The physical separation forced on us by the covid-19 pandemic may impress on us the special quality of human presence. Virtual worship is real worship, yet not the same as shoulder-to-shoulder worship in the same room. Virtual shopping works all right, but is not the same as interacting with flesh and blood store people and examining and touching goods we might purchase.
The present regimen of “stay home” and everywhere “keep a social distance” may teach us the very real value of being among other people, and NOT keeping our distance from the people we love most. If we learn these things, the satisfaction derived from human relationships will be greater than it was before covid-19.
First I spied the dimple, then the fish.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
COVID-19: Should health measures be loosened due to economic toll?
“Lawrence Summers, a Harvard economics professor and former U.S. Treasury Secretary, said much of this economic toll would be hitting the U.S. even without government-mandated restrictions. Fears of contagion would likely be driving people on their own to avoid restaurants, airplanes and ballparks, even without government mandates, such as mandates in New York and California that people stay home.
“A large part of the dislocation is caused by the coronavirus and not by the policy response caused by the coronavirus,” Mr. Summers said. “I don’t think we need to turn this into a dollars-versus-lives thing at this stage.” He said the best choice was likely addressing the health risk, treating the economic damage, and then working to prevent future pandemics.”
“As Economic Toll Mounts, Nation Ponders Trade-Offs,” Wall Street Journal, March 24, 2020
“A large part of the dislocation is caused by the coronavirus and not by the policy response caused by the coronavirus,” Mr. Summers said. “I don’t think we need to turn this into a dollars-versus-lives thing at this stage.” He said the best choice was likely addressing the health risk, treating the economic damage, and then working to prevent future pandemics.”
“As Economic Toll Mounts, Nation Ponders Trade-Offs,” Wall Street Journal, March 24, 2020
Thursday, March 19, 2020
As the deer pants for streams of water ...
This morning I have read Psalm 42, and seen David’s words: “When shall I come and appear before God?”
After a couple of weeks absent from our congregation because of sickness, and now by emergency COVID-19 restrictions, I am better able to appreciate David’s longing.
Charles Spurgeon commented, “He who loves the Lord loves also the assemblies wherein his name is adored. Vain are all pretences to religion where the outward means of grace have no attraction. David was never so much at home as in the house of the Lord; he was not content with private worship; he did not forsake the place where saints assemble, as the manner of some is.”
I appreciate the opportunity of worshipping with the help of electronic means that so many churches including my own are providing, and thank God for them. Nonetheless it will be wonderful to worship again shoulder to shoulder with brothers and sisters in Christ.
March 19, 2020
After a couple of weeks absent from our congregation because of sickness, and now by emergency COVID-19 restrictions, I am better able to appreciate David’s longing.
Charles Spurgeon commented, “He who loves the Lord loves also the assemblies wherein his name is adored. Vain are all pretences to religion where the outward means of grace have no attraction. David was never so much at home as in the house of the Lord; he was not content with private worship; he did not forsake the place where saints assemble, as the manner of some is.”
I appreciate the opportunity of worshipping with the help of electronic means that so many churches including my own are providing, and thank God for them. Nonetheless it will be wonderful to worship again shoulder to shoulder with brothers and sisters in Christ.
March 19, 2020
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
How is Our World Doing?
Have you ever looked out on the world and wished you could do something to relieve its agony? I have. We’re not the only ones. Two millennia ago Jesus looked at the state of the world and saw that it was time to offer the sacrifice He and the Father had planned. He therefore humbled Himself and became one of us, to set in motion the atonement that would liberate all generations of His people and deliver them to eternal life with Him - and one another - in a new earth under new heavens. 1/
”For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” 2/
1/ John 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:13. New American Standard Bible, NASB
2/ Romans 5:6–11.NASB
”For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” 2/
1/ John 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:13. New American Standard Bible, NASB
2/ Romans 5:6–11.NASB
Friday, October 18, 2019
Political strife, a barrier to communication of truth ...
Christians, of all people, ought to appreciate that engaging in political strife creates a barrier to communication.
Especially to communicating the good news about Jesus Christ.
If we want anyone to consider the truth about Jesus, we must express all things we believe to be true in his spirit; not like gladiators.
If our belief in Christ is true, we will conduct ourselves in politics in the spirit he displayed.
“Strife” has been described as, “bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension.” “Discussion”, on the other hand, has been called, “consideration of a question in open and usually informal debate.”
I believe Christians must as citizens participate in earnest conversation and advocacy about important questions; but not engage in strife. Of course an earnest discussion can trend toward strife, but a godly spirit can restrain the trend.
May I myself heed this caution: Earnest conversation and advocacy can lead toward truth and understanding. No one knows where unrestrained strife or conflict leads.
10-18-2019
Monday, October 14, 2019
The Good News - Live it or Hide it?
There is justifiable concern that candidates for president have expressed willingness to use tax laws to force conformity of religious institutions with social thought about sex and marriage. What are Christians to do?
Rather than retreating into silence in the face of outcry against God in our time, should we not live, breath and speak the gospel truth with loving conviction even as we seem to hold an increasingly disadvantaged position in the culture?
Let’s consider some old-time people who believed God is to be worshipped, loved, and honored.
While captives in Babylon, the Jewish men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took courage and spoke for the Lord and refused to bow to the idol set before them by King Nebudchanezzar. He condemned them to death and set in motion the machinery of execution. Yet look at the power that changed the king’s heart about the Lord! (Daniel 3 & 4)
Likewise the case of Daniel. (Daniel 6)
Don’t we Christians, their spiritual successors, underestimate our ability to arouse amazement about our God by faithful life and speech even when events put us in a seemingly weaker position vis a vis government?
We must diligently defend freedom of speech and the free exercise of faith, and most importantly we must live and express our faith!
October 14, 2019
Rather than retreating into silence in the face of outcry against God in our time, should we not live, breath and speak the gospel truth with loving conviction even as we seem to hold an increasingly disadvantaged position in the culture?
Let’s consider some old-time people who believed God is to be worshipped, loved, and honored.
While captives in Babylon, the Jewish men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took courage and spoke for the Lord and refused to bow to the idol set before them by King Nebudchanezzar. He condemned them to death and set in motion the machinery of execution. Yet look at the power that changed the king’s heart about the Lord! (Daniel 3 & 4)
Likewise the case of Daniel. (Daniel 6)
Don’t we Christians, their spiritual successors, underestimate our ability to arouse amazement about our God by faithful life and speech even when events put us in a seemingly weaker position vis a vis government?
We must diligently defend freedom of speech and the free exercise of faith, and most importantly we must live and express our faith!
October 14, 2019
Thursday, September 12, 2019
A spiritual question plagues me ...
The personal choices of Christians don’t bind or represent the church.
If I were not already a person who believes in Jesus Christ, would I be likely to believe in him if I were convinced he is the ally of my political enemy?
I mean, shouldn’t Christians ponder whether we are screening Jesus from view when we seem to identify the church with any political leader or political movement?
How do we square affiliation of the church with a political leader or political movement when the Bible says, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.”
Psalm 146:3
And, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6.
Christians can and should make choices about political leaders and political movements they will support as a civic duty in a Republic. Jesus said to the religious authorities of his day, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17
I repeat, the personal choices of Christians don’t bind or represent the church.
If we represent our civic choices as the choice of Christ’s church, we misrepresent Christ. If we misrepresent Christ, how can anyone believe we are carrying his message of salvation?
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