Where I Come From

Tempted and tried, we're oft made to wonder

Why it should be thus all the day long;

While there are others living about us,

Never molested, though in the wrong.

When death has come and taken our loved ones

It leaves our home so lonely and drear

Then do we wonder why others prosper

Living so wicked year after year.

If I could pick any work of poetry to summarize the culture in which I was raised, these are the verses I would pick.  Few other communities are so willing to complain to God.  In most cultures, as far as I can tell, they teach children that life is unfair and that you are supposed to deal with it.  But we were taught to brood on the unfairness of it all -- even in church.

Now we can go back and forth on the advantages and disadvantages of this attitude.  My own view is that blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:  for they shall be filled.  And if my culture is one that broods on injustice, it is also very capable of imagining grace:

Faithful 'til death, said our loving Master

A few more days to labor and wait

Toils of the road will then seem as nothing

As we sweep through the beautiful gates.

Church This Week

We're talking about Matthew 5:1-12 at church this week ... typing here from the NIV ... nothing better than this, baby! NOTHING! ...

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Feels good and right just to even get to type it.

Church This Week

So here's what we're planning to talk about in church this week:

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles--
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living the in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called to them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

That's Matthew 4:12-25 from the New International Version, and here's that whole chapter from Biblica, the Colorado Springs-based publisher and copyright-holder of the NIV.

I Need a Correction

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do not think I have come to abolish the Law of the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth ..." 

‘The Gifts of the Magi’

It's not too late. Merry 10th day of Christmas (or 11th, depending on how you count it), from The Interpreter's Bible, here on Matthew 2:11:

The hymn “We three kings of Orient are” gives the details with which legend has adorned the well-loved story. Gold, brought by Caspar, can represent our gifts of substance. Livelihood usurps the place of life unless life is rigorously made dedicate to God revealed in Christ. How much of our strife is caused by clutching at things! Abraham Lincoln once said of his two quarreling sons that they were a symbol of the whole world: “I have three English walnuts and each boy wants two.” Trade is now so interlocked—examine a linen collar for proof, with its attendant machinery, materials, finance, export—that it comes a fratricide unless it is first a worship.

Melchior brought frankincense which, because it is a fragrance, can represent our inner treasure of thought and influence. The wise men were the scientists of their time. Is science safe unless it becomes worship? The music that most enthralls us is essentially religious, and our greatest architecture is a prayer in stone. So scientific knowledge must be dedicate. Our keenest thought, even that concerned only for “the truth,” easily becomes a pride or threat; and influence, even that which for popularity is willing to be kind, easily becomes miasmic rather than a fragrance. Thought is worthy only when it is marked by reverence.

Balthazzar brought myrrh. We must be careful not to read our interpretation into the story, for the original intends only that myrrh was precious and therefore a gift fit for the King. But it is almost inevitable and fitting that myrrh, because of its use in embalming, should stand in this instance for our sorrow and suffering. This bitter gift is, however strangely, the hardest for us to give to Christ: we prefer to keep it for its luxury of bitter protest. The reason why sorrow hardens one man and melts another is just that the one man keeps his sorrow selfishly and the other offers it in oblation. Harriet Martineau tells of a joy which only the disappointed can know—the joy of “agreeing with God silently when nobody knows what is in their hearts.” It is worth noting that all three kings brought their best. George Frederick Watts had inscribed on his seal, “The Utmost for the Highest.” This could be the motto written across the matchless story of the magi.

The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VII. George Arthur Buttrick, ed. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1955) 259.

'The Wise Men'

One of the reasons that The Interpreter's Bible is so good for me is because it really presses me to learn stuff other than how the AFL and NFL playoffs folded together in late 1969. Here's Volume 7 on Matthew 2:1-12 with the terms and phrases highlighted that I plan to look up and learn about, in order to figure out what the author is really saying here ...

