A Pastor in The Northwest

I recently read a book that really got me thinking about our current modern era. Sure, maybe all this new technology has its place. However, I fear it is, as the book The Extinction of Experience  by Christine Rosen  points out, leading to a poverty of experience. Think of all the things that really need time, slowing down, and patience: Planting a seed that will grow into an apple tree Experiencing a sunrise or sunset Watching a storm move in Deep friendships Fine wine You (and me) In the book, I loved this quote about experiencing and appreciating art: As Philippe de Montebellow, the former director of the Metroplitan Museum of Art, observed, "Most works of art yield their secrets slowly." Art doesn't beckon like a movie screen, videogame, or smartphone app; it must be "approached and given time." May we make space and take time for the important things today! Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

I'm a fan of old 1960's comic books. In fact, I just re-read the first issue of Fantastic Four that came out in November of 1961. It was not just the origin story of the superheroes but a glimpse into the imagination of the 1960s through the eyes of Stan Lee and Jack Kirkby. What struck me first was the language, specifically the old 60s slang words. Some of those words and idioms are not really in circulation in 2024. For instance, the term 'lily-livered'—have you ever heard this one? I actually didn't really know what that meant until I consulted the good old faithful Mirriam-Webster experts: The basis of the word lily-livered lies in an old belief. Years ago, people thought that health and temperament were the products of a balance or imbalance of four bodily fluids, or humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. It was believed that a deficiency of yellow bile, or choler, the humor that governed anger, spirit, and courage, would leave a person's live

In his Rule for monastic communities, Benedict of Nursia wrote,  “Such a follower of Christ lives in reverence of him and does not take the credit for a good life but, believing that all the good we do comes from the Lord, gives him credit and thanksgiving for what his gift brings about in our hearts. In that spirit, our prayer from the psalm should be: Not to us, O Lord, not to us give the glory but to your own name.  God deserves all the credit for anything good we enjoy. Our role? Simply gratitude. Lord, remind me often to whom the credit goes! Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

 In one of the devotional resources I read today, I loved this statement: The words often on Jesus’ lips in His last days express vividly the idea, “going to the Father.” We, too, who are Christ’s people, have vision of something beyond the difficulties and disappointments of this life. We are journeying towards fulfillment, completion, expansion of life. We, too, are “going to the Father.” Much is dim concerning our home-country, but two things are clear. It is home, “the Father’s House.” It is the nearer presence of the Lord. We are all wayfarers, but the believer knows it and accepts it. He is a traveller, not a settler. Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (pp. 305–306). The Oriental Missionary Society. A traveler, not a settler.  Wow. That greatly affects how we view our moments, hours, and years here on Earth right? This reminds me of a quote I've read and heard often from the late CS Lewis: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, th

One of my favorite prayers in Scripture comes from Lamentations 3, which is quite difficult to read. The writer is going through incredible challenges and yet, in the middle of the chapter, he writes: 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Whoa. No matter what difficulties we face, God's unfailing love is ours! Paul David Tripp writes, "God's steadfast, faithful, and never-failing love has been placed on you even though you never could have done anything to earn or deserve it." Dear Lord,  F or Your never-failing love and new morning mercies, we thank you! Good song about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoezWBPGRAc   Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash

When followers of Jesus affirm "Jesus is Lord", that reality is life-altering! He alone calls the shots. His agenda is our agenda, and, well, in the face of any world power or leader, Jesus and his power is always greater, and allegiance to Him only is the way forward. In NT Wright and Michael Bird's book Jesus and the Powers , I read this powerful assessment,  "Even to whisper ‘Jesus is Lord’, then, carried with it an air of challenge, that perhaps Caesar’s lordship, with its pretention to divine status and unrivalled supremacy, spoke not to invincibility but to idolatry. This is precisely why the pagan philosopher Celsius accused the Christians of being guilty of ‘religious rantings’ or ‘seditious sayings’ by devoting themselves exclusively to Jesus and refusing to honour local and imperial deities.51 If so, then, it means that Paul was not a travelling evangelist offering people a new religious experience, but an ambassador for a king-in-waiting, establishing cell