Church Life
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Is Thanksgiving Over?
The turkey is all gone. The other left-overs have all been eaten or are growing fuzz in their containers in the refrigerator. The blow-up mattresses have all been deflated and put back in their containers. The blankets and extra pillows are back on the closet shelf. The sheets, towels, and tablecloths are all washed and back in the linen closets. Games and songbooks are neatly stored in the cabinet and basket in which they live. The noise and laughter of eleven people being under one roof is gone and the house is very quiet again. The memories of funny stories and actions live on in our minds, but Thanksgiving 2017 is over. Those of…
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What is Your Identity?
We live in a time of labels. Everyone has to have an identity and we seem to want to group together with people based on certain labels. More than that, we live in times where we are continually standing for “rights” or “privileges” based on those labels. Some are gender-based. Some are based on ethnicity or skin color. Many in our modern culture base their identity on their sexuality. We describe ourselves by our jobs, or marital status, teams we root for, and more. It seems that, unless we fit into a certain category, we aren’t accepted by today’s world. It’s almost as if you have to check just the…
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The Peacemaker
Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He went to Rome and found chaos in the streets. The commotion was over the gladiators. He was amazed that four centuries after Christ had come people were still killing each other for sport. When he arrived at the Coliseum the gladiators were shouting, “Hail Caesar, we will die for Caesar.” He jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said: “In the name of Christ, forbear.” The crowd protested and began to shout, “Run him through, Run him through.” A gladiator came over and hit…
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But Daniel — Then Daniel
Most of us will never be in a place of prominence like Daniel. I have no illusions about ever being “…the third ruler in the kingdom…” (Dan. 5:29). I don’t have any expectations about my words or actions ever being reported by the national news media. While our “sphere of influence” may not be as large as his, our Lord expects that influence to be positive (cf. Matt. 5:13-16). It seems to me that there are a couple of things learned from Daniel that can help us to do that. In the opening verses of the book that bears his name, we learn about a number of young men who were taken…
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Some Thoughts about Your Money This Holiday Season
It’s hard sometimes to stop long enough to think hard about who you really are. We are all wrapped up in this culture. And because we are in it we let everything around us dictate our behavior. We wind up being so swept up in the world that we do everything just like everyone else. I think the holidays are the ultimate example of this reality. Take this into consideration: On Valentine’s Day, we go to the restaurant. On July the 4th we go to the lake. On Thanksgiving, we go to grandma’s house. And the day after Thanksgiving for about a month we go to the store. I want to…
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Too Thankful to Sleep
I proved a song wrong recently. It was just after 2:30 in the morning, and my phone rang. It was a wrong number, but it woke me up and jarred me enough that I struggled to fall back asleep. My mind was racing. After a little while, my mind thought of some lyrics from the classic movie “White Christmas:” When I get worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. Then I fall asleep counting my blessings. It was the middle of the night, so I figured I’d give it a try. I started to think of blessings, reminding myself that “every good and every perfect…
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Are You the Victim of a One-Way Relationship?
Over twenty years of counseling has brought some valuable insights to my ministry. One of those insights is that those who are struggling with their loved ones often feel as if they are in a one-way relationship. I’m not just speaking here of husbands and wives. I’m talking about all relationships: dating couples, parent-to-child and child-to-parent, sibling-to-sibling and friend-to-friend. People get hurt when they are constantly giving and not receiving. They feel unloved and unappreciated. They often come to the conclusion that their love is unrequited and that the other person in this relationship doesn’t really know who they are or what they truly care about. This all translates to…
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Not a Holiday or An Attitude
This week, our nation celebrates my very favorite holiday. It is not “marred” by some of the manmade legends and superstitions of other holidays. Neither has it (yet) become commercialized as much as other holidays. Thanksgiving, at least in our family, is a day that loved ones get together and enjoy some time together. There are no gifts to be exchanged. There are, at least in most families, no elaborate ceremonies or rituals. People who love one another get to relax (except for those who spend hours cooking), share memories, make memories, and, hopefully, spend some time expressing gratitude to God for the blessings we have. During this season, it is not uncommon to be…
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The Value of Complete Information
I have been sick. Like really sick. The kind where I actually missed worship and work and skipped fun family things. Through this experience, I have reaffirmed the need for complete information. Allow me to explain. Last Thursday, after not feeling well for about 24 hours, I finally gave in and went to the doctor once I began to run a fever. I felt very “flu-y.” However, I tested negative for both strep and flu so they looked at my white blood count to determine if my problem was viral or bacterial. The white blood count showed bacterial, so with the information available, I was given a general antibiotic and…
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What Does Your Arguing Prove?
On March 13, 1904, a statue of Jesus was placed on the border of Argentina and Chile. Known as “Christ of the Andes” – the monument stood for peace between the two countries. But the confrontational, self-preserving nature of man soon reared its ugly head. The Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted because the statue had its back turned to Chile. Thankfully, one Chilean newspaper saved the day. One of its columnists wrote an editorial that not only satisfied his countrymen, but made them laugh. It read – “The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans.” – Bits & Pieces, June 25, 1992. Isn’t…
