Mary’s Example

Happy Friday,

The call to “Bless the Lord” in Psalm 103 has inspired a lot of music. I’m glad, because we need its message, at least I know I do. In a moment when culture enshrines feelings over truth – or declares feelings as the only source of meaningful truth – the Psalmist models directing his feelings to align with Scripture. Dear Lord, help us rightly align our feelings and fears with your Word.

Once Again: In the late 90s – when our children were little and life was a blur – I envied the quiet life I imagined had been enjoyed by C.S. Lewis and was being enjoyed by Philip Yancey, two writers I admire. Having recently finished Yancey’s autobiography, Where the Light Fell, I see how foolish and misdirected my envy was. Lewis – who was profoundly damaged by an uncaring father, and scarred by World War I – spent his thirties caring for the ungrateful mother of a friend (who had died in the war) and his own alcoholic brother. Yancey – who was profoundly damaged by his mean and unstable mother, and further scarred and misled by the harsh, angry and legalistic church they attended – spent his thirties and forties recovering his faith and caring for his mentally ill brother. Our view of other people’s lives is done from a distance. When we actually see other people’s challenges we’re often inclined to stick with our own.

Mary’s Example: BTW, if you insist on focusing on someone else’s life, this is the time of year to focus on Mary. Protestants, nervous about anything Roman Catholic, do themselves a grave disservice by failing to study her character, obedience or brilliant song (the Magnificat). Attached is a sermon I preached on Mary back in 2013.

You’ve Got to Love a Good Flash Mob: I hope one day to be surprised by a real flash mob. Until then, I will enjoy them via YouTube. This taping of the Hallelujah Chorus being performed in the food court of a mall has over 30 million downloads.

The Front Lines of the Cultural War: I’ve been thinking that the volume and velocity of cultural change has been more disruptive than many of the changes themselves. But occasionally it is the content of the change that takes my breath away. Twice in the last six months I’ve had people tell me that the State – not parents – has ultimate ownership of children. I did not see this coming. I now expect school board meetings – and school board elections – to be even more contentious.

Without Comment: 1) The most searched for word in 2022 was Wordle; 2) The five U.S. states that grew the most last year were: Utah (18.4%), Idaho (17.3%), Texas (15.9%), North Dakota (15.8%) and Nevada (15%). The five that grew the least were: West Virginia (-3.2%), Mississippi (-.2%); Illinois (-.1%); Conneticut (.9%) and Michigan (2.0%); 3) If cybercrime was a country (and “revenue” equated to GDP), cybercrime would rank 28^th out of 190 countries, just behind Austria, but ahead of Norway, UAE, Nigeria, Israel, South Africa and Ireland; 4) Boeing recently rolled out the 1,574^th (and final) 747; 5) Fentanyl is now the DEA’s most significant challenge; 6) Longitudinal studies confirm that parents and childhood peers retain greater influence over college students than “secular professors.” These studies also suggest that few students “lose their faith in college.” They lose it in high school but are not free to walk away until college; 7) During the past week, scientists achieved fusion ignition for the first time, renewing dreams of cheap, clean and nearly limitless energy; 8) 34% of Americans will purchase a gift for their dog this year, compared to only 22% who will do so for their cat, and 19% who will do so for their in-laws. Half of the gifts given to dogs will be wrapped.

Word of the Week: Honorable mention goes to returnships (the word coined by HR departments to describe programs created to lure employees back into the office), pandemic pods (a term of derision being used by the NEA to describe new alternatives to public education), interruption technologies and the rhetoric of emergency. Actual WOTW honors go to ChatGPT, which – though it looks as if it’s the name of Elon Musk’s latest child – refers to a new AI program that can write just about anything. (Note: ChatGPT was not consulted in the production of this week’s Update.)

The Friday Update WOTY: Influencer. Though I did not see it on any of the major lists, I chose influencer as my Word of the Year, doing so because: 1) According to various surveys, it is what most Americans under the age of 14 want to be when they grow up; and 2) Because the existence of such a person says much about how bizarre and unhealthy things are becoming. BTW, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask who is influencing you.

He’s Back: Not to be outdone by Brad’s Reindeer Tribe – which I mentioned in last week’s Update – Syler Thomas (the Student Ministries pastor at Christ Church for 20+ years) is attempting to repeat his first-place finish in the ESPN Radio 1000 Chicago Holiday Song Parody Contest. Last year Syler’s submission – “Justin Did you Know?” – won first place. This year’s entry – Pack Playoff Chokes are My Favorite Things – has advanced to the finals. Weird Al is worried.

Sow a Thought. I receive more requests for John Stott’s morning prayer than I receive for anything else. Here is the link to the Christianity Today article containing the Stott prayer. In second place is the pithy roadmap that chronicles the impact of our thinking which I refer to as: Sow a Thought: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow that action, reap a habit. Sow that habit, reap a lifestyle. Sow that lifestyle, reap a character. Sow that character, reap a destiny. If you want to control your destiny, control your character. If you want to control your character, control your lifestyle. If you want to control your lifestyle, control your habits. If you want to control your habits, control your actions. And if you want to control your actions, control your thoughts.

Next Week: Speaking of Christianity Today (CT), thanks to Harold Smith, the President of CT between 2007 and 2018, for agreeing to write next week’s Update. If you missed the podcast in which I interviewed Harold and his wife, Judy, on the loss of their adult
son to suicide, it can be found here. It was one of the most forwarded podcasts I recorded in 2022.

Closing Prayer: O Lord, I most humbly acknowledge and confess that I have understood sin, by understanding your laws and judgments; but have gone against your known and revealed will. You have set up many candlesticks and kindled many lamps in me; but I have either blown them out or carried them to guide me in forbidden ways…. Yet, O God, have mercy upon me, for your own sake have mercy upon me. Let not sin and me be able to exceed you, nor to defraud you, nor to frustrate your purposes. But let me, in spite of me, be of so much use to your glory, that by your mercy to my sin, other sinners may see how much sin you can pardon. Amen. (John Donne – 1572-1631)