Grace for an Arrogant World (Including the Church)
Hope for the hopeless.
Light in the darkness.
Destruction of the proud, and exaltation of the humble.
An invitation to bow down.
Worship.
Surrender.
Truly live.
Merry Christmas.
On Missing the Plot
This quote seems a good explainer of the theology animating an ever-increasing number of folks, now including most of the mainline denominations:
“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
(H. Richard Niebuhr, ‘The Kingdom of God in America’)
Things Fall Apart; The Center Cannot Hold
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
(Psalm 146:3-5)
The church has spectacularly and tragically failed to heed this bit of wisdom from the Psalms. And as I’ve outlined before, when I say “the church” I mean both the “progressive” left branch of the church and the “evangelical” right branch of the church. The book of Hosea has played out over and over again. The church has been a whore, and needs desperately to repent publicly, and before God.
Pray for the United States of America and its people. Pray for the world. The common – though often shallow – Judeo-Christian ethos that served as the foundation of the constitutional republic is all but gone. I believe that revival – of the supernatural, prostrate before God, gospel kind – is our only hope. And that happens from the bottom up, not the top down.
So I invite you to pray with me. It’s revival or bust.
On Governing Authorities. And Also, I’m A Slacker.
Earlier this year I embarked on a project to do some journaling based on scripture. Starting with the book of Romans, the idea was to take scripture in smaller chunks, reflect on it, and record some thoughts (without referencing any footnotes or commentaries before doing so). As we all tend to do with many such projects, I started out pretty regular, then stumbled a bit, then just kind of neglected it altogether. Finally, this morning, I was moved to get back to it (discovering it had been almost exactly 2 months since my last journal entry).
The next chapter for me to read/journal was Romans 13. I’ve generally been splitting chapters up in order to keep the journal entries focused on around 20 verses or so, but Romans 13 only has 14 verses, so I did the whole chapter. I’ve also been keeping my entries to half a page in the journal, but this one seemed like it merited an entire page, especially with all the government involvement in the coronavirus-related policies of this year. As it’s been over a month since my last post here, I thought I’d type it up and post it.
5/24/20 – Romans 13
If God is sovereign, then the governing authorities that exist are due to His sovereign will. This does not mean that all those in power are necessarily obeying the commands of God or following His law. A dive into the Old Testament, and indeed all of history, will show plenty of evil and despotic rulers and regimes.
So what are believers in Jesus to do? Obviously, God, His commandments, and the teachings of Jesus are our highest authority, and we should always, ultimately, defer to them. But unless governing authorities or laws specifically violate those, we are to obey the governing authorities. That’s true even if I don’t like the laws, or if I feel they are unjust. I can register my displeasure at the voting booth, or in peaceful protest, but I am still called to obey the governing authorities.
God clearly uses ungodly governments and leaders to accomplish His ultimate will, even when it means His people suffer. In America especially, we tend to frame these issues in terms of “rights”. Our Constitution – the best imperfect document for governing fallen people – delineates a set of inalienable, God-given rights.
The main issue, I believe, is how to balance that construct with the teachings of Jesus – about dying to self, about laying down my rights. Of course, also in this mix is advocating for the rights of others.
This is clearly a complex issue. But perhaps a primary framing of “humble obedience to God”, rather than a primary framing of “rights”, is the best place to start.
My primary motivator in everything should be the act of loving my neighbor. That focus is the sum of God’s commandments about false testimony, adultery, covetousness, etc. as well as most of the teachings of Jesus.
Since Jesus’ return could happen at any moment, I should live as though it will. I so quickly forget this, making self-focused plans and living as though God’s kingdom is something separate, or off at some point in the future in a way that doesn’t require my immediate attention. God, help me to continually remember that Your kingdom is both present and imminent!
A Paradigm Shift?
As of the time of this post (mid-April 2020), the potential fallout from the COVID-19 virus is still a huge unknown. No one’s really sure how long the social distancing and stay-at-home orders will be in effect (or if they’ll be reinstated in the event of future recurring outbreaks). The short- and long-term ramifications for employment and the economy probably won’t be known for some time. It’s a safe bet that all of us have been hit with the reality that plans, routines, hopes, and dreams can be upended pretty quickly.
Of course, that’s always been true. Job losses, unexpected deaths, tragic accidents, relationship disintegration, bad habits – lots of things can lead to unplanned life changes. It’s just that it’s easy to get settled into the belief that things will continue and progress as they always have…
I’m not an economist. But as someone who has a passing knowledge of history, and who has been paying attention to things like the U. S. deficit and debt, it’s been clear to me for a while now that a major, disruptive economic downturn has been inevitable for some time. Our national debt – currently over $24 trillion dollars as I type (not to mention another $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities such as Social Security and Medicare) – will never be paid off. The folks to whom that money is owed – China, people expecting Social Security throughout their retirement, etc., etc. – are going to be profoundly unhappy when that money does not materialize. But that unhappiness won’t change the facts on the ground.
