My One Word for 2019

Permit me to say it again.

A few summers ago now, at about 4 o'clock in the morning, I heard someone call my name in a strong stage whisper:

"Andrew!  ANDREW!"

I sat straight up.  "Yes?!  Hello?  What is it?"

But my wife was still asleep.  So were my children.

And then I knew.

This past summer, it happened again, in just the same way, at about the same time in the morning.

A couple of weeks later I was spending time with a someone in San Antonio who was doing some coaching with me.  We were working toward an answer to this crucial question: "What exactly is my thing?  What is it that God wants me to do?"  And in that conference room with Greg, I had this piercing thought:

"But I already know what God wants me to do!  He told me specifically."

This may sound crazy to you, but I knew the moment I heard someone calling my name that it was the Lord, and that he was calling me to meet him in early morning prayer.  I know that as certainly as I know anything in my life.  In the months after I heard my name called that first time, I was somewhat committed to early mornings, but often I woke and shambled down our creaky steps in a half-hearted, hurried way; my prayers were desultory and perfunctory.

This past summer, after that second early morning call and after the insight I had meeting with Greg, it all became just so clear to me:

The one thing I am certain of is that God wants me to pray early in the morning.  If I don't do it, I am being directly disobedient.  All the time people say, "If I could hear God speak to me, then I would do this or that."  And here I am having heard the voice of the Lord Almighty HIMSELF telling me to do something, and often as not I wasn't really doing it.

I decided to recommit myself.

And amazing things that I thought were impossible have already happened.  Immovable situations that I have been praying about have started to move.

But I actually don't think the amazing things are the point.

This past summer, some friends invited my family to use their house in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.  In late summer in that part of Colorado, the weather is perfect: upper 40’s at dawn, lower 90’s at noon. I’d get up every morning early to sit wrapped in a blanket on the back deck in the dark, waiting for the sun to rise. The deer and the wild turkeys and the hummingbirds paid me no attention, if I kept still enough.  I'd read my Bible and pray, and I would sit.  It was golden.

But you know what my favorite time of the morning was?

After I'd been outside for hours and after the sun had risen, my 8 year-old son would tip-toe outside and join me.  He'd climb into my rocking chair and snuggle into my blankets (I was wrapped like an eskimo baby), and we'd sit and quietly talk together.  And I realized, after a few days of this, how much I was looking forward to our quiet meeting each morning.

It was my favorite part of the day.

What if, though?  What if that's exactly what the Lord has been trying to get me to understand?  What if early-morning prayer is not a chore to complete like milking the cows or walking the dog, or not even an important but sometimes bitter habit, like the deadlift or the pull-up?  What if God Almighty Himself just wants to sit with...me...in the quiet of the early morning, before the day begins?

Therefore, I want to say it again.

All things seem possible in the early morning.

Nature's first green is gold

I love early morning, that time that seems like night until you look up and see that the sky is no longer black but has become that deep, rich blue color that only occurs there, then.

I expect that was the color of Eden's firmament, early Adam's first morning.

In the early morning, waking up and, for a brief moment, forgetting everything that you know except that it's a new day, that's the best time.

After that, of course, remembering rushes in like water through a sluice-gate, and the day tumbles over itself. That moment doesn't return.

But for that brief time, it's golden.

Early mornings are like a drop hanging on the end of a dropper, before it drips: all about potential, unrealized. And that's why I love them.

I wonder if Jesus loved early mornings for that reason, too. Before the Pharisees poked their fingers in his chest and asked him to justify himself, before he heard about the tragedy of the Tower of Siloam or how Pilate had profaned the sacrifice with the blood of those Galileans he'd killed, before John's disciples breathlessly told him about Herod's homocidal boasting before the dancing girl, I wonder: did Jesus savor those first few sinless minutes, before each day fell?

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

Nothing gold can stay, though, can it?

I memorized Robert Frost's little poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" twenty years ago or so, and I've always thought he says it well:

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature‘s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf‘s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Dawn, which began pregnant with potential, always goes down to day, and day always comes with disappointment at best and disaster at worst.

Hopkins knew this: that in time, everything becomes ruined:

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

I love early mornings, but early mornings are like light itself: you can't hold on to them. Mornings turn into days.

And I don't need to tell you that days are difficult.

Days are difficult because that's how we make them--our dirty fingerprints are everywhere.

Every morning is like Eden's first morning: pristine. But no day remains like that. Days come with difficulty.

