Happy Friday,
Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
The Prophet Jeremiah
Though some think otherwise, our assignment is not to lord over the kingdoms of this world. It is to do something much harder: to lovingly and sacrificially advance the kingdom of God. This means being salt and light in this broken, strife-filled, and angry world that God loves.
Students, Plant Now: Covey’s Law of the Farmer concedes that with enough caffeine, students have been known to cram a quarter’s worth of study into the three days before finals. But it notes that 1) Farmers cannot live that way (if they want a crop in the fall, they have to plant in the spring); and 2) What works in your 20s gets old in your 30s, is real trouble in your 40s, and very sad in your 50s. Learn to farm while you are still young.
Without Comment: 1) One hundred years ago, the average US household invested 44 hours per week on food preparation. Today, it is about five; 2) In Turkey, the president of a failed cryptocurrency exchange has been sentenced to 11,196 years in prison; 3) Of the 29 astronauts in the Apollo space program, 22 were firstborns or only children; 4) Research in Sweden contends that children learn better from print copies of books than they do from digital formats; and 5) With four months to go, the US has already set a record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year.
All Things Football: 1) I’ve been holding a grudge against Deion Sanders (AKA Neon Deion, Prime Time, Coach Prime, etc.) ever since he played both professional baseball and professional football in the same season. (If not for guys like him tying up spots on two teams, I might have made it to the bigs in at least one!) That said, I now watch in awe as he does the seemingly impossible as a coach. Yes, yes, yes, he needs to work on his humility, but wow, is he fun to watch; 2) With the recent sale of the Washington Commanders for over $6B, the average value of an NFL team has risen to over $5B; 3) 73.5 million Americans plan to bet during the NFL season; 4) Every fall the 32 NFL stadiums also hold the honor of hosting the largest worship services on Sunday.
WOTW: Nominations came in for wanderlust (the feeling of those dreaming about the iPhone 15) and catastrophizing (which got several nods but is too close to crisis inflation — which got nominated last week — to win full honors). I am going with New, New Atheism. Apparently, the “old New Atheism” of Harris, Hitchens, and Dawkins has been replaced by a less bombastic form of disbelief. I became aware of the NNAs while reading about atheists who have recently come to faith — e.g., Stephen Bullivant (author of Nonverts), Josh Timonen (once Richard Dawkins’s “right-hand man”), David Brooks (NYT columnist), A.N. Wilson (UK journalist and public intellectual), and Molly Worthen (prominent academic). Referenced in those pieces are the names of those who have stopped short of faith but who speak warmly about Christianity — e.g., Tom Holland (author of Dominion), Jonathan Haidt (author of The Righteous Mind), Jordan Peterson (Canadian podcaster), and Douglas Murray (author of The War on the West). May their move toward Christ continue!
Confused About the Confusion: According to the CDC, the average American male will live to be 76, while the average female will live to 81. This article explores theories as to why women outlive men. I think some of these popular memes do a better job explaining what is actually going on.
Do Yourself a Favor: If you’ve not read C.S. Lewis’s The Weight of Glory sermon recently, do it this week. It’s better than you remember.
No Such Thing: BTW, there was a nomination for smart brevity for WOTW, but I ignored it. Axios advertises smart brevity as the way we should get our news, but I think Axios is wrong. Make that WRONG. Indeed, I agree with those who suggest that what we need is “minimal news and maximal context,” which means Scripture. (Think about it. In one sense, even in-depth news reports are superficial if they do not reflect an awareness of God and eternity, which 99.9% leave out.)
Lakelight Live: The first Lakelight Live event — which was held in Austin earlier this week — went well. Nashville is next (Oct. 3), followed by Bellingham (Oct. 18), Lake Forest (Oct. 29), and Naples (Nov. 2). The topic is The News: How and Why it is Changing, How These Changes Are Changing Us, and What We Can Do About It. Space is limited. Sign up here.
Other Resources: 1) Click here for last week’s sermon on Exodus 3 — one of the most important chapters in the Bible; 2) Click here for my interview with Collin Hansen, in which we discussed topics ranging from the value of reading Russian literature to the problems with the news (note: he is more depressed about the latter than I am); and 3) On Oct. 14th, we will be staging The Good Work Summit, an exploration of critical marketplace issues. For more information — or to sign up — click here.
Closing Prayer: I am not worthy, Master and Lord, that you should come beneath the roof of my soul; yet since in your love toward all, you wish to dwell in me, in boldness I come. You command, Open the gates, which you alone have made. And you will come in and enlighten my darkened reasoning. I believe that you will do this; for you did not send away the harlot who came to you with tears, nor cast out the repenting tax-collector, nor reject the thief who acknowledged your kingdom. But you counted all of these as members of your band of friends. You are blessed for evermore. Amen (John Chrysostom, 347–407)