1 00:00:22,070 --> 00:00:23,157 When I was in high school and 2 00:00:23,157 --> 00:00:23,877 when I was in one of my 3 00:00:23,877 --> 00:00:24,582 literature classes, 4 00:00:24,582 --> 00:00:26,022 we had to read an anthology 5 00:00:26,022 --> 00:00:27,086 of great literature. 6 00:00:27,086 --> 00:00:27,861 You've probably had a 7 00:00:27,861 --> 00:00:28,901 similar experience. 8 00:00:28,901 --> 00:00:30,293 And when I was in high school, 9 00:00:30,293 --> 00:00:32,165 in the late 70s, as it was, 10 00:00:32,165 --> 00:00:33,934 one of the more popular 11 00:00:33,934 --> 00:00:34,894 pieces of literature, 12 00:00:34,894 --> 00:00:35,757 which showed up in a lot of 13 00:00:35,757 --> 00:00:37,364 anthologies was a short story 14 00:00:37,364 --> 00:00:39,101 called Clothes Make the man. 15 00:00:39,101 --> 00:00:40,709 Maybe you've heard of it. 16 00:00:40,709 --> 00:00:42,062 Frenchman by name Henri 17 00:00:42,062 --> 00:00:43,577 DuVernay wrote it, 18 00:00:43,577 --> 00:00:44,681 and it's only about two 19 00:00:44,681 --> 00:00:45,729 and a half pages long, 20 00:00:45,729 --> 00:00:46,562 extremely brief, 21 00:00:46,562 --> 00:00:47,833 and you can find it just simple 22 00:00:47,833 --> 00:00:49,593 by googling it'll pop 23 00:00:49,593 --> 00:00:51,025 up as a PDF file. 24 00:00:51,025 --> 00:00:52,913 But it's a great little story 25 00:00:52,913 --> 00:00:54,449 because it tells the story about 26 00:00:54,449 --> 00:00:55,977 three crooks who are going to go 27 00:00:55,977 --> 00:00:57,782 make a heist in a very rich, 28 00:00:57,782 --> 00:00:58,638 wealthy neighborhood. 29 00:00:58,638 --> 00:00:59,581 And they have the idea that 30 00:00:59,581 --> 00:01:00,718 they have the dumbest, 31 00:01:00,718 --> 00:01:02,037 biggest guy in the group is 32 00:01:02,037 --> 00:01:02,837 going to be dressed up like 33 00:01:02,837 --> 00:01:04,277 a policeman and be kind of 34 00:01:04,277 --> 00:01:05,909 patrolling the sidewalk around 35 00:01:05,909 --> 00:01:07,222 the neighborhood so that nobody 36 00:01:07,222 --> 00:01:08,197 will be suspicious when they 37 00:01:08,197 --> 00:01:09,017 hear noises to see 38 00:01:09,017 --> 00:01:09,473 people running. 39 00:01:09,473 --> 00:01:10,362 Because if the policeman 40 00:01:10,362 --> 00:01:10,865 is fine, 41 00:01:10,865 --> 00:01:12,233 everything's got to be good. 42 00:01:12,233 --> 00:01:13,882 So the guy gets his policeman 43 00:01:13,882 --> 00:01:15,233 outfit on and he's out 44 00:01:15,233 --> 00:01:16,914 patrolling in the neighborhood. 45 00:01:16,914 --> 00:01:17,633 And the story, 46 00:01:17,633 --> 00:01:18,997 the way he actually tells it is 47 00:01:18,997 --> 00:01:20,838 masterful. It's so concise, 48 00:01:20,838 --> 00:01:21,741 but you get the picture 49 00:01:21,741 --> 00:01:22,773 very quickly. 50 00:01:22,773 --> 00:01:24,894 He runs into a lieutenant, 51 00:01:24,894 --> 00:01:26,630 a bona fide real policeman, 52 00:01:26,630 --> 00:01:28,693 and he overcomes his fear to 53 00:01:28,693 --> 00:01:29,949 run away. And instead, 54 00:01:29,949 --> 00:01:31,652 he just walks up and he actually 55 00:01:31,652 --> 00:01:33,014 salutes a policeman. 56 00:01:33,014 --> 00:01:34,333 And he says, wow, 57 00:01:34,333 --> 00:01:35,861 that felt pretty good. 58 00:01:35,861 --> 00:01:37,765 He thinks, that felt great. 59 00:01:37,765 --> 00:01:38,349 Look at that. 60 00:01:38,349 --> 00:01:39,805 He saluted me back. 61 00:01:39,805 --> 00:01:40,893 Look at that. 62 00:01:40,893 --> 00:01:42,445 And he begins to feel really 63 00:01:42,445 --> 00:01:43,237 pretty good about being 64 00:01:43,237 --> 00:01:43,973 in this uniform. 65 00:01:43,973 --> 00:01:45,382 And he had looked in the mirror 66 00:01:45,382 --> 00:01:46,173 and thought he looked 67 00:01:46,173 --> 00:01:46,662 pretty sharp, 68 00:01:46,662 --> 00:01:47,396 and he's feeling pretty 69 00:01:47,396 --> 00:01:48,125 good about it. 70 00:01:48,125 --> 00:01:49,237 So then he sees a little old 71 00:01:49,237 --> 00:01:50,221 lady trying to get across the 72 00:01:50,221 --> 00:01:51,174 street, having trouble. 73 00:01:51,174 --> 00:01:52,493 And so he steps up and says, 74 00:01:52,493 --> 00:01:53,325 Can I help you? 75 00:01:53,325 --> 00:01:54,997 Offers his arm and walks her 76 00:01:54,997 --> 00:01:56,718 across, not even noticing, 77 00:01:56,718 --> 00:01:57,829 DuVernay tells us, 78 00:01:57,829 --> 00:01:58,997 the fat purse she's got 79 00:01:58,997 --> 00:02:00,106 hanging on her arm. 80 00:02:00,106 --> 00:02:01,417 He's not even thinking 81 00:02:01,417 --> 00:02:01,896 about that now. 82 00:02:01,896 --> 00:02:03,017 He wants to do what 83 00:02:03,017 --> 00:02:03,497 he should do. 84 00:02:03,497 --> 00:02:04,673 He helps this little lady across 85 00:02:04,673 --> 00:02:06,913 the street and then he runs into 86 00:02:06,913 --> 00:02:09,810 a drunk who starts castigating 87 00:02:09,810 --> 00:02:10,902 the policeman and calling 88 00:02:10,902 --> 00:02:11,422 him names. 