THE PLATTE

 For years I have heard American Christianity criticized from many angles and I believe much of the criticism is justified, don't you? 

Unless you care to make a case that modern American church life and practice looks exactly like what Jesus and the New Testament writers describe and command, in which case I will wait and hear you out.

Often, criticism is mean-spirited, judgmental and unproductive. But - more rarely - criticism can be offered as rebuke, warning, or correction, with only the best interest of the target in mind. 

I hope my criticism falls into the second category. I hope it is "speaking the truth in love". I believe it is the outgrowth of high expectations and high standards that are widely unmet. 

Often untried, even. 

As a church, we are missing out on incredible experiences for ourselves and profound impacts on the broken world around us.

One of the most common criticisms I have heard of the American church is that it is "a mile wide and an inch deep", meaning it is quite widespread, but accomplishes very little. Stagnating. 

I happen to think that criticism is on point. 

I looked up the source of the idea and found it was adapted from the original author, a man named Edgar Nye, who spoke not of the church, but of the Platte River out West. Here it is as published in the Juniata Sentinel and Republican, July 31, 1889 in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania:

"The Platte river is a queer stream. It has a very large circulation, but very little influence. It covers a good deal of ground, but is not deep. In some places it is a mile wide and three-quarters of an inch deep." 

Now, I found that historical tidbit interesting, but then I looked at how Nye's blurb continued and I felt it came across as downright prophetic if applied to American Christianity:

"It has a bed of quicksand, which assists it very much in drowning people. The Platte makes very little fuss about it, but succeeds in being quite fatal. You might cross that river without even getting your hose wet, and then again you might find that in crossing the stream you had struck an entirely new country, from whose bourne no traveler returns."

So, those who step in find one of two outcomes: either they barely get their feet wet, or they get sucked down to the bottom and drown.

Prophetic? Or am I being too harsh?

IN TIME

After recognizing my recent foolish desire to instantly master the spiritual discipline of fasting, I began to evaluate my spiritual growth over the years, and I can clearly see two things:

1) My growth has been very slow with occasional growth spurts.

2) God has been extremely patient with me (as He is with you, too!). 

I can relate to what Robert Mulholland writes in Invitation to a Journey: "It is not surprising that we, as members of an instant gratification culture, tend to become impatient with any process of development that requires of us more than a limited involvement of our time and energies. If we do not receive the desired results almost instantly, we become impatient and frustrated" (24).

I have often noted parallels between the human spirit and the human body, and Mulholland does as well, here especially in terms of slow growth over time: 

"Spiritual growth is, in large measure, patterned on the nature of physical growth. We do no expect to put an infant into its crib at night and in the morning find a child, an adolescent or yet an adult. We expect that infant to grow into maturity according to the processes that God ordained for physical growth to wholeness. The same thing is true of our spiritual life" (25).

For proper physical growth, "the processes that God ordained" include good nutrition and exercise. For proper spiritual growth, God has ordained prayer, study of Scripture, corporate worship and a host of other spiritual disciplines. 

If we neglect such things, we will remain spiritual infants. If we partake of the spiritual disciplines, we will see our spirits grow to maturity. 

In time.

IT TAKES TIME

Since we're on the topic of fasting ...

In the 1700s, John Wesley observed, "Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." 

In 2021, the good news is that we have completely eliminated half of that problem. I don't know of anybody who exalts religious fasting in any way. 

I have done a little bit of fasting in my lifetime, usually over Lent, but I have never maintained a regular weekly fast. Now, since both of my current classes touch on the spiritual disciplines, I have committed to fasting once a week - no bedtime snack after dinner on Wednesday and nothing all day Thursday until dinnertime. Instead of joining the other teachers in the school lounge, I am staying in my classroom during my lunch period on Thursdays, then, to pray specifically about my future.

I'm three weeks in and so far I can't report any profound spiritual experience. I am not even sure if I am doing it right!

Richard Foster, in his classic Celebration of Discipline, recounts the story of a man who made a two year commitment to weekly fasting. It took that guy six months to start to truly understand what fasting was about. After two years, he had a great appreciation for the practice but he still felt like a novice!

If I compare it to prayer or Bible study, I suppose I can see that it might take a while to develop "effective" fasting. I don't pray or read Scripture today like I did when I first started. 

Thank goodness for that. And thank goodness I stuck with them over time.  

WHEN NOT TO PREACH

I heard a sermon recently on the subject of fasting. The preacher explained what it was and why we should do it, and challenged the congregation to practice fasting from food on a regular basis, perhaps one day a week. He had a couple of inspirational quotes about fasting that felt like they were gathered by Googling "inspirational quotes about fasting". 

