Christian?

When people say “I am a Christian”, what do they really mean? I was looking at a 2021 survey of Millennials (which includes Gen Z adults), and found some very interesting statistics on Millennials, who say they are Christian, view God. The percentages were surprising. It confirms I live in a Christian bubble and I have not realized how much the world has changed, even though I have been interested in declining church attendance among the younger generations for over 20 years. 40% of Millennials do not know if God exists, or do not believe that God exists, or do not care whether God exists. 40% have effectively written off God. 57% of Millennials say they are Christian. Of those 57%, only 46% agree that God is “all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect, just creator of the universe, who rules the universe today”. I would have hoped that statement would have had 100% agreement for those who say they are “Christian”.

So if only 46% Millennial “Christians” give the Christian answer of who God is, what do the other Millennial “Christians” think God is? 6% “don’t know”. 1% say “there is no such thing as God”, and 22% agree with the statement that “a higher power may exist; nobody knows for certain”. That is 29% of Millennial “Christians” that doubt the existence of God. They are part of that 40%. To continue, there are 4% who say “Everyone is god”; 15% who have a new age take saying “God refers to the total realization of personal, human potential or a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach”; and 7% who agree that “there are many gods, each with different purposes and authority”. Those responses are from all who claim to be Christian. The word “Christian” does not have the traditional biblical meaning for many people. (An interesting aside is that 31% of “Non-Christian” Millennials gave the correct Christian answer from the choices to who God is.) I believe that for many Americans saying that one is a “Christian” is the same as saying “I am a good person”.

And I believe this is also true for other generations. It is just more pronounced for the younger generations as America has become more and more a post-Christian nation. This is made clear in the percentage of people with a biblical worldview. Only 4% of Millennials have a biblical worldview. It is 6% for Gen X, 8% for Boomers, and 9% for Builders. There are not all that many with a biblical worldview, but the decline is also clearly seen. So what is the worldview that these generations have? The dominant worldview for each generation is the same (from 83% to 89%). It is Syncretism. Syncretism is the amalgamation (or patchwork) of different religions or worldviews. In this case, it is the worldview where you pick and choose what you want to believe in. For the Millennials and Gen X’ers, they tend to pick their concepts from the Moralistic Therapeutic Deism worldview. For the Boomers and the Builders, they tend to pick from the Biblical Theism worldview. The Create-Your-Own worldview has always been popular. The difference is as the Christian influence wanes through the generations, the younger ones are less likely to pick and choose from Biblical Theism. Still the dominant worldview for each generation is not a biblical worldview.

The end result for Millennials is that most of them are searching for purpose in their life, and a majority of them often have bouts of depression and anxiety. They want to belong, so many of them have connected with what I call the latest social contagion, that is they identify with or as LGBTQ. The table below lays out the percentages. They are hurting. They want a good life, but today’s cultural influences and forces have left them lacking. Their patchwork worldview does not handle reality the way it should. It is sad that 40% of them have effectively written off the existence of God and the Christian Faith, because I have a full and abundant life because of Jesus. I think a lot of their problems would be solved if they would turn and embrace God.

Thinking about your commitments, would you describe yourself as …	Percentage of those who answer “Yes”
Searching for purpose in your life	75%
Believing all religious faiths are of equal value	74%
An American patriot	55%
Often feel anxious, depressed or unsafe	54%
Deeply committed to practicing your faith	52%
Prefer socialism to capitalism	48%
LGBTQ	30% but39% for Gen Z only

Note a Gallup poll that was taken at roughly the same time put LGBTQ Millennials at 9% and LGBTQ Gen Z’ers at 16%. I believe the difference may be in the way this survey worded the question. This survey question may show more of the support for LGBTQ cause as opposed to their own sexual preference. It may be some of them are identifying with LGBTQ cause but not identifying as a LGBTQ person. Whatever the case is, both surveys show a large uptick in LGBTQ identification among the younger generations. I believe it is about identity. They want to know who they are and gender identity is the big issue in today’s culture, so they identify with LGBTQ. If they don’t effectively write off God (like 40% have done), they can find their identity as forgiven and loved children of God. That identity has been a solid rock for me.

