“Save me, O God,” may be the most basic, common, and instinctive prayer of all. Over the years I have also developed a deep appreciation for the “Jesus Prayer” (also called the “Eastern Prayer”). It is: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Music: Reinforcing last week’s suggestion that we need to sing, I offer this compilation of 100 Pittsburgh churches. By the way, if you like it, also check this one.
It’s an Ice Age: Back when the Coronavirus was a news story from China, Andy Crouch wrote a piece warning that it was coming this way. At the time he said the only real question was whether it would bring “winter” or a “mini-ice age.” He recently Tweeted, “it’s an ice age.” Sadly, I think he is right.
Hope: I’ve had a run of things that keep reminding me of the classic line from the movie Airplane. I know there are more than one, so I will be specific. The line I am thinking of is, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.”
Helpful Insight: I share the Airplane line because laughter does help. For me, it’s also helpful to remember the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Sometimes you do others a great favor by simply absorbing their anger. It may be misdirected and unfair, but that hardly matters. Jesus is always cleaning up my messes. Consider it a privilege to help others move forward.
Masks?: Among the “discussions” I’m asked to referee, masks is one I did not see coming. At the risk of writing something more incendiary than my comments on Black Lives Matter, I thought David French recently made a good point. He noted the confusing overlap of those who expect a woman to carry a child to term “because life is so precious,” and those who are not willing to endure the inconvenience of a mask for the sake of others.
Question: What do you spend more time wanting—a closer walk with Christ or your old life back?
100 Points of Inflection: Since March, I’ve been posting a five minute video devotion on Monday through Friday. Two weeks ago, I added a Saturday educational reflection based on the one hundred most important events in Church History. It’s free. You sign up here.
Quotes Worth ReQuoting: “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” Jim Carey
Without Comment:
- Forty-six percent of Americans have established a “social bubble” of ten people or less.
- Sixty-two percent of Americans are afraid to share ideas for fear of offending others.
- The FBI has performed 50% more background checks on gun owners this year than it did last year.
- 79.7% of Harvard faculty consider themselves “very liberal” or “liberal”; 1.46 percent call themselves “conservative” or “very conservative.”
- Activists burned a stack of Bibles in front of the federal courthouse in Portland last Friday night.
Closing Prayer (written as a hymn): “O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry; Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us. The swords of scorn divide. Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride. From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen; from all the easy speeches that comfort cruel men; from sale and profanation, of honour and the sword, from sleep and from damnation, deliver us, good Lord. Tie in a living tether. The prince and priest and thrall; bind all our lives together, smite us and save us all; in ire and exultation, aflame with faith, and free, lift up a living nation, a single sword to thee. Amen.” G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)