In Which I Channel Scrooge for Some Commentary on New Year's Resolutions:

 I guess I'm a New Year's Scrooge. Since I spent a few years in academe, I suppose I should come up with a seventy-five cent word (inflation) to describe my lack of excitement about changing the calendar on the wall. How about annodisapprobationism?

Here are some reasons for my ADS (AnnoDisapprobation Syndrome):

• I don't drink & can't dance, so that eliminates a lot of the celebration associated with New Year festivities.
• On those occasions when I have stayed up to watch the ball drop, my main thought has been about how much money it cost the City of New York to clean up all that confetti, gum wrappers, and who-knows-what. Why doesn't the Big Apple just announce a shutdown of Times Square, and use the money they save to hire some extra police, build a school, or a homeless shelter, or something worthwhile? Hardly Dick Clark like thoughts. (To those of you who object, that New York makes money on tourism, I say, "Bahh This-is-my-blog Humbug.")
• Having lived for a time where "America's Day Begins," on Guam where it is already fifteen hours in the future, I cynically ask, "Who told New York that they get to be the one who takes the old calendar down? Aren't they the home of the Yankees?" Don't get me started.
• To all the gushy people on TV who wax eloquent about all the opportunities the New Year will bring, I say, "Bahh Chronological  Humbug." If they really want a new start in the New Year wouldn't they be better off getting a good night's sleep.
• Who or what is "Auld Lang Syne" anyhow? 

As the noneventful passing of 1999 to 2000 demonstrated, the passage from one year to another is really no different than any other passage from 11:59:59 to 12:00, or 00:00. (To those who want to argue about the precise time a new day, and in this case, the New Year, begins, I say, "Bahh Overly-Persnickety Humbug." The fact remains, there is nothing magical about this new day. In reality, significant days, be their significance good or bad, are spread throughout the calendar. 

Warning! I'm reeling in my curmudgeonly attempt at humor and getting serious now.

When people ask me if I have made my New Year's Resolutions yet, I generally try to brush the question aside. OK, I'm not completely done with being a curmudgeon. The fact is, I sort of don't like the question. My reaction is not unlike what a "Merry Christmas" produced in the heart of the unreformed Scrooge. Let me explain.

I'm not opposed to resolutions. But, I do find it unhelpful to think that resolving is a once a year exercise.

• I doubt that Abram waited until whatever the last day of the Ur-ite calendar was to resolve to obey and go "out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance . . . not knowing where he was going" (Heb 11:8). When I become aware that God has spoken it is always time for resolute obedience.
• I don't think Daniel "Purposed in heart" (I love that KJV-ism) because it was a special day in the calendar, either Jewish or Babylonian, rather it was because the demand of circumstance happened to meet the barrier of conviction on that day. To quote the Apostles who followed in Daniel's civil-disobedient train, "We must obey God rather than men" (Ac 5:29). 
• It wasn't at a "Watchnight Service" that Paul said, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). If he were at a church's gathering called to "pray in the New Year" (a worthy thing to do, by the way) he might very well have preached that sermon, but the tense of the verb he used indicated that there never was a time in which Paul did not press on with resolve. 

You can supply many more Biblical and Historical examples. The fact is, a deliberate, determined, unsatisfied-with-the-status-quo, disciplined, obedient-to-God, resolute mindset is how we should always live.

If December 31/January 1 serves as a reminder for you then feel free to ignore everything the old curmudgeon who started this post said. Go ahead, RESOLVE!

I'll make a broad suggestion, you fill in the measurable, achievable, appropriate particulars.

LIVE FOR JESUS.

A Friend Who Was Wrong, But Not Wrong About Everything

 As a preacher I've made and not kept this promise many times; I'll be brief.

Over the past few years, I have appreciated David French's commentaries on culture and American life. Recently, he came down in support of the Respect for Marriage Act. Fellow Evangelical Al Mohler criticised him sharply for this. (You can look up the exchange if you want.) I've kind of mulled this over for several days. While I admire French's desire to respect pluralism in American life, I think he crossed a line on this one. I agree with Mohler. Marriage is a definable thing. It can't be remade into whatever we, or the zeitgeist of our time desires. It's a line we shouldn't cross.

Let me explain that while I have appreciated French's thoughtful approach to big questions, I haven't appreciated him enough to pay for his stuff. My interaction with him has been largely limited to a free article that comes my way once a week, or so. This morning, I saw the freebie in my inbox. "Should I read it?" I thought. "I mean, he was wrong about the marriage thing."

Well, I'm glad I did open his piece. Actually, his piece did, sort of, have something to do with what I'm saying, but that wasn't the point he was making. If you read his piece, you may say he is actually saying the opposite. We can discuss that in the comments. For now, I'd encourage you read what he says, "Remembering What Repentance Looks Like."

