For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith –
and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God
Ephesians 2:8
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Monday, March 23, 2009 11:40 PM
Hey all!! read this... -food for thought-
Commentary: Are You Lonesome Tonight?By Soo-Inn Tan
I have long suspected that, given enough time, empirical science will cometo conclusions that were always taught by Scripture. Take the followingreport for example: [In 1985, when researchers asked a cross-section of the American people,"How many confidants do you have?" the most common response to theanswer was three. In 2004, when researchers asked again, the mostcommon response --- made by twenty-five percent of the respondents ---was none. One quarter of these twenty-first century Americans said they hadno one at all with whom to talk with openly and intimately.
Also published in 2004, a joint study by the World Health Organization andresearchers of Harvard University found that almost ten percent ofAmericans suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. They also found thatbinge eating and drinking are up, and that our children are medicated fordepression and attention deficit disorder to an alarming degree. (John T.Cacioppo & William Patrick, Loneliness, New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.,2008, 247.)] Cacioppo is a professor at the University of Chicago and Patrick, a formerscience editor at the Harvard University Press. Their book, Loneliness, is theproduct of twenty years of research by Cacioppo. I thought the bible statedtheir conclusions more succinctly: "It is not good for the man to be alone."(Genesis 2:18a NLT)
We have always suspected that loneliness is not good for us. Now we haveempirical evidence of the destructive effects of loneliness. [(Cacioppo's) sophisticated studies relying on brain imaging, analysis ofblood pressure, immune response, stress hormones, behaviour, and evengene expression show that human beings are simply far more intertwinedand interdependent --- physiologically as well as psychologically --- than ourcultural assumptions have ever allowed us to acknowledge. Bringing urgencyto the message, Cacioppo's findings also show that prolonged loneliness canbe as harmful to your health as smoking and obesity. (From the front flap ofthe dust jacket, Loneliness.)]
You are not worried because you have many friends on Facebook? Doesn'tcount. Facebook may actually take you away from the life-giving connectionsyou need. Here is a report from the BBC: [People's health could be harmed by social networking sites because theyreduce the level of face-to-face contact, an expert claims. Dr Aric Sigmansays websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end upkeeping people apart ... He also says that evidence suggests that a lack offace-to-face networking could alter the way genes work, upset immuneresponses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence mentalperformance. This, he claims, could increase the risk of health problems asserious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia. ("Online networkingharms health,'" BBC News/UK, 19 February 2009)]
Cacioppo and Patrick concur: [... face-to-face encounters in real life allow us to communicate througheven more subliminal cues --- body chemistry, body language, actionsemantics, mimicry --- in addition to word and gestures. Once again, themind that seeks to connect is first about the body, and leaving the bodybehind can make human connections less satisfying. (Loneliness, 259)] Again, empirical science confirms what the bible has maintained all along ---that there is a level of human intercourse that is only possible when we areface-to face. [I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to do it with paper andink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joywill be complete. (2 John 1:12 NLT)]
Human beings are embodied beings. Fully human interaction is embodiedinteraction. As John Stott reminds us, "A human being might be defined froma biblical perspective as a body-soul-in-a-community'" (Issues FacingChristians Today, London, UK: Marshall Pickering, 1990, 19). We need ourfriends and we need to meet up with them face to face. With all the wisdom of the Scriptures at our disposable, you would expectthe church to be at the forefront of the fight against the crippling effects ofloneliness. Unfortunately the church can be as lonely as the world. The primary meetingfor most churches is Sunday morning worship.
Depending on your tradition,Sunday morning worship is either school or theatre with minimal face to facecommunication. It is usually face to back communication, a group ofbelievers having their own privatised communion with God, who just happento be in the same physical space. Ironically we often look to the number of people at Sunday worship as themain indicator of whether a church is doing well. It is assumed that thebigger the number, the healthier the church. I wonder. Maybe we need otherindicators of church health.
We need to see to what degree church membersare sharing their lives. Here is an observation from Hugh Halter and MattSmay: [When working with existing churches, we start with the assumption thateven if people are in a small group or Bible study, they rarely see thosepeople outside of those 90-minute get-togethers... (But) I've concluded that,almost without exception, relationships are formed, important dialogue andconversation begin, and powerful moments of ministry occur duringspontaneous, unplanned moments while we are sharing our lives together.(The Tangible Kingdom, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2008,161)] The world is slowly, literally, dying of loneliness. The church, followers of thetriune God, has the power to help people connect, both to God and to otherpeople.
Instead we live the same frenetic, busy, lonely lives as those we arecalled to reach. Fortunately, the way back may be just as simple as having afew friends over for dinner, and "wasting time" sharing your lives as youshare your food. Revolutions have been known to start this way.
love, tabby =)
Commentary: Are You Lonesome Tonight?By Soo-Inn Tan
I have long suspected that, given enough time, empirical science will cometo conclusions that were always taught by Scripture. Take the followingreport for example: [In 1985, when researchers asked a cross-section of the American people,"How many confidants do you have?" the most common response to theanswer was three. In 2004, when researchers asked again, the mostcommon response --- made by twenty-five percent of the respondents ---was none. One quarter of these twenty-first century Americans said they hadno one at all with whom to talk with openly and intimately.
