A Boomer in the Pew

How King David Would Handle the Boston Marathon Bombing

King David in Prayer, by Pieter de Grebber (c. 1640)

The horror or the recent Boston Marathon bombing, and the subsequent vision of the events coming through today's various media sources, is deeply saddening.

As humans, we rightly morn for the innocents and rattle our sabers for revenge against the evildoers. 

This morning, as I reflect on these circumstances in light of my latest chronological journey through the Bible, a few striking thoughts come to mind:

• It was God who established the nation of Israel, and it was God who established the United States of America.  In no way am I suggesting that America holds the unique character of being God's unique chosen nation, but I do believe that God established our country as a place where his children might be free to worship, work, enjoy their lives, and revel in all that God has created for his own.
• Every single time the nation of Israel strayed from obedience to God's desires, Israel found herself being tormented, slain, and a few times devoted to complete destruction.  
• Several times we find it recorded that when Israel would seek to avenge herself, without first calling to Yahweh, she found defeat and was left to running with her tail tucked between her legs.

I'm currently on the 109th day of my journey through the Bible, and King David, in the book of 1st Samuel, is currently hiding out in caves under the unjust persecution of King Saul.  

As I consider David's life, and read his recorded words, I think David would have come at our Boston Marathon bombing situation with a mindset far different than crying for only a righteous revenge.  

I think he would:

1. Get on his knees and seek the face of Yahweh.
2. Search his own heart, seek to purge it of evil desires, and call for God's forgiveness.
3. Understanding that it is God who moves the hearts of men, and directs the movement of every molecule on earth, he would ask God to see His revenge on the evildoers.
4. Then, armed with the blessing of God, David would bring God's revenge to those who perpetrated evils upon God's chosen.

I wonder, might we as a people be jumping from the slaughter of innocents to our own revenge without the necessary heart-work, and doing business with God?  

The book of Psalms is full of laments from King David during his unrighteous onslaughts from Saul.  In Psalm 17, we hear David crying to the Lord, "Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!

Dear friends, it is right for us to cry for justice and revenge.  The prayer of my heart is that we might all first seek to do some heart-work with God, ask God to seek his revenge on the perpetrators of this evil, and then allow ourselves to be the tools of his almighty hand.

I think this is how King David would handle the Boston Marathon bombing.

Thoughts?

 

Paul Potts, Nessun Dorma, and the Beauty of God

Take four minutes and watch the debut of Paul Potts singing Nessun Dorma on Britain's Got Talent. 

Go ahead, I'll wait...

Now.  How are you feeling?  I don't know about you, but I have tears on my cheeks and was deeply moved.

Along with the exuberant audience, and the millions upon millions of people who have watched this particular moment in time, I find great beauty in Paul's musical expression.

The unexpected beauty of Paul Pott's voice, my favorite operatic aria, the joy of watching Paul share his gift, the expressions of joy exhibited by the audience the moment Paul got his first phrase delivered, the tears on the faces of those present, and the eruption of applause at the conclusion.

One of the most primal drives in the heart of every man, woman, and child is our common longing and yearning for beauty.  And, when we find a glimpse, we want more and more.

Did you watch this video twice?  I did.  Have you ever had a second piece of your favorite pie?  Are their pictures and paintings on your refrigerator and the walls of your house that bring beauty and joy to your life?  Do you have treasured pictures and videos of loved ones on your cell phone and computer?

In my many hours of early morning theological study over the past few years, I've really struggled getting my mind around what the beauty of God might be.  Try as I may, and to my constant frustration, it seemed as though I found more beauty in things that I found here on earth than in God.

Then, thanks to Steve Dewitt and his recent book Eyes Wide Open (affiliate link), the light bulb went on.

I found great beauty in the Paul Potts moment.  In fact, so much beauty that I wanted more.  

So, if I find great beauty in this moment, in Paul's voice, in my favorite aria, in the common joy of millions around the world, imagine how transcendentally beautiful must be the Creator of absolutely everything in this moment?

As I contemplate that thought, and let it ruminate in my mind, I begin to understand how beautiful God really is.  He created everything in which I find and enjoy beauty. 

I recall a song from my youth ... "Oh Lord, you're beautiful, your face is all I need". (link)

Oh my soul, when you find us in the presence of great beauty, turn the wonder of the moment into praise of God. 

Yearning for the Beauty Behind the Beautiful

This is a photograph of Sadie Grace Unkovich that I swiped (with permission) from her mother's Facebook page.

This is the very first granddaughter of a very dear friend, and ever since Sadie's birth a few short months ago, I've noticed a wellspring of joy, love, happiness, and generosity flowing deep from within her heart.

And who wouldn't?  Oceans of emotions arise to anyone who spends a few minutes exploring this beautifully captured moment.

Not to take anything away from beautiful Sadie, or the ceaseless joy I find in all those around her, I not only find great beauty in this scene, but I find myself also drawn to the beauty of her Creator.

