Dimly Lit

John Piper has a terrific post at the Desiring God site regarding Christians and voting. It is easy to get caught up in the present and momentary in all areas of life and politics is no different. Piper’s exhortation is to follow the same principles set out in 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 in the area of voting:

The appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who
have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though
they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not
rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who
deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the
present form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

In others words, by all means do it, but only as if you’re not doing it. Confused? Read all of Piper’s post, it is an excellent reminder.

They said boy you just follow your heart
But my heart just led me into my chest
They said follow your nose
But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head
And they said boy you just follow your dreams
But my dreams were only misty notions
But the Father of hearts and the Maker of noses
And the Giver of dreams He’s the one I have chosen
And I will follow Him

I’ve been listening to Rich Mullins today. I don’t really listen to much Christian music, but the music and lyrics of Rich Mullins has been part of the soundtrack of my life since high school. I can only imagine the music he could have produced had he lived longer.

Lord, it’s hard to turn the other cheek
Hard to bless when others curse you
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be a man of peace
Lord, it’s hard, oh it’s hard,
You know it’s hard to be like Jesus
Don’t you know it’s hard, oh it’s hard,
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be like Jesus

And it’s hard to step out on them waves
Hard to walk beyond your vision
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be a man of faith
Lord, it’s hard (hard), Lord, it’s hard (so hard),
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be like Jesus
Don’t you know it’s hard (hard), oh it’s hard (yeah hard),
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be like Jesus

Thought I’d post a copy of what my meeting notes looked like from today.

Productive, no?

It’s late, I should go to bed. I keep telling myself that if I stay up, tomorrow won’t really come and I won’t have to go to work. It’s terrible to lie to one’s self, isn’t it?

As long as I’m scanning stuff, I tried to mind map a sermon once. Now I have no idea what this means or how to interpret it. I’m guessing mind-mapping takes practice.

I just came across this as I flipped through a journal from earlier this year.  That would be the organ at my church. I really need to pay more attention!

Heh…

Obama names his running mate…

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

en·nui Audio Help /?n?wi, ??nwi; Fr. ???nwi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ahn-wee, ahn-wee; Fr. ahn-nwee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom: The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.

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[Origin: 1660–70; < F: boredom; OF enui displeasure; see annoy]

—Synonyms listlessness, tedium, lassitude, languor.

On August 3rd, 2008 the great Russian novelist Aleksander Solzhenitsyn died at age 89. I don’t believe anyone did more to expose the horror of Stalinist Russia. His writing was beautiful, his descriptions moving.

John Piper points to this amazing quote from the Gulag Archipelago:

It was granted to me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and through all human hearts…. That is why I turn back to the years of my imprisonment and say, sometimes to the astonishment of those about me: “Bless you, prison!” I…have served enough time there. I nourished my soul there, and I say without hesitation: “Bless you, prison, for having been in my life!” (The Gulag Archipelago: 1918-1956, Vol. 2, 615-617).