Scripture

July 9, 2016 By B. Baylis Leave a Comment

Four Lessons from FIve Verses – Part II

My Memorial Day Post, Four Lessons from FIve Verses was inspired by the Memorial Day message at Calvary Baptist Church in York, Pennsylvania by our senior pastor, Reverend Greg Wahlberg. The scripture reading for the day was taken from II Timothy, chapter 2. I return to this passage for my Independence Day post (a little late).

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. (II Timothy 2:1-5, KJV)

The author of Psalm 33 is not definitively known. It falls between two Psalms of David, and carries on a thought directly from the end of Psalm 32. Therefore, it may be a Psalm of David; Image courtesy of Graphics Stock

In the previously mentioned post, I concentrated on the lesson of being a good soldier from verses 3 and 4. In this post I move on to verse 5, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. ” to look at the lesson of winning by the rules. As God would have it, the call to worship was Psalm 33:12. In addition, the Independence Day message. delivered by our Associate Pastor, Rev Richard Hall, was about winning and losing. The scripture lesson came from the Old Testament story of Jacob wrestling God.

Image courtesy of clker.com; Shared by Ruthie

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (Genesis 32: 24-30, KJV)

I am an extremely competitive person, and I love to win. VInce Lombardi, venerable coach of the Green Bay Packers says his famous quote “Winning isn’t everything; it is the only thing.” was misquoted. He claims to have said, “Winning isn’t everything, the will to win is the only thing.” More than 50 years of playing baseball, softball and basketball taught me the truth of the second quote very well. Scripture also teaches us that winning is for winners. Paul writing to the Corinthians says:

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (I Corinthians 9: 24-27, KJV)

However, winning at all costs is not an option. Paul, writing to his protege Timothy in the text for today’s post, puts winning in its proper context: And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. (II Timothy 2:5, KJV)

Nevertheless, we have all seen cheaters prosper and the righteous suffer. Two Old Testament writers describe this experience far better than I could ever do. The author of Psalm 73 (usually attributed to Asaph, but some modern scholars date this Psalm to the post-exile and Second Temple period, ruling out Asaph, who served David) eloquently laments this perplexing situation:

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. (Psalm 73: 3-13, JKV)

Echoing the sentiments of the writer of Psalm 73, the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk bares his heart and soul to God with a prayer for vengeance against the unGodly in the opening of the book that carries his name:

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. (Habakkuk 1:1-4, KJV)

Be careful what you ask for in your prayers to God. You may just get it. The answer God gives Habakkuk leaves him totally shaken and confused.

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not their’s. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. (Habakkuk 1:5-11, KJV)

What is Habakkuk’s response to God’s answer? It essentially puts God on trial for using a more wicked people to punish the evil doers of the Israelites.

Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?… I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. (Habakkuk 1:12-13 & 2:1, KJV)

God wasted no time in responding to Habakkuk’s challenge:

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:2-4, KJV)

Thus, we see that the unjust will be judged, but the just shall live by his faith. This passage is quoted three times in the New Testament. In each passage, living by faith is seen in a different context. In Romans 1:17, the context is sanctification and forgiveness from our sins. In Galatians 3:11, the context is justification and the removal of the penalty of our sins. The context of Hebrews 10:38 is the perseverance of the faithful. Therefore, from Habakkuk, we have the message that the unjust will be punished, but the just will live.

There are many references to this concept throughout scripture. We find one more in what may well be the oldest book in the Bible. This concept of the fate of the just and unjust is also explored by the author of the Book of Job, who is most likely a highly educated Jew who lived between the reign of Solomon and Israel’s exile to Babylon. Even he had a great deal of trouble putting into words the internal battle this dilemma caused him. Instead of directly lecturing or preaching, he turned to another effective educational process. He begins the book of Job by metaphorically looking his audience in their eyes and saying to them, “Let me tell you a story about a man…”

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1, KJV)

If ever there was a human who deserved to “win,” Job was that man. However, Satan was out to show God up. Thus, he saw Job as a convenient target. If Satan could bring Job down to his level, he would win over again to his side one of God’s favorites, just like he did in the Garden of Eden. Although Job wavered and wound up on the dung heap in sackcloth and ashes (as depicted in the 1880 painting by Gonzalo Carrasco), when he looked squarely at God, he couldn’t say anything negative about Him.

