Happy Friday
Many who are first will be last and the last first.
Jesus, Mark 10:31
Jesus made this statement in several settings, which has led to a bit of confusion. Does “first” and “last” refer to time – as in the sequence of things? Or, is he using these terms to speak about status. Thankfully, there is consensus on one thing. Whatever else he may have meant with this statement, it is clear that in the gospels God’s Kingdom flips the world’s values upside down. What the world prioritizes, God’s Kingdom diminishes. And what the world diminishes, God’s Kingdom prioritizes. Which hierarchy will you be dialed into today?
Without Comment: 1) In 2008, 71% of Americans talked with their neighbors; in 2017, 54% do; 2) Half of Gen Z has graduated from college and is in the work force; 3) According to Psychology Today, the average high school kid now has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s; 4) 87% of employees say they’re more productive when they work remotely, but 85% of employers say it’s difficult to have confidence in workers’ productivity when they’re not in-person; 5) For the first time on record, Gallup reports that those who have “no trust” in the media (38%) is greater than those who have a “great deal” of trust in the media; 6) Last year, 10,000 Canadians were euthanized; 7) 1 in 4 Gen Zers plan to become Social Media influencers when they grow up; 8) Liz Truss resigned yesterday after a short and tumultuous tenure as U.K. PM. How short? Six weeks, or as one Tweet noted, 4.1 Scaramuccis.
News Rules 201: Those who read my last few Friday Updates, know that I’ve been crafting some basic rules about the news. Those who heard last week’s sermon know that it included a rant in which I said that if you start your day with the news – i.e. if you view the world through the lens of the news rather than starting your day with the Bible – and viewing the news through the lens of the Gospel – you deserve your bad mood. I am not going to add any new rules, but I will expand on Rule Two: Less is More. One of the things we should do is limit the number of topics we focus on. We are most likely to be led astray when we know little about the topic or the reporter.
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WOTW: Nominations included stagflation (high inflation during a recession), booster-fatigue (the response of 2/3 of U.S. adults who are not going to comply with the CDC’s recommendation to get boosted) and the one-two combo of perspicacious and fructify, as used by Bank of America’s CEO, Brian Moynihan, in last week’s earnings call. “A perspicacious analyst might wonder whether the talk of inflation and recession and other factors would fructify in slower spending growth.” Those nominations aside, I am going with tipping point. I saw it several places, mostly with people hoping that something (the war in Ukraine, the protests in Iran, the U.S. economy) are at a tipping point. FWIW, I am hoping that we are approaching a religious tipping point – otherwise known as a revival.
College Admission Shifts: Town and Country recently noted that Southern colleges are now attracting Northern students for reasons others than weather and football. The key line reads, “College applicants – including those from liberal Northern enclaves – are flocking to traditional Southern schools, where the vibe is more rah-rah than radical reckoning.”
A New Competitor: Churches who have struggled with how to handle Oct. 31 – celebrate All Saints Day; host a Trunk or Treat extravaganza; warn children about Satanism; offer hay rides in the parking lot – must now factor in a new option: staging a “Punkin Launchin” competition.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “To thrive, democracies require grown up conversations.” Tracy McKenzie; 2) “I’ve regretted my speech; never my silence.” Xenocrates; and 3) “Six of the seven deadly sins are now medical conditions and the seventh is a virtue.” Richard Topping
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Rethinking the Nones: Much has been written about the growth of those who do not believe in anything – i.e., the Nones. As more data emerges, it appears as though it’s not just God they do not believe in. Many do not believe in organizations or friends. I am sure that not all Nones are lonely, but the data reminds me of the suggestion that among Jesus’s greatest miracles was having three close friends in his thirties.
Tell Me: I am a fan of membership in the local church. Of course, membership in the local church needs to be limited to those who are members of the universal church – i.e., to those who have placed their trust in Christ and Christ alone. This belief sets up the key three membership questions: 1) Tell me when you believed; 2) Tell me what you believed then; and 3) Tell me what you believe now.
Closing Prayer: May God the Father, and the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ, build us up in faith and truth and love, and grant us our portion among the saints with all those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all believers, for kings and rulers, for the enemies of the cross of Christ, and for ourselves we pray that our fruit may abound and we be made perfect in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (Polycarp – 69-155)