Things I Think…
1.“During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.”
(Acts 11:27-29 NLT-SE)
This was the passage I taught on this weekend and while it’s unremarkable at first reading, I think it has some application in what is a time of distress for some of us.
N.T. Wright made this comment on the passage:
“The radical newness of this community shows itself dramatically in verses 27–30, when a prophet warns of a coming famine. I was struck by this in the spring of 2020, early on in the time of the pandemic. Some people were saying at that moment that this was a divine punishment, or that it heralded the last days, or whatever. I got into trouble because I said it was primarily a call to lament. Well, the Antioch Christians, faced with the prophecy of the upcoming famine, didn’t say, ‘Oh dear, we must have sinned’ or ‘God is punishing those wicked pagans’, or ‘This means Jesus is about to return’. They said: who is going to be in serious need? What can we do to help? And – who shall we send? And the answer was: we will send money to the Jerusalem believers, living precariously in community and under threat of persecution. And Barnabas and Saul will take it to them.”
Wright, N. T.. The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is (pp. 64-65). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
While neither myself, nor my like minded friends would consider ourselves “prophets” we do have a general sense that great social upheaval could be looming.
While there is little talk of the end of all things, we worry that it could be the end of a lot of things we hold dear.
In any case, I think Wright’s applications are dead on.
If we are correct in our estimation of the state of the culture and the church it is a time to lament.
That is a topic unto itself and one that we’ll look at later.
The mindset I want to develop in myself and promote here is “who is going to be in serious need? What can we do to help?”
The easy answer is the immigrant community…but I’m also looking at those who are increasingly (and some finally) disaffected by the church.
I’m weary of talking about what happened and why…it’s time to find a way to serve…being salt and light and overcoming with the good…
2. Obviously, there are many in the Christian community that disagree with my assessment of our immediate future…feel free to ignore me. I’m writing primarily with those for whom “exile’ has become a reality more than just a concept…
3. In a church landscape that rewards authoritarian abuse and cares little about character, the support of Trump should have come as little surprise…there is little to separate Trump from Driscoll…
4. Those close to me know that I constantly daydream about withdrawing from all ministry and finishing my course reading good books and feeding stray cats…but I think I finally understand what the scriptures mean when they say that the calling of God is irrevocable…
5. I’m getting emails asking “what if I’m wrong” about the results of the election? I pray I’m wrong about the damage that may be done…I’ll rejoice in being shown foolish. What I’m not wrong about is the defilement that comes with melding church and state, nor the contempt for Christian character in leadership…
6.“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:
“Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.””
(Jeremiah 29:4-7 NLT-SE)
When in exile, live the best way you can, assuming there is a future and the future is in God’s hands…
7. This is a good time to either remember or discover the power of poetry and music…
8. I’m cleansing my mental pallet of all the political stuff…which for me, means investing my time in reading things that have little to do with current events…and carefully culling my social media…
9. Remember when the ballot counting was rigged…and JFK Jr. was alive and about to appear…and there were all these government sponsored pedophile rings…and reptile people among us…at least the issues were based in reality this time…had to get that last bit of snark out…
10. Another email ‘question”…”why can’t you rejoice with those who are rejoicing”? Because I think that what some are rejoicing will have consequences no one should rejoice over…I could be wrong…
8. Interesting…I think part of the problem is that we’ve become way too existential…not that the present is unimportant. But take a read of Tim Alberta’s book to see how today’s evangelicals sold (and are selling) their souls for a bowl of stew.
It was Lewis I believe who said, “All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.,” Just as true in 2024 as when he first said it.
“I could be wrong…” but you’re not.
In the fourth century, the Church at that time undivided, became accustomed to using state power as a tool. In the succeeding centuries, it has become the Church’s greatest temptation. I would go so far as to say that we can measure our faithfulness to the gospel in a direct correlation of how we deal with that temptation. The trouble is, the church today no longer sees it as a temptation. Instead, they see it as a benefit. Power is seductive and, sad to say, the Church in America has been seduced by it.
By the way, for those who say that it is an issue of morality, I will only say that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit… At least I think I read that somewhere…
Good music (what is good to me) is a balm to the soul.
I agree with number 10. I voted in good conscience, not out of fear-mongering.
I just can’t wait to see CharismaNews trip over themselves and continually “jump the shark” even more when it becomes obvious even to them the consequences of what they wanted.
If anyone has a problem with what I just said, that’s your problem, not mine.
bob1,
Alberta’s book is excellent, but let’s be honest.
The people we wish would have read it, didn’t and won’t.
We are very much the minority report today…
Duane,
Well said…unfortunately the desire for temporal power is another church ‘tradition’…
Dan,
It will all be rationalized away.
It’s best just to leave those spaces and find or create spaces where the faith is what matters…
“Good music (what is good to me) is a balm to the soul.” (Dan from Georgia)
Yer’ durn’ tootin’ it is!
Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and ‘An American in Paris’, always seems to do the trick for me.
“They said: who is going to be in serious need? What can we do to help?”
One of the things I appreciate about my little denomination, is when tragedy strikes one of our congregations or missions, we have an operation that quickly solicits and marshals resources to respond to the tragedy.
Michael,
You are right. I spent the last 4 years watching these Christian news outlets and other believers rationalize everything Trump did. Why would it change now?
I think most denominations have resources available for tragedies, etc.
