Straight Ahead

Of Hymns and Hymnals

2007-11-11T06:25:00.000-06:00

These days, it's hard to find a good hymnal. We have those of the mainline denominations which have their own liberal bias. They are usually obsessed with their need to be "politically correct." They omit hymns with any military imagery, or other references which they find offensive. Their language must be gender-neutral. Their collections of hymns are theologically slanted toward social messages and modern symbolism which is often hard to follow. As a result, they are not usually very good literature. These hymn books also contain collections of modern hymns which meet these criteria, but which few congregations know or would even care to sing. Then, there are the other hymnals, often produced by independent publishers, attempting to capture the more evangelical church market. They are not obsessed by the need for gender-neutral language; but they do feel the urge to be contemporary and relevant. One result of this is that they try to purge hymns of all language that smacks of the King James Version of the Bible. And since they do want to seem socially relevant, they may include many hymns that are left out of the more liberal hymnals, but with a twist--to make them more acceptable to modern sensibilities. In either case, you wind up with many hymns which purport to be what they in fact are not. Some of the names are the same, but the hymns are effectively rewritten to reflect 21st-century sensibilities. I prefer the older hymnals. I know that even in the older hymn books, the verses which were actually used for certain hymns could vary. But at least, they were not often changed. The choice of hymns would reflect certain biases of a committee or publisher; but at least, the familiar words were not ripped to shreds for essentially political reasons. The theology reflected in those hymns was more in keeping with traditional teachings of the churches. These days, whether trying to appeal to a certain kind of evangelical on the conservative side of the spectrum or the more liberal and "progressive" Christians of another ilk, those who compile and publish hymn books seem to be trying to outdo one another in tampering with the musical heritage of the church. The big losers in all this will be the next generation of Christians.

2 Thessalonians 2, selected verses; November 6-12, Year C:

2007-11-05T12:38:00.000-06:00

This passage testifies to the certainty of dark days for the church near the end of the present age. There will be great deception, with Christians following false christs, and with many rebelling against the true faith. There will be delusions and false teachings, and great falling away. I'm sure that these things happen to a greater or lesser extent during every phase of church history; so to some degree, when we see these things happen in our own day, we are right to be on our guard and to be watchful for the Second Coming of Christ. But we dare not be so presumptuous as to predict times or days or years or seasons. Nowhere does the Bible give us warrant to do that. At the same time, this chapter closes on a hopeful note. It speaks of those who have been chosen from before the foundation of the world who will be sanctified and preserved. All of the elements of God's sovereignty are here--His love, His preservation, His election, His decrees. To some, these truths speak of an arbitrary, cold, and aloof God. Instead, we should think of this passage as a reminder that God cares very much for His world and is very much involved in its care--both spiritual and physical. This is an indication of how much God cares for His children. He will make us who believe in Christ more like Christ; and He will preserve and protect us to the end.