But overall, he came across almost apologetic for bringing the subject up in the first place and made jokes about how fasting is everybody's "favorite" topic.  I think it was within the first five minutes or so that he admitted with a chuckle that he himself is "lucky to fast once or twice a year". 

So, yes, it was kind of disastrous. 

And I felt bad for him because usually he is on top of things in the pulpit. 

This particular sermon left me hoping that maybe he discovered in the rubble something I learned years ago when I was preaching on a regular basis: If you're not living it, you better at least feel convicted of it. 

If you're neither, you best not preach it. 

MORNING RUNS

My new interest in habits has blossomed into a whole new level of discipline than I have ever experienced before. And I am not quite sure what is going on. 

One area that has surprised me involves exercise and it was born out of a major inconvenience of dog ownership.

Ginger, our mutt from Haiti, seems to have developed a dislike of walking on grass! To get her to go out to the backyard in the mornings, before Melissa and Sarah and I all left the house for 8 hours or more, had turned into a battle. I would push her out the door and she would sit on the deck begging to come back in. So ... many days I was coming home from school to find that Ginger had relieved herself during the day in our upstairs bathroom  - missing the toilet by a small but significant distance. 

So 20 days ago, I decided I would take her for a run in the morning before I left for school, because she always waters someone's yard when she is taken out in the neighborhood. Besides, she needs exercise. 

We ran a mile together that morning and then I came back and Sugar guilted me into taking her out for her own run. 

It worked to prevent indoor accidents, so it became a part of my morning routine, and I have only missed one (rainy) morning so far in 20 and the dogs and I have averaged between 1.5 and 2 miles each time.

There are a couple of very weird things I have noticed in the process: For the last two decades, I have run on a somewhat regular basis, but I have NEVER run on a daily basis before. All of a sudden, I am a daily runner. Furthermore, back when I did run a few miles a week, I always hung up my running shoes when the weather turned cold. As soon as temperatures dipped into the 50s, I was done. Over the last 20 days, the temps have dropped steadily from 60s to 50s to 40s. At 37 degrees, this morning was the first time into the 30s. As I have eased into the temperature drop, it hasn't really bothered me. (Curious what will happen when we hit 20s and below - time will tell.) 

But the weirdest thing of all is that I am not forcing myself to do the dog running. Even at 5:45 am weekdays and I actually kind of look forward to it. 

Very weird.

GROSS

I have a student this year whose last name is pronounced "Rude" and I can't help but feel a sort of automatic kinship with him. It's not easy growing up being Rude or Gross. I am sure he has heard plenty of similar lame jokes over the years (example: What's your middle name - "Is"?)

Recently, after discussing connotation and denotation in my classes, I wondered if there was any sense of "gross" that would have a positive connotation. If it's been too long since your last English class, I will happily remind you that "denotation" just means dictionary definition, while "connotation" is what associations people have with the word. For example, "relaxed" has a positive connotation while "lazy" has a negative connotation, even though the two words have a similar denotation of "nothing is getting done". 

"Gross" has a very negative connotation 95% of the time: "Disgusting!"

And the only other common usage has a neutral connotation at best: a gross can signify "a dozen dozen", i.e. 144. 

There's also "Gross Domestic Product" and "gross earnings before taxes". And "high grossing films", which is fairly positive. But then again, there's such a thing as "gross injustice'. 

I was about to give up, but then a version of "gross" with a positive connotation dawned on me: "engross". 

"To occupy one's mind completely". 

Finally! 

It connects with this quote from A.W. Tozer I came across recently: "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God." 

We are meant to be ENGROSSED in the Lord!

That's not only a good thing, that's the BEST thing. 

(And, I will have you note, "engross" is embedded in my larger name: Stev-engross. I can live with THAT.)

INSPIRATION

Occasionally I have seen apologists build a logical case for divine inspiration of Scriptures, but I have long been convinced by my own observation as I read and reread this Book:

Either the Bible is inspired by God Himself or it is the greatest collection of circumstantiated musings by amateur psychologists and proto human behaviorists ever assembled by accident. (Long before the study of the human mind was formalized by scientists.) 

From the particulars of the way the stay-at-home brother bristles at his father killing the fatted calf for the prodigal's return to the overall arc of creation-fall-redemption, the Bible holds up a magnifying glass to human nature as it actually is.

I am constantly amazed at how well my Bible knows me! 

MY PROVERBS 31

Who can find a wife of noble character? (v.10)

Me. I did. It took me a while, but I did it. (With some Help.)