The people likely to be most affected by the things I’m expecting won’t be helped by denominational structures…there will have to be new ways created by people outside the camp…
Dan,
I won’t waste my time trying to change these attitudes…I’m going to invest on strengthening the connections between those of us who have left what is in search of something closer to what we believe are Christian values and ethics.
Michael,
I read a bit of the deportation plan in the local paper yesterday and cried. And then, I seriously prayed about what I can do, which includes all of the above and maybe a bit more. I can definitely pray for the safety of the folks in our Spanish congregation (I am now teaching the kids of the some of the first kids I taught 20+ years ago), and pray that our church will avoid some of the “we won” mentality that has swept into our congregation. I think there will be a lot of remorse if the administration accomplishes all it wants to accomplish, especially when the price of chicken nuggets surges because there is no one there to operate the plant. I can focus on the day, knowing that God knows the future. And, pray!
As to my church, we actually have people on both sides of the aisle, as well as some that only voted for Trump because they couldn’t stand Kamala. Not much has been said from the pulpit, and I’m thankful to maintain the peace, if possible.
I greatly appreciate your heart in these matters.
There are moments when I think there will be remorse…but I wonder if any consequence will douse the jubilation of ruining the lives of people who are different than they are…
Michael,
Your thought #4 inspires me. Partly because as we age we desire less drama and complication in life. Also that the call of God is irrevocable. I still don’t know what my calling is, but desiring to tend to plants and other living things (along with my art) seems more enticing that the hassle of trying to change peoples opinions and views and getting into political and cultural fights.
Dan,
When I was young I wanted to be a play by play announcer….then as I got older I wanted to be a great writer and a successful minister.
Now, I fantasize about working helping cats during the day and reading great books at night.
I wear my friends out.
Unfortunately for me, I was drafted…I’m a priest/ pastor and at least part of my calling is to creatures that walk on two legs.
My solution today is not to worry anymore about persuading people to act like what they claim to believe…but to strengthen those who are already doing so.
I’ll be far less angry and far less stressed…and may actually do something helpful.
Michael,
I doubt there will be remorse, more like anger as they watch prices rise and can’t find employees for jobs that most middle-class folks won’t take. Plus, our source of actual workers will be greatly depleted by their loss. Same with tariffs-consumers pay for it with higher prices. I think the honeymoon with Trump will over sooner than we think. Economic projections are dire under his proposals of tariffs, mass deportation, and other moves that could raise the national debt by billions.
Linn,
The problem is that when all this happens, those folks will want a scapegoat.
I doubt they will place the blame where it belongs…
7.
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) recently came out with some new material, and I have been soaking on it. Music has always been a huge part of my life. Without it, I can honestly say that I don’t know what I would do.
David Gilmour was my all-time favorite guitarist. I don’t listen to rock and roll much anymore, not because I don’t like it but because I like it too much and it reminds me things that are best forgotten.
I still listen the Iron Maiden’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Bet you all didn’t expect that! 🙂
Wouldn’t have guessed in a million tries! 🙂
Saw Leon Bridges in Atlanta Sunday night. I was in an awful mood, but the music was quite healing. Sometimes a vocal harmony would hit that would seem to pull me out of my body. Starnge power that music has. Thankful for it.
Nice Xenia! No I would not have guessed! David Gilmour is in my top ten for sure, but Kevin Eubanks (Jazz musician) is my favorite guitarist. He seems to be known by millions as the tonight show guy, but he has buckets of albums out that are all phenomenal.
I think Roy Clark is my favorite guitarist ever, and I don’t like country music. But if you listen to his albums, he was doing jazz, all kinds of international folk songs, flamenco…he was a real student of the art, but played the clown for the cameras.
I don’t like country music either. It’s pretty much the only genre I can’t do. I have heard of Roy Clark, but I could not tell you a song. I should check him out. Flamenco is Ottmar Liebert. I have been a fan of his since the late 90s maybe? Maybe earlier. Folk is Leo Kottke. Brilliant guitar player. I have stuff of his dating back to the 70s I think.
I am far from a music aficionado, but I do know that Kevin Eubanks is a Philadelphia guy and a loyal Philly sports fan!
I’m just here to point out the important stuff. 🙂
Roy did comedy TV stuff from the 60’s into the 80’s but if you listened to his instrumental songs, he was a very serious musician. I think the dichotomy of the two images appealed to me for some reason.
LOL! I’d guess that’s a big deal in your world!
Check out the hat…
https://youtu.be/lLTkd5uc744?si=wNnIwzFywq521P5h
Eubanks is an amazing player. Most of those late show band leaders were. Branford Marsalis is soo stinking good. Jon Batiste from Colbert is one of my favorite musicians in the world today.
Josh, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Eubanks’ drummer is revered. I can’t even understand how that guy just improvises his way through every song and pulls it off just like it belonged there. Zero clue. I get the shakes watching him play. He’s in that video I posted.
I don’t know that I have an all-time favorite guitarist—there are so many good players— although I really like David Gilmour.
headbangin’ with Xenia! lol!!!! never would have guessed!
Roy Clark is a great guitarist. My favorite guitarist is Tommy Emmanuel.
#7–most poetry is introspective and individual, hence the appeal, I suppose. I second your recommendation. While it’s easy to suggest musicians we enjoy, it is likely more difficult to recommend poets to read. Perhaps to up the ante a bit, a suggestion to write some as well…
Jimi Hendrix played the best ever rendition of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ on a dairy farm in upstate New York in August of 1969.