Posts in Category: down to earth believer
“Extraordinarily Ordinary”
Sunday, January 20, 2019
“The
power of a man’s virtue should not be measured by his special efforts, but by
his ordinary doing.
—Blaise Pascal”
How is my ordinary doing doing today? That is a question that I need to ask many times during the day. And I need to reply as honestly as I possibly can.
God will not judge me my extraordinary doings, but by my mundane trust in God, and tasks done for God and others.
Too often, I despise the little deeds, willfully forgetting that almost all of life is comprised of little deeds. If I despise the little moments and the little things, I am despising most of life. And to despise life is to despise the God who gives life.
Do I even know what is big or little or medium-sized? I doubt it very seriously.
So, right here and right now, I pledge myself to God, to myself, and to this day as follows: Today, by God’s grace, I will do ordinary things with extraordinary attention and love. Whether I am shoveling snow off the drive, grading papers, conversing with my sweetheart, or playing with our little dog, I will do my best to do my best with the ordinary.
“Old Testament, Old Friend”
One of my earliest memories is of my mom and I sitting in an old overstuffed chair, with her reading to me. Sometimes, I would ask for her to read the Bible. She would then ask a counter-question: “The Old Bible, or the New Bible?”
“The Old Bible,” I would usually answer. Mom was puzzled that a four-year-old would request a reading from the Old Testament. She would sometimes ask, “Do you understand what I am reading to you?” And I would answer, “Yes, momma.”
I was, of course, lying. The truth is that I liked the pictures in her Bible. I liked the picture of David slaying the lion and the giant. And what’s not to like about Noah and his floating zoo, with the giraffes’ necks sticking out the window?!
I still don’t understand a lot about the Old Testament. Yes, I understand more than I did at age four for sure. But not much. Mainly, I understand that I don’t understand a lot about the Old Testament. A Ph.D. has not dulled that insight into my own ignorance. If anything,
I am currently teaching am Old Testament theology course online for my university. One of the books I am requiring my students to read is by Matthew Richard Schlimm, This Strange and Sacred Scripture. It is a strange book about the Strange Old Testament.
However, it is a good book and well worth reading. I am speaking of Schlimm’s book here. I am also talking about the Old Testament itself.
Schlimm uses an analogy for the Old Testament that I had never considered before. The word picture that runs through his book from beginning to end is that the Old Testament is “an old friend.”
Here are some comments I made at the end of one of my Old Testament Theology student’s excellent paper.
Patrick,
Very good work!
I do not always (often?) agree with Schlimm either. However, he does get my mental juices flowing for sure!
I think that it takes many analogies to get at a book as rich and difficult as the Bible. One of the things that I like in particularly like about Schlimm’s analogy of the Old Testament as an old friend is that this analogy is literally (pun intentional) a more personal analogy.
Old friends have a different background and experience than I do. That is one of the many reasons why I hang around with old friends that I don’t entirely understand.
While I don’t have a lot of old human friends, I do have a lot of old books that are my friends. In particular—indeed in a class by itself—is the Old Testament. How I love this old friend! But love is one thing; understanding is another.
I hope that if I love well enough and deeply enough, I will come to a better and deeper understanding. I see some evidence that this may be happening in my life.
Friends stick with friends through thick and thin. I hope to stick with the Old Testament until my Friend closes my eyes in death.
“Being Around vs. Being There For”
A good friend of mine prayed a wonderful prayer for me the other day over the phone. Most weekdays we pray for our work that day and for our relationships. We especially pray for our relationships with our wives. So here is what my friend prayed for me the other day, in relation to my wife. “LORD, please help him not just to be around. Help him to be there for his sweetheart.”
Being around, vs. being there: what a wonderful distinction! And what a difficult one to live out! Why do I find this so difficult?
For example, I am frequently around my wife. I am usually at home. Now that she is retired (sort of), my wife is also usually around. However, that does not mean that I am always there for her. Absence comes in many forms. Not listening deeply, not respecting her thoughts, feelings, needs, and desires, not thinking the best of her—all these are ways of not being there for her.
Being around is easy. Being there for somewhat is exceedingly difficult.
Rod Argent, keyboardist and frequent lyricist for the group The Zombies, wrote a song that had the hook, “But she’s not there.” He wrote the lyrics right after his fiancé called off the wedding a week before it was supposed to have taken place.
But sometimes, even married people are not really there. At least, sometimes this married person is not really there for his sweetheart.
Being there is a crucial aspect of love and commitment. According to the Bible God is the One who is always there for us. Ezekiel ended his prophecies to a people who were exiled to a foreign land by speaking of the restoration of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is even given a new name. “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, ‘The LORD Is There.’”
Even better is Psalm 139:5-12.
“5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Psa. 139:7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.”
According to this psalmist, God is there, not matter where “there” is for us. Classical Christian theologians have called this attribute God’s “omnipresence.”
But, even if we believe that God is everywhere, questions still remain. Is God’s every-where-ness good news? Too often we think of God merely being present in order to judge or condemn us. Is God there for us¸ or is God simply around?
