The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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I must admit I found it just as addictive as I'd been told. When I began watching "Making A Murderer," I could hardly stop until I'd digested all ten hours. The series tells the story of Steven Avery of Manitowoc, Wisconsin who spent 18 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit. A single strand of hair provided enough DNA evidence to exonerate him. He proceeded to file a lawsuit against those who prosecuted him and suddenly found himself accused of another murder. Avery's mentally-challenged...
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...
I'm convinced the greatest detriment to faith is the problem of pain. "Why do the righteous suffer?" is a question as old as the book of Job. And it still befuddles serious-minded people who consider faith. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians about his "thorn." We think of a thorn as a slight irritation easily removed with fingers or tweezers. But New Testament scholar William Barclay argued that the word can also mean "stake." It was common to impale one's enemies or criminals in the Roman...
Christmas is past, and the new year is upon us. And what a year 2016 promises to be. A year of challenge. And opportunity. Every new year’s sunrise represents the dawning of fresh opportunity. Have you compiled your list of resolutions yet? Almost half of American adults make resolutions. We commonly vow to lose weight, stop smoking, get better organized and keep better financial records. But consider a few more possible resolutions for the new year. (1) Go on a TV diet. Turn off the t...
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 was a modest motion picture released in 1983 without much anticipation that it would be a block-buster, but the star won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe award for best actor the following year. In "Tender Mercies," Robert Duvall played Mac Sledge, a washed -up country and western singer ruined by alcohol. Sledge found a new family when he married a widow, Rosa, played by Tess Harper, and new faith when he was baptized at the local church. He also reached out to his long-lost...
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...
Teachers take care to include every conceivable guideline in the class syllabus. I suppose years ago syllabuses used to cover pulling a girl's pigtails and chewing gum, but these days other issues are addressed. At one school we carried on a running dialogue about cell phones. Some teachers thought they should be banned outright from the classroom and others thought this was a losing battle, especially when students could quickly look up a fact or a date if the teacher needed help. And it's impo...
Although the election of a new President for this great country is just over a year away, the pushing, shoving, and promoting of candidates is well under way. This fall we will see a number of political debates from candidates in both parties. While few of us find pleasure in the give and take of politics, it is a time of testing to find the ones who will become the candidates from which we select our leader. My real concern in writing this article is that the Christian community does not get...
Bob Harrington, the former "Chaplain of Bourbon Street," preached one night and advertised his sermon title in the local newspaper: "Three Places Where There's No Problem With Racism." This was in the civil rights era and our nation was fixated on this problem. Hundreds came that night to hear Harrington. He touched on his announced theme only in the first paragraph of his sermon: "The three places where there's no problem with racism are heaven, hell, and the heart of a Christian." Then Harring...
Just in the last few days we have heard again about a surfer on the beach who saw two girls in trouble in an undertow just down the beach. Immediately he went into the water and was able to save the girls who were almost out of strength from fighting the current and who would have certainly drowned. We don’t know if there were any red flags up on that beach to warn swimmers of the danger. We do know that swimmers who ignore such warnings are often in trouble and some of them lose their lives b...
I was probably the only one sitting in Sunday School yesterday thinking of Charles Manson. Manson was the crazed cult leader who directed two terrible mass murders in 1969. I read Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" years ago, and the author explained how Manson used the Bible to brainwash his followers. Our scripture yesterday was Revelation 9. John wrote about scorpions who torment the ungodly in the days of God's wrath. It's scary stuff. Manson had a unique interpretation according to...
One of the great challenges as a Pastor is to help people walk through the unexpected difficulties of life, particularly with reference to their faith. It is often in those times we discover the real meaning of our faith. Whether it is the illness of children, the accidents of life, the unexpected deaths, the reversals of health, the challenges of a changing economy or the potential of losing a job because of Christian convictions, trusting Jesus is not as easy as it might seem. In fact, if...
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...
What is patriotism to a Christian? It is more than singing patriotic songs, waving the flag, and feeling emotionally stirred over our nation’s heritage. As we come to celebrate this Independence Day, let’s consider some things distinctive to Christian patriots. Christian patriotism isn’t hostility but firm convictions. It’s very easy to demonize those who take opposing stands with regard to political issues. The conflict between our two political parties isn’t as simple as a struggle between g...
Richard Lieder and David Shapiro in their book, Replacing Your Bags, tell of a middle-aged man who spent several years making the transition from being laid off as the head of a staff department in a private corporation to teaching at a small liberal arts college. He talked about his future. He had tears in his eyes as he said, “Some people when they realize they are about to die, say, ‘Oh no!’ I’m not going to be one of those. I’m taking the risk now to create the second half of my life. I h...
My friend David Dykes reminded me of a funny story about a man who rushed into a toy store late one evening to buy a Barbie doll for his daughter who had a birthday the next morning. The saleslady said, “Well, you have several to choose from. This is the Tennis Barbie; it’s $20. The Ballet Barbie and the Beach Barbie are also $20 each. We have a new item called the Divorced Barbie, and she sells for $265.” The man said, “Why is the Divorced Barbie so much more expensive?” The saleslady...
Some of you know it was my privilege to lead another group on a pilgrimage to the Land of our Lord earlier this year. What a tremendous blessing it was to walk where Jesus walked, not necessarily in the same steps, but in the same places and in the same land. Among the most moving experiences we shared was the visit to the empty tomb. While that may not have been the exact tomb, it was obviously a tomb near the place most of us believe the crucifixion occurred and belonged to a wealthy...
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...
To think about one’s death is a sobering reality. Some may even want to read no further learning the subject of this article. A friend put it this way, “Didn’t they realize that to die is to die, whether you are seventeen, forty-nine or one hundred and ten years old? Didn’t they know our death is our death and that each one of us has to die?” It is something we will only have once so we probably need to give some thought to it. As a Pastor of many years, I am well acquainted with death fro...
I once had the privilege of meeting Art Linkletter. Many of you will remember his famous interviews with children and his book, Kids Say the Darndest Things. It’s interesting to find out what kids think about marriage. In answering the age-old question about whether it is better to be single or married, Anita, age 9, answered with some good insight: “It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.” And, when asked how best to make a marriag...
Have you ever known more uncertain times? We look at the domestic front and problems abound. Almost every week there is a new crisis whether in government, a health scare, tension within communities, crime, poverty and economic insecurity. Just as unstable is the condition of our world from the troubles from North Korea to terrorism in the Mideast. Many don’t have to look beyond their front door to find uncertainty brought about through joblessness, marital difficulty, child abuse or good s...
Someone said, "The most commonly misused and misapplied word in the language of man, is 'LOVE'. If that is so, then surely the second most misused and misapplied word is, 'PEACE'." Josh Liebman made a list as a young man of all the things he wanted in life. It was quite long and detailed including health, love, talent, usefulness and various accumulations of things. A wise old friend of the family looked at the list and said, "Joshua, this is an excellent list, set down in a reasonable order, bu...
What’s the first thing which comes to mind when you think of November? For me, it’s Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is filled with grand memories of family together and fabulous meals. As I have come to look at life from a longer perspective, it seems that it was easier to celebrate Thanksgiving than to be truly thankful. Thanksgiving was never intended to be a one-day holiday, but rather, a pause from life to express together thanks for the blessings which are ours throughout the year. As peo...