A Word from One of Israel's Kings that is Relevant for Thanksgiving 2022

 Lord willing, I'll be preaching on Jehoshaphat's utterly weird battle strategy in 2 Chronicles 20. The plan, which led to the complete rout of an overwhelming enemy, sounds more like the script for a praise
concert than a plan for a battle. 

You can read the Chronicler's account here.

You can hear the story put to music here.

As I was reading through the passage, I was fascinated with the word, "stand."

The Hebrew word is very common in the Old Testament and, not unlike our English word "stand," it takes on a number of nuances.

In 2 Chronicles 20:5 the word describes Jehoshaphat's stance, he "stood in the assembly." As he prayed, he made a declaration on behalf of the people of Judah, perhaps a challenge or appeal more than a statement of settled fact. "We will stand before this house [the temple] and before You [God]." The response was what the king had hoped it would be. Verse 13 finds all of Judah "standing before the Lord." "We do not know what to do, but we will look to you" (v. 12). It was a stance of attitude--a conviction, an act of the will. That comes across even more clearly in verse 17, "hold your position." We might say "stand firm." In verse 21, Jehoshaphat "appointed" singers (this is where the strangeness of the battle plans comes in). The appointment was telling them where they stood in this operation,

   “And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose [stood] against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.” (2 Chronicles 20:21–23, ESV)  

In brief, the enemies of Judah took a stand against Jehoshaphat and his people. Their clear intention was to utterly defeat them in battle and take all of their possessions as their own. Instead, they ended up standing against one another. The internal struggle between the enemies of Judah was so complete that by the time the singers had finished their concert, God had given Judah complete victory. 

I can imagine two of the singers surveying battle field. "It had to be that high-note I sang at the end of the first phrase," said a tenor. "No," objected a bass, "it was that booming rhythm I kept up all during the song." in reality:

   “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”” (2 Chronicles 20:17, ESV)  

• Know what the Lord says. In our day, that means knowing--really knowing--the Bible.
• Believe it.
• Do it.

Where do you stand this Thanksgiving?

2 Articles & a Statement on the "Respect for Marriage" Act:

The two articles, one from a respected Evangelical magazine and the other from a widely read online, Evangelical commentator,  agree on the basic facts of what the act does--mainly codifying recent SCOTUS decisions, particularly Obergefell. The CT article puts a positive spin on it, while Dennison takes a darker view.

I think the CT article is only available to subscribers. You may find it elsewhere. It is by Carl Esbeck.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/november-web-only/same-sex-marriage-religious-liberty-respect-marriage-act.html

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/does-the-so-called-respect-for-marriage-act-threaten-our-religious-liberty/

In the Theological sense, I am an Evangelical, the LDS church is not. They have, however, been co-belligerents with us in many of the social battles of our time. The first line of their statement indicates that they still profess to be on our side in regard to a proper definition of marriage. 

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/respect-for-marriage-act-statement
I wonder, though, in our age of freedom to worship (in private), but not necessarily freedom to proclaim truth lest it offend, is the Mormon statement a retreat into a sort of modified Benedict Option (HM's brief definition: withdraw, hole up, and hope, wait, and pray for better days).

Not all slopes are slippery, but, clearly, some are. 

Christian leaders need to be wise. All of us need to pray for clear courageous thinking.

Knowing too little...part 2

 

Without getting too technical--I don't know enough to be very technical--& staying brief (I'm not good at poking a cell phone) here is an update & some further thoughts, maybe lessons.
Life has parallels with a journey. It is a frequent trope in writing & cinema. The journey Kathy & I are presently on is epic in proportion, at least for us. We are incorporating family along the way. I’m starting this at my brother's home and finishing it at my son’s. The fact that our trip is taken in recognition of our 50th Anniversary, makes it especially symbolic.
I'm not the dumbest guy around when it comes to cars & trucks, but I couldn't hire myself out as a mechanic, either. My knowledge about auto mechanics & my adequate, but limited, financial situation have struck a pretty good balance over the years. Partly by using my limited knowledge, & a willingness to get my hands greasy, I've saved thousands of dollars over the years. But on this occasion, I was 2,000 + miles away from home. I wasn't sure what was wrong & I had no way to fix it.

All I was sure of was that something was wrong--VERY WRONG. I had worn out both rear tires on the car in about 3,500 miles—new tires, on freshly aligned wheels. In case you don't know, that's bad.

Ok. I realize that there are very bad problems in life and in the world. I also know this isn't one of them. Nobody died, and no countries were invaded. Still, my problem was at least a nuisance.

As I intimated in the previous post, relationships were key in reaching a solution.

