Being Gobsmacked

One might think that after 40+ years of serious Bible reading and studying that a guy would have seen all the internal connections; yet they still come, and I’m like—

Here are two that I learned of in the last couple of weeks (and I am embarrassed to admit that I cannot remember the sources).

Spying out the land

Many are familiar with the occasion wherein the people of Israel had sent 12 men to spy out Canaan in order to assess the land and ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the cities and encampments. When the men returned, they recounted the findings.

We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan. (Num 13:27–29)

However, the group gave a mixed conclusion from their observations:

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Num 13:30–33)

Caleb (and Joshua, as noted in chapter 14) calls for the nation to claim what the Lord promised; however, ten decide are fearful and see only doom if an invasion is attempted, comparing the relative size differential between the average Israelite and Canaanite. What was the truth of the matter? What was the average Canaanite thinking at that time? Can we know?

After Israel eventually crosses the Jordan River and prepares to take Jericho, two spies are sent into the city and are hidden by Rahab who offers some insight of the city-dwellers’ attitude toward Israel.

Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. (Joshua 2:8–11)

Notice in the italicized phrases the fear of Israel, which began when they first heard of the Red Sea crossing 40 years prior. The recent defeat of the Amorite kings simply added to the dread they felt. The ten spies had been completely mistaken in their bad report, not realizing that though the Canaanites were large, they were living in fear of Israel and their God.

Losing out

The other item to mention is found in the gospel of Mark. Jesus was relating the parable of the sower and four types of soil to the crowd, but later explained to the Twelve the purpose of parables in general and the meaning of this particular one in private. Jesus then admonishes them with the following:

Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Mark 4:21–25)

We can follow the beginning of this teaching: Jesus wants us to shine the light that is placed in us through God’s Word. The puzzling part comes in the last sentence. We can understand giving more to someone who has, but how do you take away from someone who doesn’t have? The key is the measure that Jesus mentions. As much as we take in Scripture and abide in it—the Holy Spirit doing His work—the Lord adds as much in abundance, even to overflowing. In contradistinction, as little as we take it in, whether by apathy or rebellion, what we have and understand will be removed, presumably with the result of being given over to personal desires and delusions.

Remember that Jesus said this to His disciples without distinction. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

I Really Do Miss You

Pastor Aaron Fenker has written a piece (an open letter really) for Higher Things entitled Dear Divine Service... that reflects what Christians are longing for during this time of social distancing and online services. He writes:

I’m sorry that I even have to write this. It’s painful. I’m sure you’ve known it was coming. Maybe you didn’t. I certainly didn’t. It’s the things we take for granted, you know? Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I guess. Or, maybe you don’t know how good you have it, how greatly you’ve been blessed until something’s been taken away.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s you. It’s not! You offer so much. You’re a blessing! You bring Scripture to me. Not just in the readings. That would be enough! That’s enough to fill my heart, soul, mind, strength with God’s Word. That’s enough to sanctify me, my life, my week with His Word. No, always more with you. The parts of the liturgy, the hymns, the singing—all of it!—dripping with God’s Word for me. The Gospel of Jesus literally delivered to me, through me, for me, and for all those gathered with me. What great joy!

We're not together right now, but we long for that gathering with Christ in our midst being delivered to us.

Read the entirety, and enjoy it.

Behold the Man? No, Beware!

I came across a Twitter video that demonstrated Steven Furtick’s abuse of God’s Word. When I watched the clip, I wondered how someone so devoid of sound exegesis could build such a following for himself. It occurred to me that people are more attracted to success than truth, and we must be vigilant to not follow in their footsteps. This was driven home in my Bible reading this week as I was looking at Psalm 144 taken from the Septuagint:

Deliver me and save me from the hand of the sons of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks empty things,
And their right hand is a right hand of wrongdoing,
Whose sons are like new plants
Matured in their youth,
Their daughters beautified,
Adorned like a temple;
Their storehouses are full,
Bursting forth with abundance on all sides;
Their sheep give many births,
Multiplying in their streets;
Their oxen are fat;
There is no gap in their fence or passage,
Nor outcry in their streets.
They call the people blessed, whose lot this is;
But rather, blessed is the people
Whose God is the Lord. (Ps 143:11–15 LXX)

David described the unrighteous as spewing empty words and doing evil though everything about them is prosperous. There is a temptation to honor these people and called them blessed because of their success. David contrasts that temptation by acknowledging that only those whose God is the Lord are blessed, inferring that the empty talkers are not His people: they serve a different god altogether.