And twenty one years on, I have full confidence in her and I lack nothing. (11)

She brings me good, not harm, every day. (12)

Is she strong and independent? You better believe it. I don't know that I have ever met a stronger woman. (And I was raised by a strong woman.) (17)

And she puts that strength to good use in her work, about which she is incredibly conscientious. She is rarely idle - going above and beyond with her day job and now starting a little furniture painting business on the side. (And she's starting to turn a profit with it!) (13, 15, 16, 18)

Do I even have to mention her cooking skills? (15) 

And even though she cares deeply for me and the kids, her arms and attention are not for us alone. She is always ready to extend her hands to anyone in need, whether next door or in a foreign land. (20)

My wife is clothed with strength and dignity. And together we laugh at the days to come, firmly believing together that "The best is yet to be". (25)

I am so thankful for her wisdom and how she cares for our household day to day. (She even does the taxes each April!) (27)

The kids and I know what a good thing we've got. I don't praise her enough. (28)

Many women do noble things, Melissa, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. Some day - years and years from now - you might lose your good looks, but you will always have what matters the most: a fear of the Lord! (29, 30)

I love you and praise you. And today we celebrate the first half century of your life! 

FIFTY

Back in January, I made a commitment to myself to write something on this blog each day, but some days I feel wholly inadequate to the task of putting words together on the screen. Sometimes that is because I want to tackle a subject that is substantial and complex and I know my words will fall far short. Sometimes it is because I start too late in the day and my brain is sputtering along on nothing more than fumes.

Tonight both are true. I know what I SHOULD write about: tomorrow is Melissa's 50th birthday and so this would be the perfect opportunity for me to celebrate my wife in elegant prose - for all the world to see. (If the world should happen to stumble across this blog.) 

Maybe tomorrow I will be more up to the task!

Tonight, I will just tell you how I couldn't resist turning a clear romantic win into a flagrant loss earlier today. 

Melissa and Sarah and I decided to spend the day in Madison, Indiana, a scenic little town about an hour south of us, situated on the Ohio River. We had a slow start, so it was around 11:00 when Melissa popped out of the bedroom in a cute fall outfit, ready to head to Madison. 

I was struck anew with her beauty and I said - quite sincerely - "You sure don't look 50!"

Melissa smiled and shot back, "I don't look a day over 35, huh?"

Somehow, that triggered the dumb "dad joke" portion of my brain, which automatically opened my mouth to push this out: "Well ... you don't look a day over FORTY NINE."

Ruined the moment, but fortunately I was out of slapping range.

Anyway, here's photographic proof from today - October 23rd - the day before Melissa turns 50 - that she doesn't, in fact, look anywhere close to 50:

Happy Birthday, beautiful lady!

HAITI ON MY HEART

Tonight is another one of those nights when I can't seem to think of anything to write here except to repeat the three words that have needed to be repeated far too often in recent years:

Pray for Haiti.

I keep thinking about the missionaries who have been kidnapped and how fearful they must feel moment to moment. God have mercy on the children involved, especially. 

The ransom has been set at $1 million per captive. And although each life is worth immeasurably more than any dollar amount, the simple truth of the matter is that the experts strongly discourage paying any sort of ransom in these situations. 

Many mission agencies have their missionaries sign an acknowledgment before leaving home that if they ever should fall victim to kidnapping, the agency will not pay ransom in any circumstances whatsoever. I don't know if that is the case with CAM, but Melissa and I certainly had to sign such paperwork for OMS.

But my phrase is "Pray for Haiti" because what these missionaries are going through is a subset of all the horrifying troubles across the nation. There are others who have been kidnapped in country, of course. Haitian men, women, and children. There is the unsettled matter of the President's assassination and the incredible political instability it has fostered. There is widespread starvation and fuel shortages and rule by ruthless gangs. 

And no rational reason for any Haitian to believe any of this will get better any time soon.

Pray for Haiti. 

YOU KNEW THE JOB WAS DANGEROUS WHEN YOU TOOK IT

Around the year I was born (1968), Saturday morning cartoons featured such notables as George of the Jungle and Tom Slick. (Those were the days!) A man named Bill Scott voiced both of those lead characters (as well as Bullwinkle J. Moose) and, one of my favorites: Henry Cabot Henhouse III. 

Better known as "Super Chicken". 

As he fought crime alongside his trusty sidekick, Fred the Lion, Super Chicken often found it necessary to remind Fred - as the theme song put it - "Fred, if you're afraid, you'll have to overlook it. Besides you knew the job was dangerous when you took it."

That line, memorized some 40 odd years ago, came to mind as I was looking at Matthew chapter 10. 

At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is laying out to the disciples just how dangerous their "job" was going to be. 

They were told to "preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near'" and "heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons." (10:7)

Now, you would think a bunch of guys who were preaching that God's kingdom was near and who were healing people left and right would be welcomed by all, perhaps even treated like celebrities.