1) Even though I was far away from my safety net, I still knew it was there. Kathy and I have family and friends for whom the, "If you need anything . . ." statement is much more than idle, polite-talk. These folk have our back even when our back is far away. You need to have that kind of people in your network. The best way to have the kind of person who will show up for you, as part of your team, is to be willing to show up for them. Don't take such folk for granted. Cherish them. In mine & Kathy's lives, you know who you are. Thank you.

2) Know which friend to call on for which purpose. When I noticed the rubber that meets the road was being rubbed off by the road that meets rubber at least 10-times faster than it should be, I was pretty panicky. "What am I going to do?" A friend I contacted didn't immediately solve my problem. In fact his first stab at it was wrong (Keep in mind he was 2,000-miles away & was trying to figure something out bàsed on my lame description.) Wrong though he may have been, the direction in which he pushed me was exactly right. "Howard, this, isn't unsolvable. It's not caused by some kind of a vulcanized demon. Calm down! We'll figure it out." That's not anywhere close to what my friend actually said, but it is a reasonable summary of what I heard. It was exactly what I needed to hear, even though some of his message wasn't what I wanted hear.
Boy, do we need friends who know the truth & will tell us the truth. I ask myself, "Am I a person who is receptive to truth? Do I communicate to others that I am someone who is committed to living by the truth, so they can be confident that shooting straight with me isn't a waste of time?"

3) The third part of wrestling my problem to the ground involved 2 people I had never met & will probably never meet again. Yet, some relational skills that I, by God's grace, have learned over the years helped me a lot.

All of us want to be good at what we do, and we appreciate it when our expertise is recognized. This syndrome can easily become pride, but, at it's best, it's just simple honesty. "I know what I'm doing, and if you will recognize that I can probably help you."

It was Friday. The manager of the tire shop, Armando, deftly handled a steady stream of demands, from customers, inquirers, shop personnel, suppliers, folk in a hurry, others who had been waiting a while. I saw him make a promise, get interrupted, quickly move to field the interruption, only to be interrupted again. I watched as he triaged it all. I tested him in my mind. "Will he get back to that promise?"

He did.

I saw him cycle through this scenario several times. Not only did he pass my quiz, he, from time to time, would insert some responsibility, outside the scope of my observation, into the flow. Kind of like a guy juggling chainsaws and giving directions to the nearest McDonalds, all the while keeping the saws buzzing and flying. Not only was he good, he was good in 2 languages, and humorous in both.

"Armando, I know it's not your job to solve my problem, but I sure could use the benefit of your expertise."

In about 90 seconds Armando kindly told me what I didn’t want to hear, what I needed to hear, and then went on to suggest a solution. A friend of mine, who is with the Lord, now, used to say, “It is hard to beat a man at his own trade.” By appealing to this man whom I had never met—at the time I didn’t even know his name—on the level of his competence, and asking him to help me out of kindness rather than demanding that he stop everything and adopt my problem as his own, a micro friendship began.

Armando is about the age of my sons. The first step in his solution led to an encounter with Benito. Hanging around a tire shop all day gets pretty boring. I went outside to stretch my legs and let the New Mexico sun bake some of the AC-induced chill out of my bones. It didn’t take long. From my vantage point outside the alignment bay, I could see Benito using his flashlight, searching under my car for something. Not a good sign. Seeing me outside, Benito invited me to join him under the car. He showed me the critical part, then he took me to his computer screen. Two things were apparent, even to a non-expert like me.

1) The big red box on the screen fairly screamed, “Something’s not right!”
2) The “thing-a-majig” (sorry for the technical language) that the computer said was supposed to be on my car, the thing that needed to be adjusted to make the red box go away, wasn’t there. Further searching in the computer and consultation with a manual offered no help. Further examination of the part revealed “FOMOCO” (Ford Motor Company) stamped on the part. Whatever the problem was, or wasn’t, came from the factory. It wasn’t some after-market add on.

Benito is a guy closer to my age than his boss’s. I sensed by the way he searched for an answer and the way he listened to my suggestions that he is the automotive equivalent of the orthopedic surgeon to whom I owe my mobility. I remember Dr. Shuler saying to the resident with whom he was working, “We hate to meet a break we can’t fix.” I figure Benito had been doing wheel alignments back when computers were only things one read about. He didn’t want this thing to beat him. My problem became Benito’s problem to solve.

In our world we find many things that about which we disagree. We get a lot more done on common ground, though.

Benito and Armando got their heads together. They called an unknown ally at the local Ford garage. He put them in touch with an even more unknown Ford alignment guru who shared the secret that got me back on the road.

