets seldom merit the gravitas the news implies. Stories breathlessly reported today will be hard to remember in days. (Can you name three stories from three days ago?) I believe there is a narrow path forward for the US, but among other things, it will require the resilience and sacrifice of people shaped more by the Good News than by the daily news. To state this differently, I believe those best able to help others step back from the ledge will be those who see the world through the lens of the Gospel, not those who see the Gospel through the lens of the world.

Closing Prayer: Most loving Lord, Give me a steadfast heart, which no unworthy thought can drag downwards; An unconquered heart, which no hardship can wear out; An upright heart, which no worthless purpose can ensnare. Give me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, and a faithfulness that will finally embrace you; Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Happy Friday,

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:7f

I memorized this passage decades ago. I’ve also preached on it several times. But until recently, I focused on justice, kindness, and humility, not walking. Having recently learned that walking with God is the first spiritual practice (Genesis 3:8), I find myself looking at it through fresh eyes. BTW, it has been suggested that God walks at 3 mph; thus, those moving faster than that are running ahead of Him.

ThinQ: Last week, I attended ThinQ, a TED-talk-meets-Christianity confab held annually in Nashville. I’ve gone for years because it provides helpful glimpses into the future — e.g., I was alerted to the coming de-transitioning movement at a ThinQ event ten years ago. In the weeks ahead, I will share some of what I learned. Here are some quick takes: 1) Everyone is becoming a prepper these days; 2) Though 28.5% of Gen Z girls identify as LGBTQIA+, few have acted on this identity; 3) We do not have a Gen Z problem; we have a discipleship problem; 4) The rocks are on standby to worship God; 5) We need to replace FOMO with JOMO — i.e., move from the Fear of Missing Out to the Joy of Missing Out.

WOTW: Honorable mention goes to: Quarterbackanoia — which appeared in this WSJ piece. I am counting on Caleb to remove it from Chicago’s lexicon; Operation Menai Bridge — the code name for King Charles’ funeral plans (his Mother’s plans were London Bridge); faux profundity, which deserves mention as we head into commencement season, and tap gap, (which refers to the split second between when you tap on an app and the phone screen changes so you tap on the wrong thing. Full honors belong to ungovernable, which I’m trying to trademark. If I can collect a penny every time it’s used between now and November, I can retire before Christmas.

Speaking of Faux Profundity: I agree with this article, which says that this tweet — “A good law of history is that if you ever find yourself opposing a student movement while siding with the ruling class, you are wrong. Every single time. In every era. No matter the issue.”— sounds profound, but is not! I became a college pastor because I love students’ passion. But I never thought their insights were foolproof.

Without Comment: 1) According to this piece, of the 58,000 new books published last year, 90% sold less than 2,000 copies, and 50% sold less than a dozen copies; 2) According to this piece, one-fifth of Americans spend part of their vacation thinking about their next vacation; 3) According to this Substack, atheists are the most politically active demographic; 4) According to this piece, Norwegian middle school students who gave up their cell phones did better academically and experienced better mental health; and 5) At the moment there is little united about the United Methodist Church, which has been shedding members for decades, falling from 11M to 4M.

Depopulation: The last two weeks have been filled with articles about the US’s plummeting birthrate. I thought this meme was the most memorable contribution to the discussion. Also, in the funny-but-too-close-to-home category is this line from Colin Jost’s monologue at last week’s White House Correspondents Dinner: “I’m not saying both candidates are old, but you know Jimmy Carter is out there thinking, ‘I could maybe win this thing.’ He’s only 99.”

Sorry — We’re Not as Smart as the Algorithms: You’re aware that both your tree-hugging, leftie sister-in-law and your conspiracy-backing, far-right Uncle Buck have descended into an echo chamber. It’s time to realize that we’re all in one. And, alas, it’s one that makes us feel that we are not in one.

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “You can have a democracy without the underpinnings of culture, but you will probably not have it very long. And even while you have it, it will be disappointing in its results.” Allen Guelzo; 2) “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring; and 3) “Above all else, trust the slow work of God.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

IS2M: 1) Some SNL skits write themselves; 2) Those counting on AI to solve the problem of human loneliness will find their pictures in Webster’s next to both irony and gullibility; 3) We need friends with whom we disagree, in part to keep us from thinking that those who disagree with us are not just wrong, they are evil.

Resources: Click here to hear my interview with Dr. John Inazu, Wash U professor of Law and Religion. It’s on his new book, How to Disagree. Click here to hear my sermon on the idolatry of sex.