Therefore, whether we look at the Old Testament or the New Testament, at the end of the day, God rewards the righteous and punishes the unjust. An old childhood jingle comes to mind: “Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.”

June 11, 2016 By B. Baylis Leave a Comment

Importance of Investing in Real Knowledge

Benjamin Franklin reportedly said: “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays best interest.” This particular quote emphasizes the importance for an individual to acquire knowledge at any price. In some ways it is analogous to Christ’s teaching from the sermon on the mount:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6: 19-21, KJV)

Both were teaching that there are things that are more valuable than material wealth. Whereas Christ was teaching the supremacy of spiritual things, Franklin raised the flag of intellectualism. However, it seems both teachings were lost on much of American culture for the first 150 years of this country’s existence. The predominant, driving force in the United States from 1776 until 1929 was materialism, the accumulation of wealth and material things.

Beginning in the 1930s, American society in general started transitioning from an industrial society to a new type of culture where value was based on technology, information and the use of information. Fritz Machlup was the first economist to popularize the term information society. Following in his foot steps, Peter Drucker was credited by BusinessWeek with the invention of the science of management. In 1966, he was the first author to give currency to the terms knowledge economy and knowledge worker. A knowledge economy is an economy in which growth is dependent on the quantity, quality and accessibility of available information, rather than the means of production.

By the year 2000, the concept of the knowledge worker had permeated all levels of all industries. Drucker can easily be seen as a disciple of Franklin…put your money in knowledge. In 2004, in Handbook of Business Strategy, Vol. 5 Iss: 1, George Elliott wrote: “Cognitive excellence: our people are our most important asset.” A year later, Baruch Lev, director of the Intangibles Research Project at New York University Stern School of Business, stated that “people are the most important asset of most companies.” Not only their knowledge, but the people themselves had become assets. This set off a firestorm of arguments. Are people to be treated like material resources?

However, in the 21st century, people are not the only intangible assets. In Lev’s earlier work, he demonstrated that in 1980, the total value of many international corporations was fully accounted for by their tangible assets. Today, he estimates that 80 percent of their value is tied up in intangible assets — brands, patents and trademarks. Note, that he didn’t mention people or intellectual property. Franklin seems to be right. Investing in knowledge, both by individuals investing in their own knowledge and by corporations investing in their employees’ knowledge, pays off most handsomely.

I can’t argue with the main premise of Franklin’s maxim. However, I do think that today we take, and even Franklin in his day took too narrow a definition of knowledge. Franklin was placing his emphasis on “head” or content knowledge. I want to broaden the scope of knowledge to everything that can be an answer to the question, “What can I know?” How many different ways do we fill in the blank in the phrase, “I know ________.”

How many times have we said:

“I know something.” This is the content knowledge of a subject matter. This is what many of our school teachers asked us to learn.
“I know how to do something.” This is a skill that we learned or could do instinctively.
“I know what I like.” These are the values that I hold dear.
“I know myself.” This is personal knowledge that we generally believe that we don’t learn, but just know.
“I know that person.” This is social or relational knowledge.” Sometimes this knowledge is very deep and intense. Other times this knowledge is superficial at best, and is said to be a “nodding acquaintance.”
“I know God.” This is very personal and is on a different level from the material or physical world. This is spiritual or supernatural knowledge.

These six types of knowledge constitute whole or real knowledge. In another post I will more fully examine the six types of knowledge and how one can obtain such knowledge. In the meantime, like the television advertisement suggests, now is the time to start investing more in your future.