Suffice to say, unknown to the computer, my car has a funky and hidden means of adjustment. Later when Benito brought the print-out from the computer (sans red-boxes) showing me the tire-eating problem was solved, I could see the satisfaction on his face. We live in a world full of problems. The image of God within us compels us to fix them when we can. When we are able to restore a measure of shalom to this messed up world—even if it is just a properly turned bolt on he belly of a Ford—we feel the “ahh-ness” that sin and the fall stole from the world. Though it is fleeting, it feels good.

But, the fallen-ness of the world was not finished with its peace thievery that day. Shortly after the unseen alignment guru pointed Benito to the hidden adjustment that would correct the pigeon-toed condition of my Ford, word came that the truck that was delivering the replacements for my two worn-to-the-belt rear tires was broken down. Another truck had been dispatched.

At this point, I’ll cut to the chase. As the staff was closing up the store for the weekend Kathy and I got back on the road.

Perhaps you are amused with my tale. I hope so. But, is there more? Again, I’m hopeful.

To use the words that Cornelius Plantinga used as the title for his great book, clearly this world is “Not The Way It’s Supposed To Be.” Shalom, in big and little ways, is snatched away at every turn. Yet what Kathy and I have seen on this trip confirms that in spite of that we can still see God’s creative hand. Beauty still abounds. We saw that in the luxurious fields of grain, the magnificent sunrises and sunsets, the rising moon that looked like we would drive right into it in just few miles, the magnificent mountains and the  incredible canyons. We felt an Edenic “ahh” as we stared up at the Ponderosa Pines, watched the Aspens shimmer in the breeze, or heard and saw  the ocean waves lap onto the shore.  We were reminded, though, that the greatest repository of God’s good things shines from the hearts of people when they do what is right. Let’s thank the Lord when we see that. Let’s live that way. And, let’s share the Shalom-restoring Good News of Jesus, which will one day restore this world to the way it should be, and, because of the common grace of God, poured out like rain on all people, gives us moments of peace down here where the rubber meets the road.

Knowing too little, but needing to know more:

 I’ll be a bit vague in order not to incriminate the innocent, Kathy, or the guilty, me.

The fact is, sooner or later we find ourselves in a place where we need to make a decision, or decisions, with not nearly enough information, and little if any opportunity to get more. It is frustrating. 

I find myself berating myself. Why didn’t I study this more—more web searches, more conversations with experts—I could have taken a class.😧

The fact is, though, except for a few remarkable folks—and I’m not one—information doesn’t have all that long of a shelf life. I heard an interview with John McEnroe the other day (to prove my point, I don’t remember how to spell his name, if I got it, it was a guess) Mc quoted a basketball player, “The older I get, the better I used to be.” These days I find myself remembering that I used to know something, but I don’t remember what it is that I used to know.

I have to make a gut decision. Problem is my gut isn’t like the junk drawer in my shop. If I put a 3/8 x2” bolt in that drawer, it’ll be there. I’ll have to rummage, but it’s there. Often, what I need to know just isn’t there. Rummaging morphs into worry, as in, “Be anxious for nothing.” I am to often anxious for nothing. The nothing I find in the junk drawer off my mind, sets me to worrying.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not promoting blissful ignorance. Blissful ignorance is overrated. It is also expensive, to the ignorant one and to others in the neighborhood. I’m still working to add some stuff to my junk drawer. I’m even sorting it to make retrieval easier. But experience has taught me that a whole chest of junk drawers is not enough to meet life’s needs. I need more.

Maybe I’ll share more later, but let me say here, what I find most useful is not to know something more, but to know someone better.

My relationship with the Lord and with His people is what really gets me through.

It’s trite, but not really. It’s not what I know, but Who!

At the campground.

 Our little Frolic among the behemoths.

Most folks’ comments include the word “cute.”

Treating Others Right, Even Those Who Don't Deserve It

 I read Amos in my devotions this morning. To be honest, it is a pretty dismal book, full of words of condemnation. Here is one example.

    Thus says the LORD: 

    "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die . . .."  (Am 2:1–2)

When I read that, I asked myself, "Hadn't I already heard about Edom from the Prophet Amos?"

Yes, I had.

    "Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity; he maintained his anger perpetually, and kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire on Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah [2 cities in Edom]." (Am 1:11-12)

So the Lord pronounces judgment on one nation and then pronounces judgment on another nation for basically doing what the Lord said He would do to that same nation?

Yes, pretty much. Why? 

Certainly, it is above my paygrade to explain the ways of the Lord, but let me surmise for a moment. I think I have something instructive and useful in mind. Could it be that the Lord is like a human parent who challenges the right of an unrelated adult to discipline the parent's child and then proceeds to discipline their child for precisely the offense that motivated the outsider's intervention? "This is my child, I'll take care of this."  Romans 12:19 lends some credence to this theory.