Closing Prayer: My Lord God, my all in all, Life of my life, and Spirit of my spirit, look in mercy on me and so fill me with your Holy Spirit that my heart has no room for love of anything but you. I ask from you no other gift but yourself, for you are the giver of life and all its blessings. From you I ask not for the world or its treasures, neither do I beg for heaven. I desire and long for you alone, and where you are, there is heaven. Amen. Sadhu Sundar Singh, (1889 – 1929)

Happy Friday,

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.

Psalm 119:9

Few forces are as powerful and relentless as culture. It quietly shapes our perceptions, steers our conversations, and reworks our convictions. The good news is the Word of God is an effective and lasting counterbalance. Of course, it only works — i.e., it only shapes our loves, hopes, and imaginations — if we work it deeply into our hearts. And that requires a long obedience in the same direction. It takes work to develop an inner world that is stronger than the volume and velocity of today’s culture.

Patrick Henry as a Case Study: Though famous for a different quote, Henry’s comments shortly before his death reinforce the above point: “Here,” he said, holding up the Bible, “is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed: yet it is my misfortune never to have found time to read it, with the proper attention and feeling, till lately. I trust in the mercy of heaven, that it is not yet too late.”

Without Comment: 1) According to Gallup, 21% percent of us say we attend religious services every week. According to this U of C geodata tracking study, only 5 percent do; 2) According to the CDC, the US fertility rate dropped to 1.62 births per woman last year — the lowest in history. On a related note, in 1993, 60% of Americans had at least one child by the time they were 34. Today, only 27% do; 3) According to this Barna study, the percentage of US pastors seriously considering quitting the ministry dropped from 42% in ’22 to 33% in ‘23; 4) There are now 800,000 miles of fiber optic cable crisscrossing the ocean floor; and 5) According to data from the Common Application, interest in Ivy League schools is down, and interest in public universities in southern states is surging.

Quote Worth Requoting: 1) “I’d be willing to give every student in school a joint if I could take away their iPhone.” Dean of Discipline at a local Middle School. 2) “Some years ago, I was doing a seven-part series of talks on the Seven Deadly Sins at a men’s breakfast. My wife told me, ‘I’ll bet that the week you deal with greed you will have your lowest attendance.’ She was right. People packed it out for ‘Lust’ and ‘Wrath’ and even ‘Pride.’ But nobody thinks they are greedy. As a pastor I’ve had people come to me to confess that they struggle with almost every kind of sin. Almost. I cannot recall anyone ever coming to me and saying: ‘I spend too much money on myself. I think my greedy lust for money is harming my family, my soul, and people around me.’ Greed hides itself from the victim. Its MO includes blindness to your own heart.” Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods

Clean Up: My comments about NPR in last week’s Update led several to accuse me of not making enough of the equal missteps on the right. Although I think the sins of news media on the right are different, I have no problem noting that the right is also a target-rich environment. Tragically, not everyone is as bright, balanced, and self-aware as I am.

Overheard: 1) Western Civ is looking like a trust fund running out of money; 2) You are not a disciple of Jesus if you are not making disciples yourself; 3) When a maniac is at the door, feuding brothers reconcile.

$$$: I preached about money again, thereby playing into the hands of those who say that’s all pastors talk about. I would like the record to show that I speak about money far less than some. Take Jesus. He spoke about it a lot more than I do. (Should you care, that message — which is part of the series on idolatry and which focuses more specifically on the idolatry of consumerism — is here.)

Learning to Disagree: This Sunday at 7 PM, Lakelight is livestreaming an evening with Dr. John Inazu, a political philosopher, constitutional scholar, professor of Law and Religion at Washington University, and the author of several books, most recently, Learning to Disagree. You can register here.

All Will Be Known: From time to time, someone laments that Google knows our search histories, VISA knows our spending habits, and the US Gov is listening to our phone calls. Along these lines, this Atlantic piece notes that historians will soon know what the Vatican did — or did not do — to thwart Hitler. The gist of all this is our secrets will not remain hidden. I understand the fear. Being fully exposed is a scary proposition. But it’s not Google, VISA, or The Atlantic, I fear. It’s God. Thankfully, in Christ, I am fully known and fully loved. He already knows the worst about me and loves me all the same.

Closing Prayer: O most Glorious God, in Jesus Christ my merciful and loving Father, I acknowledge and confess my guilt, in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day. I have called on Thee for pardon and forgiveness of sins…Let me live according to those holy rules which Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy Holy Word; make me to know what is acceptable in Thy sight, and therein to delight, open the eyes of my understanding, and help me thoroughly to examine myself concerning my knowledge, faith and repentance, increase my faith, and direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ the Way, the Truth and the Life, Bless, O Lord, all the people of this land, from the highest to the lowest, particularly those whom Thou has appointed to rule us in church & state. Continue Thy goodness to me this night. These weak petitions, I humbly implore Thee to hear, accept and answer for the sake of Thy Dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. (George Washington)

Happy Friday,

I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Psalm 3:6

Psalm 3 is a favorite. Though I seldom struggle with fear, there are days when it feels like I have ten thousand problems. I particularly appreciate knowing that David wrote this while fleeing from Absalom, which means he wrote it while facing problems of his own doing, and the older I get, the more I realize that most of my headaches are my fault. There is comfort to be found when we relocate our hope in God. He offers a peace able to overrun family concerns, market losses, health issues, and political nonsense.