Worthwhile Reading

The last time I posted a potpourri of publications was October. I trust you will enjoy the following collection of articles from the past couple months. Let’s begin with a pair of unrelated items:

This article by Amanda Hinton gives good advice on what qualities a future husband should possess.

Larry Peters offers his thoughts on the importance of church membership.

Moving on…
I have read several books on making disciples, but there is one recent read that should be given a serious look – Follow Me: Discipleship According to St. Matthew (available at CPH and Amazon). While other works pore over the lives of godly men in Scripture to build a working discipleship method, Martin Franzmann explains how the apostle wove his narrative from an introduction of Jesus to the final sending of the Twelve as a model for discipleship. The book may be 50 years old, but there is much wisdom within.

Patristics twin-bill
Todd Pruitt from Mortification of Spin is recommending Craig Carter’s, Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition. Carter exposes a 21st-century weakness: we do not know or care how the Church Fathers approached Scripture. He attempts to break the mold of modern and postmodern theological connect the reader to early exegesis—a largely untapped and unfamiliar resource. The likes of Irenaeus and Ambrose will challenge your thinking in a good way.

In similar fashion, Shawn Wilhite has written a piece for The Center for Baptist Renewal (CBR) on bringing Patristic exegesis into the local church. Pastors and teachers would do well to retrieve the wisdom of these ancient writers to improve their thinking and teaching.

And speaking of worship…
Two other articles of note have come from CBR on recapturing neglected liturgical elements. The first comes Ray Van Neste on the corporate confession of sin. Confession is acknowledged by every branch of Christendom: the difference is in the application. For millennia, the Church has been practiced corporate confession during worship, however, this practice went out of favor among those groups groups that emphasize individualistic Christian faith and practice. While individual confession is good and proper, so is corporate confession. One only needs to read the Psalms or other Old Testament prayers to understand the corporate bond as they confessed their sins before Almighty God.

The second article I find more intriguing and more necessary for today – Why We Should Include Lament Songs in Our Worship by Samuel Parkison. In a time when many (most?) local churches have relegated hymns to the proverbial dust bin in favor of the latest and greatest pop worship song, this is a needed corrective. Anymore, Sunday singing comprises attempted manipulation of God to come down, show His glory, and do what He does, so that we can live victoriously (Have you noticed that Scripture never speaks this way? But I digress.) Or there is some version of “Jesus, I love you, because it makes me feel good to say it.” And for any songs that may include an element of hardship or pain, the sentiment is closer to “Daddy, I fell down. Can you kiss my boo?” We can’t always feel upbeat. Lament helps us express the depths of suffering, and allows others to share in it.

And now for something truly lamentable
Andy Stanley appears to be headed into outright Marcionism (an ancient heresy rejecting the Old Testament) as noted in a First Things article by Wesley Hill. Stanley is quoted as saying, “Christians must unhitch the Old Testament from their faith.” As an aside, I have heard parts of the sermon being quoted and can affirm its accuracy. Pastor Stanley is either very ignorant of facts of the Bible and history, or he is lying in order to delude his hearers.

Miscellanea

I have not offered up miscellanea for quite some time. Here are a few items for perusal.

G. Shane Morris tells us the problem with the Sinner’s Prayer.

Do you have a hankering to see signs and wonders? Michael Horton tells us where to find them. (Hint: it’s not in a so-called healing service.)

Pastor Larry Peters offers his opinion that nurseries and children’s church are not such a good idea.

Jonathan Aigner again warns of Hillsongization and the Insidious Nature of Commercial Worship Music.

