We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
Daniel
Virtually every prominent character in the Old Testament sinned. Often in spectacular ways. The exception is Daniel, who was not without all sin (only Jesus fits in that camp), but who comes across as a loyal, faithful man. This lack of known sin makes his prayer of confession in Daniel 9 notable. While praying about the sins of the people he includes himself in their wickedness. This makes little sense to hyper-individualistic Americans, but it makes sense given Daniel’s understanding that a relationship with God is not just personal. God calls his people into community. Commenting on all of this, Skye Jethani writes: “I am very eager to accept the benefits of modern American society even though I am personally responsible for virtually none of them, but I’m incredibly reluctant to own the sins of modern American society. I am quick to point my finger at the ungodliness in American history and the sin which is still present around me—greed, racism, imperialism, dehumanization, etc—because I have not directly engaged in these evils. Yet I am most certainly the beneficiary of them.” Confession, at least in its biblical form, cannot be an individual exercise even when practiced alone. It must always be done with our community in mind.
One More Time: At the risk of being dismissed as a one-note crank, I am including yet another article about the world’s – and the US’s – dropping population rate. This one is by UVA sociologist, W. Bradford Wilcox.
We are All Theologians: The statement, “I don’t need theology, I just need Jesus,” just means you have bad theology.
Commencement Addresses: I’ve heard little about commencement addresses this Spring. My guess is, universities chose safe (i.e., bland) speakers. As if commencement addresses were not boring enough!
Millennials: Millennials are no longer 25 year-old-upstarts. The oldest are about to turn forty. For reference: Boomers are 55-75,Gen Xers are 40-54,Millennials (also Gen Y) are currently between 25 and 39. Gen Z (also called Digital Natives) are up next.
Hooray for Zelensky: Politicians of all stripes tend to be a bit, uh, self-important. In some countries they go so far as demanding that their picture hang in every room. Ukraine’s new president -Volodymyr Zelensky – is going in a different direction.In his acceptance speech he said, “And please, I really don’t want you to hang my portraits on your office walls.A president is not an icon or an idol. A president is not a portrait. Hang pictures of your children. And before you make any decision, look into their eyes.” Zelensky in 2020.
The Cross: A few months ago, the Supreme Court heard a case about a World War I memorial that prominently featured a cross. A group claiming the 83 year old monument violated the separation of the church and state clause wanted it removed. I have not been following this case closely enough to know how it will turn out, but I bring it to your attention because of comments made by two of the court’s liberal justices – Kagan and Sotomayor. In response to the defense’s claim that the cross should remain because it was mere a “secular symbol,” Justice Kagan – who is Jewish – said, “It is the foremost symbol of Christianity, isn’t it? It invokes the central theological claim of Christianity, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for humanity’s sins and that he rose from the dead. This is why Christians use crosses as a way to memorialize the dead.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, added, “Secularizing the cross is blasphemy. It’s not just non-Christians who could be offended by secularizing the cross, she said, “it could be Christians as well.” For more about this story, click here.
7 Times After: As a college pastor, I was often asked, “How do you know if this person is ‘the one?’” I’d say, “If you have serious doubts, slow down.” But then I’d try to reframe their understanding of marriage, citing two things: 1) a sociology study that showed that most people fell “in love” seven times before getting married AND seven times after. (That is, after they got married they felt a strong attraction to someone other than their spouse on seven different occasions); and 2) Dieterich Bonhoeffer’s line used at the end of a wedding ceremony: “From now on, it’s not your love that sustains your marriage, but your marriage (vows) that sustains your love.”
The Benediction: Not every church ends their worship services with a benediction, but those that do, do so because the church – i.e., the people of God – are not beingdismissed, they are being sent out.
Closing Prayer: We beg you, Master, be our help and strength. Save those among us who are oppressed, have pity on the lowly, and lift up the fallen. Heal the sick, bring back the straying, and feed the hungry. Release those in prison, lift up those who falter, and strengthen the faint hearted. Let all nations come to know you the one God, with your Son Jesus Christ, and us your people and the sheep of your pasture. Amen.
Clement of Rome (died around 100)