The Meyer Minute

The Meyer Minute for August 7, 2023

Have you? I haven’t noticed any discussion on TV, radio, print, or the internet about being civil in conversation. But uncivil talk? There's plenty!

Some thoughts from Yehosuha ben Sira, a scribe in Jerusalem around 200 B.C. “In speaking there is glory and dishonor, and the tongue of a person is his downfall. Do not be called a whisperer, and do not lie in wait with your tongue” (5:13-14). “The one who reveals secrets has destroyed trust and will never find a friend for his soul” (27:16). “Curse gossips and the deceitful, for they have destroyed many who were at peace” (28:13). “Knowledge of evil is not wisdom” (19:22). “There is one who keeps silent, being found wise, and there is one who is hated because of much talk. There is one who keeps silent, for he has nothing to answer, and there is one who keeps silent because he knows the opportune time” (20:5-6).

You can find the “Wisdom of Sirach” in Bibles that contain the apocrypha, books not accepted as canonical but useful and still printed in some Bibles. How we talk is discussed in other ancient extra-biblical literature. In the Bible too. Jesus: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matthew 5:37).  Of all sins we commit – and Sirach says, “Who has not sinned with his tongue?” (19:16) – the sins of unguarded talk might be the worst. That is suggested by the order of the Ten Commandments. The First Commandment, loving God above all else, takes place within us, in our heart, mind, and spirit. What’s in our deepest being, shows itself in… Second Commandment…the way we speak. From the second through the tenth, our speech often breaks all the commandments.

“Upon your lips, then, lay your hand, / And trust His guiding love;

Then like a rock your peace shall stand / Here and in heav’n above.”

(Lutheran Service Book, 737:7)

“If you blow a spark, it will be kindled, and if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come from your mouth” (Sirach 28:12; cf. James 3:9-12). From our mouth to God’s ears. “In all your words remember your end” (7:36).

The Meyer Minute for August 4, 2023

“The rage for objection, which disorders their imaginations and judgments.” Isn’t that what we see almost every time we turn to the news? Dueling words over the indictment of a former president, accusations against the current president, other partisan battles when the defense and well-being of the country are at stake… “The rage for objection” that drives partisans also affects how we simple citizens see things, disordering also our own “imaginations and judgments.”

The quotation comes from Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper number 78, 85 essays written by several Founding Fathers arguing for the adoption of the new Constitution of the United States. Letter 78 is about the judiciary, which Hamilton said, while subject to flaws, “is in continual jeopardy of being overpowered, awed or influenced by its coordinate branches.” Do we see that today? What we should see, Hamilton said, are the courts as “the citadel of the public justice and the public security.”

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). Paul tells us. “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)? That includes honoring and praying for our judges. They also are, “God’s servant for your good” (Romans 13:4). “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” (1 Peter 2:13).

A prayer in 1947 by Senate Chaplain John Marshall seems appropriate. “Our Father, we in this place are weighed down by the problems of our nation and of our world. Convict us of our share of personal responsibility for the situation in which we find ourselves. May we confess our part in creating our dilemmas, lest we feel no obligation to solve them. Help us to quit waiting for the other fellow to change his attitude and his ways, lest we never give Thee the chance for which Thou has been waiting to change us. This we ask in the lovely name of Him who came to change us all, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The Meyer Minute for August 2, 2023

A rerun this rainy day in St. Louis. Wisdom from a Mother Superior of the 17^th century:  

“Lord, you know better than I know myself that I am growing older, and will someday be old. Keep me from getting talkative, and particularly form the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

“Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Keep my mind from the recital of endless details—give me wings to come to the point.

“I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others’ pains. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains—they are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. Help me to endure them with patience.

“I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally it is possible that I may be mistaken.

“Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint—some of them are so hard to live with—but a sour old woman is one of the crowning works of the devil.

“Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

“Make me thoughtful—but not moody: helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, but thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Amen.” (For All the Saints, IV, 796).