2 Thessalonians 1, selected verses; October 30-November 5, 2007:

2007-11-04T19:24:00.000-06:00

In our lectionary epistle reading for this week, Paul is acknowledging the faith and the love of these Thessalonians. These Christians are a subject of conversation among all the churches. They have endured persecution and tribulation with patience and steadfastness. Paul expresses certainty that a righteous God will repay with His judgment those who have troubled this church. Those who do not know God or obey the gospel will be visited with the vengeance of Almighty God. Everlasting destruction and punishment will be the final end of those who reject the gospel and hinder the churches, and they will be cast out of the presence of God. But the saints who have followed Christ and have endured will ultimately be glorified. So Paul and the other Christians pray for these Thessalonians who God counts worthy to suffer in this great cause and to participate in this great calling. We are reminded in this text that to suffer for Christ is honorable. Paul gives thanks for this church and encourages them to do even better. They are worthy of praise in part, at least, because they are suffering--not just suffering for *any cause, but for Christ. They are serving, working together like a true family, struggling, but bound together in love by Christ to God and to each other. They are wrestling with the meaning of discipleship, born, as they were, amid persecution. Are we today suffering for God's kingdom? Are we even worthy of such suffering? We do not consider our projects and our missions efforts worthy unless they succeed; and the standards for success are *our standards, not those of God. We do not know too many churches that are persecuted today. Perhaps most churches in our country are not persecuted because they stand for nothing spiritual that can be clearly identified. Suffering honors God only when it is visited upon a church or a Christian that honors God! We need not adopt a martyr complex and say that suffering is good for its own sake; but we know that if we seek truly to live a Christian life, we will, at some point, be persecuted. This is assumed in the pastoral epistles and elsewhere. Andwhen I speak of suffering for Christ, I'm not speaking of that suffering which is often identified by activists of the left or the right politically as suffering for Christ. Suffering for a cause which you or I believe to be Christian is not the same thing as suffering because we *are Christian, or because we affirm the Christian faith. I believe there are many Christians who even suffer within their own congregations or denominations simply because they affirm the Christian faith. And clearly, there are many who suffer because they are Christian and yet are seeking to maintain their faith as they live and work in a hostile world. Other causes may seem good or right or virtuous, and may be perfectly valid areas of Christian involvement; but the world will tolerate an activist and may likely ignore a fanatic! The question is: What will it do with a Christian?

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, October 23-29, Year C:

2007-10-28T04:15:00.000-05:00

Paul knows, as he is writing this, that he is near the end of his life's journey, and that his ministry is over. In this passage, he gives to Timothy and to us a faithful testimony and a faithful example. This is a particularly significant passage for Reformation Sunday because it reminds us of our responsibility to those who have gone before us and to those who will come after us. We have a responsibility as Christians faithfully to preserve the witness of the past and pass on the heritage of the faithful witnesses of the early church and of the reformers to new generations of Christians. Paul knew that the verdict of the Roman courts had gone against him, and that the sentence of death would soon be carried out. But he also knew that there was a higher court, and that in that court, another judge would award him the crown of life. He knew that his was a faith worth keeping. Paul knew the importance of giving witness to a consistent faith in life and doctrine. How easy it is today to begin well; but how hard it is to stay the course to the end. Even though all his friends and followers had abandoned him, Paul had experienced the confident assurance that the Lord was with him in his moment of trial, and had even used his trials as a means of proclamation. Today, we are so afraid of being seen as unfair or manipulative that we often even hesitate to pass on our beliefs to our children. We are hesitant to stand for the truth because we aren't sure we know what the truth is. Yet, we have a charge to keep--a faith to keep, not only in doctrine, but as we guard our personal faith in Christ. Many struggle with personal doubts, especially in times of crisis. This is where the mature Christian can be a great help and comfort to others. We may not think that what we are doing is very important; but we may be doing that very thing which is necessary in our particular time and situation--that very thing to which God has called us. Paul knew that he was not without sin; but he had a clear conscience as to his testimony and his example. He knew that he had done his best, that it had been possible only by God's grace, and that the glory was to go to God alone. We have wonderful opportunities to set an example for our children, for new Christians, and for those around us as we seek to be faithful to our calling and to the message of the Christian gospel. Let us not for one moment think that we have nothing to pass on to our children and grandchildren. Our greatest legacy is our Christian faith and testimony. For that biblical truth, people have been persecuted and have given their lives. How dare we be so timid that we won't even give a few minutes of our time to pass on these great truths to a needy world?

Jesus as Lord and Savior for Members?