See Exeg. for instances of just such journeys taken by astrologers. Certain items about the magi are significant for Christian truth. They saw the star when busy at their own task; daily fidelity gives men a quicker awareness of the truth. The Connecticut senators, on the famous "dark day" in New England's history, were wise to remain at the day's task rather than to leave it for frantic prayer. The magi were foreigners--a fact that the church has celebrated in the feast of the Epiphany, Christianity being a world-wide faith. The statue of Christ on the ridge of the Andean mountains between Chile and Argentina points us to the only source of world peace. The magi acted with abandon. The knowledge of Chinese, which our modern world would endorse as very necessary knowledge, began with the "folly" of Morrison's attempt to break the Great Wall. Later he was honored by scholars and philosophical societies for his original research in the Chinese language. But he did not go to China to study language or to blaze a trail for trade; he went to tell the good news. The course of life is too often this: we do at last from shabby and selfish motives what we should have done at first in a fine rapture of the soul. But the magi journeyed in a noble abandon. There is a further fact about the wise men which proves them wise: they were come to worship him. Thus John Ruskin in Fors Clavigera: "These men, for their own part, came--I beg you very earnestly again to note this--not to see, nor talk--but to do reverence. They are neither curious nor talkative, but submissive." Thus we are confronted again with the question: Why are we born? All penultimate answers yield at last to the real answer: "To glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever."

The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VII. George Arthur Buttrick, ed. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1955) 257-259.

The Dress Is Beautiful

Now let's have a meal together.

Oh, Kentucky

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

KYTC spokesperson Keith Todd reports the Dorena-Hickman Ferry is closed due to icy conditions.#WPSD pic.twitter.com/fFOhRTRwmg
— WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) February 3, 2014

Unemployment in December 2013 was highest in Leslie County and lowest in Woodford. Fulton County's jobless rate is down from 14.8 percent in December 2012 to 11.8 percent in December 2013; it no longer ranks among the state's top 10 counties in unemployment.

"Kentucky’s job growth of 2.6 percent from September 2011 to September 2012 ranked second only to oil-booming North Dakota’s 5.6 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."

ObamaCare here.

Clark County Schools have contracted with a private firm for drug-sniffing dogs.

Gina Kinslow in the Glasgow Daily Times effectively details how the state determines which intersections of state highways receive traffic lights--and why an intersection south of Edmonton fails to qualify.

Henderson's fantastic Gleaner has a new editor, and he's a WKU grad (and Bills fan) who says he plans to maintain the newspaper's hyper-local focus but extend it to new media formats.

The HoJo Florence/Cincinnati ... still Wild after all these years.

Bowling Green, roughly between downtown and the campus of Western Kentucky University, is amid a makeover.

The No. 2 UK rifle team takes down No. 6 Nebraska and next takes aim at No. 1 West Virginia.

I Love This Sermon

Love Your Enemies from Sweet Speeches on Vimeo.

Here's the transcript.

Jesus Christ Superhero?

Matthew 13:58: "Did not."

Dear Lord:
"Did not"?
Would not?
Could not?
Amen.

Matthew 13:58: "Did not."

Jesus's Bible

Three times in Matthew 4, Jesus slips out of the devil's rhetorical noose, and three times he does so by reciting verses from Deuteronomy that, perhaps, some good Sunday-school teacher back in Nazareth drilled into him as a boy. Deuteronomy must be awesome. I read it years ago but remember it not a lick.

More Matthew:

-- inadequacy of human language and Matthew 1

-- on Matthew 2

-- the eighth lesson of the King's College Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Matthew 2

-- Bobby Knight and Matthew 5

-- Josh Harrelson and Matthew 25

Matthew 2

Smack into the middle of politics, gossip and convention--some of the leading forces that repel Christians from the church to this day--was born Christ. Immaculate God, messy us: Immanuel.

Another thing: The Bible births a million movies (not only, of course, in Matthew 2). In Verse 7, precisely why did Herod care about the "exact time" that the Magi had seen the star over the east? And whatever happened to the Magi after, in Verse 27, they disobeyed Herod and returned home via some backroads route from visiting the baby? And, if he ever knew, how emotionally heavy did the knowledge of the murders of so many of babies because of his birth (Verse 16) weigh on Jesus, and how did it influence his ministry? To the extent that one believes that the Bible documents everything God wants us to know about the story, the answers to such unaddressed questions don't much matter. But they sure interest me.

