κύριε ελέησον

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:17-23 ESV)

We awoke this morning to the news reports about the shootings in Dallas yesterday evening... A little Greek to assuage those feelings of helplessness, violation, and anger: κύριε ελέησον. (Kýrie eléison... O Lord have mercy.) It's such a broken world.

But it's Friday and we're off today because we had class on Monday. It's a nice breather from the routine!

A couple-three blog-worthy items of note...

First, the sign pictured is on the bulletin board in the hall where my Greek class meets and it is a mystery to me. Maybe I should inquire within? (Maybe not.)

Next, this headline crossed my Twitter feed yesterday: Iowa Churches Can't Discriminate During Services 'Open to the Public' To wit (my underlining): Effective July 1, 2007, the Iowa Civil Rights Act (Iowa Code Chapter 216) was expanded to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes. It is now ILLEGAL in Iowa to discriminate against a person because of his/her sexual orientation or gender identity. Iowa law provides that these protections do not apply to religious institutions with respect to any religion-based qualifications when such qualifications are related to a bona fide religious purpose. Where qualifications are not related to a bona fide religious purpose, churches are still subject to the law’s provisions (e.g. a child care facility operated at a church or a church service open to the public). It's that last part that is causing great anxiety on this side of the Church - State border. This strikes me as a quixotic attempt to placate those carrying the flaming torches and farm tools of political correctness. Someone should tell whoever drafted this law that ALL worship services are public and have a "bona fide religious purpose" (κύριε ελέησον). The government needs to stay out of church business.

And lastly, we were going through our 17th Greek lesson yesterday and the vocabulary word πορνεία (porneía) elicited a mini-sermon from our professor on the deeper meaning beyond the textbook definition of "unchastity, immorality." We looked at Galatians 5:19 which lists sexual immorality at the top of the list of virtues and behaviors condemned by God (see verses at top; here's the Greek:  φανερὰ  δέ ἐστιν τὰ  ἔργα  τῆς  σαρκός,  ἅτινά  ἐστιν  πορνεία,  ἀκαθαρσία,  ἀσέλγεια...)-- and sexual immorality was further refined to mean the perversion of the gift of sexuality God designed for us as male and female creations. From sex/gender exchanges to living together outside of marriage to same-sex unions, the message is clear (and this is just one corner of Scripture). With every passing day, the "tolerance" movement makes more of a mockery of God's intention AS REVEALED TO US which leaves little doubt about how He intended the world to be ordered. (By the way, the rainbow as an icon of gay pride is trumped by the rainbow as a sign of God's covenant with Noah, specifically Genesis 9:13.)

I find myself looking out at a world in pain and wondering what can possibly be done to foment change, to reverse the course, to re-calibrate the moral compass of our country's culture. I guess that's why I'm here at the seminary...

Sometimes all I can do is plead with heart and soul: κύριε ελέησον.