"Works" is not a dirty word

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 6:1

When we were pregnant with our first baby, my wife and I decided that we did not want to find out the sex until our child was born. To be honest, we both wanted a girl. We tried not to share this publicly, but in the privacy of our home we felt the freedom to express it often.

We finally finished preparing the nursery the day before we went to the hospital. That evening, before we went to bed, I walked towards the door of the nursery, leaned my head inside the empty room, and said, “Ok, Zoë. It’s time to go to sleep. Tomorrow is your first day at Daddy’s school! I love you; goodnight.”

At this point I had been teaching for a number of years at a local Classical Christian school, and I was already counting down to the day when I would be able to take my daughter to this school that I had grown to love. I didn’t know for sure that we would be having a daughter, and I didn’t know for sure that I would still be working for the school when she was old enough to attend, but a dad can dream.

The next day I had the joy of announcing the birth of our child to family and friends. “It’s Zoë Ly!” We had a daughter, and my dream was one step closer to being fulfilled.

Four years later I told this entire story to Zoë on the eve of her first day of attending Daddy’s school. I shared every detail. I tried to communicate the fact that I had been waiting more than four years for this day to finally arrive, and how excited I was to drive her to school, sneak into her classroom on occasion, and even stop by and see her during lunch. After a five-minute conversation with Zoë, I closed with this line:

“Tomorrow we will wake up, eat breakfast, drive to school, and spend our first of many daddy-daughter school dates together!”

Her response summed up all that it means to be four years old.

“What are we eating for breakfast? Can we have pancakes?”

Toddlers are masters at selective hearing.

Listening to the Bible

Christians are no strangers to the concept of being selective hearers. This may be especially clear in many Protestant readings of Matthew 6:1. It seems that “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them” has been truncated to “Beware of practicing your piety.” Period. Done. I don’t want to rely on my works for salvation, so I will make sure not to do any. Others may choose to listen to a little bit more of the verse, “Beware of practicing your piety before men.” I would serve sacrificially like those people, but then others would see me. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

We take a warning against doing something in public with improper motives and make it into a warning against doing anything period.

Works has become a dirty word.

This notion, however prevalent it may be in many circles today, is completely foreign to the world of the New Testament. In fact, this notion is foreign to the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, the very sermon that Matthew is quoting in Chapter 6.

If we were to be better hearers of Scripture, we would always read Matthew 6:1 in light of the rest of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). And when we do this, we notice that moments before warning against “practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them,” Jesus teaches us to “let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.”

And when we read 6:1 in light of 5:16 we notice that doing good works is not the problem. Doing good works in front of other people is not even the problem. And, perhaps to our surprise, it also appears that doing good works in front of other people hoping that they will see the good works happening is still not the problem. So what is the problem? What are we to avoid?

We are to avoid doing good works in front of others in order for us to be seen by them. The good works themselves, according to 5:16, are actually meant to be seen. We, according to 6:1, are not. This is a subtle, but important distinction. Does this mean that we should always act as anonymously as possible? Probably. Does this mean that we should avoid announcing our good works before, during, and after we complete them? I happen to think so. But is there any hint that good works themselves should be avoided? Certainly not.

As we are reminded countless times throughout Scripture, it seems that once again it comes down to a difference of attitude, not of action.

For many of us, this is not breaking news. Intellectually, we get it. I am supposed to do good works, but I shouldn’t do them for the wrong reasons. But more often than not, we use this correct reasoning to avoid putting any effort or work into our Christian faith. We “play it safe” by avoiding the pursuit of growing in our ability to do good works year after year in order to avoid doing anything with improper motivation. And reading only part of Matthew 6:1, we use the Scriptures themselves to justify our lack of effort.

If this rings true in your own life, as it does in mine, do not beat yourself up about it. Allow the conviction to set in, but keep this in mind: there is something good about our tendency to be cautious when it comes to thinking about good works. Jesus, who knows what it means to be human, has good reason to warn us to avoid doing good works for the wrong reason.

But that being said, if you lean towards a negative view of works — if works has become a dirty word for you — then consider the following selection the beginning of a renewed understanding of how the New Testament talks about good works.

Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. Acts 9:36 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. Hebrews 10:23–25

As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:17–19

Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. Titus 2:7–8

I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. Titus 3:8

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12

What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:14-17

Why, despite the witness of the New Testament, do we still believe that good works are to be avoided, protected against, or even repented of? There are plenty of good answers to that question, but for now it is worth exploring one of them: we have blurred the incredibly important distinction between works and merit.