My takeaway from this post is that we live in a very different world from 50 years ago. We, older Christians, need to recognize the change and not assume nothing has changed. The world has changed significantly and Christians need to realize that the world they live in today is in many ways more like the world first century Christians lived in than the world from 50 years ago. We need to get out of our Christian bubble and reach out to those hurting because of a false worldview. And we need to support the real Christian Millennials. It is rough out there for them in this very post-Christian world.

Praise God for Jesus’ Resurrection!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)

All Christians, praise God for his great mercy! Though we were dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1-3), he has made us alive in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7). We have been born again (John 3:3-8). We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). We have a living hope, a great expectation (Romans 15:13), because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-10).

All this is already ours today. We have been born again. We are a new creation. God has made us alive. Because of his resurrection, through baptism, we can walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). If we have been raised with Christ, we can set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-4) and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:5-8). It is by God’s grace we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8-9) to be his workmanship so we can do good (Ephesians 2:10). Because of Jesus, the Kingdom of God is here now (Luke 17:20-21 and Matthew 12:28), and we are empowered to serve in the Kingdom of God as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

And yet at the same time the Kingdom of God is not fully realized. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we have this living hope, this great expectation, of a certain future. Jesus in rising from the dead was the firstfruit of those who died in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20) and he is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). His resurrection makes our rising from the dead a certainty. We can live life knowing that an inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4-5) that waits for us. It will be a wonderful life with a full enjoyment of God’s gifts and a fully restored relationship with God (Revelation 7:9-17). We will be free from sin and its brokenness (1 John 3:1-3), able to live life to its fullness as it was originally meant to be.

But today we are in an “already but not yet” state. Today we live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:1-7 and Hebrews 11:1). We are already a new creation and yet we sin and keep on doing what is wrong (Romans 7:18-19). We are already living an eternal life (John 3:16) but death still exists (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). So we wait for Jesus’ second coming when all God’s promises will be fully realized and everything will be made right. Today we live knowing that Jesus is our resurrection and life (John 11:25-26). It is all about Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)

PS This post was inspired in part by Timothy Keller’s book, “Hope in Times of Fear: The Resurrection and the Meaning of Easter”.

PPS Check out this Bible Project video on Jesus’ resurrection as recorded by Luke.

Are You Okay?

I remember the phrase “I’m okay, you’re okay”. It was a popular phrase in the 1970’s and 80’s. It originates with a 1967 self-help book. The phrase took on a life of its own, and has been used to promote self-esteem, especially in children. I think the phrase is still in use today to promote self-esteem, but for many people, in practice, I think it has become “I’m okay but you are not okay”. People today seem to feel that they are pretty good and have it together most of the time, but those they disagree with are not okay. Those disagreeable people have been misled and/or have serious issues. They must not be okay. I think that is a common way of thinking today.

People today look around and blame today’s problems and the problems we experience on cultural influences and other people with serious problems. These are problem people, who we believe by our own definition, do not want to do things the way we want them done. Today’s “enlightened” people believe it is wrong thinking and wrong societal ideas that are creating the problems, which can be found in societal structures of domination and oppression (Critical Theory). It can not be our fault because we are okay, relatively good, so we look outside ourselves to locate the problems. Even though there are cultural influences and other people creating problems, the real core problem is inside each and every one of us.

Here is the reality. Each and every one of us is not okay. We all have our problems. We all are broken. Some people want us to embrace our brokenness and say that is just who we are. I do not think it is a good idea to deny or embrace self destructive behavior. I believe our brokenness is self destructive and it is also not good for others. The fact is I am not okay. I am not good or good enough. I have my problems. I have my issues. My brokenness is not healthy for me and for others. And since it is true of everyone, that is why the world is as messed up as it is.

If you pull back the curtain and look deep inside you, you will find that you are a self centered selfish person whose ego is focused on yourself. Whether you are feeling good about yourself or despairing, the focus is on you. Even when you try to be generous and giving, that self centeredness is still there. That self centeredness corrupts everything. That is the core problem with you and the world. Christians have a name for that condition and for all the wrong doing and wrong thinking. It is called sin. We are left in a pretty hopeless situation.

