Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12.10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself in a bunch of conversations in which the unspoken assumption was that the main goal of life is to maximize happiness. — David Brooks

Reflection: Meaning In Suffering
The Park Forum

The scripture’s affirmation of suffering as part of life, and even as a spiritual practice, can be alarming at first. “Consider it pure joy when you face trials,” James challenges. Paul, as usual, takes it farther; “it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” This profound acknowledgment of the reality of suffering, and ultimate purpose in it, stands in contrast to what we hear most often.

In an interview on suffering, Timothy Keller explains,

In secular culture the meaning of life is to be free to choose what makes you happy in this life. Suffering destroys that meaning. And so, in the secular view, suffering can have no meaning at all. It can’t be a chapter in your life story — it is just the interruption or even the end of your life story.

While it is possible to suffer without purpose, something David Brooks acknowledges in his exploration of What Suffering Does, the gospel draws us to the way Christ renews even our deepest pains. Keller continues:

On the one hand, God is absolutely sovereign over suffering. It’s never out of his control. It’s always part of his plan. On the other hand, God has come into the world himself and actually suffered with us.

No other religion says that God is both a sovereign and a suffering God. This is the theological foundation for why Christians can be so realistic and yet so hopeful about suffering at the same time.

Because there is meaning in suffering we can refocus our attention toward the outcome. Brooks concludes,

Notice this phenomenon. When people remember the past, they don’t only talk about happiness. It is often the ordeals that seem most significant. People shoot for happiness but feel formed through suffering.

This is, of course, the joy Paul found in his many sufferings. His heart for the first Christians was that they would experience it, too, “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Cry of the Church
O God, come to my assistance! O Lord, make haste to help me!

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Full prayer available online and in print.

Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 18 (Listen – 6:16)
2 Corinthians 11 (Listen – 4:46)

This Weekend’s Readings
2 Samuel 19 (Listen – 5:00) 2 Corinthians 12 (Listen – 3:54)
2 Samuel 20 (Listen – 4:51) 2 Corinthians 13 (Listen – 2:19)

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10.5
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Reflection: Destroyed Arguments; Thriving Lives
The Park Forum

Christian culture wars receive a tragic amount of airtime. Most Americans know the name “Westboro Baptist” though its parishioners represent an extreme fringe minority who congregate in a rural town few can locate on a map.

We don’t often get the privilege of knowing the hundreds-of-thousands of other Christians who — in response to Christ’s love — serve their neighbors, sacrifice personal comfort to invest in the lives of the marginalized, and give themselves in friendship and service to their coworkers.

This disproportionate emphasis on the loudest voices can disorient our initial perspective on the verse above. It is not a rally cry for a culture war, but a stern warning to followers of Christ that our flesh will be mislead by the messages of our culture.

Pastor Leonardo de Chirico provides insight by examining the Greek word Logismoi — translated “arguments” above.

Logismoi are sinful systems of thought, evil ways of life, and religious but anti-Christian gospels that promise meaning, hope, and protection. Logismoi are worldviews that shape [a] city… They are overarching sinful narratives on which people rely. — Leonardo de Chirico

Logismoi are everywhere, but Paul’s principle concern was tearing them down inside the Christian community. The apostle pressed the Corinthians to think deeply about their faith. A modern inspection might look like this: yes, I profess to follow Christ, but where do I functionally find my happiness, comfort, hope, security, and joy?

Idols like to inhabit peoples’ lives, their imaginations, their shared memory, and their collective hopes,” De Chirico warns. In Paul’s words, “we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This reality creates profound humility toward other sinners. But the message of the gospel brings us hope; in the same breath Paul says, “all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Christians are free both from trying to leverage faith to win a culture war and from trying to shout above the noise the rabble-rousers create. Instead we get to spend our lives humbly responding to the work of Christ in us, giving ourselves to those around us, and growing in grace as we allow the Spirit to correct, heal, and lead us to a thriving life. Protest signs are filled with the words of men, but cities are transformed by the sacrificial work of God in and through his church.

The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me… — Psalm 101:6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Full prayer available online and in print.

Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 17 (Listen – 5:00)
2 Corinthians 10 (Listen – 2:45)

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Reflection: Generosity that Outlives Tragedy
By Jon Polk

Response to tragedy often brings out the best in humanity. The Apostle Paul spent many years raising funds from believers during his travels in order to assist Christians in Antioch who had suffered through a decade of famine and persecution. Writing specifically to the church in Corinth, Paul praised the believers for their faithfulness and generosity.

In our own time, popular Houston Texans’ player J.J. Watt spearheaded a fundraising campaign to assist those affected by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. More than 200,000 contributors raised over $37 million in a matter of weeks.

But what happens when time inevitably passes and the images of destruction and devastation no longer dominate our screens? What is the limit of our generosity?

Many people are eager to donate towards an immediate one-time need, but are resistant to living an on-going lifestyle of generosity. Even Christians can be hesitant to let go of hard-earned cash. David Garland notes,

Most people subconsciously employ a kind of mental air defense system to deflect any appeals for money that their radar screen picks up as approaching their way.

Church-goers may cringe at the annual sermon on tithing or the church’s month-long budget campaign. Often, in an attempt to convince members to give, appeal is made to Paul’s note in 2 Corinthians 9 that those who sow generously will also reap generously.

So the more I give, the more I will get? Well, yes and no.

Take a closer look at what Paul describes as the return-on-investment that Christians receive when they give generously. You will reap a harvest of righteousness. By sowing generously, you will reap generosity.

The implication appears to be that the blessings received as a result of generous giving may be material, but are more likely spiritual. And if God does, in fact, supply the generous giver with an increase in material blessings, they are intended to be a resource for continued generosity.

The more you get, the more you give.

So cultivate a pattern of generous giving and living. If you’ve donated towards Hurricane Harvey or Irma relief efforts, the apostle Paul would commend you for your faithfulness and generosity. He would also then encourage you to find ways to continue to be generous. Become regular with your tithe, contribute towards a ministry organization, or support a missionary. Give generously so that others might experience the work of the Holy Spirit through you.

*We are thankful to have Jon as a new board member and a contributing author. Follow him on Twitter: @jonpolkministry. — John

The Greeting
I will offer you a freewill sacrifice and praise your Name, O Lord, for it is good. — Psalm 54:6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Full prayer available online and in print.

Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 16 (Listen – 4:03)
2 Corinthians 9 (Listen – 2:26)