The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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After forty-five years of serving as a Pastor, I have asked myself what is the key to successful Christian living? Having served in small towns and large, churches of different backgrounds and styles, with Christians young and old as well as rich and poor, along with people from all kinds of personal experiences, one trait seems to cross all the individual, cultural and religious lines. It is one most often desired and available to all, but yet remains out of the grasp of those who do not seek...
Someone said, “When those who have been around longest share their experiences in life’s journey, our future paths become more understandable.” There’s truth in those words which can apply to many areas of life, including our faith journey. As one who has worked at my own pilgrimage and given my life to help others do so for many years, I would like to offer some observations about the Christian journey. First, a journey of uncertainty requires direction. I am amazed that many people begin t...
The subject of this article reminds me of that night in the summer of 1969 I sat with awe watching that grainy picture on a small television screen of Buzz Aldrin and Neal Armstrong landing on the moon. I am sure you remember with me those famous words, “That’s one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind.” We tend to revere special people for their accomplishments, especially heroes like Armstrong and Aldrin. However, they would never have made it to the moon by independence. Neith...
“Freedom and responsibility are not mutually exclusive, but rather, mutually complimentary.” Both are Biblically based ideas and necessary practices as we Christians understand our relationship to God and our fellow man. The prophet Micah verbalized it this way, “He has showed thee, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) We hear voices on the extreme ends of the spectrum of discussion in our...
I know it’s hot outside, after all, it’s June. However, the title of this article may be a bit misleading. It’s really not about summer heat, but heat of a whole different kind, the heat of a man-made furnace. No doubt you are familiar with one of the most dramatic and exciting stories in the Bible. It comes out of the book of Daniel. You will remember the incredible experience of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were thrown into the fiery furnace. As far from reality as it might seem, it is a...
Just recently two incidents on airlines involving conflicts between passengers and employees took place. One involved removing a passenger who did not want to give up his seat by force. He was injured in the process and the airline has suffered significant criticism and loss of value in the process in addition to the lawsuit which will follow. The other involved a passenger who was struck with a baby stroller due to an over-zealous employee taking control of a situation. Instead of making...
Anyone who reads or hears the story of Easter can't help but be confronted with what Dennis Davidson called the “Paradox of the Passion.” A paradox is “a statement which superficially seems to be contradictory, impossible, even absurd, yet beyond the superficial is in reality true.” It is above all else inconsistent with common sense and yet is nevertheless factual. It is, as some would say, the last thing in the world you would ever expect.” Who would have ever thought God would come to live o...
As you read this article I will have recently returned from a visit again to Israel, the land of our Lord, with a fine group of people from our area. It is hard to describe to someone who has not been there the unique and special appeal of this tiny piece of arid geography tucked in an out-of-the-way corner of the earth along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. This remarkable land has cradled the faith of three major world religions, Judaism, the Muslim religion and Christianity. “To th...
February is known as the month of love with the annual mid-month celebration of Valentine’s Day. Love is certainly one of the most powerful emotions God gave us. Most of us enjoy the love of others and find happiness in returning love. But there is another powerful emotion we are less capable of managing well within the framework of our Christian faith. That is anger. Let’s start here with a question. What is your pet peeve? Everyone has one. One of the most frustrating to me is telemarketers. Y...
A few months ago prior to the national election, I wrote an article about decisions our country must make in light of the well know verse from II Chronicles, “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The election is over and now we are about to inaugurate a new President. America turns a new page and begins writing a new chapter in its his...
As we make our journey through the Advent Season, one symbol is pre-eminent—LIGHT! Tree lights, candle lights, houses, buildings, and malls are all decorated with lights. Perhaps it’s a parable of our times that we are rarely without some form of light. I suppose we ought to thank Edison for that. It is said that after thousands of experiments, when he finally achieved this monumental breakthrough that would affect all of human history, Edison heard the shrill voice of his wife cry out, “For goo...
An elderly gentleman was sitting on a park bench, basking in the sun, when another elderly fellow sat down. They looked at each other for a moment but did not speak. Both men sat there, staring straight ahead. After a while, one of them heaved a big, heartfelt sigh. The other jumped up immediately and said, "If you’re going to talk politics, I’m leaving." I’m not going to talk politics...so don’t quit reading! But what I am going to do is remind you that Christian’s had better be informed...
