Recently I started home delivery of the newspaper. It has caused me to restart an old habit: reviewing the obituaries. I don’t do it to make sure I am still alive. The practice does make me thankful that I am. I will be 71 in March. It is sobering to read the obituaries of those whose lives were so much shorter than that. It’s a truth that life is short. It’s even biblical: 29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 It’s a Divine Mystery why some lives are so short and some so much longer. My guess is that God wants to keep us on our toes. We never know when life will end. The shortness of time makes it an extremely valuable commodity. The few minutes […]
Eternal Truth and Divine Mystery
One of my favorite Christian teachers recently created quite a controversy. Francis Chan has been researching Church history. He learned, for the first time, that the early church, for several centuries, gathered in ways very unlike the modern church. In early church gatherings, communion was the centerpiece. It was much later that the pulpit took center stage. Chan also believes the early church considered the bread and wine literally to be the body and blood of Jesus. Church historians differ on that point. All Christians believe that at the Last Supper, Jesus established an important tradition and commanded His followers to do “this in memory of me.” Some believe that communion is a simple memorial. Others believe in transubstantiation, that the bread and wine become miraculously the body and blood of Jesus. The middle view is that Jesus is especially present during communion, more than just a memorial, less than transubstantiation. I lack the knowledge, inspiration or courage to hash out these differences and take a firm position. I am concerned about the vicious attacks on Chan. He has been called a “heretic” and worse. I have Christian brothers who hold different views of communion. Yes, I call them […]
Gainfully Employed
 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 We all Have personal assignments. We may be pastors or teachers or something less prominent but equally important. We all have a general assignment. It’s maybe here that most fail. We are called to testify to tell our story. We are to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful life.” Isn’t our story our greatest weapon. Theology can be debated. Argument can be ignored. Our experience is undeniable. The challenge is our tell has to be consistent with our walk. In fact our walk has to come first. We are chosen, royal, and holy. We need to walk that. The chosen walk confidently. The royal walk in power. The holy walk in quiet blamelessness. We are on assignment. Let’s act like it. Let’s be gainfully employed.
Your Everlasting Light
The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Isaiah 60:19 I have taken melatonin the last couple of nights to straighten out my sleep patterns. It works great. It’s a chemical reproduction of a natural body substance. When we are young and healthy, when it gets dark we produce melatonin to advise our bodies that it’s time to go to sleep. There is little wonder that so many of us suffer from sleep issues. We are rarely in the dark. I even take my phone to bed. We need the dark to get the sleep we need to function to full capacity when the light returns. When I was a kid my aunt took me to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. We took the tour and when we were at the greatest depth, the guide turned out the lights. It was the deepest, blackest darkness I can remember. He lit his cigarette lighter and it was the brightest flame I had ever seen. Light is not recognizable without darkness. This is true of emotional […]
An Enlarged Path
You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. Psalm 18:36 There is a step leading to our carport. It doesn’t take much rain for that area to flood and fill with mud. I have tried everything I can think of to keep this from happening. I know one day I will fix this problem. In the meantime, I have placed some squared blocks that Rose and I can step on when this flood/muddy condition exists. This works as a temporary solution. (We have been in this house for 30 years. “Temporary” is in the mind of the beholder.) Of course, when we use the blocks we have to be very careful. That path is much narrower than the sidewalk. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6. I tend to think of this in the broadest sense. He is, after all, the only “way” to the Father. However, He also provides a very specific path for our lives. This path is not meant to be a test or a punishment. It’s just the best and safest way to Him. Like most paths, it tends to be narrow and […]
Moody
I can be moody. That is “given to unpredictable changes of mood, especially sudden bouts of gloominess or sullenness.” It’s common in teens, and I guess in 70 somethings. I read that, if temporary, it’s normal. I find bad moods are generally situational. If there is an obvious reason for your feelings, that’s not a mood. That’s a reaction to a problem. Deal with the problem. Some causes of a bad mood aren’t so obvious. Am I feeling guilty about something? Maybe an apology is in order or maybe I just need to accept the forgiveness that’s already there. Have I been rejected? Small rejections aren’t always obvious. Is someone not returning my calls or texts? Has no one “liked” my awesome post on Facebook. Usually, this isn’t rejection. People are just busy. Do I have things I really need to be doing? Make a plan. Have a to-do list. The process of putting together or reviewing a to-do list can often banish the blues. Decide what you really need to do and what should be done now and what later on. Can you delegate? Is this someone else’s responsibility? Am I really the only one who thinks this […]
It’s Just A Game
Tonight LSU and Clemson play for the National Championship. I’m a football fan and I know it’s a big deal. I’m not a particular fan of either team, but I have been looking forward to tonight for some time. I get two newspapers delivered and each has had an entire supplement every day for a week on this game. I know millions will be bet. I know blood pressures will rise. Work productivity will drop. School absentees will occur. In fact, some will be closed. I get it. It’s a big deal BUT It’s just a game. I say this not because my team isn’t in it, although that would certainly make it a bigger game. I say it not to diminish the excitement or take away from the pride in just being in the national championship game. I say it because it’s such a good reminder of what is really important. For everyone, including the team and coaches, there are more important things than this game. For the rest of us, there are many more important things. I won’t be pompous or holier-than-thou enough to tell you what those things are. That’s too personal. During half-time, I plan […]
Alert, Armed and Available
We know that we are in a fight and that the battle is the Lords. Where does that leave us? What are we to do? Surely we have a part. I believe our part is to be Alert, Armed and Available. ALERT Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8. Satan, like a lion, can approach in stealth. We need to be on alert, keeping an eye out for him. We are called to be fearless, but not foolish. Sometimes, a lion uses a different technique. He makes his presence known and roars to raise fear in any creature that may be around. A frightened creature can make a mistake. Instead of laying low in a place of safety, he may make a run for it making his presence known and allowing the lion to pounce. We can also be so Satan aware that we see him when he’s not there. The “devil made me do it” is sometimes, but not always true. We need to be alert to our failings and tendencies to sin. ARMED 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his […]