Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.
Psalm 37:7
We all want to be more patient, but seldom like the process by which patience is acquired. In Andrew Murray’s classic – Waiting on God – he makes a few points worth pondering: God longs to bless us more than we long to be blessed; our greatest gain comes not in getting the help we seek, but in drawing near to the Helper.
Good Grief: At Christ Church I’ve been in a three month series on the Psalms. A few weeks ago the topic was lament. That sermon is here. Last week’s sermon on doubt is here. I noted how devastated C.S. Lewis was after the passing of his wife. And – more to the point – how little help he found from The Problem of Pain, the book he wrote about dealing with loss and trials. It is worth noting that many around you are sad and struggling. You may not see it, because in our culture it is more acceptable to be angry than sad. About all of this, author Steve Arterburn writes, “the Bible offers no precedent for us to suppress our sadness”. The Old Testament depicts many people showing real grief. The men of Israel would rip their clothes, sprinkle themselves with ashes, wear black armbands, and spend time in mourning. They would wail before the Lord without feeling shame. That experience allowed them to express their emotions and then move on without the baggage of repressed feelings. When we don’t grieve, we stuff our disappointments and sadness, and compensate for them with other less-threatening emotions, and at the top of the list is anger. But Scripture gives you liberty to grieve. So when you need to, openly grieve!
How Does Your City Rate: Two new studies rank cities. Barna’s list uses church attendance, belief in God, frequency of Bible reading, frequency of prayer, etc. to compile a list of the most Post-Christian cities in America (Springfield, MA is number one and Chicago is 27th). Another study used violent crime rates, bullying statistics, child abuse cases, and “hostile Internet comments” to rank the sinfulness of the fifty states. Nevada won (or maybe I should say, lost).
What Doesn’t Kill You: In scientific careers, it is commonly assumed that early research success begets future success. But a new study reveals that, in the long run, individuals who face early setbacks systematically outperform peers who achieve early success. In other words, early failure should not be viewed as fatal, but as an opportunity for perseverance and long-term success.
Spiritual = Thou Shall. Many think “spiritual” means boring and stuffy. In his classic 1918 book He That Is Spiritual, theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer argued the opposite, noting that God is not against play, diversion, and helpful amusement, our enemy simply wants us to think that He is. “Spirituality is not a pious pose. It is not a ‘Thou shalt not!’ It is ‘Thou shall!’ It flings open the doors into the eternal blessing, energies and resources of God. God has provided that our joy shall be full.”
Two Small Reads: Six months ago I picked up Jacques Philippe’s 2002 book, Interior Freedom. It’s 130 pages, you read a couple paragraphs at a time. Recently I also read Rupert Shortt’s 2019 work, Does Religion Do More Harm Than Good? which is only 76 pages. I recommend Philippe’s work for anyone ready to think well and look within. I recommend Shortt’s for anyone looking for a sociological overview that compares those who claim that “religion is harmful because it is based on dubious speculation,” and those who argue that the “major religions provide great social capital and help humans gain a transcendent horizon.” I am commenting on them here mostly to note the trend towards smaller and smaller books. When I started writing for various magazines back in the early 90s, it was not unusual for editors to ask for articles that were 4,000 words in length. In the mid-90s, they cut the word count to 2,000 and added more white space and pull outs. A few years later, they halved the words again – adding more pictures. By the early 2000s it was not unusual for editors to limit me to 750 words. In the mid-2000s I was asked me to write a 400 word column. I tried for a few months and then quit. It’s not just that there is no time to develop an argument or engage in nuance in 400 words, it is – as Neil Postman notes in Amusing Ourselves to Death – that the brief format changes both the way you think and the conclusions you reach. By the way, today Twitter gives you 140 characters.
Statistics Worth Noting:
- Cohabiting: The Census Bureau reports that fifty years ago, 39.2% of 18-24 year old’s lived with a spouse, and only 0.1% lived together outside of marriage. Today, 9.4 percent of 18-24 year old’s are living with a partner, while only 7.3 percent of young adults are living with a spouse.
- Generosity: 9 in 10 practicing Christians say that generosity is either “extremely” or “very” important to them, and one-third (32%) feels very satisfied with their personal generosity. Millennials lead the way in feeling great about their giving, yet only 13 percent of Millennials – and only 6% of Gen Z – give money on a frequent basis. What’s up? Millennials are less inclined to give money but more inclined to offer emotional support, hospitality and service (volunteering).
- Higher Education: At the peak – which occurred in the 2013-2014 academic year – the US was home to 3,122 four year colleges. Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen – recently stated that he believes one-half will close in the next fifteen years.
Incompetence: Medical schools believe they produce competent physicians. Law schools believe they produce competent attorneys. But a seminary that is paying attention to the Bible realizes that it cannot produce competent pastors. In fact, one of the most important insights a seminarian learns is, in the things that matter most, he or she will always be inadequate to the task.
Prayer Requests: The annual report card on religious persecution – which is issued by Voice of the Martyrs – notes a global spike against Christians, most notably in China, India, and Nigeria. Other countries of specific concern include North Korea, Eritrea and Pakistan. What can we do? Pray.
Closing Prayer: O Holy Spirit of God, very God, who descended on Christ at the river Jordan and on the apostles in the upper chamber, we have sinned against heaven and before you; purify us again, we ask you, with your divine fire, and have mercy on us; for Christ’s sake. Amen. Nerses of Clajes (4th Century)