Works and Merit

When you encounter the word works or deeds in the Scriptures, you are simply encountering a word meaning “something that is done.” These words themselves do not carry a negative or positive connotation. This is why the Scriptures will usually describe what kind of work or deed is in mind. Throughout Scripture humans are credited with doing good works and with doing bad works. Simply put, humans do things all the time. Some of these things are better than others. Good works are those things that we do that actually please God.

Merit, on the other hand, is the basis for which something is earned. Think about merit-based college scholarships for a moment. Those applicants who have accomplished the most, academically or otherwise, receive the greatest rewards. Their works—high test scores, excelling in extracurricular activities—are the basis by which they can earn money for college.

In the previous section I hope you saw how clearly the New Testament speaks in favor of Christians pursuing good works. But we cannot ignore how clearly the New Testament also speaks against thinking that any of our good works earn us favor in God’s eyes. The Protestant instinct to avoid any implication that we can earn our salvation is a good one.

This instinct, rightly understood, is a refusal to accept salvation based on our own merit. It should not be a refusal to accept the rightful place of good works in the Christian life.

So let me be very clear here: because of the work of Christ, the door to God’s family is wide open. There’s nothing you can do that will get you in that door. God’s grace is amazing, free, and offered through no merit of our own. Those who least deserve it actually receive it most fully. No exceptions. Full stop. You are invited into God’s family by grace, through faith.

But once you are in the family of God, you are not finished, and God is not finished with you. “Getting in” is not the only goal. In a sense, once you are in God’s family, your real work begins.

Or as Dallas Willard once wrote, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.”

I want to go one step further and suggest that practicing good works on a daily basis actually helps us avoid trusting in our own merit. By doing — or attempting to do — good works we are actually given the grace of realizing how dependent we are on the Grace of God.

If I do not give to the poor or tithe to my church, I never really notice how hard it is for me to let go of my possessions. I never quite see that at the end of the day I view my money as my money. This is my hard-earned cash, not theirs. By not practicing almsgiving and tithing, I don’t realize how selfish I actually am. But when I do give, I am confronted with the reality that it is not uncommon for me to see the money come out of my bank each month and think Man, it would be really nice to spend that on a bike, or a new phone, or a new kitchen.

If I do not regularly fast, I never really notice how difficult it is for me to say no to so many of my basic impulses. By not practicing fasting, I don’t realize how prone I actually am to temptation. But when I do fast, I am confronted with the reality that my joy is more often than not rooted in the fact that I am fed and caffeinated, not the hope I have as a child of God.

If I don’t regularly read Scripture, and I never encounter the high standard it paints for disciples of Christ, I never really notice that the only way I feel “holy” is when I compare myself to those around me who don’t do certain things as well as I do. By not practicing daily Scripture reading, I don’t realize how far I have to go in this journey of becoming more like Jesus. But when I do read Scripture, I am confronted with the reality that as soon as I start to make progress in one area of sin another one is exposed.

It is by practicing good works that I actually realize how much I rely on the grace of God for everything.

So do good works. Don’t be concerned about whether you get credit for them or not. (In fact, try not to get credit for them if you can help it.) And please recognize that our good works are the result of the grace of God and not the basis for God giving us that grace.

This is the goal. It is difficult. And, like anything else worth doing well, it takes practice — or what wise people of old called habits.

A newsletter about approaching the Church Calendar as an apprenticeship in Holiness.

Welcome to Rhythms of Habit, a newsletter about approaching the Church Calendar as an apprenticeship in Holiness. As we live out the Christian Year together, three types of posts will be published:

1. Introductory: these posts explain how following the calendar is good for your growth as a Christian. The first three of these are free to everyone, and help give a foundation for why you might want to start following the Church Calendar.

2. About the Church Calendar: these posts share the history of the church calendar, some things that are helpful to know, and help answer common questions. Why do we celebrate saints? What is Epiphany really about? How did these seasons develop? What is a Triduum?

3. Holy Day / Holy Season Reflections: these posts are the real core of the newsletter. As we encounter Holy Days and Holy Seasons, you will be given habits to consider adopting that are rooted in what is being celebrated on that day or throughout that season.