June 1, 2016 By B. Baylis Leave a Comment

Four Lessons from FIve Verses

Memorial Day 2016; courtesy of blogspot.com

Put on the armor of God; courtesy of blogspot.com

I begin this post with a note of thanks to our pastor for the Memorial Day service this past Sunday morning. To begin the service, Rev. Greg Wahlberg, of Calvary Baptist Church, York, PA used the introduction to the “whole armour” passage of Ephesians as the call to worship.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13, KJV)

The scripture reading for the day was one of Paul’s most powerful exhortations to his protege Timothy. In the first five verses of the second chapter of his second letter to Timothy, Paul, as a father figure and mentor, delivers a persuasive message to the young pastor.

Soldier carrying another soldier, both in full gear; courtesy of warriorshepherd.com

In this short, grand, thought provoking passage of just 5 verses, Paul teaches us at least 4 potent lessons. Pastor Wahlberg used the lesson from II Timothy 2:3 & 4 as the theme of his message, entitled “The Good Soldier.” In these verses, we are told that the good soldier must endure hardness and avoid entanglements:

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (II Timothy 2: 3 & 4, KJV)

This principle goes to the core of training and standard operating procedures for soldiers through out history. Paul certainly endured hardship in his life as a soldier for Christ. In the 11th chapter of II Corinthians, he recounted many of the hardships he faced.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (II Corinthians 11:25-27, KJV)

Why is it necessary for a soldier of the cross to train so hard? It is difficult enough to face an enemy across a battle line from your own forces’ entrenchments. However, today we find ourselves in enemy territory. When you are behind enemies lines, you must fight a war of resistance. We must be part of the resistance facing three formidable foes: the world (outside forces), the flesh (inner influences) and the devil (a stubborn adversary).

Christians are constantly fighting the world and its prevailing cultural current. These outside forces would like to dominate and mold our thoughts. Christians must stand firm for what is right and be guided by a set of principles that is higher than those of the society about them. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world..” (I John 2:15a, KJV)

Because of Adam, sin entered into the world. The sinful nature is passed down from generation to generation. Each of us is born with an inner foe, a heart that is inclined to sin, or rebel from God. The flesh has bent to reject authority, especially the authority of an all-righteous God. The answer to fighting this inner foe is to rely on God’s Spirit which He has given Christians. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16, KJV)

Satan as a roaring lion; courtesy of apologeticswithme

Since Satan fell, he has continually battled for the hearts and minds of humanity. Scripture paints two very different pictures of Satan. One is that of a frighting, roaring lion. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8, KJV). If this were the only version of Satan that we saw, most of us would be scared straight. However, the devil also goes around as an angel of light. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:13&14, KJV).

Satan as an angel of Light; Snare of Light; courtesy of blogspot.com

This collection of enemies is impressive and daunting. How can we possibly overcome them? Only by hard training and reliance on the power of God. After the third temptation by Satan, Jesus admonished him with this rebuke: Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:10, KJV)

I began this post with the claim that there were four lessons in these five verses from the second chapter of II Timothy. We don’t have the time or room to fully develop the other three lessons in this post. I will just give you a hint at what’s coming in future posts. The second lesson is found in II Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” This is God’s four-tier pyramid plan for the “edification of the saints.”^.

The third lesson is found in II Timothy 2:5, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” We can only “win” if we do it within the rules. For the fourth lesson we return to II Timothy 2:1, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” There is definitely a lesson dealing with it means to being “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Please stay tuned for more powerful and insight lessons on Christian life from II Timothy.

May 24, 2016 By B. Baylis Leave a Comment

What’s the difference between surviving and surviving?

Reader, patience please. Before you accuse me of completely losing it, I know that I probably should have entitled this post, What’s the difference between surviving and just surviving? However, I was trying to catch your attention and spark your interest with an obvious oxymoron. DId I reel you in? I believe that there is a big difference between surviving and just surviving. For the remainder of this post, I will label these two positions, real survival and just surviving. The difference is in perspective and attitude.These differences are as easily found and exhibited in organizations as they are in individuals. Individuals and organizations can also find themselves in two other situations. The first or desired position is one in which individuals are very successful and thriving. The last or least desirable position is one in which individuals and organizations are languishing in defeat and failure, the end result of which is death. These are the thriving and defeated positions, respectively.

