Developing an Every-Member Focus in Ministry

In any give race, be it a 5K or a marathon, about 5 percent of the runners are "elite" runners. The other 95 percent are not. Ironically, the people who get the most attention are the few favored runners who are doing only 5 percent of the work.

Likewise, in our churches it's easy to develop a leader-centric paradigm in which discipleship is staff-driven. 

The result all too often is a consumer culture where people think that their growth is ultimately dependent on Sunday morning sermons. 

How can pastors help? By enabling and equipping. Be celebrating "ordinary" Christians from their pulpits. By beating the drum for simple virtues like humility, prayer, faithfulness, and sacrifice. In the early church, everyone pulled their weight. (Just read 1 Corinthians 14.) Each person was on mission for Jesus. Of course, things will look less "professional" than if the pastors did all the work. But if everyone in the congregation would realize that they are necessary parts of the body, with their own special gifting, I think the whole church would begin to function in ways we can't even imagine. 

Yes, YOU Can Do It

When I started my weight loss journey 6 months ago I never imagined that I could actually have the success that I was able to have. I began taking progress pictures and these kept me so motivated when maybe I wasn't feeling it or the scale didn't reflect it. Just having progress pictures with me throughout my journey really did help me stick with it. 

For so long I just remember sitting there and thinking there's nothing I can do and I felt so hopeless. I felt there was no way out of this situation I was stuck in. I wanted to change. I wanted to feel good. I wanted to be the best version of myself that I could be before the Lord took me home. It took prioritizing my health, and not just my physical health but also my emotional and mental health. The latter are just as important as physical health. I've wanted to share my story and I've wanted to share what's worked for me. It always sounded so cliche and tacky but the fact is that if I can do it so can you. I really want to provide just anything I can to help other people in their journey. Just know that you can do it. It does take time and it does take consistency, but even I was able to lose 35 pounds in 6 months. You can do it quickly and healthily as well. It's hard work and it's not easy but you can do it. You just have to be realistic with your lifestyle and your work schedule. 

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you guys the next time. 

Day 5 of My Mini-Cut

12 miles. 

27,410 steps. 

I am running for my life. I am running because, for me, not running is unthinkable. I am running because I am a runner. It's just that simple. 

He Can Be Trusted!

Today's miles were done on the treadmill. It's day 4 of my 1-week aggressive minicut. 

Today I managed 27,170 steps. 

As we chase goals it's a reminder of the God we serve. We can do nothing in life without him. I'm far from perfect, but I fully understand where my strength comes from. If you're going through challenging times, just remember where your power comes from. Put your trust in him. We don't always understand his plan, but he can be trusted! 

Today's 12-Mile Run

Today's run was a 12-mile jog at the Tobacco Heritage Trail. It netted 27, 627 steps. I face the challenges of life -- growing older, ever-changing relationships, the good and bad of being alive -- in the same way that I face the challenge of running. You know there will good patches and bad ones, and that neither lasts forever. I am gradually learning, with my own two feet, the meaning of triumph and failure, and the fleeting nature of both.

Have a wonderful day! 

What Baslers Think of Their French Neighbors

Yesterday the Easy German Youtube channel posted an interview that was absolutely fascinating. It compared High German ("German German") with the dialect of Swiss German spoken by people living in Basel. 

When asked what stereotype existed among the Baslers about their French-speaking neighbors, the answer was: "They always insist on speaking French." I cannot tell tell you how often I experienced this attitude! Living in Basel, you live on both the French and German borders. On our frequent jaunts into France, Becky and I would rarely be able to speak English with the natives. Nor did they want us to speak German. It was French or nothing -- despite the fact that my spoken French was a disaster. The French, you see, are justifiable proud of their mother tongue, just as we Americans are of our dialect of English. Just goes to show that God messed things up really good at Babel, though I'm not complaining because I would have been without a job for the past 5 decades if students didn't have to learn Greek as a foreign language!

