Sermon Tone Analysis

*Studying the Bible with Brother Jack*

*/Part II: Screwtape Letters; Peaks & Troughs /*

*/July 17, 2011/*

 

An introduction to Screwtape

 

We are in a short series looking at what the Bible through C. S. Lewis’ eyes, or “Brother Jack,” as I like to call him.

Lewis had such a *broad* *understanding* of literature, philosophy, human nature, and the Bible that he saw things with great *clarity*.

Prayer~/ Scripture reading: 1 Peter 5:6-11

 

Intro to Screwtape Letters

 

This week, we are learning from “The Screwtape Letter,” one of my favorite books of his.

I *reread* it every couple of years and always walk away with *new* *insight* into my Christian life.

It is written as a *collection* of *letters* from one demon to another; everything is written from a *twisted* *perspective*: “Our Father Below” means Satan and “our Enemy” means God.

In the preface, Lewis talks about his *symbolism*, why there are no *bat*-*winged* demons or halls filled with fire:

 

“...my own choice of symbols depended, I suppose, on the temperament of the age.

I like bats much better than bureaucrats.

I live in the Managerial Age, a world of “admin.”

The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid ‘dens of crime’ that Dickens loved to paint.

It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps.

In those we see its final result.

But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice.

Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern.”

/(Preface)/

 

The letters are written *to* *Wormwood*, a new tempter demon on his first assignment; a young *non*-*Christian* in *London*, on the eve of *World* *War* *II*.

They are written by Screwtape, a high ranking department undersecretary.

Between the *first* and *second* letter, something dreadful happens:

 

My dear Wormwood,

\\ I note with grave displeasure that your patient has become a Christian.

Do not indulge the hope that you will escape the usual penalties; indeed, in your better moments, I trust you would hardly even wish to do so.

In the meantime we must make the best of the situation.

There is no need to despair; hundreds of these adult converts have been reclaimed after a brief sojourn in the Enemy’s camp and are now with us.

All the habits of the patient, both mental and bodily, are still in our favour.

/(Chapter 2)/

 

Over the next half-dozen letters, Screwtape suggests various tactics: Lure away from *church*, aggravate his relationship with his *mom*, use *anxiety* over the war to keep him from *trusting* *God*.

·         By the *eighth* *letter*, Wormwood thinks he’s pulled it off:

 

 

The Law of Undulation

 

My Dear Wormwood,

 

So you “have great hopes that the patient’s religious phase is dying away”, have you?

I always thought the Training College had gone to pieces since they put old Slubgob at the head of it, and now I am sure.

Has no one ever told you about the law of Undulation?

 

Humans are amphibians - half spirit and half animal.

(The Enemy’s determination to produce such a revolting hybrid was one of the things that determined Our Father to withdraw his support from Him.)

As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time.

This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change.

Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation - the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks.

If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life - his interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down.

As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional and bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of numbness and poverty.

The dryness and dulness through which your patient is now going are not, as you fondly suppose, your workmanship; they are merely a natural phenomenon which will do us no good unless you make a good use of it./

(Chapter 8)/

 

Q   Now think about that, doesn’t that explain the *cycles* of your life, the necessary ups and downs?

·         A great *vacation* followed by being snappy and petty.

·         A profound *spiritual* *experience* followed by sin.

·         Excited about your *work*, then apathy.

·         Looking forward to *summer*, then hating the heat.

To be *human* is to go through *troughs* and *peaks*.

That is one of the key *themes* in *Ecclesiastes*: The temporariness of life, that everything is *passing* *vapor*.

*Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 * There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,  3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,  4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,  5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,  6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,  7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,  8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

This too shall pass

 

The trick is that while we are in either the peaks or troughs, we think it will *last* *forever*.

It is very difficult for us to *step* *outside* ourselves.

There is an *old* *fable* of a king who prone to these mood swings – when things were going well, he was on top of the world, filled with pride at his kingdom.

But when things were going poorly, he sunk into despair and was paralyzed, unable to move forward.

He saw that his mood swings were *destroying* his *kingdom*, he called together his wise men for advice.

After consulting together, they gave him a simple ring with 4 words carved in it: “This too shall pass.”

When things are *going* *great*, you think that should be *normal* and believe that something is *wrong* when life gets *tough* – this too shall pass.

On the other side, when you are down in the *dumps*: Your *marriage* is tough, you hate your *job*, *God* seems distant, and you can’t imagine it being any *different* – this too shall pass.

Q   Are you on a *peak* or in a *trough* right *now*?

Q   *How* *long* have you been in it?

Q   How *much* *longer* do you objectively think you will be in it?

*Steady* *yourself* with that thought.

Good and bad

 

Here is the important thing to remember: The *peaks* are not *good* and the *troughs* *bad*.

Certainly the peaks are more fun, but they *both* have potential to *benefit* us and to *harm* us.

·         Both present an opportunity for *growth* and for *temptation*.

Danger of the peaks

 

When we are on top of the world, we feel *invulnerable*; we are doing great, nothing can touch us.

One of my profs warned us, when we think we *can’t* *fall* we may be in the *greatest* *danger*:

 

*1 Corinthians 10:12 *  12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

The *temptations* of the peaks are *unique*.

*Pride* and *self*-*sufficiency* becomes a major temptation.

I’ve been reading “*Onward*” by Howard Shultz.

In the midst of Starbucks great success, the cracks in the foundation were ignored.

It wasn’t until the economy began to dive that they saw just how far they had gotten from their vision.

·         “Even a turkey can fly in a tornado.”

/Dave Ramsey/

 

Q   Are you in a *peak*?

Don’t mistake things *going* *well* for *success*.

Don’t *ignore* the *cracks*.

Opportunity of peaks

 

But peaks have something going for them, aside from being more fun: *Momentum*.

In the peak times, you have the energy and eagerness to do something.

Q   Have you ever had to *push* a *car* to a gas station?

When you a nice little *downward* *slope*, that is not the time to ease off, but to pick up momentum for that last little hill before the gas station.

·         Don’t *waste* that *energy* on building your *Google*+ *account*!

The good times are an opportunity not to *coast*, as we usually do, but an opportunity to *prepare* for the *inevitable* *bad* *times*.

·         Evaluate your *life*, your *mission*.

·         Evaluate your *spiritual* *life*, build spiritual *habits*.

·         Try *something* *new* in your life.

·         *Exercise*

 

Make use of this time, because “it too *shall* *pass*,” and when it passes, it can either leave you more or less *prepared* for the *troughs* and the *attacks* of the enemy.

·         Cf.

*D-Day*, getting as much supplies across before the storm.