Reading the Psalms with Luther

Being a parent can be difficult. You always want to give your kids the absolute best. I’ll admit it, sometimes I buy my kids the off brand. I have even bought the off brand videos. It is not the movie they wanted but it’s the same story. They enjoyed it but they definitely communicated that it was not what they were expecting. I recently felt the same thing myself when I made an online purchase. I purchased Reading the Psalms with Luther, and was very excited when it arrived in the mail less than a week later. However, I was unpleasantly surprised when I realized that the commentary I was hoping for was actually a summary. What I had hoped for was an interpetations of the Psalms by Martin Luther, what I received was a summary of those interpetations of Luther by Bruce A. Cameron. My hopes remained high when the first pages included Luther’s perspective on the Psalms, “Most beautifully and briefly it embraces everything in the entire Bible; it is made into a fine enchiridion, or handbook” (p. 7.) After a brief introduction, the book handles each Psalm in three parts, the commentary, the Psalm, and then a prayer. This is done after a small introduction on how much the Psalms meant to Luther. It was his daily prayer book, the topic of his initial lectures, and to him, the entire Bible encompassed (p. 9.).

 

He classified each Psalm as either a psalm of prophecy, instruction, comfort, prayer, or thanks. Each psalm pointed to one of the Ten Commandments and one of the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (p. 9-11.) As we read through, the emssages that Luther is known for shines throughout. Anyone who has done even a light study of Luther knows he teaches on free will and justification, the importance of faith over work, especially indulgences, and the place of authority.

 

The Law has been removed because it failed (p. 51.) We should take comfort that God’s anger is temporary. He does not wish but good for us and has already interceded on our behalf that we live joyfully (p. 72.) A guilty conscience is the worst kind of torture. This is reminiscent of Luther’s perception of God early in his ministry (p. 96.) God alone does everything for us (p. 101.) The Psalms are filled with his doctrine on justification found in Romans (p. 154.) God’s plan is revealed in our history, the Psalms retell this story showing how God has always been in control (p. 181.) Our salvation is not based on anything of ours (p. 210.) The only reason that the Church has lasted is that it is God’s Will (p. 215.) Worship in the Old Testament fell short, but the New Testament brought about real worship (p. 222.) Christ was the Lowest of the Low and Highest of the High (p. 230.) The Word must be pure (p. 284.)

 

The only true works are a product of true worship (p. 77.) We are to pray to God that our works be faith filled, and that we do not let our insecurities defame the Gospel (p. 99.)  Relying too heavily on works can produce bad fruit (p. 101.) God’s Word is a gift from the Father (p. 200.) Praising the Father gives Him glory and serves an emotional connection (p. 204.) Faith brings about living (works) (p. 207.) Every work should be doing good and shunning evil (p. 236.) Luther warns against saint worship which has become a new form of idolatry (p. 257.) All human effort is simply emptiness (p. 278.) Do not be like the proud saints who rather than trusting in God trust in their own works (p. 316.) Every human ability is the product of God’s work (p. 330.) False teachers teach material wealth as blessings or that things going well are proof of God’s favor (p. 342.)

 

Those in authority have misrepresented the Gospel (p. 86.) We are warned to have endurance (p. 92.)  Relying on other sources than God can cause us to give in to greed and a desire for wealth (p. 119.) Luther warns us against the tyrant that rather than build up God’s Word would work to destroy it. They call themselves the true church and any that would oppose them, heretics (p. 133.) Do not think that Luther was against authority! He believed that all authority and order was put in place by God (p. 135, 144, 245, 310.) He thought that we should fight to preserve government. He warned against a constantly unchanging government. This instability he thought was dangerous (p. 143.) HE felt that obeying the government was your civic duty and your responsibility as a Christian (p. 145.) After the Gospel, a ruler strengthening God’s laws is the most coveted thing there is (p. 196.) As Luther is teaching the Psalms to future teachers and ministers, he warns them about false teachers and those teaching new doctrine (p. 300, 307.). The very thing is is accused of himself. Pray for worldly authorities (p. 318.) Success in government, victory, and fortune gifts from God and do not come from human ability (p. 341.)

On the whole it is a very enjoyable devotional. I do not regret the purchase because this summary, like the Psalms, are profitable to any Christians life. It is built with simple reminders than no matter where you are in your Christian walk you can use. That being said, I cannot recommend it as useful for study on Martin Luther, the Father of the Reformation.

