Recently at Central, I have used the account of Martha and Mary in a couple of sermons. The imagery of that text is so relatable. Mary is sitting and listening to Jesus, while Martha is just all over the place, but doing something good. Martha is (at least) frustrated with her sister and even demands that Jesus make her do her part. Jesus, though, begins his response with “Martha, Martha.” He further tells her that she is distracted, basically because her mind is here and there. Then our Lord adds that Mary chose what was good, the “one thing” that “is necessary.” With that, Jesus added this eternal insight: “which…

During the recent lectureship at Freed-Hardeman University, our family carved out a little time between sessions to celebrate the twenty-fourth birthday of our oldest grandson. I was totally unaware of the significance of the location of our little party until a friend and brother in Christ mentioned it in a comment on the picture I posted on Facebook. When he saw the background of the picture, it reminded him of one of our family’s “inside jokes” which we have shared with others. What follows below is a version of something that I wrote for A Legacy of Faith on our grandson’s seventeenth birthday. This version has been edited quite a bit,…

My post this week just happens to coincide with a special day in the life of a special young man. Today, my son turns 18. That means that both of our kids are now legally adults. I guess that empty nest really is drawing near. Turner is a delight. Is he perfect? No. We still have things to work on. But it has been nothing short of impressive to watch him mature and to work on some of his shortcomings himself. He has a heart for doing what is right, and that is all I can ask for. When Mary Carol turned 18 something struck me, and it has struck…

Our family moved to Cookeville, Tennessee from Lawrenceburg when I was young, and while I have few clear memories of our life before that transition, those that remain are special to me. My first friends in elementary school, my first watchthrough of the original Star Wars trilogy (a core memory), the building where I first remember attending church, and many others standout in my mind. However, there is one memory that I hope I will have for the rest of my life. Actually, the image in my head is a composite of many similar days throughout the years. It always includes the swing-set in our backyard, with the woods behind…

Donna sometimes tells about an incident that dates back to the days very early in our marriage when both of us taught in a public high school. She had given her class an assignment and had refused to accept what one boy turned in. The reason for the rejection (and the failing grade) was that the boy had submitted something that was very inappropriate.  When the boy’s mother learned about this, she called Donna and let her know (in no uncertain terms), “I’ll have you know, that I did that assignment.” I suppose that she thought this would give some sort of legitimacy to her son’s project, could “bully” Donna…

Depending on the translation of the Bible with which you are familiar and/or the resource you are using his (its) name may be spelled and pronounced differently. He (it) was a god called “Molech,” “Moloch,” or “Molek.”  According to britannica.com, this was “…a Canaanite deity associated in biblical sources with the practice of child sacrifice.” We will not get into the gruesome details about how those sacrifices were carried out.  I would be surprised (and disappointed) if those who are reading this are not appalled by that information. I can almost hear the incredulous reactions. Most of those reactions would have to do with how barbaric it would be to…