2007-10-25T12:46:00.000-05:00

At the meeting of Mission Presbytery in Mission, Texas, last weekend, we approved an overture to next year's General Assembly of the PC(USA.) This overture would include certain questions in our Form of Government of the Book of Order which will be asked of those who wish to join a PC(USA) congregation as members. These questions have been part of the Book of Common Worship; but that resource is simply for liturgical purposes. These questions would be elevated to Constitutional significance. Questions for membership used to be part of the Form of Government of the church in years gone by; but with the reunion of the PCUS and the UPCUSA and other changes which took place over the years, they dropped out of Constitutional importance. Someone who wants to be a member of the church should at least be willing to affirm that they understand that they are sinners without hope apart from the mercy and grace of God; that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior; that they are willing to participate in the work of the church and be subject to its government. I answered questions of a similar tone recently--apart from the affirmation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior--when I rejoined the Lions club. It should be at least as difficult to join the church as to join a civic organization. Someone opposed making these questions part of the Constitution of the church on the grounds that he "joined the Presbyterian church so I could think for myself." How about thinking for yourself before you decide which church to join, and then affirm allegiance to the teachings of that church? Of course, these days, we want to join an organization and then reshape its beliefs to what suits us; but it wasn't always the case. Those who wish to be officers and ministers in the church should, of course, be held to a much higher standard; but that's another subject for another day. We've discussed it before; but it seems we always need to be reminded. Beliefs are important. Theology matters.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 October 16-22, Year C:

2007-10-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

This passage speaks of the authority of Scripture and the necessity of sound doctrine. Simply to read these verses of Scripture is to invite controversy. In what sense do we believe the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit? How do we determine sound doctrine? Paul tells Timothy that "all Scripture" is given by the Holy Spirit and profitable for correction, rebuke, reproof, and instruction in righteousness, I take that very seriously. I believe the words of Paul or the prophets or the other gospel writers are just as much the word of God as are the words of Jesus. (I think those red-letter Bibles can be confusing.) When I stand up to read the Scripture lessons in church, I do not say, "Listen for the word of God," suggesting that somehow there's a nugget in here for you if you just listen for it. When I was growing up, I never doubted that the Bible is the word of God. At a certain point in my development, I did ask myself quite seriously why I believed the Bible to be the word of God; but I thought it through, came to my conclusions, and went on from there. Many today want to put the revelation of God in Christ above the Bible in terms of authoritative truth or revelation; but where do we learn about Christ if not from the Bible? There is the witness of the Holy Spirit, of course; but even that witness must eventually be tested in terms of the Bible. Then, we come to the warnings about those who will not endure sound doctrine. Where do we find sound doctrine today? Again, sound doctrine must be that which is based on the Bible. How else will you know whether the doctrine of a preacher or a church is sound? But some will say that the Bible has to be interpreted. I agree that parts of the Bible are very difficult. And with the radical Christian preachers and teachers on one extreme and the "prosperity" preachers and legalist fundamentalists on the other, the sincere seeker of sound doctrine may often feel that the quest is hopeless. I wonder however just how much of the Bible is so difficult to understand--at least, at the most basic level of truth. To hear some talk today, you'd almost think it would have been better if the reformers had not been successful in their efforts to get the Bible translated in the vernacular of the people. Some will say, "Ah, but you can't take the Bible literally." That's true because some of the Bible is meant to be poetic, some parable. On the other hand, if you're not going to take a particular portion of Scripture literally and follow its precepts, you'd better have a very good reason! I'd much prefer to be out of accord with culture than out of accord with the word and will of God! Yes, we have to read the Bible in its proper context. And if we know something of the background and culture in which a certain portion of Scripture was written, it can make the meaning clearer and richer for us today. But I like what one person said when discussing the paraphrase called the Living Bible. One wag commented, "My Bible never died!" While I agree that genuine scholarship is helpful in reading and understanding the Bible, I am also convinced that much of what we consider scholarly today is just an attempt to make the Bible somehow conform to our own desires and behavior. When the Northampton Presbyterian Church, in Hampton, Virginia, was considering withdrawal from the PC(USA) and joining the EPC in 1991, a member of the congregation commented that the people no longer felt that the mainline denomination was as clearly based on Scriptural principles as it had been when the congregation was established in 1962. In reply, a Presbyterian minister from a neighboring town said, "Well, surely you don't read the Bible today the same way you did in 1962!" The church member who had made the comment was amazed by this reply; and so was I! Yes, we do still read the Bible today the same way we did in 1962! Why shouldn't we? What has changed?

What Changed?