Yet days don't last either, do they? Days would have us believe that they are interminable, but we know by now that days irreversibly become evenings, and evenings inevitably become nights.

And every night is followed by a new morning.

I think that's what I love most about mornings, how there is always another one coming. Regardless of how heavy and ugly was the day, at least we know that a new morning is on its way.

Whoever it was who wrote Lamentations knew this about mornings:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning.

 --Lamentations 3:22-23

C. S. Lewis says in his little book on the Psalms that Psalm 19 contains some of the finest poetry, not just in the entire Bible, but in all the world's literature. Here's how the Psalm opens:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

Its rising is from one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

--Psalm 19:1-6

It's a perfect image: the sun like a groom emerging from his tent on the morning of his wedding day, or like a runner who delights in the very act of running itself. (One thinks of Usain Bolt, effortlessly striding down the Olympic track.)

And it happens every morning.

So maybe God delights in mornings, too. Maybe the reason there's always another morning is because God himself can't wait to see another one. At least, that's what Chesterton thought:

The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.

It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.

 --G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

The ultimate morning, I guess, has to be Easter. It can't be a coincidence that the Resurrection happened "very early in the morning, while it was still dark." Of course the Spirit could have raised Jesus any time of the day or night, but here's what I think:

Easter morning was deliberate.

So, mornings to me are about the hope that God has a plan for me and for the world. Yes, days are difficult, but every morning is another promise that the Lord has something up his sleeve each new day. Yes, things are a mess, but God's not through with us yet.

Hopkins, whom I quoted earlier, has perhaps my favorite description of mornings ever (it's at the end):

God's Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

 It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

 It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

 And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

 And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

 There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

 Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

 World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

"The dearest freshness deep down things." Yes, and each morning brings out that latent possibility. Here's that last part again:

And though the last lights off the black West went

 Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

 World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Yes. EXACTLY.

And God has been saying to me, "Yes.  EXACTLY."

What I learned last year is that the Lord loves his mornings even more than I do, and has graciously invited me to share them, too.

So, let me say it again (and probably next year, too):

My one word for 2019 is morning.

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7 Reasons To Read Through the Gospels in 2019

I'm reading through the Gospels in 2019. We'll read each Gospel through once, and the readings are only assigned Monday-Friday, so we'll read at a pace with which anyone can keep up. Here are 7 reasons you should join me.

1. The #First15 Will Change Your Life

Nothing you can do will have a greater effect on your life than spending the first 15 minutes of the day in prayer, silence, and scripture.

2. You Need a Plan to Follow

Trying to read the Bible without a plan is like going to the gym without a plan: you'll end up accomplishing far less than you would otherwise, you'll play to your strengths, and you'll quit too early.

3. You Will Have Unexpected Difficulties in 2019

The best way to prepare for the unknown is to develop greater peace and poise beforehand. Reading the Bible is something the Holy Spirit uses to give us those things.

4. These Are The Most Important Documents in the World

Even if you aren't sure that you trust the Gospels, you simply must read them if you want to be an educated person. They are the most important documents ever written, and it's not even close.

5. I'll Post Everyday (So Subscribe)

I'll be posting something short every day (or, at least every weekday) to help you get the most out of your reading. You can subscribe to receive a brief post on each weekday's reading here.

6. Your Kids Can Do It, Too

Kids from elementary school on up can absolutely read through the Gospels. Do it as a family challenge for 2019.

7. You Have No Excuses!

• The readings will take about 5 minutes a day;
• Will only be on the weekdays;
• Are so short that you can easily catch up if you fall behind;
• And won't be from any of the difficult Old Testament passages, but only the Gospels.

In other words, you have no excuses!

[For more info, see mungerplace.org/bible.]

My 2016 Reading List

I'm almost 2 years late with this post, but better late than never, right?  What follows is my 2016 reading list--some great stuff here.

My 2016 Reading Goal

I set a goal to read 50 books in 2016.  But, just as in 2013, 2014, and 2015, I fell short: I read 32 books in 2016.

