The Friday Five

A Few Things for My Friends

Photo by Tasha Kostyuk on Unsplash

Hey Friends! Here are five things from the week. I hope you enjoy them!
MK

The State of the Culture: Ted Gioia

Ted has a fascinating article about the state of our culture and the impact of “dopamine culture” on our daily lives. I think the Attention Economy feeds Dopamine Culture, and it’s present in your daily habits whether you know it or not. The photo above highlights how addiction is the Leviathon that has found its way into our quiet moments and shaped our behaviors, our reactions, and our values. Give it a read.

Young Again: a poem I wrote for my friend, Lore Wilbert

A few years ago, my friend Lore Ferguson Wilbert published a beautiful and needed book entitled, Handle with Care.

Before the book entered the world, she asked a few friends to consider writing poems based on portions of Scripture for a collection given to those who pre-ordered her work.

I had the pleasure of spending time with Mark 10 and then writing the poem found below. Lore was kind enough to let us share them publicly after the book was released and also asked each of us to record the work, which you can listen to me read the poem below here. Lore’s latest book, The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor, is available for pre-order and drops 5/21/24. If you’re curious about publishing and why pre-ordering a book is important, read her recent post on the topic.

Here’s Mark 10 and the poem, Young Again.

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:13–16 ESV)

Young Again

How young were you
when another broke trust
you felt the fool
and learned to guard off hurt
through self-reliance?

How old did you grow
when invited again
to depend upon another
and guided by memory
you withheld love?

How alone did you feel
when discipled by man
you distrusted the Maker
and believed him no better
than those who failed you first?

How childish it sounds
since you’ve learned the world
could His love be altogether different
and better than you’ve known
at the hands of others?

Now become young again
not of age, but of heart
feel the Maker’s touch
and restore hope’s stolen youth
heeding his true invitation:

How welcome you are!
push past the hurried and harried
hear the Maker’s words
all is yours in the Son
Let the children come.

Write For Your Future Self - John Hannah

Dr. Hannah was one of my professors at DTS and probably the one who shaped me the most in those years by how he approached lectures and life. I told some friends today that he has a wonderfully loose grip on himself and a tight hold of Christ. The following is from a collection of quotes from him that I return to often.

The Puritans kept diaries. Today we call people on the phone. Without writing, you can't develop your mind. You can look back in you diary and realize it is a sin to be despondent because "He has been so good to me." It is also helpful in times of despair, when you feel you haven't accomplished anything.

Peace, Be Still

Nearly a decade ago, I read this article from David Powlison. In it, he discusses what has become one of my favorite Psalms (and it doesn't hurt that it's three verses either!). 

Psalm 131: 

[1] O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
[2] But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
[3] O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. 

In the article, which I highly recommend you read, Powlison flips these verses on their head by creating an anti-psalm. In effect, he reverses the nature of the Psalm to expose its value. It reads: 

Self,
my heart is proud (I’m absorbed in myself), and my eyes are haughty (I look down on other people), and I chase after things too great and too difficult for me.
So of course I’m noisy and restless inside, it comes naturally, like a hungry infant fussing on his mother’s lap, like a hungry infant, I’m restless with my demands and worries.
I scatter my hopes onto anything and everybody all the time.

I have found myself living in the anti-psalm a thousand different ways, and I have prayed the actual psalm countless times to quiet my mind and center my heart toward true hope.

In times of stress, chaos, change, overwhelm, anxiety, envy, or fear — Psalm 131 has been a welcome invitation to trust and a reminder that I can take my soul in hand and direct it toward the Lord again and again. 

Read David’s article. It’s great.

Narrow Road - Chris Renzema

Yes, this is the third song from his new album that I have put in a Friday Five. He’s dripping them up toward the full release, and each one has been encouraging in differing ways.

Following Christ is the narrow road, and He is with us. Keep going, friends.

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Thanks for reading! It means the world to me and it is always fun when someone stops me to say - I’ve listened to X or read Y, and now I’m thinking about _____. What a gift to share that with you!

If someone forwarded this to you, I write two weekly emails: one on Tuesdays for paid members and the other on Fridays for everyone. If you’d like to join us on Tuesdays and can’t afford it, email me, and I’ll take care of it.

I live in Flower Mound, TX, with my wife Carly, our kids, and chocolate lab, Nia Wingfeather King. I pastor, teach, and lead at The Village Church. In my spare time, I’m plodding through a Ph.D. program in Church History, studying Jonathan Edwards and character formation.

Also, last year, I released A Short Guide to Spiritual Disciplines: How to Become a Healthy Christian. If you read it, I’d love to hear what resonated or was encouraging.

Have a great weekend!

Mason