Without Comment: 1) According to this report, average screen time per person is 6 hrs and 40 min/day (globally) and 7 hrs and 3 min/day (US), with nearly half of US teens logging more than 8 hours per day; 2) According to this Free Press article, all 87 of NPR’s 87 DC reporters are registered Democrats; and 3) According to this Gallup report, Americans — especially women under the age of 50 — are sleeping less and stressing more.

Two WSJ Articles: I think Peggy Noonan’s summary of Jonathan Haidt’s work (about children and smartphones), and this piece about the mental health benefits of going to church are worth reading. I also thought it was quite ironic that The Atlantic put “Democracy Dies Behind Paywalls” — a piece about the need to drop paywalls between now and the election — behind a paywall.

IS2M: 1) For someone who is not a Christian, Jordan Peterson spends a lot of time talking about Jesus; 2) It seems unlikely that many voters will change their minds between now and November — although I do think they may change their votes; 3) Married couples attending a wedding should look beyond the pageantry and really listen to the vows — in fact, they should make them again in their heart; 4) We were better off when it was common to talk about finishing the race or graduating to glory, instead of passing, slipping away, losing the battle or succumbing. There is life after life, and we cannot live well here if we do not keep that top of mind; 5) Many are not just elevating feelings over reason; they are becoming anti-reason.

WOTW: Everyone must have been so busy watching the Masters or following the WNBA draft that they forgot to send in their nominations for Word of the Week. Left entirely on my own, I am selecting poverty buttons. My new car is not tricked out to one of my son’s tastes. Getting in, he noted that it had a lot of poverty buttons — i.e., buttons that do nothing because I didn’t get “the full package.” I had not noticed, being too overwhelmed by all the ways it was chirping at me or trying to take over steering. Indeed, had he not used the term poverty button, I might have gone with Nanny State.

Car Talk: As much as I have enjoyed Click and Clack, who hosted NPR’s car show, the header was just a tease to set up this: I want to talk to NPR’s leadership in much the same way I want to talk to the guy who stole my car. You may remember my 2013 Hyundai was totaled because the thief drove it so fast he blew out the engine. If I could find him, I’d say, “Dude, when driving a stolen car, don’t be so clueless as to get pulled over for speeding.” In the same way, I’d like to say to NPR’s leadership, “when someone who likes you tries to point out some blind spots, don’t be so clueless — and self-righteous — as to suspend them.” NPR’s response to the whistleblower has been casebook cringeworthy. It’s evolving as I write this, but here is the critic’s first piece and NPR’s initial response. He was subsequently suspended and later resigned.

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.” Colin Powell; 2) “Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.” Eric Liddell; 3) “If you want to summarize the changes in family structure over the past century, the truest thing to say is this: We’ve made life freer for individuals and more unstable for families.” David Brooks

A Longer Quote Too Good to Skip: This CS Lewis quote from On Living in an Atomic Age (1948) is worth taking to heart. “In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. ‘How are we to live in an atomic age?’ I am tempted to reply: ‘Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.’ In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty. This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

Closing Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, I long to live in your presence, to see your human form and to watch you walking on earth. I do not want to see you through the darkened glass of tradition, nor through the eyes of today’s values and prejudices. I want to see you as you were, as you are, and as you always will be. I want to see you as an offense to human pride, as a man of humility, walking amongst the lowliest of men, and yet as the savior and redeemer of the human race. Amen. (Søren Kierkegaard, 1813 – 1855)

Happy Friday, 

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

Psalm 119:67

We can learn much about ourselves, God, and life by suffering. Many say as much. The tuition is high, but some go so far as to thank God for it — i.e., for cancer, unemployment, and similar challenges. Not everyone, of course. And we need to be clear: not everyone gets better via suffering. Some simply get bitter. Growing through suffering requires the right conditions, starting with reflection, humility, and faith.

Duct Tape: I recently heard that with WD-40 to loosen things that are stuck and duct tape to hold things together that are broken, you can fix any problem. If only. In my job, I run into lots of stuck people and lots of broken things — e.g., marriages, families, churches, and a country or two. I don’t think either fix-all would help.