My Rules

I only count books I read all the way through, cover to cover.  I read lots of journals and periodicals and online resources, and in my weekly sermon prep read parts of different books and commentaries, but for my reading goal, none of those count.  Why not?  I find that the concentration and focus required to read a book all the way through is different (and more valuable) than reading a magazine article or blog post or even part of a book, for example.  (Also, reading blog posts and articles isn't life-giving to me the way reading a book is.)A book that I keep thinking about months afterward, a book that adds enduring value to my life, that's a book I'll define as good.  Since I'm writing this post in 2018, books I rate well below are books that really stuck with me.I use a 5 star system in my ratings to signify the following:★★★★★  life-changing and unforgettable★★★★  excellent★★★  worth readingBooks getting less than 3 stars aren't on my Best list, which doesn't mean they were necessarily bad--just not books that I'd excitedly recommend to you.★★  read other things first★   not recommended 

The Best Books I Read in 2016 (in chronological order)

The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith, by Peter Hitchens

 Peter Hitchens has become one of my favorite writers, and I try to read everything he publishes.  He writes a column for the "The Mail on Sunday" newspaper, and blogs regularly at that site.  (His blog is particularly entertaining and informative.)  Mr. Hitchens is the brother of the late Christopher Hitchens, a man well-known for his strident atheism.  Peter Hitchens, in contrast, had an adult conversion to conservative Anglicanism, and this book is partly a memoir of that journey.Most of the work of Mr. Hitchens has an elegiac quality, a mournful look at the way the world used to be and will never be again.  He is too honest and too intelligent to believe that everything about the world of his boyhood is better than the modern world, but also too honest and intelligent to go along with the unthinking modern worship of Progress.★★★★  The Rage Against God 

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr

What I remember most about this lovely novel about a blind French girl during the Second World War is the appreciation the author has for the thingness of things--old-fashioned keys, the oiled tumblers of a lock, the feel of braille on a page, worn carpet on rickety steps.  Just as Marie-Laure comes to know the world through senses other than sight, so do we, the readers, experience the reality of her world.I loved this novel all the way up until the final few pages, which I felt were a betrayal of the hundreds of pages that had come before.  Still, the best novels create a world that you live within while you're reading, and this one does it.★★★★  All the Light We Cannot See 

An Officer and a Spy, by Robert Harris

I'd heard about L'Affaire Dreyfus since high school, and I could have answered a trivia question that asked about Emile Zola and J'Accuse, but beyond that I didn't know much of anything about it, other than it involved the French army and nasty anti-Semitism.  On a recommendation from Peter Hitchens (see above), I decided to try Robert Harris's historical novel about the Dreyfus Affaire, and I've been thinking about it ever since I read it.The most remarkable thing about this remarkable story is that virtually all of the major and minor characters in the novel were actual historical people.  The story is both thrilling, sickening, and fascinating.  And, to look back with hindsight and know that within 20 years of the original event France's army would be decimated in the Great War gives the entire story a foreboding quality.(I listened to the audio version of this novel, read by David Rintoul.  He is an EXCELLENT reader, and I cannot recommend the audiobook highly enough.)★★★★  An Officer and a Spy 

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport

Tim Ferriss has this great question he asks the guests on his podcast: "What is the one book you've most gifted--given to other people--in the last year?"  For me, one of the books (the other being Rocket Fuel, see below)  I've most gifted in the past couple of years is Deep Work.  I wrote in greater detail about this book in May 2016, so here I'll just say that though I'm constantly surprised at how few people I know seem willing to do anything about the problems of distraction in our wireless world, maybe that unwillingness will give those of us who are trying to learn how to focus a competitive advantage.★★★★  Deep Work 

Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want From Your Business, by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

Reading this book permanently changed the way I think about my role as the leader of an organization.  The argument in Rocket Fuel is simple: at the top of any organization, there needs to be a partnership between the visionary--usually but not always the point leader--and an integrator, who implements the vision.The book gives some helpful tips for finding out which role you are better suited for, and how to find your counterpart.  Very simple ideas, but powerful in practice.★★★  Rocket Fuel 

Voyage to Alpha Centauri, by Michael D. O'Brien

Michael D. O'Brien has become one of my favorite novelists, and this long novel about a long journey to our nearest solar system set in the near future has been rattling around in my mind since I finished it over 2 years ago.  O'Brien is not a science-fiction novelist, and this isn't really a science-fiction novel so much as a religious novel: in a secular future, a lonely, irascible scientist is invited to be a passenger aboard the first manned spaceship to leave our galaxy.  I found the description of the ship and the technological advances it contains as well as the bureaucratic rigidity and cruelty that the main character faces to be both believable and terrifying.  This isn't a perfect novel, and though I'm inclined to agree with this reviewer's criticism here, I actually think it stands up over time.  Of all the books I read in 2016, this is the one that has most haunted my thoughts 2 years later.★★★★1/2  Voyage to Alpha Centauri 

