Thinking This Week
WHAT A DEPRESSING BOOK
A while back I read a book recommended by Oprah Winfrey entitled The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It is a gripping story about a father and son and their quest to keep alive following some kind of world-wide catastrophe (nuclear devastation, pandemic?). The thing that made it so depressing was that there was no hope. No matter what they did, whether they found a storehouse of food or were going through a time of famine, there was no hope. Death would come, and that would be that. Depressing.
Not the Christian faith. We have a sure and everlasting hope. Our walk is not just about being on a road here for a while and then Not. Our walk is not just about being on a road, sometimes with plenty and sometimes without, and then Not. Our walk is with an eternal God who has saved us through the blood of Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Our walk is not on the path to Nowhere and Not, our walk is on the way to Paradise. You Are and will be forever, never a Not.
WHAT A FORMATIVE BOOK
This week I got to speak to a group of students at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, about being a Called church worker. As part of it I shared part of my book, Toward Significance. I shared the part of it where I emphasize reading through the Bible, all of it, every single year.
It is a great practice, and I (and all kinds of other people) strongly recommend it.
Like is often the case though, I think I walked away with a better insight than what I had to offer. One of the participants said this, “The thing about reading through the Bible is that when we do so we will develop a Biblical vocabulary.”
That’s good.
Especially since we live in a time that words are losing their meaning and vocabularies are being corrupted. Good is bad; bad is good. Tolerance is intolerance. And so on.
So let me encourage you again to read through the Bible annually. You will develop the vocabulary of God. You will develop a shared vocabulary with the people of God. You will develop the vocabulary of life.
WHAT IF JESUS WASN’T KIDDING
Jesus corrected Martha one day when she was concerned about getting some help from her sister Mary. Martha was scurrying around with all sorts of details preparing a dinner while Mary had set everything else aside in order to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear his word.
Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
What if Jesus wasn’t kidding?
WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
Yes, these are challenging times. But in the midst of them there is a great opportunity.
Prayer.
Call anytime, day or night. Every call is a “toll-free” call. And there are no operators standing by. It is the King of All Creation who is always there for you to hear your every prayer. Let’s make the best of a great opportunity!