But there is hope. Though we can not solve the problem, God, the Creator of the universe and of us, can. Because he loves each and every one of us, he has sent Jesus to us as the solution. Jesus came to Earth and was born. He grew up and lived a perfect life. He died on a cross as a payment for our sin, and then he rose again so that we may have a full life in him. That full life in Jesus empowers Christians, those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, to work for a better life for all, and one day we, Christians, will live eternally with him in a world without sin. Today it is clear that we are not okay, but God still fully and completely loves each and every one of us, so it is okay.

That is what the Bible says. Below is from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans.

Everyone is a sinner and needs God’s salvation. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
The consequence of sin is death, but God offers salvation for free. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
In love, Jesus Christ took our place and died for our sins. He paid the price for us. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
It is through faith that we receive salvation and eternal life. “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
Because of Jesus Christ, our relationship with God has been restored. We are no longer condemned by our sin. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) and “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Father God, Thank you for saving me because of all that Jesus has done. I am yours. Forgive me, cleanse me, and restore me for I am broken, a sinner in need of your forgiveness. Thank you for that forgiveness and for your love, mercy, and grace. Let your Holy Spirit enable me to live a full life dedicated to you. I ask this because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. He is Lord and Savior! Amen!

The Global Supply Chain

We take so much for granted. I am again surprised to find out how much our economy is dependent on materials or manufacturing halfway around the world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing more supply chain problems. Ukraine supplies about 50% of the world’s neon gas (and about 40% of the world’s krypton gas). Neon gas is used in lasers for making computer chips. The two neon producing Ukrainian companies have halted neon production. Ukraine is also a significant exporter of wheat. We live in an interconnected and global economy.

The global supply chain has been a wonderful blessing in many ways. Take a look at all the fresh produce on our grocery shelves. I think of the bananas we have year round. They are not local and usually grown outside of America. And the berries we can get anytime of the year. Much of the produce in winter was grown thousands of miles away. Some produce is local or from storage, but a lot of produce is shipped to us from far away. The global supply chain has allowed us to enjoy some of these luxuries. Our companies these days have greatly benefited from the global supply chain, and it has allowed our companies to become more efficient, but it also has created some vulnerabilities.

We were made acutely aware of these vulnerabilities during the covid pandemic and it showed how fragile the supply chain really is. To illustrate, I remember learning that when I ordered a new laptop, the order was sent to China and parts from various suppliers around the world were assembled according to my specifications before being shipped to me. And in days I had the laptop. It was a smooth fast process that was quite efficient. This is known as just-in-time or lean manufacturing. However, there were signs of supply chain fragility. I remember in 2011 the floods in Thailand caused hard drive production to drop 28%. That affected the delivery and price of laptops.

Today, the computer chip industry is still trying to get back to operating at full capacity, and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine will slow the recovery of the computer chip industry. The supply chain, though quick and efficient, is fragile. All that is needed is for one supplier or service provider to have problems and the rest of the supply chain is in trouble. The covid pandemic caused multiple failures to the supply chain and that ground everything to a halt. I do not think it will be that severe in this case but there will be an effect on computer chip production.

Also with a global economy, prices tend to get set globally. This is especially true of crude oil. The price of gas here depends on the global oil price, and this is why prices here have been soaring due to fears of a Russian oil shortage even though America does not import much Russian oil. And I believe we have many other products whose price is based on the global market. We live in a global economy. Our economy depends on events that happen around the world. Some products are more affected by the global events than others, but one should expect supply chain disruptions to occur now and then.

Companies need to be resilient and flexible to manage these disruptions. Toyota, after Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami, put together a huge database of suppliers, suppliers’ suppliers and suppliers’ suppliers’ suppliers. They asked themselves what were the strategic items they needed to stockpile. They were trying to become more resilient. I believe short term profit taking is what has made the global supply chain so fragile. There needs to be some longer term thinking to deal with these disruptions, so that there is a more robust and resilient response.

How flexible and resilient are you? How about the companies you depend on?

Fear and Anxiety

Fear and anxiety seem to be a big part of today’s society. Questions abound! What is happening to society? Will I die from Covid-19? Will the Democrats usher in communism? Will the Republicans put into place a theocracy? Will the other party take away my freedoms? Will I be a victim of a crime? Will I be killed because of the color of my skin? Will I be able to pay my rent? Will global warming spell the end of the human race? And there are many more concerns.