Advise and Consent: A Novel of Washington Politics, by Allen Drury

I read this 1959 novel over Thanksgiving break 2 years ago, but I found myself thinking about it constantly during the confirmation hearings for Justice Brett Kavanaugh earlier this fall.  Advise and Consent is a long novel about a national political controversy, not unlike the Kavanaugh controversy in that it brings political passions to boil over.  It's about what men will do to gain power, and about how ideology causes people to congratulate themselves on their deceit.  The central act of the novel is a betrayal that is among the nastiest, cruelest things I've ever read, which has caused me to think about the Presidents in my lifetime--would these men resort to that kind of action?  I fear the answer is yes.  This is a book for anyone who loves politics (and you'd better love politics, since the book is over 700 pages long); along with Richard Ben Cramer's nonfiction magnum opus What It Takes: The Way to the White House, which I wrote about here, Advise and Consent is one of the best political books I've ever read.★★★1/2  Advise and Consent 

The Rest of My 2014 Reading List (Some Great, Some Worthless--in Chronological Order)

Silence: A Novel, by Shusaku Endo

An historical novel about Jesuit missionaries to Japan during a time of great persecution in the 17th century, Silence asks the question, Is it right to deny Christ in order to alleviate suffering?  I think the novel gives one answer, whereas Martin Scorsese's excellent film adaptation gives a contrary one.  I'd recommend both the book and the movie.★★★  Silence 

The New Rules for Love, Sex, and Dating, by Andy Stanley

The sermon series on which this book was based was excellent, the book less so.★★  The New Rules for Love, Sex, and Dating 

Tortured for Christ, by Richard Wurmbrand

A famous memoir about the evils of Communism and the horrors of Ceaucescu's rule in Romania.★★  Tortured for Christ 

Moonfleet, by J. Meade Faulkner

This is an adventure story along the lines of Treasure Island or Kidnapped--though not as good as either--written at the end of the 19^thcentury about the south coast of England during the 1750s.  A recommendation from Peter Hitchens (see above), it had me reaching for the dictionary, but I loved the antiquated speech of the characters.★★1/2  Moonfleet 

Arts and Entertainments: A Novel, by Christopher Beha

This novel made me queasy the whole time I was reading it, and I had to make a commitment finish it.  It's about a guy who sells a sex-tape that contains a scene with a now-famous ex-girlfriend.  What made me queasy was not the sex-tape (no details are given), but the nauseating sense of celebrity culture and reality television that pervades the novel, and, of course, everyday life.  This novel is a satire, and Mr. Beha clearly does not think that reality television is a good thing; nonetheless, I still disliked reading about it.★  Arts and Entertainments 

Discovering the Shepherd: a Study of Psalm 23, by G.E. Johnson

★  Discovering the Shepherd 

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, by Michael Lewis

Infuriating, because the people who did the wrong thing got away with it.  Interesting portraits of the sort of people who saw what no one else actually wanted to see, even though the evidence was there the entire time.★★  The Big Short 

Fight for the Forgotten: How a Mixed Martial Artist Stopped Fighting for Himself and Started Fighting for Others, by Justin Wren & Loretta Hunt

Justin is a friend of mine; the story of his conversion to Christianity and his subsequent adoption by a Pygmy tribe in the Congo Rainforest is one of the more amazing stories I've heard.  I'd rate this book higher, but hearing "the Big Pygmy" speak in person has spoiled it for me.★★  Fight for the Forgotten 

Reflections on the Psalms, by C.S. Lewis

Great chapters on the violent psalms and on the use of scripture.  Really insightful book.  Recommended.★★★  Reflections on the Psalms 

Dictator: A Novel, by Robert Harris

3^rd and final novel in a trilogy about the ancient Roman statesman Cicero.  Very creative.  Gave me a lot of perspective on ancient Rome, and the fall of the Roman Republic.  I liked this, but not as much as An Officer and a Spy by the same author (see above).  Certainly worth reading, though.★★★1/2  Dictator 

Fifth Business, by Robertson Davies

A very strange novel about the life of a Canadian bachelor.  Don't really know if I liked it or not.★★  Fifth Business 

Spirituality of Gratitude: The Unexpected Blessings of Thankfulness, by Joshua Choonmin Kang