Today's 10-Mile Run ...

... on the lovely High Bridge Trail. 

It netted 22,633 steps and a weight I hadn't seen in decades. 

If I can do it, you can too. You will learn, as I have, that there are no secrets to weight loss. It's just you and the road you're on.

A Day in the Life

I haven't done one of these in a while. Or maybe never before. I don't really know. I've been blogging for so long now that I sometimes forget what I've blogged about. Anyway, I love it when other people do it, so here goes:

A day in the life of me -- Dave.

Got up at 6:00 and went to Bo's for a sausage biscuit and coffee while having my Bible and prayer time. It's always my favorite part of my day. 

Then, since I cannot get enough of the gym, I made my way to the Y to get in a workout. Since I've only got 3 weeks to get into my very best shape before surfing and climbing, today I decided to begin a 7-day aggressive mini-cut. It started with a workout that included my FAVORITE exercise. Any guesses as to what it is? 

Then it was off to a local park to do, not more pull ups, but chin ups (with a supinated grip). I've never seen anyone at this park save yours truly. It's like that everywhere in South Boston. Must be my lack of deodorant. Anyways, I got in a few wonderful sets of chin ups there.

Next, I wanted to get in my steps. For the next 7 days I plan on getting a minimum of 18,000 steps every single day. 

And ... wow. Today's 9-mile run netted me that and more.  

Finally, after I got back to the farm, I cooked my lunch/dinner. (I eat only two meals a day.) It tasted wonderful  -- jasmine rice, corn, tikka masala, and a fresh garden salad. 

I'll fast between 1:00 pm this afternoon and 7:00 am tomorrow morning. Not for everyone, but it works for me. 

I am sitting here all choked up by the nice texts and emails I've gotten for my B-Day.  I read each one. One of the most important things to note is that life is never stagnant. It's always changing and evolving. We can't control a lot of things, including the reality of aging. You'll get a year older every year on your birthday. Period. But we also don't have to be victims of our circumstances. God has given us free will, and it is within our abilities to make decisions and choose how to face loss, aging, retirement, etc. I'm a believer in the work hard, play hard mentality. I am not obsessive about it, but I am disciplined. 

Awareness is key. There's nothing I eat in a day that I'm not completely conscious about how it is or is not contributing to my physical and emotional well-being. It's been a lifestyle shift and a commitment. I've never felt better in my own skin and I plan to never go back to what I was before. I haven't always been a healthy eater or a healthy person for that matter, that's for sure. But if I have learned one thing in the past few years it's this: Treat your body with the respect it deserves and fuel it accordingly. 

For me, I am happy with my weight. Yes, you read that right. Sure, I want to be in the best shape I can be in, and that would mean losing maybe another 5-10 pounds. But practicing gratitude for the things we already have is more important. Paul wrote, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God." It's much easier to do this, of course, when everything is going swimmingly. It's much tougher when things aren't. But I think we can all agree that focusing on what we have rather than on what we don't have is one of the most profound ways to live life. My life is not perfect, but there are a gazillion things to be thankful for. On this, my birthday, I think of Becky and my kids and my grandkids and my career and a body that allows me to be active and most of all some pretty amazing friends. Find gratitude in every single moment, Dave, no matter how challenging. 

Sheesh! That was a rabbit trail!

To round out my day today, I'll be working outdoors and enjoying this exceptionally beautiful day the Lord has made. I have never before in my life had so much to cherish. 

People value what they notice. Lord, help me to notice things every day of my life and not just on my birthday. 

What I Won't Be Doing on My Birthday

Today I turn 73. I'm very, very grateful for every year God has given me. 

Don't everyone say "Aww" at the same time. 

Some bloggers run the number of miles that they turn on their birthday. No thank you. I'd like to be around for another 365 days. Instead I will drink a 73 ounce Pepsi, eat 73 KitKats, and burp 73 times. I also won't be feeling bad about turning 73. I love my age even though I'm getting older. Every new year is the dawn of new possibilities, as this dear lady reminds us. 

