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)