Lenten Links

Since the lenten season began yesterday with Ash Wednesday, here are a couple of places to look about lent if you are interested.  Once again, Ruth Barton provides some challenging words for us about lent.  She suggests that lent is not just about disciplines of abstinence–what we give up.  Writing about the lenten disciplines of prayer and repentance, she writes, “They are a means to an end and that end is that we would return to God with all our hearts.”  Barton says,

The real question of the Lenten season is: How will I find ways to return to God with all my heart? This begs an even deeper question: Where in my life have I gotten away from God and what are the disciplines that will enable me to find my way back?

Check out her full article here as well as her Transforming Center website. I have read all of her books and highly recommend them.

Then, my wife sent me some links to Breakpoint’s blog which provided other resources.  To find out about the meaning of lent, when it is practiced and to find some beginning resources, see this article by Craig R. Higgens.

Finally, here is a link to day 1 of reflections by Catherine Larson in which she writes about being honest enough to admit the evil that lurks in our hearts.

Speaking honestly, I confess that I really don’t know much about lent and have never used the weeks of lent or even the week of Easter as a time of personal reflection.  I think that needs to change.

My best is connected to God’s will

Reading this morning in Psalm 94 and Luke 12:22-34.  Because of what has been happening of late, I spent some time reflecting on Ps 94:18

I felt myself almost slipping and your unfailing love, Oh YHWH supported me

When doubts filled my mind your comfort gave me

Renewed hope and joy

The slipping and doubt are the parts that connect with me. As someone emailed me this week, “Sounds like you may be starting to push the envelope a bit again and are definitely under attack.  A bit worn down, not feeling well, busy schedule, interpersonal challenges, personal attacks…..slow down, focus on God.”

Then I came to Lk 12:22-34-actually, my reading for yesterday that I didn’t read yesterday—too busy!!!

Some questions I asked

1. What do I worry about?
2. Why do I worry?

What should I do when I begin to worry?  Remember

1. I am valuable to God v24
2. Worry does not change anything
3. What I worry about is often (always?) connected to what I fear. Sooo, I need to face my fears.
4. Make the Kingdom of God my primary concern.  Is God’s agenda or mine more important today? What I value occupies my heart and thoughts.
5. Be generous with others-when we release what we hold onto so tightly, we find freedom.

I thought of the words of Abigail to David in 1 Sam 25:29

“Even when you are chased by those who seek your life, you are safe in the care of the LORD your God, secure in his treasure pouch.” NLT  but in the NIV, “. . . the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God.  He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.”

Some conclusions

1. I do NOT need to protect myself
2. It is NOT all up to me and it is NOT all about me.
3. GOD is in control.  GOD cares for me.
4. I can relax and stop worrying.
5. I can abandon myself to His will.

What do I do with my secrets?

From Henri Nouwen email.  Maybe this is why loneliness is so hard?

We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that we keep to ourselves. Often we think, “If people knew what I feel or think, they would not love me.” These carefully kept secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.

One of the most important things we can do with our secrets is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than before. Bringing our secrets into the light creates community and inner healing. As a result of sharing secrets, not only will others love us better but we will love ourselves more fully.

Reflection on a life

Just listened to Deathbed by Reliant K on this youtube video. Some sad but powerful words with haunting music about someone on their deathbed who is reflecting on their life.

Here is a link to the lyrics but here is how the song starts out

I can smell the death on the sheets
Covering me
I can’t believe this is the end

But this is my deathbed
I lie here alone
If I close my eyes tonight
I know I’ll be home

A link to the video

Hymns or Me’s

My wife pointed me to the following article on the sad state in much of our Christian music.  From an article by Tony Woodlief on World Mag site.

Interesting comments section–some music mentioned there I am going to check out.  As my dear one noted this morning, some of these songs might be ok if sung privately as an individual act of worship but they just don’t work as part of public worship if their goal is to bring us together as a group before God’s throne.    Thoughts?

Life lessons from the world of music

Unexpected lessons from classical music.  In the linked video, Benjamin Zandler gives a demonstration about the power of classical music.  Along the way, he shares some lessons.

On a leader: “He (does) not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he is leading to realize whatever he is dreaming.”

Our words and the difference they make.  “I will never say anything that could not stand as the last thing I will ever say.”