Omit the Obit

I am looking at a new direction of how to accomplish the things I'd like to do over the course of the next ten years. I thought that the easiest way to write these out would be to write them as if they had already happened. So, here is my obituary. That being said I do not wish to die in ten years, but this is a guideline for my plan over the next ten years! 

Dr Crawford passed away last week from natural causes. He is survived by his three children, Jonathan Crawford of Wichita, Kansas and Alexandria and Esther Crawford of El Dorado, Kansas. Dr Crawford was an Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska, teaching classes of Philosophy, History and Religion. He is better known for his numerous speaking engagements on Justification, Free Will, and the Modern Day Impact of the Reformation. He authored several books on these subjects and is even credited with a devotional based on Classics from Church History. He received his doctorate from Princeton University and his Master’s from Wichita State University. He was fluent in Greek and German. His dystertation on the Need for a New Reformation has helped the way many theologians view philosophy already stopping the segregation between Religion and Philosophy. In lieu of service, a Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday.

The Return of the Prodigal Son

The Return of The Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

by Henri J.M. Nouwen

It was a long week. I had worked several days straight through. I was cramming for a test adding undue pressure to myself. I was waiting for my relief at the nursing home to hurry up. They were late. Yet again. This was beginning to become the norm for them. I loved working with Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients. My fathers side was plagued with mental disease. He was a manic bipolar depressant and my grandfather was a victim of Parkinson’s. However, tere was one patient at the facility that was always difficult for me. It was basic knowledge that he preferred the female aides to help him. My relief came and I bolted. Before I could get home I received a call from the charge nurse that the supervisor on duty (and my stepsister) and the other aide on duty (her girlfriend) had filed a report that I had physically abused the difficult patient. It didn’t help that the complaint was expedited because the charge nurse was the girlfriend’s mother. Not sure what I would do with this recent suspension I spent the rest of the day just trying to keep myself busy with distractions. I attended a yoga class, ate out with friends, just enjoyed a day off. Then about 11 that night I received a call that would haunt me ever since. It was my cousin letting me know that he was supposed to go to my dad’s house to watch the Nebraska football game with him, but when my cousin arrived he found my father face down on the carpet. He passed away from chronic heart failure. So now I’m jobless and my father was gone. The next day I was numb. The shock still hitting me. The Executive Director of my facility said that she found the charges against me preposterous  but not to be surprised if the State performed an investigation. Numb and uncaring I said let them, and quit. She said she understood. I went into healthcare ager my dad’d bipolar had gotten worse. He was gone my interest in healthcare was gone. I tried a few side jobs but had zero passion in them. I withdrew from hanging out with friends.

Then the city of Wichita was ablaze as the Wichita State Shockers were doing phenomenal in the NCAA tournament. At an outdoor bar I ran into a friend who’s father also had mental problems, though her father was declining due to Alzheimer’s. We talked as the game went on. She convinced me to apply as a busier at the restaurant where she was a server. It was a fine dining restaurant. During the interview my magnetic personality shined through and though I applied for a mediocre behind the scenes position I was hired as a server. Within six months I found myself the most magnetic personality, topping nearly every sales metric. If not for the conversation during that basketball game, my mourning and immediate future may have been very different. There is something special in these seemingly insignificant moments. It was during my tenure as a server there that I realized the calling that had left me several years prior as a writer and scholar of theology and philosophy. If not for that game I would not be writing this. Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming is his telling of one such moment in his life.

He opens up the book talking about he had become stagnant in his pastoral position. Yes even those spreading the Gospel go through down and out periods. During this time and as he worked with those mentally handicapped he would become introduced to Rembrandt’s painting portraying Jesus’ telling of the Prodigal Son. He was able to see the painting from a poster copy to the real painting. He dedicated the next few years to learning everything e could about it. This “Aha!” moment with a painting would paint how Nouwen viewed life and colored his faith. It was the renewing he was looking for. After the small narrative of his introduction to the painting he goes back and forth between talking about the parable, Rembrandt’s process of the painting, and Nouwen’s own spiritual implications of the new understanding of perhaps the most famous parable. He goes explains all three by dissecting the characters in the parable, first the youngest son, then the elder son, and finally their father. This is the structure of the painting (p.23.)