But Jesus warned them not to expect a hero's welcome. Here's what they could expect from this "dangerous job":

• Being turned away. (14)
• Speaking while others refused to listen. (14)
• Being sheep among wolves. (16)
• Getting handed over to local councils. (17)
• Receiving floggings in the synagogues. (17)
• Being brought before governors and kings. (18)
• Getting arrested. (19) 
• Having all men hate them. (22)
• Suffering persecution. (23)
• Hearing themselves called "Beelzebub". (25)
• And maybe even being put to death. (28)

If you are like me, you are wondering what the disciples are thinking as they hear this job description. 

Did they really ask, "Where do I sign up?"

Apparently so. They took the job, even having been firmly warned of the dangers. 

They must have seen something incredible and real and deep in Jesus that prompted them to lay down their own lives, huh?

Have you and I seen it yet?

HEROES OF THE DEVOTIONAL LIFE

Not long after I discovered that daily devotions were something that common Christians commonly did, I began to hear about spiritual giants who went above and beyond the ten or fifteen minutes that the bush league church-goers invested each day.

No, these men and women measured their devotional time in hours, not minutes. 

And it wasn't because they lived in the days before stressful jobs, soccer practice, and Netflix. They didn't have all kinds of spare time on their hands. These were busy people. 

People like Martin Luther, who would increase his prayer time on his busiest days - from two hours to three. Or John Wesley, who was no slacker himself. He launched and organized a movement that introduced hundreds of thousands of people to Christ, all while allotting at least two hours a day for prayer and Scripture.  

It was a habit he saw modeled by his mother, Susanna Wesley, who - even when surrounded by ten rambunctious home-schooled children - would sit down with her Bible and throw her apron up over her head so that she could read Scripture "in private" for an hour or two. (And don't worry - the kids knew that they could interrupt her apron time if there was a true emergency.)  

If you're like me, you can't help but admire such men and women, these heroes of the devotional life. 

But when I pause to consider my admiration for them, I realize it isn't directed at their incredible self-discipline ... rather, I have always admired the depth of their relationship with God. 

It is an admiration bordering on jealousy.

But which came first - the extended prayer and Scripture time, or the deep relationship?

DAILY DEVOTIONS

For many years I assumed the prayers and Bible lessons embedded in an hour-long Sunday morning worship service was more than enough spiritual focus for the average Christian. It wasn't until I was in high school that I became aware of the fact that some church-goers actually spent time in prayer and Bible study on their own, at home, throughout the week. Every day! 

As a young kid, I would occasionally come across my mom sitting beside the kitchen table under one of those giant hair dryers, reading her Bible while her head - covered in little curlers - was cupped under the humming pink plastic. But if either of my parents practiced daily devotions on a regular basis, they must have done it in private. 

Some summers we visited the family of my dad's cousin in Iowa, a no-nonsense Reformed pastor. I remember finding it both weird and alluring when Uncle Lloyd would break out the Bible after dinner and do an impromptu Scripture lesson with his wife and children - and any visitors who happened to be around his table. Apparently he did this every single night! It seemed so strange to me.

I figured that was something that maybe only pastors did. Specifically Reformed pastors, because I often had dinner at my friend Pete's house where dinner didn't include Bible study. And his dad was a United Methodist pastor. 

To this day, I often thank God for my Sunday school teachers during my high school years, Tom and Marcia Kuhn, who showed me that "daily devotions" were not just for professional believers and legendary "heroes of the faith", but for all of us "normal" Christians as well. 

BIG TIME

I once heard a preacher marvel at "how small a twenty dollar bill looks as we shop at Target compared to how big a twenty dollar bill looks as we put it in the offering plate at church". 

Ouch.

I suppose something similar can be said for time:

Ever notice how small 15 minutes looks when you're scrolling on your phone and how big 15 minutes looks when it is spent on reading the bible? How short an hour is when watching Netflix and how incredibly long when praying?

One of my current classes is requiring students to spend thirty minutes on Scripture reading and thirty minutes on prayer time each day, seven days a week. For the next three months. 

And I must confess that I groaned a bit when I first saw that outlined in the syllabus.

But then the professor said something like "You ought to be thanking me for that requirement. Imagine getting a good grade for spending time daily with God! Would you think it was overly demanding if someone required you to set aside an hour each day to spend with your best friend? Your spouse? Your child?" 

He has a point, yeah?

MISUNDERSTOOD ON EVERY SIDE

In reading through the book of Matthew again recently, I am struck by Jesus' incredible patience with people.

How did he keep it together when, day after day, just about everyone around him completely misunderstood just about everything he said and did? And that included his own disciples, who were with him every waking hour. 

It seems like the vast majority of the crowds that gathered just became fixated on Jesus' ability to heal their physical issues. 

Here's Jesus - the Son of God in the flesh, come to set humans right with the God who created them - and people are flocking to him because he cures blindness, deafness, fevers, skin conditions, and paralysis. 