And noting that birds of a feather fly together, be wary of “Bethelification.” Note the issues in this piece from GetReligion.org.

Think pop music and CCM are good for the church? Peter Leithart asks us to think again.

And on the topic of music in general, Casey Chalk makes a case for listening to classic music more often. (As an aside, his reasoning applies equally to classic literature.)

And finally, we have some all-too-true humor recently shared by Glenn Chatfield.

Profitable Posts

I have not posted miscellaneous links to worthwhile posts and articles for a spell. Here are a few that I have been saving.

Joe Willman reinforces the idea that songs effectively convey a message, whether truth or error, recommending the use of hymns in the home. (This is why I so strongly advocate the greatest discernment for music in corporate worship.)

In the same vein, Jeff Meyer offers his thoughts on who (and what) shapes our worship.

Concerning worship topics, Uri Brito has two posts. The first gives ideas for reintroducing the creeds to our worship where they are missing, and the second deals with the hard work of worship.

Jason Helopoulos, in an older piece recently sent to me, presents the rationale from a Reformed perspective for an element of corporate worship missing in most assemblies—a corporate confession of sin.

Michael Kruger offers a reminder and antidote for those occasions when someone says, “God told me…”

Finally, Michael Horton reminds us why we should pray for our city—and it has nothing to do with political ends.

Correction and Apology

Every now and then I send out a post that needed more editing than I initially gave. One such occurrence came on March 1st (The Downcast Soul) in which my response came out as a polemic against the women’s event and those in charge. (My wife and others pointed this out to me.) In my desire to get the post out, I failed to include wording that would have shown my true target, which was the mishandling and misapplication of God and His Word that has become pervasive in the American church scene. I have corrected my original post accordingly (though not as soon as I would have liked as this was my earliest convenience).

In addition, I have already had communication with those who posted on the event referenced in my post, explaining my intent, but damage has already been done. I apologize for my great error and the hurt it caused.

Tuesday Night Activities

Over at The Federalist, Cheryl Magness has offered some tips on what to do tomorrow night instead of watching the election returns:

1. Have Some Friends Over and Sing Together
2. Read the Constitution
3. Make It Movie Night
4. Have a Game Night
5. Invite Your Neighbors Over for a Potluck
6. Restore Your Soul
7. Do Something Kind for Someone
8. Teach Your Kids American Classics8. Teach Your Kids American Classics
9. Read Your Bible
10. Pray

She gets no argument from me.

Asaph and Election 2016

 I do not often post something political, but as I was reading Psalm 73, I could not but help seeing parallels to the current election cycle.  Many are swayed by the carefully crafted rhetoric, while others are emboldened to continue in their ways.  We should be as Asaph who looks at his situation objectively and spiritually:

Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
    my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  (Ps 73:1-3)

Notice that Asaph starts with God’s goodness to those living by faith, but he recognizes his temptation to follow after the arrogant and wicked because of what they had and were able to accomplish.  In order to set matters in perspective, he lays out who and what the wicked are about.

For they have no pangs until death;
    their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
    they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
    violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out through fatness;
    their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice;
    loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,
    and their tongue struts through the earth.
Therefore his people turn back to them,
    and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know?
    Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked;
    always at ease, they increase in riches.  (Ps 73:4-12)

Do these words remind you of anyone running for public office?  Regardless of political party or leaning, narratives will be written to disguise or excuse wickedness for the sake of a greater good.  Brethren, we can be, and should be, politically engaged, but we need to go into any election remembering that the rhetoric is designed to influence us in specific areas of life.  Be mindful so that you will not stumble and slip.

Sapa X Pocket Diary – Quo Vadis

I have used a variety of planners over the years, changing sizes and layouts as my needs change.  When Quo Vadis announced a giveaway of their Sapa X Pocket Diary in late 2015, I decided to enter.  Not long after I was notified that my planner was on its way.  My original intent was to write a review back in April or May, but life has a way of happening.

These planners are well-designed and takes a beating.  The binding is sewn, which gives spine durability, plus the exterior is protected by a cover (Texas Blue for me), which allows a moisture barrier against perspiration (and rain if not careful).

