Three-and-a-Half Hours on Sunday
By Scott Harrup | February 5, 2010
In anticipation of Super Bowl XLIV, National Public Radio yesterday aired an interview with former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick. Fresh Air contributor Dave Davies opened the interview with the following observation.
“It’s hard to think of another job where you work seven days a week… 80, 90, 100 hours a week… sleep in your office… live on coffee and caffeine… and work around the clock. But you’re really judged by what happens in 3½ hours on Sunday.”
Billick agreed with Davies and offered his own perspectives on the challenges of coaching.As I listened, I thought of another job Davies and Billick probably haven’t considered — the ministry. My dad’s retired now, but for years as a pastor he put in major overtime each week before preaching the Sunday morning sermon that became the one point of evaluation for much of his congregation.
(Where Davies’ comparison would not apply to Dad was the caffeine consumption. I drink gallons of coffee; Dad eschews even chocolate.)
Whether you’re standing behind a pulpit or sitting in a pew this Sunday, however, you’re also subject to a certain degree of rapid scrutiny from everyone present. And while we’re all being evaluated, we’re also doing plenty of evaluating on our own.
That’s not always bad. We interpret much of our lives through the viewfinder of a moment. But my takeaway from my little NPR mental journey has me exercising more caution in making snap judgments. And it has me looking at my day-to-day life and determining to keep it consistent with the Sunday-go-to-meeting persona my church family sees.
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Live Long
By Scott Harrup | January 26, 2010
The cover of the February 2010 special issue of U.S. News and World Report offers to tell you “How to Live to 100.” Visiting cnn.com today, I ran across a video and summary article, both “Uncovering Secrets to a Longer Life” and focusing on centenarians.
A promotional copy of a new book recently sent to the Pentecostal Evangel’s office claimed to show readers how to live to 120 — apparently that author’s estimate of God’s preferred life span for His followers.
You can find practical advice on healthy life choices in each of the above sources. But all three have a common limiting factor — a barely-three-digit number. “You can live to 100 (or 120!) if you’ll do A, B and C.” (In fairness, the book’s author, like me, does not focus exclusively on this life.)
But try to imagine an alternate proposal. “You can live forever if you’ll do A, B and C.”
Just how long is “forever”?
I was blogging about John 3:16 in 2008 (you can read that article here) and cited one writer’s estimate of the molecules in a single teaspoonful of air — 100 billion billion. You could live a century for every one of those molecules and you would still be at the beginning of “forever.” The same holds true if you lived a century for every molecule of air in our planet’s atmosphere, for every molecule in our entire planet, or for every molecule in the observable universe. That’s an unfathomable stack of centuries, and still the beginning of “forever.”
U.S. News wants to tell me how to live a single century. The Bible offers exclusive information on that “forever” life span. I’m not going to ignore good advice on how to make the best use of the years God gives me here and now — but I know which set of facts deserves my closest attention.
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Cold
By Scott Harrup | January 8, 2010
The bottom’s dropped out here in Springfield. Overnight temperatures are dipping below zero, with significant wind chills. Schools have been closed for two days because of the frigid conditions. The snow is sparse, but I felt like my face went glacial as I shoveled the thin layer off my driveway.
It’s all relative. I was filling up the car yesterday at a local convenience store and commented on the cold to the manager. It was 4 degrees. He laughed.
“My wife’s family in Nebraska was dealing with 60-below wind chills before Christmas,” he said. “People around here don’t know what cold is.”
Comparing personal sagas of arctic adventure can be akin to swapping fishing stories about the “one that got away.” There’s an element of one-upmanship as competing snow depths and wind speeds and thermometer readings are swapped from memory. A lot of folks around here still talk about the ice storm of 2007, with each person trying to convince the other that their power was out longer and their survival tactics were more drastic.
Ironically, those January temperatures were practically balmy by comparison, hovering in a dangerous zone where rain could fall with impunity and slowly freeze until the weight of the ice snapped mature oaks like twigs. People began to run out of firewood. You couldn’t buy a candle at Wal-Mart to save your life. Pets began to disappear … (All right, I’m starting to fall into that winter one-upmanship mode again.)