Make it a great day, my friend!

Today in History: The Battle of Brandy Station (June 9, 1863)

162 years ago this month, the Gettysburg Campaign got underway. 

It was the first time a Confederate army had attempted a full-scale invasion of the North. The result was a decisive Union victory at Gettysburg. Most historians agree that the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War.

Lee's army began the movement northward on June 3, 1863. 

Before the Confederates crossed the Blue Ridge into the Shenandoah Valley, the largest cavalry battle of the war was fought at Brandy Station on this day (June 9) in 1863. For several hours, desperate fighting took place on the slopes of a prominent ridge called Fleetwood Hill. The battle ended up being a tactical draw, though an embarrassed Jeb Stuart claimed victory. The Battle of Brandy Station established the reputation of the Union cavalry as the peer of Stuart's mounted troopers.

Brandy Station is a little-known battlefield today. It is preserved by the American Battlefield Trust (proud member!) and owned by the Virginia State Parks (grateful user!). 

It's been said that there isn't any piece of land found anywhere in North America that witnessed more combat than Fleetwood Hill in Culpeper County, VA. It was the site where the Gettysburg Campaign played its opening scene. 

It's well worth a visit today. 

The Current State of Education

Hello everyone. Today I'd like to talk to you about a concern I have with regard to the present state of education, including my own field of New Testament studies. Let me explain.

How we think is crucial to life itself. In ancient Greece, an impasse occurred when the struggle to gain ultimate truth was not resolved. The debate between the monists and the pluralists ended in the rise of humanistic skepticism. The influence of such skepticism was seen in many arenas, including education. Abandoning the quest for ultimate, normative truth was the sorry result.

Ultimately a worldview of relativism developed. Personal opinion replaced objective reality, and truth was slain both in the ivory tower and in the streets. The supreme credo became homo mensura -- man is the measure of all things. The skeptic Gorgias could even declare, "All statements are false" -- a patently self-contradictory statement if ever there was one.

As I said, as an educator I am profoundly concerned with how my students think. I care deeply about the content and methodology of New Testament studies. Every subdiscipline of New Testament studies, including textual criticism, has an ultimate concern. We need to be radical if we are going to get to the root of the matter. If learning and education are ever again to inspire our youth, we must solve the current crisis. In the coming days, I'll offer some hope, but I suspect there will be a lot of grief along the way. Such is the nature of controversy.

There is much that, in my opinion, is wrong with our approaches to New Testament criticism. Others have offered their own diagnoses of the problem. I readily admit that not every problem in the current impasse can be resolved. But I do believe we will have a much better grasp of the major issues after we recognize what the most proffered remedies are. It will become clear that I believe the key to our educational crisis lies in the hands of evangelical inerrantists. But other hands also hold the same key. This is not a time for inerrantists to ignore this struggle.

I hope to examine with you the extent to which traditional religious values are under attack at every level of public and higher education. We who believe and teach that the Bible is the inerrant word of God need a clearer picture of what our educational system is doing to undermine those values. Hopefully, increased understanding of these matters will translate into concern and then into action.

In my experience, academicians have all too willingly opened wide the door to trendy and faddish methods, accompanied by a flood of meaningless jargon within their academic disciplines. In his book The Closing of the American Mind, Allan Bloom noted, "There is one thing that a professor can be absolutely certain about: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative." The major virtue in our universities today -- perhaps the only virtue -- is a commitment to "openness." No longer is there a hope that great minds can discern the truth about life. The quest for absolute truth and certitude has largely been replaced by relativism. The Sophists of our age have severed the tie between reason and virtue.

Irreparably?

I hope not.

In the end, a Christian philosophy of education is based unapologetically upon a Christian view of life and the world. It recognizes that education is never neutral. What sets a truly Christian approach to New Testament studies is the Christian's acceptance of the biblical perspective as both normative and authoritative. This biblical perspective provides a basis on which we may evaluate the non-Christian presuppositions operating in the various sub-disciplines. There is no such thing as removing Christian truth claims from education. Any attempt to claim to be able to do this is merely a substitute of one set of ultimate commitments for another.

