The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Did you know that 63% of Americans think that the Christmas season should include participating in a Christmas worship experience in a church? And have you heard another very interesting statistic, 7 in 10 Americans believe that Christmas would be a better experience if it had a more Christian focus? Those stats do not surprise me at all. Why? Because deep down, I believe, that most folks know that there is something very beautiful, hopeful and mysterious about Christmas. They sense that this...
We have all heard the Good News Bad News jokes. One of my favorites is this one: Doctor: I have good news and bad news. Patient: Tell me the good news first. Doctor: You have 24 hours to live. Patient: What!?! How can that be good news? So, What is the bad news? Doctor: I forgot to tell you yesterday! My wife, Janeese, and I went on an exploratory trip to Uganda and Kenya this past Summer with Compassion International. We learned so much about the current plight of children in various parts of...
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...
Marcus Luttrell, a former Navy Seal, wrote a book about the deadliest day in Navy Seal history. The book was entitled Lone Survivor and was later made into a very successful movie starring Matt Wahlberg as Marcus Luttrell. Marcus and three other Navy Seals were sent on a secret mission into the mountains of Afghanistan in 2005 to attack top Taliban leaders who were gathering in a small village for a high level meeting. It was supposed to be a quick in and out mission. But things went south...
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...
A friend kept encouraging me to read “The Shack” so I could discuss it with her. I told her I don’t read much fiction and kept putting her off. But I found the DVD at the local library last week and watched this version of William P. Young’s 2007 book. I must say, though the viewing took two nights, it was hard to hit “pause” and go to bed! “The Shack” deals with tragedy when a little girl is kidnapped and murdered. In this regard, the book isn’t sugar-coated. Tragedy is part and parcel of life,...
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...
Where has the summer gone? Area schools open their doors again soon, to the chagrin of many students and to the delight of many parents. It was always a depressing time for me as a child when the more relaxed summer schedule was done! Christians go to school, too, for the New Testament calls us “disciples.” This word has two meanings: to follow and to learn. As someone noted, the followers of Christ are branded on their ears and feet, for we hear his voice and we follow him. Jesus, the master te...
“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...
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to celebrate our first 100 years of independence. Lady Liberty is 305 feet tall--the height of a 22 story building. It arrived by ship in 214 crates and was painstakingly constructed in New York harbor. Many of us remember the rededication of the monument in 1986. Former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca headed an effort to raise money for extensive reworking. President Reagan superintended the ceremony of rededication. He lauded the American republic that is...
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...
It’s among the shortest verses in the New Testament, and it’s also filled with some mystery. Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Mrs. Lot is a minor figure in the Old Testament. We don’t even know her name. We only know she looked back at the burning Sodom and died Some believe this word is about disobedience; that is, God told Lot’s family not to look back and that’s all we need to know. In this regard, it would be like our first parents in Eden who were told not to eat of the tree...
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...
I first heard the story years ago on Christian television when the author, Bob Benson of Nashville Christian music fame, told it. He called it the baloney sandwich story. And it's still a good one. A man had to work half a day one Saturday and belatedly remembered the church picnic was that afternoon at City Park. Since he lived alone and didn't cook much, all he found in the refrigerator was a crinkled piece of baloney and just enough mustard in the bottom of the jar to get it all over his...
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...
The ancient patriarch Job felt all alone in his suffering. He said, “Oh, that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat (Job 23: 2)! I’ve heard people echo Job’s lament over the years. “Where is God when I need him?” or “God doesn’t hear my prayers!” or “What did I do to deserve this?” We’re human and forsakenness is a common emotion in our humanity. “Nobody knows the sorrow I’ve seen,” the old spiritual says. But we find an interesting take from the apologist C. S. Lewis...
Karen Carpenter was the preeminent voice of the 70s. Along with her brother Richard she sold 160 million record albums. Karen sang love songs. “We’ve Only Just Begun” has been used at countless weddings over the years since she introduced it to the world. But in his book, “Little Girl Blue,” Randy L. Schmidt revealed that Karen Carpenter searched for love and never seemed to find it. Another of her songs is autobiographic: “I'll say goodbye to love / no one ever cared if I should live or die...
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...
He was deacon chairman in the church when I became the pastor. I was young and impressionable, and he made an impression on me. I still quote Horace, though he's been in heaven for many years, when I jokingly refer to the Sunday worship guide as the "bullington" as he did. Horace had a sense of humor, but everyone knew he loved the Lord and his church. One day his wife Ruth told me the season of the year we were in at the time--summer--was particularly hard for Horace. I asked her what she...
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...
We'll soon hear about the new president's "first 100 days." Writer Thurston Clarke published a history in 2013 not of the president’s first 100 days, but of his last 100 days. The president is John Kennedy and the book documents what JFK was doing day-by-day before the tragedy of Dallas. Clarke pulled together narratives from many sources and many cities. The reader feels a sense of dread as the days tick by and November 22 approaches. An intriguing aspect of this book is the initiatives Kennedy...
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...
I traveled to a Tennessee prison last weekend to visit a cousin. My sister engineered our trip, and we picked up our cousin's brother en route and had a nice day, despite the major purpose of our excursion. I learned that other family members had been reluctant to go through the process of approval and to visit. I remembered once hearing a radio host fielding a call from a lady who'd distanced herself from relatives who had a family member in jail. "I don't want to be around them and I don't...
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...