   “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” (Romans 12:19, ESV)

I see, however, behind this apparent conflict of judgment a principle that we need to remember in our contentious age. Even our enemies deserve to be treated with respect. The principle reaches as far as animals:

   “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” (Exodus 23:5, ESV, emp. added)  

Let's keep in mind that even bad people are people. We should treat them as such.

The Journey Isn't Done, But I'm Working Toward Seeing The Destination More Clearly.

 

As the name of my blog--"The View Through My Keyhole"--would imply, these musings are about how I see things. It is also an admission that my view is limited. Recently two scenes appeared side-by-side in my vision of the world. One has to do with the current cultural moment and how we respond to it (here). It references some other observers/thinkers who operate on a higher pay grade than me. The other scene is timeless. It comes from the Psalms of ascent or degrees, songs the ancient Israelites sang as they made their way to the annual feasts that were anchors of their faith and way of life. You can find my thoughts here, here, and here.

A journey implies a destination.

A Beautiful Triad That Ends in Peace

 I'm sorry that I haven't gotten back to my thoughts on the Psalms of Ascent sooner. I've been hanging out with a couple of my grandkids and their wonderful parents. It is a blessed distraction. It's almost enough to take my mind off of the tragedy that is going on around us all. Almost.

As the ancient Israelites made their way to Jerusalem to worship the Lord by keeping the feast days, they too passed through a land of trouble. Listen as they sing.

Continuing Thoughts on Songs to be Sung on the Journey from Distress to Peace, Psalms 120-134

 Yesterday, with some help from Anne Murray, I posted the first of some thoughts and impressions about the fifteen songs in the Book of Psalms known as the "Songs (or Psalms) of Ascent." They are traveling songs. They were sung by Jewish pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem for the feasts that were a central part of their worship. I am continuing to think about these Psalms, today.

You have to work hard for good news, but it's worth the effort.

 I'm sure you can't imagine why today's news reminded me of an old Anne Murray song.

On top of the epi/pan/en-demic, inflation, ugly politics, the war in Ukraine I woke up this morning to embarrassing revelations in the world of religion that are way too close to home. You're right, Anne, "we sure could use a little good news today."

I've been following a DIY devotional plan this year. Part of it is reading through Psalms each month. From month to month I use a different translation. May is King James month. I know that the ancient Israelites didn't speak with a British accent but to an old guy who grew up on the KJV, it just sounds a little more Psalmish than the ESV, NASB, NIV, etc.

After my dose of bad news, I landed at Psalm 120 this morning. It is the first of fifteen "Psalms of Ascent," or as the KJV labels them, "Psalms of Degrees." As the Jewish pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem for the important feast days their journey was mostly uphill--they ascended by degrees. I quickly read through these traveling songs, this morning. As I walked and sang along with these Old Testament worshippers of God, I was carried along by the mental/spiritual journey they took as they slowly made the sandals-on-the-ground trip to Zion. 

Making a journey like this took a lot of commitment for a group of people who spent their days laboring hard in the field, shop, or home.  Why would they take time away from their occupation--one that required hard and constant work just to get by--and bear the expense, trouble, and risk of a trip to the Holy City? Psalm 120 gives the answer. The opening chorus of the travel songs begins in a minor key, "In my distress I cried unto the LORD." Like Isaiah at his moment of clarity (Isaiah 6:5) the Psalm writer/singer saw the evil that spewed from people's mouths. He was tired of the lies, and worse, I get the idea that the Psalm writer knew that he was not free of the falsehood epidemic. "Deliver my soul, oh Lord, from lying lips." Is he pleading to be delivered from the harm that the liars that surround him inflict? Certainly. Is he concerned that, like Isaiah realized, he too was a "man of unclean lips"? I think so. In the New Testament, we read, "Bad company corrupts good morals."

Toward the end of the Psalm, you can hear the weariness of the God-worshipper with being surrounded day after day by the lie-tellers and peace-opposers. Meshech and Kedar are addresses of places in the world--the place that the Apostle John says, "lies in the power of the evil one." They are representative of everywhere in the world. They are places not unlike where you and I live. The ancient Israelite heard it in the marketplace or the gate of the city, Anne Murray took the rubber band off of the paper, and you and I click on a website. It's the same--there is a serious lack of good news.

The discontent motivated the faithful of  Israel to make the dusty journey, as you travel with them, you can hear their songs change. Hope enters; there is joy. Where does one find help? "My help comes from the Lord." The distress is transformed into gladness as the pilgrims contemplate the stability that comes to those who worship the LORD. As the contemplation of communion with the God of truth and peace built toward a crescendo, someone broke out in song, singing the words the warrior king, David, had written,

I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 131:2–3, ESV)

I may pick up these wonderful songs again, soon, but for now, I leave you with David's words. "Hope in the Lord." That's good news we can all use.

