CHURCH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2021: History is happening

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR September 26, 2021

In the hit musical Hamilton, one of the refrains says, "History is happening in Manhattan and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world." 

After Sunday, I would like to suggest that the theme of Daniel 11 is that history will be happening in the world and we just happen to be in the greatest time of all. I know, it doesn't have the same rhythm, but it's certainly true.

Pastor Dick brought the message on Sunday (two Sundays in a row!) with a survey of Daniel 11 entitled "A Storm is Coming." It is always amazing to see the details of prophetic Scriptures and how those details play out in real history. From the rise of Alexander the Great's generals to the pre-figurement of the Antichrist, there are items for which we have the benefit of historical hindsight, but which would have been impossible for Daniel to have known when he wrote. That's what makes Daniel so amazing.

Being pre-millennial and pre-tribulational in my eschatology, I really appreciated Pastor's treatment of the chapter. It was solid without being sensationalistic. And in these troublesome times, it's good to have a reminder of the hope we have in Christ's return.

Before the service, of course, we had the Adult Bible Study. Romans 8:5-8, comparing being in the flesh with being in the Spirit. Good time of interaction. And then, after the service, was the annual Church picnic. We've had to cancel it the last couple of years for assorted reasons, but it happened this time. I did not stay, but the reports coming in have said it was a success. 

Yup, we just happen to be in the greatest time of all.

So, how was your church service this weekend?

A REFLECTION ON THE 4TH

 Happy Independence Day!

When I was a kid, someone asked me, "do they have a 4th of July in other countries?" Of course, the answer is "yes, they have a 4th, and 2nd, and 3rd, and 5th, and all the other days of the month."

But as I often do, I started picking apart the reasons for the joke. The basic premise behind the joke is that we have, in practice, used "4th of July" as a stand-in for "Independence Day." This, in and of itself is fascinating to me. I cannot think of any other holiday that has adopted its calendar day as a designation. I have not heard anybody say, "Merry 25th of December.!" or "would you like to come to my October 31st party?" or "Happy 4th Thursday of November!"

(Okay, someone is going to write me and say, "What about Sinco de Mayo?" Well, as far as I have found in my research, that's its actual name. No substitution of the actual name for a date. Those who are far more knowledgeable can leave a comment about this, but that's what I've found.)

So the idea behind the joke is that, duh, "4th of July" is a date on the calendar, so naturally it's everywhere. As an innocent kid, I got caught up in the whole, "gotcha!" aspect of the joke. It was a fun way for the questioner to demonstrate their superior reasoning skills. And at 10 years old, it's pretty impressive to be intellectually superior to one's peers. Of course, it can also get one bullied, but that's another subject for another time.

So why this analysis of a childhood joke?

As I write this, it is Independence Day. 245 years ago, a document known as the "Declaration of Independence" set this fledgling nation on its course through the channels of history. But even in the last few days, I have read opinion pieces from those who would think of themselves as "intellectually superior" who question the very documents and institutions of this country. Like the kid who snarkily asks, "do they have a 4th of July in England?", these experts ask, "did you know what the flag really symbolizes?" Or "do you know the real meaning behind the National Anthem?" Or "do you know how unbelievably repressive our form of government is?" And they ask these questions with such earnestness, such depth, and not a little amount of celebrity appeal, that if you give the wrong answer, they are more than willing to correct you. "Gotcha!"

Don't worry, I'm not going to launch into an explanation of our national heritage in order to answer the latest social media influencers. There are many resources out there by truly intellectually superior writers who do a far better, far more thorough job than I could ever do. But what I would ask you to do, when these opinions drift over the internet, is to ask, "what is the motive behind the joke?" The kids on the 4th of July are saying, "We're smart and you're not!" The adults today may be giving more sophisticated reasons, but it still boils down to the same thing: "you're dumb and we're not."

And that's no joke.

Happy 4th of July and God bless the United States of America.