IS2M: 1) When we are assessing countries, we should pay attention to which ones people are fleeing to and which ones they are fleeing from; 2) I’ve heard a lot of religious talk this week. It surrounded the eclipse, college basketball, and the Masters. Especially the Masters. On a flight to Atlanta, I was seated around a few making their pilgrimage to Mecca (I mean Augusta). I kept hearing words like bliss, glory, awe, transcendent, and perfection.

WOTW: Honorable mention goes to double hater (which I heard used to describe the upcoming election), moral jellyfish (which was used in this Walter Russell Mead long-but-worth-it critique of higher ed), and syzygy (which describes “either of the two positions of a celestial body when sun, earth, and the body lie in a straight line.”) Full honors go to cicada-geddon, the term John Cooley (UConn’s cicada expert) coined to describe the double dose of cicadas that will invade a couple parts of the United States this year. The last time two broods of cicadas came out together was in 1803 when Thomas Jefferson was president. BTW, I chose cicada-geddon in part so I could mention UConn’s cicada expert. Without him, I’m not sure why anyone would ever say anything about UConn.

Be Encouraged: In a world where we tend to only hear the bad, it’s worth paying attention to the good. Renew Communities — a 501(c)(3) ministry started by Christ Church ten years ago — had a good year. Among other things, over 1,700 people volunteered on one of the 16 Matthew Homes under construction. Here’s a 3-minute video highlighting the ministry. BTW, if you like what you see — and you live in the area — you are welcome to attend next week’s 30-minute Ribbon and Key Ceremony. (It’s on April 17^th at 4:30 p.m. at 2132 Kristan, North Chicago). Better yet, be a Matthew Home volunteer. Click here for more info.

Quotes Worth Requoting: “Many former ‘sins’ have become ‘crimes’ so that responsibility for dealing with them has passed from church to state — from priest to policeman. Others have dissipated into sickness, or at least into symptoms of sickness so that in their case, punishment has been replaced by treatment. A third convenient device called ‘collective responsibility’ has enabled us to transfer the blame from some of our deviant behavior as individuals to society as a whole or to a specific group in society.” Karl Menninger.

Without Comment: 1) Tickets to the Women’s Final Four b-ball games garnered 2x the price of tickets for the men’s game — go Caitlin; 2) There are now 2,781 billionaires in the world, including Taylor Swift; 3)Per this AEI article, although the majority of the Baby Boomers leaving their “formative religion” were men, among Gen Zs and below, the pattern has flipped. 54% of Gen Z leaving the church are women; 4) US adults now believe they need $1.5M to retirecomfortably, up 54% from 2020; 5) According to Google, in the hours following the eclipse, there was a large spike in the searches of “eyes hurt.”

Resources: 1) This is the last chance to sign up for next Tuesday’s Lakelight Live in Indianapolis. The event — which will be held at the Indianapolis Vineyard Church — starts at 7 p.m. I will be speaking about the news. The title is On the News: How and Why the News Has Changed, How it is Changing You, And What to Do About it. Sign up here; 2) Here is the first sermon in a six-week series I’m doing on the idols of our age. The series is called IN ___ WE TRUST. (By the time it’s done, I’ll likely be polling below IRS agents. Thankfully, I’ll still be ahead of Congress and the media.)

Closing Prayer: I am not worthy, Master and Lord, that you should come beneath the roof of my soul; yet since in your love toward all, you wish to dwell in me, in boldness I come. You command; open the gates, which you alone have made. And you will come in, and enlighten my darkened reasoning. I believe that you will do this; for you did not send away the harlot who came to you with tears, nor cast out the repenting tax-collector, nor reject the thief who acknowledged your kingdom. But you counted all of these as members of your band of friends. You are blessed forevermore. Amen. (John Chrysostom, 347 – 407)

Happy Friday,

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus, Matt. 6:21

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us to not “store up our treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.” But instead, “to store our treasure in heaven.” He then says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Some believe Jesus is saying that our spending reveals our heart. Perhaps, but his bigger point is that our spending shapes our heart. If we want to love the true, good, and beautiful, we need to invest in the true, good, and beautiful — i.e., His kingdom. 

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “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.” N.T. Wright; 2) “The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long.” A.W. Tozer

Without Comment: 1) According to this AEI report, lonely young people are 7x more likely to say they are active in politics than young people who aren’t lonely; 2) According to this Gallup poll, the average US teen spends 4.8 hours per day on social media, with girls spending an hour more than boys; 3) According to this CNBC report, the wealth of the top 1% of the US — those with a net worth > $11M — is now a record $44.6T; 4) According to this report, the percentage of students who are chronically absent — i.e., who miss school at least 10% of the time — has climbed from 15% before the pandemic to 26% today; 5) According to this CNN business report, Trader Joe’s recently increased the price of bananas for the first time in 20 years (in related news, Dollar Tree recently raised the maximum price of items in its store from $5 to $7); 6) This study notes that Americans now worry more about their mental health than they do about cancer.