Trying to Live as a Positive Christian Influencer in a "Negative" World

 I begin by mentioning three articles that I think are worth thinking about. I finish with some--probably unfinished--thoughts about where I find myself, in this regard, in my emeritus phase of life. 

Here are the three articles:

• Welcome to the Negative World: Why We Need American Reformer, Aaron Renn
• A Critique of Tim Keller Reveals the Moral Devolution of the New Christian Right, David French
• How I Evolved on Tim Keller, James R. Wood
• Plus, note the bonus article at the end.

Psalm 31: A Hard Journey for David and for Me

In so many of the Psalms, especially those of David, there is a raw—almost painful—honesty. I’ve been emphasizing Psalms in my devotions this year. I’m impressed anew with the openness of these prayers and songs of worship.

 Take Psalm 31 for instance. It came up in my reading for today. In verses 1-8, David utters a number of statements of dependence on and trust in the Lord.

·        

•       He says he has “taken refuge” in the Lord (1).
•        In verses 2-3, refers to God as a “rock,” “stronghold,” and “fortress.”
•        He is confident of the Lord’s guidance and deliverance in verses 3-4.
•        He commits his spirit to God’s keeping (5) and trusts in Him (6).
•        He clearly aligns himself as standing on God’s side (6).

From these verses, one could get the idea that David is above it all, but we see something else appearing in verse 7. By the time we get to verse 9, it is an outright admission, “I am in distress.” When I go back and read those words of faith and affirmation in the light of the confession of verse 9 they take on a different character. I can hear a measure of desperation in David’s voice. He’s holding on by his fingernails. In verses 9-13, David pours out a description of his troubles, and they are troubling.

I’ve been there, living in the dissonance, seeking to hold onto what I know about God in the face of evidence that many hold up as proof that the Lord doesn’t care about me at all. We can turn to other portions of Scripture, particularly in the New Testament, that tell us about patience that comes from tribulation, refining of our spirits, and lessons of holiness learned in the school of pain, but let’s not go there too quickly. Let’s let the voice of the Psalmist, raw though it is, speak to our hearts. I need to take time to listen to the Holy Spirit’s stirring in my heart, asking, “Howard do you ever feel like that?”

“Yes, Lord, sometimes I do.”

“So, my son, what are you going to do about it?”

Beginning in verse 14, David begins his journey back toward daylight. His requests are consistent with the affirmations he made in the Psalms opening verses. Look where he comes out.

As for me, I said in my alarm,

“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried to You.

             O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!

The Lord preserves the faithful

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

             Be strong and let your heart take courage,

All you who hope in the Lord.^[1]

David expressed this whiplash-inducing journey in one brief poem. I suspect it took him longer to live it than to write it. I know it does me.

Lord, help me to come to the right conclusion.

 

---

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 31:22–24). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

My Ears and Eyes Smell Something That Concerns Me

 I'm not going to do the research, or present a word/article count. I'm just going to ask a question. It is a question akin to, "Do you smell something burning?"

Have you noticed the frequency with which articles and even bills being considered by state legislators no longer refer to "pregnant women" but, rather, talk about "pregnant persons?" 

A bit of thinking and looking--I'll leave it up to you to do some investigation--will show the reason behind this language shift. In the new scheme of things, it is possible for a person who is a biological female, a woman (a human who from conception has the XX chromosome pairing, and who as a result typically has the ability to bear a child) to declare themself to be a male, a man (a human who from conception has the XY chromosome pairing, and who as a result typically has the ability to impregnate a woman) to become pregnant. I realize the previous sentence is complicated. I left it that way because the reasoning it is dealing with is complicated. Go back and parse it and think about it. Here is the simplified version.

In other words, if one accepts the doctrine of gender fluidity it is possible for a man to be pregnant. So one can't/shouldn't/mustn't speak about pregnant women. One needs to use the more general terms "pregnant people," "pregnant persons," or "birthing persons."

So, I pose the question more generally and simply:

Do you smell something?

Marriage: Capstone or Cornerstone?

 A Christianity Today article "Don't Diss the Early-Married," caught my eye this morning. In my humble opinion, it is an article of particular value to those who occupy the profession that was mine for most of my adult life--pastoring a small to medium-sized local church.

One of the catch-statements that I used to describe one aspect of my ministry was (I suppose still is), "I'm not in the marrying business, but I am glad to help build Godly Christian homes." Looking back on a forty-year + career it is clear to me that being involved in that family-building process has been one of the most important elements in doing lasting work--leaving something behind that will impact the world in a positive way for generations to come. "How to best do that?" is a very important question.

When a woman and man decide to "plight thee my troth" to one another, and they desire to involve the church including a pastor like I used to be in the process, it seems to me that some questions need to be answered.