89 00:02:11,422 --> 00:02:13,653 And he's offended now that this 90 00:02:13,653 --> 00:02:15,478 guy would be casting aspersions 91 00:02:15,478 --> 00:02:16,988 on the police. And so he says, 92 00:02:16,988 --> 00:02:17,573 Come with me. 93 00:02:17,573 --> 00:02:18,406 And he's going to arrest 94 00:02:18,406 --> 00:02:20,150 this drunk, he decides. 95 00:02:20,150 --> 00:02:21,366 And in the process of hauling 96 00:02:21,366 --> 00:02:22,324 this guy down the street, 97 00:02:22,324 --> 00:02:23,833 who shows up but his two 98 00:02:23,833 --> 00:02:24,977 colleagues who have come over 99 00:02:24,977 --> 00:02:26,634 the fence with their bag of loot 100 00:02:26,634 --> 00:02:29,930 and the other friend of theirs 101 00:02:29,930 --> 00:02:31,641 sees the two who are supposed to 102 00:02:31,641 --> 00:02:33,321 be his friends with their bag of 103 00:02:33,321 --> 00:02:35,554 loot. And he's so perplexed, 104 00:02:35,554 --> 00:02:36,261 and he says, 105 00:02:36,261 --> 00:02:37,428 what's going on here? 106 00:02:37,428 --> 00:02:38,902 And the guy says, you idiot, 107 00:02:38,902 --> 00:02:39,637 what are you doing with that 108 00:02:39,637 --> 00:02:40,853 drunk. Let him go. 109 00:02:40,853 --> 00:02:42,822 And the robber, 110 00:02:42,822 --> 00:02:44,438 now dressed up as a policeman, 111 00:02:44,438 --> 00:02:46,173 stops and thinks, no, 112 00:02:46,173 --> 00:02:47,085 this is not right. 113 00:02:47,085 --> 00:02:48,742 And the story ends beautifully 114 00:02:48,742 --> 00:02:50,221 because he puts his whistle in 115 00:02:50,221 --> 00:02:51,406 his mouth, blows his whistle, 116 00:02:51,406 --> 00:02:53,949 and he yells, Crook, stop. 117 00:02:53,949 --> 00:02:55,598 And he tries to arrest 118 00:02:55,598 --> 00:02:56,309 his own friends. 119 00:02:56,309 --> 00:02:58,030 And that's how the story ends. 120 00:02:58,030 --> 00:02:59,965 Now, what DuVernay is doing 121 00:03:00,216 --> 00:03:02,216 he's telling us this story and 122 00:03:02,216 --> 00:03:04,122 it's kind of humorous and it's 123 00:03:04,122 --> 00:03:05,586 rather remarkable but what he's 124 00:03:05,586 --> 00:03:06,898 getting at is clothes 125 00:03:06,898 --> 00:03:08,001 make the man. 126 00:03:08,001 --> 00:03:10,825 And there's just enough of this 127 00:03:10,825 --> 00:03:12,537 reality at work in here for us 128 00:03:12,537 --> 00:03:14,720 to say that's plausible. 129 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,026 That's plausible. 130 00:03:16,026 --> 00:03:17,849 You could see a person being so 131 00:03:17,849 --> 00:03:19,769 imprinted by who he is supposed 132 00:03:19,769 --> 00:03:22,161 to be that he becomes that. 133 00:03:22,161 --> 00:03:22,865 You see, 134 00:03:22,865 --> 00:03:24,137 that's what I'm trying to get 135 00:03:24,137 --> 00:03:25,593 at in this discussion about 136 00:03:25,593 --> 00:03:27,889 character is the things that we 137 00:03:27,889 --> 00:03:29,537 do the things that we do when 138 00:03:29,537 --> 00:03:30,962 we're living according to God's 139 00:03:30,962 --> 00:03:32,449 will when we're following his 140 00:03:32,449 --> 00:03:34,569 law which is not a bad thing. 141 00:03:34,569 --> 00:03:35,929 It's a good thing. 142 00:03:35,929 --> 00:03:37,137 The will of God is not 143 00:03:37,137 --> 00:03:38,497 a bad negative thing. 144 00:03:38,497 --> 00:03:39,305 It's a good thing. 145 00:03:39,305 --> 00:03:40,337 And when we're doing what God 146 00:03:40,337 --> 00:03:41,988 has given us to do following his 147 00:03:41,988 --> 00:03:45,029 law then we are going to be 148 00:03:45,029 --> 00:03:46,269 learning new behaviors. 149 00:03:46,269 --> 00:03:47,598 We are going to be practicing 150 00:03:47,598 --> 00:03:48,134 habits. 151 00:03:48,134 --> 00:03:49,790 We are going to be imprinting 152 00:03:49,790 --> 00:03:51,853 things onto our character which 153 00:03:51,853 --> 00:03:53,534 maybe feel a little strange. 154 00:03:53,534 --> 00:03:55,680 Just like when Tango that was 155 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:56,560 the name of the man who put 156 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:57,546 on the police uniform. 157 00:03:57,546 --> 00:03:58,305 When he first puts 158 00:03:58,305 --> 00:03:59,066 on the uniform, 159 00:03:59,066 --> 00:04:00,730 he feels a little strange, 160 00:04:00,730 --> 00:04:01,961 doesn't feel right. 161 00:04:01,961 --> 00:04:03,632 But then he starts to get into 162 00:04:03,632 --> 00:04:05,436 it and it becomes more and 163 00:04:05,436 --> 00:04:06,613 more part of him. Well, 164 00:04:06,613 --> 00:04:07,997 his transformation happens over 165 00:04:07,997 --> 00:04:10,373 the course of one evening but 166 00:04:10,373 --> 00:04:11,813 reality is it takes 167 00:04:11,813 --> 00:04:12,452 longer than that. 168 00:04:12,452 --> 00:04:13,813 But the picture is very clear. 