The Essence of Evil

I am much more aware today of the potential of evil within me than I was twenty years ago. What is the nature of evil that I do? I know that I do evil when I disobey God.  But, anyone who has been a Christian for very long knows that a solution focused on commandment-keeping does not work.  Why?  Because as John Piper says,

The essence of our evil is that we prefer anything to God (Romans 1:23; 2:23). Commands do not create the possibility of evil. Commands name it.

So, even if we are (relatively) successful in keeping the commandments, we have still failed to deal with the the root problem of evil.  Again, Piper says,

But lawbreaking is not the essence of my evil. Desiring anything above God is the essence of my evil, before any commands name it.

The only solution is a changed new heart, led by the Spirit of God who awakens in me a desire for God above all esle.  Read the entire post by John Piper here

To facebook or not?

Do social networks like Facebook actually do harm to our health?  Check it out in a post on BBC. I think the author is saying yes–if the online networks end up reducing our personal face-to-face time with people.   I remain undecided.  This could affect my dissertation topic.  Need to find and read the original research article.

Buy an experience not more stuff

Wondering what to do with that extra money?  Give away half of it.  Then, use the rest to do something with others.  A new study shows, “Experiences bring people more happiness than buying material things.”

• experiences increase happiness because they are often social in nature.
• experiences tend to make people feel more alive
• experiences leave people with positive memories

“It’s not that material things don’t bring any happiness. It’s just that they don’t bring as much,” Howell said. “You’re happy with a new television set. But you’re thrilled with a vacation.”

Since we just had our television stolen, I guess I need to plan a vacation with my wife instead of buying a new one!

U.S. religious statistics

I am not usually that interested in statistics since I never know quite what to do with them.  Here are a few from a mid-2007 on religion in America  by the Pew Forum. A few facts of note:

1. Although 78.4% identify themselves as Christians, only 51.3 % consider themselves Protestants.

2. 16.1% are not affiliated with any religous faith–looks like they are one of the fastest growing segments of the population

3. Protestants (and other groups to a lesser extent) have significant internal diversity and fragmentation

I have always thought that our problem was closing the back door and the following conclusion seems to agree.

The survey finds that constant movement characterizes the American religious marketplace, as every major religious group is simultaneously gaining and losing adherents. Those that are growing as a result of religious change are simply gaining new members at a faster rate than they are losing members. Conversely, those that are declining in number because of religious change simply are not attracting enough new members to offset the number of adherents who are leaving those particular faiths.

Here is another link to the same survey in which they asked the following question: When it comes to questions of right and wrong, which of the following do you look to most for guidance?   Guess what, religious teachings & beliefs was right up there with Practical experience & common sense, even among evangelicals.

Beauty in art

Came down last night and caught the end of a movie called Copying Beethoven. (2006)  Understand it is a fictional account about the last year of Beethoven’s life when he was deaf and needed someone to assist him in conducting and in recording music.  A couple of quotes I heard made me think of an article I read this week in which the author laments about the loss of the “spiritual” in art today.

Theodore Dalrymple wrote in “Beauty and the Best,” how the loss of the spiritual in Western art has led to a “terrible impoverishment of our art.”  He is referring to an article by Roger Scruton.

Professor Scruton’s suggestion that western art had become impoverished as a result of its radical repudiation of anything transcendent in human existence in favour of the fleeting present moment.

Dalrymple’s quote about beauty is worth quoting in full.

Beauty is a fragile and vulnerable quality, and moreover one that is difficult to achieve; ugliness, by contrast, is unbreakable and invulnerable, and very easy to achieve. (How easy it is to look bad, how difficult to look good!) By espousing the ugly, we make ourselves invulnerable too; for when we espouse the ugly, we are telling others that ‘You can’t shock, depress, intimidate, blackmail, or browbeat me.’

We use the ugly as a kind of armour-plating, to establish our complete autonomy in the world; for he who says that ‘I find this beautiful,’ or ‘This moves me deeply,’ reveals something very important about himself that makes him vulnerable to others. Do we ever feel more contempt than for someone who finds something beautiful, or is deeply moved by, what we find banal, trivial or in bad taste? Best, then, to keep silent about beauty: then no one can mock or deride us for our weakness, and our ego remains unbruised. And in the modern world, ego is all.

What a contrast with Beethoven and his sense that his music came from the hand of God.   Found the following quotes from Copying Beethoven at IMDB

The vibrations on the air are the breath of God speaking to man’s soul. Music is the language of God. We musicians are as close to God as man can be. We hear his voice, we read his lips, we give birth to the children of God, who sing his praise. That’s what musicians are.

