Tag: habit

The Two Black Wigs In The Baptismal Preparation Room

Neal Pollard

One of our young people who was recently baptized asked Kathy to help her solve a mystery that perplexed her to no end. Her Bible class teacher took her and the other students on a tour of the building, ingeniously including a trip to the baptistery and baptismal preparation room. Among the towels, garments, and other items, she noticed two black, curly wigs hanging on the wall. Her question for Kathy was, “Why are those wigs hanging there?” Kathy’s wise answer is that they were probably put there a long time ago, perhaps for older women getting baptized whose hair was brittle or thin. They might have looked baldish when they came up out of the water with wet hair, and the wig would disguise that. Yet, between them, Kathy and Kamdyn could not completely solve the conundrum.

Sometimes we have “wigs” hanging around. They may be traditions that were started in other times for specific reasons. You may have seen communion covered by runners or tablecloths going back to times when buildings didn’t have air conditioners and the cloth was used to keep the flies off. The circumstances changed, but the cover remained.

There are many traditions we honor that are fine and acceptable, but which are only expedients and may be a mystery to our young, new Christians, visitors, and the like. That is not to disparage them, but it is to say that we should be ready to discuss them. Whether that is standing before a song or Scripture reading, leading a specific number of songs before prayer, having an invitation at the end of a sermon, having the Lord’s Supper before the sermon (or vice versa), ending worship with a prayer or a song (Mat. 26:30), the way those leading in worship enter the auditorium, or any number of habits and customs congregations settle into, we should never let these simply settle into our subconsciousness.

Periodically, it’s good to explain and discuss these whether in brief form during the course of our services, at greater length in a Bible class on hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) or another textual or topical class, and certainly in one-on-one conversations.

It is also good to ask if and how we might vary or alter some of these customs, periodically or even permanently. There are acts of worship we are commanded to engage in each Lord’s Day (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2), but for how long and in what order? The Word of God is to be reverenced, but does standing inherently do that? What the people did in response to Ezra was spontaneous, and they followed it up by bowing low with their faces to the ground (Neh. 8:5-6).

Let’s remember that these traditions are good, or at least they are neutral. The point is to keep them from becoming mysteries hanging on the walls of our faith or our worship. Let’s continually ask what we are doing and why.

“Nomophobia” 

Monday’s Column: Neal at the Cross

pollard

Neal Pollard

That’s not a typo for another popularly-used term.  It’s actually a “thing,” at least according to a 2010 study by the UK Post Office.  It is short for “no-mobile-phone phobia” (Tim Elmore, psychologytoday.com). There’s even a website called nomophobia.com, and they identify “the four fears of Nomophobia”—broken, lost, stolen, or useless smartphones. While that site operates “tongue in cheek,” there are a bevy of experts more than ready to talk about how this is an epidemic impacting especially youth in our culture.  University of Connecticut School of Medicine’s Dr. David Greenfield has done much work in this study. He points to the problem of a dysregulation of dopamine, “meaning that it motivates people to do things they think will be rewarded for doing” (clever, cutting, or flamboyant Tweets, posts, pics, etc.) and that it can foster people’s addiction to the internet and technology (Madeline Stone, businessinsider.com). Greenfield adds, “That feeling you’re going to miss something if you’re not constantly checking is an illusion — most parts of our lives are not relevant to our smartphones. What happens on our devices is not reflective of what happens in real life” (ibid.).  There are even digital detox programs, in the United States as well as other countries around the world.  Psychiatrist Dale Archer gives this advice, “Stop texting while you’re driving. Don’t take it into the bathroom with you. Have a rule not to use your phone when you’re with your friends. If you’re on a date, make a rule that you’ll both check your phone for a maximum of 5 minutes every 90 minutes. It’s all about setting simple rules that you can follow” (ibid.).

Amateur psychiatrists and specialists everywhere can quickly diagnose this condition in their spouses and significant others, their children, and their friends, but they may be myopic to their own inordinate practice (see every airport, doctor’s office, restaurant, etc.).  Addiction to, or at least habitual abuse of, smartphones and similar technology is simply the latest and a more obvious example of a long-standing human tendency.  Paul told Corinth, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). In context, Paul is beginning a discussion of the sin of fornication after having talked about Corinth’s generally sinful past from which they had been forgiven.  Paul’s desire was not to be “mastered” (ruled, reigned over, Louw 37.48) by anything.  He later writes about the self-mastery and discipline necessary to live the Christian life (1 Cor. 9:24-27).

Cell phones are just one possible impediment to this.  There are so many other possibilities we must keep aware of, things which can derail us from our purpose and focus in this life.  So many of them are fine in balance and moderation, but we can allow them to consume and even overtake us.  A fear of being without those things is only one of the attending problems.  Being ruled by anything or anyone other than Christ is the overriding concern.  We are all served well by looking carefully at the things in our lives and make sure we have no master other than Christ.

“Please Let My Mom Stop Smoking”


Neal Pollard

It was written on the back of a recent attendance card by one who seems to be pretty young–less than ten years old.  I did not recognize the child’s name, so I would guess it to be a visitor.  Yet, the plaintive cry pulls at my heartstrings.

Ironically, another visitor (a grown man) several weeks ago took great issue with the idea that smoking is sinful.  Apparently, I had talked about how harmful the use of tobacco is to the body and he did not appreciate it.  We discussed the matter, and using some other substances which the Bible does not specifically condemn as comparisons–methamphetamines, heroine, and cocaine–agreed that lacking a specific “thou shalt not” statement does not make the use of a substance okay. With the body of evidence regarding the carcinogenic properties of tobacco and the known associated health problems connected to its use, one would stand on thin ice and shaky ground to defend the use of tobacco.

But, where does the Bible say that smoking cigarettes is a sin?  How does one come to that conclusion?  What principles are there to consider?

  • What about stewardship?  1 in 13 people in the U.S. will develop lung cancer in their lifetime, but a 2006 European study revealed that 0.2% of men and 0.4% of women who never smoked will develop it. That same, latter study shows that 24.4% of men and 18.5% of women who smoke 5 or more cigarettes per day will develop it (for more info, see http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org and http://aje.oxfordjournals.org). That is an extremely elevated risk.  Additionally, few, if any, have argued that cigarettes or smokeless tobacco are essential (like, say, food) to the body.  Thus, to spend money–often money one does not have–on a substance that actually elevates the risk of harm to oneself is reckless, poor stewardship.
  • What about selfishness?  Given studies like the one above, and there are multiplied many more, a tobacco user does so selfishly.  To knowingly engage in something that could shorten or impair one’s life is to puts self above others.  It also often places others in harm’s way who have to endure “second-hand smoke.” Jesus’ “Golden Rule” seems apt consideration in this regard (Lk. 6:31; cf. Ph. 2:3-4).
  • What about sway? What Paul says about meat could equally apply to smoking (cf. 1 Co. 8:13). Why make my brother stumble? Especially when such stumbling brings ramifications to us, too (Mat. 18:7). Our lives should exemplify Christ, leading people to a better way of living on this earth.

Who knows exactly why this young child wanted us praying for mom to quit smoking? But this little one’s concern was palpable.  May we share concern over any habit, substance, or practice so potentially damaging to ourselves and those close to us.