The Meyer Minute for July 31, 2023

From my online reading this weekend, “Why the World, and the Church, Rejects the Message of Jesus.” Author Keith Giles wrote, “The Church seems to think that his (Jesus’) message – the Gospel – was all about dying on the cross so that God could forgive your sins and give you a ticket to heaven. That’s not even close to what Jesus actually talked about.” Giles says the Good News is about the Kingdom of God, and since “everyone is already in God’s Kingdom, we don’t need religious systems to experience it.” Much to disagree with but this article from Patheos is a challenge to how we understand church.

“Why Did So Many People Stop Going to Church?” This article from The Atlantic reflects on a new book, “The Great Dechurching.” “The book suggests that the defining problem driving out most people who leave is…just how American life works in the 21^st century. Contemporary America simply isn’t set up to promote mutuality, care, or common life. Rather, it is designed to maximize individual accomplishment as defined by professions and financial success.” Like the Patheos article but in a way I find more welcome, this article suggests we reexamine how we do church. “What is more needed in our time than a community marked by sincere love, sharing what they have from each according to their ability and to each according to their need, eating together regularly, generously serving neighbors, and living lives of quiet virtue and prayer?”

Finally, from Religious News Service: “As churches shrink and old pastors retire, seminaries remake themselves on the fly.” Oh, I could write a book on this one! “The clergy job market is a train wreck.” Says one bishop, “The problem is not that we have a shortage of pastors. We have a shortage of congregations that can pay a full-time pastor the way they used to.” My question: What’s going on in congregational life that so many churches are shrinking? How many denominations are still living in the 20^th century, or sometimes in my circles the 16^th century? And I am NOT suggesting we change what the Word of God truly teaches.

The Word teaches that Jesus Christ is the ascended and reigning Lord, not only of the Church but also over the Church. He has promised to come in judgment of us all.

The Meyer Minute for July 28, 2023

Last Saturday afternoon I was watching TV when the doorbell rang. Two men on the porch. “Oh, oh. I’m an evangelism target.” “Can we speak with you?” “Sure,” and as I stepped out, I saw another duo going up the sidewalk to our neighbors. “Yup, our block is an evangelism target.”

“We noticed your nicely landscaped front yard,” said the lead talker. Nice compliment, I thought, but how are you going to hit me up on religion? “Do you ever think there will be an end to suffering?” “Yes,” I said, “when we go to heaven.” I didn’t hide my faith or my Bible knowledge, but it became apparent this was not a genuine conversation. They were programmed to deliver their spiel.  

“Do you think that God causes suffering?” They wanted “No,” but I said, “Sometimes, yes.” I quoted, “Whom the Lord loves, He chastens” (Hebrews 12:6). God eventually will take everything away from us. That hurts, but it’s His fatherly love drawing us closer to Himself and Jesus. It’s throughout the Bible, I said, but this wasn’t a sincere dialogue about God.

I decided to go on offence and asked, “How are we saved?” The younger, quieter man said, “Believing in Jesus and doing good works.” “No, that’s not what the Bible teaches,” and I did the Ephesians 2:8-10 thing. Good works result from being saved by grace through faith. I don’t know if I planted a seed. I seemed to be sowing on rocky ground. God knows.

Two thoughts in retrospect. They quoted Scripture from their smart phones. “Put the blank thing down and quote from your head,” I said. They didn’t know Scripture very well. Second, I should have pressed them more on Jesus, the One who did suffer at the will of God to save us. Jesus was incidental to their pitch about Jehovah. For me, two main takeaways: Make Jesus central. Know Scriptures from memory.

Many years ago, our block was similarly targeted. Our neighbor Angie said, “Go two doors up. That’s where the Lutheran minister lives. Talk to him.”

