Thank you so much for this. Piper’s dehumanization of the four individuals in his sermon is appalling. I, blissfully, had been unaware of it, so I googled it. I found a post on Medium to which Bob’s obituary was attached.
Bob retired from the Air Force and the state of Maryland and moved to Florida so he and his wife could “make their boating dreams come true.” He discovered senior softball there and did well on local and traveling teams. “Playing sports was always an important part of his life.” In lieu of flowers, Bob had asked for donations to be made to the American Brain Tumor Association.
😭
I can’t help but think that Bob’s being whom God had made him was ok with God. Is it a waste of one’s life to pursue the dreams that He puts within us? Can we not also serve Him in this way? We are all made in His image, and He calls this good. We don’t know the final status of Bob’s soul, but perhaps enjoying his final 22 years with his wife and friends in Florida wasn’t such a bad thing. RIP, Bob!
Nov 17, 2023·edited Nov 17, 2023Liked by Beth Felker Jones
This is beautiful!
I grew up in too many angsty teen "change the world/be important" movements, and now it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. "Be important! Be noticed! Be a celebrity! Be better than that other person! Make sure you're at the top of the hierarchy of Important People doing Important Things!"
It's a pretty uniquely American thing, maybe? This idea that we could all be the center of attention, we could all be rock starts or presidents or anything but ordinary, boring, servants? You can't change the world by mopping floors.
It's such a great marketing technique for selling your brand of tennis shoes, or coca cola, or your book and sermon series, or your membership in the next Big Transformative Movement of God that will Change the World (for real this time!).
100% agree! God has shown me He cares about all of it, the ordinary and everyday even more than the extraordinary. Our call is to be faithful to who God calls us to be, with no guarantees of success or anything. I saw something the other day that said “Be faithful. Results may vary.” Which I loved! Our faith may not look like on the outside what we want it to or think it should, but God knows what He’s doing.
Thank you so much for this. Piper’s dehumanization of the four individuals in his sermon is appalling. I, blissfully, had been unaware of it, so I googled it. I found a post on Medium to which Bob’s obituary was attached.
Bob retired from the Air Force and the state of Maryland and moved to Florida so he and his wife could “make their boating dreams come true.” He discovered senior softball there and did well on local and traveling teams. “Playing sports was always an important part of his life.” In lieu of flowers, Bob had asked for donations to be made to the American Brain Tumor Association.
😭
I can’t help but think that Bob’s being whom God had made him was ok with God. Is it a waste of one’s life to pursue the dreams that He puts within us? Can we not also serve Him in this way? We are all made in His image, and He calls this good. We don’t know the final status of Bob’s soul, but perhaps enjoying his final 22 years with his wife and friends in Florida wasn’t such a bad thing. RIP, Bob!
thanks Bonnie!
I pastor a small church. Thank you for this reminder.
blessings!
This is beautiful!
I grew up in too many angsty teen "change the world/be important" movements, and now it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. "Be important! Be noticed! Be a celebrity! Be better than that other person! Make sure you're at the top of the hierarchy of Important People doing Important Things!"
It's a pretty uniquely American thing, maybe? This idea that we could all be the center of attention, we could all be rock starts or presidents or anything but ordinary, boring, servants? You can't change the world by mopping floors.
It's such a great marketing technique for selling your brand of tennis shoes, or coca cola, or your book and sermon series, or your membership in the next Big Transformative Movement of God that will Change the World (for real this time!).
Ick. I don't like religious salespeople.
Yup, sales does not belong in the church.
This brought me to tears. Thank you.
100% agree! God has shown me He cares about all of it, the ordinary and everyday even more than the extraordinary. Our call is to be faithful to who God calls us to be, with no guarantees of success or anything. I saw something the other day that said “Be faithful. Results may vary.” Which I loved! Our faith may not look like on the outside what we want it to or think it should, but God knows what He’s doing.
Thanks for this. Yes, faith is not about seeing our results.