IS2M: 1) We are going to have to look a lot more redeemed before we can hope that people will believe in our Redeemer; 2) It’s unreasonable to expect me to adjust to the “negative leap second” recalibration of the clocks. My schedule is too finely tuned to allow for this adjustment; 3) People should be clear-thinking enough to realize that Western culture got some things right; 4) Those who think we are just a suite of legislation away from a perfect society feel justified in doing just about anything to get that legislation passed; and 5) The spread of the early church throughout the Roman Empire makes it clear that Christians can impact society without political power. 

HVRD’s Moment: In spite of being owned by Clorox, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing now outsells ketchup; its logo has become a popular tattoo, and some bridal couples have replaced the chocolate fountain at their wedding reception with an HVRD fountain instead. 

Dates, Worms, and Lights: The story is told of a monk who woke up hungry in the middle of the night. After lighting a candle, he reached into a bowl of dates next to his bed, picked up one, and took a bite of it. Glancing down at the half that remained, he noticed a worm, so he threw the date away. He picked up another, took another bite, noticed another worm, and threw it away. He took another. Same. Another. Same. Finally, frustrated, he blew out the candle.

Capitalism and Faith: Capitalism offers a bit of a Faustian bargain — gain riches and freedom but lose stability, tradition and community. More and more are signing up, which has dramatically helped lower the levels of extreme poverty. Count me among those who think it is the best economic model available to broken people. But… if capitalists are not shaped by humility, compassion, and generosity, things get ugly. Jesus was not kidding when he said, “The love of money leads to all sorts of evil.”

Marriage: I was encouraged to see Nicholas Kristof interact so positively with Brad Wilcox’s advocacy of marriage. You can read Kristof’s piece here. It’s full of interesting data — such as the fact that while getting a college degree increases the odds of describing oneself as “very happy” by 64%, marriage increases the odds of being “very happy” by 151%. And being “very happy” in marriage boosts the odds by 545%.

Resources: I will be speaking at a Lakelight Live event in Indianapolis on Tuesday, April 16^th, at 7 p.m. at the Indianapolis Vineyard Church (8383 Craig St.). The topic is On the News: How and Why the News Has Changed. How it is Changing You. And What to Do About It. For more information or to sign up for this free event, click here. To listen to last week’s Easter sermon, which was — surprise, surprise — on the resurrection, click here.

Closing Prayer: Loving and tender providence of my God, into your hands I commend my spirit; to you I abandon my hope and fears, my desires and repugnances, my temporal and eternal prospects. Though temptations should assail me, I will hope in you… You are my kind, compassionate, and indulgent Father, and I am your devoted child who casts myself into your arms and begs your blessing. Amen. Claude La Colombière (1641-1682)

Happy Good Friday,

“In humility value others above yourselves.”

Paul, Philippians 2

Given that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image of our Holy Creator, we are not directed towards self-loathing. We are, however, invited to follow Christ’s lead and be self-emptying. The goal is not to think less of ourselves but to think of ourselves less. It is seldom fun to head down this path, but as GKC stated, we become taller when we bow.

Good Friday: Those living in other countries call today Holy Friday, Passion Friday, and the Friday of the Lament. Why do Americans call it Good Friday? I do not know. I’ve read that “Good Friday” is an abbreviation of “God’s Friday,” but of course it isn’t. Calling Good Friday God’s Friday would be an abbreviation, but calling God’s Friday Good Friday is not. I’ve also been told it has something to do with the positive spin Americans try to put on everything. All I know is that because it was an unthinkably bad day for Christ, it is a very good day for me.

Suffering, Silicon Valley, and Job 36: In his recent remarks at Stanford, Jensen Huang — the billionaire co-founder of Nvidia — told students, “I hope suffering happens to you.” Huang went on to state that success and resilience require “ample doses of pain,” because “greatness is not intelligence. Greatness comes from character. And character isn’t formed out of smart people, it’s formed out of people who suffered.” Job said something similar several thousand years ago. At least, I think that is what Job 36:15 means. It reads: God “delivers the afflicted by their affliction.”

The Value of Scripture Memory: The Gospels contain 1,800 verses of Jesus speaking. Ten percent are quotes from the Old Testament. In other words, ten percent of the things said by the Word of God were already the Word of God. Are ten percent of your comments quotes from the Bible? One percent? Point zero one percent? Point zero, zero one percent? BTW, when Jesus was being tempted by Satan, His responses all came from Deuteronomy.