You will notice that the pages have a perforated corner at bottom right that can be torn out for easy access to your week.  Previously, I never had this feature in a planner, but it’s a handy feature.

Looking at a typical week’s layout, you will see a scheduled time from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, except on Sunday.  Each day’s space is generally sufficient, though there are some Sundays that get a little crazy.  In that case, one could use the small note area on the bottom left for overflow, or use it for a weekly To-Do list.

Between each month (or as close as possible) there are blank note pages.  These come in handy to write down tasks for the following month.  I underuse this feature, but here (see photo at right) is an instance when it was handy.  Heretofore unknown book titles are always worth recording.

At the back is a place to record communications (e-mail and phone).  Since my phone handles most of this, I found this to be a good place to make notes.

One feature that I liked was the set of maps at the back: United States, Canada, South America, Australia, Europe, Asia, and Africa.  I never needed these, but they are nice for keeping up with current geography.

I really enjoyed using this planner.  Consider picking up this or another of the available models.

Potpourri Post

I have been saving some miscellaneous items to pass along, so without further ado …

The first item comes from Dr. Michael J. Kruger at Canon Fodder.  He has begun a series entitled “Taking Back Christianese.”  He has just three posts in the series—the first an introduction.  As an aside, I regularly read Dr. Kruger’s posts and highly recommend them.

Hymn-writing is not dead as evidenced by Pastor Chris Thoma who posted three of his own works at Brothers of John the Steadfast.  They are “O, Lazarus, Come Out,” “The King Has Invited, Who Then Shall Refuse,” and “Mighty Lord, O Faithful Shepherd.”  With continued meat and potatoes being produced by men such as this, why do we clamor after the cotton candy found in popular Christian music for our worship?

Speaking of worship, Jonathan Aigner has a great post entitled “Why WOULD Anyone Sing in Church These Days?”  Aigner follows the devolution of worship from the historic liturgy to the modern stage performance.  I liked his three concluding points:

• Do music that is meant to be sung, and in a way that encourages healthy, hearty singing.
• Stop the Hillsongization of congregational singing.
• Recognize that singing is, in and of itself, a sacred duty.

Bosco Peters picks up on that post in “The Day Church Singing Stopped,” agreeing with Aigner’s thesis.  I mention this post, because there is one well-stated comment that should be highlighted:

Mainstream popular music depends on a principle of planned obsolescence: a song is big hit for a short time and is then quickly replaced by the next big hit.  Within this environment, it’s easy to lose sight of the power of tradition.  There’s no musical experience quite as powerful (for an adult, that is) as singing a hymn that you’ve heard and sung since childhood.  All those moments of singing the same hymn begin to pile up and create layers of meaning and emotion.  I pity the congregation that abandons that kind of experience in pursuit of newness.

This is most certainly true (to borrow a phrase from Martin Luther).  If you want the next generation to fall away, feed the flock with whatever is fleeting.  However, if you want to leave a Christian legacy, build with what endures.

Lastly, I offer a post by Alexei Sargeant that asks the question, “Where has all the dark Christian music gone?”  He compares the “happy-clappy” music of the Christian industry with stanzas mixing hope with finality found in “O God Our Help in Ages Past” by Isaac Watts.  The author is Roman Catholic, so I disagree with some of his comments, but I want to note one paragraph:

The message, however, is not one of despair, though it paints a shadowy picture of earthly life.  It’s an admonishment to remember the transience of all things save God.  He and He alone is “our eternal home”—to everything else we say, this too shall pass.  For the poor and poor in spirit, it’s actually a comforting message. We feel ill at ease in the world because the world is not where our hearts should rest.  Psalm 90, the basis of the song, travels from fearful awe (“We are consumed by your anger/ and terrified by your indignation”) to a hopeful plea (“Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,/ for as many years as we have seen trouble./ May your deeds be shown to your servants,/ your splendor to their children”).  It’s a psalm for all seasons, following a winter believer towards a dream of spring.