At no charge!

Jesus: "Your sins are forgiven."

Man: "Woohoo! I can SEE! I can't wait to tell everyone!"

Jesus: "Please don't."

And just about the only people who actually perceived the healings as a sign of something much bigger were the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law! They at least understood that Jesus was saying and doing some profound things, but then they came to the wrong conclusions about his motivations.

Pharisees: "You can't forgive sins. Only God can do that!"

Jesus: "You're right. Only God can forgive sins."

Pharisees: "You're the devil!"

But Jesus just kept on preaching and healing and forgiving. 

That's some supernatural patience!

SPIRITUAL JUNKFOOD

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matt 5:6)

The Lord desires to fill us with true righteousness. Therefore, we need to be on guard against the cheap knock-off, self-righteousness.

If God's righteousness is what truly satisfies our hunger and thirst for right relationship with Him and others, then self-righteousness is the spiritual equivalent of junk food.

Dictionary.com's definition is right on target for what I mean by "self-righteousness": Being "confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others." 

What do you think? Does this analogy hold? I leave it to you to connect the dots between food and righteousness:

•     Junk food only resembles real food in that we put it in our mouths and chew it.
•     Junk food starts off as real food, but is then put through a process that makes it the most unhealthy version imaginable, full of salt and fat and sugar. 
•     It is because of the bad ingredients - not in spite of them - that we find junk food so irresistible. 
•     Junk food might give us some momentary jolt of energy, but provides nothing of lasting value.
•     Preparing real food takes time and energy. Junk food is fast and easy.
•     Real food is costly, especially if what we buy is organic and free of GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, and corn syrup. Junk food is crazy cheap in comparison.
•     Real food is necessary. Junk food is not only unnecessary, it is harmful in the long run.
•     Indulging in junk food leaves us unsatisfied ... and, ironically, craving MORE junk food.
•     Junk food is about immediate satisfaction. Real food is about long-term health and well-being. 
•     Real food has the power to heal our diseases. Junk food tends to exacerbate our diseases and sometimes even causes them. 
• Eating junk food can spoil our appetite for real food. 

Any others I have missed?

    

    

"IT'S JUST A DOG!"

That's what some stranger yelled at me a few mornings ago. 

But "dog" was drawn out to make room for as much condescension as possible: "It's just a dawwwwwg!"

I couldn't tell where the voice came from exactly, but it must have been from an open window of a house across the street.

His comment was prompted by seeing me take several selfies with Ginger as we had just finished a one mile run while the sun was rising:

I took so many because I figured if I took a couple dozen, I MIGHT end up with one where I had Ginger in frame AND I didn't have "crazy eyes". (However, I didn't think to drop the bag of dog poo out of frame!)

But my mystery commenter decided I was taking excessive photos of my dog and that I needed to know his opinion. 

It seems my "friend" momentarily forgot that there was no screen between us. 

This little incident reinforced a theory I have that, if we let our guards down, ugly norms that have taken root online will gradually spread into the real world as well.  Like poison ivy.

I feel like our screens are feeding our fallen human impulse towards self-righteousness in a big way. On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok, we are constantly invited and encouraged to mind everyone else's business! 

Not only do we "like" other people's stuff, we feel justified - compelled, even - to tell others how we disapprove of their actions or opinions. Even complete strangers. 

We scroll and judge. We must let all other onlookers know: is this post worthy of a thumbs up or thumbs down from us?

Self-righteousness is not healthy in any form, either spiritually or relationally. And this particular strain of self-righteousness is becoming second nature to us and spilling over into real life.

The Apostle Paul taught, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18)

So, remembering that Jesus could hear me, I stifled my impulses and decided to exercise self restraint in response to my unseen It's-just-a-dawwwg commenter.  

I replied loudly, "Yes, I know." And headed down the sidewalk. 

ANSWERED PRAYERS

"How many aspects of your current life are answers to your past prayers?"

I heard someone pose this question recently and it made me realize how prone we are to taking even the most incredible blessings for granted. It is a question that should reorient us to the reality of every good gift coming from God. It is a question that should spark renewed gratitude.

Ongoing gratitude.

If you're anything like me, your list likely includes most of the basics, if not all: daily bread, shelter, transportation, meaningful work (and if not, some sort of income at least).

At the top of my list - no contest - is my wife and children.

I can't tell you how long and how often I prayed throughout my twenties (with very little faith most times, to be honest) that the Lord would send me a wife. That I would someday have a family of my own. I prayed and cried and doubted for well over a decade.

My requests were answered in God's time, and I have been blessed now for over twenty years. When the Apostle Paul describes God as the One "who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think", I have a good idea of what he means! (Ephesians 3:20) 

All I need to do is take a close look at Melissa and Caleb and Hannah and Samuel and Sarah. 