God whispers into the ears of some men, but he shouts into mine!

[conclusion--Beethoven is describing his "Song of Thanks to the Deity"] No key. It’s common time, molto adagio, sotto voce. First violin, quarter notes. Middle C up to A. Measure. G up to C, tied, F. Second violin, bar two. Middle C up to A. Double note E, G, C. Viola clef, 2B pressed. It’s a hymn of thanksgiving to God, for sparing me to finish my work. After the pianissimo, the canon resumes. First violin takes the theme. Viola, C to A. It’s growing, gaining strength. Second violin, C to A, an octave higher. Then the struggle. First violin, C, up an octave, and then up to G. And the cello, down. Pulled down. Half notes, F, E, D. Pulled constantly down. And then, a voice, a single frail voice emerges, soaring above the sound. The striving continues, moving below the surface. Crescendo. First violin longing, pleading to God. And then, God answers. The clouds open. Loving hands reach down. We’re raised up into heaven. Cello remains earthbound, but the other voices soar suspended, for an instant in which you can live forever. Earth does not exist. Time is timeless. And the hands that lifted you caress your face, mold them to the face of God. And you are at one. You are at peace. You’re finally free

Closing debate on scientific truth?

We are celebrating the 200th anniversaries of the birth of Darwin and Lincoln this week so much is being written in support of Darwin and evolution.  Here, an attempt is made to link Lincoln and Darwin.  I hope this is not the common agenda of most scientists.  Dr. Michael Wolfe writes

Democracy needs to evolve to the point where our representatives cannot vote on matters of scientific truth, just as a majority should not be able to vote to deny the rights of a minority.

Sounds like he wants to elevate arguments against evolution to the category of hate crimes? Why do evolutionists fear healthy debate?

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and through this executive order, set the stage for the total abolition of slavery in this country. In the same way, national standards for science education should be established so that state and municipal boards of education cannot work to deny the truth of evolution and cause distraction and confusion by having scientifically inaccurate and indefensible alternatives taught in the science classroom and espoused in science textbooks.

Lincoln saved our union from dissolution and opened our minds to the equality of man. Darwin unified biology and opened our minds to the origin of man. Today we should proudly celebrate both men and their legacies. And let’s recommit ourselves, as President Obama said in his inaugural address, to “restoring science to its rightful place”.

Wolfe’s point earlier in the article, “nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution.”  He further states,

“As a biomedical researcher, I can attest that we routinely use the genetic relationship between humans and other organisms (including yeast, worms, flies and mice) to discover important processes involved in human health and disease. Not only is evolution true, it is practical; we need the insight it offers to understand and treat illness.

Why not admit that these genetic relationships may reflect a common creator rather than a common evolutionay link?

Standardized genome sequencing?

Interesting post here discussing some of the implications should whole genome sequencing be standard for all babies in the next ten years. Slippery slope?  How desperate we are for the church to remain engaged in cultural discussions and policy decisions!

If I really loved God

Thinking more about what CS Lewis wrote on charity or love in relationship to God.  On loving God, Lewis wrote, “Act as if you did. . . If I were sure I loved God, what would I do? . . . Then, go do it.”  Sooooo, if I loved God, I would

• obey him
• tell others about him
• honor his name and be hurt when his name was not honored
• enjoy being with him
• be grateful and thankful
• praise him
• enjoy and not despise his good gifts
• be aware of his presence, not ignoring him, listening to him, not always be the one talking
• others?

God is a people lover

If God is a people lover, should we not be as well? Once again, some challenging words from John Fischer about his observations of a group of people on a plane, heading to Las Vegas.  Following are his last few paragraphs but you can read his full post, Las Vegas Junket on fischtank.com

I find myself observing the out-going and fun-loving nature of these people and wanting to be a part of it. Sometimes I wonder if sinners have more fun. I remember when smoking was still allowed in the back of the plane, the smokers were always more talkative. At least it appeared that they were having more fun.

Probably more than anything, what I’m observing is the camaraderie of something shared in common. On the few occasions that I have traveled with a group, I remember being boisterous and a little cocky; there was strength in numbers. I think the truth is that people sharing something together have more fun.

My days of judging this kind of thing are over. I like these people. I wish I were going with them. More and more, I want to find out what I have in common with people. I am seeing them through the eyes of God who made them in His image and died in their place. Would He not want them to experience some joy here on His earth?