The younger son is going through something we all have. That’s why we need our “Aha!” moment, we have a feeling of detachment. (p. 19) The son already feels detached from the family before he sets off. Rembrandt lived a lavish lifestyle in his youth, much like the younger son (p. 33.) There are many implications of the younger son’s request to take his share of his inheritance from the father. He is basically telling his father he has house for him. He might as well be dead. He is also saying that everything the previous generations have been working on is meaningless to him (p. 36.) The spirit of the younger son’s rebellion are that he does not understand his role as the Beloved one (p. 40.) The world’s love is unconditional. The Father’s is not. In this world, we try to get things to fill the voids we fill in life. We try several different addictions. But the world can only offer things that will forever fall short. The younger son as Rembrandt portrays him is the end of this rebellion (p. 42-43.) The son is Rembrandt’s reflection of himself after living a lavish lifestyle. This is one of his last works. In this portrayal all symbols of status and individuality are gone. Everything had made him him is gone. All that remains is his sword, proof he had not forgotten who he was and where he came from (p. 46.) Completely alone, the son has dropped to the lowest in society (p. 48.) One of the greatest challenges is to change our perception of God. We are to seek His forgiveness, but instead we have a tendency to cling to our comfortable life of sin. Its what we know. But it convinces us of a perception of God as a righteous judge holding guilt and damnation over our heads. That, however, would require us to put everything is God’s hand, let him restore us back to son rather than a lowly servant (p. 53.)

Contrast is obviously important as we move on to the elder son. Rembrandt putting the older brother in the painting ties it to the parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector (p. 63.) Nouwen in his own life had become resentful, and as a friend points out rather than see himself as the defiant younger son, perhaps he was actually like the bitter, jealous elder son. Whereas a position for a long time had cause “obedience and duty “ to drain and influence his attitude, making him cold (p. 70.) Rembrandt portrays the contrast between the brothers rather than the celebration as the parable tells (p. 74.)

 For Nouwen the parable is not about either son but the father who goes searching for them both (p. 82.) Rembrandt’s portrayal is opposites pitted against each other, the rebellion and the welcoming home. The sons and the father (p. 92-93.) The center of the painting is the father’s hands (p. 96.) The father, especially the way his hands are drawn show the father as both masculine and feminine (p. 99.)  There is contrast between Rembrandt’s earlier paintings (always portraying himself) which show his lavish lifestyle and this (one of his last works), where it is perhaps his hands modeled after his own (p. 100.) The father calls for all the items that would signify the younger as a son again. Everything he asks for would restore him as a son and not a servant or hired hand (p. 111.) God brings about many gifts but these all lead to joy. Joy for Him as Father. Joy for the sinner as he comes home. The joy is the reward and does not mean the absence of suffering (p. 114-116.) Tradition dictates that either of the sons are the focus of the story, but Rembrandt shows that the father is the real focus of the story (p. 122.) Rembrandt shows up that Father’s compassion is the real theme of the painting, and the parable (p. 124-126.) Rembrandt well represents that the father demonstrates compassion, not power, control, or influence (p. 127.) 

Nouwen finishes by reflecting on the father’s life. How a life of suffering has brought him the joy that has transcended all the suffering. He does well to transfer this joy to his sons. This life of joy is the goal. Being like the father is the goal. We may find ourselves acting like the rebellious or jealous son but the compassion of the father is the gospel (p. 137-139.)

Oh, Paleo!

In its relatively short history, CrossFit has gained immense popularity. "The Sport of Fitness" has taken metabolic training and gymnastics to guys who would have only done traditional weightlifting before. People who would have originally skipped all cardio are now doing AMRAPs (circuit training where you do As Many Reps As Possible), running, double- unders (jump rope where the rope makes two revolutions per jump), and swimming. The row machine (especially the Concept 2) is nop longer outdated. CrossFit has also increased the popularity of something that has been around quite a bit longer, Paleo.

Paleo, or the Paleolithic Diet, is an escape from the overproduced and overprocessed world we live in. A little more than 60 years ago (not long at all) Paleo was considered everyday eating! The basis of the diet is simple! Return to eating the foods (not the scientific experiments we like to call food these days.) Simply put, eat as our ancestors ate before death and disease was so common. With the largest pesticide company (and also the originators of Agent Orange) the largest food manufacturer, you can see the benefits of this. In a society where questions about dinner are no longer "what should we make?" but rather are "where should we go?" going Paleo will definetely help.

It is not as harsh as say, veganism or the other current fad diets. It doesn't cancel out basic macronutrients like fat or highlight others like protein. Though Paleo does restrict how to go about getting those. It does not say "carbs are the enemy" or "carbs are bad," but stresses that all threee macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, and protein) are important. It does stress that thier sources are what is important. Do not get them from refined, bleached, and chemical foods like bread and pasta. Paleo is among the other diet trends in the Eat Clean movement. Perhaps that is why milk and dairy are excludeed. That last statement is also why I personally could not go Paleo, though I understand and commend its ideals.