WOTW: Honorable mention goes to mendacity (being untruthful, telling lies) recently cited by a judge complaining about an “odor of mendacity” in his courtroom and philodoxical (which means “love of opinion” standing in contrast to philosophical, which means “love of wisdom”). Full honors go to the genus of terms surrounding DINK (Dual Income No Kids). I’m referring to DINKWAD (Dinks with a Dog), SINK (Single Income No Kids), and DINKY (Dual Income No Kids Yet). Sheri and I happily transitioned from DINKSAHs (Dual Income No Kids Still at Home) to grandparents.

Without Comment: 1) According to this Gallup poll, more than one in five Gen Zers (those 11 to 23 years old) identify as LGBTQ+; 2) According to Xdata, X (formerly Twitter) is averaging over 8 billion active user minutes per day, up ten percent over last year; 3) Following the pandemic: private school enrollment increased 4%, and homeschool enrollment increased 30% (3.7M students now attend a charter school); 4) There are only three and a half months before Bears Training camp opens; and 5) This article states that the average bonus on Wall Street last year was $176K, down 2% from 2022 (please do not tell the Christ Church or Lakelight staff).

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Technology is neither good nor bad nor neutral.” Melvin Kranzberg 2) “We are overprotecting our children in the real world while under-protecting them online.” Tim Carney

Was Rand Right? My brief mention of Henry Rearden in last week’s Update rattled those with strong opinions about Ayn Rand. FWIW, I enjoyed Atlas Shrugged (especially Roark’s resilience) but moved on after discovering her book The Virtue of Selfishness and realized what she was selling. On bad days, I’m tempted by her “everyone look out for themselves / let them eat cake” approach. On good days, I read the Sermon on the Mount and aspire to “do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”

Do Not Open Until Sunday: Even though one-third of the Synoptic Gospels — and one-half of John — focus on the last week of Christ’s life, those Christians whose spiritual life is shaped by Sunday mornings and little else jump from Christ’s Triumphal Entry to Easter morning, skipping everything in between (such as Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial, the Last Supper, Pilate’s handwashing, and the crucifixion). Don’t be that person. Today is not Easter. Wait until Sunday AM to watch this video.

My Car: Much of my recent Update email has been related to my stolen car. For those who are curious: 1) My 2013 Hyundai Sonata was stolen from my driveway three weeks ago; 2) As predicted, the police found it in downtown Chicago four days later; 3) The police believe it was used in a crime; 4) The thief drove it so hard that the engine seized up, which led my insurance company to declare it a total loss; 5) I briefly considered replacing it with the turbo-charged Porsche 911s (you can get a nice one for just less than $400K) but ended up getting another Hyundai Sonata.

Resources: I will be speaking at a Lakelight event in Indianapolis on Tuesday, April 16^th at 7 PM. The topic is On the News: How and Why the News Has Changed. How it is Changing You. And What to Do About. The location is TBD. If you are interested in more info or want to attend click here.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyful Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself. Amen. Augustine of Hippo, (354-430)

Happy Friday,

Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?

Matthew 25:44

I’ve always been unsettled by Matthew 25. I grew more so recently when I realized that the sins Jesus calls out are ones of omission, not commission.

WOTW: Honorable mention goes to compos mentis (which refers to having full control of one’s mind and is turning up a lot), political hobbyism (which refers to those who listen to podcasts about the news, argue about it, and otherwise react to it without doing any of the real work of making society better), and post-achievement (which this WSJ article ascribes to older professionals transitioning to less demanding roles to make time for things such as podcasting or playing guitar). Full honors go to Zombie-corns (startups that earn a $1B valuation but struggle to achieve profitability after funding runs out). The Friday Update is not a Zombie-corn because although we struggle to achieve profitability, we were never officially valued north of $1B.

Without Comment: 1) 38% of Americans now identify as independents (with 57% thinking the Rs have moved too far to the right and 69% thinking the Ds have moved too far to the left); 2) A CDC study shows that in the years since COVID, marriage is up and divorce is down; 3) According to this Harvard/Harris Poll, immigration has replaced inflation as the number one issue on American’s minds; 4) According to this McKinsey study, the average person works 90,000 hours in their life; 5) According to this WSJ article, pro-Palestinian videos have run on TikTok 69x more often than pro-Israeli ones; 6) According to this McQuarrie University study, snakes are the new high-protein superfood; 7) The odds of picking a perfect bracket for the March Madness office pool are one in 130 billion; 8) According to this article, the fastest growing high school girls sport is wrestling; and 9 ) According to this US Census Bureau study, the major US cities with the lowest church attendance are San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston. And the major US cities with the highest church attendance are Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.