Simple, holy reflections on gratitude.★★  Spirituality of Gratitude 

Unleashing Opportunity: Why Escaping Poverty Requires a Shared Vision of Justice, by Michael Gerson, Stephanie Summers, and Katie Thompson

This is the kind of book in which the authors say things like "Government and church should work together to help children." Okay.... But what does that mean?  The only part of the book I found interesting was the chapter on payday lending.  Banks usually lend money to people that can pay it back; in payday lending, the whole point is to lend money so that people will never pay it back.★  Unleashing Opportunity 

The Power of TED* (The Empowerment Dynamic), by David Emerald

The drama triangle stuff is worth the price of the book, though the little fable is a bit much for me.★★  The Power of TED* 

Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind (99U)

Simple little book.  Worth reading for those who are in the creative professions and struggle with distraction.  I really liked the ideas of routine.  Reminded me of what I already knew (which is not a bad thing).★★  Manage Your Day-to-Day 

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by General Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, and Chris Fussell

I previously reviewed this book.  From that review:

Team of Teams is an interesting, thorough book (I've only referenced a very small part of its content here), but I'm not totally convinced by its argument.  General McChrystal and his co-authors argue that in our complex world, a great team or team of teams is a greater strategic advantage than a great leader.  I agree with that, as far as it goes, and I think the insights in the book about how to create an organizational culture that is adaptable and resilient are helpful.  But, I can't help thinking that part of the story of the book is also that it takes a great leader to create that kind of organizational culture.  Maybe the kind of leader who could lead that kind of change would end up thriving in any situation, complex or not.  The Admiral Nelsons of the world might just make any team successful.  A team is important, but a team requires a leader.  As Bill Hybels likes to say, 'Everything rises and falls on leadership.'  As I said, the more I read General McChrystal‘s book, the more I thought, 'This guy is impressive.'

★★  Team of Teams 

If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty, by Eric Metaxas

When asked by a passerby in 1787 what the Framers of the Constitution had been creating on behalf of the American people, Ben Franklin replied "A republic, if you can keep it."  I strongly dislike both the Bonhoeffer and Luther biographies by Metaxas--I can't stand his writing style--but I really liked this little book about America.  Highly recommended.★★★  If You Can Keep It 

The Chimera Sequence, by Elliott Garber

Look up "Beach Read" in the dictionary, and this novel about mountain gorillas and terrorists and heroic scientists would be pictured.★  The Chimera Sequence 

Laurus, by Eugene Vodolazkin, trans. by Lisa C. Hayden

After reading Rod Dreher's rhapsodic review of this modern Russian novel, I wanted to like it...but I just didn't.  I thought it was okay and interesting, but nothing close to as good as he seems to think.★ Laurus 

Streamline: How to Create Healthy Church Systems, by Michael Lukaszewski

★★ Streamline 

Leadership Axioms, by Bill Hybels

One of the many sad parts of the Bill Hybels situation this year is that Bill was someone with good stuff to say...if only he would have applied it to himself.  This is a good book, regardless of its author's hypocrisy and failings.★★★  Leadership Axioms 

With: A Practical Guide to Informal Mentoring and Intentional Disciple-Making, by George G. Robinson and Alvin L. Reid

I remember literally nothing about this book.★  With 

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, by Atul Gawande

Really interesting case studies (aviation, surgery, etc.) of the usefulness of checklists.★★  The Checklist Manifesto 

Werewolf Cop: A Novel, by Andrew Klavan

Yes, I actually read this.  And no, I have no idea why.★  Werewolf Cop 

Red Moon Rising: Rediscover the Power of Prayer, by Pete Grief and Dave Roberts

I heard Pete Grieg give a talk at a conference, and so I bought this book.  Wasn't particularly helpful to me, though I was struck by the 24-7 Prayer emphasis.★  Red Moon Rising  

The Simple Technique Anyone Can Use To Become a Better Communicator (Immediately)

I've written a very short whitepaper on a subject I care a lot about: communication.Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and I'll send it to you for free:The Simple Technique Anyone Can Immediately Use To Become a Better Communicator.(If you are already a subscriber, drop me a line and I'll send you the whitepaper.)

My One Word for 2018

All things seem possible in the early morning.