If you are new here or new to the Church Calendar, you may want to explore the free introductory posts in this newsletter. Think of these as the introductory foundation of the newsletter.

• Why holiness matters

• Why we need habits

• Why we need a calendar

More of these Introductory posts, along with many About the Church Calendar posts will be sent throughout the year to subscribers.

But here is the real core of the newsletter: Holy Day and Holy Season reflections.

As we progress through the Church Calendar year after year, reflections on major and minor Holy Days will be shared. Yes, you will learn more about the calendar itself. But more importantly you will be given daily or seasonal practices and habits to adopt that can be used as you seek to grow in Christ. You can find a free preview of these sort of reflections here: Feast of St. Joseph.

Free subscribers have access to some of these posts throughout the Church Year. If you like what you are reading, consider becoming a paid subscriber to make sure you receive all new reflections as they are published, and gain access to reading all old reflections, too.

In addition to (hopefully) being helpful and informative, this newsletter is also a means of finalizing the draft of my next book, called Rhythms of Habit: The Church Calendar as an Apprenticeship in Holiness. Join me along the way to get a first look at much of the content of that book!

The late Queen Elizabeth II played the hand she was dealt about as well as it could possibly have been played, and this required her to exercise virtues that few of our public figures today even know exist: dutifulness; reliability; silence; dignity; fidelity; devotion to God, family, and nation. We shall not look upon her like again; her death marks the end of a certain world. Its excellences, as well as its shortcomings, are worthy of our remembrance. (Alan Jacobs)

This is the moment George W. Bush heard that a second plane had crashed into the WTC.

FWIW: amateur comes from the Latin (via French) amatorem: lover.

An amateur does a thing primarily for the love of that thing.

More than a few friends have slowly become fans of The Beautiful Game by way of two things:

(1) My own peer pressure / love for the game

(2) My introduction of @ayjay’s review of The Language of the Game

Or put another way: what we need most in moments of conflict are the humanities, and what we are offered instead is a dangerous parody.

My latest essay for The Living Church.

1. With more Americans playing in top flight European leagues than ever, and performing especially well in the Premier League, it is hard to not let USMNT World Cup anticipation and expectations grow every weekend. Sure, it could all be a set up for an extremely disappointing winter. But it could also be the preface to a thrilling run deep into the knockout rounds.

2. The Premier League is off to a fascinating start. (Come on you Spurs!) Yes, we won’t be through August until this weekend’s matches, but it is an interesting opening month to say the least. Leeds, Liverpool, Man U, and Man City all with welcomed surprises. Things are just getting started. Remembering back to last season: Tottenham at the top and Arsenal at the bottom at the end of August. They finished the season 4 and 5, respectively.

Rich Mullins was the greatest of the 90s era evangelical musicians. (If you know the era, you know the era…)

I often find myself thinking through lines still engrained in my head from songs like this one.

After the year-long run streak finished in March, I fell off the bandwagon for a couple of months. Picking it back up by trying to run every street in my neighborhood (Heights Park) and then city (Richardson). Progress map after a few runs this week.

There are 82 years between these two: my daughter (2) and my grandmother (89), both hiking Red Rocks on our annual two week vacation.

My article on social media and virtue that recommends M.b as a viable alternative to Big Social was published today by The Living Church.

Social Media that doesnt shrink your soul?

Our ancestors sharing what they saw when they checked in on our “progress”:

They have dwellings, but they often pay people to destroy them because they are outdated. And then they pay those same people to put them back together in a style that will soon be outdated.

There are a few pivotal moments recorded in the Gospels that give us a glimpse into Jesus’ life after the resurrection.

But this Sunday’s Gospel is different: it is an Easter-themed flashback to before the Passion that helps us make sense of both the full and the empty tomb.

Began reading these two books today; one for professional and the other for personal reasons. I suspect both will have an impact in both realms.

Glory, glory, Tottenham Hotspur!

An excerpt from my opening remarks at our Rhetoric School Awards Ceremony.

The most important things in life cannot be captured on a certificate.

When my wife gave birth to our children, she was not handed a certificate. (Oddly enough, each of them were!) When a man dies at the age of 93 having lived a life of faithfulness to his wife and family, he does not win an award. The reward of these two examples of faithfulness is not any sort of certificate or recognition, but rather the thing itself. Sacrificial service to another person is the reward. Faithfulness is the reward. Those of us who have experienced glimpses of these things know this to be true.

