AnotherJohn.Com

Just for funsies, I asked ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini this question: If you didn't know anything about America politics, what would you notice about this state of the union speech? Here's what ChatGPT said:  1. It’s intensely self-centered The speech is heavily built around “I” language : “I secured…” “I ended…” “I deployed…” “I negotiated…” “I rebuilt…” “I designated…” “I will…” Even major national actions are framed as personal accomplishments. The presidency is presented less as an office and more as a singular force of will. The country’s success is rhetorically fused with one person. 2. It relies on extremes Almost everything is described in superlatives: “biggest in history” “strongest ever” “lowest ever recorded” “colossal victory” “no one has ever seen” “never happened before” There’s very little moderation in tone. The language lives at the edges — worst ever, best ever, total disaster, total success. 3. It mixes ceremony...

  Exodus 34:1-5 Listen to today's devotional Moses had work to do to replace the broken tablets. Then God told him to be ready. Specifically, God said, "Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai.” Moses had instructions to go back up the mountain, but let's focus on when: In the morning. That the instruction mentioned the morning twice got me thinking of another morning-mercy passage of scripture. You may remember that it says, “Weeping may endure for a night…” but joy? Joy shows up early. Also, remember that manna appeared in the morning. And morning is when resurrection breaks the dark. But also notice that God’s promise of renewal comes with preparation. “Be ready," God says. Of course, Moses had already been on this mountain. That's where he first shattered the original tablets. Thankfully, that didn't shatter the covenant. When God calls him back up, God does not say, “Whenever you feel like it.” The Lord says, “Be ready in the mo...

  1 Kings 19:1-8 Listen to today's devotional Elijah collapses under a broom tree and says, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life.” Remember, this is the same man who called down fire in the previous chapter. Let that sit for a moment, and realize that having faith in God does not make you immune to life's despair. Even those who have seen God move in powerful ways can find themselves praying from a place of exhaustion. When it happened to Elijah, notice what God does. He does not scold Elijah or question his calling. He does not say, “After all I’ve done for you…” Instead, God provides. An angel touches him. There's bread, water, and sleep. Then there's even encouragement: "Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” Elijah is not rejected in his weakness. God sustains him through it. I wonder if some of us are under a broom tree right now, so to speak. We're not rebelling or being unfaithful. We're just worn thin. The strain and disa...

My family chuckled during our little family Ash Wednesday gathering.  I told them Ash Wednesday reminds us that we sin and we're going to die. Or as I posted for a colleague who asked us to describe our job poorly, I said: I apply sacred soot and whisper existential truths.  They giggled because it didn't fit the mood we had been having. It had been a joyful day; we celebrated my son's finishing Basic Training and the first time we had been together in months. But those ashes were calling.  So, how's this for existential truths? I've already planned my funeral. It happened several years ago, one morning as I drove to church.  But one thing I haven't decided on for sure is whether to have someone sing Over the Rainbow either at the graveside or at the party that'll be planned for afterwards.  Do you hear that song as sad or hopeful?  I tend to hear the hopefulness in it. That's why it's a favorite song of mine. Well, certainly Eva Cassidy's cover ...

  Romans 1:8-17 Listen to today's devotional The letter to the Romans will get to some heavy matters of faith. But before all that, Paul reminds us of something we should not lose sight of along the way. He writes of his desire to see the church in Rome again, "so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. He is, of course, a spiritual giant to many people. But Paul also admits he needs the encouragement of others in his faith, too. Faith, for him, is not a solo climb but a shared strength. This last Ash Wednesday, our family gathered around a table at our Airbnb. The day's activities kept us from attending a service at a local congregation. So, all of us sat side by side, marked with the same cross of ash I quickly made. No one had a spiritual advantage from the barbecue ashes we had earlier. We were dust together. In the moment, I thought of the famous “pale blue dot” image, captured by NASA. From space, Earth is barely visible. It's a tiny speck b...

  1 Corinthians 1:4-9 Listen to today's devotional Before you ever wanted to walk with the Lord, God was already waiting for you. Now, that’s not a sentimental idea. That is an affirmation of the Bible. 1 Corinthians 1 says that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." You were called by God, not after you cleaned yourself up. Not after you figured out your theology or even got serious. You were called before your first prayer, before your first doubt, even before your first denial. God has been and was already faithful. We tend to tell our testimonies like we found God. Like we were spiritual explorers who finally stumbled into the right cave with the right treasure. But that's not the gospel. You didn’t initiate this relationship. You responded to it. You didn’t wake up one day and decide to pursue God. You woke up to the reality that God had been pursuing you all along. Doesn't that change the tone of discipl...