Is Church All About Me? / Government (Prayer) / Control Issues

Author

Douglas Jacoby
February 05, 2025

Good morning from Atlanta! Yes, I‘d planned to still be in the UK. Then on Monday evening Vicki and I were talking about my right knee—the one I messed up, after 50+ days of rapid recovery from replacement surgery. Since I was flying to the US later this month for the left knee replacement anyway, it made sense to us for me to come earlier.

So I drained my frequent flyer account and Tuesday morning headed to the airport. Tomorrow I will meet the doctor, get an x-ray, have the fluid drained off (it really impedes ambulation), and if necessary adjust the date of the second surgery.

This is a relief—I am so fortunate to have a flexible schedule and to get expert eyes on the knee to see my way forward. Thanks for bearing with me as I share my (medical) weaknesses, and thanks too for your concern and prayers!

Old York
On Friday (5 days ago) we returned from a week in York (photos below). What a wonderful time with physicist David Hutchings and his family! David gave me two more of his books, one of which I’ll finish this evening. It is God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse. One could rename it “General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics Made Easy.” (Really, it’s more of a history book than a science text. It’s written for the general public—no equations. I highly recommend it!)

Before we left York, David’s father, a spry 85-year-old, took me on a tour of York Minster. See the photos below. Ian is a truly interesting character. He loves languages, holds degrees from Cambridge, Oxford, and the London School of Economics, and loves the Bible. One area where our understanding of scripture converges is the afterlife. We both believe that no one goes to heaven before the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the Judgment Day. We’ve both even written books on this topic. Alas, it would have been nice to have had more than just a couple of hours to talk. Perhaps that will happen yet, Lord willing.

York Minster, founded 627 AD (constructed 1220-1427)

Roman column. The Romans left Britain by the early 400s.

Constantine was proclaimed Roman emperor in York in 306.

PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The weekend webinar on Palestine / Israel was excellent! Participants from Europe, the US, and Canada joined (by Zoom) Aziz Abu Sarah as he shared his story, and then devoted nearly an hour to our questions. For many this was eye-opening!

The event was not recorded, but if you’re interested in learning more about his far-reaching projects and influence, there are two websites that should prove highly informative. Check out dualnarrative.org and azizabusarah.com.

MY CONTROL ISSUES

To hear this personal reflection, looking back on my 15th-25th years as a Christian, please click MOMENTS 7. For even more on issues of Control, check out the 3 audio talks at the website.

This material should tie in nicely with the guest article below.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! — BY ERIN WHEELER

Don’t Make Church About You

Our church’s gatherings are ultimately about God. We worship according to his desires, not ours. When we gather we should be governed by God’s word, not our preferences. CLICK anywhere in this field for Wheeler’s article.

www.crossway.org/articles/dont-make-church-about-you

PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES

The following prayer appears in Amen: Collected Prayers and Hymns for the Journey (IPI, 2022). In August the book will be published by Broadstreet, under the title Amen & Amen.

At this time I remember those who rule over us in positions of governmental authority. I appreciate that governance is essential for the good of society. Help our leaders to govern in peace, especially by fostering conditions favoring the more rapid spread of the good news.

Please, Lord, strengthen me to be a good citizen and an obedient one—willing to comply with any law that does not violate your holy Word.

May I never seek to undermine law and order through criminal acts, cheating on taxes, slandering officials, or other negative speech. In my comments, written words, social media posts, and general attitude help me to exude respect and grace. Even if the authorities fall woefully short of your righteous standards, cultivate in me a genuine love for them.

Additional words for citizens of approximately 80 nations where it is difficult to be a Christian:

[Since I live in a nation where practicing my faith is illegal, give me courage not to fear prison, torture, or death. Enable me to conduct myself with grace, always remembering the sufferings of our Lord.]

Q&A

As I’m still recovering from last week’s very painful fall, you may have experienced today’s bulletin as thinner on content than usual.

I was eager to share what I learned from the ancient biography of Muhammad—hopefully in a week or two this will be ready. I’d also planned to answer a question about Junia (a female apostle?), but this will need to wait till the next bulletin. I did however manage to answer three questions:

  • On the meaning of “temple” in the NT—Q&A 1682.

  • On whether Jesus’ mother was Maryam, Miriam, Maria, or Mary— Q&A 1683.

  • On why Paul baptized the twelve Ephesian disciples again—Q&A 1684.

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HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Thank you for your prayers. (And thanks, Ben, for the cool Springboks rugby jersey!) Good-bye for now.

Yours in Him,
Douglas

  • For years of previous newsletters, click here.

  • For the audiovisual version of the newsletter (YouTube, about 3 minutes), click here.