When it gets this cold, I try to imagine what it will be like in just four short months or so when we get our first heat wave. I’ll be cracking the car windows again to dissipate the trapped sunlight. I’ll be walking around in shirt sleeves. I’ll be seeing how high I can nudge the thermostat at home without the family rebelling. (Right now they’re begrudgingly layered in sweatshirts so we don’t have to take out another mortgage with the next utility bill.)
Which all reminds me of one of life’s realities. Our circumstances are as transient as the weather. If your problems seem to be a blizzard, take heart. A warmer season is around the corner. In the mean time, why not entrust the Weatherman with your cares? God shifts entire cold fronts with ease; He is able to direct your steps.
“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7, NIV).
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What’s In a Date?
By Scott Harrup | December 7, 2009
Today many have been thinking back to the events at Pearl Harbor in 1941. President Roosevelt summed up our nation’s horror over the resulting loss of life from Japan’s surprise attack when he called Dec. 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy.”
Other dates come to mind when I contemplate humanity’s traded cruelties. Two more recent candidates are April 19, 1995, and September 11, 2001. I was working in this office on an issue of the Pentecostal Evangel in 1995 when our staff heard of the Oklahoma City bombing. I was at a family reunion in Texas when 9/11 occurred. Both days were personally transforming.
What is the purpose behind commemorating such days? It is certainly not to immortalize evil. We focus instead on those heroes who lost their lives, but who continue to inspire us by their example.
The ultimate clash between good and evil will be acknowledged in just a few more days, although most people observing the day won’t realize it.
Whether or not Jesus Christ was born precisely on Dec. 25, Christmas Day commemorates His arrival as a baby in Bethlehem. His birth, as announced by angels to humble shepherds, signified God’s favor and peace toward all mankind (Luke 2:14). Just days later, when Joseph and Mary presented Baby Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem, elderly Simeon reminded the joyful couple that the Child’s mission would be attended by death (Luke 2:29-35). The balance of the Gospels’ narratives portray a Hero’s life that could never be snuffed out by evil. Jesus willingly gave His life in our behalf, then rose in victory from His grave.
The apostle Paul contrasted history’s two most significant dates — the fall of man in Eden and the redemption of man at Calvary — this way:
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:17-19, NIV).
For me, today is another reminder that each of us has the opportunity to emulate history’s heroes. And to live for history’s ultimate Hero.
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The Greatest Generation
By Scott Harrup | December 2, 2009
Tom Brokaw’s 1998 best-seller, The Greatest Generation, looked back to the generation of Americans who came through World War II victoriously. The past few weeks I’ve been reading E.B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa (1980, Presidio Press), a first-person narrative of two WWII Pacific battlefields. Sledge’s title and several passages in his book voice his conviction that the “greatest generation” was comprised of those officers and enlisted men who had come through World War I and were passing on their expertise and words of encouragement to the young Marines with whom Sledge fought.
Brokaw and Sledge, though identifying different generations, share an awareness of a vital truth. The elders in our society deserve respect and have much to offer. It’s a biblical principle. “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:32). “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31).
You can learn much from an older relative or friend, if you’ll take the time to receive their wisdom. And the Proverbs passage alludes to another fact. Those senior ladies and gentlemen who have lived faithfully for God have the most to offer.
Sometimes I wonder how much wisdom and experience are locked up in hospitals, retirement complexes and assisted living homes across our country. I believe a lot of our nation’s problems could be addressed far more effectively if my generation and my children’s would more readily accept the counsel of their elders.
Topics: Books and Films, History, Bible | 1 Comment »
‘Premature Birth’
By Scott Harrup | November 6, 2009
National Public Radio broadcast a news story the other day on the impact of premature births on the U.S. infant death rate. A related Associated Press article at npr.org notes that “about 1 in 8 U.S. births are premature” and “the U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than in most European countries.”
Thinking back to the broadcast and reading through the online article, I’m glad to see the concern of medical professionals and government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the health of our nation’s babies. But here’s a disturbing reality.