But many of you have not experienced these things. I know you don’t like to hear this, but it is true: you simply have not lived long enough to experience all of what life has to offer, at least not in its fullest sense. But you will. And what do you now affects the way you will approach the rest of your life.

Which leads me to my second point:

It is worth recognizing—on paper and in front of your peers—those things you have done this school year that are pointers towards the really important things in life.

Grades, in the end, do not matter. But Faithfulness matters a great deal; it can make or break entire families, communities, and nations. And being diligent to give your best effort on homework, even when no one is looking, is a pointer towards the sort of faithfulness you are called to walk in throughout your life. A practice of regular faithfulness now on things that carry little weight is precisely what prepares you for faithfulness when it matters most.

I am not sure we are going to “Redefine” education with QR codes…

Wendell Berry’s poem Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front is all the more impressive/beautiful/haunting for having been first published in 1973.

Wrapping up a draft for my next Covenant piece that tries to answer the question Is there an alternative to Big Social that doesn’t shrink our souls?

My three suggestd alternatives three years after I quit Big Social: the text thread, the newsletter, and Micro.blog.

A scrapped idea for this year’s Easter Vigil sermon that I think would be interesting to pursue eventually:

I think you can find many, if not all, of Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief in the various reactions to the news of the Resurrection of Jesus found throughout the Gospels.

That is as far as I got before moving in a different direction, but hope to come back to it some time.

Today I completed a 365 day run streak. I have run at least one mile per day for the past year.

To mark the occasion, below are some initial reflections, interesting stats from the past year, plus a thought about what comes next.

Initial Reflections

You can do just about anything once a day. Most days it was inconvenient to fit in a run. Some days it was nearly impossible. But when the question was when—not if—it somehow became more possible.

Days are different. There were some days where an 11-minute mile felt like a beating. Other days, a 10 mile run at 10-minute pace felt like a breeze. (Time of day, hydration, nutrition, and stress level were all major factors.)

I am certainly not faster than I was when I started, but I have far more endurance.

For some days, weeks, or seasons, the bare minimum is all I had in me. A mile a day for three weeks beats zero miles a day for three weeks.

I have not had a major injury this year. A lingering case of plantar fasciitis has remained, and my legs have been sore for a year, but I did not have an injury that sidelined me entirely.

Running with a stomach bug and running with hiccups and running after a drink or two are all very unpleasant experiences.

My wife picked up a running habit in the past year, and generally runs with me at least one night a week. This has been a great addition to our marital tool belt. (If she asks me an uncomfortable question, I can still run away!)

Interesting Stats

• 567.5 miles total
• Average of 1.5 miles per day
• Longest runs: 13.1 miles (Dallas Half), 10 miles with Ben, and a few 9s around White Rock.
• Latest run: 11:30pm

What’s Next?

While I am not entirely sure what I plan to train for, I do plan to continue running every day except Thursdays and Fridays starting this week. The streak was a great way to become a runner (again), but rest days are going to be crucial if I actually want to become a better runner.

Best Run Pictures from the Year

Frozen 10 miler with Ben … before his 50 mile race.

Dallas 2-miler with the Family the day before the Half.

Solo run on Pre's trail in Eugene, OR.

We are all beginners in the liturgy, really. All of us—from the first-time visitor who finds himself pain helplessly through the Prayer Book wondering what is happening, to the aged priest who has known it all by heart for half a century—are only on the lower slopes of worship. If the great seraphim themselves cover their faces in the presence of the Divine Majesty, who of us will claim to be experts at the act of approaching the Throne with offerings of adoration and praise.

From The Liturgy Explained. (The old edition)

'Man is what he eats.’ With this statement the German materialist philosopher Feuerbach thought he had put an end to all ‘idealistic’ speculations about human nature. In fact, however, he was expressing, without knowing it, the most religious idea of man.

For the Life of the World, Alexander Schmemann. The opening sentences of a book I will never tire of rereading.

But a new major era seems to be just beginning in the shadow of the old and dying modernism. I have a name for it, for what it’s worth. I call it trans-modernism. We’re moving into a new historical period in which we will rediscover the validity of a lot of our traditional understanding, but we’re going to discover it intellectually.

Almost an aside in Paul Vitz’ Socrates in the City talk on Fatherhood. But an intriguing one nonetheless.