A major economic reckoning is unavoidable. Whether this current virus is the triggering mechanism, or whether the truly catastrophic reckoning gets delayed a bit more by printing a bunch of additional fictional money, remains to be seen. But make no mistake – it is coming.
I say all this not to invoke despair, or fear. On the contrary – I say it to encourage a sober, realistic “taking stock” in each of our lives. For many of us, our lives leading up to this time have been so filled with activity that, despite any occasional planning we try to do, we mostly live in such a way that we react to the choices we’ve made – choices arrived at more by cultural expectations, and operating in a largely “autopilot” mode, rather than by deep reflection about what’s really important.
Our choices are very likely going to be much more limited going forward. And while that will no doubt entail some pain and grieving, it can also be a great blessing. The “pause” we currently find ourselves in is a great opportunity to take a look at where we stand and to evaluate our priorities. It’s a great opportunity to become proactive in taking steps towards a lifestyle in which we don’t need as much money to be happy or pay the bills, in which we’re less reliant on an increasingly fragile just-in-time food distribution and inventory system, and in which we can learn skills – as our grandparents did – to repair and reuse and re-purpose stuff we already have.
To that end, I’ve already offered one suggestion here.
The second suggestion I would offer is to make 2020 the year you learn – or enhance your knowledge of – growing food. Find an area of your yard that gets a good amount of sun, and go for it. Doing multiple beds around 4 feet wide, rather than one giant area, makes it easier to get in for weeding, pest control, and harvesting. If the sunny area is in a low spot that collects water, build some cheap raised beds using treated 2×12 lumber – again, around 4 feet wide each for easy access. Do research on what grows best in spring/summer/fall for your area. Get your seeds ASAP – squash (summer and winter), cucumbers, peas – whatever you like to eat.
Go online and research options like container gardening, vertical gardening, and square foot gardening. Lots of things can be grown vertically on a trellis with a bit of vine training early in the season – pole beans, cucumbers, smaller melons. Summer squash can be grown more vertically using tomato cages. Sweet potatoes can be grown in containers with the vines on a trellis behind the containers. And leaves of sweet potatoes can be harvested as summer greens! (The same is NOT true of regular potatoes – don’t eat those leaves!). T-posts and hog panels from places like Tractor Supply make for sturdy trellises. Grow food in containers on your deck or patio or balcony. Plant some fruit trees and/or berry bushes. They’ll take a few years to start yielding, but get them in the ground now! For fruit trees and bush options beyond your local stores, check out places like Stark Brothers or Honeyberry USA.
Then start to learn how to preserve what you grow – freezing, canning, dehydrating, etc. – so that you can enjoy it all year long, and be less affected by shortages in the grocery store. But don’t dally – I’ve noticed that canning jars and pressure canners are suddenly hard to come by. (I suspect good quality dehydrators like the Excalibur models will be next). But even if you can’t get that stuff for this season, don’t let that stop you from gardening this summer. You’ll still be able to eat and freeze this year’s crops. There’s also a good bet that a family member or friend has canning supplies you could borrow. (Plus, you can go ahead and add that kind of stuff your Christmas list!). Most importantly – since gardening takes a few years to really learn and get good at, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll become an expert!
There are plenty of other things you could start learning as well – cooking from scratch, sewing, bicycle repair. YouTube can be a resource for all that stuff.
The point I’m trying to make is this: major change is coming. If not now, it’s likely to be sooner rather than later. I suspect we’ll all need to downshift our lifestyles and adjust our priorities. So let’s face it head-on, with a clear head, a renewed heart, and the Lord at our side.
We shall overcome.
Hosanna for the Real World
It’s Palm Sunday 2020 as this post goes live, and to continue the Andrew Peterson theme begun a few weeks ago, here’s a song from his ‘Resurrection Letters, Volume II’ album. It’s a Hosanna that speaks to the frailty and weakness of us all, and serves as a stark reminder of just how “good” the good news really is.
On Fighting Against Despair
All of the social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines, coupled with the spread of the coronavirus, surely has many folks on edge. Isolation, coupled with worry, can quickly lead to despair, and feelings of being alone in a desert of sorts.
Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote his classic ‘Thoughts In Solitude’ in 1953-1954, but it contains much that is relevant for us in our day. Since most of us now find ourselves with extra time on our hands, reading can provide a healing – yet often overlooked – respite.
This quote seems pertinent:
The desert is the home of despair. And despair, now, is everywhere. Let us not think that our interior solitude consists in the acceptance of defeat. We cannot escape anything by consenting tacitly to be defeated. Despair is an abyss without bottom. Do not think to close it by consenting to it and trying to forget you have consented.
This, then, is our desert: to live facing despair, but not to consent. To trample it down under hope in the Cross. To wage war against despair unceasingly. That war is our wilderness. If we wage it courageously, we will find Christ at our side. If we cannot face it, we will never find Him.
