The Meyer Minute

The Meyer Minute for August 31, 2011

“I…state your name…do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.”  Had you been elected to office in Delaware in the late 1700’s, the state constitution required you to take that oath before assuming office.  So-called “religious test oaths” were also required in Georgia, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee.

So it’s significant, though scarcely remembered, that yesterday, August 30^th in 1787, Charles Pinckney of South Carolina introduced an amendment to Article VI of the proposed federal constitution: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”  It passed and is now part of our United States Constitution.

We easily forget the extent of the blessings handed down by our founding fathers.  I write this because there are some in the media who are suggesting that the religious beliefs of some candidates for president should effectively disqualify them from office.  James Madison wrote, “We cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us.”  (in John Witte, Jr., “Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment,” pp. 46-47).

 

The Meyer Minute for August 30, 2011

Hurricane Irene has left.  I keep thinking about the old song.  “Irene, goodnight.  Irene, goodnight.  Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams.”

Millions are seeing Irene in their dreams, Irene the nightmare.    My extensive scholarly research… not really, I just went to Wikipedia, reveals the song has been recorded about 30 times.  The first was in 1934 by some performer named “Lead Belly;” the last in 2009 by “Deer Tick.”  “Deer Tick?”  What strikes me is that disaster, troubles and suffering come again and again and again, just like all the performances of “Good Night, Irene.”

How we receive suffering reveals much about our faith.  It’s like looking in a mirror.  “This is unfair; this shouldn’t happen to me,” says we have some righteousness, some merit before God.  Taking it, granted no one wants to suffer, but taking it as someone who has no inherent righteousness before God reveals someone totally passive, ready for God’s grace to His fallen, weak creatures.  Does suffering make you assert your righteousness before God…or your dependence?

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”

The Meyer Minute for August 29, 2011

I'm thinking how hard it can be to give up work.  I know, some of you retired people will say you don't know when you ever found time to go work; you're so busy now.  You repositioned, became an active retiree.  Good for you!  That's fine for the time being but even the works of an active retirement must one day be given up.  How do you prepare yourself to face that day with calm? 

In Genesis 1:26 God gave Adam dominion over the earth.  We exercise that dominion through our labor.  Whether pre- or post- retirement, the work you do is fulfilling the command to subdue the earth.  It's like sitting on a throne, being lord over your little corner of the workaday world.  But sooner or later THE Lord is going to come and claim all our little thrones.  Be it by retirement, layoff, disability, or finally death, God reminds us that the dominion is His and we are only creatures of a day, dependent upon His grace.  When you practice daily rest from labor and quiet Bible reading and meditation before your Creator and Redeemer, you are preparing yourself for the day when you must give it up.

"In repentance and rest is your salvation.  In quietness and confidence is your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)

The Meyer Minute for August 26, 2011

Steve Jobs resigned Wednesday as the CEO of Apple.  “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know.  Unfortunately that day has come.” 

There are various reasons why an older person leaves work.  Those of us who are older but still working know the day is coming, whatever the reason.  How do you prepare your heart and spirit for that day when you put, or are forced to put your working career behind you?

Spiritual preparation is of utmost importance.  “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work.”  (Exodus 20:9-10)  By that commandment, God tells us that the time of work comes to an end.  Taking regular time to rest teaches that we have a life apart from work, and that life has its greatest value from God’s gifts.  “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith…not by works.”  (Ephesians 2:9)  Use your time off this weekend to meditate on the day when you will have to lay down your work for good.  More about this on Monday.

 

The Meyer Minute for August 25, 2011

Coming up, the 10-year anniversary of 9-11 and, of course, controversy.  Would you expect anything else?  Mayor Michael Bloomberg is being criticized for not including clergy in New York ceremonies.  “This is America,” said the deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani.  “To have a memorial service where there’s no prayer, this appears to be insanity to me.  I feel like America has lost its way.”

When many of us grew up, the Christian church had a privileged place in society.  Maybe you didn’t go to church on Sunday mornings but you knew that was the place to be.  Christian prayers at public gatherings, Ten Commandments displayed without controversy, and a Christian understanding of what it meant to be “one nation under God.”  That was then.

Today the exclusion of clergy from the 9-11 is another demonstration that the church no longer has a privileged place in our public life.  Good or bad, it is what it is.  At the end of the day, each of us must personally answer Jesus’ haunting question, “Who do you say that I am?”  “If any of you are ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”  (Luke 9:26)

The Meyer Minute for August 24, 2011

This is a day to remember America is not invincible, that enemies can defeat us.  On this date, August 24th in 1812, the British army marched on Washington D.C.  At Bladensburg the British defeated the American militiamen, even though the British were outnumbered.  With nothing between the British and the capital, President James Madison and the government fled the city.

Stop and picture that, the President of the United States and government officials fleeing the capital.