There is an element of truth in most of these concerns. What makes for an effective lie is to have a kernel of truth and then blow it out of proportion by adding falsehoods to it. That leads to anxiety and irrational fears. Today there are many people who are promoting fear. They use fear to promote their agenda, to sell advertisements, to sell products, and/or to dehumanize others. The end result is stress because we become anxious about things that may or may not happen.

Fear is not always a bad thing. You do not step in front of a speeding car. You do not run off a 200 foot cliff. Fear of getting hurt should prevent you from these stupid acts. You demonstrate fear and respect for the speeding car and for the 200 foot cliff. However, it is irrational to not be able to walk up to an edge of a cliff. Also it is irrational not to be able to cross any street because of the fear of getting hit. Both of these actions can be done in a safe manner.

In the same way, it is good to fear God and to give him the respect, awe, and reverence he deserves. When Isaiah found himself in the presence of God, he cried out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…”. And that he was and because of his sin he was right to fear God. And yet forgiveness was spoken to him in the words, “your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for”. The same is true of us. We are lost in our sin, and yet God desires to forgive us and bring us back to him. We turn to him as forgiven children of God and are told not to be afraid.

God is our foundation, our rock, in this frightening world we live in. We need not fear and be anxious about the happenings in the world. God is at work in the world, redeeming it and there will be a day when Jesus will come back and make all things right. Though we can go through some tough times, when we may wonder where God is, know that God works all things for good for those who love him. We need not be afraid and anxious even when things look bleak. Trust God and he will come through in his time and at the end of time. As children of God, we cannot lose. We will win in the end.

I have experienced some tough times, and God has used those tough times for my good. 23 years ago, I fell deathly ill with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I spent 6 weeks in the hospital (2 weeks in the ICU) and 7 weeks recovering in a nursing home and many more months getting back to near normal. All this happened while I was engaged to Gail. This was a tough time for Gail and I. The strange thing was through the illness, I grew closer to God by recognizing more of his goodness and grace. Because of my illness, Gail got time off from teaching in Oregon to come and see me in Colorado, albeit in a hospital bed. And going through that struggle, our love for each other was strengthened, so that our marriage started strong. Though I would not recommend it to anyone, God used my illness for my good as well as the good of our marriage. There was no reason to be afraid or anxious, because God was in control and he was working things out for our good.

So whether it is Covid-19 or political divisiveness or something else, trust that God has this and God will work it out in his way and his time. You need not fear. This hope and trust is not some sort of pollyanna positivity, and it is not wishful thinking. You need to be realistic and realize that the world is broken and bad things happen. And yet God is there for you, to walk alongside you, and to give you hope. He is there with you through the tough times though you may not understand why things are so bad. Just know that there is no need to be anxious, because God is working things out in his way and in his time for your good. Our calling is to trust God, and to follow and serve him as we live out our lives for him. Do that, and do not worry about the rest. God has it.

Is Love Love?

How would you define the word love? English has a very broad definition of love. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am going to focus on the interpersonal love found in marriage between a husband and wife. The ancient Greeks had many words for love. Wikipedia puts the count at 6 different words, but I have seen lists vary between 3 and 8 different words. I will look at what I consider to be the 3 main Greek words for love and how they relate in marriage.

Today’s romantic love focus seems to be on the passion for one another with an emphasis on the sexual attraction and action. That sort of love is the Greek word eros, from which we get the term erotic. I believe eros love includes passion, affection, and delight in one another, which does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros love produces strong feelings that are powerful. However, those feelings will wax and wane over time. The media emphasizes eros love because it is flashy and easy to express. Some people will equate eros love with lust. They say it is all about our own sexual desires and the fulfillment of those desires. I believe that eros love is more than the lust of sexual attraction. Eros love creates an unstable foundation for marriage, especially if it is focused only on sexual attraction.

Philia is the Greek love word that denotes friendship. It is a love word where you enjoy one’s company, talking with each other, and doing stuff together. It is the love of friends. Many times it is described as “brotherly love”. Friendship in marriage is important. You want to know your spouse and share life together with them. Philia love is all about sharing life together.

