We Would Treat Time His Way

            Ah, the Sabbath.

            Eric Liddle honored it so much, he would not run a trial heat in the Olympics on the Sabbath, which he considered to be Sunday. That won him the privilege of being the subject of an Academy Award Winning movie. Not bad.

            Historian William Manchester has written that in the early 1900s, Great Britain experienced a shift in culture. The middle class found more time for leisure. Consequently, Sunday became less about the importance of observing “the Lord's day” and more about entertainment.

            At the turn of the 20th century, very few major league baseball teams played games on Sunday. Many of them were based in areas of the country where it was illegal. That mentality began the change. In the 1980s, the “blue laws” were dropped in Texas. Today, many businesses and organizations consider Sunday to be a major workday.

            We have become busy. We like to achieve. Moreover, in those moments when we can rest, we like to find activities to keep us moving. A friend of mine said two words summarize the lives of most Americans–hurry and worry. There's probably a relationship between those two words.

            I remember when Judy encouraged me to take a day off. I did not think I could afford to do that. I was working seven days a week. Boy, was I wrong.

            The Bible talks more about Sabbath than many people realize. His purpose was more than the ceremonial law. God grounded his purposes on the twin foundations of creation and redemption. Consider the following:

 12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deut. 5:12-15.)

            Did you hear the reference to the Creation? Did you hear the reference to God's redemption when he parted the Red Sea?

            That text also contains two commands:

1. Observe the Sabbath,

2. Work the other six days.

            The command to observe the Sabbath was given to Israel apparently for three purposes:

1. It recalled the week of creation and the pattern established by God and working for six days and resting on the seventh (Ex. 31:12ff.)

2. Sabbath observance set Israel part as a special nation to God (see Exodus 31:13).

3. It met the need of humanity for a regular periodic day of rest.

                       

            No other culture had a teaching or practice like this. Each Sabbath, Israel was to recall how they were slaves in Egypt and required work constantly. Then God brought them out with a mighty and outstretched hand. He made them his own people. This mighty act of creation recalled his original creative work and emphasized their need for the Lord and how they depended upon him for everything.

            Notice this was to be a time of rest for the entire household. Even the aliens where to know this privilege. Even the animals were to know this:

On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deut. 5:14b-15.)

            For these reasons alone I would argue that for a nation to enjoy health, it must allow its people to enjoy Sabbath.

            Furthermore, a healthy practice of Sabbath helps us confront the challenges of greed and worry. National leaders could probably care less, but they should care because this confrontation produces more productive citizens.

            On the one hand, we are surrendering one day of production that human instinct tells us would generate more. On the other hand, we are surrendering one day of production that human instinct tells us we cannot live without.

            In Luke 11, Jesus tells a parable that illustrates the connection that greed and worry have with time. In the parable, a rich man is so consumed with the generation of income, he loses all perspective on time… and life. That leads to death.

            Jesus points out that a person who loses perspective of time, loses perspective of things, which causes him to lose perspective of self. This leads to worry.

            A regular time of Sabbath reminds us that God is our leader and our priority. We place our trust in him and not in ourselves. Understanding this, we utilize our time of Sabbath to reconnect with God, which renews us. We rest in God.

            When my two youngest were little, they hated taking naps. They were full of energy—two imps never seeking much needed rest. Without naps, they would grow irritable.

            My secret treatment for this malady was simple. I would lie down on the bed between them; one arm lovingly wrapped around Timothy, the other arm wrapped around Annie.

            Before long, both would be sound asleep… enjoying much needed rest.

            We are like that with God. We run around full of energy, doing all we can to avoid a day of rest. When we program into our busy schedules a time of Sabbath, we can enjoy rest with God, as if he is putting his lovingly wrapping his arm around us.

            Stop.

            Rest.

            Enjoy God.

When a Stranger Stays Two Weeks

           When we lived in Argentina, we sporadically, experienced some hostility because we were Americans.  For example, people would ask us how in the world we could be a part of the U.S. political system.

            Judy and I had to be careful and remember we were not there to be apologists for the U.S. government. Each time we experienced such encounters, we were reminded that we were far away from our real home.            

            As you might imagine, other Americans would travel to Argentina. Occasionally, acquaintances of ours would call and ask us to host friends or relatives. These folks were strangers to us, but people we knew loved them. Their pilgrim friends were going to be far away from home; they needed a friendly place to stay.

            I remember one time a co-worker in the Lord, living in another part of Argentina, called to tell us about his cousin. The cousin was studying to earn a Ph.D. in anthropology, as I recall; the student and his wife planned on spending an extended amount of time researching in Argentina. Our fellow missionary was hoping Judy and I could host his cousin (and cousin’s wife) for a two-week visit.

            Question: what if an acquaintance called you and asked if a cousin and his wife could come stay with you for two weeks? Would you be happy with that request?

            We agreed, and, guess what? We thoroughly enjoyed the two-week visit. I have pleasant memories of long conversations, meals in the city, watching movies and sporting events on TV--two weeks of intimately sharing life.

            I think there were several reasons why we enjoyed their company. Here are two:

1. They were nice people (not to mention very interesting.)

2. These were people who, as Americans, shared a common background a common culture, and common values. Interestingly enough, in the U.S., we would not have maintained that much in common. They were from the Midwest, Judy and I were from Texas. They were Methodists, we were Restorationists. However, in a foreign land, those differences melted. The four of us retained our citizenship in another place, which was our bond.

