September 17, 2022 — John 10:31-38 — “Too Soon Old and Too Late Smart”

September 17, 2022

“The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”John 10:31-38

“When we notice in ourselves eager desires for something in the future, and when we see that our temperament carries us too intensely to all that must be done, let us try to restrain ourselves from hurry, and ask our Lord to stop the haste in our hearts and the agitation of our behavior, since G-d has said Himself that His Spirit does not dwell in confusion. Let us take care not to participate too much in all that is said and done, and not to absorb too much of it, because this task that presents itself, let us keep to that, and separate from all the rest. Thus we shall always keep the depths of our souls free and balanced, and we shall cut off entirely the host of unnecessary things which burden our hearts, and which prevent them from turning easily toward G-d.” Christian Perfection, Francois de Salignac Fenelon (1651 – 1715) “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 850)

There’s the saying “We get too soon old, and too late smart” that is an idiom which comes from our PA Dutch friends. It means, in part, that wisdom often comes after we have lived many years. I think it relates to what our friend Fenelon was stating in the above devotion. If we are too much in a hurry to accomplish something that we lose ourselves, our time, our thoughts, and our allegiances in the process, we can also lose our connection with the Holy Spirit, and thus lose our connectivity to G-d.

Slow and steady may not always win the race, but it will allow us the necessary time to be open to the Holy Spirit who will help diminish the chaos and confusion that life can bring. We may still get “too soon old, and too late smart”, but at least we may also learn some wisdom along the way to guide us in faithful living and faithful decisions.

Let us pray,

Lord Christ, our lives can move so fast we feel as if we live in constant fast-forward mode. Give me time today to slow down and listen for your still, soft voice of love, wisdom and grace. Amen.

Pastor Dave

September 16, 2022 — James 3:13-18 — Relationships

September 16, 2022

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”   James 3:13-18

“Philosophy has spoken worthily in our own day of altruism…The Christian reminds himself that the principle of altruism was discovered nineteen centuries ago, and never was stated in more incisive terms…Every modern idea outside physical science which has sap in it and bears fruit was sown in Christ’s garden, and has been watered by Christ’s Spirit. Altruism is written in everlasting and resplendent character on the Cross of Christ…” A Sermon, “Public Spirit” in Respectable Sins John Watson (1850 – 1907) “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 836)

There was a study completed recently on the issue of altruism. The study wanted to see if we are born with an “altruistic gene” or not. The study was designed by two people named Barragan and Dweck. They enlisted 34 one and two-year-olds and split them into two groups. In the first group, the experimenter would roll a ball back and forth with the child and chat. After a few minutes, the experimenter would “accidentally” knock an object off the table and observe whether the child would help pick it up. In the second group, the experimenter and the child would each play with their own ball, known as “parallel play,” while the experimenter engaged in the same kind of chitchat. Again, after a few minutes, the experimenter would knock an object off the table. The children who engaged in reciprocal play were three times more likely to help pick up the items as the children who had engaged in only parallel play. When the scientists repeated the experiment under slightly different conditions with older children, the reciprocal-play group was two times more likely to lend a hand.

The results suggest that altruistic behavior may be governed more by relationships, even brief ones, than instincts. One of the arguments for innate altruism was that it was an evolutionarily beneficial adaptation – instinctively caring for others would result in reciprocal care, improving one’s own chances of survival. “And there still might be evolutionary pressures toward altruism”, Dweck said. We have evolved automatic forms of empathy and special brain cells called mirror neurons that allow us to gauge others’ emotions. I think, as humans, our claim to fame is our flexibility – our ability to adapt to new situations,” Dweck said. (Stanford Report, Dec. 18, 2014 — Stanford psychologists show that altruism is not simply innate, by Bjorn Carey)

If we believe that altruism is more likely a result that is governed by relationships, then shouldn’t we live and worship and interact within a community of Christians? As we develop our relationship with Christ, we develop relationships with others who are developing their relationships with Christ, and then live and interact with people who find it their ministry to help others. It sounds like make-believe – but science seems to support what Jesus was teaching from the beginning – love your neighbor as yourself.

Let us pray,

Lord, throughout the good and the bad of our lives, you give to us in abundance. Help us to live with such altruism every day of our lives. Amen.

Pastor Dave