Agape love is the main love that you find in the Bible. It is an unconditional love that embodies self-sacrifice and commitment. It is a love that causes you to act in your spouse’s best interest and not your own. Agape love first looks to others and not to yourself. It is the main love God has for us. Agape love allows for true intimacy to occur. The commitment to each other allows for one to be vulnerable to each other. That is what intimacy is all about. Because of that intimacy, agape love strengthens the friendship of philia love and increases the passion of eros love. It makes marriage a safe place to express oneself, to share concerns, and to work through issues. It is a love that binds us together. Agape love is the stable foundation from which the other loves should flow from. Agape love is described well in this Bible passage.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

How does your love fit this description? My love does not always fit well to the description, but it is something I desire to do better at and in doing so it will strengthen my marriage. Agape love makes for a stable foundation for one’s marriage. God’s agape love does fit this description. Replace the word ‘love’ (and ‘it’) with God or Jesus and see how God loves you.

God has many times in the Bible expressed his love for us in terms of marriage. We, the people of God, are the bride and God is the bridegroom or husband. God passionately pursues us (eros). He seeks to restore that personal friendship that was lost in Eden (philia). And he loved us so much that he died for us, so that we can be united to him (agape). (Note, only the Greek love words philia and agape appear in the Bible.)

A closing thought:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12; agape love)

P.S. This post was inspired by a session from the Marriage in Christ Seminar.

Respect Life

Our two cars have special license plates that say “Respect Life” and have a Columbine flower on the plate. The special license plates came into being after the Columbine High School shooting happened in 1999. Two students came into the school and murdered 12 students and one teacher. Then they killed themselves. There was no respect for life.

Today many of us do not respect human life like we should. Human life is sacred. We all are made in the image of God, so we should treat all people with dignity. Every person is loved by God. And yet today many times we treat people as less than human, and in some cases we kill them. We make enemies out of those who disagree with us, and those we perceive to cause a major “negative” change in our lives. We make them into someone less than human. We rationalize our reasons to disrespect people and make them less than human, but it does not make it right. Human life is precious, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

I believe that “It is wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being.” Life is precious and I believe that abortion is an intentional act that kills a unique, distinct, and innocent human being. This human being has their own DNA. So it does not matter whether you are a small fertilized egg, an unborn baby, a child, a teen, an adult, or an old person. You are a unique human being. The size or level of development does not change the person. The environment does not matter. Whether the human being is in the womb or not. Whether the person can breathe on their own or not. The person, whether unborn or a 90 year old on oxygen, is still a person. Dependency does not matter. In the womb, the unborn child is dependent on the mother. A new born child is still very dependent on the mother. And an aging person may become very dependent on others. Whether unborn or aged, each person deserves the respect and dignity of the rest of us.

The abortion debate is more complicated than simply the killing of the unborn. We must not leave the mother out of the abortion debate. She too deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. When 75% of the women getting an abortion are poor, it looks like to me that financial concerns are a major factor in abortions. As I see it, tackling poverty will significantly help lower the number of abortions. How can we support the pregnant mother? How can we support mothers in general? Can we remove their financial worries? Can we make adoption a more viable option for them?

Fathers are important too. They also deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Many times the mother is on her own. Children who have both parents do better. How can we bring the father back into the family and give him a place in caring for the child? How can we build up the family? The abortion debate is a complicated issue that requires that the needs of the father, mother, and the unborn child be taken into account.

Around the country there are many pregnancy centers that can help a mother deal with a pregnancy in a respectful and loving manner. A good one in the Loveland/Longmont area is Life Choices.

Fire, Weather, and Climate

The recent firestorm that hit Colorado on December 30 was a wakeup call. The Marshall Fire shows a new reality of a warm dry Colorado. Right after the fire, we had our first significant snowfall. It was about 2-3 months late. The last 6 months have been very dry and very warm. In fact they were one of the driest and by far warmest 6 months (July through December) on record for the Front Range. The very strong winds with the 100+ mph gusts on rare occasions do happen in the Boulder area, but combined with the very dry conditions it created the ideal conditions for the firestorm that destroyed 1084 homes and damaged another 149 homes.

