The Friday Update - In and Out

— January 24, 2025 —

Happy Friday,

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

Paul
1 Timothy 2:1-2

A few reminders: 1. We’re called to pray for all people. 2. We’re called to live peaceful and quiet lives. 3. We’re called to pray for our leaders. Paul packages those three into one sentence—suggesting that our prayers, private character, and public behavior all intersect. Let’s put it this way: a noisy mind, an angry heart, and a prayerless schedule are spiritual check engine lights. How’s your car running? 

Glenn In, Mike Out: Mike is out on sabbatical; he was last seen at a local spa lounging in a whirlpool, sporting a thick beard and muttering Bible verses to himself. So, I’m Glenn Wishnew, and I’m filling in. For new readers of the TFU, I’ve been the substitute writer twice before, and both times, I suggested that Mike should hand over the reins permanently to me. He has yet to take my advice, so rest assured, he will be back next week. 

Trump In, Biden Out: There was another peaceful transfer of power that occurred this week other than Mike handing over TFU to me. Allow me one take on the matter. In the last two weeks, I’ve heard Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and Trump’s informal tech advisor, Marc Andreessen, agree on two things: the world is in flux, and the future is uncertain. They’re right on the first point and wrong on the second. There is a Kingdom that will endure forever and ever, and that future is coming, even now.

Without Friends, Without Comment: All from this article: 1) Americans now spend less time face-to-face socializing than any period in modern history; 2) Men who watch television now spend seven hours in front of the TV for every hour they spend hanging out with somebody outside their home; 3) The typical female pet owner spends more time with her pet than she spends in face-to-face contact with friends of her own species; and 4) Since the early 2000s, the amount of time that Americans say they spend helping or caring for people outside their nuclear family has declined by more than a third.

FWIW: 1) After buying a coffee at a Starbucks drive-through, my window refused to roll back up, and it remained open for 10 minutes during my morning commute in -7-degree weather. Self-pity ran at an all-time high—until I thought about the people in my community whose days without warm shelter are just… average days. 2) You can feel bad about your sins without turning away from them. The Israelites did it often. 3) We’re at a point in the Entertainment Industrial Complex where Netflix is telling filmmakers to create ‘content’ for viewers who “aren’t paying attention.” Can 2025 be the year we watch less Netflix and make more friends?

A Quote Worth Requoting: “You are more sinful and flawed in yourself than you ever dared believe. Yet at the very same time, you are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than you ever dared hope.” - Tim Keller

3 Insights, 3 Books: 1) “We used to travel faster, build bigger, live longer; now we communicate faster, chatter more, snap more selfies.” The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat 2) “About a quarter of all pregnancies end in abortion.” The Case Against The Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry 3) “What Lincoln lacked in preparation and guidance, he made up for with his daunting comprehension, phenomenal memory, acute reasoning faculties, and interpretive penetration….Get the books, and read and study them,” he told a law student seeking advice in 1855.” Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Theo of Golden: The novel Theo of Golden chronicles a man whose random acts of kindness transformed an entire town. “Looking back, all would have said—in praise of that Portuguese man with the lilt in his voice and the hint of a smile constantly on his lips—our hearts burned within us.” Whose heart will burn because of your kindness today?

Mike Woodruff Wants You To Read His Book and Join Him in Turkey: Reading a pastiche of Mike’s weekly thoughts is pleasant. Reading a book authored by Mike is even better. But spending a week with Mike in Turkey this upcoming fall, learning about the Council of Nicaea and the subsequent 1700 years of Christianity’s collision with the Western World? Priceless.

Closing Prayer: “Oh God, we thank Thee for the creative insights in the universe. We thank Thee for the lives of great saints and prophets in the past, who have revealed to us that we can stand up amid the problems and difficulties and trials of life and not give in. We thank Thee for our forebears, who’ve given us something in the midst of the darkness of exploitation and oppression to keep going. And grant that we will go on with the proper faith and the proper determination of will, so that we will be able to make a creative contribution to this world and in our lives. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.” (Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968)

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