[I am aware that this post may be depressing for anyone who has also prayed for a spouse and found nobody (yet) or desperately desired children, and met only infertility. 

So I must acknowledge that although I have many blessings in my life that are answers to past prayers, obviously I do not have everything I ever prayed for. I think of the baby we lost, my father's brain tumor at a relatively young age, our perpetually anemic bank account, and jobs/ministries that ended prematurely, among other things. 

And so, just as answered prayers ought to inspire renewed gratitude, I suppose unanswered prayers ought to inspire renewed trust - in God's goodness, sufficiency, timing and wisdom.] 

MISSION RESOURCE INTERNATIONAL

Dave Ketchum started his own mission organization many years ago right here in Columbus, Indiana. He calls it Mission Resource International and I am just getting to know him and the organization, so I am short on too many details yet.

MRI raises funds to send overseas - mostly to poor communities in Ghana currently - in order to supply micro loans to individuals who are seeking to create a livelihood for themselves and their families. The loans have been distributed for a number of years - with a pretty impressive repayment record. 

On top of the loan ministry, recently the Lord has connected Dave to an entrepreneur in Kentucky who is developing a product which has the potential to rejuvenate depleted soil at a very low cost. Dave is thinking and dreaming big: God has given him a vision of spreading this innovative process all around the globe. (Including Haiti.) 

Dave was in the cornfield yesterday because a local seed company had agreed to test out this new product on five acres of seed corn to see what impact it might have on the harvest. And I had contacted him just in time to witness the harvest at his side.

I had messaged Dave yesterday morning, wondering if he had any time to chat a bit over the course of my fall break this week. Even though we attend the same church, we had met only once prior to this, about ten weeks ago, when Dave had reached out to me because some mutual friends had given him my name. 

You see, as he "nears retirement age", Dave is looking for some help with MRI, especially if this soil enhancement project takes off. 

So we're talking and praying and seeking God's will together for the future. 

Time will tell.

That's Dave on the right, shaking hands with his farmer friend, Trevor Glick. 

CORNFIELD

This afternoon I spent an hour in a cornfield a couple of miles east of Columbus. 

"Visit a farm" was not even on my To Do List. Maybe it was a God thing. Time will tell.

This morning I had started reading When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor ... and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. 

The premise of the book is that simply handing money to the poor is not actually helping them ... and may even cause more harm than good. "Simply having sufficient material things is not the same as 'poverty alleviation' ... We want people to fulfill their calling 'to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever' in their work and in all that they do." Getting it right involves wisdom, patience and a truly biblical worldview. 

I am not doing the book's message justice. I haven't finished it yet, but it strikes me as a thorough and Scriptural look at how Christians are called to love the poor of this world. 

So is it a coincidence when later in the day I am standing in a cornfield with Dave Ketchum, whose life and ministry illustrate well the very approach the book advocates?

Tomorrow I will tell you: 1) what Dave was doing in the cornfield and 2) how I happened to join him there.

[Hint: 1) it's about improving the lives and spirits of people in Ghana and Haiti and elsewhere and 2)seems like a God thing.]

BRACELET

My wrist feels naked tonight. This morning, after my prayer time, I found a pocket knife in a drawer and used it to cut a bracelet that had been on my wrist for the past 8 years. 

It was a gift from a dear Haitian friend.

Maybe I have been shaped by my love of literature, but I tend to see life in terms of symbols; this bracelet represented my connection to Haiti. And I had planned to wear it until the strings broke on their own. (I wish I knew what it was made of because it is one tough little bracelet.)

I am left wondering why I impulsively cut it this morning.

I didn't do it just to make Melissa happy - but it is bound to do that. (The loose ends would sometimes tickle her skin when we hold hands -which is daily.)

Cutting it didn't mean that I have given up hope of ever returning to Haiti. I am sure I will at some point. At least for a visit.

And it didn't mean that I have finally decided to "move on". I had already "moved on", at least in the sense of not being preoccupied with the past. 

As best as I can discern, I cut the bracelet free today because I am starting to get excited about the material I am reading for my classes, which means I have a growing certainty that I am on the right path for moving forward into this next stage of life and faith. 

And I am making room for whatever comes next.

BEING WRONG

I was being rather cynical the other day and didn't even recognize my poor attitude at the time.

My cynicism was in regard to the book list for one of my classes. I found that, of the six books I was required to buy for the course, one was written by the professor himself and another was edited by him.

So my brain immediately goes here: "Must be nice to teach a class and require your students to buy your book. Puts a little extra cash in your pocket, I guess."

But why go negative automatically when I know absolutely nothing about this professor beyond his name?

Answer: My sin nature, I guess.

And how did I eventually become aware of my kneejerk negativity?