Drought is not uncommon to Colorado, however in the last 20+ years, we have been in drought most of the time. It seems to be becoming a new normal. And the summers have become increasingly warmer, or should I say just plain hot. When Gail married me and moved to Colorado, I told her that we did not need air conditioning, because the nights cool off and there are not all that many hot days. That was 22 years ago and a few years later we had air conditioning. I have been in Colorado for 35 years and it is getting hotter, especially in the last two decades.

A warmer climate means there is more energy in the system, and more energy available for these extreme events. The warming climate has raised the energy level so the heat dome over the Pacific Northwest this summer, and the very dry conditions with the wind storm were made worse by the warming climate. Some experts say “climate change is a threat multiplier”. I am not certain it is as simple as that, but weather events can be made more severe due to the warming climate. In Colorado, we used to talk about the fire season. It would start in the spring and end in the fall. But for many years now the talk has changed. People now say it is always fire season in Colorado.

The Marshall Fire we had here in Colorado was similar to the Camp Fire in California that burned Paradise, CA to the ground. Both were fueled by strong winds and very dry vegetation. Both grew to a large size, engulfing towns in a matter of hours. Amazingly, only two people will have lost their lives due to the Marshall Fire. That is truly amazing considering how fast the fire moved.

To give you a flavor of how fast the fire moved, a friend of a friend of mine, who lost his house in the fire, sent out an email describing his experience. The fire started at about 11:00am about 2.85 miles away from his house. At his house he noticed the wind and the increasing smoke. He started packing (around 11:45?) and left his house at 12:10 with his family. By that time the smoke was so thick that he could barely see past the front of his car. The evacuation order came to his phone at 12:15. And it was not easy driving in the very strong wind. At 12:38 his home weather station stopped reporting to the website meaning that his house was on fire and likely had been for awhile. They got out just in time. In the rush they forgot many things, including a packed bag, but they made it out and were safe.

It makes me wonder about how safe my house is. I live about a few blocks from farm land to the north and about half a mile to a mile from the western edge of Loveland and the foothills. (Strong winds usually come from the west.) I believe I am at or near that wildland urban interface. There is a Wildfire Risk Assessment Public Viewer, and just west of my place the fire risk is low (but not the lowest rating) for under high to extreme fire danger conditions. So that is good, though about three miles to the NNW of my place the risk rises to moderate. That brings up a bunch of questions. What steps should I take to better protect my place? Should I have a list of things to pack if needed? Would I be ready to evacuate on a moment’s notice? What preparations would be prudent? These questions I have never considered until now.

Events like this make me pause and realize how short and fragile life is. While writing this post I read this from the prophet Joel, concerning a disaster of a plague of locusts:

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13)

It is always a good time to stop, evaluate our lives, and return to the Lord God, but disasters can be a clarion call for us to repent and return to God. I am ready. I am not perfect. I need to return and receive God’s love and forgiveness.

Rule of Life and New Year’s Resolutions

I have been thinking about New Year’s resolutions, and I have realized that for me they tend to be reactionary to specific desires and many times what is currently happening. For example, I always want to lose the weight I gained during the holidays and a little bit more. I make a resolution/goal to lose weight and I do usually lose the holiday gain but not more. I found that there is another way that does not need to include resolutions and goals. The Rule of Life is a document of simple statements that create a pattern of life to live by. So a New Year’s resolution concerning weight loss for me would be something like to lose 5 pounds by summer, whereas corresponding life rules would be something like “eat small portions” and “exercise daily”. You can see that resolutions and life rules can go hand-in-hand. The Rule of Life provides an order and a foundation to proceed with the resolution if needed. And if the Rule of Life is working well there is really no need for any resolutions.

So what is the purpose for creating a Rule of Life? For me, it is to better serve God, and that includes keeping myself healthy, having healthy relationships, being available for the opportunities God gives me, and making use of some of the spiritual disciplines. I have not formally set down and created a list of life rules, but informally I have some rules I follow. Some rules, like daily scripture reading, prayer many times a day, and weekly worship with other Christians, I have faithfully followed for most of my life. I do not like the term ‘rules’, I would rather call them habits or guides. Keeping these habits or guides have made my life better, and better prepared me to serve my God. Doing them does not save me or make me better than others, because God has done all the saving. At my church Immanuel we have the “Marks of Discipleship” (scroll down in the link to the marks), which are a somewhat similar concept to the Rule of Life.

