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  • Lessons From The Potter's House

    Michael J. Brooks|Aug 1, 2015

    Abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher brought an arm-load of chains and manacles to the pulpit one Sunday. He threw them to the floor and the sound reverberated throughout the auditorium. "God have mercy on a nation that puts men and women in the chains of slavery," he thundered. Another memorable visual occurred in the Old Testament. The prophet Jeremiah stood before the leaders of Judah and smashed a clay vessel into hundreds of pieces. "Thus says the Lord," he thundered. "Judgment is coming and the...

  • Partners With God

    Michael J. Brooks|Jun 1, 2015

    A children's worker spoke to a group recently about innovative teaching. She said an intrepid Sunday School teacher brought fish sticks, a loaf of bread and a toaster oven to the class. She heated the fish and let the children slather them with ketchup. She then taught about Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish. His parents asked one little boy what he learned that day. "We learned about when Jesus fed the crowd with fish sticks and Wonder Bread!" he said. John is the only gospel...

  • Robert Schuller And Me

    Michael J. Brooks|May 1, 2015

    I was saddened to hear of Robert Schuller's passing last week. In his heyday he was a preacher to the nation, including many of the nation's leaders. Politicians and Hollywood celebrities came to be interviewed by him on TV, and he was the minister the family called to visit John Wayne when he lay on his deathbed. Schuller began his work in Southern California preaching at a drive-in theatre with the mantra, "Come as you are in the family car." Then he built the Crystal Cathedral--an all-glass...

  • A Friday To Remember

    Michael J. Brooks|Apr 1, 2015

    The wind in my face was bitterly cold in downtown Dallas a few years ago. My continuing education classes had ended at the seminary in nearby Ft. Worth, so the afternoon was free for some sightseeing. A chill came over me independent of the temperature when I walked onto Dealey Plaza and saw firsthand those sights emblazoned in my memory: Elm Street, the triple overpass and the sixth floor window. I thought back to that terrible Friday in November, 1963. Our class had just returned from lunch...

  • Enjoy Your Snow Cream

    Michael J. Brooks|Feb 1, 2014

    A colleague told about her daughter scooping up the snow in her hands and eating it. Her mom told her not to do this since the snow had dirt and grass in it. The little girl, recently diagnosed with diabetes and pretty adept at watching carbs, said, "But mommy, snow doesn't have any carbs!" Her mom relented and told her to enjoy this treat. This story reminded me of a childhood long ago when we were warned not to eat snow cream--a concoction our parents made with snow, sugar and milk. The...