Presence Weekly 6/24/2024

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" Revelation 3:14-22

Last week, we looked at some fairly pointed and heavy words from John's letter to the church in Laodicea recorded in the Book of Revelation. In our earlier essay, we reflected on how difficult but necessary it is to hear an accurate assessment of our status instead of one that is either too harsh or too effusive. With Jesus' objective and sobering assessment in hand, we now turn to the question, "So what?"

Responding to Christ's Assessment

Jesus tells them that contrary to their present assessment that they are wealthy, flourishing and need nothing, they are actually "wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."

Thankfully, Jesus offers not only stark assessments but profound hope for a remedy. Look at verses 18-19, "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see."

Several weeks ago, I mentioned a quote from C.S. Lewis that also fits here. Lewis's point in The Weight of Glory was that "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

The letters to the churches present the ironic approach of Christ, and here it is no different. Christ has every desire that they be wealthy. The ironic thing is that Christ puts himself forward as the source of that wealth. Jesus offers them all they need – gold, clothing, and salve for their eyes. But the church has settled for far less, and much like the story of the emperor's new clothes, they should be ashamed of their current state. 

The allure of the public square is manifest in its offer to provide wealth, notoriety, and power - for a price. Even the most humble of servants and leaders are often enticed away by the very lusts of the flesh and promises of glory that were offered by Satan to Jesus during his forty days in the desert. That is not to say that all succumb to the siren's call, but all are enticed. 

Costs and Payments 

The costs of pursuing the measures of success in the public square are high and often come with long-term interest payments. But there is another option - purchasing what you need from Christ. 

How much might all this cost, you ask? That is another source of irony. The prices for what Christ offers us are listed in Isaiah 55:1, 

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." 

Well, that sounds easy enough. We'll come back to that in a minute.

Another essential point to be made here is that, like most of the churches Christ has addressed in Revelation, he calls the church at Laodicea to repent, to turn from their current method of operation, and to seek all of their value in Him. In our present context, Jesus might say, "Stop placing your efforts to Make America Great Again or Build Back Better before me!" Or perhaps, "You have exchanged the Social Gospel for the real gospel." Maybe even, "Forget your Christian Nationalism and focus on Christian dependency." Christ calls the church to focus all their heart, mind, soul, and strength on Him. 

Notice what Christ says to them in verse 19, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent." One thing is for sure: this church is being reproved. But they are being corrected because Christ loves them. The love that is talked about is the kind of love that you would have for a dear friend, someone you enjoy and care deeply about. Here, we see a church that is far off track, lacking in objectivity, which is about to be their ruin, but they are not unloved and are still part of Christ's body. His message is, "I love you; repent and get what you need from me!"

Joseph Gundfast, a Stanford law professor, estimated that the 2008 crash wiped out 40% of the world's wealth. Some people thought they were wealthy, and then, in a moment, they were not! Over the past 16 years, the market has recovered those losses and broken new records. Yet, as recently as 2022 many investors in tech stocks watched as their market price dropped over 30%, erasing almost 4 trillion dollars in wealth. Earthly wealth is often fleeting. 

Christ's message is, "I should be the source for everything you hold dear! I am the source of everything that you need!" But, this cuts against us being the center of our own world. Why do we refuse to buy for free from Christ instead of paying the world's rates? The answer is simple, we want to provide everything that we need. 

The Question of Authority

There is a certain appeal to being able to provide our own meaning and provide our own answers. There is a certain comfort in being the person who sits in the seat of authority and says, "I am good." But, that place of assessment authority works only if we actually belong there.

Even those of us who look for meaning and/or answers outside of ourselves still want to do so on our own terms. We don't want other people's truth claims or instructions for our lives laid upon us because we have authority over our own lives. Yet, here's the rub - we want other people to think like us about social and lifestyle issues because we wish to have authority over their lives too – at least just a little bit. 

So Christ saying, "Find your value in me," is about the hardest sell we can imagine selling today even though it is exhausting when you are responsible for supplying all your own meaning. What is required to claim to be able to give someone else instruction based on an objective assessment? Authority. It is from this position of authority that Jesus tells "those whom I love" their true condition - and the method of remedy. 

Finally, it's critical to understand that Christ does not require us to live in poverty. Being rich and being a follower of Christ are not mutually exclusive. The problem comes when we find all of our riches in our earthly pursuits because that typically makes us complacent about what we should care most about - participating in Christ's mission of making all things new. 

That is a point we will discuss next week. 

Questions for Application

What are the public square offerings that are most appealing to you? 

How do you navigate the public square’s offer of wealth, notoriety and power in light of Christ’s call to buy from him without money? What would be required for you to “start shopping elsewhere?”

Where do you find yourself foregoing Christ’s authority in your life while attempting to extend your authority over someone else’s? 

