...To The Throne

Just a really quick little heads-up on "The Sounds Of Toby."  Toby Baxley has been leading us in worship this year and knocking it out of the park. His wife Melissa plays violin (NOT fiddle!) and they have led our band wonderfully.  It's a fun ride to The Throne!

Here's a glimpse: 

Endorphins

When I was a kid I watched this really awfully produced movie about a bad guy from outer space who came to earth to harvest human endorphins.  Kinda like an intergalactic meth runner where instead of wooded shacks and tupperware, people were the lab.  Genius.  The movie was so bad that even the actor that played the villain couldn't speak English so they tried to pass off his Eastern European accent as something that was from the stars.  How does stuff like this get green-lighted?  Oh, right, Cinemax.  Still waiting for that guy to be honored by the Kennedy Center.

But it gets me thinking.  Endorphins are our little pleasure producers, and most of us would drop kick a rabid skunk if we thought we'd get an endorphin rush out of it (by the way, trust me, that doesn't work...).  We chuckle at lab mice for following the sugar and avoiding the electric shock. "Aw, aren't they cute, they think like me!"  I used to think that what made us human was the opposable thumb.  Then I realized that squirrels can throw nuts with stunning accuracy at my house, so there has to be more.

I think the ability to choose to suffer pain rather than experience pleasure expresses our humanity, and in particular our redeemed humanity.  Any human can choose to suffer, but why would they when the alternative feels so good?  Part of expressing redemption is choosing to forego the typical understanding of pleasure for a greater good.  In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says, "No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."  Get that?  The prize.  I think Paul realized that there is this gihungous endorphin rush awaiting us in heaven, and so we endure a little "rough" now for the ultimate that is to come.  2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

I wonder how successful we are at show-casing the delight of delaying our pleasure...  What would the evil mullet-wearing space junkie think?  Would he get a full dose from me now...or later?