Would You Let Me Preach This At Your Wedding?

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

Some might regard this as a gloomy verse for a wedding sermon. Some regard the whole book of Ecclesiastes as a gloomy book, but I’ve always found great joy in it. True, there are some downer verses like 7:3 “Sorrow is better than laughter and a sad face is good for the heart” but on the other hand the author says in 8:15 that he “commends the enjoyment of life”. True, he says in 1:18 that “with much wisdom comes much sorrow” but he also says in 8:1 that “Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance.” How can we reconcile these things?

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes wants to convince us of the vanity of life. That there is an awful lot of futile ambition in the world that is just a chasing after the wind. So there are two kinds of wise counsel in this book given to two sorts of people. It’s a before and after distinction. There’s a wisdom you need to acquire if you still are full of vain ambition. But then there’s another wisdom you need to put into practice once you understand that life is vanity and are freed from anxious striving.

If you are still chasing after the wind, if you are still on the gerbil wheel of academic ambition, or the gerbil wheel of hedonism, or the gerbil wheel of materialism, or the gerbil wheel of pursuing a worldly legacy, then you are the ones the Preacher has in mind when he says that it is better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man and the living should take this to heart. You are the ones who need to consider the sobering verses of this book that tell us just how fleeting are both riches and reputation.

But suppose you’ve already learned this lesson, as I believe in great measure you have. Suppose you’ve already gotten off the gerbil wheel. Now what? What do you do once you understand that life is vanity? You enjoy it. You enjoy life. With your wife. Whom you love. All the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun. You eat. And you drink. And you find satisfaction in your work. Because after all, says Ecclesiastes 10:19, a feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

Now I hasten to add that you also fear the Lord, says Ecc 12:13, for, says Ecc 2:25 without Him who can eat or find enjoyment? God is the one who will enable you to enjoy life with one another. May God give you the blessing of Ecc 5:20, that you will seldom reflect on the days of your life because God keeps you occupied with gladness of heart.

But of course, not all your days will be joyful. Ecclesiastes 7:14 says “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” Another gloomy verse? Not so. Pay careful attention to it. What did it say to do when times are good? Be happy. That’s all. Just enjoy it. It’s when times are bad that you need to consider and remember that God is in control and that although you don’t know what the future holds, you know Him who holds the future. But when times are good, be happy. This verse can help cure the anxious habits of our minds. When times are good we too often are looking over our shoulder waiting for the other shoe to drop. Don’t be like that. When times are good, be happy. And times are good! He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. God has given you to one another. It’s a match made in heaven.

The salient point of Ecclesiastes 9:9 for you today is this: There are many, many things that you will give yourself to in this life that will be a complete waste of time. Your marriage is not one of those things. So Josh, pour out your time and fervent energy into loving your wife and enjoying life with her, for everything you invest into your relationship with K.C. will come back to bless you and increase your joy. And K.C., be persistent and creative in respecting Josh and affirming him and encouraging him and thereby you will be a means of God’s grace to him making him into a godly and loving husband who will lead you into joy all the days of this meaningless life under the sun, all your meaningless days.

I could go on, but Ecclesiastes 6:11 says “The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?” So let’s praise the Lord again in song…

Spring Break Ruminations

I've been away with the family for a week, and I thought I'd try to synthesize thoughts from my devotions here. I read several days ago a great sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 5:1 about peace with God. In his concluding paragraph he made a pregnant "by the way" remark about how the way to remain steady in the experience of peace with God is to remain much in the book of First John 1:1-2:2. This whet my appetite and I decided to spend my morning devotions this week in 1 John.

The first thing that stood out to me was a phrase in 1 John 1:7 to which I hadn't paid much attention before.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

This strikes me as the purest motive for walking in the light. We want to walk in the light because that is where Jesus is. This should motivate us to come out of the darkness even more than the desire to escape the negative consequences of walking in the darkness. It's a Christ-centered motive for turning from sin. Follow Jesus. He's not walking in sin. So we can't either if we are to follow Him.

After observing this early in the week, I started seeing it elsewhere in the book.

1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself as He is pure.

1 John 3:7 Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as He is righteous.

We are so self-conscious about our sanctification. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I spent the summer of 1991 on a missionary internship in South India. It was the 200th anniversary of the arrival of William Carey in India, and the Indian church was celebrating.

I returned to the states and the next St. Patrick's Day found myself drinking beer, funny how that happens, in an Irish pub in Rockford, IL. Suddenly it dawned on me. 1600 years or so ago all my ancestors were rock-worshiping pagans and then God sent Patrick. I decided thenceforth to use the holiday to give thanks and to instruct my family about missions.

If you'd like to read the true story of Patrick in his own words, click here:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.ii.html

A Love of Literature

As per my narcissism post of several days ago, most of my hobbies have always been a tad poisoned by self-conscious posing. Wine appreciation, pipe smoking, chess, jazz, I've enjoyed all these things in and of themselves, while at the same time being aware that I'm acting like a hoity-toity (etymology haute?)...dork.

But there is one enjoyment I've had over the years that I've acquired simply and unself-consciously. Without really thinking about it, I find that I love literature. Not all literature, of course. Hemingway, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, was a moron. But lots of good literature. Tonight I had dinner with my wife and daughter and published short-story author sister-in-law. That's why this is on my mind. She helped me decide what to read next. I told her that I thought John Updike was a genius and a pervert and I was looking for more genius and less pervert. No help there. But she did recommend I go back to Flannery O'Connor.

In case any of you care, here's a few of my 20th century favorites. It'd be nice if someone commented, so I could sustain the illusion I'm doing more than just wasting time.