Planning Ahead

I like to plan ahead with my posts and have been frustrated that my schedule has reduced my involvement to offerings of patristic quotes; however, one benefit from this has been a loyal following interested in their continuation.  So, if I have sufficient lead time, I will post from the Church Fathers some commentary related to what our local body will be receiving on Sunday.  I have yet to come up with a series title—maybe “Friday with the Fathers”—but plan to begin next week.

Lest the reader think that my interest here is waning, I have collected, through this busy time, over two dozen separate notes with subject matter from a broad range, a few of which are:

• •  Wholistic Nature of Punishment
• •  Structure of the Beatitudes
• •  Extent of the Atonement
• •  Life in the Spirit
• •  Extremes of Legalism and Radical Grace
• •  Baptism & Lord’s Supper
• •  How Was Christianity Spread in the Early Church?

And this does not include new and continuing series, such as book reviews, lessons from Arnobius of Sicca,* and a look at the penitential psalms—just to name a few.  The difficulty has been carving out time to think through a topic rationally and intelligently.  Part of this process is prioritizing the subject matter, which can be a chore in itself, however, the combination of research, writing, and formatting are time-consuming when done properly.  To be sure, an emotional or playful piece can be cranked out in little time, but I prefer to offer substance.

That is enough for now.  Allow me to leave one tidbit from Origen’s Commentary on John 1:

Now what the Gospels say is to be regarded in the light of promises of good things; and we must say that the good things the Apostles announce in this Gospel are simply Jesus.  One good thing which they are said to announce is the resurrection; but the resurrection is in a manner Jesus, for Jesus says: “I am the resurrection.”  Jesus preaches to the poor those things which are laid up for the saints, calling them to the divine promises.  And the holy Scriptures bear witness to the Gospel announcements made by the Apostles and to that made by our Savior.  David says of the Apostles, perhaps also of the evangelists: “The Lord shall give the word to those that preach with great power; the King of the powers of the beloved;” teaching at the same time that it is not skilfully composed discourse, nor the mode of delivery, nor well practiced eloquence that produces conviction, but the communication of divine power.  Hence also Paul says: “I will know not the word that is puffed up, but the power; for the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”  And in another passage: “And my word and my preaching were not persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power.”  To this power Simon and Cleophas bear witness when they say: “Was not our heart burning within us by the way, as he opened to us the Scriptures?”  And the Apostles, since the quantity of the power is great which God supplies to the speakers, had great power, according to the word of David: “The Lord will give the word to the preachers with great power.”  Isaiah too says: “How beautiful are the feet of them that proclaim good tidings;” he sees how beautiful and how opportune was the announcement of the Apostles who walked in Him who said, “I am the way,” and praises the feet of those who walk in the intellectual way of Christ Jesus, and through that door go in to God.  They announce good tidings, those whose feet are beautiful, namely, Jesus.

*  This has proved to be an interesting and valuable resource.  The apologist rails against much in pagan worship, but as one reads the description of practices, the similarities between ancient pagan and modern Western Christian worship is disturbing.

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Since being the victim of a corporate downsizing two years ago, I have had a scant number of interviews relative to the number of positions in my field to which I have applied.  Thankfully, there has been part-time work through the same full-time employer that released me; and while I enjoy the work and have good coworkers, the pay is insufficient, and the benefits are ending at the end of the year.  This means that, according to the (Un)Affordable Care Act, the health insurance I cannot afford this year will be even more unaffordable next year.  And there is a fine for not being able to afford it.  Suffice it to say that I have considered additional revenue streams.

One idea is to advertise for pulpit supply.  I have plenty of past experience in a variety of local churches, but never placed my name in a public forum to promote my availability.  I enjoy communicating God’s Word.  If you are interested, my credentials are here.

Speaking of communicating, I have looked at writing and editing jobs.  There are writing positions available, however most require a degree in English or Journalism, but I do have certification as Copy Editor through Poynter Institute.

Another idea I had in the area of writing is to monetize my blog.  I dislike the preponderance of advertising on blogs I find at Patheos.com, but if advertising could be controlled, it might be workable.  I need to investigate this some more.

