Jeff Borgerson

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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Jeff Borgerson, a covenant brother and recently retired pastor, had a routine-unless-it's-happening-to-you medical procedure on Monday.

As we pray for our Lord's miracles of modern medicine in Jeff's recovery and continuing/evolving ministry, I have been somewhat overwhelmed by the doctor's precisely prohibitive prognosticating prescriptions for his existential welfare.

While I have often told our parish nurse that I'm not into living two more years under Rx's orders because the last two from what I've seen most often aren't worth living that much anyway, I'm also reminded of Helmut Thielicke's The Doctor As Judge of Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die where he urges us to trust God more than our white-robed priests whose arrogance is only matched by our black-robed ones.

Besides, friends, isn't Christianity more about eternal life than anything/anyone else?

As I was talking to a 24-year-old on Saturday who's grieving the "passing" of a friend of the same age, I quoted David Redding: "Anyone who feels sorry for a dead Christian as though the poor chap were missing something has missed the transfiguring promotion involved."

Really.

Do we or do we not believe the best thing about our faith is the confident living inspired by the assurance of "paradise" immediately after the last breath?

If not, we need to get out of the business.

Heaven, I wouldn't continue to be paid to be abused/holy if I didn't relish and rejoice in the privilege of quoting stuff like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15.

To me, and I may be wrong only if corrected by Jesus and Holy Scripture and common sense, I am saddened by folks who don't live life to the fullest because they don't really believe they are eternal by grace through faith in Jesus.

They shuffle through life with a hot water bottle on the side mentality/spirituality.

That's not to say Jeff is going home anytime soon.

Don't know.

He doesn't either.

Neither do you.

That's God's business.

But I do know God declared this life as "good" at genesis (small or capital g depending upon your prejudice) if we don't mess it up and promised the "best" after life in an eternity best summed up, again, by Jesus in one word: paradise.

While I can't wrap my head around that, it sounds a lot better than what's going on here and now.

So I'm hoping and praying for Jeff's recovery as I caution him about Rxers who are a lot like preachers and other politicians who like to control us by assuming they know what's best for us.

Idolatries persist.

Which is why I look forward to sharing a forbidden fuma with Jeff in the future with thanks to an observation by George Burns who smoked up to 15 a day: "Happiness?  A good cigar, a good meal, another good cigar and a good woman...or a bad woman...depending on how much happiness you can handle...If I'd taken my doctor's advice and quit smoking when he advised me to, I wouldn't have lived to go to his funeral."

George Burns hit three figures.

Mes amis, it's more about providence than prescriptions.

No, change that.

Jesus is the antidote for all ills...and fears.

Jeff will be fine sooner than later, probably sooner than later, and definitely in the end.

Besides, he's preaching on the corner of Lincoln and Main for presbytery and other saints on February 13.

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Blessings and Love!

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Shatter the sound of silence!

Wake up!  Look up!  Stand up!  Speak up!  Act up for Jesus!

Salt!  Shine!  Leavenate!

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