• Monday: Morning: 1 Samuel 1, Romans 6, Psalm 116, 117, 118 // Evening: 1 Samuel 2:1-21, Luke 2:1-21, Psalm 116, 117, 118
• Tuesday: Morning: 1 Samuel 2:22-36, Romans 7, Psalm 119:33-72 // Evening: 1 Samuel 3, Luke 2:22-52, Psalm 119:33-72
• Wednesday: Morning: 1 Samuel 4, Romans 8:1-17, Psalm 119:105-144 // Evening: 1 Samuel 6, Luke 3:1-22, Psalm 119:105-144
• Thursday: Morning: 1 Samuel 8, Romans 8:18-39, Psalm 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125// Evening: 1 Samuel 9:1-25, Luke 4:1-30, Psalm 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125
• Friday: Morning:1 Samuel 9:26-10:16, Romans 9, Psalm 132, 133, 134, 135// Evening: 1 Samuel 10:17-27, Luke 4:31-44, Psalm 132, 133, 134, 135
• Saturday: Morning: 1 Samuel 11, Romans 10, Psalm 139, 140 // Evening: 1 Samuel 12, Luke 5:1-16, Psalm 139, 140
• Sunday: Morning: Judges 5, Mark 6:53-7:23, Psalm 144, 145, 146 // Evening: 2 Samuel 1, Acts 6, Psalm 144, 145, 146

• Cabinet Agency: The Department of Food and Nutrition Services (USDA), Acting Deputy Secretary Kumar Chandran, and their staff as they work to carry forward the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for reducing hunger, improving nutrition, and giving all Americans the best chance at a good life - including the SNAP program.
• Think Tank, Lobby group, NGO: The Food and Research Action Center (FRAC) and their efforts to improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions.
• • A word about ideologies. The selection of these organizations is not based on mutual affinity but on the belief that prayer is the most we can ever do to participate in Christ’s mission of making all things new.
• Congressional Delegation: For the Congressional delegation of Alaska
• News Events: For all the staffers working on preparations for the upcoming Presidential debate. For the staff at the National Weather Service as they monitor weather events (including tropical storms) and analyze data on the most recent heat dome. For the staff of the Department of Transportation working on numerous infrastructure projects this summer. 
• Personal Requests: For someone getting used to a divorce. For a couple trying to find a new church. For multiple couples embarking on vacations and others returning from the same. For someone “drinking from a fire hose” at a new job. For a couple awaiting test results. Faithful Presence is traveling to the 2024 Acton University in Grand Rapids, MI to attend numerous seminars and discussions on economic theory, political philosophy, and their intersection with Christian principles and precepts.

• The Brookings Institution has an excellent article on the role of the SNAP program (food stamps), administered by the Department of Agriculture, in the well-being and flourishing of low-income households.
• The New York Times has an article worth a careful and contextually cautious read on the implications of Louisiana’s recent decision to mandate the Ten Commandments be displayed in all classrooms.
• John Inazu, Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis, has a must-read on “The Theological Rationale for Protest.”
• The American Enterprise Institute has a counterintuitive op-ed from Senior Fellows, Benjamin and Jenna Storey, asking “Will Republicans Save the Humanities?”
• The New York Times has an essay on Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram, and child safety laws.
• Mere Orthodoxy, and Faithful Presence favorite, Jake Meador, has a timely piece on evangelicals and deconstruction.

• Tuesday, June 25, the Brookings Institution hosts an in-person and streaming event to release the latest Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report on American economic flourishing.
• Wednesday, June 26, at 10am, the Center for American Progress invites you to join them for a conversation with Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor to President Joe Biden, on efforts to lower the cost of living for everyday Americans.
• Wednesday, June 26th at 5:30pm The Hoover Institution in DC hosts Ideas Uncorked, “AI and War.” The event will feature Jacquelyn Schneider, Hoover Fellow.
• Thursday, June 27, you can watch the first 2024 Presidential debate at 9pm on all major networks and streaming outlets. 
• This weekend kicks off the Smithsonian Institute’s Folklife Festival on the National Mall. Indigenous artists and makers, professional chefs and home cooks, musicians, dancers, athletes, and storytellers will demonstrate the depth of multigenerational traditions as well as new, innovative approaches to cultural expression.
• After lengthy and comprehensive renovations, the Folger Shakespeare Library is ready for your visit! Get up close with the incredible books, manuscripts, art, and objects that make up the world’s largest Shakespeare collection. 

Back in mid-May, I recorded a podcast with my friend and Board of Advisors member, Dr. Randy Newman. We had connected for lunch a month earlier outside of Austin during my trip to Texas, which included a guest lecturing appointment at Baylor University. Whenever I am with Randy in person, I wonder why he decided to go into writing and ministry rather than stand-up comedy. That’s not because he lacks anything as an apologist or theologian, but because he is equally talented in dry, perfectly timed, wit! 

During our podcast, we talked about his latest book, Questioning Faith, and how many of the principles he outlined in Questioning Evangelism could apply to conversations with seekers and skeptics whose switchback-laden journey towards faith may include profound suffering or very negative interactions with the church.

Following that recording, my schedule became filled with conferences, content creation, panel discussions in Washington, discipleship cohort meetings, and, well, recording more podcasts. 

On Friday, as I was returning home from a conference in Memphis, a dear friend called to catch up. As our time was wrapping up, she expressed he sorrow at the passing of Randy. 

Embarrassingly, I had no idea.

Dr. Randy Newman passed away from a heart attack shortly after we recorded together in May. He leaves behind a wife, children, and grandchildren which motivated his relocation from Washington to Austin. There are many memorial posts for Dr. Newman around the web that are worth the read. 

What I want to say is that Dr. Newman’s works became a formative part of my ministry trajectory, played a foundational role in the launch and growth of two church plants, and the impetus to create Faithful Presence. He was one of the first people I asked to join the Board of Advisors, and he was always willing to answer a question. But much more than that, Dr. Newman was a friend who was willing to listen as I shared not just ministry questions, but about the realities and suffering that come from life as finite, fragile, and fallen people. 

I will miss his smile, self-effacing humor, cultural-apologetic wisdom, and his passion for evangelism. 

Well done, my good friend. I look forward to seeing you again in a land even better than Narnia.