Each time I visit my Optometrist my face ends up looking into an instrument which is like a large bowl turned on the side. This test has a fancy name, “automated perimetry.” While my head is still, the person being tested has to stare straight ahead while tiny lights of different intensities are flashed from random points in your vision field. Pressing a button indicates that the user sees the light. The purpose of this instrument is to test for blind spots and the extent of peripheral vis...
Of all the people in the world, what group enjoys the greatest amount of freedom? “Americans” might be the preferred answer, although some people in other places might disagree. Strangely, however, the answer has nothing to do with borders within which someone lives. Of all the people in the world, those who enjoy the greatest amount of freedom are Christians. In fact, Christians living under an atheistic dictator enjoy more freedom than a person without faith living right in America. Of course,...
If you have ever been a parent, do you remember those conversations you wish you didn't have to have? Maybe it was about abusing a privilege, an accident in the car, failing grades in college or some other unanticipated circumstance of life. I never looked forward to any of them and upon reflection, am sure neither did my parents when it fell to their place to speak to me. The subject of evil is one of those topics none of us really look forward to talking about either. How much more enjoyable i...
Continued from page 1A Evil exists in our world today! It always has existed and always will exist until the Lord calls a halt to this world as we know it! Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The times are evil; that is, there is much that is evil in them. It would be to our shame and discredit if we failed to recognize that evil; if we wrapped ourselves in a foolish optimism and failed to war with heart and strength against that evil.” We have been timid too long and failed miserably to app...
America is at a crossroads again. We are watching the system designed by our forefathers in the Constitution strained like never before. Instead of choosing between good and better in leadership, we find ourselves bitterly divided so that compromise to find the best direction for the country whoever is elected this fall as President seems unlikely, if not impossible. The same kind of unrivaled partisanship filters down through both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court where the choices boil...
One of the most sobering events of life for me was becoming a father. There is obvious responsibility that goes with marriage, but marriage is also about partnership and sharing life's ventures. However, with a child, there is a weight of responsibility like nothing else in life. A parent has one chance to shape a life which will affect what happens for generations as well as an eternal destiny. Unfortunately many homes in America are suffering from the phantom father. A man is present who may...
The question was asked in a class of eager preschoolers, “What makes a happy home?” “A cat,” answered one four-year old. “Brownies,” answered a blue-eyed blond with cute pig tails. “Lots of love,” stated another. Finally the teacher’s eyes fell on a hand in the back corner of the room. “Yes, Dennis,” she said. “What makes a happy home?” “Lots of peanut butter and ants in the kitchen!” came the reply. You don’t have to be a psychologist to imagine what must have recently happened at his house....
Everyone has a pet peeve. One of mine is telemarketers. Telemarketers are both resolute and resilient sales professionals. Their job is to get on the phone to make cold calls and try to sell a product or a service. They do not give up easily. If you do not pick up the phone they will call you again. If they encounter your answering machine, they may leave a recorded message but you can be assured they will call again. Perhaps you are like me. You don’t like professional sales callers and just as...
In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced...
In his book, Mastery, Eli Stanley Jones says, “The art of living is the least learned of all arts.” We have learned the art of existing, working, getting by with half-answers, but we know little about how to live up to life with all its demands, and have a sense of adequacy. Unfortunately, many who claim to be Christians seem to have about as much trouble with life as unbelievers. This is in contrast to the words of Jesus when He promised, “I have come that you might have life and that you m...
Nikos Kazantzakis is an odd Greek name some of us may not recognize. Perhaps you know his work better than his name. Among other books, he wrote Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ. In his autobiography he outlines three prayers. The words go like this: “I am a bow in your hands, Lord, draw me, lest I rot.” “Do not overdraw me, Lord, for I shall break.” “Overdraw me, Lord, and who cares if I break.” Let me explain these words as I understand them. They are like three kinds of pr...
As we have now arrived into the Christmas season, I heard a new word describing these weeks before the big celebration. It is “anticipointment.” You won’t find it in a dictionary or thesaurus. But I suspect all of us can identify with what it means. The coined word reminds us this season is filled with a wide array of emotions from excited anticipation to frustrating disappointment. During this season, perhaps more so than any other time of year, our emotions are stirred in so many ways. Conside...
It is a pretty simple conclusion to make. Good habits bless us and bad habits hurt us. For example, brushing your teeth, regular exercise, wearing your seat belt and watching your spending will help you immensely in the long run. Likewise, the opposite is likely to bring heartache and suffering. This month we are thinking of one of the most important habits you can ever develop. It will always bless you and others at the same time. It is the habit of thanksgiving. One writer described it as the...