Also published in 2004, a joint study by the World Health Organization andresearchers of Harvard University found that almost ten percent ofAmericans suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. They also found thatbinge eating and drinking are up, and that our children are medicated fordepression and attention deficit disorder to an alarming degree. (John T.Cacioppo & William Patrick, Loneliness, New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.,2008, 247.)] Cacioppo is a professor at the University of Chicago and Patrick, a formerscience editor at the Harvard University Press. Their book, Loneliness, is theproduct of twenty years of research by Cacioppo. I thought the bible statedtheir conclusions more succinctly: "It is not good for the man to be alone."(Genesis 2:18a NLT)
We have always suspected that loneliness is not good for us. Now we haveempirical evidence of the destructive effects of loneliness. [(Cacioppo's) sophisticated studies relying on brain imaging, analysis ofblood pressure, immune response, stress hormones, behaviour, and evengene expression show that human beings are simply far more intertwinedand interdependent --- physiologically as well as psychologically --- than ourcultural assumptions have ever allowed us to acknowledge. Bringing urgencyto the message, Cacioppo's findings also show that prolonged loneliness canbe as harmful to your health as smoking and obesity. (From the front flap ofthe dust jacket, Loneliness.)]
You are not worried because you have many friends on Facebook? Doesn'tcount. Facebook may actually take you away from the life-giving connectionsyou need. Here is a report from the BBC: [People's health could be harmed by social networking sites because theyreduce the level of face-to-face contact, an expert claims. Dr Aric Sigmansays websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end upkeeping people apart ... He also says that evidence suggests that a lack offace-to-face networking could alter the way genes work, upset immuneresponses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence mentalperformance. This, he claims, could increase the risk of health problems asserious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia. ("Online networkingharms health,'" BBC News/UK, 19 February 2009)]
Cacioppo and Patrick concur: [... face-to-face encounters in real life allow us to communicate througheven more subliminal cues --- body chemistry, body language, actionsemantics, mimicry --- in addition to word and gestures. Once again, themind that seeks to connect is first about the body, and leaving the bodybehind can make human connections less satisfying. (Loneliness, 259)] Again, empirical science confirms what the bible has maintained all along ---that there is a level of human intercourse that is only possible when we areface-to face. [I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to do it with paper andink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joywill be complete. (2 John 1:12 NLT)]
Human beings are embodied beings. Fully human interaction is embodiedinteraction. As John Stott reminds us, "A human being might be defined froma biblical perspective as a body-soul-in-a-community'" (Issues FacingChristians Today, London, UK: Marshall Pickering, 1990, 19). We need ourfriends and we need to meet up with them face to face. With all the wisdom of the Scriptures at our disposable, you would expectthe church to be at the forefront of the fight against the crippling effects ofloneliness. Unfortunately the church can be as lonely as the world. The primary meetingfor most churches is Sunday morning worship.
Depending on your tradition,Sunday morning worship is either school or theatre with minimal face to facecommunication. It is usually face to back communication, a group ofbelievers having their own privatised communion with God, who just happento be in the same physical space. Ironically we often look to the number of people at Sunday worship as themain indicator of whether a church is doing well. It is assumed that thebigger the number, the healthier the church. I wonder. Maybe we need otherindicators of church health.
We need to see to what degree church membersare sharing their lives. Here is an observation from Hugh Halter and MattSmay: [When working with existing churches, we start with the assumption thateven if people are in a small group or Bible study, they rarely see thosepeople outside of those 90-minute get-togethers... (But) I've concluded that,almost without exception, relationships are formed, important dialogue andconversation begin, and powerful moments of ministry occur duringspontaneous, unplanned moments while we are sharing our lives together.(The Tangible Kingdom, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2008,161)] The world is slowly, literally, dying of loneliness. The church, followers of thetriune God, has the power to help people connect, both to God and to otherpeople.
Instead we live the same frenetic, busy, lonely lives as those we arecalled to reach. Fortunately, the way back may be just as simple as having afew friends over for dinner, and "wasting time" sharing your lives as youshare your food. Revolutions have been known to start this way.
love, tabby =)
In God's awesome ♥
GO(L)D 90 FMadj. God our "Lao Da" (awesome Dad in the sky)
1. WEFC
2. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen year olds.
3. Fuel Miracles, Fishers of Men (Yes, that would be what the FM stands for, love)
4. There is no love but in God alone
GO(L)D 90FM
Headed by: Shunbin, VeraEx-headed by: Tabby, Joshua, Bethia, Angela
Aaron, Amanda, Ann, Aticus
Benedick, Bernard
Camilia, Christine, Clairah
Darren, Deborah
Grace,Issac Kuan, Joy
Jeremy, Kimberlyn
Kellie, Shirley
Set our sights in Him
Colossians 3:12-1712Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Speak of His love
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Elle
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