About 15 years ago, three words came to me over a period of a year. I believe the Holy Spirit gave me those words. The first word that came to me was “Intentional”. I need to be intentional in what I do. The second word was “Discipline”. It takes discipline to be intentional. And the third word was “Relationships”. “People are important”, said my college pastor to me way back then, but it has taken over 40 years for that to fully sink in. Those three words have helped me in my life to better serve God. Those three words can be made into life rules.

Be intentional in my actions.
Be disciplined with my intentions.
Make my relationships a priority.
Always recognize that “people are important” (to add a fourth one, quoting my college pastor).

Am I going to make some rules or habits for life? I am thinking about it. Looking at the above two paragraphs you can see I already have several unofficial habits of life that help guide me and make my life more intentional. I see this as a way to counteract some of the bad cultural forces in the world today. I need to be intentional instead of reactive to today’s culture. The goal is to keep my life centered on God. He is my foundation. Note, a Rule of Life is not something one can whip up in an hour or two, rather one should spend some time to prayerfully consider how God has gifted you, what opportunities there are, and how to best grow to become more like Jesus. Take some time to do it right. I am thinking of doing that. Some categories I have decided to look at are

Spiritual, Relationship with God
(Other) Relationships
Healthy Living
Service Opportunities

This list of categories for me is a starting point. Your Rule of Life does not have to be long with many details (e.g. the Rule of St. Benedict), but it can be short and creative (e.g. this and this). I suspect mine will be a page or two.

I think a Rule of Life document should define how you interact with people and what activities you will always engage in. It is a little late to get this done by January 1 because it should take some thought and deliberation, but it is something to consider doing and not something to put it off.

PS I pray during this Christmas season, you remember (and have remembered) that Jesus came to earth and was born so that he could bring us back into relationship with God. Christmas is primarily about Jesus and not about gifts and family though those are nice too.

Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas

In today’s culture, Santa Claus is the main icon of Christmas. Christmas today is a secular holiday whose religious origins are forgotten or ignored by many people. (Even atheist Richard Dawkins celebrates Christmas.) So who is this Santa Claus? Did a bunch of stores create him so that they could sell more toys? Today’s Christmas is definitely very commercialized and the stores do make use of Santa Claus to sell their goods at this time of the year, but no, there is a lot of history and tradition behind Santa Claus. Behind the modern version of Santa Claus are the traditions of the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, the English Father Christmas, and the Dutch Sinterklaas.

Saint Nicholas of Myra was the Christian bishop of Myra (present day Demre, Turkey). He was born on March 15, 270 and died on December 6 in 343. Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity. The most famous Saint Nicholas story is the story where St. Nicholas for three nights dropped a small bag of gold coins each night in an open window so that the three daughters of the house would have a dowry and would not remain single and be forced to become prostitutes. He was known to have made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine. He was also imprisoned during Diocletian’s persecution. And he was likely at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, where some say he slapped (or punched) Arius, the heretic. Though he does not have any writings existing, he has been a very popular saint down through the centuries.

Saint Nicholas Day is December 6. In some parts of the world, people wake up on the morning of December 6 to find sweets in their shoes or in their hanging socks. Folklore has had a large part in determining who the giver of gifts is in the various parts of Europe and from Europe to the rest of the world with Santa Claus being the main figure. The dates when the gifts are given vary from December 6 to January 6, depending on who the giver is. In America, the 1823 poem “Twas the Night before Christmas” influenced how we see the Santa Claus legend, and other 19th century authors and illustrators also influenced our view of Santa Claus.

Though not all that much is known for certain about Saint Nicholas of Myra (there is a tomb and bones that date back to the right time period), I did find one quote, only one quote, attributed to him. And this quote fits the theme of giving.

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” (Saint Nicholas of Myra)

So let us give, by God’s grace through faith, remembering God who gave his Son that we might have a full life in him. “Every good gift and every perfect gift” is from God (James 1:17).

For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)