The Meyer Minute for July 26, 2023

Triple digit heat here, also throughout our country and world. That got Diane and me reminiscing about our childhood days without air conditioning. Sleeping on the floor near the screen door, hand fans in church to cool yourself, and many more memories. Is today’s excessive heat and weather caused by climate change? I’d be foolish to say “no.” If my stewardship of my property, if the practices of businesses and communities can harm the environment, why can’t 8 billion people on earth harm our climate?

That said, times of excessive heat, drought and famine are recorded in the Bible. I pulled out a prayer book from the 1800’s by Johann Friedrich Starck, and sure enough, the table of contents includes, “The Believing Christian Prays to God during Continuous Hot Weather and Drought.” What Starck wrote is very enlightening. “As it is a great mercy of God when He sends the needed rain for a land, so it is, on the other hand, a grievous and severe punishment when He withholds rain, and smites a land with drought and a season of hot weather. God permits this punishment to overtake men when they sin against Him, and do not walk in His commandments. This punishment is just as it is severe and sharp. For how wretched and pitiable everything looks when the rain fails, and heat and drought become oppressive!” (Dau, 526).

Starck’s analysis is that mankind’s sin causes God to withhold favorable weather. The way forward is to ask God for forgiveness and change the way we live. That’s standard Christian confession, absolution, and amendment of life. Proponents of climate change also blame human conduct and say we must change the way we live, but their analysis is secular, without God. They interpret reality scientifically; old Starck also interprets reality theologically. Our stewardship of God’s creation has often been sinful and to our own harm, we confess, God forgives for Jesus’ sake, but now we strive to be better stewards of the planet God has given us.

We amend our ways in hope. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd” (Revelation 7:16-17).

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The Meyer Minute for July 21, 2023

“It is what it is.” Ever said that? Something bad, sinful, evil happens, your righteous anger rises, but you realize you can’t do anything about it. Happens in the church too. Sinful conduct by church members, church leaders on power trips, church factions using resolutions against other members of the body of Christ… I’m resigned. It is what it is.

Jesus puts it in perspective. In Sunday’s Gospel, He tells a parable about a man who sowed good seed (that’s the Word of God), but his enemy (that’s the devil) came at night and sowed weeds. Don’t we sincere followers of Jesus see evil all around us? Some servants want to root out the weeds. Destroy those wrongdoers! Purify the church! “No,” says the Master, “lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest…” It is what it is now, but be assured, the “harvest” is coming.

God’s good judgment is promised. “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). It’s not for us to usurp God’s judgment. It’s for use to receive and grow in the Word of the Gospel, to share it with the “weeds” around us, and put our hope in the ultimate triumph of God.

Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs: “The ongoing presence of sin and evil that shocks and shatters our Christian communities is just that: the presence of sin and evil. People who publicly confess the Gospel also fight and quarrel with one another, all too often unjustifiably. The church militant seems to be the only army that shoots its own wounded. Pastors and leaders are seduced by power and show themselves to be great hypocrites. It is not hard to become disheartened and discouraged. One may be tempted to decide simply to protect oneself and to withdraw. Yet the hope remains. The day is coming. It will be the Son of Man’s day, and his angels will do the sorting. God may seem slow, but He is never late.” (Concordia Commentary, 711)

The Meyer Minute for July 19, 2023

Television commercials can be dangerous to Christian faith. I could offer many examples but let’s think of one. A man goes into his bathroom, opens the door of the medicine chest, and surprise, there’s the My Pillow guy. I trust you’ve seen this commercial; it’s constantly on. Here’s what’s insidious about the commercial. Both the man and Mr. Lindell are wearing crosses around their necks. The crosses are in the center of the screen; you can’t miss them. What message does that TV image send? This: the cross is our company’s brand to sell products. If you’re Christian, you should buy from us. The cross, historically an offense to people, an instrument of torture and political power, has now become a marketing brand.