IS2M: 1) Many Christians believe more strongly in karma than they do grace; 2) Our Founders had a better understanding of human nature than today’s elites; and 3) Few are prepared to move from “Who’s who” to “Who’s that?”.

Ugh: In her book The Writing Life, Annie Dillard tells of an experiment done with butterflies. When males were placed next to a painted cardboard female butterfly that was bigger than any real female butterfly could ever be, he ignored the living female butterfly next to him even though the cardboard butterfly ignored all of his advances — and the real, living female opens and closes her wings in a vain effort to attract his attention. I believe we are watching a lot of males pining after painted cardboard butterflies.

The Question: There are lots of questions filling our day — e.g., Is this expired milk going to make me sick? Are those who enroll in genetic studies genetically predisposed to do so? How long before Elon Musk goes full Hank Rearden? As a pastor, I keep asking a more important but often awkward one: Are you prepared to die? Many are not. 

Update on My Car: The police recovered my 2013 Hyundai, but State Farm has declared it totaled (apparently, it was driven so fast that the engine seized up). I remain more scandalized by the thief throwing my books out the car window and into a puddle than I do by the loss of the car (which suggests something about my idols). BTW, to all of you who suggested I not leave the car unlocked with the keys in the ignition and the engine running, I did no such thing. But apparently, all you have to do to start a 2013 Hyundai without the key is ask nicely, and it will start on its own. 

Pray: It seems time to remind everyone that we should be praying for God’s favor on our country, for the unity of the church, and for our national leaders.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, I do not know what to ask of you. You alone know what are my true needs. You love me more than I myself know how to love. Help me to see my real needs, which are concealed from me. I dare not ask for either a cross or a consolation; I can only wait on you. My heart is open to you. Come to me and help me, for your great mercy’s sake… I put all my trust in you. I have no other desire than to fulfill your will. Teach me how to pray; pray yourself in me. Amen (Patriarch Theodore Philaret of Moscow, 1553 – 1633)

Happy Friday,

“Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

John 13:34

In the Greek, “just” means “to the same degree” or “in the same way.” So, how and how much does Jesus love us? With a love that is sacrificial, unconditional, and proactive. Imagine a world in which everyone loved — and was loved — this way.

Question: What do you think was the biggest industry in America sixty years ago?

WOTW: Meriam Webster just released their second list of “beautiful and useless words.” There are a few on it that I like — e.g., roorback (a defamatory falsehood published for political effect), ultracrepidarian (giving opinions on matters beyond one’s knowledge), or novercal (of, relating to, or characteristic of a stepmother) — but they are not WOTW fodder. It’s no fair getting new and novel words from someone’s list of new and novel words. Only send me words you’ve bumped into in real life. With that in mind, honorable mention goes to quotidian (it means daily, ordinary, or mundane and is trending), and full honors go to Texodus. Not everyone fleeing IL is heading to the Lone Star State, but it’s no roorback to note the flight from Blue States to Red. 

Without Comment: 1) This WSJ article notes that some colleges now offer scholarships for talented “cornhole athletes;” 2) This piece claims cybercrimes cost the US over $12B last year; 3) This article claims Millennials will inherit $90T, making them the richest generation in history; and 4) This piece claims a woman named Diot Coke was born 600 years ago. BTW: the oldest Gen Zers turn 27 this year, and 88% of Americans claim to be above-average drivers.

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “No constitution for self-government can save a people from voluntarily ending their own reign. ‘A republic, if you can keep it’ wasn’t just a foreboding turn of phrase — it was a statement of historical literacy.” Sarah Isgur; 2) “I see no hope for the future for people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today. For certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wild and impatient.” The Greek poet Hesiod 700 BCE.

IS2M: 1) Everyone knows the NYT bestseller list is only as credible as WWE wrestling, but many pretend otherwise; 2) Much changes when we realize that God is not just in the soul-rescuing business but intends to “reconcile all things to himself.” (Col. 1:19-20); 3) Not enough has been made about cancel culture’s takedown of non-judgmentalism. Those advocating non-judgmentalism always judged those who disagreed with them, but they pretended otherwise. Today, what we hear is that “some things are too important to be left to chance;” 4) The fact that children today are more likely to ask Google than to ask Grandpa (or Grandma) is a loss; 5) “Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done” remains a more revolutionary statement than anything Marx or Mao ever said; and 6) It’s odd watching people take to social media to decry social media.

I Got it Back: Two weeks ago, my ten-year-old Hyundai was stolen from the driveway of our home in Lake Bluff, IL (AKA, Mayberry RFD). Sheri and I — who are glad we parked the Bentleys in the garage — initially found the whole thing rather comical. (Someone wants the car I drive?) More recently, we have found ourselves mourning for the disordered soul of the person who stole it and thinking about Matthew Henry’s journal entry after he was mugged. In it, he wrote: “Let me be thankful. First, I was never robbed before. Second, although they took my purse, they didn’t take my life. Third, although they took my all, it was not much. Fourth, let me be thankful because it was I who was robbed and not I who did the robbing.”