Nature's first green is gold

I love early morning, that time that seems like night until you look up and see that the sky is no longer black but has become that deep, rich blue color that only occurs there, then.I expect that was the color of Eden's firmament, early Adam's first morning.In the early morning, waking up and, for a brief moment, forgetting everything that you know except that it's a new day, that's the best time.After that, of course, remembering rushes in like water through a sluice-gate, and the day tumbles over itself. That moment doesn't return.But for that brief time, it's golden. 

---

 Early mornings are like a drop hanging on the end of a dropper, before it drips: all about potential, unrealized. And that's why I love them. 

---

 I wonder if Jesus loved early mornings for that reason, too. Before the Pharisees poked their fingers in his chest and asked him to justify himself, before he heard about the tragedy of the Tower of Siloam or how Pilate had profaned the sacrifice with the blood of those Galileans he'd killed, before John's disciples breathlessly told him about Herod's homocidal boasting before the dancing girl, I wonder: did Jesus savor those first few sinless minutes, before each day fell?

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

---

 Nothing gold can stay, though, can it?I memorized Robert Frost's little poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" twenty years ago or so, and I've always thought he says it well:

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature‘s first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf‘s a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay.

Dawn, which began pregnant with potential, always goes down to day, and day always comes with disappointment at best and disaster at worst. 

---

 Hopkins knew this: that in time, everything becomes ruined:

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

??? And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

I love early mornings, but early mornings are like light itself: you can't hold on to them. Mornings turn into days.And I don't need to tell you that days are difficult. 

---

 Days are difficult because that's how we make them--our dirty fingerprints are everywhere.Every morning is like Eden's first morning: pristine. But no day remains like that. Days comes with difficulty. 

---

 Yet days don't last either, do they? Days would have us believe that they are interminable, but we know by now that days irreversibly become evenings, and evenings inevitably become nights.And every night is followed by a new morning. 

---

 I think that's what I love most about mornings, how there is always another one coming. Regardless of how heavy and ugly was the day, at least we know that a new morning is on its way.Whoever it was who wrote Lamentations knew this about mornings:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning.

? --Lamentations 3:22-23

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 C. S. Lewis says in his little book on the Psalms that Psalm 19 contains some of the finest poetry, not just in the entire Bible, but in all the world's literature. Here's how the Psalm opens:

The heavens declare the glory of God;And the firmament shows His handiwork.Day unto day utters speech,And night unto night reveals knowledge.There is no speech nor languageWhere their voice is not heard.Their line has gone out through all the earth,And their words to the end of the world.In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.Its rising is from one end of heaven,And its circuit to the other end;And there is nothing hidden from its heat.--Psalm 19:1-6

It's a perfect image: the sun like a groom emerging from his tent on the morning of his wedding day, or like a runner who delights?in the very act of running itself. (One thinks of Usain Bolt, effortlessly striding down the Olympic track.)And it happens every morning. 

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 So maybe God delights in mornings, too. Maybe the reason there's always another morning is because God himself can't wait to see another one. At least, that's what Chesterton thought:

The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.

It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.

? --G.K. Chesterton,?Orthodoxy

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 The ultimate morning, I guess, has to be Easter. It can't be a coincidence that the Resurrection happened "very early in the morning, while it was still dark." Of course the Spirit could have raised Jesus any time of the day or night, but here's what I think:Easter morning was?deliberate. 

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 So, mornings to me are about the hope that God has a plan for me and for the world. Yes, days are difficult, but every morning is another promise that the Lord has something up his sleeve each new day. Yes, things are a mess, but God's not through with us yet.Hopkins, whom I quoted earlier, has perhaps my favorite description of mornings ever (it's at the end):

God's Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

??? It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

??? It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

??? And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

??? And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

??? There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

??? Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

??? World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

"The dearest freshness deep down things." Yes, and each morning brings out that latent possibility. Here's that last part again:

And though the last lights off the black West went

??? Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

??? World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Yes. EXACTLY. 

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 My one word for 2018 is?morning. 

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My Bible Reading Plan for 2018

I'm going to read through the Bible in 2018, but if I'm going to make it beyond the first few pages, I know enough about myself to know that I need a good plan to follow. If I go to the gym without a plan, I'll fool around for 10 minutes and then say, "I've done enough for today--time to go home." I need to have a plan in place before?I go to the gym, and in the same way I need a plan to read the Bible, too. Otherwise, I just won't get anything done.So, here are 6 elements of my plan to read through the entire Bible in 2018.

