“Sometimes good people make bad choices. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad. It means they’re human. That’s why God created forgiveness.” (Unknown) What’s the use of trying to be good? Isaiah (64:6) writes: “All our righteous deeds are like filthy rags.” I grew up in a time when it was thought that good deeds pleased God. In a sense, they do, but later in life I learned that “heaven” depends on the grace of God, not on being good boys and girls. ;-) Jack
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: To err is human to forgive is div====JACK: You seem to know a lot of those adages. Did you write one on the chalkboard weekly or daily when you were a teacher? The quote is by the English writer, Alexander Pope, from his poem, An Essay on Criticism.====SHIRL: It was so much easier for us to grow up rather than being inundated with the crass culture we have these days====JACK: Maybe it was "easier" in those days, because we were taught to obey and believe without questioning. Today may be harder, but I choose progress.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: all we can do is try. we were created to make choices, and learn from mistakes.====JACK: When I was in school, back in the days when we used a pencil and paper, the eraser would wear out before the rest of the pencil. I looked it up...Hymen Lipman got the first patent for attaching an eraser to a pencil on March 30, 1858.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: When you sent our this email, I was in the midst of completing this week's Champions Bible Study. Its a small world. Do you get a good night's sleep?====JACK: I've been doing this so long, it's become a habit. I wake up in the middle of the night, go to the computer for a half hour, stagger back to bed and "think about stuff" for another half hour. Then I tell God, "It's up to you," and he puts me to sleep. ...and speaking of mistakes, How about the defensive back who missed the tackle on the final play of the Vikings/Saints football game? I read that he cried afterward in the locker room. I'm sure that some Saints gathered around to comfort him.
FROM TARMART REV: . . . being a good boy did give me less spankings though, when growing up!! ====JACK: Spankings were part of my growing up years...until I was able to run faster than my dad.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Grace is a hard concept, since all of our culture points to "good or hard work is rewarded": Our Educational system, Business world, the Military, etc. You EARN your promotions and rewards, but in our Faith
system, you don't earn "Heaven" by your hard work or good deed....you do loving service to others in response to God's forgiveness,. unconditional love, and salvation by Grace! Our "job" is to share the love of God to ALL me meet...Which, being human, we do not always fulfill...! Therefore the wisdom of today's WW!====JACK: Recently, I was thinking of "The Rich Man and Lazarus" story from the Bible and applying it to Donald Trump and his "s-hole" remark. Then it occurred to me -- I'm acting like the Pharisee when he prayed, "I'm not like this (Re) publican." It is sooo hard to be a Christian, but the reward is sooo great!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: How true these words are! Our family has suffered so much because of one members bad choice. But, we also know they are not bad at all but did something bad. Thank our good and merciful Father for forgiveness.====JACK: Have you ever come across this poem written by Marguerite Ogden Bigelow Wilkinson?
“I never cut my neighbor's throat; My neighbor's gold I never stole;
I never spoiled his house and land; But God have mercy on my soul!
For I am haunted night and day By all the deeds I have not done;
O unattempted loveliness! O costly valor never won!”
====JUDY: No but I love it!! And oh how true!
J.K. ROWLING: "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all -- in which case, you fail by default."
FROM JE: This is so true. So many weird things happening as we start this year. I hope our society is not getting numb to these wrongs. I pray our country, state and local communities can stay committed to value and morals that respect life, uplifting actions that display dignity and pass legislation that demonstrates care for all people and human life. Thanks Jack for your WW and optimism.====JACK: Legislation is one step, but example is a more important step, starting with POTUS and going on down to all who are referred to as, leaders. But it goes even further than that, to those who are looked up as, Godly. I am not dismayed, because I believe that, ultimately, "this is my Father's world."====JE: Absolutely – it is “our Father’s world.” He will have the last word. FAITH.
FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: good words, Jack. i just had breakfast the other day with a friend who is very unclear about God's grace-filled ways. i just forwarded you WW to him. he is Canadian so that may explain some things about him:):):)====JACK: We have a hard time letting go of works-righteousness. Listen to the typical eulogy at a funeral. Even harder is....to accept grace. Do you remember Toplady's hymn?
Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
====PAUL: i have a talk i give on M. Luther and the Reformation and i quote this hymn often. it kind of says it all, no? NOTHING in my hands i bring... Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Word Alone. the Law we readily get as it is written on our hearts. its the Gospel we struggle with because the news seems too good to be true!! ====JACK: We’ve heard the Luther Story so often, it tends to become the old, old story that we know so well. But imagine the impact of the story on the people of his day who had never heard it before. WOW!====PAUL: sooo true. many of our confirmands at sotv got M. Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. ALL mixed up. both great men but with rather different messages and ministries. yes, today you never want to take anything for granted when teaching. even at the seminary, Jack, they have a VERY basic class in the Bible because some of the incoming students know sooo little of the biblical narrative. i was watching Jeopardy on TV one day a few years back and the question was to identify Judas from the Bible story. not one of the contestants knew who he was!!! another time they quoted a portion of the Lord's Prayer and the contestant said, "that was Shakespeare" uffda, we have work to do as a church!! blessings and go Vikings today
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