Answer: I started reading the book he wrote.

It's practical, relevant, and well-written. I like it. I will use it.

And all of a sudden, my brain did a 180: "Isn't it awesome that I get to study under the guy who wrote this book?" 

SNOOPY

Snoopy atop the red doghouse, pecking away at his typewriter.

I came across this print a few weeks ago at a consignment shop and decided it was well worth $8 and a frame. 

It is now in my office to remind me of ...

• The innocence of childhood. (I grew up with the gentle humor of Charles Schulz in the newspaper and on TV.)

• The beauty of simplicity. (It seems to me that Schulz's drawings have power and appeal not in spite of their simple lines, but because of them.) 

• The importance of practice, perseverance, and place. (How often was Snoopy found there on top of his doghouse cranking out page after page of writing in spite of frequent rejection letters from potential publishers?)

THE WEEK TO COME

My school's fall break started at 3:00 today. We have all of next week off. (Incredibly, this signals the school year as a quarter finished.) Sarah's school is on the same calendar and Melissa is taking the week off from her job with Clarity.

Tomorrow morning Melissa, Sarah, and I are expecting three visitors from three different college campuses ... and our family of six will be reunited. This weekend we plan to celebrate Samuel's birthday late and Melissa's birthday early. Dinner at the Japanese Steakhouse. Some home-cooking. Hopefully a trip to an apple orchard. 

Early next week I will have the house to myself for 48 hours as Caleb, Hannah, and Samuel head back to school and Melissa and Sarah head out for a Mother/Daughter retreat with some friends. I have a stack of papers to grade and abundant house projects to choose from. It will be a good test of my time management skills. 

By the end of next week, my two doctoral classes kick off in earnest with Zoom meetings and introductory assignments. (Ready or not, here we go!)  Amazon dropped off another four books yesterday and two more are on the way. Fortunately, most are in the 200 page range, so not too difficult. I've always been a slow reader, though. I have finished two books so far and hope to conquer a few more while I still have some "spare" time. 

All in all, it looks to be a momentous week coming up. I'm heading to bed! I want to be as awake as possible for it. 

SUFFERING?

Speaking of Paul's second letter to Timothy...

Paul sure does circle around to the subject of suffering a lot, doesn't he?

Chapter 1, verse 8b: "Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."

Verses 11 and 12a: "Of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am."

He gives a specific example of his suffering in verse 15: "You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes." (And more examples in chapter 4.) 

In chapter 2, verse 3, Paul invites Timothy for the second time: "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 

In chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, Paul urges Timothy: "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained." 

Chapter 3, verses 10 and 11: "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings - what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them." 

And then, Paul makes it clear that his suffering is not an exception to some sort of ideal victorious Christian life in Chapter 3, verse 12: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 

Everyone?

I must confess that the phrase "suffering servants" does not come to mind when I think of the American church. You?

WEEDS

Here's an example of a Scripture passage that got reframed for me just this week: 2 Timothy 3:1-5

1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days."

First, I have always read "last days" as "final days before Jesus's return". BUT it occurred to me: this is Paul writing to Timothy.  Was Paul under the impression that Jesus was returning so soon that Timothy needed a warning about what was coming with the "last days"? 

That doesn't seem likely to me, so I looked around at a couple of commentaries and found that while many have interpreted these words as just such a forward-looking warning, others point out that "last days" very well could simply mean the entire time period between the resurrection of Christ and his return. 

In other words, we are currently living in the "last days" whether Jesus tarries another day or another millennium.

With that possibility in mind, I noticed something in the next four verses that had never clicked before:

2 "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,

4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - 

5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."

I always took these terrible adjectives to be a description of secular culture in decline (just before Christ's return). BUT it dawned on me this week that Paul is describing what many people can and will be like within the church itself. 

These are people who claim to be believers while living counter to everything that God is. And doing so kind of openly! If they were simply secular folks outside the church, why would they have "the form of godliness but deny its power"? 

In verse 8 Paul describes these people as "teachers" who "oppose the truth", and he feels it is necessary to clarify that "as far as the faith is concerned, [they] are rejected". 

This reading - that Paul here is referencing people inside the church rather than outside - seems right right to me considering Jesus also warned that an enemy would sow weeds among the good seed, right? (Matthew 13) (And God would not uproot the weeds until the time of harvest!) 

We often hear people defend the church against charges of hypocrisy or abuse by saying, "We Christians aren't perfect ... just forgiven." 

But I don't remember ever hearing other Christians openly acknowledge what Jesus and Paul both taught: that there will be some downright terrible people in many pews and many pulpits. 

Most of us know this from personal experience. I guess I am just saying that it is OK to affirm it out loud. The Bible does.