1. The Read Scripture Plan

I'm using the READ SCRIPTURE reading plan put out by The Bible Project guys. It's roughly a Genesis to Revelation plan, though the order of some of the Old Testament books are rearranged to help you follow the narrative arc a bit better.

• The plan runs from January 1-December 24, 2018.
• Each day's reading will take about 15-20 minutes to complete.
• Every day there is 1 main reading (from either the Old Testament or New Testament, depending on where you are in the year).
• And every day there is 1 Psalm for devotional purposes.

This "Read Scripture" video from the Bible Project guys explains the plan.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hUs4TXRuVk[/embed]

2. The Read Scripture App

There is a free Read Scripture app that I'm going to use. I'm planning on doing my reading in my own Bible (more on that below), but I'm excited about also using the app to help me stay on track.

• The app includes each day's reading in a stripped-down format, so I can complete my reading right in the app, if I want.
• The app also includes a setting to include a daily reminder on my phone, and allows me to track my progress.. I'm the kind of person who likes checking things off each day, so I'll use the app for that purpose.
• As you can see in the screenshot below, the app also includes direct links to explanatory videos that are paired with a daily reading from time to time.

3. The Bible Project videos

The Read Scripture plan sometimes suggests explanatory videos to supplement a day's reading portion. (As I mentioned above, one of the benefits of the app is that it includes direct links to the videos, so you don't have to search on YouTube.) The videos the Bible Project guys are producing are REALLY GOOD. To cite one out of their dozens and dozens of really helpful videos, here is an overview of the Book of Leviticus:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvyrLXoQio[/embed]

4. A Brand-New Bible

Though I'm going to use the app to keep my on track, I'm planning on using my own Bible to complete the readings. (We're handing out bookmarks at church with a month's worth of readings at a time; here's a pdf of the January schedule.)

• I prefer to read on paper than in an app, when possible.
• I like to make notes, circle, underline, etc.
• This will be the same Bible I'll be preaching out of in 2018.

I used my Christmas money and bought a stunningly beautiful new Bible: a Cambridge Clarion Reference ESV in Black Goatskin. These Cambridge Bibles are $$$$, but they are absolutely the most beautiful books I have ever held.Here's how I decided on this particular Bible:

• I didn't need a study Bible;
• I wanted something relatively portable;
• I also wanted it big enough to have room for notes;
• I wanted cross-references (the little margin notes that tell you when the same quotation appears elsewhere in the Bible);
• I wanted an ESV translation, since it's not what I've used previously;
• And most importantly, I wanted a single-column text. All the other Bibles I own have double columns, but I thought it would be a good change to try a single column.

I eventually found myself deciding between two Bibles that met my criteria: the Cambridge Clarion ESV and the ESV Personal Reference Bible. Brad Schrum has a detailed and very helpful post with lots of pictures comparing the two. I decided on the Cambridge Clarion because it was slightly larger and I just liked the feel of it in my hand a bit more, but the ESV Personal Reference Bible was also a really good option. (If you're in the Dallas area, the bookstore at Dallas Theological Seminary has both editions, if you'd like to compare them.) If you are interested in getting a new Bible for 2018, here are two others that I've used personally for years:For a good study Bible, try The NIV Study Bible;For a nice thin Bible, try the NRSV Thinline.

5. A Bible Blog

Both on this site and on our church's Bible blog, I'll be adding thoughts from my reading. (On the church blog, my colleague Amanda will have notes for every single day of readings!) Occasional blogging will help me stay engaged with the reading.

6. The Bible Project newsletter

The Bible Project guys have a weekly newsletter than tracks along with the Read Scripture plan, offering a recap of the previous week and an overview of the coming week. I'm going to sign up on January 1. Go here to sign up; scroll down until you see the picture below. The newsletter is just one more reminder to help me stay on track--it's a marathon, not a sprint, you know?So, that's my plan to read through the Bible in 2018.I'll let you know how it goes....  

92 Days....

Tomorrow is October 1, the first day of the last quarter of the year. God willing, I have 92 mornings left in 2017, 92 days between now and the end of the year. I like clean beginnings, and the fact that October 1 falls on a Sunday has got me motivated to nail down some goals for the rest of 2017. Call them End Year Resolutions.Like you, I began the new year with hope, and wrote down some goals for 2017. Now, however, some of those goals seem unattainable, and some just don't interest me any more. So, I'm spending some time today to gain clarity and focus on what I really want to accomplish in the last three months of 2017. I'd like to share one of my year-end goals with you, in hopes that some of you will join me.