I’m beginning to realize that God is a people lover. I believe He enjoys it when people have a good time. Jesus certainly was one to enjoy a good party—celebrating Matthew’s induction as a disciple with his tax collecting buddies and performing his first miracle at a wedding reception. Our human experiences are worth something. Everything doesn’t have to be spiritualized to have meaning.

Prayer: God, give me pure eyes to see people as you see them and to love them with your love. Save me from ever thinking there are worse sinners out there than I am. Teach me to weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice.

Never enough stuff?

How much do we need to live on? Brad Delong reflects on how much we have today in “Our economic appetite.” One would expect that our world of “plenty” would be “enough” but Delong concludes that just isn’t so or perhaps ever to be.

Keynes thought that by today we would have reached a realm of plenty where “We shall once more value ends above means and prefer the good to the useful. We shall honour those who can teach us how to pluck the hour and the day virtuously and well, the delightful people who are capable of taking direct enjoyment in things, the lilies of the field who toil not, neither do they spin.”

But no dice. I look around, and all I can say is: not yet, not for a long time to come, and perhaps never. I’m convinced that everyone I know can easily imagine how to spend up to three times their current income usefully and productively. (It is only beyond three times your current spending that people judge others’ spending as absurd and wasteful.) And everybody I know finds it very difficult to imagine how people can survive on less than one-third of what they spend—never mind that all of our pre-industrial ancestors did so all the time. There is a point at which we say “enough!” to more oat porridge. But all evidence suggests Keynes was wrong: We are simply not built to ever say “enough!” to stuff in general.

We never have enough to satisfy.  Another reason for God.

Back to “the day the music died”

I know I am dating myself but I used to enjoy listening to American Pie by Don McClean.  Now I found out that McClean wrote it in memory of the death of Buddy Holley–the day the music died!! Most of you probably already knew that but I didn’t.  Check out here for a line by line interpretation of the song. What started this was seeing a post on World Mag that linked to an article in the Washington Post about the the 50th anniversary (on Feb 3)  of the death of Buddy Holley. I had that lp album and only got rid of it a few years ago.  Just checked and thankfully, it looks like it was not a collectible! But, I do still like the song and I am downloading as I write so I can listen to it after this.    Just read over the lyrics and it is a long song (over 8 minutes and more than 10 stanzas).  Actually, McClean refers to God in a number of places in the song.  Here is the last one–I know, bad theology but fun to sing and a reminder once again of the power of music.

And in the streets: the children screamed,

The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.

But not a word was spoken;

The church bells all were broken.

And the three men I admire most:

The father, son, and the holy ghost,

They caught the last train for the coast

The day the music died.

I don’t have to know

Encouraging words to me from Merton on Jan 25

Actually, I feel more sure than I ever have in my life that I am obeying the Lord and am on the way He wills for me, though at the same time I am struck and appalled (more than ever!) by the shoddiness of my response.  I am just beginning to awaken and to realize how much more awakening is to come.  And how much is to be faced.  How much I must admit and renounce ambition and agitated self-seeing in my work and contacts.  .  . But God will take care of me, for in my confusion and helplessness I nevertheless feel (believe in) His closeness and strength.  I don’t have to know and see how it will all come out.  (italics mine)

Pride revisited

Last week, I had to deal with some hurt feelings when it appeared that someone did not show respect to me in my role.  I was able to work it out and even to explain to the other person what was happening inside me.  Then, Thursday, God was able to show me what was truly happening inside of me.  My problem: pride.   Once again, thanks to CS Lewis on “The Greatest Sin.”

If you want to find out how proud you are, suggested Lewis, ask yourself, “How much do I dislike it when other people snub me or refuse to take any notice of me or patronise me.”   And of course, I would add, “when they show me disrespect.”

Smoking moms, flying pigs and racists

Three posts that caught my attention on science blogs

Interesting post  here on a study in which a connection is shown between smoking moms, birth weight and anti-social behavior. Nothing new there and was the connection related to genetics or the environment or a combination of both.  I was  intriguedwhen I discovered that the study was done on a group of “test tube babies.”

Another link to a more technical study in which researchers found the part of the brain in which idioms like “when pigs fly” and “when hell freezes over” are processed.  I didn’t quite understand why this is important!

Finally, a hopeful study which shows that people can be trained to become less racist as they learn to identify and distinguish unique characteristics between individuals within another race. In other words, one is inclined to be more racist if you “see” all _____ people as looking alike.