Answer: Earlier, I asked about the biggest business sixty years ago. In the early 60s, journalist Eric Sevareid argued that, “The biggest big business in America is not steel, automobiles, or television. It is the manufacture, refinement, and distribution of anxiety.”

Resources: In this sermon on Exodus 28, I explore how we can know God’s Will.

Closing Prayer: O Light eternal, surpassing all created brightness, flash forth the lightning from above and enlighten the inmost recesses of my heart. Cleanse, cheer, enlighten, and enliven my spirit with all its powers, that it may cling to you in ecstasies of joy. Oh, when will that happy and wished-for hour come, when you will fill me with your presence and become all in all to me? So long as this is not given me, my joy will not be complete. Amen (Thomas à Kempis, 1380 – 1471)

Happy Friday,

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

King David, Psalm 20

As the global and national stages become further unsettled, it’s of first importance to remember that our hope rests with God, not guns (i.e., chariots and horses). It’s also critical to remember that our future is secure. We may face “light and momentary struggles,” but this life is short, and eternity is not. Christ-followers have no reason to be daunted or obsessed by the magnitude of global issues. This ends well for those in Christ.

IS2M: 1) Toxic masculinity is a problem, but so is masculine passivity; 2) Those who can name more media celebrities than they can name neighbors are doing life wrong; and 3) One of the ills of our age is the eclipse of institutions by individuals.

Quote Worth Requoting: 1) “Stop getting your life together and start giving it away.” Craig Smith; 2) “The internet makes everything more visible but less legible.” Ross Douthat; 3) “The story of Christian reformation, revival, and renaissance underscores that the darkest hour is often just before the dawn, so we should always be people of hope and prayer, not gloom and defeatism. God can turn the situation around in five minutes.” Os Guinness; 4) “Everything is habit-forming, so make sure you do what you want to be doing.” Wilt Chamberlin

One More: In response to Karl Marx’s charge that religion is the “opiate of the masses,” Tim Keller wrote, “That may be true of religions that teach people that this material world is unimportant or illusory. Christianity, however, teaches that God hates the suffering and oppression of this material world so much, he was willing to get involved in it and to fight against it. Properly understood, Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It’s more like the smelling salts.”

I Was Duped: Last week, I said this was a trailer for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia film. It turns out it was a fake trailer cobbled together by a fan (or perhaps Putin). Be assured that this was the first and last time I’ll be misled. I’m vowing to more closely follow Abraham Lincoln’s advice about not trusting everything I find on the Internet.

Word of the Week: Honorable mention goes to sheconomy, which, according to a Morgan Stanley study, is booming, and wind industrial sites, which, according to this article, is the preferred term of those who find wind farms “big, intrusive, ugly and destructive.” Full honors go to EINO, which stands for Evangelicals In Name Only and refers to the close to fifty percent of self-identified evangelicals who attend church “once a year or less.”

Wrong About Rights: One of the more depressing things I’ve heard lately was a Politico writer mocking Christians for thinking their rights came from God, not the state. Please understand I’m used to Christians being mocked in the media — indeed, I often think it is warranted — the reason this piece bothered me was because the writer did not appear to know that the American project is based on the idea that our rights are inalienable (i.e., that the role of the government is not to grant rights but to defend them). You’d like to think that someone writing for a news outlet like Politico would know that!

Without Comment: 1) This article reports on India’s declining religious freedom; 2) This website notes that as of yesterday, the US debt had grown to $103K/citizen (or $267K/taxpayer); 3) In this article The Wall Street Journal editorial board states their belief that “the world is as dangerous as it’s been since the 1930s.”

Resources: Click here to listen to my podcast with Dr. Jerry Root, who has not only written several books on C.S. Lewis but has lectured on Lewis at more than 80 universities in 20 countries. This interview was background for my final lecture on Lewis for the Lakelight class I recently taught.

Closing Prayer: Lord, when I think that my heart is overflowing with love and realize in a moment’s honesty that it is only myself that I love in the loved one, Deliver me from myself.  Lord, when I think that I have given all that I have to give and realize in a moment’s honesty that it is I who am the recipient, Deliver me from myself. Lord, when I have convinced myself that I am poor and realize in a moment’s honesty that I am rich in pride and envy, Deliver me from myself. And, Lord, when the Kingdom of Heaven merges deceptively with the kingdoms of this world, Let nothing satisfy me but God. Amen – Mother Teresa, 1910 – 1997.