169 00:04:13,813 --> 00:04:15,004 And nonetheless, 170 00:04:15,004 --> 00:04:18,784 what we do shapes who we are. 171 00:04:18,784 --> 00:04:21,728 The things I practice become 172 00:04:21,728 --> 00:04:23,369 very much who I am. 173 00:04:23,369 --> 00:04:25,418 And so my character becomes 174 00:04:25,418 --> 00:04:27,193 imprinted into me by my 175 00:04:27,193 --> 00:04:29,127 practices and my habits and 176 00:04:29,127 --> 00:04:31,037 my doing of God's will, 177 00:04:31,037 --> 00:04:32,805 my doing of the law. 178 00:04:32,805 --> 00:04:34,597 That's what's going on in this 179 00:04:34,597 --> 00:04:37,020 practice of formation. 180 00:04:37,020 --> 00:04:37,877 Now, 181 00:04:37,877 --> 00:04:38,893 if you're thinking about this, 182 00:04:38,893 --> 00:04:40,706 and I hope you are maybe you're 183 00:04:40,706 --> 00:04:42,832 beginning to realize that there 184 00:04:42,832 --> 00:04:45,482 are lots of behaviors and lots 185 00:04:45,482 --> 00:04:47,760 of forces and lots of things in 186 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,185 the world that are impacting us 187 00:04:50,185 --> 00:04:52,749 and shaping character. In fact, 188 00:04:52,749 --> 00:04:53,973 the reality is that 189 00:04:53,973 --> 00:04:55,006 your character, 190 00:04:55,006 --> 00:04:57,149 your individual personality is 191 00:04:57,149 --> 00:04:59,549 continually being shaped and 192 00:04:59,549 --> 00:05:01,493 formed and manipulated and 193 00:05:01,493 --> 00:05:03,621 twisted around by all kinds of 194 00:05:03,621 --> 00:05:05,165 forces all around you 195 00:05:05,165 --> 00:05:07,145 all the time. 196 00:05:07,145 --> 00:05:10,026 Our character is never neutral 197 00:05:10,026 --> 00:05:11,865 and we can't say it's complete, 198 00:05:11,865 --> 00:05:13,770 remember until the day we die. 199 00:05:13,770 --> 00:05:15,226 So up until that moment it's 200 00:05:15,226 --> 00:05:17,170 always being shaped and formed 201 00:05:17,170 --> 00:05:20,277 for good or for ill. 202 00:05:20,277 --> 00:05:22,357 And what we need to recognize is 203 00:05:22,357 --> 00:05:23,853 that in the culture in which we 204 00:05:23,853 --> 00:05:27,092 live there are so many very, 205 00:05:27,092 --> 00:05:28,380 very good 206 00:05:30,270 --> 00:05:32,469 forces at work or not 207 00:05:32,469 --> 00:05:33,429 good but very, 208 00:05:33,429 --> 00:05:35,712 very effective forces at work at 209 00:05:35,712 --> 00:05:37,066 accomplishing their purposes. 210 00:05:37,066 --> 00:05:38,481 And they're not always trying to 211 00:05:38,481 --> 00:05:39,337 form us into what God 212 00:05:39,337 --> 00:05:40,697 would have us to be. 213 00:05:40,697 --> 00:05:41,897 Just think about some of those 214 00:05:41,897 --> 00:05:42,961 forces that are at work in the 215 00:05:42,961 --> 00:05:45,665 world around us friends, 216 00:05:45,665 --> 00:05:47,465 family members, 217 00:05:47,465 --> 00:05:49,328 people we work with, 218 00:05:49,328 --> 00:05:51,177 people we go to school with 219 00:05:51,177 --> 00:05:53,577 people we follow in the media, 220 00:05:53,577 --> 00:05:55,377 news anchors people who are 221 00:05:55,377 --> 00:05:56,433 writing the news stories 222 00:05:56,433 --> 00:05:57,273 how they write them, 223 00:05:57,273 --> 00:05:59,710 what they tell us. Politicians, 224 00:05:59,710 --> 00:06:02,760 advertisements, arts, 225 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,745 literature, music, social media, 226 00:06:06,745 --> 00:06:09,161 all of these things are all 227 00:06:09,161 --> 00:06:10,777 making an impact on how we 228 00:06:10,777 --> 00:06:12,441 think, how we see the world, 229 00:06:12,441 --> 00:06:13,609 what we think is right, 230 00:06:13,609 --> 00:06:14,625 what we think is wrong, 231 00:06:14,625 --> 00:06:15,857 how we think we should function. 232 00:06:15,857 --> 00:06:17,482 And it begins to form and shape 233 00:06:17,482 --> 00:06:19,520 our character and who we are. 234 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,280 We need to be very, 235 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:23,337 very conscious of this in the 236 00:06:23,337 --> 00:06:24,649 church and we need to be 237 00:06:24,649 --> 00:06:25,889 very conscious of this, 238 00:06:25,889 --> 00:06:27,257 especially when we think about 239 00:06:27,257 --> 00:06:28,601 forming people into the 240 00:06:28,601 --> 00:06:29,810 Christian faith, 241 00:06:29,810 --> 00:06:32,592 because we have all kinds of 242 00:06:32,592 --> 00:06:35,009 threats and forces and other 243 00:06:35,009 --> 00:06:36,657 very effective things that are 244 00:06:36,657 --> 00:06:37,823 going on out there in the world 245 00:06:37,823 --> 00:06:40,125 which are competing with us. 246 00:06:40,125 --> 00:06:42,093 All kinds of competition in 247 00:06:42,093 --> 00:06:44,102 trying to form character, 248 00:06:44,102 --> 00:06:46,197 especially in young people. 