Mostly Blessings
This week’s 10 thoughts are brought to you by the Notre Dame coaching staff. The Buckeyes are undefeated because of you. Thank you.
1. Galadriel’s Blessing
I finished The Fellowship of the Rings this week (and have started The Two Towers). When the 8 were leaving Lothlórien to continue their journey, Galadriel gave each a parting gift. When Gloin asked for a strand of her hair, after some brief astonishment from everyone, the elven queen cut three strands and gave it to him with a blessing:
If hope should not fail, then I say to you, Gimli son of Gloin, that your hands shall flow with gold, and yet over you gold shall have no dominion.
I pray more people are blessed in this way; not being possessed by their wealth, but possessing it to the glory of God!
2. Jesus and Dinner Blessings
This past Sunday I preached on the feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-15). It was pledge Sunday at our church, and I wanted to raise these two important things that happened in the passage.
1) Jesus took the 5 loaves and 2 fish and blessed… what?
American Christianity quickly says: “The food!”
No. He blessed God.
These were Jewish blessings known as brachot (blessings). They were ways of acknowledging the one who provided the thing being received and enjoyed, and bestowing a blessing upon him.
In this instance Jesus would’ve likely said, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. Great is your faithfulness.” It’s a practice I heartily recommend to all Christians; not just for food, but learn to bless God for everything.
2) Jesus blessed God for food what was insufficient to meet the present need; 5 loaves and 2 fish was not enough to feed 5,000, yet Jesus blessed God for them anyway.
This is a powerful lesson on how to live in the kingdom.
3. Birthday Blessings
This week a colleague of mine, Peyton Voline, had his 25th birthday! He also became an uncle for the first time! Happy birthday Peyton and little River.
4. A Few Good Quotes
The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness. – Pope Benedict XVI
It will always help us if we regard this world as organized not for our comfort but for our training. – William Barclay
And behold! in our need chance brings to light the Ring of Power. It is a gift, I say; a gift to the foes of Mordor. It is mad not to use it, to use the power of the Enemy against him. — Boromir, revealing his corruption, in The Fellowship of the Rings
5. Lunch Blessings
I had lunch with my New Testament professor, Dr. David Watson (new to substack). We were discussing some of the ways the world is changing, and the opportunities they present. One of the thoughts he shared was this: “People are no longer asking if Christianity is true, they are asking if it’s good.”
Why is this important? Because it suggests a different kind of apologetics. He recommended a book called The Great Dechurching. You can read his review of it, here.
P.S. After lunch a guy tried to get us to sign up for a credit card with his company that, get this!, offered a 200% rebate on all purchases. Being not a little suspicious, we passed on the offer. May God bless him.
6. A Thought Provoking Question
David also recommended another book called The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, by Carl Trueman. The title might be triggering to some, which says a lot about the times we are in. So far it is a compelling read. Here’s a question that, in my opinion, helps understand what the author is trying to uncover in the book:
Why does the sentence “I am a woman trapped in a man's body” make sense not simply to those who have sat in poststructuralist and queer-theory seminars but to my neighbors, to people I pass on the street, to coworkers who have no particular political ax to grind and who are blissfully unaware of the rebarbative jargon and arcane concepts of Michel Foucault and his myriad epigones and incomprehensible imitators?
Regardless of how you feel about the sexual revolution and the changes brought about by it, I think it’s important that we think about our thinking, and understand how we came to believe what we believe. I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this book in the near future.
7. Call to Ministry
This week I got to talk to a young lady who sensed a called to ministry. I usually talk people out of ministry, because after listening to them it seems like they just had a significant religious experience. This conversation was different.
8. Keynote Speaker Temptations
I was trying to help a friend find opportunities to land a keynote speaker for his organization. Let me tell you, the amount of money these folks are charging (upwards of $7,500, typically $15k-$20k!) to deliver the same message over and over and over again… Sometimes I have to resist the temptation to write a book, get on the speaking tour and make stupid money.
9. The Blessing of Taylor Swift
I can’t even lie, I’m a fan... not of her music, but her impact. The attention she took from the ‘F’ in NFL was pretty funny to me. She was on the main page of ESPN while games were being played! Cool, I guess.
10. The Blessing of African Friends
I’ve been packing on the pounds lately. My American friends are too “polite” to mention it, but I have a friend from Uganda who isn’t afflicted with such kindness. This past week he said to me, “Pastor, we need you around for a long time. You’ve got to get on the treadmill.”
Thanks, Drake.
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