John Steinbeck, East of Eden, Winter of our Discontent
Marilyn Robinson, Gilead
Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum
Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory

Becoming More Lutheran Every Day

Besides the obvious increase in profanity, there are other ways in which I find myself becoming more Lutheran every day. This morning I read something by Douglas Moo on Romans 9:31 that reminded me of something I learned and loved from my Hebrew professor in seminary, John Sailhamer.

Lutherans have a sharp dichotomy in their thinking between law and gospel. Reformed folk emphasize continuity between the testaments and speak warmly of the third use of the law. As I indicated in my last post, I often feel conflicted between the two. But I learned from Sailhamer 15 years ago that torah does not equal law. There is law in the torah and there is gospel in the torah. Paul in Romans 10 and Galatians 3 pits the law "he who does the commandments shall live by them" (Lv 18:5) against the righteousness based on faith, which he sees in Deuteronomy(!) 30 and he says that the law is not of faith. But clearly Paul doesn't mean that the torah doesn't teach faith, for he argues for it from Genesis 15.6 and Deuteronomy.

So torah is not law. The message of the torah is the failure of the law of Moses because of sin and the need to be justified by faith like Abraham. So I can, like Paul, disparage "law" and still love the torah. There is continuity between OT and NT, but discontinuity between law and gospel. Put another way, the absolute discontinuity between law and gospel is the continuous message of both testaments.

A Love-Hate Relationship with the Law

Tomorrow morning I'm going to say something in my sermon that I hope is defensible hyperbole. I will say, "If you want to grow in holiness, you've got to learn to shut up about the law". The law cannot make us holy. It exposes our sin, even provokes our sin. We serve in the new way of the spirit and not the old way of the written code. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul refers to Moses delivering the Ten Commandments to the people as the ministry of condemnation and death. So I don't feel my remarks about the law tomorrow will be too outrageous.

The problem is (and it is widely acknowledged to be the most difficult problem of Christian theology) how do I reconcile this with "O how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day." And now, here's the answer...just kidding. But it is a helpful step in the right direction when we realize that the Hebrew word "torah" doesn't have such strong legal connotations. Torah means instruction. As Christians we can meditate upon the torah and find wisdom in it. It is still our teacher, but no longer our schoolmaster. The cane is taken out of its hands. It's power to condemn is nullified.

A king may put his young son under the tutelage of a schoolmaster and give to the schoolmaster the authority to chastise his son. When the prince comes of age, the old teacher can still be a beloved counselor. But let some overzealous schoolmaster try to swing that cane again around the adult prince, and that schoolmaster is going to get himself crucified.

And did you see the new Sacred Sandwich?

JOBLESS RATE FOR CHRISTIAN SATIRISTS SKYROCKETS AS CHURCHES BECOME PARODIES ON THEIR OWN

March 2006 --- Six months ago Chris Carmichael, a Christian satirist, would have never believed that one day he would be reduced to standing on a busy intersection in Kansas City, MO, holding a makeshift sign that reads, “Will Mock for Food.” But this is the situation now that Carmichael is no longer able to make a decent living lampooning postmodern Christianity. Out of work and destitute, Carmichael now grovels for enough money to buy himself a Egg McMuffin for his only meal of the day. “Just last fall I was still able to target some of the unbiblical activities of certain Christian organizations and take their absurdity to a satirical extreme to expose their folly,” laments Carmichael, “but now these organizations have gone to the ultimate level of absurdity all by themselves. I can’t compete with that.”

to read more... http://www.sacredsandwich.com/headline16.htm

Sing the Psalms

Check out the new link on the right to sing the psalms.

Here's one that I found recently. It's Isaac Watts setting of Psalm 32. It's in C.M. (Common Meter) so you can sing it to Amazing Grace or I Sing the Mighty Power of God or thousands of other melodies.

Happy the man to whom his God
No more imputes his sin,
But, washed in the Redeemer's blood,
Hath made his garments clean.

Happy beyond expression he
Who debts are thus discharged;
And from the guilty bondage free,
He feels his soul enlarged.

His spirit hates deceit and lies,
His words are all sincere;
He guards his heart, he guards his eyes,
To keep his conscience clear.

While I my inward guilt suppressed,
No quiet could I find;
Thy wrath lay burning in my breast,
And racked my tortured mind.

Then I confessed my troubled thoughts,
My secret sins revealed;
Thy pard'ning grace forgave my faults,
Thy grace my pardon sealed.

This shall invite thy saints to pray;
When like a raging flood
Temptations rise, our strength and stay
Is a forgiving God.

The Trials of a Public School Parent

In the last three days at middle school, my daughter has been called a racist and a homophobe and has been told that her dad is a hypocrite and that, y'know, you don't have to believe what your parents believe.

It's been an emotional roller coaster, but many of my wife's tears have been tears of joy. This is exactly why we send our kids to public school. It's great to have our daughter clinging to our side while we strategize against the worldly and wicked. Her heart is open right now and God is making himself known in times of trouble. And I praise God for the many Christian moles within the schools who have helped us along the way.

Home school readers, I mean no disrespect. God will send you your portion of trials to opportunize. Let us pray for one another. Not everyone has the same calling. But pray for those who, like Daniel, seek to stand and (Lord willing) even stand out in the Babylonian schools.

But Enough About Me, What Do You Think About Me?

I've been convicted lately about my "Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder

Anybody want to start a recovery group? Not only is it sin, but it seems to be the major cause of sadness. Exaggerated needs for affirmation, difficulties in empathizing, worry about what others think of ME, worry about how every contingency might adversely affect MY personal comfort.

Here's some verses with which I've been busted lately...

Romans 12:15-16 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.

Proverbs 3:7-8 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Romans 15:1-3 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

Meditating on that last verse especially can lead us out of ourselves and into worshipping Christ, which is the ultimate cure. O that I might more steadfastly know this joy of self-forgetfulness!

My first post

And we're off!