When snipers in Washington killed four British soldiers, orders were given to destroy the White House and Capital.  Writes Robert Rimini, "The burning of the House (of Representatives) chamber was especially severe.  All the mahogany furniture was piled high in the room and ignited with rocket fuel.  The blaze consumed everything but the outer walls."  (The House, p. 98)

Stop and picture that, the Capitol burning.

Was it just luck or was it divine Providence when a violent rain storm came and put out the fires?  One Washingtonian called it a "hurricane".

"I urge, then, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

The Meyer Minute for August 23, 2011

The Associated Press reported two stories to make us think.  “Suing the Devil” is a new movie about a law student who sues the devil but gets quite a surprise when the devil shows up to cross examine.  Malcolm McDowell plays the devil.  He said, “I guess I’m a Christian.  I was baptized in the Church of England, but I really don’t know what that means anymore.”  Doesn’t sound like he has a substantial faith, does it?

The second AP story: After surveying the data, Professor Mark Chaves concludes, “Americans have less trust in and growing dissatisfaction with religious leaders….. Religion is still a powerful force in American life, especially for those who remain regular practitioners.  But the number of people who belong to no religious group has grown substantially.”

Zechariah chapter 3 tells a story about the devil accusing a sinner.  Read it and you see the sinner was guilty, the devil had him dead to rights, but the Lord forgave the sinner.  Baptized Christians know God’s forgiveness comes to us through Jesus Christ.  In last Sunday’s Gospel Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?”  (Matthew 16:15)  More and more Americans don’t know what our faith means.  More and more we’re like jello melting on a paper plate at a hot summer picnic.

The Meyer Minute for August 22, 2011

Life in the institutional church can sometimes be, at least in my opinion, confining and cramped.  Still, it’s through the institutional church that I and my family have learned about Jesus and, flawed as it may be, the earthly church keeps Jesus in front of us.  A survey showed that many church people come across as know-it-alls to 18-29 year olds. (“UnChristian” by David Kinnamon)  There’s a good antidote for that and for the sometimes numbing effect of the institutional church.

 

One day while vacationing at Arcadia, Michigan, I awoke before dawn, went outside and became fascinated by an especially bright star.  Thank heaven for the app Google Sky.  No star at all but the planet Jupiter lifting my gaze.  Wow!  At its closest, Jupiter is 365 million miles from earth.  Back home, I keep rising early to go into the dark and meditate on the grandeur of the solar system.  “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place.  Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?  Can you loosen Orion’s belt?  Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons?”  (Job 38:3, 12, 31, 32)

 

Want some awe in your faith life?  Get up early and look high in the southeastern sky. 

The Meyer Minute for August 19, 2011

Last Tuesday several professors got together with Rev. Walter Obare, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya.  What is it, someone asked, that Kenyans find most appealing in the Christian faith?  He said a sense of protection.  A black cat crosses your path.  You convert from Islam to Christianity and therefore could be killed.  Kenyans know fear and yearn for protection.

 

Aren't we their brothers and sisters?  The Dow was down 420 points yesterday.  Fears of another recession are increasing.  Someone you love is growing distant.  Loss of independence and the frailties of age are terrifying.  What's to become of me? What's to become of me?

 

1 Peter 1 praises "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" for giving us hope and the promise of heaven "for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith."  The image from Greek is protection within a fortress.  Your faith, that is, trusting the promises of God in the Bible, is the way God surrounds you with His protection.  Oh, things will happen and we do get afraid but the promises of God's Word are our fortress. 

 

Accept chaos.  Give back calm.  Provide hope.  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore, we will not fear." (Psalm 46:1)

The Meyer Minute for August 18, 2011

We spent our vacation at a camp in Arcadia Michigan.  It's a dream location, right on Lake Michigan, surrounded by sand dunes, but...lousy cell phone service, no internet for guests, and only one TV.  The buzz all week?  Campers shared with one another the places where they discovered e-connectibility.

Walter Kim wrote in "The New York Times Magazine" about Americans not taking vacations.  Some countries legally mandate paid leave, like France requiring 30 days, Sweden 25 days, and Canada 10.  The U.S. requires no paid vacation.  If we do go someplace, we have our laptops, iPhones and Blackberries handy so we can remain in touch with work.  That's a vacation???  Kirn says the conventional wisdom is that we are "increasingly reluctant to pause from (our) labors and refresh our souls."  (Augus 5; 11-12)

That is precisely why we do need vacations...and we need time off every week and hours free for ourselves every day.  Being conscious of work 24/7 crowds grace out of your heart.  You become addicted to working and become undisciplined to the spiritual practice of consciously receiving the gifts God gives.  Do you imagine that shutting out grace for the sake of work now will save you at the end of life?

"Our heart is restless until it rests in Thee".  (Augustine, "Confessions," 1.1)