Psalm 118:6a says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.” And Paul, after talking a lot about the mercy, grace, and forgiveness that God has shown us sinners through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:31-32), says, “What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Who indeed!?!
However, as wonderful as it is to hear these things about God, the question remains: Am I there for those I love? If I really believe that God is there for me, then I am called upon as his creature, made in his image, to reflect that to others. I need to determine at the beginning of each day to be there for people. During the day I need to ask frequently if I am being there for people. And at the end of my day and at the end of life I need to ask the same question. Who knows? That may be one of the questions God will ask all of us when we stand before him. Of course, God will already know that answer. So will we in that moment.
“Praising Yourself a Little”
The following is a quote from a 12-step reading I did today (January 16, 2019). It is from Today’s Gift: Daily Meditations for Families.
“When
you do something you are proud of, dwell on it a little, praise yourself for
it.
—Mildred Newman
Each one of us is very good at something. Maybe it’s baseball or tennis where
we display talent. Maybe we’re good in math or at giving reports. A few people
are talented at being good listeners or helpful friends. To recognize our own
talents we may need help from others. It’s always so much easier to see our
faults, or the ways we don’t meet our own expectations.
But the fact is we are all skilled in many areas of our lives. To accept
praise–better yet, to quietly give it to ourselves–is a sign of healthy
growth.
What things have I done well lately?”
After reading this, I said to myself, “I haven’t done anything well lately.”
But then I thought to myself, wait a minute! I just solved a Canvas problem. Yes, I created the problem. Honesty compels me to admit that. But that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t give myself a little credit for solving the problem. And I learned something, too. At the very least, I’ve learned how not to create one problem.
Of course, bragging too much on myself isn’t good. But then, neither is ragging on myself. Quietly giving myself praise for a job well done—or even for a job adequately done—might be an energizing activity.
I think I’ll try it. “You wrote and posted some random thoughts today. Well done!”
There! See? That wasn’t so bad, now, was it?!
“Unethical Behavior and Speed”
A friend of mine woke up during the night a few days ago, and had a wonderful insight: “Unethical behavior does not have to be caused by malice or ill intent, and is just as likely to be the result of hurrying.”
That is a profound truth, and very well said!
I helped him remember that he wanted to share that with me, because of a little vignette that I gave him from my own morning. I had a couple of very small victories this morning, thanks to slowing down. I was trying to fix a zipper that was stuck on my gym bag. “Fixing” it meant that I was about to strong-arm it in the direction it was stuck. This would, no doubt, have fixed it permanently—sort of.
But then, I believe that God told me, “Slow down, and think!” The reason that I think this was probably a God thing is that I am a very impatient, impulsive person. I would never have thought of something as obvious as slowing down and thinking.
So, instead of forcing the zipper in the direction it did not want to go, I gently zipped it in the opposite direction. Then I very slowly and deliberately zipped it in the direction of its stubbornness. There was a bit of the lining of the gym bag that was in the way. I smoothed it down with my finger, and the zipper went all the way with great ease.
A few minutes later, I was about to throw away a pair of earbuds, since they were no longer working. But again, I slowed down and thought. And then it hit me: Hadn’t I changed my settings on my smart phone to “Do Not Disturb” yesterday? Maybe that was the problem?
It was.
Of course, zippers on gym bags and earbuds are small potatoes. But what about bigger things? What about being in a hurry in my car? What about being in a hurry to “fix” my wife’s problems, instead of slowing down and actually listening to her.
Speed is a drug that no one can afford to use. It leads to unethical behavior. And maybe, something that leads to unethical behavior is unethical behavior itself.
“PSALM 37 AND THE REDIRECTION OF EMOTIONS”
Have you ever thought of different ways of handling feelings?
Of course, you can stuff them. This, however, doesn’t seem terribly wise. Stuffing stuff isn’t wise when it comes to houses or hearts. Psychologists have been telling us this for a long time, and they are almost certainly right, in my opinion.
On the other hand, you can spray others with your feelings. This doesn’t seem wise either. I have noticed that, when I simply vent my emotions, I don’t feel better. In fact, I feel worse. As my brother said years ago, “I don’t slam the door, because I figure it would feel so good that I would want to yank the #!* thing off its hinges.”
Perhaps there is a third way. What about refocusing emotions?
“Psa. 37:1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Psa. 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa. 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Psa. 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Psa. 37:8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”
Derek Kidner, in his wonderful commentary in the Tyndale Old Testament Series, summarizes verses 1-8, and makes some telling points in regard to them. “An obsession with enemies and rivals cannot be simply switched off, but it can be ousted by a new focus of attention; note the preoccupation with the Lord himself, expressed in the four phrases that contain his name here. It includes a deliberate redirection of one’s emotions . . . .” [1]
I was especially struck by Kidner’s comment that we can’t simply switch off our “obsession with enemies and rivals.” Furthermore, there is such a thing as “. . . a deliberate redirection of one’s emotions . . . .”
I am increasingly finding this to be true. I really can redirect my emotions.
I used to not so much have emotions, as they had me. These days, if I slow down and think—and, above all, pray—I find that I am much more in control of my emotions than I used to be.
