Four Things on Friday
February 21, 2020
Happy anniversary! I looked back in my files and realized
that I published the first edition of Four
Things on Friday on February 22, 2019.
An Interesting
Article
I’m not sure how I ran across this article. There were a
couple things that grabbed my attention as I read it, however. First, where we
would often find a subtitle or the name of an author the article says, “By a
scientist.” It this case the scientist in question is Thomas Merritt, a professor
and the Canada Research Chair of chemistry and biochemistry at Laurentian
University, which is in Ontario. What I find interesting is that by labeling
the article, “By a scientist,” could be taken a few different ways. One is that
a scientist might have a unique and interesting view on a topic which would be
interesting to read. I think that is the way that it is used here – Merritt
looks at coffee from a different perspective that I normally would, and I found
it interesting. Another what that statement could be understood is that,
because a scientist wrote the article, there is authority and veracity in it
and therefore we must accept the message presented. I have observed that the
sciences have become, in some ways, the authority that determines truth in our
culture. In some cases this is almost religious, and the scientist becomes the
modern priest who declares truths from on high. I don’t think that is what Merritt
is doing in this article, but when I read, “By a scientist,” I asked the old
Lutheran question, “What does this mean?”
The other part of the article that grabbed my attention
is the use of the word, “maybe.” Many articles tout health benefits or
detriments from coffee. Merritt gives it all a really solid, “maybe.” He lets
evidence that is inconclusive be inconclusive. I appreciated that.
There was another aspect on this topic – a potential
benefit of coffee – that I wondered about as I read the article that is outside
the scope of Merritt’s effort. I wondered about the benefits of drinking coffee
together. Put differently, I wondered about the potential benefits of meeting
for coffee as a form of fellowship and friendship, and the benefits that might
flow from slowing down to caffeinate together.
Quote I’m
Pondering
“For godly grief produces/works repentance into salvation
without regret, but worldly grief produces/works death.” – The Holy Spirit
through St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:10. As part of my devotions, I have been
reading the New Testament in Greek. When I hit this passage I had to stop and
ponder what it says, and it keeps ringing through my mind. How great is God’s
grace that it can wipe away our regret? Amazing!
One Good Thing
This Week
We baptized an adult this past Sunday! In our Lutheran
circles, we are used to baptizing babies, so an adult baptism tends to be
viewed as rather special. I believe the church has always baptized infants, and
if you want, we could discuss the evidence behind that belief. However, in the
early church there were many adult baptisms, because people were coming to
faith, becoming disciples of Jesus, and Baptism is one of the gifts God gives
us that makes us disciples.
There is no argument that the landscape of how our
culture approaches issues of faith has changed. What I have begun to wonder is
if we will begin to see more adult baptisms in the future, and if this will
become more normal as folks who grew up not believing in Jesus, come to believe
in Him as their Lord and Savior.
Our Scripture
readings for the Transfiguration of Our Lord are:
Over the years I have learned that those who read the
Scripture lessons and spend a little time thinking about them before church on
Sunday get more out of the service.
The sermon is: Listen to the Son
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