National Day of Prayer

Today is the 58th annual National Day of Prayer, and our small county had about 120 (according to the organizer - thanks, Jon!) participate on the courthouse steps. The organizer assigned me the topic of praying for/about the media (other assigned topics include families, government, business, Church, etc.) I was encouraged to write out the prayer (400-600 words), in order to stay brief and on point. I'd like to share it with you:

King of the ages, we thank you for the media that have served our nation since its beginning. We thank you for the combination of free speech, free press, and free markets in our country. These are big responsibilities for us! There are so many sources of information & entertainment that we’ve suppressed a hunger for wisdom & truth. We joke that we can’t believe everything we see on TV, the Internet, or in the paper, but we just stick to our preferred sources of information and avoid the work of learning truth.

Jesus, you are the Truth. You are real life. The Scriptures you produced are able to make us wise for salvation. The Spirit you give us is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. May your will be done in studios, press rooms, publishing houses, video conferences and on personal computers across this nation. Please gift your Church with creative & wise people who can model for us how to use all forms of media to spread the gospel and to promote righteousness. If the medium truly is neutral, then the people who are producing the stories, the images, and the music are certainly not. Please send missionaries to infiltrate all forms of media, to call the lead worshipers of our culture’s gods out of idolatry. Journalists, editors, producers, musicians, advertising execs, actors, directors, musicians, and webmasters all need Jesus.

Ruler of all nations, America’s media is particularly powerful for penetrating other parts of the world. Email, blogs, satellite TV, and radio can cross national borders into countries where people are prevented from hearing about Jesus, from learning anything that is forbidden by government or religion – where injustices are hidden under lies. Please use our nation’s media (and economy) to peel back imposed ignorance from entire nations. Expose injustices around the world against which we should pray and take action.

Giver of every good and perfect gift, thank you for the rise of Web 2.0, the online social networks, competitive sources for news, and the accountability that could potentially come from all this. As these things make more and more Americans dispensers of information, many fortunes and jobs are won and lost. Please do not let the Church neglect the tremendous opportunities to seek your kingdom by means of the changing media. But since we cannot serve two masters, convict us of our times of serving the medium; refresh us with joy and wisdom for the tremendous opportunities.

a Prayer from a Single Man

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is known to me because of his hymns (Joy to the World, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, etc.). I found a fascinating little story in a short biography.

Watts (a young pastor with an earned doctorate) proposed marriage to Miss Elizabeth Singer; she politely declined. She reflected on her reason by saying of Watts, "I loved the jewel, but I did not admire the casket which contained it." Watts was short (5' 2" at most), not handsome, and often sick. He took this pretty hard, but he wrote a magnificent prayer (reminds me of 1Cor. 7:25-35)

How vain are all things here below!
How false, and yet how fair!
Each pleasure hath its poison too,
and every sweet a snare.

The brightest things below the sky
Give but a flattering light;
We should suspect some danger nigh
Where we possess delight.

Our dearest joys, and nearest friends,
The partners of our blood,
How they divide our wavering minds,
And leave but half for God!

The fondness of a creature's love,
How strong it strikes the sense!
Thither the warm affections move,
Nor can we call them thence.

Dear Saviour, let Thy beauties be
My soul's eternal food;
And grace command my heart away
From all created good.

Wesley's Easter 2009

This is pre-Easter, but I love this picture! He's in a phase when he picks up almost anything within reach, hands it to the nearest parent (or other adult), and says his version of "Thank you!" By that he means, "Here, hold this for me."

Here begin the actual Easter pics.

I think his shirt looks like something one might wear to a casino (I'm envisioning Ocean's Eleven).

a Missionary Command

These are the 3 martyrs from Malatya, Turkey of April 18, 2007.
This morning I taught on Matt. 5:43-48 - Jesus' famous command to "love your enemies." I think it only makes sense if we hold it together with: (1) Jesus' commission to his followers to spread the gospel and (2) Jesus' prediction that his followers will face opposition because of Him.

Putting this into a single directive: "As you proclaim the gospel and call on all kinds of people to repent, you will find many who push back at you - love those people. Welcome them with the same kindness your Creator & Judge showered on you while you were his enemies."

"Love your enemies" is a missionary command.

Wesley's pre-Easter Fun

A separate post for Wesley's Easter attire is in order, I think. Wesley is sporting his frog rain boots. He can put them on his feet by himself (and enjoys tromping around in them). Sometimes he puts one on with the toe of the shoe facing backward.

Post-egg hunt treasures need to be inspected with parental supervision.

Wesley's friend (Jayden) is learning about how a slide works. Wesley's 6 mo. older but noticeably smaller than Jayden.

The boy likes to climb into chairs.

Getting ready for a chilly adventure!

Christians, Government & the Poor

Here's a succinct answer to the question, "why socialism is a bad thing, especially in the context of the Christian commandments to love thy neighbor, care for the poor and avoid materialism"? The answer comes from The Simple Wisdom Project.

Practically, "it just doesn’t work." Over time, socialist-leaning countries turn a sizable chunk of the workforce into "free-loaders;" with that decrease in the human economic contribution come "increasing tax rates, promises of government programs, and expectations from citizens about what they can get from those programs."

Christians who love human beings made in God's image should be particularly uneasy with socializing steps taken by government because "it diminishes the dignity of human beings."

So why aren't more Christians bothered by socialism's "creep" into our society?
The answer is simple.


HT: Matt Perman

Review of McLaren's Secret Message of Jesus

I recently contributed a review of Brian McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus to Ben Reed's blog. If you read it, leave Ben a comment about what you think. I hope you enjoy my pictures!

Part 1
Part 2