Bits and Pieces of the Week

It is Friday, in case you hadn’t noticed, and we’ve had another ice storm because of course, Russia has invaded Ukraine, and I have a cold–which is why I didn’t belly up to the blog yesterday–but what I really want to talk about is…let me see, is there anything?

One thing is that Facebook cares about my memories, which twelve years ago was that one of my children lived out his convictions:

“I just realized,” said Aedan, “that good knights sometimes die in battle. So, I made some of my good knights die in this battle.”

Another thing is this wonderful blog post that is so wonderful. I love this bit:

While the pastor used his best manners, he essentially told me that he was sick and tired of people like me sharing this video in an attempt to humiliate and embarrass Jon, and that my sharing the video in my post was in bad taste. I responded with my earnest disagreement.

You see, in a world plagued by sin and evil, in which churches increasingly have no room for church musicians without commercial appeal, Jon Daker represents hope, joy, and faith. Here is a regular guy who has managed to lift the spirits of millions thanks to his love of singing and a willingness to crash and burn with dignity.

And while there were some that made fun of him, a cult following of fans emerged, including some Peoria locals who befriended him and paid him visits in the publicly-funded assisted living home where he lived after his parents and siblings passed away. One in particular, a woman named Heather, stayed with him and advocated for him until the end. Not only did Heather love and care for this man with whom she shared no relation, but through social media she allowed those of us who already loved the legend of John Daker to get a glimpse at the real Jon Daker. And the stories that emerged from these visits painted a picture of a kind, gentle man who loved Jesus and faithfully served his church.

I do love that video. It speaks to a by-gone church era, the kind of world where people offered themselves up to God without guile, without having to worry about being on the cutting edge of anything. Their camera angles didn’t matter. They didn’t spend twenty minutes trying to pick out a shampoo that was free of sulfates and parabens. They didn’t have to wear skinny jeans. They enjoyed themselves instead of only pretending to.

Let’s see, there’s also this short interview. I only came across it because Jen Hatmaker is extremely angry, and so I googled and found it. I’ve said it to myself many times over the last six months, but one of the very biggest problems of today is not that people disagree with each other about how best to care for children or people who are struggling with life, but rather that there is now only One kind of way to take care of people, and that is to affirm them, even to their destruction. I have heard that there are many reasons to be irritated or even angry with the governor of Texas, but on this issue at least, requiring that children reach an age of majority before they can have life-altering procedures and surgeries does not make him or other lawmakers literally Hitler or hating of trans people.

Oh, and here’s an old book review of mine that CRI tweeted out this week. Boy, it is still a super relevant book and I still wholeheartedly believe all the stuff I said about it. This bit, for instance, is evergreen:

This “knowing” by means of “not knowing” is then coupled with the well-worn claim that they read the Bible without having to take it “literally.” Part of their not taking the Bible literally — which, of course, is a specious claim, the Bible should be read with the nuance and intelligence that any text requires, genre and authorial intent determining the meaning — includes misreading Jesus’ parable in Matthew that “a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” Rather than looking at the Bible as a way of judging the fruit, the non-literal reader of Scripture looks at his or her temporal happiness. Unsurprisingly, when personal happiness is the “good fruit,” it will be found on the “bad tree” where the desires of the heart are allowed to rule. The fruit test is then made the lens through which all other Scripture is read. The Scripture is not to be trusted on issues of sexuality, but it can be trusted to properly report the resurrection of Jesus, which is “proof that the body matters, and the body must be saved.” Queer bodies in particular that have been “bloodied — many of us literally, having been led to cutting and self-harm — by sermons telling us that our yearnings are mere physical impulses that must be resisted for the sake of our spirit.” The Khalafs go back and forth between depending on Scripture for advice about marriage and denying its trustworthiness and veracity. God is speaking in some cases, but only those passages that align with their sexual desires and longing to be in relationship with those they are most drawn to. They manage to have their wedding cake and eat it too.

Oh and this bit:

Many inside the walls of orthodox, biblical Christian churches may grieve the fact that gay marriage, established by the Obergefell ruling in 2015, is the law of the land, but they probably don’t know that cultural acceptance of that fact is not sufficient for many on the winning side. Increasingly, LGBTQ relationships are expressed in terms of salvation — the queer person is a savior. “I argue,” writes Drew Heckman in Harvard’s LGBTQ Policy Journal, “that queer people are gifted with unique abilities to be peacemakers, organizers, and healers — whether through inborn differences or empathy-building experiences of exclusion, shame, and stigma. I argue that queer are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these gifts by virtue of their societal embeddedness.”

And finally, I listened to this long podcast a couple of times, the first half of which is four people feigning complete ignorance and surprise about the idea that “deconstruction” is increasingly–and rightly–being seen for what it is…destructive. If you are looking for examples of bad tone from the progressive left, you will find it here. They go back and forth between reasonable discussion and open scorn. I trust by noticing this I am not succumbing to the great sin of judgementalism myself. Alissa Childers, for whom they have no use, has written a book-length careful study of exactly the issues they raise, but they pretend not to know what she is talking about or even who she is. I know I keep linking the book, but that’s just because I wish some people would read it.

The second half of the podcast is an interview with Tish Harrison-Warren, which doesn’t fall into contempt, so that is nice. I agree very much with Tish that church should be in person. Though, as a “content producer”–in the olden days, a “writer”–I can see why so many people are confused. If you’re going primarily for the music and the sermon, there’s no reason to go in person. If, on the other hand, you’re going because Jesus comes to be with his people in the Word AND the Sacrament, and binds them together in himself, it really needs to be in person. At some later date, I hope to “circle back” to the abortion question, because that is something else that everyone needs to talk about more.

And now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go lie helplessly in my tiny chair and pray for the end of the world. Have a nice day!