249 00:06:46,197 --> 00:06:47,829 Because the younger you are, 250 00:06:47,829 --> 00:06:48,996 the more malleable is 251 00:06:48,996 --> 00:06:49,710 your character, 252 00:06:49,710 --> 00:06:51,278 the less it has been entrenched 253 00:06:51,278 --> 00:06:52,197 and driven into the way 254 00:06:52,197 --> 00:06:53,013 things function. 255 00:06:53,013 --> 00:06:54,013 You know that the longer 256 00:06:54,013 --> 00:06:54,709 you do something, 257 00:06:54,709 --> 00:06:55,820 the more that habit becomes 258 00:06:55,820 --> 00:06:56,353 part of you, 259 00:06:56,353 --> 00:06:57,618 the harder it is to shake, 260 00:06:57,618 --> 00:06:58,353 whether it's for good 261 00:06:58,353 --> 00:06:59,361 or for evil. 262 00:06:59,361 --> 00:07:00,361 If you're in the habit 263 00:07:00,361 --> 00:07:01,058 of going to church, 264 00:07:01,058 --> 00:07:02,234 you'll always go to church, 265 00:07:02,234 --> 00:07:03,241 no matter what. 266 00:07:03,241 --> 00:07:04,321 You can be on vacation out 267 00:07:04,321 --> 00:07:05,138 in the middle of nowhere. 268 00:07:05,138 --> 00:07:05,906 There aren't any churches 269 00:07:05,906 --> 00:07:06,169 around. 270 00:07:06,169 --> 00:07:07,141 You're going to find some way to 271 00:07:07,141 --> 00:07:08,053 go to church because it's your 272 00:07:08,053 --> 00:07:09,389 habit. You can't shake it. 273 00:07:09,389 --> 00:07:10,493 That's a good thing. 274 00:07:10,493 --> 00:07:12,182 Or habit can be very negative. 275 00:07:12,182 --> 00:07:13,821 Habit of eating too much, 276 00:07:13,821 --> 00:07:15,917 or the kind of habits you get 277 00:07:15,917 --> 00:07:17,869 into with your routines of not 278 00:07:17,869 --> 00:07:19,101 exercising or whatever. 279 00:07:19,101 --> 00:07:20,109 Those things can be very 280 00:07:20,109 --> 00:07:21,037 negative habits that 281 00:07:21,037 --> 00:07:22,009 are hard to break. 282 00:07:22,009 --> 00:07:23,353 That's the reality with things 283 00:07:23,353 --> 00:07:24,298 that you do when you practice 284 00:07:24,298 --> 00:07:26,138 them for years and decades. 285 00:07:26,138 --> 00:07:26,897 They just become part 286 00:07:26,897 --> 00:07:28,393 of who you are. Now, 287 00:07:28,393 --> 00:07:30,301 a child hasn't had the chance to 288 00:07:30,301 --> 00:07:31,086 lay down those kinds 289 00:07:31,086 --> 00:07:32,454 of heavy tracks. 290 00:07:32,454 --> 00:07:34,222 And so they're very malleable, 291 00:07:34,222 --> 00:07:35,669 very susceptible to being 292 00:07:35,669 --> 00:07:36,782 formed and shaped. 293 00:07:36,782 --> 00:07:39,962 And the world around us is very 294 00:07:39,962 --> 00:07:42,289 committed to shaping and forming 295 00:07:42,289 --> 00:07:44,433 our children and they do it 296 00:07:44,433 --> 00:07:46,913 very well. Very well. 297 00:07:46,913 --> 00:07:49,482 Great example in our own recent 298 00:07:49,482 --> 00:07:53,305 past is the stunning success of 299 00:07:53,305 --> 00:07:54,842 what's called the gay rights 300 00:07:54,842 --> 00:07:57,361 lobby, or the homosexual lobby. 301 00:07:57,361 --> 00:07:58,246 When I was growing 302 00:07:58,246 --> 00:07:59,020 up as a child, 303 00:07:59,020 --> 00:08:01,413 40 years ago in my high school 304 00:08:01,413 --> 00:08:03,861 years back then, 305 00:08:03,861 --> 00:08:05,197 you still didn't talk about that 306 00:08:05,197 --> 00:08:07,205 stuff. No one accepted it. 307 00:08:07,205 --> 00:08:08,897 And in the space of just a 308 00:08:08,897 --> 00:08:10,050 couple of generations, 309 00:08:10,050 --> 00:08:11,537 homosexuality has gone from 310 00:08:11,537 --> 00:08:13,777 being vilified and rejected to 311 00:08:13,777 --> 00:08:15,658 becoming mainstream and accepted 312 00:08:15,658 --> 00:08:17,217 to the point now where it's just 313 00:08:17,217 --> 00:08:18,217 a foregone conclusion. 314 00:08:18,217 --> 00:08:19,169 They have the rights everybody 315 00:08:19,169 --> 00:08:20,706 else does. They can get married. 316 00:08:20,706 --> 00:08:21,429 No big deal. 317 00:08:21,429 --> 00:08:22,318 And so we're changing 318 00:08:22,318 --> 00:08:23,077 definitions of all 319 00:08:23,077 --> 00:08:23,669 kinds of things. 320 00:08:23,669 --> 00:08:25,014 We're shifting the discussion 321 00:08:25,014 --> 00:08:26,437 simply because, well, 322 00:08:26,437 --> 00:08:27,245 that's what's right. 323 00:08:27,245 --> 00:08:28,518 But wait a minute. 324 00:08:28,518 --> 00:08:30,188 Who decided it was right? 325 00:08:30,188 --> 00:08:31,861 Well, how did this happen? 326 00:08:31,861 --> 00:08:33,597 How did this shift take place? 327 00:08:33,597 --> 00:08:33,890 Well, 328 00:08:33,890 --> 00:08:35,562 it took place because the gay 329 00:08:35,562 --> 00:08:36,881 rights lobby knew what 330 00:08:36,881 --> 00:08:37,752 they were doing. 