2007-10-17T18:18:00.000-05:00

I received an email recently from someone who had been raised in the Catholic church and is now committed to the reformed faith. She was thinking back to her teen-age years and the consternation many Catholics felt about Vatican II. She said that as a teen-ager, she wondered how it could be that after teaching for many generations that a Catholic couldn't eat meat on Fridays, all of a sudden, it was "no big deal!" What changed? This is the big question that haunts modern Christianity today. How could abortion be seen by the church as such a bad thing in the early '60's and be perfectly acceptable ten years later? How could it be that the Bible was "the only infallible rule of faith and practice" to Presbyterians in the mid-1960's, and then become simply "a unique witness to Christ" only a few short years later? What changed? Well, of course, nothing changed, except that the church decided to pursue what one friend calls "a theology of accomodation." Questions about morality, the attributes of God, the authority of Scripture, and other matters of faith are not questions that require new scientific discoveries or new technological insights. These are eternal, unchanging matters of right and wrong, truth and error. They are matters that have been decided by the church many times; but not until recently has the church been so unsure of the answers. Of course, there have always been dissenting opinions. Because we are sinful creatures, error is always mixed with truth. But the church has usually been able to distinguish heresy from the true understanding of the Christian faith. Are we now losing the capacity to preserve and distinguish the good from the bad, the true from the false? Certain segments of the church once defended some social practices we now find evil, or resisted the discoveries of science which seemed to fly in the face of church doctrine. But these were not questions that struck at the very heart of the gospel; and, in the case of science, it was soon apparent that one could prove that the earth is not flat, or that the sun does not revolve around our planet. Too many today are simply looking for ways to make the church and orthodoxy appear ridiculous. Actually, the ones who wind up appearing ridiculous are the ones who are so eager to destroy Christendom. No, the principles of God's Word and righteousness are eternal. If God's Word teaches a thing in 1961 or 1875 or 2007, it is still teaching it today; and so should we. God's Word requires interpretation, but not revision. If it was wrong to steal or lie or commit adultery in the time of Christ, it's still wrong today. What changed? Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is the church that has changed!

2 Timothy 2:8-15, October 9-15, Year C:

2007-10-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

Paul is reminding Timothy here to remember Christ; for this Christ is worth any amount of suffering, even including imprisonment and death. This Christ is the Davidic descendant, the Messiah, the Promised One, risen from the dead. Paul may be in prison, but the word of God is not bound. The gospel is not restricted by earthly authorities or by time or place. And then, Paul quotes a saying which is trustworthy, probably one of the first formulations of a creedal statement in the early church. In order to be a true disciple, the Christian must learn that living is dying, that endurance is reigning, and that to deny Christ is to be denied by the Father. Yet, even if we are faithless, He remains faithful. Therein lies the grace and forgiveness and ultimate power of God--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That is the wonder of the gospel message. God has made a promise. He cannot deny Himself. He has set the plan of salvation in motion. This is what will redeem the elect and ultimately restore the creation. The passage closes with a reminder from Paul to Timothy of certain pastoral responsibilities. He is to remind his flock of these truths and steer clear of quarrels about words. He is to do his best to present himself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed. The requirement to study is part of this pastoral duty. Study is necessary because our minds are limited and prone to laziness. A minister, and even one who desires to be a Christian disciple, must be faithful; but faithfulness involves more than just giving assent to certain doctrines. It involves diligence, preparation, and hard work. It involves prayer, and seeking the mind of the Son and the power and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Faithfulness requires a knowledge of the Bible and the wisdom and the willingness to use that knowledge in the service and under the direction of God Himself.

Tradition?