On the other hand, let’s say you’re looking for someone to do a job done around the house. Your eyes come upon an advertisement from a plumber, electrician, contractor, lawn service, whomever, that includes a small fish, an early Christian symbol. What does that signal? It might simply mean, “I share your faith. I’ll be honest and treat you as Christ would have us deal with one another.” Fine. On the other hand, the fish, like the cross, might be a self-serving marketing brand. God alone searches the businessman's heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Christian consumers need discernment that only Scripture can give.  

Think of the cross as a sign. When the Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus, “they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, ‘When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah’” (Matthew 16:1-4). The sign of Jonah is that Jesus died, was buried for three days, and rose again.

What we often see, not only in commercials but in daily life, is the weakness and suffering of the cross corrupted into a brand to promote myself, my business, my politics, my church.

The Meyer Minute for July 17, 2023

Thursday I had the privilege of serving as guest chaplain and offering the opening prayer for the U.S. Senate. Permanent chaplains for the Senate and House date back to the earliest days of our country. They are available for spiritual conversation to the members of Congress, their families, and staffs. The Chaplain of the Senate also serves the Capitol Hill Police. They oversee the prayers that open the daily sessions of each chamber, and lead Bible study groups.  Think about the numbers and you see these chaplains have significant responsibilities. Chaplains Black (Senate) and Kibben (House) deserve our prayers for their ministries.

What about the line between Church and State? My instructions from Chaplain Black: “The purpose of the opening prayer is to seek God on behalf of, and for, the Senators. Your prayer should affirm our rich heritage as a Nation “under God,” knowing that He is sovereign Lord of this Nation. We recognize the separation of Church (sectarianism) and State but affirm the historic American tradition that there is no separation between God and State.” My prayer:

O God, Your eternal being is beyond our comprehension. We are but creatures of a day. The magnificence of these buildings in which senators and their staffs serve, these monumental buildings we Americans visit, are sacred spaces. In silent splendor they testify to the mercies You have bestowed upon this nation in generations past. May they inspire in us a passion that our stewardship of this republic will serve Your good will and purposes for many years to come.  

Jesus said, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.” He gave His life in selfless service so that all people might experience Your goodness in their lives. Such service, pure service untainted by thoughts of self, is difficult, indeed impossible. We ask You to descend upon this chamber with Your grace, grace received in honest confession that my time, our time, is fleeting.  Unless You build the house, we labor in vain. We cannot achieve justice, we cannot embrace mercy unless we walk humbly with You.

O eternal God, You alone endure from generation to generation. Help us to be faithful stewards of this trust. In Your holy and revealed Name we pray. Amen.

The Meyer Minute for June 30, 2023

I was at the coffee shop again yesterday, and a friend happened by. We had a short chat. Retired a few years ago, he was lamenting the sad state of our world. I agreed.

Lowell Weicker died Wednesday. He had spent 30 years in public life on behalf of Connecticut, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a three-term Senator, and a one term governor. He came to national attention for his role on the Watergate Committee. “In a 2012 interview with Connecticut magazine, Mr. Weicker was asked what was harder: being a senator, being a governor or being retired. ‘I think probably being retired,’ he said. ‘To sit here and watch this world go by – and this world is having a tough time – and I can’t do anything about it.’” (New York Times, June 29; A20).

I get that. For millennia people worked and died. In our modern times we work, retire, and may live for decades in relatively good health, but what’s our purpose in retirement? Conventional wisdom wants you to believe that retirement is an end-of-life vacation, but when you’re on vacation, sooner or later you want to get back to work. I see so many things that could be improved in church and society, but as Mr. Weicker said, “I can’t do anything about it.”  

Retirement is truly “come to Jesus time.” The 20^th century was filled with optimism that things were getting better, but things aren’t getting better. Read Ecclesiastes. These days the differences between the ways of the world and the ways of God are clearer than ever before in our lifetimes. And when I look at the hypocrisies of the institutional church, yes, I enjoyed my work but no, I’m done. In these years I want to know Jesus more deeply than my church has taught me. Retirement is an intensive course in studying for eternity.

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).