331 00:08:37,752 --> 00:08:39,217 They knew how to shape minds, 332 00:08:39,217 --> 00:08:40,233 they knew how to claim 333 00:08:40,233 --> 00:08:41,034 the discussion. 334 00:08:41,034 --> 00:08:43,873 They knew how to instill new 335 00:08:43,873 --> 00:08:44,881 behaviors and new ways of 336 00:08:44,881 --> 00:08:46,929 thinking. Because, after all, 337 00:08:46,929 --> 00:08:48,305 can't we choose anybody 338 00:08:48,305 --> 00:08:49,353 we want to love? 339 00:08:49,353 --> 00:08:50,777 Who are we to tell somebody they 340 00:08:50,777 --> 00:08:52,481 can't love the one they 341 00:08:52,481 --> 00:08:52,969 want to love? 342 00:08:52,969 --> 00:08:54,273 And these things sound so good 343 00:08:54,273 --> 00:08:56,577 and so right it and we say them 344 00:08:56,577 --> 00:08:57,752 enough. We hear them enough. 345 00:08:57,752 --> 00:08:59,153 We begin to believe it. 346 00:08:59,153 --> 00:08:59,975 When you have 347 00:08:59,975 --> 00:09:01,337 sympathetic characters in 348 00:09:01,337 --> 00:09:02,937 literature and in art and in the 349 00:09:02,937 --> 00:09:04,833 media begins to look 350 00:09:04,833 --> 00:09:05,649 really good. 351 00:09:05,649 --> 00:09:07,241 So that's just one example 352 00:09:07,241 --> 00:09:09,241 of how character can be 353 00:09:09,241 --> 00:09:11,138 fundamentally shifted simply 354 00:09:11,138 --> 00:09:13,466 by habits long practiced. 355 00:09:13,466 --> 00:09:15,841 And the world is good at this. 356 00:09:15,841 --> 00:09:17,353 The church, I think, 357 00:09:17,353 --> 00:09:19,073 has a long history and a long 358 00:09:19,073 --> 00:09:21,313 heritage of being good at this. 359 00:09:21,313 --> 00:09:23,113 But we're losing some of our 360 00:09:23,113 --> 00:09:24,949 credibility in doing this well. 361 00:09:24,949 --> 00:09:26,201 And we've maybe forgotten some 362 00:09:26,201 --> 00:09:26,841 of the things we need 363 00:09:26,841 --> 00:09:27,553 to remember. 364 00:09:27,553 --> 00:09:28,608 If we're going to have success 365 00:09:28,608 --> 00:09:29,249 in doing this, 366 00:09:29,249 --> 00:09:30,257 we need to pay a little more 367 00:09:30,257 --> 00:09:31,729 attention to actually working 368 00:09:31,729 --> 00:09:33,800 to shape character. 369 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,049 It's very interesting that St. 370 00:09:36,049 --> 00:09:37,737 Paul actually talks about this. 371 00:09:37,737 --> 00:09:39,746 He talks about it with Timothy, 372 00:09:39,746 --> 00:09:40,938 his young protege, 373 00:09:40,938 --> 00:09:42,306 the young Pastor Timothy, 374 00:09:42,306 --> 00:09:43,922 and he encourages Timothy. 375 00:09:43,922 --> 00:09:44,941 In one of his letters to the 376 00:09:44,941 --> 00:09:46,398 young pastor, he says, Timothy, 377 00:09:46,398 --> 00:09:47,396 I want you to keep on 378 00:09:47,396 --> 00:09:48,540 cultivating the gifts that 379 00:09:48,540 --> 00:09:49,269 were given to you, 380 00:09:49,269 --> 00:09:50,569 and I want you to use them well 381 00:09:50,569 --> 00:09:52,113 because they were in your 382 00:09:52,113 --> 00:09:53,977 grandmother Lois and in 383 00:09:53,977 --> 00:09:54,930 your mother Eunice, 384 00:09:54,930 --> 00:09:56,625 and now they're in you. 385 00:09:56,625 --> 00:09:59,154 Well, how'd they get in Timothy? 386 00:09:59,154 --> 00:10:00,057 Obviously, 387 00:10:00,057 --> 00:10:02,586 Grandma Lois and Mother Eunice 388 00:10:02,586 --> 00:10:03,937 knew what they were doing, 389 00:10:03,937 --> 00:10:06,055 and they were working hard to 390 00:10:06,055 --> 00:10:08,269 build into Timothy these same 391 00:10:08,269 --> 00:10:09,734 sort of character traits, 392 00:10:09,734 --> 00:10:11,317 carving them into him, 393 00:10:11,317 --> 00:10:12,326 teaching him how he's 394 00:10:12,326 --> 00:10:13,054 supposed to operate, 395 00:10:13,054 --> 00:10:14,317 helping him learn what it means 396 00:10:14,317 --> 00:10:15,477 to be an upright man. 397 00:10:15,477 --> 00:10:17,053 And how did he learn that? 398 00:10:17,053 --> 00:10:19,106 Probably by doing chores, 399 00:10:19,106 --> 00:10:21,122 probably by being disciplined 400 00:10:21,122 --> 00:10:21,705 when things didn't 401 00:10:21,705 --> 00:10:22,425 go quite right, 402 00:10:22,425 --> 00:10:23,297 by being encouraged when 403 00:10:23,297 --> 00:10:24,128 things did go right, 404 00:10:24,128 --> 00:10:25,753 and teaching him to do the right 405 00:10:25,753 --> 00:10:28,026 sort of things. As a child 406 00:10:28,026 --> 00:10:30,416 I can remember being forced to 407 00:10:30,416 --> 00:10:32,105 write thank you notes against 408 00:10:32,105 --> 00:10:33,673 my will. Didn't like it, 409 00:10:33,673 --> 00:10:34,973 but it's the right thing to do, 410 00:10:34,973 --> 00:10:35,773 and you got to do it, 411 00:10:35,773 --> 00:10:36,709 and you just do it, 412 00:10:36,709 --> 00:10:37,669 and you get to the point. 