WHEN THE SPIRIT REFRAMES

How often does the Spirit reframe a familiar Scripture passage for you? And when I ask that, I am using "reframe" to describe the experience of opening the Bible, reading a couple of verses or an entire New Testament parable or an Old Testament story for the 100th time, and suddenly seeing it in a brand new light. 

A radiant light, revealing deeper truths. 

Personally, I get so excited when this happens. It is one of the things that fascinates me about the Bible and confirms it as being "God-breathed and ... useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) 

It is also where the truth of Hebrews 4:12a becomes quite obvious: "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword." 

Another reason to get excited about seeing a passage of Scripture in a fresh way: It is a good indicator that our own spirits are currently alive to God's leading.

We're on the right track!

At times in my life when Scripture has seemed lifeless to me, the deadness has always turned out to be in my own soul. 

(P.S. On the flip side, the experience of "how did I miss this before?" ought to help keep us humble about our own infallibility when it comes to fully and accurately interpreting any particular Bible passage.)

WHERE THE PATH MAY LEAD

The curriculum I use with my 8th graders sometimes offers famous quotes as prompts for thinking and writing. The other day Ralph Waldo Emerson was on tap with this bit of advice:

"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

The prompt asked "Do you agree or disagree? Explain why or why not." My students 100% agreed. Emerson's words do appeal powerfully to American ears.

But I'm not sure what I think. As I embark on pursuing a new degree, I am reading books by contemporary and ancient sages who have left behind them trails of profound truths. 

Before I even consider blazing my own, it is surely worth the time to explore some well-worn and orthodox paths. 

And if any of those paths might lead to a deeper relationship with the Lord, I'm guessing I won't feel the need to cut my own trail. 

A LITTLE PAT ON THE BACK

I haven't used this space recently to pat myself on the back for using this space, so I will do it today as October gets underway: For nine months now, I have written something to post on this blog every day. 

Admittedly, none of it would run the risk of making Shakespeare jealous, but I have shown up consistently and while I can't speak for anyone else, I myself have greatly benefited from putting my thoughts into words on a blog. Furthermore, this daily writing practice has made me more attentive to life and the world around me, and I have learned much along the way. 

One of the things I have learned is how important a little pat on our own backs can be to keep us motivated to continue and deepen any good habit. 

B. J. Fogg, professor at Stanford and author of Tiny Habits, says a little personal celebration after each completion of a new habit is crucial to wiring it firmly into our daily lives. He suggests wrapping up each trip to the gym, each flossing of the teeth, and each cleaning of the kitchen counter with something as simple as pumping a fist in the air, smiling at ourselves in the mirror, or saying out loud, "Victory!" 

Even a literal pat on our own backs can do wonders for reinforcing a new habit, or pushing an established habit to the next level. 

It may sound corny or unreal, but I can attest from personal experience that a mini-celebration can help a habit to stick, and it can motivate me to keep on keeping on. 

Try it for yourself. It might surprise you. 

REASSURANCE

After a couple of days of intense anxiety regarding the coming workload for classes as I go back to school, the Lord sent some reassurance right there in the first text I have been reading for my course, Sacramental Spirituality and Disciple-Making Leadership. 

On page 169 of You Are What You Love, James K. A. Smith quotes an ancient prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas called Ante Studium (A Prayer Before Study):

Pour forth a ray of Your brightness
into the darkened places of my mind;
disperse from my soul
the twofold darkness
into which I was born: 
sin and ignorance.

You make eloquent the tongues of infants.
Refine my speech
and pour forth upon my lips
the goodness of Your blessing.

Grant to me
keenness of mind,
capacity to remember,
skill in learning,
subtlety to interpret,
and eloquence in speech.

May You
guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress,
and bring it to completion.

You Who are true God and true Man,
Who live and reign, world without end.
Amen. 

Well, that's a good reminder! I might be praying this often over the next few years.

FREAKING OUT JUST A BIT

The reality of making a commitment to pursue a doctorate while working full time as an 8th grade teacher has officially set in. All it took was getting a good look at the syllabus for one of my two classes which stretch over the next six months:

• Read two books and write a 5 to 6 page paper by the end of October.
• Read two more books and write another 5 to 6 page paper by the end of November.
• Read another book and write another 6 pager by the end of December.
• Intensive classes on campus January 3rd, 4th and 5th. 
• A 10 to 12 page final paper by March 1st.
• A 5 page reflection by April 1st. 

Yikes!

The other class hasn't posted a syllabus or a reading list yet, so I am anticipating this is likely just half of what's around the corner. 

Upon reflection I had to laugh: I know that if the workload had looked too easy, I would have been even more unhappy. If I'm going to have a doctorate three years from now, I want it to mean something. 

I want to learn.

(But what have I gotten myself into?)