I have also considered crowd-sourcing.  For instance, all I need is 50,000 readers to commit one dollar per year via my PayPal account (e-mail address is in my profile).  With that much income, I could concentrate solely on blogging.  Oh, wait, I need 50,000 readers.  Looks like I need to expand my base for that to work.

(Ir)Relevant Links

My life has been busy, so this seems to be a good time to offer up a potpourri post.  I begin with a set of posts that might fall under the general topic of relevancy in the local church.

• Glenn Chatfield passes along Nancy Pearcey’s admonition to make our method as Christian as our message.
• Tanya Nevin offers her reasons for joining a dead religion.  Some of you will object to the Lutheran understanding of Baptism and Lord’s Supper near the end of the post, but she does a solid job of describing the vacuity of relevance.
• Jonathan Aigner has two recent posts that I thought were helpful.  (FYI, he writes at Patheos, which inundates readers with advertising, much of which is questionable.)  The first makes a case that worship should be boring—exceedingly boring—to help us remember that worship is not an experience, but an honored communal time with God Almighty.  The second offers 10 Reasons to Follow the Liturgical Calendar.  All local assemblies should do this, even if just one time through the year, though once would really sell it short.
• Mary Abrahamson shares the wisdom of teaching hymns, rather than simple choruses, to children.  And, in my mind, if that is good advice for children, it is doubly so for instructing adults.
• Lastly, Caleb Keith helps us understand the benefits of Moving to Paper.  True, this does not deal directly with worship or the gospel, but I think he makes a good point for “outdated” methods being the best for an intended purpose.

Our Busy August

I want to give an update since my output has dwindled significantly because of our busy August.  First is an extended weekend camping requiring preparation, then there de-cluttering at the end.  When you own a travel trailer there is less of this work than when pulling a folding camper, but one cannot get away from it.  The day following our camping weekend, I began a two-week scoring project down at Pearson.  This will carry me through Friday, and the next assignment does not begin until September 10.  (As an aside, I have had two interviews for a full-time position in town, but the soonest a decision can be made is September 8).

I was offered a chance to preach at our home assembly in August, to which I agreed and accepted the final Sunday (30th).  I took as my texts the Three-Year Lectionary readings for that date as used by Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.  The main reason I bring up that fact is because I was later asked if I could speak August 23 instead because of scheduling difficulties filling the Sunday slots.  I now needed to concentrate on preparation.  Tuesday, I received a request for the Bible text(s), title, and outline to prepare the bulletin the next day.  Panic now sets in.  I was able to partially deliver with texts and title Thursday during lunch

Friday I began coming down down with a sore throat, which was not a real concern, but it should have been.  Saturday morning I was miserable and when to an urgent care facility.  They told me it was a viral infection and just suffer through it for a day or two.  Except I had to preach the next morning and had little voice with which to work.  Swallowing was painful.  Ibuprofen, herbal tea, and vitamin  water became my constant friends.  (As an update, I went to my family doctor, who immediately prescribed Z-Pak, and I feel much better though still not 100%.)

Sunday morning I preached two services, and it was a challenge.  People could tell I was struggling, and those sitting to my right were able to see the pained faces I made when trying to drink what I had on hand.  If you are interested in hearing the raspy-voiced message, you can go to the Sermon page.  Mine is entitled It's Worse than You Imagined and Better than You Hoped.

Hopefully, I can get more on track now that we are beyond that zaniness.

Mr. Music, Please?

Torrey Gazette is a good website that I have been following for a time.  This month they are promoting Top 5 Albums, and yours truly was asked to provide a post, which can be found here.  Don't stop there, though. Have a look throughout.

Hey Steve, Where Did You Go?

I have had more than one person wonder what is wrong because my blog is not being updated as regularly as before.  No, the problem is that I am so busy during these Spring months that there is little time for blogging.  Not only do I work my temporary job, but there is the constant search for a permanent position.  That is almost a full-time effort by itself.  On top of that is online training to hone my skills.  If the job-related items are not enough, add the seasonal yard care, plus repairs to the water system in our camper because of a rookie mistake (didn’t winterize correctly), and on top of that being active in several aspects of our local church.  Needless to say, I rarely get a few minutes to concentrate long enough to formulate a post, much less enter it.

