Groaner Alert

Two boll weevils grew up in South Carolina. One went to Hollywood and became a famous actor. The other stayed behind in the cotton fields and never amounted to much – he became known as the lesser of two weevils.

Seasoned Meat

The staff at our church put together a brief gospel document, “The Story,” as part of our evangelism training several years ago. It uses six “C” topics to cover God’s redemption plan: Creation, Curse, Christ, Cross, Re-Creation, and Commitment.  Maybe some in the congregation were uncomfortable with “another tract,” Maybe some were leery that it would be too simplistic – too much milk and not enough meat, and of course some were disappointed that Re-Creation starts with an “R.” 

Contrary to the objections, I have found The Story to be a foundational launching pad for preaching the gospel to myself and to others. There is a one-page description of each of the six topics, ending with God’s good news being “for those who turn from their sin and put their trust in Jesus. None of us deserves God’s mercy, but we can get right with God through Jesus Christ.”  Each word also has its own page, with a longer explanation and scriptural references. And the booklet concludes with an invitation to weigh your response to the good news and then next steps if you are attracted to or believe the message.

                The Story’s six words and basic descriptions are easily memorized, providing an anchoring gospel focus anywhere.  Exploring the references, like any Bible study, leads to a deeper, more profound appreciation of the wisdom of God.  And the timeline approach allows a nice categorization for additional Bible passages.  The organizing is not just for adding more information; it allows one to pull out a portion that fits the current conversational context and then tie the conversation tightly to the basic Christian core, like Paul does so many times in Acts and his epistles.   It has been a pleasure to build on 6 C’s with a little meat and explore lots of messages with seasoned meat in each.

Science Humor On T-shirts

Never trust an atom.  They make up everything.

 Resistance is not futile.  It’s voltage divided by current.

 When I talk about computers, I make my motherboard

Another day with no plans to use CALCULUS.

If it weren’t for physics, I’d be unstoppable.

 My theory on inertia has no momentum.

 

 

Angels At Home and In the Hospital

Two things jogged my memory this week about events over thirty years ago:  we sent a Christmas letter to our friend Bonnie, and I got a haircut, complete with wash and rinse.

 

During the time I was in the hospital with Guillian Barré Syndrome, our friend Bonnie moved in to our house to be with Diane and help watch Linnea.  Angels do great service things.  Bonnie allowed Diane to come visit me since Linnea was too young to bring into the neurology ward or the ICU where I was housed.  Bonnie even taught Linnea all the cool faces.  “Show me SAD,” Bonnie would say, and a horrific frown would appear on the little girl’s face.  Happy, afraid, sleepy, and angry were all good but the best one was our two year old clasping her forehead with her hand, shaking her head slowly from side to side, and emitting a loud sigh, “Ooohhhh.”  That is Angst.

Sometimes you don’t know the angel.  Some nameless nurse was having a slow shift late at night when I had been in the ICU for several days.  She decided I needed to have my hair washed.  (Being paralyzed and on a respirator, I was unable to do this for myself, or even ask for it.)  She set it up perfectly.  She scooched me to the end of the bed so that the top of my head was hanging over just a bit; she filled a couple of pitchers with warm water and poured them over my scalp. I have always wondered how she kept the water from going all over the floor; I couldn’t see that part of the operation

 I do agree with David when he says in Psalm 133 “it is good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity,” but I do not understand the next part very well: “It is like the precious oil on the head running down on the beard.”  Unless maybe if the oil was nicely warm and there was a head massage involved.  Because that night’s shampooing was one of the sweetest things an angel could have done.  Warm water, shampoo massage, cleaning the beard, and a warm rinse.  She did not even have to do the last part of “Lather,  rinse, repeat.”  It was so good to have my hair clean; I did not realize how grimy-dirty it had become.  Then she read aloud the book of Daniel until I fell asleep.  Good times.

I asked the next night who that nurse was and they told me the prior night was her last; she was moving to Denver.  So I didn’t get to say a super thank you, but I suspect Colorado has been blessed.

Jonah Hurled

Most people who know the story of Jonah remember that he was swallowed by the whale and after three days the whale hurled Jonah out upon the dry land (Jonah 2.10).  Jonah went on his way, and his warning (and probably his fish-guts appearance) caused the Ninevehites to believe and repent.

But even before God sent the Big Fish, there was a lot of hurling, believing, and fearing going on. Jonah’s disobedience starts the process in Jonah Chapter 1 as he boards a ship headed away from Nineveh, God’s commanded destination. 

  • The LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea and the ship threatened to break up (vs 1.4)
  • The sailors hurled the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship  (vs 1.5)
  • And, against their initial reactions, the sailors eventually hurled Jonah into the sea (vs 1.15).

Jonah had testified to the mariners that he was a Hebrew who feared the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.  “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”

The sailors tried as hard as they could to row back to dry land but had to give up.  Once they tossed Jonah over the side, the “sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.”

This God of the Hebrews clearly had power over the sea and the wind and was not to be trifled with. As the sailors had said to Jonah, “What is this that you have done!” by fleeing such a mighty God.  They did not want to risk angering the LORD themselves, so appeasement seemed like a good stategy.

Love The Law

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is all about praising the way God set things up and how he makes his plan known. It is heavy on the WORD – God’s self-revelation to us.  The following synonyms for WORD are used throughout the 176 verses:

  • Law  (used 25 times)
  • Testimonies (24 times, always plural)
  • Ways ( 8 )
  • Precepts ( 21 )
  • Statutes ( 22 )
  • Commandments  ( 20 )
  • Rules  ( 17 )

 And WORD is used 24 times.

The first stanza of 8 verses shows the love of the psalmist:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.

Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.

I will keep your statues; do not utterly forsake me!