• Who? 
  Biblical teaching on marriage indicates that there are people that one should not marry. Perhaps I'll pick that up in another post at another time.
• How? 
  I always made it a practice to require that grooms and brides-to-be go through premarital counseling. Actually, I think that the modeling of good family life within the church and the systematic teaching of the Word of God, which has a lot to say about families, is more important than those few sessions together. It is beyond doubt, however, that churches and pastors ought to address the question, "In this post-Christian, post-modern, (dare I say?) post-common-sense world in which we live, how does one build a Godly home?"
• When?
  When I look at my grandparent's generation, my own, and now the generation of my grandkids, I see that the age at which the typical couple marries has gone up. This is an observation that is verivied in the CT article, "Don’t Diss the Early-Marrieds." In many ways this this article is a follow-up to an article CT published thirteen years ago, "The Case for Early Marriage." It is this "When?" question that I want to highlight for a moment.

As I have already said the trend in our part and time of the world is for couples to marry later. Obviously, the matter of couples cohabiting prior to marriage is a factor, but not the only one. The recent CT article observes, for instance,  "The “capstone model” [referring to the later marriage trend] says you are supposed to have all your ducks in a row—education, some professional success, and a clear adult identity—before you marry." Is this a sentiment that is in line with the Biblical value system? For many, it is not. Way too often it reeks of materialism and hedonism. 

The question of "When?" is not just an individual question that needs to be put before prospective marriage partners; it is a societal matter that relates to the (if we can believe the surveys) nigh unto universal involvement of couples in premarital sex. Two trends overlap in a way that ought to interest those of us who are seeking to teach a Biblical, traditional Christian view of sexual morality. While the age at which people marry has been going up, the age of puberty--when a person can have, and usually wants to have, sex has been going down. Douse that with a liberal anointing of total freedom of self-expression with all societal restraint of free sexual expression removed and you have a big problem. 1 Corinthians 7:1-8 was written to a group of Christians who lived in a culture that was rife with sexual license. My target audience knows enough to put the statement into context, but the closing words of this section of Scripture are relevant to the topic. "[I]t is better to marry than to burn with passion." Yet the model that is put before those who are most likely to burn, folk in whom the flame was lit earlier than in the loins of their ancestors, says, "Wait! First, you need to get your education [which increasingly means not only a four-year college degree but post-grad work, as well. Get a good car, perhaps buy a house, and get some money in the bank." 

The church goes along with this trend at of peril undermining one of its important tasks--that of helping to build Godly families.

As the title of my blog implies, my view of the world is somewhat limited. Nevertheless, I'll close with a personal observation. As I look back over my ministry I note several families that began with marriages involving people who were clearly in the process of becoming. Their marriages were not capstones to early adulthood of personal achievement. They were more like the beginning of a mutual project. As I think about Bob and Susan, Pete and Carol, or Sally and Rob, who are now grandparents (not the couples' real names) I see that the Lord has given me the opportunity to push back against some of the destructive trends of the age in which I lived. In the right sense of the word, I'm proud of these families that God allowed me to have a part in. I'm glad they got started sooner rather than later.

(In case you didn't read the article I referenced, let me point out that it makes a distinction that I endorse. Neither the authors of the article nor I are encouraging teen marriage. While, by God's grace, some teen marriages end up producing wonderful families, far too often the marriage of two immature individuals is a faulty foundation that is not able to bear the weight of a solid family.)

A three-thousand-year-old hymn, a seventeen-year-old, a retiree, and social media:

 Bear with me if you will. As the title line would imply, I begin this post with several strands. Hopefully, I'll be able to braid them together.

Less than a year ago, I retired for the second time. I'm still working on what life is like for a guy, who in the words of a friend, "Reports only to God and his wife." For most of my adult life, having a regular quiet time with the Lord has been a struggle. Many of you are still in the battle of carving out time for what you know is most important when so many other things scream at you with urgent pleas. I figure one of the things I should do with my less demanding schedule is purposefully spend more time with the Lord. Psalms is a book of worship, so I decided that this year I would spend the first half of each month reading through the Psalter. I'm reading these ancient poems in different translations. This month I'm reading the NIrV, the New International Readers Version. It is translated so a fourth-grade reader can understand it. Its short, direct, no-frills structure produces an "in-your-face-ness" that grabs my attention.

Psalm 39 got in my face this morning. If you read it you'll notice that, like many of the psalms, this poem is the expression of someone in distress. David's "heart was deeply troubled." So much so that he wanted to know when his life would end. The psalm is full of plaintive pleas to God. The last words of the Psalm powerfully sum up David's emotion. "Leave me alone. Let me be full of joy again before I die.” 