413 00:10:37,669 --> 00:10:38,558 Then as an adult, 414 00:10:38,558 --> 00:10:39,557 you realize this is just 415 00:10:39,557 --> 00:10:40,277 what you do well, 416 00:10:40,277 --> 00:10:41,189 where'd you learn that? 417 00:10:41,189 --> 00:10:42,569 Someone had to teach it to you 418 00:10:42,569 --> 00:10:44,009 and they taught it to you 419 00:10:44,009 --> 00:10:45,754 sometimes in rather unpleasant 420 00:10:45,754 --> 00:10:46,442 situations. 421 00:10:46,442 --> 00:10:47,944 It's not always easy. 422 00:10:47,944 --> 00:10:49,058 As a grandfather, 423 00:10:49,058 --> 00:10:50,682 now I'm living through potty 424 00:10:50,682 --> 00:10:52,041 training again with my grandkids 425 00:10:52,041 --> 00:10:53,401 and being part of that. 426 00:10:53,401 --> 00:10:54,992 How does a child learn these 427 00:10:54,992 --> 00:10:57,386 things? Habits practice. 428 00:10:57,386 --> 00:10:58,518 You run them to the bathroom, 429 00:10:58,518 --> 00:10:59,757 you teach them, you tell them, 430 00:10:59,757 --> 00:11:00,477 you praise them, 431 00:11:00,477 --> 00:11:02,213 you help them remember 432 00:11:02,213 --> 00:11:02,853 what they need to do, 433 00:11:02,853 --> 00:11:04,077 and you just do it again and 434 00:11:04,077 --> 00:11:05,469 again and again and again, 435 00:11:05,469 --> 00:11:07,597 and eventually it catches on and 436 00:11:07,597 --> 00:11:08,781 it becomes second nature. 437 00:11:08,781 --> 00:11:09,401 It becomes part of 438 00:11:09,401 --> 00:11:10,297 how we do things. 439 00:11:10,297 --> 00:11:12,034 That's how character is formed. 440 00:11:12,034 --> 00:11:13,481 It's through those habits and 441 00:11:13,481 --> 00:11:14,656 the practices and the 442 00:11:14,656 --> 00:11:16,257 doing things. Now, 443 00:11:16,257 --> 00:11:17,370 this has implications 444 00:11:17,370 --> 00:11:18,537 for how we teach. 445 00:11:18,537 --> 00:11:20,117 This has implications for how we 446 00:11:20,117 --> 00:11:22,222 do a lot of things in our homes 447 00:11:22,222 --> 00:11:23,582 and in our churches, 448 00:11:23,582 --> 00:11:24,861 and we need to maybe pay a 449 00:11:24,861 --> 00:11:27,093 little more attention to the 450 00:11:27,093 --> 00:11:28,837 ramifications and the 451 00:11:28,837 --> 00:11:30,697 consequences of the kinds of 452 00:11:30,697 --> 00:11:31,858 behaviors and habits 453 00:11:31,858 --> 00:11:33,177 we're laying down. 454 00:11:33,177 --> 00:11:36,450 There's a rather loaded phrase 455 00:11:36,450 --> 00:11:37,553 which comes from the Middle 456 00:11:37,553 --> 00:11:39,425 Ages, which is lex arandi, 457 00:11:39,425 --> 00:11:40,561 lex credendi. 458 00:11:40,561 --> 00:11:42,586 And it's a nice Latin phrase, 459 00:11:42,586 --> 00:11:44,938 Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi. 460 00:11:44,938 --> 00:11:47,401 Which simply means that the law 461 00:11:47,401 --> 00:11:50,729 of praying is the law 462 00:11:50,729 --> 00:11:52,080 of believing. 463 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,754 Law of praying. 464 00:11:53,754 --> 00:11:54,989 Arandi is the law. 465 00:11:54,989 --> 00:11:56,322 Law of believing. 466 00:11:56,322 --> 00:11:57,273 In other words, 467 00:11:57,273 --> 00:11:58,817 what it's saying is the 468 00:11:58,817 --> 00:11:59,950 way that you worship 469 00:11:59,950 --> 00:12:02,585 shapes how you believe. 470 00:12:02,585 --> 00:12:04,425 And it's true. 471 00:12:04,425 --> 00:12:07,329 It's true the way that you pray, 472 00:12:07,329 --> 00:12:08,394 the way that you worship, 473 00:12:08,394 --> 00:12:09,162 the way that you're taught 474 00:12:09,162 --> 00:12:09,993 to read the Bible, 475 00:12:09,993 --> 00:12:11,233 the way that you think about God 476 00:12:11,233 --> 00:12:12,353 because of what people do around 477 00:12:12,353 --> 00:12:14,321 you, shapes what you believe. 478 00:12:14,321 --> 00:12:16,217 Another way to say this is if 479 00:12:16,217 --> 00:12:18,954 you worship like a Pentecostal, 480 00:12:18,954 --> 00:12:19,953 you will start to believe 481 00:12:19,953 --> 00:12:21,226 like a Pentecostal. 482 00:12:21,226 --> 00:12:23,057 And if you worship like 483 00:12:23,057 --> 00:12:26,626 a Latin Mass Catholic, 484 00:12:26,626 --> 00:12:28,097 you will begin to believe like 485 00:12:28,097 --> 00:12:29,562 a Latin Mass Catholic. 486 00:12:29,562 --> 00:12:31,593 And there's truth to this, 487 00:12:31,593 --> 00:12:32,817 truth that maybe we find 488 00:12:32,817 --> 00:12:33,602 a little unsettling, 489 00:12:33,602 --> 00:12:34,656 but we need to pay a little more 490 00:12:34,656 --> 00:12:36,482 attention to the habits we're 491 00:12:36,482 --> 00:12:37,401 laying down by the 492 00:12:37,401 --> 00:12:38,185 way we do things, 493 00:12:38,185 --> 00:12:40,193 because it shapes how we think. 494 00:12:40,193 --> 00:12:41,101 And this has a lot to do 495 00:12:41,101 --> 00:12:42,309 with catechesis, too, 496 00:12:42,309 --> 00:12:43,606 or teaching the faith. 