Just surviving is a form of life without the substance. It is the pretense of life without the fruit. It is deceiving others and trying to deceive yourself. It is trudging through the battles of daily life with little or no enthusiasm. It is barely coping when you should be grieving and healing. Just surviving can also be having a good reputation without the positive merit, rigor or results to support that reputation. This qualifies these individuals or organizations as frauds. “All show, and no go!”

There are many examples in the scriptures of just surviving. Jonah was miraculously saved from the belly of a fish, which represents real survival. He then went to Nineveh and preached repentance, witnessing one of the greatest revivals the world has experienced. Jonah went up on a hill overlooking the great city to see what God was going to do, waiting for God to destroy Nineveh and its inhabitants. When God spared the great city and all its residents, Jonah responded to God with a “I thought about telling you so! I knew you wouldn’t destroy this city.” Jonah went from really surviving to just surviving.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. (Jonah 4:1-3, KJV)

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, strongly urges the Christians there to mature and get rid of the attitude of just surviving.

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Corinthians 3:9-15, KJV)

The seven candlesticks from St. John’s Revelation, by Albrecht Dürer, circa 1497; courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The apostle John acting as God’s secretary transcribed two dire warnings to churches in Asia Minor to repent of the attitude and mask of just surviving.

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelations 3:1-3, JKV)

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelations 3:14-19, KJV)

How many individuals today are putting on a show? How many have donned a mask, and are just going through the motions? How many modern organizations are neither “hot nor cold”? They have lost their first love. They open their doors each day, but only half-heartedly greet anyone that stumbles through the doors. They have little desire to go out into the streets and invite others to come into the fold. They have settled for just surviving, when they have before them the prospect of real survival, and even the possibility of thriving. As my aunt used to say, “What a waste! It’s a crying shame!”

Rebekah Basinger and I have had a conversation since late March in our blogs about organizations just surviving. See Rebekah’s Surviving, thriving, and six degrees of separation, and Beware “Iceberg beliefs” that can sink your organization, and my The Paradigm of Surviving and Thriving.

Rebekah opens her “Iceberg beliefs” post with the following vignette concerning a seminary president: “Ours has always been a hand-to-mouth existence,” the seminary president commented with a shrug and a sheepish smile. “I can’t imagine that thriving is in our future.” This attitude is very common in small values-based, service organizations. The source of this common, under the surface belief is often attributed to Christ’s commissioning of his disciples in the Gospel of Mark:

And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Mark 6:7-11, KJV)

It seems to me that as Christians, we often have a tendency to belabor the “fact” to be Christians we must wallow in the dumpsters and live from hand-to-mouth. We have convinced ourselves that if we as individuals, and corporately as organizations, are to follow Christ, we must give up everything to follow Christ’s example. We quote:

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (luke 9:57-62, KJV)

Jesus is indeed calling us to a life of commitment first. However, He has also promised that if we put Him first, He will take care of us. We are not promised that our lives will be a bed of roses. In fact, He has promised that we will be reviled by men and treated harshly, just like He was. However, if we trust in the Lord, His angels deliver us. We will not “want any good thing.”

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. (Psalm 34:7-10, KJV)

Real survival is the experience of having come through extraordinary trials, and landing on your feet. Some people have called this resiliency. Resiliency is described as the ability to take a hit and keep standing, or to fall down and get back up. I see real survival as bravely hanging on to the last thread of life by one’s fingernails. In this form, surviving is akin to winning. It may not be thriving, but it is definitely not losing. I believe that two posts, Aphasia is not the end of the world and Epilepsy is not the end of the world, that I wrote almost six years ago express some of my experiences with “real survival.”

I opened the aphasia post with a reminder to myself that the only things that I had lost in my battle with aphasia were “a few words.” I still had everything that mattered, I continued the post with a litany of blessings:

a loving and supportive family;
a compassionate and praying church family;
considerate and helpful friends and neighbors;
concerned and respectful colleagues and friends from more than forty years in higher education;
a team of knowledgeable and caring medical personnel;
a group of individuals on whom I can lean;
a real social network, not a virtual one.