Bridging Contexts
Up until several weeks ago, I had never made my way completely through the Bible from beginning to end. In truth, I technically still haven’t “read” the entire Bible, but in early-mid 2019 I started listening to an audio Bible when I went to bed. Over the years I’ve taken advantage of various sales at christianaudio.com and picked up a variety of audio Bibles, so started through the NIV Audio Bible (with limited dramatization), and finally finished Revelation in January of this year. (I found most of the dramatization to be a bit hokey, but it served its purpose of getting me through all 66 books of the Bible). I’d generally cue up around 5 chapters, and then the next night I’d repeat the last 2 (since I was generally beginning to doze off by then) and add 3 more, repeating that process each night.
In addition to getting a much better understanding of Old Testament history, I found it to be really helpful in tying Old Testament and New Testament scripture together. I got a better sense of the grand arc of a holy God extending love and redemption to sinful and rebellious humans.
After I finished Revelation, I spent a few days thinking about what to fall asleep to now….some other audio book? Some classical music?
After a while I thought, why not go through the Bible again, only using a different translation? So I started an audio version of Eugene Peterson’s ‘The Message’ paraphrase of the Bible. It’s not dramatized – just a straight reading of the text, with some book introductions. I’m already noticing parts of the story that I hadn’t fully picked up the first time through.
I just started Leviticus again, and have been reminded again of the stark and graphic sacrificial system God set up for the Israelites – which really jumped out at me during last year’s listen. It’s pretty gruesome and bloody, and a little uncomfortable to ponder. But then – as the greater context helped me understand more fully last year – so was Jesus’ sacrificial death on a bloody cross.
Still, as I’m listening again, I’m finding that I want to understand better. So I’m pulling off the shelf one of the commentaries I’ve picked up – in used condition – as part of my project to gradually flesh out my theological library. I’ve been getting a mix of books from different commentary series, but I do really like the NIV Application Commentary series. For each section of scripture, the commentary is broken down into 3 areas: Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Significance. So it does a good job of taking the original context and making it applicable to our lives today.
So here’s to gaining some additional appreciation and insight…
A Prescription For the Coronavirus
Maybe you’ve contracted the coronavirus. Maybe you’re just ill with the regular flu, or a cold, or some other bug. Maybe you’re at home caring for an ill family member. Maybe you’re working from home, or taking classes from home, for the duration of the current outbreak.
In any case, if you find that your routine has changed and you’re at home more than usual (or, really, even if it hasn’t), here’s a prescription: Read your Bible.
Don’t pour over cable news or social media for the latest. Don’t binge-watch ‘Throne Games of the Walking Dead’. Just pick up your Bible and start reading, with an inquisitive head and an open heart.
And when I say “open your Bible”, I don’t mean open the Bible app on your device. I mean open your old-fashioned, printed, paper Bible. The one that won’t beep, buzz, or vibrate to pull your attention away. In fact, when you open your paper Bible, put your device in another room. Trust me – you’ll be just fine without knowing what that person you really didn’t like all that much in high school just had for lunch.
Don’t have a print Bible? Or don’t have one that you enjoy using? Then this is the perfect time to get one. Here’s one of my favorites – the Life Application Study Bible. This version of it is leather bound, so it lies flat (meaning you don’t have to hold it open as you’re reading, which just makes for more relaxed and enjoyable reading). If you wear glasses and/or are above 40 years old, I strongly recommend the “large print” version in this link, just to set yourself up for the future as your eyes continue to age.
If you don’t currently have one, find a church – one that actively promotes personal and group Bible reading/study. If you’re attending a church that’s not already actively encouraging you to be reading and studying your Bible anyway, find a better church. Seriously. Run, don’t walk.
Big, intrusive, life-interrupting events like the coronavirus can be understandably disconcerting, but they also offer a fantastic opportunity to slow down, take stock, and refocus. This just might be the divine tap on the shoulder you were needing.
Don’t pass it up.
The Silence of God
This song kind of sums up where I’ve been for a while now. I’m praying that God continues to provide the sliver of hope found in the final verse, because my tank is pretty much empty.
It’s enough to drive a man crazy, it’ll break a man’s faith
It’s enough to make him wonder if he’s ever been sane
When he’s bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod
And the Heavens’ only answer is the silence of God
It’ll shake a man’s timbers when he loses his heart
When he has to remember what broke him apart
This yoke may be easy but this burden is not
When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God
And if a man has got to listen to the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they’ve got
When they tell you all their troubles have been nailed up to that cross
Then what about the times when even followers get lost?
‘Cause we all get lost sometimes…
There’s a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold
And He’s kneeling in the garden, as silent as a stone
All His friends are sleeping and He’s weeping all alone
And the Man of all sorrows, He never forgot
What sorrow is carried by the hearts that He bought
So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God
The aching may remain but the breaking does not
The aching may remain but the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God