One final word for now. We dare not forget the most important players in all this -- the young men and young women in our classrooms who have the potential to become the thinkers of tomorrow. They are the church's most precious treasure. They must be equipped with tools that will enable them to read the original thoughts and writings of some of the greatest thinkers in history rather than what others have written about them.

The Best Form of Cardio

The exercise that integrates best with muscle growth is undoubtedly walking. It's insanely easy to do and distributes the workload throughout your entire body. Currently my total daily steps range between 10 - 20,000 steps. As you can see, I average 15,000 steps a day. 

As long as I get that, all the cardio I need is getting done. As long as I control my diet and lift 3 days a week, it's awesome. I can walk for hours -- and I do! Remember, you don't have to be huffing and puffing to get a cardio workout. On the other hand, just because your body is burning fat for energy when you walk, this doesn't mean you're going to get leaner if you're in a calorie surplus. 

In the final analysis, walking is a great stress reliever, helps digestion after a meal, helps you sleep better, and means you're probably getting more vitamin D from the sun. It helps you burn unwanted body fat and prevents it from being stored in the first place. Walking is amazing and we should all be doing more of it. It's the best way to get lean.

Thanks for attending my TED talk. 

Hawaii, Nostalgia, and Melancholy

When I was a teenage, I built two of my own surfboards. The results were at best mediocre. It takes real skill to be able to design, shape, and fiberglass a board. So when I was 15, I decided to hire one of Oahu's best surfboard shapers to build my next board. This was the board that allowed me to finally get good at surfing. 

I rode it almost daily between the ages of 15 and 19 in Hawaii. Even after I left Hawaii for California, it was my constant companion. True, Huntington Beach ain't no Pupukea or Haleiwa, but a wave is a wave. As you can see, Bill Stonebraker was responsible for this masterpiece. 

Interestingly, Bill went on to become a pastor in Honolulu. You can read his amazing testimony here. 

Lord willing, in 23 days I'll be back on Oahu for 9 days of surfing. I've begun to rough out a schedule. Currently it looks something like this:

If Kailua Beach seems a bit prominent in the list, it's because that's where I grew up. I'll be staying less than a block from the beach where I surfed every day during my teen years.

I don't know why I've become so nostalgic about Hawaii in my later years. I do know that nostalgia is often triggered by happy memories. I get a rush of nostalgia as soon as my plane lands in Honolulu. I use the term "nostalgia" instead of "sentimentality" because the latter term is often used in a negative sense. That said, I'll admit that I become sentimental about the island of my birth. I mean, how can I ever forget my honeymoon in Kailua with Becky in my home while my family was on the mainland? You simply can't. I think sometimes I also become melancholic. Melancholy is a feeling of sadness, ennui, depression, and the like. It's like the beauty of a fading flower or the color of autumn leaves. Melancholy's song is a sigh. And sighing I will do aplenty during the 9 days I'll be in Hawaii.

Do you know the origin of the words nostalgia and melancholy? Nostalgia comes from the Greek words for "return" and "pain." Melancholy comes from the Greek words for "black" and "gastric acid." According to Hippocrates, if you had more gastric acid than you should, you turned into a bitter person like your stomach. Melancholy sometimes means you're in a low-level state of sadness. But if it's sadness, it's a sweet sadness.

Nostalgia can be a safe place, as long as it doesn't make you live in the past. The most beautiful songs are often remakes. Even the biggest movies are remakes (Mission Impossible, anyone?). As I think back to my young adulthood, I realize that many if not most of the things in my life today are better than they were back then. I suppose my nostalgia is mostly for the carefree surfer culture that was such a big part of my life in those days, though I'm sure I'm reading the past with rose-colored glasses. 