I just checked my idea list for this blog—twelve.  And that is only because I deleted some that had such poor notes the subject was incomprehensible or irrelevant.  There is no question readers could get a new post every weekday, but the concentration time needed for cogent, rational sentences is lacking at the moment.  Please bear with me while I regroup and try to get on target.

Dealing with Trolls

Photo courtesy of Wikia

Trolls.  Those who have been been on the internet long enough have witnessed their carnage.  Lurking silently, these denizens of the internet lay waste comment sections in forums, blogs, and Facebook groups expressing opinions, not because they are correct, but because they can.  Inflicting bitterness, emotional pain, and any form of instability, the only plan is to enter the conversation and spew contrary, hopefully stinging, remarks to decimate conversations and otherwise undermine any attempt at meaningful interaction.  Ogres, goblins, and orcs have more sophistication than this type.  Meet a troll on the street or in an elevator, and you might never take notice that something is different, but in private they reveal their true selves—something more akin to this cheerful fellow on the right.

Trolls feed on the chaos and confusion wrought through dissemination of hyperbole and misinformation.  Once the feeding frenzy begins, much damage is left behind with gaping wounds needing healed.  The way to stop a troll is to starve it.  This is difficult because the troll often aims for your weak spot in order to engender a response.  Wise counselors are useful for knowing how to do battle.  To this end I offer the following note from Albert Einstein to Marie Curie:

Prague, 23 November 1911

Highly esteemed Mrs. Curie,
    Do not laugh at me for writing you without having anything sensible to say.  But I am so enraged by the base manner in which the public is presently daring to concern itself with you that I absolutely must give vent to this feeling.  However, I am convinced that you consistently despise this rabble, whether it obsequiously lavishes respect on you or whether it attempts to satiate its lust for sensationalism!  I am impelled to tell you how much I have come to admire your intellect, your drive, and your honesty, and that I consider myself lucky to have made your personal acquaintance in Brussels.  Anyone who does not number among these reptiles is certainly happy, now as before, that we have such personages among us as you, and Langevin too, real people with whom one feels privileged to be in contact.  If the rabble continues to occupy itself with you, then simply don’t read that hogwash, but rather leave it to the reptile for whom it has been fabricated.

It is difficult to imagine that a noted scientist should need to be concerned with these “reptiles,” but Einstein is correct in his advice: Don’t feed the trolls; ignore them.  King Solomon took the response one step further.

Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be wise in his own eyes.  (Prov 26:4-5)

Engage the troll, but not in the same snarky way, but as is warranted and in a godly way with wisdom.  Let the Lord do the work by correctly using His word.

Miscellany

I do not often provide an anthology of other blog posts, but there are some recently that have piqued my interest.

Let’s begin with Australian Bill Muehlenberg who offers a look at how a commitment to relevance, using as Brian Houston and Hillsong as example, greatly weakens the message and mission of the gospel.

Online acquaintance, Vanessa Rasanen, wrote a piece for The Federalist looking at the double standard culture conveys in cases of suicide, comparing reactions to the death of Robin Williams with the intentions of Brittany Maynard.

In addition, Vanessa shares in her personal blog why she is a lousy mom—mainly because she acts like a parent.  (Radical, I know.)

Closer to my home, Glenn Chatfield shares an anonymous poem on the steadfastness of God’s Word.

Another local acquaintance speaking of Holy Writ, Sean Lillis, offers his thoughts on the benefits of Bible software, but the necessity for prayerful diligence in studying the Scriptures.

Lastly, there is this humorous post from Larry Peters. 

Proof Positive!

Finally, I have empirical evidence that of my qualifications to teach the Bible.  Are you speaking of your seminary degree?  No, I have better.

Seminary Office #1	Seminary Office #2
Dr. Cameron MacKenzie, Historical Theology	Dr. Walter Maier, Exegetical Theology

My Home Office

Any questions?