A Word about the Word
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. [Ecclesiastes 12:1]
Life and busyness and idols can all contribute to God-amnesia. “I’ll get to the God stuff when (the kids go to college, I retire, my career settles down, etc., etc.).”
God as my “Creator” has less to do with arguments about the origins and more to do with believing I have been designed with a purpose and that I am accountable to my Maker for the life he gave me.
My advice: Embrace and follow Christ while you are still young. Tomorrow may never come.
Close to Home
So, in my message on August 8, I bantered with these words from Ecclesiastes: Don’t revile the king even in your thoughts or curse the rich in your bedroom. Because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. [Ecc. 11:20] A wee bit tongue-in-cheek, I warned of the listening ears of “Big Brother.” A couple of days later, several of us on staff were discussing watches. The day after that, Rolex ads began appearing in one of our Instagram feeds. Yikes! Orwell might not be entirely fictional: “Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed—no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters in your skull.” [1984]
This Sunday, August 29, is Trinity’s annual “business” meeting wherein the members ratify new leaders (Elders and Trustees) and the new budget. I am so grateful to our God and the church. Even during the COVID days, our giving has remained strong and good leaders keep developing. I am so proud of your generosity and faithfulness! And thanks for attending next Sunday’s 11:00am outdoor worship service and brief meeting—it is important (and necessary for quorum). The pizza and ice cream will be outstanding, too!
Trinity leadership is very aware of the rising COVID numbers and that Mentor Schools (as well as others) are requiring masks again. We will keep you abreast of any changes from our present policy (which states that masks are optional throughout the building).
The World as It Is
“Lucifero,” the Sicilians call it: Sicily recently registered the hottest recorded temperature ever in Europe at 119.8 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 Celsius). It’s part of a heatwave produced by a weather pattern called an anticyclone. The locals’ name for it seems more appropriate. These weather phenomena are occurring all over the place these days!
On their April 23 cover, Christianity Today proclaimed a “terracide,” describing the plunder of our environment. In the main article it says, “There can be no mistaking that our planet is dying. It is not a matter of if but of when. Everyone suffers from the problem, and everyone shares the blame.” CT’s urgent warning and conclusions are vital and prophetic. BTW, it was published in April 1971!
I appreciate the columns of Ross Douthat. He is the conservative Roman Catholic journalist who writes for The New York Times. He recently wrote a piece called “A Guide to Finding Faith” for those who have walked away from their faith or find “religion” intellectually implausible. As many of us know such people, I thought I would pass it along. I am glad this man of faith uses his platform with a major newspaper well.
Prayer
I have good friends who worked for years in Afghanistan with Catholic Relief Services. Some years ago, they worried aloud of the horrible repercussions to the citizens of that country if/when the US military pulled out. We are beginning to see the reality of their fears. Please pray for the Afghan people, especially Afghan women and Afghan Christians. Their present dangers are real.
I’ll catch you on the other side.