I never think, "Man, I wish I could relive those days." But revisiting the past for about 9 days every year seems about right. It does something for my spirit that's, well, inexplicable.

Have a wonderful day! 

In Praise of the Cathedral

Every once in a while it's nice to pay a visit to those cathedrals that graced the countryside in the 12th century and following. The Cologne Cathedral in Germany is one such example. 

I had the great fortune to be able to visit this magnificent structure back in the 1970s. It is a building that inspires the theory of the mathematical sublime. We can see all the individual components in their entirety but the brain simply is unable to compute this incredible structure. It causes a feeling of heavenly pleasure unrivaled in any modern church structure. For some strange reason, this boy from a beach in Hawaii has always loved the old architecture and even the ancient music from cathedrals such as this. The stunning architectural work of art that they represent takes my breath away. I always cry when I hear some hymn of the faith played on its organ. 

I shall forever be grateful for the years I was privileged to live in Europe and was able to attend organ concerts in such amazing structures.

Get Your Sleep!

Everyone knows just how important getting enough sleep is, but not everyone knows how important it is for fitness fanatics. Insufficient sleep can dramatically reduce our quality of life and even our productivity in the gym. It can slow down weight loss, lead to weight gain, and reduce testosterone levels. Not good! Think of sleep hygiene like your diet. It's working either for or against you, whether you realize it or not. Here's how I looked and felt when I got to the gym today. I felt great. 

I was about to get in my 20,000 steps for the day. I feel like this every single day thanks in large degree to the sleep the Lord enables me to get at night. I'm in bed at 8:00 pm every night and I wake up without an alarm at either 6:00 or 6:30 am. That's 10-10.5 hours of good quality sleep every single night. I couldn't do what I do without it. It's just how my body is programmed to work. 

Please get enough sleep at night!

Are Those Square Brackets Really Necessary?

I usually don't make too big of a deal about it, but with the UBS6 and NA29 coming out soon, it might be a good idea to rethink the use of square brackets in the text. I can see how some people would prefer to have square brackets in their Greek New Testament. But they're just not for me. I guess I feel that if you consider that a word/phrase/verse or whaverer is not in the original written by the author, you don't need to put brackets around it. Place it in the apparatus where it belongs. However, if you see brackets and go "That's amazing!" then I'm happy for you.

Here's a place where brackets are probably unnecessary. 

The words "in Ephesus" (1:1) enjoy early and widespread attestation. They seem to be original despite the letter's absence of any personal greetings. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Gettysburg

Had a monster workout today, plus got in 21,000 steps. So if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna rewatch the movie Gettysburg. Yes, all 4 hours and 31 minutes of it 😊

Take It from Me

Excess body fat is a problem you can literally run from. 

Another Completely Boring Blog Report

Feel free to skip. 

Thank you, Lord.

Think Thin

Do you remember the opening scene in Alfred Hitchcock's classic movie North by Northwest? It's where the character played by Cary Grant tells his secretary to write down two words in his day planner:

"Think thin."

I used to laugh at that line. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me. Here's something you might want to try. 

Write down your goal weight on a piece of paper. Then imagine yourself at that weight. Let your mind's eye create a picture of you at that weight. Be sure to write down a number. It doesn't even have to be a realistic number. The only thing that matters is that you want to become thin(er). Then let the power of imagination propel you forward to your goal. 

About 6 months ago I did just that. I weighed 240 pounds. Then I said, "Lord, if possible, I'd like to get down to 215 pounds. Or maybe 210 pounds. Or -- and I know I'm asking for the moon here -- 205 pounds." 

Today I weigh 208 pounds. 

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or even imagine. That's his promise to us. 

Just wanted to share this thought. If it can help you -- that's great! 

P.S. Do you know how old Cary Grant was when he filmed North by Northwest? He was 55. Sure didn't look it. Biological age and physiological age are two completely different things. 

Hay, Hay, Whaddya Say?

