In her seminal work, How the West Really lost God, Mary Eberstadt wrestles with the reasons for “trickle down secularism” that have eroded western civilization. She makes some interesting assertions in the book.
In one chapter she wrestles with Fredrick Nietzsche’s postulates about the death of God.

As she does so she develops one of the most important theses of the book: The privatization of religion always leads to its erosion.
Religion in and of itself demands community. The more individualistic we become, the less Christian we conversely are.

She likens this to how we learn language. Language itself demands community. We learn language from others and any meaningful interaction we have with others presupposes a vehicle of communication. Then she asks this question: “What if Christianity (like all other religions) is like language- something that can really only be practiced in groups?
What if, just as people enhance their language skills by exposure to other people, those who are most connected to other people are more likely to develop “religious skills” too?”

So what does this observation have to do with anything? I’m glad you asked: everything!
The constraints of the pandemic that we have been living through in the last year has heightened our individualistic, isolationist tendencies like never before and pushed people into islands of existence that are fragmenting and tearing people apart at the very core of their existence.
People have been cut off from others like never before- and this is not a healthy sociological experiment. Just ask yourself why solitary confinement is seen as such a horrible punishment.

Won’t streaming be a good enough substitute? Can’t social media make up the difference? Actually, no it won’t.
Virtual reality isn’t reality, it’s a cheap substitute that causes us to fool ourselves into thinking we are having meaningful interaction with people, all the while it insulates us from the messiness and joys of real living.
It may be a good tool in our arsenal of mass communication but it can never replace the essential elements of connectedness that defines the body of Christ.

Think about this. When God wanted to save his ruined world; He didn’t Zoom in to the rescue- He came in flesh and blood.

Because of grace,
Tim

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During these times of accusation, turmoil and uncertainty; I thought it good to remind us all of some civics.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Amendment I, the U.S. Constitution

It has been often noted that the first right expressed in our Bill of rights is the freedom of Religion.
This freedom is foundational to all the rest and on it hangs the strength of our Republic. Without it we would quickly degrade into a swamp of competing interests and radical individualism- a place we are quickly going as this freedom is under relentless attack.

Following on this right is the right of all citizens to freely speak their minds, the press to function without fear and the people to assemble and even seek a redress for wrongs suffered at the hands of government. Interestingly, our founders wisely followed this amendment with the second amendment to give the people the means to enforce it.

During recent years the American people have become increasingly cynical of a press that seems to merely parrot and promote the progressive agenda of elitist leftists who seek to remake our Republic.
After taking over the French republic, Napoleon quipped: “Controlled by the government, a free press becomes a strong ally.” In this oxymoronic statement Napoleon links a “free press” with government control- a statement that almost mirrors exactly where we find ourselves today in America.

So, where does this leave us? It leaves us at a time where the church needs to find its voice again and speak boldly and powerfully.
We stand on the precipice of events that could quickly spiral into the coercive restriction upon almost every one of the rights that were recognized by our founders in the Bill of Rights.

Free speech is being undermined by public shaming of those who do not parrot the partly line. Freedom of assembly is undermined by heavy handed restrictions enacted for our own good in times of crisis.
Those who speak with a different voice are quickly eliminated from social media platforms, and Christian groups that stay committed to Biblical morality are the objects of scorn and derision.

Screw down your hat- this one might buck. It might be more than an 8 second ride.
Because of grace,
Tim

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“No longer drink Ol1ly water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent illnesses.”
I Timothy 5:23

In the middle of instruction to Timothy on how to select and install elders, Paul takes a parenthesis and gives Timothy some fatherly council.
Although it is really impossible to know why (we can only speculate as to the reason) Timothy had broken with the common practice and was drinking water without any wine.The purpose of mixing wine into water in the ancient world was to purify it.

Water is Iife- but it is also death! Water borne illnesses like cholera; bacterial infections like giardia; and contamination from raw sewage have always been a problem with the world’s fresh water supply.
It was not until well’s were sunk deep into the ground, sewer systems advanced and plumbing to transport water into homes was standard practice that much of this danger was eliminated.

So what do we learn from Paul’s advice? First, we are to trust God- but we are also to use our brains.
Just like we saw earlier in this chapter, financial planning and faith are not polar opposites. So too, good health practices only make common sense.
Secondly, God would have us seek to prevent disease whenever we can. Good hygiene, proper nutrition, healthy diets and exercise glorify God. Lazy habits don’t!
Thirdly, God would have us make use of means. Wine was considered to be not only a purifier of water- it was also considered to be medicine.

Timothy was frequently ill. Paul said: treat your illness with the medicine you have available. Again, it does not honor God when we are ill to just say “I’m trusting God to make me better,” and then not go to the Dr. for help.
Christianity is not a pie in the sky religion- it is of all things most practical. It not only fits us for eternity and Heaven.
It shows us how to live right now. So, when in doubt: trust God and use a little wine.
Because of grace,
Tim

Listen to the related message below.

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