The Paleo Movement is is not calling for a return to the wild. Though it is also referred to as the Neanderthal Diet. It does not even say that we should trade in all of our advanced tools for a mallet and chisel. It is, however, a call to eat better. Make substitutions. Eat better quality foods. Use spaghetti squash instead of boxed noodles that taste like the package they came into. Top your steak with natural juice and vegetables rather than sauce with ingredients you can't even pronounce. Eat a baked or sweet potato instead of chips or fries. Indulge your love of bacon! Quit the aerosol cooking sprays and use olive oil. Avoid words like extra, encriched, low-fat, or added! It is no coincidence that as non-Paleo foods entered the market, our health and the health of our planet tanked dramatically. Thats what we get for thinking scientists and flavorists could do better than God or the Universe in providing for our nouishment. If you want to eat better, Paleo definetely has its benefits. Though I find it difficult to recommend any "diet" that cancels out any food groups as Paleo does with breads, beans, dairy, and pastas. However, for some, it is definetely an alternative to the drive-thru, processed, over-time, and over budget lifestyle we live in!

 

Skinny No More!

Not too long after writing her non-diet book Unlimited, Fitness Trainer and all around Badass Jillian Michaels said that she did not know if she would write another diet or exercise book. "The information in my first two books is still current. I don't have anything else to say." She had also mentioned that publishing the exact same information in a new book with Skinny in the title would sell over a million copies easily. So she did. Her new book Slim For Life is a list of tips and tricks to lose weight and get skinny. It reads like a greatest hits of the advice she has already given through her books, podcasts, and television appearances. Even her Biggest Loser cohort, Bob Harper seems to have embraced the "Skinny" movement. His two new books out, The Skinny Rules and Jumpstart to Skinny, embrace the movement. Though I absolutely love the awareness and the back story to The Skinny Rules (the Skinny Rules are based on observations a Biggest Loser contestant's husband made while she was away at the ranch), this obsession with Skinny is unhealthy.

I get it though. The word "skinny"triggers something in our minds. It is similar to the subliminal advertising used in theaters when they flash a picture of popcorn. All of a sudden I want popcorn. Girls want their strapless dresses. I myself would never take my shirt off at the pool because of the beer belly. Skinny evokes images in our brains. That being said, I have friends who are naturally skinny yet unhealthy. For years I held all my weight in my gut this was me. I wasn't wide. The doctor once told me I was carrying around a 50 lb bowling ball under my shirt. I was on the verge of a heart condition. It would knock me down. There are also heavy athletes. I don't like the term "skinny" because it does not necessarily mean fit. You can be skinny and not tone. Skinny but lazy. Skinny but diseased and still eating yourself to an early grave!

Instead, let us reach the goal of being fit. Let us eat with intention. Let us not be unable to carry out simple daily tasks like squatting down to pick up our kids, take out the trash, or put up Christmas lights. Simply because we chose to live a sedentary lifestyle. We should not let work shifts behind desks and caged in cubicles confine us from going out and enjoying life. Perhaps women (and men) would not struggle with so many eating and mental disorders (like a poor body image and dismorphia) if we concentrated our efforts on promoting being fit, rather than bringing down anyone not skinny.

Skinny is often attributed to pure diet. Therein lies the problem. Fit refers to diet and exercise, referring to a well rounded lifestyle. If you are fit then it reflects in all areas of life with success. Being skinny refers to deprevation, doing without. Being fit refers to a life of nourishment. You are not worn out of skinny- like a picture of someone with ribs and bones showing. Fit shows muscles showing. Fit shows you have created the body you want. Fit means you do not settle for mediocre. You do not expect things to come to you, you go out and take them!

Humility and Accountability

"I find it funny that the guy who was once too ashamed to work out or do anything about being out of shape now shames everyone else for not doing anything." That jab was a post on my personal Facebook. Not uncommon. Especially form this guy. We used to be pretty close in high school but afterwards went our separate ways. Since then I had lost weight, become a lot fitter, and he appears to have gained some. Though he does participate on a Triathalon team. He was referencing a few comical "do you even lift" memes. I will let those who read my writings and see my progress judge for themselves. I hope that while promoting this page of Total Body Fitness: Mind, Body, Spirit, that I do not lose myself in the message. That I maintain some level of humility.