We've begun getting up hay. So much fun!

Prayer AND Fasting? (Mark 9:29)

Dwayne Green has done it again with this excellent video.

I thought of it while going through Mark 9 in my Bible time this morning. 

The question is this: In Mark 9:29, did Jesus refer to prayer and fasting, or just prayer? The answer should be obvious at once. Even the most cursory examination of the textual apparatus will reveal that both the external and the internal evidence overwhelmingly support the inclusion of the words "and fasting." And yet some scholars insist that indecision is the best solution to the problem. (The ECM of Mark lists this variant as "splitlined." Unbelievable.) My friend Keith Elliott once referred to the "hypnotic effect of Aleph and B." Nowhere is this more clearly seen than here. And note: Once again, the Byzantine text gets it right. 

As I read Jesus' words, I recalled Bill Bright's famous dictum about fasting:

"I believe the power of fasting as it is related to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord Jesus has given us to destroy the stronghold of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world."

Powerful indeed. I hope to practice it more. 

Sneak Peak at a Conference on the Bible

These words of A. W. Tozer ring true:

The world is waiting to hear an authentic voice, a voice from God -- not an echo of what others are doing and saying, but an authentic voice.

Today there are methods of biblical criticism that are undermining this essential distinction between the authentic word of God and man-made voices. When I am told that the goal of textual criticism is no longer the recovery of the original text, how can I know that what I am reading is the word of God? I am more convinced than ever that we when enter the field of New Testament textual criticism, we are entering a battleground. You cannot pick and choose from the Bible what you want to believe is inspired, original, and authoritative. If you do, you'll wander and follow every stray voice. Your whole life will be "recalculating." 

Some in the guild are, thankfully, waking up and realizing what is happening. They are awakening and reacting appropriately. This fall a conference on textual criticism will take place in North Carolina (details to come shortly). It will reaffirm our belief in the concept of "original text," and insist that our churches must believe the word, teach the word, and hold scholars accountable to the truths of the word. Otherwise, we're just playing religious games. 

Stay tuned ....

Hard Is a Good Teacher

I like hard. Hard is good for us. Since I started being active I have completely changed as a person. The change I'm speaking of is much more than physical. I have learned to think of myself as someone who doesn't give up. 

When we do hard things we know that when life goes south we can do hard things again because we did hard things in the past. Doing hard things has made me tougher. I need that toughness not only in my life in general but, yes, in getting older. When I'm in the middle of something that I think is way over my head, I realize when it's over that accomplishing those challenges is what life is all about. 

In my training today I tried to do something hard. I arrived at the gym dead set to perform a pull up with a pause at the top of every rep. 

Talk about hard. Some call this an isometric exercise. It's suppose to improve not only your strength but also your stamina -- and I'll need both in spades when I try to climb the Riffelhorn this August.  

You can see that my arms are literally shaking trying to hold myself up at the top. This was so hard I almost peed my pants. But I'm not giving up. I've got a long ways to go but that's half the fun. When we do hard things we gain a hard-won confidence. We know we can do hard things again. Not just physically demanding things, but things like heartache, betrayal, loss, even overcoming trauma. 

I want so badly for my grandkids to learn that lesson. 

I think we are well on the way. 

Yes, Inerrancy Still Matters

Today I was interviewed for the Bible and Theology Matters podcast at Dallas Theological Seminary. Paul Weaver, the podcast's host and a professor of Bible exposition at DTS, wanted to know why I wrote my book Why Four Gospels? The Historical Origins of the Gospels -- which espouses Matthean priority. (It's a position Dr. Weaver also espouses, by the way.) During our conversation (which should be online in about a month), we rejoiced that we are both part of faculties and institutions that love strong, biblical exhortation and practical application. But we quickly added that the so-called "battle for the Bible" isn't over. It never will be. 