            I reminisced about this the other day when reading Hebrews 13:1-2, “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

These verses reflect a time when God’s people were living in a land hostile to their faith. Christians were the outsiders. Christian strangers who were traveling needed a safe haven in a hostile town. In those days, the society did not offer many reputable motels or inns. Consequently, when you found a fellow pilgrim who had no place to stay, you offered your home to him.

From my small taste of being an outsider living in a foreign land, I would wager that the Christians who opened up their homes and offered hospitality enjoyed a byproduct of sweet blessing. After all, they were citizens-not of this world-but of heaven.

Let me encourage you if you live in a place where a Christian could use some good hospitality-for whatever reason-to welcome him or her. Your guest will be blessed, and you just might be too.

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. I still like Adele, and I think “Someone Like You” will, in the future, be considered one of the truly great love songs. It has haunting lyrics and a melancholy melody.

2. If “Pro Bowl” were a corporate brand, the Better Business Bureau’s “Report a Scam” would overload today.

3. Here’s my Super Bowl pick: Giants 24-Patriots 17.

4. I’ve started rereading THE LAST LION, William Manchester’s first volume of his biography on Winston Churchill. Churchill—what an amazing/fascinating man.

            5. I am looking forward to preaching out of Deuteronomy on Sunday nights. I think those who join me will be blessed, as I know I will.

            

The Immigrant

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:33-34.) ESV

            Respect for the law is one thing; animosity toward the immigrant is another.

            We are blessed to live in a country whose ideals reflect a respect for the immigrant. This attitude has paid dividends.

            Peter Carl Goldmark arrived in the United States in the 1930s and applied for U.S. citizenship. He also applied for a job at NBC but was turned down. Later, CBS hired him.

            At that time, CBS entertained mainly in the field of radio, as television was in its infancy. Goldmark saw the future of television and urged his bosses to put a television antenna on top of the Chrysler building. Four years later, while traveling in Canada, Goldmark screened for the first time the motion picture GONE WITH THE WIND. Enchanted by the color, he developed a method of transmitting color television signals within three months.

            World War II came along and Goldmark, working with engineers, designed devices to jam NAZI radar. After the war, Goldmark worked to develop the 33-1/3 Long Playing record, which dominated music for the next three decades–and which is still in high demand today in record collector stores.

            The 50s found Goldmark creating ingenious devices, such as the one designed to allow surgeons to observe photographs transmitted from the inside of a human stomach. However, he also took time to invent a tiny device allowing television viewers at home to replay programs without commercials–the forerunner of TiVo.

            Retiring in 1971, Goldmark’s mind continued to work. He envisioned establishing a network of 40 coast-to-coast TV channels connected by domestic satellites and cable television. These would offer a nationwide chain of movie theaters on one's home television, not to mention an avenue for providing voters an increased amount of information not offered by network television. Within the next 10 years, television owners had access to HBO and CNN.

            Peter Carl Goldmark is just one example of the immigrants who have entered the United States and permanently changed our lives and culture—for the better. The United States would not be so blessed were it not for immigrants.

            Again, I am not calling for the deliberate breaking of a nation's laws. What I am requesting is that you think about the attitude you are cultivating toward the immigrant. Perhaps that attitude should include gratitude.

Source of Peter Carl Goldmark—William Manchester, THE GLORY AND THE DREAM, page 1190-1194

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. Among the baseball writers, I consider Jane Leavy a favorite. Last week, I completed reading her biography of Mickey Mantle called THE LAST BOY. While I did not enjoy this book as much as I did her biography of Sandy Koufax, it was still a fascinating read.

            Leavy grew up a big fan of Mickey Mantle. Adulthood and research yielded a more complex view toward man and human being.

            I can now probably say my prayers at night--thanking God I was not born into the Mantle family. Long chronicled as a serial adulterer and debilitated alcoholic, Leavy helps the reader understand what it is like to have a husband and father (Mantle),who fits into those categories.

            Mantle created a ghastly life for his family. He was the epitome of a self-destructive athlete.

            He spoke with poignant truth at his last press conference when he beseeched the children of the land, “I'd like to say to kids out there, if you're looking for a role model, this is a role model. Don't be like me.”

            Leavy breaks new ground. She reveals that a half-sister molested Mantle when he was a boy.  Surely this sad reality contributed to an anger that later manifested itself in his womanizing.

            Thousands (maybe millions) of boys grew up desiring to live the life of Mickey Mantle. This biography allows the reader to see behind the façade, which provokes the realization that one would never want to exchange lives with the subject.

2. I saw HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE over the weekend. I now need to see the last two movies. I hope to do that this week. I finished the last book four years ago. They were marvelous.

3. I really enjoyed speaking at the MacArthur Park church of Christ in San Antonio last year. If anybody from Mac Park is reading this blog, I am looking forward to sharing with you from Psalm 84 this Wednesday night.

4. Welcome back from vacation, Peter King. I read his blog every Monday—MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK. Every July, King takes four weeks off from writing. I have been reading his blog for almost ten years now. King is outstanding, writing about a host of subjects in addition to football. Here’s the link to this week’s edition: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/07/24/labor/index.html

5. Speaking of Peter King, he passed along this snippet about Judge Judy (clarification: not my wife, Judy) from “Andrew Goldman's interview with Judge Judy in the June 26 New York Times Sunday magazine: Judge Judy works five days per month ... and makes $45 million a year.” Not only that, “Her 24,000-square-foot home in Connecticut contains a snoring room -- an extra room for guests who snore.”

         That’s the kind of extra information you get from Peter King’s blog!