Concerned that this might be the case, I challenged myself (and challenge you) to employ accountability partners. I happen to have quite a few. These include people in all aspects of my life to keep me grounded. They make sure I hold up to all of my responsibilities. I have those who check me on my working out and my diet, including the "Cardio Queen" reminding me to remain an example and a well- rounded athlete. Not a fringe athlete. Fringe athletes are those who who only do what feels comfortable. Like those top heavy, muscular bodybuilders with chicken legs because all they do is lift and skip Leg Day. Or those tiny runners who have spaghetti noodles for arms because they've never entered a weight room or done a single push-up.  Yesterday I spent an hour on the phone with a friend who is a speaker (he encourages pastors with a similar message to mine), he helps keep me on track in my daily life. A friend from church who owns her own business that I ask questions about developing my brand, but recently she encourages me to stay grounded in my faith because she knows that it affects everything I say or do. Then there is my fantastic Training & Fitness family, reminding me of the incredible potential there is in me. Including Bunny Azzopardi who reminded me just this week that, "Your accomplishments are all great, but we should support each other. Not hate. It's all just a wave buddy. A personal accomplishment may bring a lot of attention but in the end it didn't replace what's important in life."

Not all of us are lucky enough to have great people like this at our disposal. If you don't have an encourager and a realist in your life, you must seek them out! After searching, you will see which they are, and if they will fade away or guide you through your journey. The more people you talk to, the more you will realize what you need. Do not discount anyone. One of my most real encouragers is actually an ex- girlfriend. A woman who knows my strengths and understands my weaknesses like no other. Create a memory jogger list of those you know, talk to, or speak with on a regular basis. Though you alone are responsible for your actions- its always nice to have a little help along the way!

My Hypocrisy

This is the story of my hypocrisy. It is about how I converting from slamming other people to being the great salesman myself. A couple of months ago, I changed gyms. I went from the higher income, fancy chain gym with a pool, track, and multiple locations (Genesis Health Clubs) to the cheap one I used to make fun of pretty regularly (Planet Fitness.) Bum, Bum, Bum bum bum bum bum! My friend Lisa got the worst part of the abuse, especially when her daughter started selling Girl Scout Cookies just inside the Planet Fitness entrance. I used their own jargon against them, "we aren't a gym, we're Planet Fitness." I had been going to Genesis for a while. The staff had changed but I still knew them all. Barely on a first name basis. The trainers usually gave me the head nod hello. I had gone to the multiple locations because one of the nine were 24 hours. They all had something to offer... pool, track, ab studio, kettlebells. All I had seen and heard about Planet Fitness was that it was like a big open warehouse with a bunch of treadmills in it.

Then, like so many other mistakes in my life, I allowed my realtionship status to influence my decisions. Planet Fitness had an offer fpr $20 to bring a friend with you whenever you go work out. It also included massage tables and tanning beds, a service I consider whenever I see my farmer's tan in pictures. Since the girlfriend wanted to stop working out at home with whatever the latest DVD craze was (Insanity, Zumba, Biggest Loser) and join me at the gym, that $20 started to look pretty good!  The member has lasted, the relationship did not. Then, to my surprise, Planet Fitness has really worked out. I did not think that it would, but it really has. It really is about 80% cardio equipment so crowded machines are never an issue. I don't enjoy treadmills at all (i run too close and end up halting it too often), so that has forced me to work outside of my comfort zone. There are machines for working specific muscle groups, which at this stage of my training is something that I am getting more into! In the southeast corner, almost as an afterthought, tucked away near the two cable machines are the two racks of dumbbells and one rack of curl bars. I will never be able to complain about people curling in the squat rack because there isn't one. All squatting and benching must be done on the five Smith (cheating!) machines. The place is actually 24 hours! Not like Genesis that who had one of their 9 locations listed as 24 hours... but even that one closed at 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights. I guess they like to party!  

Let me make sure I drive home this point: Planet Fitness is not without fault! No place is! I still have to laugh at the big bowl of Tootsie Rolls as you check in. They have their Pizza Mondays and Bagel Tuesdays, I don't partake but just turn my music up louder and carry on. The biggest lesson here is to not discount anything. Just bashing "the purple and yellow Walmart of gyms" (yes, that was what I called it) was wrong. It taught me a valuable lesson- I should always be changing. Always adapting. Never stagnant. Always be bringing new challenges.