And one more thing: Divine instruction come to folks in so many different ways. In Matthew 2, over (verses 13-14) and over (19-21) and over again (22-23), Joseph is moved in dreams and subsequently obeys. (Another question that presumably doesn't matter: How hard of a sell was it for Joseph to get Mary to buy in to the instruction that he had dreamed?) Callings are delivered and manifested in so many different ways, but the common denominators of the successful ones seem to be discernment and obedience.

More Matthew:

-- inadequacy of human language and Matthew 1

-- the eighth lesson of the King's College Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Matthew 2

-- Bobby Knight and Matthew 5

-- Josh Harrelson and Matthew 25

Matthew 1

Our little words can't confine big God. Real truth just overflows constructs like "contradiction" and "opposite." So wild.

Jesus was old and new, God and man.

More Matthew:

-- Matthew 2

-- Matthew 5

-- Matthew 25

Oh, Kentucky

We will assume that Heath came in at No. 26.

Good to see that Tom T. Hall is bouncing back after West Carter's loss to the Pirates.

Nothing to see here?

Hurrying through Cadiz.

Opinion parade: "My guess is we've waited 20 years too long to catch the wave." ... "The benefit of the charter school, however, is that if it does not work we can close it down." ... "Passing SB 47 would give farmers the clarity they need to know that they are acting in accordance with the law and can freely engage in normal business activities without fear of sanction."

Sixty years and half a million cars in Etown.

Paducah's painter of morning light.

Turning the hearts of incarcerated fathers.

Where your baseball cards are, ...

The Eighth Lesson

Here is the eighth lesson of the King's College Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

8. The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there cam wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 'And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'"

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Matthew 2: 1-12

The Bobby Knight story

I've struggled with what I want to say about this silly Bobby Knight controversy that flashed since he, apparently revved up by the laughs and adulation of a bunch of folks back home again in Indiana, made up a crack on UK that its men's basketball starters two years ago weren't attending class. I struggled with what I wanted to say even in that first sentence. What a truly goofy thing to even focus on. It's who cares, on top of doesn't matter, on top of wasn't accurate. And yet here I am about to hit the return key to Paragraph 2 and keep blathering on.

I've very much disliked Bobby Knight most of my life. I was born in Evansville, Ind., but spent ages 5 through 18 in Paducah, Ky., from 1973 through '86. The result of being and doing in these particular times and places was that I was a huge UK-basketball fan who was forever ending up at Thanksgivings, Christmases, etc., feeling pressured to defend Joe B. Hall to folks who either felt completely certain that their coach was better, tougher, smarter and of more integrity than ours or, even worse, wished we had their guy instead of ours.

In the years since then, though, it has become easier to be a pro-Joe B/anti-Knight guy. For one thing, neither is now the flag-bearer for the UK-IU rivalry, and, besides, the rivalry itself isn't what it used to be.

Also, Joe B's record seems more impressive than it did when he retired in 1985, now that we saw that the talent level of the players coming to UK in the early 1980s wasn't as dreamy as we had all believed it to be and now that it has become clear just how hard it is to keep the Wildcats among the nation's elite teams. Plus, Joe B never took another coaching job; it turned out he really was the kid from Cynthiana who got to realize his dream, who rode that roller-coaster of blessing and curse for as long as he could and who has spent the rest of his life processing the enormity of the experience from behind a banker's desk, at a microphone or on the end of a fishing pole. And through his radio show, we've gotten to know a pretty darned lovable Joe B--amiable, willing to acknowledge his limitations and failures, seemingly non-angry over a relative lack of appreciation for his accomplishments, well-adjusted ... happy.

And Knight? Well, I've already acknowledged that I'm not the right guy to come to if you're looking for someone to give him a fair shake, but I think it is fair to say that we've moved a long, long way from the days when a "BOBBY KNIGHT FOR PRESIDENT" bumper sticker was on about every fourth pickup you saw on a rural-Indiana highway.

So then bubbles up this story, and it tempts every small part of myself. I am tempted to mock, to ridicule, to skewer. And I am not alone.