I've been there. In my years as a pastor, I've seen it and heard it in the lives of many. In recent times, I often read Psalm 39-like complaints/pleas on Facebook. I assume they can be found on other social media, as well. I almost always cringe at these posts of lament. Sometimes I say in my heart, "How sad that this person doesn't have someone close enough, who cares enough, someone they trust to whom they can pour out their heart." Other times, or sometimes at the same time, I think, "This isn't going to turn out well. This person is looking for help, but they are 'looking for love in all the wrong places.'"

This brings me to the part of Psalm 39 that struck me in the face this morning. The second part of verse one says, "I will keep my mouth closed when sinful people are near me.” What wisdom! What difficult to apply when I am hurting wisdom!! 

Fifty-five years ago, though I probably didn't quite know it yet--for sure, I didn't understand it, yet--I was in love with Kathy Marsceau. My heart was bursting with a desire to talk about how wonderful, and sensitive, pretty, and talented this lovely red-headed, sweet-smiling, piano-playing, kind--dare I think it?--Howard-loving young lady was. I soon found, though, that there were places and times when I dare not talk about her. 

I suspect it is still the same, but in those days a guys' locker room after athletic practice was such a place and time. I found that if I just mentioned that I was going to see Kathy later that that comment would be enough to elicit all sorts of vulgar words and looks from my comrades on the wrestling team. I soon made a decision, not unlike the commitment David made in Psalm 39:1. I never mentioned Kathy's name in that maleness amplified environment.

When our heart is full, be it overflowing with sorrow or joy, to quote another of David's psalms, we had better pray, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" (Psalm 141:3 ESV) As David warns in Psalm 39, it is not only what I mean by my

words, but what the wicked may do with my words. 

As Jesus counseled us, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." (Matthew 7:6 ESV)

New International Reader’s Version. (1998). (1st ed., Ps 39:1). Zondervan.

New International Reader’s Version. (1998). (1st ed., Ps 39). Zondervan. 

What's wrong in Washington, and beyond?

 I posted a shorter version of this several weeks ago on Facebook. I decided it is worth cleaning up and posting here.

I heard the news this morning that Senator Joe Manchin, from my neighboring state of WV, killed President Bidens Build Back Better Bill.

While I'm so far from being a political pundit that I had to check the spelling of the word, I seriously disagree with that. Further, I don't think the reasoning behind that cause of legislative-death post-mortem is purely, or even mostly, political. It is but one example of the way things are in our world today.

At this point, I'm not saying whether President Biden's bill is good or bad. I am saying that it was killed by one outworking of the extreme partisanship of today's US political landscape, which is but one outworking of the postmodern zeitgeist which is the air which we all breathe.

No doubt there are many good things in the President's expansive proposal. Other things, not so much. It used to be that decisions like this were made on the basis of appealing to people of goodwill to do what is right or more right than wrong, or at least the best we can do in the current circumstances. Statesmen (persons), realizing that no manmade proposal is perfect, weighed the pros and cons. There was recognition that each representative represented a different constituency with a different set of interests. Some representatives had lines of conscience or stubbornness that they would not cross. Deals and accommodations were made. Backs were scratched. While such maneuvering often involved party alignments such legislation was often passed in a bipartisan manner. The common interests that crossed the aisle were of more importance than the partisan, unshared, interests of each side.

As I look out through my keyhole, I see an entirely different scenario. Two party machines meticulously--dare I say ruthlessly--maintain conformity to the party line in ways that differ only in degree from the methods of absolute dictators or Mafia dons. "Do what I say or I will make you suffer." In this encounter, the sides were almost evenly matched. The one vote differential allowed no room for defection. Again, from my perspective, it didn't appear that the expectation was that we can win this because "truth, the welfare of the nation, kindness, and responsibility are on our side." Instead, the expectation of victory was, "We have one more vote than the other side." I quickly add that it also appeared to me that the other side based their hope for victory or defeat on similar mathematical logic. Except.

I'm not arguing whether the Senator from my neighboring state did the right thing. As I look at the situation I don't see any other conclusion than that he thought he was doing the right thing. I figure he will pay a price for it. In that sense we clearly need more politicians like Senator Manchin.

Above the political rhetoric and maneuvering an overall principle reigns, "My party, right or wrong." I hope some lessons are learned from the current impasse. The lessons for those elected to serve us in government should be obvious, but in our eagerness to point our fingers at those we have elected are we neglecting to see how this applies to those of us who do the electing? Do we focus too much on those who are able to get things done and too little on the things they want to get done.? Is it that the people in power aren't doing the right thing or is it that we aren't putting people who think rightly in power? Or, perhaps it is both.

I think clearly the defeat of this mammoth bill points out something that's been obvious, but too seldom spoken, for quite a while, now. His Excellency Emperor Partisan (and I'm not giving this title to any particular person but to the whole syndrome that reigns) is buck naked.

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