For Texans coming off the winter storm and power outages of the week of February 14th, this book excerpt from Tish Warren from "Prayer in the Night" seemed especially appropriate:
"Though statistics show that here in the West young people in particular drift into unbelief partly because of the problem of evil, it seems that our prosperity renders far more doubt than the afflicted find in their affliction. A common explanation of this is that the afflicted need the crutch of cosmic comfort, whereas the healthy and wealthy, with our advanced medicine, working water heaters, and craft beer, have no need of such an aid. But I’d contend that all of us—every last man, woman, and child —walk with crutches. We all need help. We need something to bear our weight. In our truest and most naked state, we are all deeply vulnerable. The afflicted reveal to us our true state. We meet Jesus in his “distressing disguise,” and in him we see true humanity. All that we rely on to make our lives work, from the electric grid to our own minds, can be lost. All our purported strength and autonomy are flimsy. If the most vulnerable among us need God as a crutch to bear the weight of their lives, perhaps they’re just more honest about what we all need. Hardship can breed humility, which allows us to see God more clearly because we become more honest about who we truly are. Maybe spiritual hunger—that we suppress but never satisfy by money, privilege, and health—is not born of naiveté, but of reality. We are all in constant need of sustenance. We are all in need of God’s pity. Excerpt from: Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep (Intervarsity Pres, 2021) By Tish Harrison Warren (Page 118-20) Week one of a new lesson taught as part of a series at Christ Church Anglican in Plano, TX. See the video on the website: christchurchplano.org/media/media-library/series/a-faithful-god-for-a-faithless-people/ Lesson: "A Disobedient People" Series: "A Faithful God for a Faithless People" Topic: The Old Testament Book of Judges Lesson Notes are available on this page.
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AuthorWriting on topics related to my work as an IT Director and my daily walk as a Christian. Archives
March 2024
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