But, you know what? Today is Maundy Thursday, and it's high time to at least start acting like I've learned something from Jesus.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

The revolution to which Jesus calls me (in fact, calls you, too) begins in my heart--first personal, then hopefully corporate. The revolution will not be televised (in fact, if it is televised, that probably means I've picked the wrong revolution). And, a lot of times (in fact, maybe most of the time or all of the time), the acts resulting from the faith yielded by the revolution will not look tough, smart or of integrity--even among people I respect and love.

This is not some clever writing device to blow the little and particular into something big and sweeping. I really do think God gets down to all of the small, seemingly meaningless places that our little hearts and minds take us. Jesus taught his disciples about the kingdom of God and His ministry by telling stories about fishing, farming, cooking, parenting ... the most ordinary and common of stuff in their lives. I think Jesus is constantly meeting me in places like Bobby Knight, interstate merge lanes and office squabbles to get me to turn around and follow Him somewhere bigger.

And this is not some tactical, kill-him-with-kindness strategy to appear to put myself on the high road and Bobby Knight on the low. There are instances we are called to call out wrong, reckless and hurtful behavior, and, Bobby Knight, you were behaving wrongly, recklessly and hurtfully. But Jesus calls me to honestly, humbly love Bobby Knight, and that's where it gets hard. Not complicated, just hard.

And on this Maundy Thursday, I know in my heart that I'm struggling to do that. I know in my heart that I'm still inclined to betray Jesus and deny His call. Bobby Knight is the latest opportunity for me to turn around and follow.

What Josh Harrellson Taught Me About the Book of Matthew

In the 25th Chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. It's a doozy. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a rich man heading "into a far country." So he calls his servants. He gives one servant five talents. (A "talent" is a large sum of money.) He gives another two talents, and another one. According to Jesus, the talents were handed out "to every man according to his several ability."

And the rich guy knew what he was doing. Because the guy with five talents goes out and makes five more talents. The guy with two talents makes two more talents. And the guy with one talent just buries it in the ground.

When the rich guy returns, the first servant gives him ten talents and he is pleased ("Well done, thou good and faithful servant.") The second servant gives him four talents. ("Well done, thou good and faithful servant.") And the third servant comes in and says, "Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine." This goes very badly. The rich guy lets him have it ("thou wicked and unprofitable servant"). He takes the one talent and gives it to the ten-talent guy. And then he says, "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Now remember, this is what the kingdom of God is like.

It is not easy to reconcile this parable with the populist instinct. When I was a kid -- and even now -- my instinct is to feel sorry for the guy with one talent. He was certain that if he tried anything, he would certainly lose the talent, and then where would he be? What is so terrifying about this parable is that God will not let you play it safe. Staying on the sidelines is not an option. You have to win. That is a very tough message. God likes winners. For me, that's an even tougher message.

But watching Josh Harrellson this year, I'm beginning to see the point. We can argue over how much talent Harrellson really has (I know Eric thinks he's very talented) but it is clear that after three years of college, he had made almost no mark at all. And yet would any UK fan suggest that Coach Cal simply ignore Harrellson, and focus his coaching efforts entirely on five-talent guys like Brandon Knight? Of course not. When it comes to basketball, we know that it's not enough to make the good players better -- a good coach (like a Good Shepherd) insists that everybody gets better. This is not simply a moral issue; it's also very practical. There are some jobs (like guarding Jared Sullinger) that can only be done by Harrellson. If he's not up to the job, the whole team will fail -- no matter how well Knight and Jones play.

Viewed from this perspective, the parable of the talents not only makes sense, it actually comes across as common sense. No matter how poor your abilities may be, you owe it to everyone to do your best with what you have. If Harrellson had spent the whole year hiding his abilities on the grounds that he wasn't any good, all of us fans would have let him have it -- just like the rich guy goes after the man with one talent.

So I've decided to apply this lesson in my own life. I know a lot of brilliant and successful people, and it's easy to excuse my shortcomings on the grounds that I just can't do things that others can. But imagine poor old Harrellson getting dunked on day after day by Cousins last year. He had the same excuse, and Coach Cal wouldn't let him make it. So I'm going to try to give up that excuse as well. Instead of comparing myself to others, I will compare myself to my best self.

I thank Josh for the sermon.