Happy Friday
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. The Apostle Paul, Letter to Colossians, Chapter 3
More Habits Four and Five Please: Not quite thirty years ago, Stephen Covey published The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I recently reread it, and it was as good as I remembered. The habits are: 1) be proactive; 2) begin with the end in mind; 3) put first things first; 4) think win-win; 5) seek first to understand, then to be understood; 6) synergize and 7) sharpen the saw. Oh for a bit more win-win and seeking first to understand.
What Ails Us? According to Jon Cramanica’s piece in The New York Times, the problem in America right now is a dearth of in-depth celebrity profiles. “Taylor Swift hasn’t given a substantive interview for at least two years.” Silly me, I was under the impression we had bigger concerns.
Bad Religion: When religion goes bad it’s toxic. How does this happen? One way happens when religious people make big things small and small things big. Have you done either recently?
Trending: Everywhere I look right now, I’m seeing articles about rest and restoration – e.g., this week Bezos joined Arianna Huffington in advocating eight hours of sleep. I suspect I am noticing these in part because I’ll soon be preaching on the fourth commandment (and I’m feeling a bit skittish about it. This is the one I break the most brazenly). I am skimming all references to test a theory: as much as discussions of rest found in Inc, HBR and Huffington Post appear to overlap with the fourth commandment, the popular press sells rest by promising that we’ll actually get more done. In contrast, God invites us to enjoy His goodness.
Pondering: I had lunch this week with Greg Forster, a professor at the local seminary. Greg’s first PhD – which was in political theory at Yale – explored how a society works (or doesn’t) when there is no shared religion. His second PhD looks at the same question from a theological perspective. I walked away unsettled by three of his observations: 1) modern society requires churches that it is no longer able to protect; 2) modern Americans appreciate both the individual and society, but seldom the institutions in the middle (e.g., the local church); 3) when societies flounder there are three options – fight, flight or revival.
The Plimsoll Line: One of the more memorable – and unique – illustrations about rest, involves a 19thcentury British social reformer named Plimsoll. Frustrated by the number of seamen who lost their life each year because unscrupulous merchants insisted on overloading transportation boats, he crusaded for legislation to prevent it. In 1873 Parliament passed the Merchant Shipping Act, which required all ships to have a line painted around their hulls (a Plimsoll Line). If it was below the waterline the ship was overloaded and the owners fined. (It would be nice to have a Plimsoll Line painted on our calendar).
Freshman Orientation: Colleges regularly require incoming freshmen to participate in a First-Year Experience, which often centers around a book. In this piece, John Tierney complains that the selected books are seldom classics or works of great literature. He posits that they are selected less to orient than to indoctrinate.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. Oliver Wendell Holmes
- He (the devil) always sends errors into the world in pairs – pairs of opposites… He relies on your extra dislike of one to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors. We have no other concern than that with either of them. C.S. Lewis
Reasons to Be Thankful: Good things are happening at the church. Awana and MOPS are among the programs with record enrollment. The Cancer and Divorce Care groups are offering love and grace to those who wished they didn’t qualify for the attention; Route 6:6 just celebrated its 15th anniversary, and the staff are in a good spot. There are challenges, but it’s been a good week.
Prayer Requests: Churches in Chicago are organizing for an all-Chicago, church-based outreach called Explore God Chicago. It pivots around the Seven Big Questions. The goal is to have 1,000 or more. I am aware that efforts to push back the night are met with push back.
Closing Prayer: Adorable Spirit, may the rushing wind of your mercy blow away all trace of sin within us, and may your unquenchable fire purify our souls. We believe that you comfort those who mourn, uplift those who are depressed, calm those who are angry, guide those who are confused, console those who are lonely, reconcile those who are estranged, and bring joy to all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. We pray that you will live in our simple and humble hearts, and so make us truly temples of your glorious love. Amen Erasmus (1469 – 1536)