The Blue Church

Okay, not everything. But we have been taught from our earliest years that God is neither hiding nor hidden. So why, as adults, do we live as if He were, as if He had not written a Book for us?

He is risen indeed!
And because He has been raised from the dead. . .

He is declared the Son of God in power. Romans 1:4
He is proven to be the Christ of prophecy. 1 Corinthians 15:4
We were raised with Him. Ephesians 2:6
We have been born again. 1 Peter 1:3

Formality, in our culture, has fallen on hard times. It probably was inevitable as letters have morphed into emails, notes into tweets. But hearing that one young lady broke her engagement in a text message reminded me that there may be elements of societal elegance and grace that can rightly be mourned and even missed.

“Nobody saw this coming!”

Actually, some did. They have warned for years of pandemics, wars, weather-related disasters, stock market meltdowns, and other “Black Swan” events. But our normalcy bias doesn’t let us see past the next paycheck, and our grocer’s fully stocked shelves lure us into complacency.

The word “tenebrae” is Latin, meaning “shadows.”

It is the word we use for the brief, somber service in which Christians celebrate the death of Christ. Let that sink in. We are used to mourning death. We never celebrate death, because it is an enemy, the last and greatest enemy (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26).

Let’s face it, things are pretty intense these days, and for good reason. But that means it’s time to remember Solomon’s words (Ecclesiastes 3) that. . .

There is a time for everything. . .
A time to weep and a time to laugh.

So today we turn from sorrow and seriousness to levity and laughter. And while disease and economic uncertainty abound, so also do smiles and chuckles.

Growing up in landlocked states, I never spent much time on the water.
 

Had we lived on the coast, though, I might have enjoyed surfing. I always loved sports programs where brave souls did this. . .

Looks like one of the most fun and/or most terrifying things ever, doesn’t it? I’ll guarantee you that he isn’t afraid. But no doubt when he began, he was.

Years ago I heard a smart man say, “Life is dull only to the dull.”

There and then I resolved never to bewail boredom. I realized that if I felt bored, it indicated more about me than the task at hand, and that for believers, God always has something for us to do well, even if it is to rest.

When global tragedy strikes, we usually hear two questions: 
“Are these signs of the last days?” and “Is this God’s judgment?”

Without going into too much detail, the answer to both questions is, “No.”

The Bible is clear that disease, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and war have been and will be with us until Jesus returns. But these are not the signs of the end. After Jesus refers to them, He says, “But the end is not yet.” So it isn’t. Check out Matthew 24 for the full story.