EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and not to worry much about being slightly off brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
Finishing Well. Maybe it’s my age. (I turned 68 last week.) Or maybe it’s the fact that a lot of men I know and admire have recently died at or near my age. (Robert Sloan and Lindsay Graham, to name but two.) Whatever the reasons, I am thinking a lot more about the idea of “finishing well” in our lives and careers. That’s why I was taken by Carey Nieuwhof’s interview with Gordon MacDonald. I read MacDonald’s book “Ordering Your Private World” in graduate school, and it had a big impact on me. For his 80th birthday, MacDonald wrote down the 15 leadership and life lessons he has learned so far. He explains them in Nieuwhof’s podcast. They include, according to Nieuwhof, “how to stop cheating the people closest to you, how to survive doubt and obscurity, why you reinvent your interior life every decade, and how to ask the questions that open a heart.”
Biblical Generosity. Is philanthropy different from biblical generosity? Rob West, with the Faith and Finance podcast says, “yes.” He interviews Jamie Kuiper with the National Christian Foundation to discuss giving according to Scripture. They note that the Bible has 2,300 verses related to money, far more than on any other topic. They also highlight NCF’s “Ten Principles of Generosity.” Among them: “God is good” and “God owns everything” and “Giving is a form of worship.” The discussion of these short, succinct ideas is worth a listen — which you can do here.
Don’t Retire. Revive. Retirement is not a biblical category. You won’t find the word or the idea in scripture. That said, God does call us in and out of certain seasons in life, and — for some of us — a season of life in which we are not working full-time might be in our future (or our present). If you are in that category, I recommend Bob Russell’s new article “Keys to a Meaningful Retirement.” Russell, now 82, wrote, “Twenty years ago, I stepped away from a forty-year ministry and entered another chapter of my life. I had no idea God would grant me two more decades of good health and meaningful ministry. The years between 62 and 82 have been the most enjoyable of my life. I’ve been thinking about some of the reasons I’ve experienced such a blessed retirement, and I hope my conclusions will be helpful to others who are nearing that phase of life.” Among his keys: “Deepen your walk with the Lord” and “Become increasingly generous with your resources.”
Trust and Confidence Near All-Time Lows. A couple of articles caught my attention this week. The first was a survey by Gallup Research showing that confidence in the church — after a couple of years of rebound — is once again near an all-time low. A Religion News Service story helps explain why: the church has become too involved in partisan politics. A survey by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton asked if a church’s support for Donald Trump would make them more or less likely to attend that church. About as many said it would make them more likely (21%) as less likely (19%). In the full sample, about 48% of Gen Zers said a church’s support for Trump would make them less likely to attend that church.
Remembering J.I. Packer. The great theologian J.I. Packer was born 100 years ago today, on July 22, 1926. He died in 2020, but he left behind a robust legacy. He was vital to the formation of the Anglican Church in North America. His involvement in the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy helped enhance the credibility of that statement. I read his book “Knowing God” in college, and it was one of the defining experiences of my life. I had the privilege of interviewing him when he retired from public ministry. You can read that article here.
Warning! Excited Granddad Alert. My daughter Brittany, who has written for MinistryWatch (not to mention WORLD and other publications) just gave birth to her first child. Finn Isaac Lausche was born July 19. Mother and son are both beautiful and healthy. And, oh yes, we’ve got photos. Just click here.
MinistryWatch on YouTube. If you have not discovered our YouTube channel, check it out here. We now have 200 videos there, and they have attracted tens of thousands of views. Subscribe, like, and share to spread the word about our work.
Readers in Greenville/Spartanburg. I am in the Upstate of South Carolina at the end of August. If you live in Greenville or Spartanburg, reach out to me. I would love to share a meal or a cup of coffee with you. My email is wsmith@ministrywatch.com.