In 2 Kings 1, the wicked king Ahaziah has taken the throne following his father’s death. The names of his parents, Ahab and Jezebel, have become synonymous with the corruption, idolatry, and evil that dragged the northern kingdom of Israel away from God and towards destruction for centuries. Now that Ahab has been killed, the first book of Kings ends and the second book of Kings begins with statements of his son’s wickedness. Ahaziah’s reign was brief; 1 Kings 22:51 states that he was king for only 2 years, and 2 Kings 1:2 opens the narrative by describing an injury that would eventually prove fatal. Following said injury, Ahaziah makes…

…is you don’t usually know where it is. It was on this date in 1932 that the United States, in the midst of the Great Depression, hit one low point in that awful series of events. On July 8, 1932 the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached its lowest point of the entire Great Depression. It closed that day at 41.22 (By way of comparison, during the major plunge at the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak of this year, the same index–the DJIA–never closed at a level lower than 18,000 and now sits at around 26,000.) But I just have to wonder, when that amazingly low number was hit in 1932,…

In 1968, our nation was divided because of the continuing involvement in the war in Vietnam. In that same year, Eric Burden & The Animals released a song entitled “Sky Pilot.” At best, that song poked fun at the role of military chaplains. It probably is not much of an exaggeration to suggest that the song made those who served in that capacity the objects of outright ridicule and derision.  The song strongly suggested that the role of military chaplains basically was to speak platitudes to those who were going into harm’s way. Those who heard the platitudes might be going on a mission from which they would never return alive while the…

Before all the coronavirus shutdowns, Central spent some time emphasizing personal evangelism in a very important series. We spent a few Sunday nights with sermons–the subjects of which you would likely expect. Then, though, we spent a few Sunday nights demonstrating a few methods that we feel are simple but effective. Then…the shutdowns happened, and we are praying we don’t lose all our momentum! But, before the shutdowns, we were also involved in a building project. We have been expanded our lobby space and moving things around to make a new nursery and creating a small balcony (where the nursery used to be). This Sunday, Lord willing, we’ll meet in…

I recently read an online article from The Atlantic that I found interesting.  The title was… After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted Six date seeds as old as the Dead Sea Scrolls are now flourishing as trees on a kibbutz. Below a picture of some date-palm trees, the article provides some information about some seeds found at ancient archaeological sites. Some of these seeds have been planted in recent years. According to the article, “These seeds, according to radiocarbon dating, were about 2,000 years old.” The article explains that some researchers planted some of the more well-preserved seeds. It also discusses the surprise of the researchers about the fact that some…

This is one of those times when I am going to have to ask our readers to stick with my often-strange train of thought. I hope it will be beneficial to those who do. We begin with summer yard work … I bought myself a power washing wand–not a pressure washer, you understand, because those are too expensive–but a power wand that you attach to your regular garden hose. And, boy do I love it! It is much easier to use than a pressure washer and it was one of those rare times when the bargain buy actually does the job you were hoping it would. It is so satisfying…

At Central, we have been meeting in person for five weeks, but we have had to have two services. It looks like that will be changing in the next couple of weeks. Many other congregations are doing similar things (holding more than one service), some have not met in person yet, and others have begun meeting again, but are still seeing very small numbers. All of those are very understandable and leaders of each congregation should be commended for their thoughtful and prayerful consideration of very delicate matters. However, as more congregations prepare to reopen (or to resume more normal schedules), I have a few things that I would like…