I concluded the post with this statement; “In addition to all these people, I still have my mind.” It was my testimony of real survival in the face of a traumatic brain incident and an insidious deficit known as aphasia. However, I missed one very important thing. What I missed in that blog post was to remember that I still had a loving, caring and all-powerful heavenly Father.

View of detail of Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Photo taken by White House Staffer, as such is in Public Domain: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In my epilepsy post, I recounted part of the story of the HMS Resolute. Although this British warship was equipped for Arctic exploration, it found itself trapped in the early winter ice of an upper Canadian bay. The sailors had to abandon ship and walk across miles of frozen bay to safety in a small settlement that was later renamed Resolute Bay. Later in the summer when the ice started breaking up, the abandoned ship was freed and claimed by American naval ships. In a sign of good will, the American government returned the ship to Queen VIctoria in 1856. Twenty years later when the HMS Resolute was finally decommissioned from the royal navy, Queen Victoria had the warship dismantled. The queen also ordered three desks to be made from her timbers. One of the desks was given to President Hayes as a sign of friendship and gratitude. The Resolute desk still sits in the oval office or the president’s private office in the White House today. It is a testament to the good will between two countries, as well as a symbol of real survival and the will to carry on in the face of untenable odds. I ended this post with the declaration of real survival: On top of all the things that I listed, “I have the will to press on toward that unknown that looks like the end of the world.” As stated here, it sounds as if I am echoing William Ernest Henley in his poem Invictus. Although I do have an “unconquerable soul,” it is not my soul. As Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, ^“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

Since I have been so long winded with my keyboard, I must hold off on discussing thriving and defeat until another post. Please stay tuned for the next installment. Thank you very much. I really do appreciate the gift of your time and attention.

May 20, 2016 By B. Baylis Leave a Comment

Decisions, decisions, decisions! Three paths, which one should I take?

Have you ever begun a journey with one destination and itinerary in mind, but in the midst of your travels, you hit some minor snags or a major detour and have to change your itinerary? Since it happens to me so frequently with my writing, I have discovered at least three solutions to this particular problem. The first one is to stop writing entirely. This approach removes any possibility of getting lost in my thoughts. However, I find this approach totally unacceptable since it also completely eliminates the possibility of discovering something new and exciting. This seems to me to be close to the approach that the third servant takes in Christ’s parable comparing the kingdom of heaven and the actions of three servants when their master is out of sight:

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey…But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money…Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. (Matthew 15: 14-30, KJV)

Writing is really the one way that I have left to express myself and make a difference in this world. In spite of my health battles the past seven years, I still have a dream. Higher education can be a vibrant force to change the world in which we live. I would still like to be part of those activities. I see so many errors being made in higher education. I see mistakes of commission and omission. I see negligence, ignorance and willful malpractice. I want to help solve the many problems that are so prevalent. However, the once normal process of engaging in live, extemporaneous debates is no longer an option for me. When I am trying to speak, words are only coming hesitantly. My verbal aphasia is stubbornly hanging on. When I share this with people, they express surprise. They say that they would have never known it from our conversation. What they don’t know is that I am putting on act. When I am preparing to talk to someone, particularly if the particular conversation has been arranged sufficiently ahead of time, I try to think of what questions I might be asked, and I go over answers in my head. I rehearse those answers several times before the actual conversation. When the conversation occurs, I play my role to the best of my ability. I am reminded of Macbeth’s soliloquy from Act 5, Scene 5, just after Macbeth is told of Lady Macbeth’s death and the advance of Macolm and McDuff toward Dusinane:

19    Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
20    Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
21    To the last syllable of recorded time,
22    And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
23    The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
24    Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
25    That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
26    And then is heard no more: it is a tale
27    Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
28    Signifying nothing.

