Things I Think…
1. Bud Grant, the longtime coach of the Minnesota Vikings, died Saturday morning at age 95.
While this is a sad occasion for me as a lifelong Vikings fan, it’s not something I would normally speak of on this site…but follow me out,if you will.
Bud Grant still had an office in the Vikings complex even though he hadn’t coached for the team since 1985. This was because Grant was more than a coach…he was an icon of the North respected by all who knew him. He was a Hall of fame coach in two leagues and from all accounts, a Hall of Fame father, friend, and husband as well. He and his wife raised six children. He was a man’s man and a pillar of the community, sought after for his wisdom and strength. He lived his life with great dignity and integrity and was still sharp and lucid when he passed.
He was the kind of man you would want as a neighbor and the kind of person you would be proud to have represent your community.
Bud Grant was also an unapologetic atheist.
I still remember reading him speak of this in his autobiography and having my heart sink to the floor.
He was not hostile to Christianity or any faith…he just didn’t think it necessary.
He repeated his position a couple of weeks before he died…the specter of death had not convinced him to buy fire insurance.
For most believers, his future is set.
He died without Christ and is now in hell.
It’s that simple…for some.
It’s not that simple for me.
Grant was a prototype of many I’ve known who lived lives of love, integrity, and simple decency who for one reason or another died outside the church though they lived better lives than most of those inside it.
I know the theological arguments…they don’t move me, though someday they might.
I will choose to hope the love and goodness of God reaches past death…because there are as many unbelievers I hope to see in eternity as believers…and some believers I would be pleased to never see again…
Godspeed, Coach.
2. In the meantime, the great theological debate on social media is over whether or not the “man after God’s own heart”, King David was a rapist as well as complicit in murder…the argument is that if a king commands you come and lay with him as David did with Bathsheba, you damn well better comply and consent is not part of that equation. It’s a reasonable and compelling argument, but David is defended and his sins minimized as if he were a megachurch pastor…
3. Most evangelical concepts of heaven sound like hell to me…
4. Some people believe that my hope makes me a heretic, but I need hope more than their approval…
5. Once you get past sixty, life is one long announcement of the funerals of those you grew up with…and the hope of mercy grows for them and yourself…
6. We speak a lot about the decline of the church…but in other parts of the world the church is growing stronger…and will end up sending missionaries here…
7. The rapid development of AI technology means that soon you will only be able to trust what you can touch…until you can’t trust that either…
8. Some form of the end times is upon us…whether it is the end of all things and the Second Coming or simply the end of all we once knew….the curse of God is knowledge without wisdom…or leadership…or love…
9. The Bible doesn’t speak of a great end times revival…it does speak clearly about a succession of beast empires crushing the people of God to the end…and the people of God are unprepared to be faithful until the end…
10. I think all these things are true, but spring is still coming…
They have already sent missionaries here. Which I embrace.
Bud Grant played for the Eagles early in his career. Probably why he ended up being such a good guy. 😉
KevinH,
You neglect to mention that he quickly left and went all the way to Canada… 🙂
Hey, if Tucker Carlson can take a monumentally consequential national event and pick out just peaceful moments from the Jan 6th videos and tell the story he wants, then I can tell whatever story I want about the Eagles. 😉
KevinH,
Thankfully, I’m unable to comment on that matter at the moment… 🙂
Now I am having trouble accessing the comments … I see 5 on this thread but click on them and no access.
Alan,
Clear your browser cache and it should work…there are some bugs in the system…
Where does that idea of an end times revival come from?
#5 is too real–death is no longer a specter in the shadows, it is now my shadow. Prepped Saturday for one funeral coming up, missed another due to the prep, heard of a third on Sunday, and grieving a fourth and fifth from earlier last week. When it rains…
CK,
I’m not sure, but I’ll bet it comes from dispensationalism…
fil,
It’s mine as well…and I’m aware the shadow will grow darker with time…
Regarding #1:
I’m clear on the theology regarding justification by faith alone in Christ alone, but a missionary I served abroad with gave a bit of advice that I’ve implemented since she shared it with me. It basically goes like this:
I always make the choice to believe that loved/respected ones choose Jesus at the moment of passing (at the last possible moment).
That way, any theological truths are not mixed with my hopes and love for the deceased.
@5
I turned 71 this year. Many say that 70 is the decade of death.
My body is old and hurts. Have a myriad of issues. But I still think young
Hopefully, the site issue has been fixed.
Michael Wrote:
I will choose to hope the love and goodness of God reaches past death…because there are as many unbelievers I hope to see in eternity as believers…and some believers I would be pleased to never see again…
I feel the same and no longer believe that ‘Salvation’ is as cut and dried as is widely taught.
I hold fast to the tenets of The Apostle’s Creed.
And the stuff beyond that?
I pick and choose (or un-choose) as I see fit.
End times revival lives in charismatic circles in abundance… it has two sources 1) the interpretation that Jesus said the Gospel much be preached in every nation before the end comes… so, some conflation of ideas lead to it. 2) and this is a very bad reason… the prophecies of the Kansas City prophets particularly Bob Jones concerning a billion soul end time harvest… (I will join you in tossing rotten eggs)
Alan,
I’ve wondered where the root was…and with the price of eggs, we’re going to have to find something cheaper to toss…
Muff,
“I pick and choose (or un-choose) as I see fit.”
If we’re honest, we all do…
Concerning Bud Grant … where do you find the best actual exegesis for post-mortem conversion? Hopefully this is more than empathy and revulsion of damnation. The use of the “all” texts is not relevant to the actual question.