America still aborts more than 1 million babies a year. According to the Guttmacher Institute, “nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. … In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million in 2000. From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions occurred.”
What would the U.S. infant mortality rate look like if these numbers were part of the equation?
But that’s just the point. Babies who are blessed to inhabit the wombs of mothers who want to carry them to term have the support of a U.S. medical professional network dedicated to ensuring their survival. Should they not survive, they are considered “babies,” and everyone expresses regret for their deaths. Those babies who are tragically aborted, however, are relegated to the status of “fetus,” and their mortality is not even a footnote in the national infant mortality rate.
The CDC’s Marion MacDorman notes in the AP article above, “Once the baby [emphasis added] is born too early, we do a good job of saving it. What we have trouble with is preventing the preterm birth in the first place.”
All pro-life Americans would agree, there are at least another million “preterm births” each year not even being considered that we’d like to prevent in the first place.
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Ahoy!
By Scott Harrup | November 3, 2009
The world’s largest cruise ship, recently completed at STX Finland shipyard, sailed for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday. Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas is due to begin service Nov. 20.
Oasis, built for $1.5 billion, is five times larger than the Titanic. Its 2,700 cabins can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members. Amenities include a 750-seat outdoor amphitheater, an indoor 1,300-seat theater, four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, an ice rink and a small golf course. Select cabins offer floor-to-ceiling windows.
The ship’s passengers can choose from seven “neighborhoods” with special themes, including a tropical environment of palm trees and vines. Another, “Central Park,” offers restaurants, bars and boutiques.
Will Oasis’ novelty attract sufficient interest in this lagging economy to offset its cost? I’m sure investors hope so.
I’m intrigued by anything claiming to be the “biggest.” How long the record will hold for the 20-story vessel is anyone’s guess. In the mean time, thousands of passengers can set sail on the current record-holder and enjoy bragging rights as they celebrate honeymoons, anniversaries and life itself.
Perhaps you’ll agree with me it’s a little humorous that cruise ships are constructed in such a manner as to make you forget you’re at sea. Looking again at the Oasis’ offerings, I’m thinking I can duplicate practically all of them — minus the ocean view — right here in Springfield, Mo. I mean, if you really want to go shopping, golfing, swimming, ice-skating or to the gym or theater, why pay thousands of dollars to do so in the middle of the Caribbean? And if you’re looking for a Caribbean sunset and endless vistas of crystal blue ocean, why hide from them in a shopping mall or theater?
All the same, I wish the crew and passengers of Oasis of the Seas safe sailing.
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On Hold?
By Scott Harrup | October 19, 2009
Driving to work this morning, I heard a local radio host play a clip of Dr. Phil’s advice to couples who are considering parenthood. I’ll say up front that Dr. Phil made a number of solid points, but one of his remarks really seemed at odds with my take on parenting.
“Are you willing to make the sacrifices of money, emotion and energy, and put your life on hold?” Dr. Phil asked his audience.
Sacrificing money, emotion and energy is part and parcel of parenting, but that last clause in his question grabbed my attention.
Parenting is anything but putting your life on hold. Children powerfully shape and immeasurably enrich who you are. When Lindsay, Connor and Austin were born in 1992, 1996 and 2000, respectively, Jodie and I were propelled into new dimensions of our own lives. We can’t imagine our home without the love and vitality and humor each of our children brings.
Are there things I was doing before becoming a parent that I am no longer doing? Sure. But everything in life takes time. Any goals that find fulfillment after my children are grown will have benefitted from the experiences of my parenting years.
And parenting really continues throughout life. At 45, I’ve been out from under my parents’ roof for more than 23 years. But I still feel their influence and value their wisdom. They are both within shouting distance of 70, but remain very involved parents and grandparents. I hope to have the same kind of relationship with my children when they are adults.
Is my life on hold? No way. It’s been in overdrive for nearly 18 years. And the fun is just beginning.