Nicholas Kallivourtzis, an 18th-century theologian said:

“Every time you feel in God’s creatures something pleasing and attractive, do not let your attention be arrested by them alone, but passing by them, transfer your thought to God and say: ‘O my God, if Thy creations are so full of beauty, delight and joy, how infinitely more full of beauty, delight and joy are Thou Thyself, Creator of all!’”

Think about all of the beautiful experiences that have come your life's way.  A sunset, a snow-capped mountain, the ocean, a lake; watching a marriage ceremony, fire fighters selflessly running into the World Trade Center on 9/11, or even beautiful baby Sadie Grace.

If these things are so delightfully beautiful to our senses, how infinitely more beautiful must be the Creator of all.

Oh my soul, yearn most of all for the beauty that exists behind the beautiful.

 

 

Attempting to Understand Suffering Through the Eyes of Job

Job, by Léon Bonnat

I need to make a confession: I am stubborn man, and my stubborn pride many times prevents me from quickly learning the things that God would have me learn.  

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've learned life's lessons the hard way.  Experience is a good teacher, but many times painful.

You should also know that I possess stubbornesses kind cousin, determination. I many times get them confused with one another.

This year, I'm making another annual journey through the Bible, but this year I decided to make my journey through Eugene Peterson's  The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (affiliate link).

There is hard-wired in every man, woman, and child a sense of justice.

We know, for example, that a man should not rape a woman. And, God forbid, if a man does rape a woman, we feel a sense of justice when he is apprehended and locked away in jail for many, many years.

We say to ourselve's, he had it coming.  He performed great evil, and got his just rewards.

Eugene Peterson say's this in his introduction to the book of Job:

"One of the surprises as we get older, however, is that we come to see that there is no real correlation between the amount of wrong we commit and the amount of pain we experience. An even larger surprise is that very often there is something quite the opposite: We do right and get knocked down. We do the best we are capable of doing, and just as we are reaching out to receive our reward we are hit from the blind side and sent reeling. This is the suffering that first bewilders and then outrages us. This is the kind of suffering that bewildered and outraged Job, for Job was doing everything right when suddenly everything went wrong. And it is this kind of suffering to which Job gives voice when he protests to God." (Peterson, Eugene H. (2011-03-11). The Message Numbered Edition Hardback (Kindle Locations 22152-22157). Navpress. Kindle Edition.)

In our minds, we really, really struggle with something that might be called unjust suffering.  

We cry out when a loved one dies unexpectantly, when we are unjustly wronged, or when a great depression ravages the savings we've worked all our lives for.  This list is endless.  

In the book of Job we feel for Job's seemingly unjust suffering.  Why, God himself tells Satan that there is no one quite like Job.  Job is honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hates evil.

Yet, God seems quite willing to let Job go through intense suffering by taking all that he has.  His wealth, his health, his children, and even the respect of all that know him.

To further Job's pain, three of his friends come along and repeatedly instruct him that his suffering is brought about by his sin. To which Job vehemently spends thousands of words refuting.

However, in spite of the finger-pointing of Job's friends, or the "God wants you rich, healthly, and happy" mentality of many in today's church, the truth that Job teaches us is that suffering is a mystery.

In fact, God, in the contemporary language of The Message comes to Job and says, "I’m in charge of all this— I run this universe!"

Job wisely submits to God sovereignty, and says, "I'm sorry - forgive me.  I'll never to that again, I promise!"

Now, before you quibble about Job's response, you simply must read the whole book of Job.  Only then will you have the beginnings of an understanding.  Deal?

Here's a final thought from Eugene Peterson's prologue to the book of Job:

"When people go through suffering, their lives are often transformed, deepened, marked with beauty and holiness, in remarkable ways that could never have been anticipated before the suffering. So, instead of continuing to focus on preventing suffering— which we simply won’t be very successful at anyway— perhaps we should begin entering the suffering, participating insofar as we are able— entering the mystery and looking around for God."  

I don't know about you, but I've learned that the thumb-sucking woe-is-me attitude hasn't served me very well.  

Oh my soul, in suffering, learn to enter the mystery and look around for God.

Even as I write those words, my heart says, but God, can't I just have my life's savings back.

Oh, the journey continues...

Pondering the Passing of Another Year

 

As beings who live within the construct of time, the marking of time is a behavior common to all those who draw breath.

To keep track of this thing called time, we have watches, iPhones, computers, the sun, the moon, the stars, calendars, and the passing of time is clearly evident in the aging of our bodies.

Today, as we collectively add a higher digit to our calendars, my morning reading in the Bible had me contemplating this creation of God that we call time.

You see, according to the Genesis account, time was something that was created and had a beginning: 

And God said, 

“Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5 ESV)

Furthermore, the book of Revelation tells us that a day is coming when time will be no more.  A new heaven and a new earth will usher in a new paradigm of eternity to the children of God.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (Revelation 21:1 ESV)

So you see, out of eternity past, God has measured out a construct that we call time.  It has a beginning, and it has an end.  

