Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But that seed’s death will produce many new kernels —
a plentiful harvest of new lives.
Jesus
We will not reach a place of perfection this side of Heaven. But we can – and should – be moving in that direction under the direction of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit. Part of what is required of us is surrender. This is not passivity. Discipline and initiative are required. Surrender involves yielding to Him, offering obedience and dying to self.
Learning to speak Psalms: One of the challenges of studying a foreign language – or learning to play a musical instrument, etc. – is that you must invest a lot of time before you get a return. If you persevere, you eventually reach a tipping point and new vistas open before you. But many (most?) quit before that. Over the last three months, I have been preaching from the Psalms. At some point it occurred to me that they unfold a bit like a foreign language. If you read them over and over (and over and over) – and learn them as well as you know the National Anthem – they lead to wonder and peace. But you have to log quite a bit of time before you learn to speak Psalms. The view is worth the climb, but the climb is steeper than many expect.
Quotes Worth ReQuoting:
- In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing. Mark Twain
- When people say, ‘I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself,’ they mean that they have failed an idol, whose approval is more important than God’s. Tim Keller
Wolves: Wolves? Why am I writing about wolves in this Update? Because this past week I watched this five minute video about how wolves change the course or rivers. It’s fascinating on its own, and it speaks to how little we understand the unintended consequences of our actions. But the reason I’m directing you to this video is because it reminds me of how remarkable God’s creation is, which in turn makes me marvel all the more at the Creator.
Perot: It’s been interesting to read various obits of Ross Perot, the billionaire businessman who ran as an independent for President twice. The Dallas Morning News offers a positive take. The Washington Post not so much. These two approaches attest to the well-discussed division in our land. They may also say something about how fickle legacies are. Far better to play for an audience of One. BTW, when Perot was asked what he wanted to be remembered for, he said: “Aw, I don’t worry about that.”
Judgement: This past weekend I preached on judgement ala Psalm 98. (It seemed like a lot better idea a year ago when I was mapping out sermons than it did last week when I was preparing to give it). As you might expect, my email spiked on Sunday afternoon. What you might be surprised to hear is that most of the comments were positive. One emailer referenced a recent interview with the creator of the Netflix series, Breaking Bad. It reinforced one of my points – that is, that there must be a judgment or society collapses and life has no meaning. “If there’s a larger lesson to ‘Breaking Bad,’ it’s that actions have consequences,” Gilligan said during lunch one day in his trailer. “If religion is a reaction of man, and nothing more, it seems to me that it represents a human desire for wrongdoers to be punished. I hate the idea of Idi Amin living in Saudi Arabia for the last 25 years of his life. That galls me to no end.” And later in the article, “I want to believe there’s a heaven. But I can’t not believe there’s a hell.”
Options: It’s not clear who first said it, but a Medieval philosopher noted that, “every choice is a thousand renunciations.” Saying yes to A means saying no to B, C and D (and perhaps E, F and G as well). We would be wise to learn this and embrace our limitations. But wow, is it hard.
Question of the Week: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Dr. Martin Luther King.
Anti-Semitism: As many recent stories attest (see here and here), anger and violence against the Jews is rising. Given this, it’s worth debunking (yet again) the claim that the Jews should be blamed for killing Jesus. 1) For starters, the Bible is a Jewish story – from Genesis 12 through the middle of the book of Acts, virtually everyone discussed (including Jesus!) is a Jew. 2) Though the Jewish religious leaders wanted Jesus put to death, they lacked the power to do so. (If the Jews had killed Jesus, He would have been stoned not crucified). The actual execution of Jesus was carried out by the Romans. 3) When we actually look at what Scripture says, two things are clear: 1) God the Father sent the Son to die for the atonement of our sins; and Jesus willingly laid down his life for us. It is also worth noting, Scripture clearly teaches that Christ died for my sins (and yours). So, if you are looking for someone to blame for Christ’s death, look in the mirror, but unless you are Jewish, leave the Jews out of this.
Prayer Requests: This week Christ Church will hold its third Serve Your City. Pray that “people see our God works and glorify God in heaven.” Pray also for good weather, it will make the day so much better.
Closing Prayer: O Lord, reassure me with Your quickening Spirit; without You I can do nothing. Mortify in me all ambition, vanity, vainglory, worldliness, pride, selfishness, and resistance from God, and fill me with love, peace and all the fruits of the Spirit. O Lord, I know not what I am, but to You I flee for refuge. I would suffer myself to You, trusting Your precious promises and against hope believing in hope. [Amen] –William Wilberforce (1759-1833)