Friday, January 19, 2018

Three Index Cards

Batsell Barrett Baxter was a busy man. He was a fulltime college professor who also preached two sermons each week at a local church. He also spoke once per week on national television. I once heard him give this advice on how to get more done.

Brother Baxter said that at the beginning of each week he made three lists (on three index cards). The first card listed things he considered his most urgent tasks for that week. The second card contained things that were important, but not urgent (they needed to be done, but not necessarily that week). The third listed things he would like to do, but which were not all that important. He carried these cards with him all week.

Whenever he had a spare moment, he would pull out the first card – the one that listed matters that were both important and urgent. If possible, he worked on one of those items. He reached for the second card only if he had either completed everything on the first card, or if a situation had arisen where he sincerely could not work on the items on the first card. He went to the third card only if the first two had been completed, or had turned out to be impossible at this time.

That sounds like an effective system, and it certainly worked for Brother Baxter. But, in case you do not like it, let me suggest another way of handling your time.

Do not make lists; just do whatever comes into your mind at the moment. If you get bored or lonely, turn on the television. If you have a spare moment that is not long enough for watching television, play a computer game or search the web a little. I am sure that you can stay busy this way, just as busy as Batsell Barrett Baxter. Of course busy is not the same as productive, but let’s not split hairs.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Perspective on the Times

Garrison Keillor used to joke about a radio show called “Lutheran Whispers.” This mythical show was sponsored by Kierkegaard Hardware and hosted by Thorny Thornburg. Mr. Thornburg was always depressed. He questioned why he had been born Scandinavian (“the food is bad, the weather is terrible, the theology is enough to break a man’s heart”).

I thought of “Lutheran Whispers” this morning. Yesterday I had read a headline in the Christian Chronicle that seemed designed to depress, and it had been effective. I started to question why I had to live at this discouraging time in history.

My morning reading today was the book of Lamentations -- five chapters of lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. It is amazing how a little reflection on biblical history can change our perspective. The year 2018 may not be the greatest year to be alive, but it sure beats 586 BC in Judah!

We may feel like saying, “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath” (Lam 3:1). And that is all right, provided that we go on to remember, ‘The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lam 3:22-26, ESV)

It is a difficult time in history. Perhaps it is our duty, and privilege, to make a small but positive difference at this time. Perhaps, like most of the prophets, we will find that our efforts will seem to have failed. But, if we are faithful, at least God’s word will have been proclaimed, even if people fail to respond (Ezek 2:5).

The tide comes in, the tide goes out. The tide is constantly changing. Whichever way the tide of popular public opinion turns, let us be faithful (2 Tim 4:2; 1 Cor 4:2).

Saturday, January 6, 2018

An Aid Worth Owning

The production of Bible study aids is big business. Millions are spent each year on commentaries, class books, study Bibles and computer programs designed to help us understand the Bible. Some of these can be of help, but they can also be dangerous.

Recently one form of Bible study aid has made its appearance that, I hope, no one will find objectionable. It is, pure and simple, the Bible itself – without note, comment or even chapter and verse markings.

Most of us are aware of the fact that the practice of dividing the Bible into chapters and verses did not arise until more than one-thousand years after the apostolic age. But what we may not realize is how much those chapter and verse divisions could be detracting from our Bible reading.

As originally written the thought in a given book of the Bible flowed continuously from beginning to end. As printed in most of our Bibles today, that thought is broken up into small pieces. The way most Bibles are printed unconsciously discourages us from reading large sections. Instead, the appearance of the text on the printed page tends to atomize the thought into disjointed pieces.

Several publishers now offer Bibles (generally called “reader’s Bibles”) that do away with the atomizing verse markings. These Bibles may not be handy for use in a class, but they might do something interesting to your personal Bible reading. You might find yourself reading more scripture, and enjoying it more, with one of these Bibles.