I’ve often heard it said, “Emotions are neither good nor bad; they just are.” This, it seems to me, is be true but not the whole truth. Emotions can lead us toward good actions or bad actions.
I
am not saying that emotions are always easy to redirect. I am not sure that they are ever easy
to redirect. However, I do believe that
it is possible. And redirecting emotions
is so much better than either stuffing or spraying.
[1]https://accordance.bible/link/read/Tyndale_Commentary#22420
“God and Weather of All Kinds”
DTEB, “God and Weather of All Kinds”
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Yesterday dawned warm and clear. There was a beautiful sunrise just as I came out of the church where my Tuesday morning twelve-step group meets. A few lovely pink clouds were scudding along the sky, but down below it was very still. It was a wonderful, holy moment. I stood still and knew that God is God.
The day ended with clouds, wind, and plummeting temperatures.
My emotions, like the weather, can change very quickly. In fact, my emotions often change with the weather. I was a bit down in the windy and cold late afternoon. In fact, I probably had Sensory Affective Disorder before it became popular, probably before it even had a name.
But perhaps there is a glory in clouds and cold howling wind as well. An ancient psalm indicates that at least one person sensed this.
“Psa. 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!” (English Standard Version)
Perhaps everything praises God. The psalmist says that even the wrath of man praises God (Psalm 76:10). Perhaps I just don’t have the ears to hear those praises. Fortunately, God does.
God’s “Godness” and God’s goodness are not dependent on either the external weather or my own internal weather. I need to recognize and celebrate this.
“Forgiveness is Good, But . . .”
Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It is a wonderful thing to receive and a wonderful thing to give.
However, I wonder if there is something even better.
Psa. 32:0 A MASKIL OF DAVID.
Psa. 32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Psa. 32:3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
Psa. 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psa. 32:6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
Psa. 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
Psa. 32:10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Commenting on vss. 8 and 9, Derek Kidner writes,
“This is the Lord’s reply to David (see on 12:5, 6), and through him to the rest of us, since the command of verse 9 is in the plural. Coming where it does, its call for a teachable spirit drives home the lesson of verses 1–5 in a positive form. If forgiveness is good, fellowship is better; if we have experienced God’s heavy hand (4), we should appreciate and seek his gentler touch. But the well-known rendering in AV, ‘I will guide thee with mine eye’, which suggests our responsiveness to his glance, is not accurate, although there is a similar thought in 123:2, where the servant watches for the master’s signal. The point here is God’s vigilance and intimate care, … with my eye upon you; our response is in verse 9.”[1]
I was especially struck by the comment by Kidner, “If forgiveness is good, fellowship is better; if we have experienced God’s heavy hand (4), we should appreciate and seek his gentler touch.”
Yes! Even though this psalm is about forgiveness, it is about so much more. It is about obedience to God, an obedience that should be prompted by the mere loving eye of God.
When I was little—and even not so little—there was a certain look my mom or dad could give me that clued me in to what I should be doing, or, more often than not, what I should not be doing. I could ignore their look, but it usually ended badly when I did. My parents were loving people, who forgave an awfully lot of my stupidities and rebellions. However, I was wiser—and happier—when I heeded “the look.”
Oh,
God, just for today, help me to know that I am forgiven! Help me also to delight in being guided by
your loving heart and eyes! And may all
my readers also enjoy the happiness of being forgiven and of forgiving others,
but also may they revel in the deep joy of your guidance!
[1]https://accordance.bible/link/read/Tyndale_Commentary#22328
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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- “Strange and Wonderful Creatures” March 28, 2025I did not sleep enough last night. Five hours of sleep may be enough for some, but not for me. However, when I tried for a while to go back to sleep after waking up at 1:00 a.m., I realized that it was not going to happen. I might as well get up and work […]
- “Even Computers Need a Rest Sometimes!” February 11, 2025Jumpy cursor! I was trying to grade student assignments, and my cursor was jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean. I would start typing something, and then I would be on a different line. Here is the sort of non-sentences I was ending up with: be Please see my respolownse video. Of course, what I […]
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- DTEB, “The Wanna-Wanna Method” January 29, 2025“. . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12b-13, English Standard Version) In a text exchange with a friend, he confessed that he really, really wants to make some bad […]
- “Fun, Cat Videos, and Transformation” December 9, 2024“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, English Standard Version) One of my twelve-step sponsors suggested that I need more fun in my life. He knows me well, but on this one, I was determined to prove him wrong. […]
- “The Enemy is Perfectionism” December 6, 2024“The good is the enemy of the best.” (A common saying.) “The best is the enemy of doing anything at all that is good.” (My take on the saying and my reality.) Some of you have been wondering why I haven’t been posting any of my musings in the past way-too-long. I am tempted to […]
- DTEB, “Getting Christ and Ourselves Back in Focus” November 11, 2024“Col. 3:1 ¶ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col. 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden […]
- “Search Me!” October 27, 2024“Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24, English Standard Version) I am participating in a Bible study, and this is a prayer […]
- “Christian Speech” October 26, 2024“Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Foulkes, in his excellent commentary on the Book of Ephesians, writes the following, which I quote at some length: “29. Now the […]
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