My ability to analyze situations is still intact, but quite a bit slower than previously. I need time to think things through. My memory for some things is still exceptional. I can pull events and articles out of my memory bank if I am given the time to think about them. Remembering to turn off the light when I leave a room is completely lost on me. Thus, I must give the option of surrendering writing an absolute “thumbs down.”

The second answer for my writing is to finish a topic completely before publishing blog posts on the subject. This response has some merit. However, it requires a great deal more patience than I usually have. Waiting doesn’t always have to do with patience. Inaction can be caused by fear of rejection or ridicule, the fear of being wrong and the desire for perfection (sometimes known as paralysis by analysis), too much concern for the final destination and not enough for the journey, The famous poem, Katrina’s Sundial (aka “Time is”) by Henry Van Dyke speaks to some of the causes and results of inaction.

Time is
Too slow for those who Wait,
Too swift for those who Fear,
Too long for those who Grieve
Too short for those who Rejoice,
But for those who Love,
Time is not

When I find myself caught up in the enthusiasm of a topic, I want to get a post out there for reaction from others. This is my academic training kicking into place. In the world of the academy it is common place to put your thoughts out into the market place of ideas for critique. “I question that conclusion!” may be considered the unofficial mantra of the academy, A debate is the formal presentation of an argument in a disciplined manner. Modern debates are the descendants of the dialogues of ancient times. The oldest dialogues in scriptures are probably those recorded in the book of Job. They begin in the very first chapter:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12, JKV)

With God’s permission, Satan went out and wiped out Job’s children and all his wealth. What was Job’s reaction?

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (Job 1:20-22, KJV)

God won the first round. Satan didn’t give up. In Chapter 2, Satan challenges God by suggesting that if Job’s health were taken away, then he would turn on God. God said, “Okay, Satan, try it, You can do anything, short of taking his life.” Satan took the challenge and hit Job with everything, short of death itself. What was Job’s response?

So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (Job 2: 7-10, KJV)

God won round two. However, the dialogues are not done. In Chapter 2, we are introduced to three of Job’s friends:

Painting of Job and his three friends by Tissot; courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. (Job 2: 11-13, KJV)

These were good intentioned friends. They saw Job was really hurting and they wanted to help him. Probably the best thing they did was keep quiet for seven days, because when they opened their mouths, they proceeded to stick their feet in them. After a week of silence, Job finally speaks in an eloquent soliloquy in Chapter 3. In Chapters 4-31 we have three rounds of heated debates/dialogues between Job and his “friends.” When it becomes clear that there has been no winner in these debates, Elihu, a young servant speaks up and takes all four of the combatants to task in Chapters 32-37. Finally, God speaks directly to Job in Chapters 38-42. When Job admits that he has been wrong and that God has been right all along. God rebukes Job’s three friends and blesses Job.

One of the primary intentions of a debate is to hone one’s own arguments in order to convince your opponent and any observers. In the course of a debate, one has the privilege of pointing out the weaknesses in your opponent’s position, while strengthening and fortifying your own position. The idea of two people knocking off each other’s rough edges is definitely encouraged by Solomon when he writes:”Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17, KJV) However, as we have seen in the story of Job, when humans argue or dialogue, both parties can be wrong.

Two approaches down and one to go! Thus, we are left with the third solution, which is to publish posts as soon as they come to me and I finish writing that post. This approach reminds me of the days when my wife and I would take a Saturday drive looking for antique shops which we had never previously visited. We usually had a good idea of where we were going. However, often we would see signs for shops that were not on our original radar screen, and we would turn down a different road to see what that road had to offer us. If I follow this modus operandi in terms of my writing, I will occasionally have to explain to my readers what I am doing and why I am not following my announced itinerary. In military terms, I will have to retreat, regroup, form a new plan of attack and forge ahead. If you haven’t guessed it already, for this particular series of posts, I am proceeding on Path 3.