Alan,
The idea is actually rooted in the Orthodox fathers.
If you can withstand his arrogance, David Bentley Hart’s “That All Should Be Saved” has some merit along with McDonalds “Evangelical Universalist”…the gold standard is “A Larger Hope” by Ramelli and Parry…two volume set.
I offer it as a possibility, not dogma…
Michael
I know of two other books… one I have imbibed the other not yet…
James Belby – Postmortem Opportunity – unread
Brad Jersak – Her Gates Shall Never Be Shut – 80% read
Alan,
I have Jerzak, but haven’t read him…I’ll look at the other one.
Bonhoeffer was often right on the edge of it in his theology as well.
For me, I had to have a presentation that preserved the biblical certainty of hell and God’s justice…while holding hope for universal reconciliation. I think it possible…otherwise hell will have one hell of a football team and the best music in the new heavens and earth…
Our Scriptures say that our God takes NO pleasure in the death of the wicked….
It isn’t too hard to see why……
“4. Some people believe that my hope makes me a heretic, but I need hope more than their approval.”
As do I. While the greatest of the three Christian virtues is love, what carries me the most is a hope wrapped in faith in the love God……
We serve a God of Mercy and Truth. All judgement is committed to the Son by the Father. I fully trust His judgment and thank Him for giving assurance of salvation to me. I don’t always have the same for others unfortunately.
pstrmike,
Pauls epistles continually point us to some combination of those three virtues in order to live a life that pleases God…I think you nailed it…
For point 2 I am often impressed by how frequently Michal, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah (along with the ten concubines) DON’T factor into discussions about David’s treatment of Uriah and Bathsheba. Nathan didn’t have to name every last wife when he confronted David about just how evil he had been. If I missed one I’m happy to get corrected.
Steven @1:42, this is exactly how I process things. I guess since we share the same name we think a like.
Man, Bud Grant…a legend…grew up watching his stone-faced expression on the sideline of the old and cold Met Stadium.
#3. I tend to agree.
#8. Absolutely agree. We have gone from the Information Age to the Mis-information Age. Love has grown cold and ineffective when we don’t care what happens to people because what happens to them only fits my polluted worldview/narrative.
Dan,
The lovelessness of the age is growing at a disturbing rate…I’m more concerned about that than the other issues…
Things I Think are always such a mixed bag for me. I find myself alternatingly enlivened or heartbroken by the sentiments published.
Today, Michael writes:
“I will choose to hope the love and goodness of God reaches past death…because there are as many unbelievers I hope to see in eternity as believers.”
On January 31, Michael wrote:
“People who don’t believe that our pets will be present in the new heavens and new earth are usually people I hope are not present in the new heavens and the new earth…or at least not in close proximity…”
Michael, much of what you write is about the danger of us-vs-them mentality, but so often you follow with an almost cheerful “hope” that those within certain camps you detest will suffer for all eternity.
Gene,
You will never read me saying that I hope anyone suffers for eternity outside of those who have committed some grisly crime…and I think there may be reconciliation for them as well.
I do recognize that there are people whose company I prefer above others…and I hope to live in a gated community in Southern Oregon in eternity…with my cats…and the keys to the gate…
Your mileage may vary…
Michael – Thanks for your reply. I hesitated to comment.
I happen to agree with you on the subject of our pets in eternity. But with respect, your words from January 31 are plain. Your statement was “I hope [they] are not present in the new heavens and the new earth.”
It just seems to fall short of the same grace you’re calling readers to in a post like today’s, which extends the possibility of salvation to even those who publicly curse God – assuming they’re from the right football team.
I have no quarrel. It just seems inconsistent.
Gene,
The rest of the sentence…”or at least not in close proximity”…
Bud Grant never cursed God…ever.
I am inconsistent…because I’m well aware that God loves people I don’t…and that’s a problem….a sin…but I won’t change by faking it.
Michael – Thanks for the dialogue.
Micheal (2:05pm). I am with you. Today I had to hear one co-worker castigate another because the second coworker is into conspiracies, etc, and the first accused the second of only caring about their own little world and even suggested the second one needed counseling.
Dan,
It’s easier to keep to oneself and select, tested ,others…
Michael,
I can’t believe I’ve forgotten to share something about your fondness for sports over the years, but this article reminded me hard.
I’m not “into” sports, that is to say, I can’t stand watching them, except for the few (two) I play.
Not that it’s relevant, but I’ve always wondered if it’s because I lack any talent in most sports.
However, I always saw and commend you now for your desire to use everywhere/everything as a “mission field,” and to preach only when necessary.
I used to wonder when I did the same in purely “secular” areas (a concept wholly invented by the church), why I had the desire, especially when regularly attempting to serve “those” people (liberals, atheists, etc.) preceding church guilting (apparently not rebuking people when smoking is against the Bible somehow).
Since very little has come naturally to me in “the church,” I accidentally started finding common ground on other things, and always had many opportunities to talk and really show “those” people I care.
I’ve never “passed” or score right (pun-intended) on “spiritual gift tests,” but while many I’ve seen stressed over all the rules, I’ve built relationships into witnessing times over chess, walking, nutrition, hearing of parents who need school supplies and for just $20 the need is filled, etc.
My point is this.
I stopped looking for “revival,” because God has made sure whenever I failed the church (again), there’s plenty of areas/people around me who need love, and I never run out of ways to show it.
Please don’t ever stop sharing your heart when it comes to “the secular.”