"Consistency is More Important Than Intensity"

I believe that consistency is more important than intensity. In other words, sustaining a behavior over time is more valuable than an intense but brief change of behavior. So, I've staked out a few habit goals between now and the end of the year, one of which has to do with daily scripture reading. I've written before about the power in spending the first few minutes of every day in prayer and scripture: it's?a keystone habit that will affect every area of your life. So, I'm re-committing myself to spending the first 30 minutes of every day in silence,?prayer, and scripture. ?(For me, my scripture reading is that day's portion from The One Year Bible.)What about you? I'd love to hear some of your year-end resolutions in the comments below. P.S. It really has to be your first minutes every morning. If you think, Let me first check my texts or see the previous evening‘s news or briefly scroll through Instagram, and then I’ll read and pray? it just won‘t work. If you crack open the door of your mind to the Cloud? even just the tiniest bit, it will force the door wide open and invite in all its distracting (but oh-so-beguiling) friends.First things first. Then and only then let the iPhone turn you into a zombie.

My One Word for 2017

As I've done for the past three New Year's Days, today I'm choosing a one word theme to live into for the coming year.  I've made goals for 2017, too, but there's something I like about the simplicity of choosing just one word to knit all my goals together. 

My One Word for 2017

For 2017 I'm again choosing the same word I've chosen for the past three years.My one word for 2017 is early.I will:

• wake early
• pray early
• workout early
• arrive early
• get things done early
• finish my sermon early
• get to bed early

What about you?  What‘s your one word for 2017?  Why? 

P.S.  Fox and Hedgehog

The Philosopher Isaiah Berlin, drawing on a line from the Ancient Greek poet Achilocus, wrote a famous essay in 1953 entitled The Hedgehog and the Fox.  The basic idea is that the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.  Foxes have a variety of interests; hedgehogs have one stubborn idea.In this space, I follow my interest wherever it takes me (like a fox) while always writing in the service of The One Big Thing (like a hedgehog).What‘s that One Big Thing?  You?ll have to read to find out.Click here to subscribe and get my posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Read the Bible With Me in 2017

Can I suggest a New Year's resolution for you? Make the commitment to read through the Bible with me in 2017. At Munger, 2017 is our Year of the Bible, and we're launching something called The Bible Project. Here are 3 reasons why I hope you'll join me in?reading through the Bible in 2017. 

The Bible is Difficult to Read Alone

Lots of folks struggle to understand the Bible, which shouldn't be surprising: the Bible is a collection of ancient documents, written by strange people in strange languages--of course it's difficult to read and understand all by yourself. Through the Bible Project (we've taken the name from some folks in Portland with whom we're partnering), however, we'll be updating our blog?every day with explanatory notes, videos, charts, etc. To give you an example of the kind of resources available, check out this great intro video to the Book of Genesis:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOUV7mWDI34&index=1&list=PLH0Szn1yYNee8aedW_5aCpnzkxnV7VQ3K[/embed]The Bible is difficult to read alone--so don't. Read along with me.

The Last Time You Tried It, You Quit in February

Many of you have probably tried to read through the Bible in a year, only to abandon your resolution in February when you got to Leviticus (if you made it that far). You're much more likely to complete marathon training in a group, and in the same way you're much more likely to read through the Bible along with other people. I'm preaching through the Bible in 2017, we'll have a weekly Bible study, a daily blog, podcasts, etc. All these resources are to help you persevere. Good things come to those who persevere.

Nothing Has More Potential to Change Your Life

I guarantee you that 2017 holds unexpected challenges for you. How will you prepare? There is nothing you can do that will have greater potential to change your life and prepare you for the future than the daily discipline of spending time in silence and scripture.

So, Here's What to Do

If you are a Mungarian, pick up one of the?free One Year Bibles we're handing out at church; if you don't live in Dallas, get one of these from Amazon. (We're using the ESV translation, but they are currently out of print.) You could also use the Bible app on your smart phone and pick the One Year Bible reading plan, but I recommend using the hard copy.Follow along with our blog: bibleproject.mungerplace.org.Watch my sermons: http://www.mungerplace.org/sermon-library/.Start on Sunday morning.Of all the New Year's resolutions you could make, reading through the Bible is the most important.So, are you in? 

The fox knows many things;The hedgehog knows one big thing.Click?here‘to subscribe to regular updates from this blog.