Giving further consideration to this thing called time, when Jesus began his public ministry, the first words out of his mouth were:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2 ESV)

So, it would appear that we are nearing the end of this thing called time.  As the Mayans have recently demonstrated, no one knows when this day will be.  

Win a Trip to St. Lucia

We've been very busy over at our The Roaming Boomers® website and I thought I'd share a fun sweepstakes we're running.

Together with one of our industry partners, we're giving away a FREE trip to St. Lucia. The trip includes 5-nights at a AAA Four-Diamond resort + $1,500 air voucher to get you there. 

Enter to win here.

Quite a few folks have asked me what I plan to do with this website.  Well, I'm not completely sure.  

This is clearly one of the most beloved things I've ever done. I think I could write a book about the years of experiences layed out here.  

I've toyed in my mind with reigniting the flame here, but I really must keep my energies over at The Roaming Boomers.  Our great hope with that site is that we can begin to generate enough income to help us recover from the losses of the 2008 market crash.  If not, you might find me in your nearest Walmart as a greeter.  

I also have another completely different idea, I've even purchased the URL, around the concept of leading folks from all over the world in targeted theological studies.  It seems folks want to study and learn about God, they just need to have someone to walk alongside them. 

Well, that's it for now.  

Enter our contest, and I'd love to hear from anyone who still might be reading this blog. 

What's going on in your life?

My Son Josh: A Chip of the Ole Block

Where in the World is Dave Porter

It has been nearly a month since I have posted in this little corner of my world.

I suppose, some of you might be wondering where in the world I have gone.

Well, a couple of things are happening:

• Our The Roaming Boomers online travel magazine continues to gain popularity and requires more and more of our time.
• We are about to shoot 20 video "travel tips" for a national PBS affiliate.  If all goes well, we could be their "travel experts" and been seen regularly to millions of viewers all over the country.

I am not going to abandon A Boomer in the Pew, but I am going to take a continued hiatus until I sort all of this out.

Thanks for your readership, your friendship, and your patience.

In the meantime, come on over to The Roaming Boomers and follow our adventures there.

The Dangers of Busyness, Success, and Prosperity

We just returned from a wonderful two-week adventure in Hawaii for our "The Roaming Boomers®" online travel magazine.

Although the pathway still seems quite foggy for this enterprise, we have enjoyed a fair amount of success and we are at one of those critically important break-though points that any business will face in its evolution.

You see, I must figure out how to transition from being a pure technician (blog writing, photograph taking, video shooting), to one who can wear the hats of technician, owner, and entrepreneur (dreamer) without letting one dominate the others.

It is this one challenge that prevents many businesses from achieving the success they desire.

I say all of that because I must admit that I currently don't have it all yet figured out.

And, with all of the busyness, excitement, travel, changing time zones, and dizzying schedules, I left out the most important piece of the whole puzzle:  my alone time with God each day.

When I'm home, I've developed a consistent habit of rising early each day to invest this time, but this most recent trip completely threw me under the bus with a very busy schedule, time zone changes, and incorporating other players into our enterprise.

If the monumental challenges of the past three years have taught me anything, it is that I simply must stay firmly rooted, and spending daily time in my growing relationship with God.  Otherwise, my pride will lead me once again far astray.

Although I'm frustrated that I allowed this side-step to occur, I'm pleased that I caught myself upon my return home.

It is clear that I must reevaluate my commitments to the many irons I have in the fire, make certain that I establish my priorities, and build systems and schedules to accommodate them.

Furthermore, I must figure out how to carve out my little hiding place alone with God each day, regardless of what time zone I might be in.

The above photograph reminded me of my grandmother's hiding place.  She had a place in her living room where she had a comfortable reading chair, a reading lamp, and a small bookshelf where she would keep her devotional materials along with her somewhat tattered, and well-read Bible.

I can still see her sitting there.

I'm very thankful for her influence in my life, and her remarkable, lifelong example.

For those of you who are regular readers of this blog, please forgive my absence, and I beg your patience as I seek to realign my commitments in the coming weeks and months.

The Bible as a Historical Document

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - This post is part of my year-long journey through Dr. Wayne Grudem's world-renowned Systematic Theology.  I welcome and hope for your interaction.

Interpretation of Scripture (Part 2 of 7)

The Bible is a historical document.  Think about that statement.  Do you look at the Bible with this understanding?

One of the greatest testaments to the scoffer is that the Bible contains real people, in real places, in real times in history past.

Most religions require that we believe something that a single person has proclaimed with absolutely no historical authority.

In today's lecture from Dr. Wayne Grudem's Sunday school class, he wants us to understand four "big picture" approaches that we should have as we seek to interpret the Bible:

1. The Bible is a historical document
2. The original authors wanted the original readers to respond in some way
3. The whole Bible is about God
4. The center of the whole Bible is Jesus Christ.  The entire Old Testament leadus up to him, points to him, and the entire New Testament flow from him.

Listen as Dr. Grudem explains:

Grudem - How to Interpret the Bible (pt 2 of 7)

Notes - Download Grudem's How to Interpret the Bible (pt 2 of 7)