To stay in touch with what I am thinking and writing, I invite my readers to subscribe to this blog by supplying a working email address in the box in the right margin. You can also follow me on Twitter. @ByBaylis is my Twitter handle. SInce I made such a fuss about dialogue in this post, please engage with me. If something strikes you as way out of bounds, let me know and include an explanation so that we can debate it. If you like something, please let me know that also. Affirmation feels good. However, be warned. It might encourage me to write more. Please stay tuned. I don’t know what’s coming next out of my computer. I won’t know until I wake up tomorrow morning and start writing again.

May 18, 2016 By B. Baylis Leave a Comment

American Higher Education is a Sandy Beach

Who pays what in this new paradigm?” This is one of the provocative questions that I raised in my recent post The Paradigm of Surviving and Thriving. However, since American Higher Education is a complex system, there are many questions that need to be considered before we should even draw the conclusion that the current system even needs changing. If it is in need of changing, we must then determine the appropriate changes and who is responsible for implementing those changes.

Some of you are already asking why in the world would I, as someone who has spent more than 50 years intimately engaged in higher education, suggest that we need a new paradigm for American Higher Education? What’s wrong with the current design? Before I get to the topic of changing American Higher Education (AHE), I should start by describing the current state of AHE. I begin with a picture. AHE is very much like a sandy beach.

Shifting sands at Tentsmuir; image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and geograph.or.uk

Sunset at Crystal Cove Beach; image courtesy of wikipedia commons

Eroded beach castle on unidentified beach; image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

What were your thoughts as you looked at these pictures? My thoughts were that a sandy beach is an excellent metaphor for higher education. A beach can be a safe and secure place. It is often a desired destination for sailors at sea looking for a place of rest and safety, and a place to replenish their supplies. I find a sandy beach an inviting place to sit, relax, stare across the water and reflect on many things, including my own existence. One thing about a sandy beach, which is also very similar to higher education, is that it is never the same from one day to the next. The winds that naturally blow off the waters toward land and the waves breaking on the shore from the action of tides and storms move billions of grains of sand each day. Those sand castles that are painstakingly built in the wet sand left as the high tide slowly ebbs into low tide, are quickly eroded away into a mound that bears little resemblance to the original. The participants in AHE can build their little castles and silos, but the shifting winds of academic disciplines, all levels of government, public sentiment and the general economy can gnaw away at those once beautiful edifices. Sometimes the changes come gradually, when they are caused by gentle breezes and the endless cycle high and low tides. Sometimes the changes come quickly, especially when they are caused by storms. Not all storms are the same, and not all storms have the same intensity. Gentle rain with almost imperceptible wind will produce small changes that can build up over time. A severe storm can wreck havoc in a very short time., leaving behind irreparable harm. We are reminded of this by Jesus as he taught the multitude:

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-28, KJV)

Storm damage from Hurricane Ivan at Pensecola,FL; image courtesy of Jocelyn Augustino, FEMA, and Wikimedia Commons

When you live in a storm zone, you make plans for many different eventualities. When a storm is imminent, you don’t have time to make plans. You may only have time to react. In the case of a catastrophic storm, you take the precautions necessary to save people first. We are reminded of this by David in the Psalms: “I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” (Psalm 55:8, KJV) Property is secondary. Property can be replaced. You can rebuild in the previous location, or a new location. There have been a number of storms to hit AHE. I can’t say that we have always had good contingency plans. We have not always reacted in a timely manner to hazardous conditions. We have not always built our castles wisely in terms of location or design.

This is just some introductory thoughts that will lead to a series on the American Higher Education system, where it is currently, where it should go, how we’re going to get there, how many much it is going to cost, and who should pay for it. In the meantime, find a nice, deserted beach. On a clear morning, go down to water’s edge and take in the beauty of the sunrise. As you meditate there on the beach, you should also pray like David in the Psalms, “Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:3 KJV). Spend that time getting right with God, and being transported to another place. Then you can sit down, reflect on things like AHE, and enjoy the moment, with the only noise coming from the waves on the shore line or the mews, keows, ha-ha-ha-ha’s and huoh-huoh-huoh’s of sea gulls communicating with each other. Don’t be surprised if the keows of the gulls start sounding like the noise from that last committee meeting.