If you’re contemplating parenthood, I agree with Dr. Phil that it’s a big decision. I doubt you and your spouse will ever make a bigger one. But if you commit that decision to God, and if He blesses you with a child, you can count on it — you’ll look back and realize your life was really on hold up till now.
Topics: Family Life | 2 Comments »
Words
By Scott Harrup | October 8, 2009
It’s the age-old question — which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Or, as I’ve been wondering, do the media negatively influence our culture’s use of language or does a degenerating culture create the foul-mouthed media it consumes?
Last night I was watching a documentary on dams and hydroelectricity when an ad popped on for a product that wirelessly charges various gadgets.
The actors are so stunned by the product that their dialog devolves into a series of bleeped expletives. Listeners familiar with the English language can readily insert the intended obscene word.
Other ads in the promotional array use the same idea with different actors and settings. The company has even named the ad campaign “What the Bleep?”
A generation ago, I lived with a virtual soap bar floating over my head. I came home from the first grade and shared with Mom the bon mot so carefully highlighted by its omission in these ads. Mom lovingly informed me I would be eating a cake of Irish Spring if I ever decided to repeat that word in her hearing.
Times have changed. Jodie teaches preschool and deals with spontaneous vulgarity from 2-year-olds.
Despite my renewed disappointment in our nation’s degenerating sense of decency, I realize that nothing is gained from cursing the darkness. Rather, that brief commercial last night motivates me to watch my own choice of words. As offensive as I find such bleeped innuendo to be, there are plenty of things I can say in “refined” English that cut someone far more deeply than simple vulgarity.
Without a hint of profanity, I can allow my anger or impatience to vent, leaving in the wake of my destructive emotions my wife, my child, a neighbor or friend.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, NKJV).
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The End Is Near… Again
By Scott Harrup | October 5, 2009
Another disaster movie is scheduled for release — of all times, right around Thanksgiving. 2012 offers up scenes of worldwide destruction tied to some cataclysm apparently predicted by the Mayans centuries ago. I guess the Thanksgiving season release makes sense if we’re all supposed to walk away grateful that we’re still alive.
All right, true confession here; I’m a sucker for disaster movies. I like to root for the survivors. And nobody really dies anyway. These days, computer effects cook up apocalyptic eye candy without anyone, even stunt actors, getting hurt. So it’s the classic idea of catharsis ratcheted up another notch.
Looking at the online trailer for 2012, I noted several concepts that crop up in popular treatments of the “end of the world” scenario.
“Spiritual truth is universal”: When you’re talking the end of the world, religion always comes up. But Hollywood usually takes the position that all religions — illustrated in 2012 by Mayan temple ruins, the Sistine Chapel, a Tibetan monastery, praying throngs of Muslims, etc. — have a shared legitimacy.
“Technology will save us”: No matter what, humanity will be able to pick itself up by its bootstraps. (Or, at least that portion of humanity selected by the governments holding the technology.)
“All you need is love”: A plucky family whose members really love each other can survive, even in the midst of earthquakes, meteor showers and tidal waves.
I’m still entertained when a director reshuffles the above themes, but here’s the mental grid I use to process them.
“Spiritual truth is universal” makes no sense at all, even to most of the religions portrayed. People wouldn’t call themselves Muslims, Hindus, Christians or much else if they really believed all religions were equally valid. As a Christian, I openly claim a firm belief in the tenets of my faith to the exclusion of all others.
“Technology will save us” does appeal to my sci-fi sensibilities. But going back to the above paragraph, I’m reminded there is only one true Source of salvation. Everything else is contingent on His plans for the universe.
As for “all you need is love,” I believe the most life-giving love must be built upon a relationship with God — again, a relationship I believe He offers us through a very specific living Truth.
2012 will certainly entertain, but I hope viewers with access to a Bible will review the “end of the world” predictions on those pages and reflect on Scripture’s basic claims: 1) God started history, and He has a plan to wrap it up. 2) He hasn’t enlightened us as to when our calendars will cease to matter. 3) He expects us to accept each day as a gift and use it accordingly — whether that takes us into next year, the next decade, or into centuries to come.
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