497 00:12:43,606 --> 00:12:44,772 How do we do this? 498 00:12:44,772 --> 00:12:47,533 Do we just tell people to write 499 00:12:47,533 --> 00:12:49,261 down on a piece of paper how 500 00:12:49,261 --> 00:12:50,925 they feel about God when they're 501 00:12:50,925 --> 00:12:52,437 sitting out on a nice sunny day 502 00:12:52,437 --> 00:12:54,273 and share their feelings? Well, 503 00:12:54,273 --> 00:12:55,752 there's a place for that, maybe. 504 00:12:55,752 --> 00:12:57,002 But if that's the depth 505 00:12:57,002 --> 00:12:58,130 of our catechesis, 506 00:12:58,130 --> 00:12:59,257 and all we learn to do is 507 00:12:59,257 --> 00:13:01,337 explore our feelings about God, 508 00:13:01,337 --> 00:13:03,810 maybe we're not really driving 509 00:13:03,810 --> 00:13:05,357 in the character we think 510 00:13:05,357 --> 00:13:06,117 we are doing. 511 00:13:06,117 --> 00:13:07,013 Maybe we're not really 512 00:13:07,013 --> 00:13:09,156 imprinting. There's a place, 513 00:13:09,156 --> 00:13:10,014 I would argue, 514 00:13:10,014 --> 00:13:12,541 for things like memorization and 515 00:13:12,541 --> 00:13:14,021 learning things by rote, 516 00:13:14,021 --> 00:13:15,027 because it's not just 517 00:13:15,027 --> 00:13:16,226 empty thoughts. 518 00:13:16,226 --> 00:13:18,377 It becomes imprinted into us, 519 00:13:18,377 --> 00:13:20,162 becomes part of our very brain 520 00:13:20,162 --> 00:13:21,233 structure, frankly, 521 00:13:21,233 --> 00:13:22,905 and becomes part of who we are, 522 00:13:22,905 --> 00:13:25,641 our character. That's not small, 523 00:13:25,641 --> 00:13:27,345 that's really important. 524 00:13:27,345 --> 00:13:29,161 We in the Church need to pay a 525 00:13:29,161 --> 00:13:31,097 little more attention, I think, 526 00:13:31,097 --> 00:13:32,694 and be a lot more deliberate 527 00:13:32,694 --> 00:13:34,502 about the kind of tracks we're 528 00:13:34,502 --> 00:13:36,277 laying down in the lives of our 529 00:13:36,277 --> 00:13:37,693 children and the lives 530 00:13:37,693 --> 00:13:38,702 of our adults. 531 00:13:38,702 --> 00:13:39,797 What are we teaching them 532 00:13:39,797 --> 00:13:40,741 to think about God? 533 00:13:40,741 --> 00:13:41,702 How are we shaping 534 00:13:41,702 --> 00:13:42,314 their character? 535 00:13:42,314 --> 00:13:42,992 How are they learning 536 00:13:42,992 --> 00:13:44,145 to function? 537 00:13:44,145 --> 00:13:46,161 Luther got this. 538 00:13:46,161 --> 00:13:47,665 He absolutely got this. 539 00:13:47,665 --> 00:13:48,481 When you read in the 540 00:13:48,481 --> 00:13:49,658 Large Catechism, 541 00:13:49,658 --> 00:13:51,241 in the Ten Commandments especially, 542 00:13:51,241 --> 00:13:53,848 he talks often about teach young 543 00:13:53,848 --> 00:13:55,185 people to do these things, 544 00:13:55,185 --> 00:13:56,237 and he teaches them to do 545 00:13:56,237 --> 00:13:57,878 this by memory, by rote. 546 00:13:57,878 --> 00:13:59,037 He wants people to do 547 00:13:59,037 --> 00:13:59,910 things by habit. 548 00:13:59,910 --> 00:14:02,053 He says instilling habits into 549 00:14:02,053 --> 00:14:03,293 young people is good. 550 00:14:03,293 --> 00:14:04,438 Teaching people to memorize 551 00:14:04,438 --> 00:14:06,302 stuff is right because it shapes 552 00:14:06,302 --> 00:14:07,997 them into being right kind of 553 00:14:07,997 --> 00:14:10,089 people. Luther gets this, 554 00:14:10,089 --> 00:14:10,848 and in fact, 555 00:14:10,848 --> 00:14:12,329 in the same Large Catechism, 556 00:14:12,329 --> 00:14:13,137 when he's talking about 557 00:14:13,137 --> 00:14:14,274 the Apostles' Creed, 558 00:14:14,274 --> 00:14:15,930 he actually says that the Creed, 559 00:14:15,930 --> 00:14:17,178 the good news of what Jesus 560 00:14:17,178 --> 00:14:17,944 has done for us, 561 00:14:17,944 --> 00:14:20,997 was given to us so that we can 562 00:14:20,997 --> 00:14:22,620 do the Ten Commandments. 563 00:14:22,620 --> 00:14:24,517 He's given us forgiveness so 564 00:14:24,517 --> 00:14:26,532 that we can do his will, 565 00:14:26,532 --> 00:14:27,597 do his law. 566 00:14:27,597 --> 00:14:28,925 And when we do His Law, 567 00:14:28,925 --> 00:14:29,957 we're practicing these 568 00:14:29,957 --> 00:14:30,582 right behaviors, 569 00:14:30,582 --> 00:14:31,396 we're practicing these 570 00:14:31,396 --> 00:14:31,973 right habits. 571 00:14:31,973 --> 00:14:33,334 We're learning to go to church, 572 00:14:33,334 --> 00:14:34,774 we're learning to say the Creed, 573 00:14:34,774 --> 00:14:35,601 we're learning to say the 574 00:14:35,601 --> 00:14:36,634 Lord's Prayer by memory. 575 00:14:36,634 --> 00:14:37,425 We're learning all kinds 576 00:14:37,425 --> 00:14:38,233 of Bible verses. 