Thankfully, our schools aren't alone in the struggle against the tide. In addition, many evangelical churches have awakened to the threat. You may be surprised to know that the main reason I wrote my book on the gospels was not to defend Matthean priority (although it does attempt to do that). Rather, my main goal was to defend the historicity, apostolicity, trustworthiness, veracity, inerrancy, and dependability of the four Gospels. Without constant, ceaseless effort to defend these truths, erosion will takes its toll on our churches and seminaries. We can't for a single moment take our hands off the wheel or our eyes off the road. 

God bless Dallas Theological Seminary (and others schools like it) for its courage and faithfulness to teaching and preaching the word. The apostle Paul was consistently faithful to teach the word with accuracy and integrity, and as a result the message of the gospel spread as congregations grew both deeper and larger. Ultimately, all of Satan's attacks against the church are assaults against God's word. Erosion will happen if churches fail to heed the warning. But (I repeat), where Satan is active, God is equally active. Christ is building his church, and he will honor and bless any plan that upholds truth and promotes his word! 

WARNING!

If you want to start exercising for fun, fitness, weight loss, or for any other reason, you are to be commended. But be warned:

Exercise may become addictive. Participation in exercise may cause feelings of improved self-confidence, an increased sense of personal accomplishment, and overall good health. Prolonged exposure to exercise may even cause endorphin highs to course through your veins and make you feel generally better about your life.

Still, I hope you'll give it a try! 

It's True

By refusing to spend a few hours each week on health and fitness, you're basically saying, "I don't care about the temple of the Holy Spirit." 

Family and Farm

There is joy in small things. Like a Chinese buffet after church.

And a baby saying "water."

And trying to look at your own hair without a mirror. 

And a cozy house to come home to. 

Once again, I am thankful for family. And for the farm. Not just geographically, but the feeling of the place. Family and farm in all of their simplicity make me feel alive and help restore me. 

I hope you had a great Sunday! 

Martin Luther the Bodybuilder?

In commenting on Gal. 6:2, Martin Luther wrote, "Christians must have strong shoulders and mighty bones." 

Luther the bodybuilder?

No. He's obviously referring to the fact that one of the ways Christ bears our burdens is through other human beings. By such "mutual burden-bearing" we fulfill the law of Christ -- that new commandment he gave us to "love one another" (Gal. 5:14). 

Luther's analogy is a reminder that the strengths we possess (be they physical or spiritual) are intended to be put to use in encouraging and helping others. When we see an elderly person carrying a heavy object, we offer to carry it for them. Likewise, when we see someone with, say, an emotional or financial burden, we must be prepared to share their burden. We can't help everyone, but we can help someone. And to do this requires "strong shoulders," shoulders that are sturdy enough to carry heavy loads.

So this is one way God lightens our burdens -- through the companionship and encouragement of a friend or a loved one. Thus Paul could write, "But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus" (2 Cor. 7:6). I love that expression "by the arrival of Titus." 

It refers not only to his arrival but also to his presence. Titus was there for Paul, and so should we be to others who could use a word or deed of encouragement.

I can't thank you enough for your words of encouragement as I faced the loss of my spouse or when I went through my health crisis in 2020. It means more than you know. I especially need to thank my friends and family who provided so much support to me during those tough times. Sometimes when you're in the thick of a difficult experience, you can't see your way out of it, but the people around you can. They help you know that there will be bright days again. Because there will be.

By the way, we must be humble enough to let others share our burdens. It's okay to be vulnerable. Have the courage to not be perfect and show the weak side of your life to others. One of the things that makes us human and so relatable to others is that we're not afraid to share our struggles and challenges. This doesn't mean you'll have a pity party or play the victimhood card. It means that when life gets hard we let others in. We're not afraid to say that we're discouraged. Don't be unwilling to say you're afraid of poor health or getting older or failing to achieve a goal. Connecting with others is the way God builds us up and gives us permission to be a bit easier on ourselves.

Have a wonderful day!  

First Cutting of the Year :-)

The 2025 haying season has begun 😋

Who's stronger than Papa B?