NOT IN THE LEAST SURPRISED

NOT IN THE LEAST SURPRISED

Monday, November 27, 2017

  “What’s new?!” was once upon a time a common greeting with later slangy variation “What’sup?” 

  This week, and again this morning, I read of a variety of inspirational lecturers of new innovations in how to get things done working as a group. In recent months our young pastor has properly shared such thought provoking concepts and precepts with us from book(s) that he has read and studied.

  Thing is, I and other oldsters, though contemporary writers and speakers use different nomenclature and vocabulary, recognize what’sup as nothing new under the sun from people. Much of it was taught to us by family, neighbors, schoolteachers, preachers, Sunday School teachers, mentors et al. This old timer and others I know find the merry-go-round aspect of it both entertaining, sad, and yet energizing.

  We, all ages, need to be constantly reminded. No surprise in this.

  So, not new, but lest we forget why we are here, here’s something eternal I want to remind self and you of this morning: “Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now. … The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” NLT Ecclesiastes

EBB4