577 00:14:38,233 --> 00:14:39,896 This all becomes imprinted in 578 00:14:39,896 --> 00:14:41,176 who we are and we learn to 579 00:14:41,176 --> 00:14:42,369 function the right way. 580 00:14:42,369 --> 00:14:43,929 So when we learn to say yes, 581 00:14:43,929 --> 00:14:44,888 sir or yes, 582 00:14:44,888 --> 00:14:46,113 ma'am and we learn to say 583 00:14:46,113 --> 00:14:47,049 please and thank you, 584 00:14:47,049 --> 00:14:48,042 that becomes imprinted 585 00:14:48,042 --> 00:14:48,593 in who we are, 586 00:14:48,593 --> 00:14:49,834 becomes part of our character. 587 00:14:49,834 --> 00:14:51,218 And when we learn how to worship 588 00:14:51,218 --> 00:14:52,842 God the way that God intends 589 00:14:52,842 --> 00:14:53,881 us to worship Him, 590 00:14:53,881 --> 00:14:55,401 receiving what he gives word and 591 00:14:55,401 --> 00:14:57,089 sacrament speaking back to Him 592 00:14:57,089 --> 00:14:58,577 our confession speaking back 593 00:14:58,577 --> 00:14:59,890 to Him our thanks and 594 00:14:59,890 --> 00:15:01,402 praise this becomes imprinted 595 00:15:01,402 --> 00:15:02,464 into who we are, 596 00:15:02,464 --> 00:15:04,162 becomes part of our character. 597 00:15:04,162 --> 00:15:06,913 These things matter. Now 598 00:15:06,913 --> 00:15:07,793 Scripture gives us these 599 00:15:07,793 --> 00:15:08,937 great examples. Like, 600 00:15:08,937 --> 00:15:10,418 we have Lois and Eunice 601 00:15:10,418 --> 00:15:11,849 imprinting Timothy, 602 00:15:11,849 --> 00:15:13,714 and we also have Jesus 603 00:15:13,714 --> 00:15:15,033 imprinting the Twelve. 604 00:15:15,033 --> 00:15:16,762 Think about the time he spent 605 00:15:16,762 --> 00:15:17,896 with them over the course of his 606 00:15:17,896 --> 00:15:19,537 ministry over those years, 607 00:15:19,537 --> 00:15:20,297 hanging out with those 608 00:15:20,297 --> 00:15:20,906 disciples. 609 00:15:20,906 --> 00:15:22,281 All that they learned simply 610 00:15:22,281 --> 00:15:23,457 by being with him, 611 00:15:23,457 --> 00:15:24,934 seeing how he prayed, 612 00:15:24,934 --> 00:15:26,161 seeing how he did things, 613 00:15:26,161 --> 00:15:27,257 seeing how he talked. 614 00:15:27,257 --> 00:15:28,769 This made an impact on them. 615 00:15:28,769 --> 00:15:29,978 It formed and shaped 616 00:15:29,978 --> 00:15:31,280 their character. 617 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,082 There are negative examples. 618 00:15:33,082 --> 00:15:35,186 We could think about how David 619 00:15:35,186 --> 00:15:37,074 dropped the ball with Absalom 620 00:15:37,074 --> 00:15:38,591 and didn't imprint character and 621 00:15:38,591 --> 00:15:40,566 how Absalom goes off the rails. 622 00:15:40,566 --> 00:15:42,486 Or we think about how Abraham 623 00:15:42,486 --> 00:15:45,142 imprinted Isaac for good worship 624 00:15:45,142 --> 00:15:47,702 of God and not so good Abraham's 625 00:15:47,702 --> 00:15:49,877 lie about his wife not really 626 00:15:49,877 --> 00:15:50,998 being his wife. 627 00:15:50,998 --> 00:15:52,713 Isaac does the same thing. 628 00:15:52,713 --> 00:15:54,944 And so from father to son, 629 00:15:54,944 --> 00:15:56,233 things get passed along, 630 00:15:56,233 --> 00:15:57,882 sometimes by intention, 631 00:15:57,882 --> 00:16:00,658 often just by force of habits 632 00:16:00,658 --> 00:16:01,713 and practices and seeing 633 00:16:01,713 --> 00:16:03,065 things going on. 634 00:16:03,065 --> 00:16:04,753 I want us to think a little bit 635 00:16:04,753 --> 00:16:06,320 more carefully about this and to 636 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:07,422 be a little bit more intentional 637 00:16:07,422 --> 00:16:09,013 and deliberate about what kind 638 00:16:09,013 --> 00:16:11,030 of character are we shaping, 639 00:16:11,030 --> 00:16:11,958 what kind of habits 640 00:16:11,958 --> 00:16:12,645 are we doing, 641 00:16:12,645 --> 00:16:13,757 what kind of tracks are 642 00:16:13,757 --> 00:16:14,653 we laying down. 643 00:16:14,653 --> 00:16:15,676 We need to think a little bit 644 00:16:15,676 --> 00:16:17,141 more about this and work a 645 00:16:17,141 --> 00:16:18,198 little bit more diligently 646 00:16:18,198 --> 00:16:18,916 about this, 647 00:16:18,916 --> 00:16:20,633 especially in light of the world 648 00:16:20,633 --> 00:16:21,617 around us trying to 649 00:16:21,617 --> 00:16:22,874 lead us astray. 650 00:16:22,874 --> 00:16:24,896 And then we can become more and 651 00:16:24,896 --> 00:16:26,097 more the kind of people that 652 00:16:26,097 --> 00:16:27,521 God has called us to be. 653 00:16:27,521 --> 00:16:28,521 But we'll think about that a 654 00:16:28,521 --> 00:16:29,433 little bit more next time. 655 00:16:29,433 --> 00:16:29,944 For now, 656 00:16:29,944 --> 00:16:31,193 I want you to pause and think 657 00:16:31,193 --> 00:16:33,057 about characters formation and 658 00:16:33,057 --> 00:16:35,121 how it happens in our own lives 659 00:16:35,121 --> 00:16:36,121 and in the lives of some of the 660 00:16:36,121 --> 00:16:36,722 scriptural characters 661 00:16:36,722 --> 00:16:38,185 we've been thinking about. God's 662 00:16:38,185 --> 00:16:39,890 blessings on your study.