2007-10-07T18:41:00.000-05:00

I was listening to a colege football game on my XM Satellite radio yesterday afternoon when an ad. came on for an eatery in the Clemson, South Carolina, area. The tag line caught my attention. The announcer said: "A Clemson tradition since 1988.) 1988? A Tradition? As I write this, that wasn't even twentyyears ago! Why, we already had MTV and CD's by then. I'd had cable TV for more than ten years by 1988; and lots of people already had computers. Heck, 1988 isn't even a generation ago! Tradition since 1988? How long does something have to exist before it becomes a tradition? Of course, if we do something every day, it can become a tradition within a year or two--maybe even less time than that! But 1988 sounds so recent to me as I sit here in my 57-year-old body. Then again, think of 1988 from the perspective of a college student. Many of them weren't even born in 1988. To them nineteen years seems like an eternity. Things move so much faster today than they did back in the '50's or '60's. "Traditions" come and go so fast that we don't even realize that something was becoming a tradition until it's gone. TV shows can become a family tradition after they run two or three seasons, and then they're taken off the air! I don't know how long something has to be around before it becomes a tradition; and I probably won't be in Clemson, South Carolina, any time soon to try out that restaurant. Pastorates seldom last nineteen years; but I sure hope this church and I become something of a tradition in Schulenburg, Texas! I do know about a really good steak place in Nashville that's been around since the days of Prohibition. Now *there's tradition for you!

2 Timothy 1:1-14, October 2-8, Year C:

2007-10-04T13:02:00.000-05:00

Several things in this passage merit comment, if not necessarily in a particularly systematic way. We see that Timothy was raised by devout women. They were definitely Jewish, although perhaps his mother or grandmother even came to know Christ. In any case, we clearly see the value and the potentially very significant influence of a godly upbringing for our children. Let us never forget this as we consider our families and the role of the church in the proper training and Christian education of children today. Paul reminds Timothy that we are not given a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind. He encourages Timothy to "stir up" the gift that is in him. This goes well with the gospel reading for this Sunday, Luke 17:5-10, in which Jesus is encouraging a quality of faith and obedience that was a real challenge to the disciples as they sought to understand their new ministry. Let us too take these challenges seriously. Timothy was young. His temperament may have been one that tended to be too cautious or too easily intimidated. He may have also had his share of physical ailments. He no doubt had many spiritual gifts; but the gift to which Paul seems to refer here is the gift of the ministry itself. Paulhad laid hands on Timothy and conferred this ministry, this responsibility, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, he urges Timothy to trust God as he exercises this gift. Be brave and fearless in the Lord. Paul knows that he himself is but a weak and sinful vessel; but "I know whom I have believed." (In fact, we're going to sing that old gospel song Sunday.) We are persuaded that God is able to keep that which we have commited to Him. We are sometimes tempted to be ashamed of the gospel message. We see it abused by some, even within the church. We see it ridiculed by the secular media. We watch our churches struggle to do meaningful ministry or, in some cases, even to survive--and we wonder! But the gospel, though it be contained in weak vessels, is powerful truth. It is a mystery, but it is God's mystery! We need not, we dare not, be ashamed of a message that originates with the Father, is lived out in Jesus Christ His Son, and that is given life and breath by the Holy Spirit! Paul was reminding Timothy of his great potential and of the spiritual authority with which he had been blessed by virtue of the laying on of hands. Every Christian, whether ordained or commissioned in an official way for ministry, has been given a specific and wonderful calling. This is part of what we mean when we speak of the "priesthood of all believers." Our calling to service and ministry is not of our own making or choosing, but of God. The gift we have been given is irrevocable, but can become ineffective. We should live a life of discipline and self-control; but we must not doubt that we will be given the power to do what we are called to do. That is part of what it means to trust God. Be ware of trying to discern God's calling for someone else, or of assuming that someone else can discern God's calling for you. The advice and encouragement of others can be helpful, but probably cannot be determinative. Our minds must also be disciplined; and we must walk with intellectual integrity. There is inevitable conflict between the world and the Word. Paul knows that Timothy will face pressures from within and from without. He will be faced with temptation, opposition, and discouragement. Some will reject him because of his youth. Still, he is to put his trust in the truth of God, the grace of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. This passage should be a great encouragement to our youth, or to any new Christian; but it is also necessary for those of us who have been Christians all our lives, or who are involved in Christian ministry, to remember where we get our power and our message. Truly, we have been given a special gift.

Single-Gender Education

2007-10-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

David Chadwell is South Carolina's statewide coordinator of single-gender education. No other state has any education official like David Chadwell. It is his goal that every child in the state of South Carolina will have the available option of single-gender education in the public schools of that state within five years. It is said that there are already some 300 single-gender schools operating within secondary public education in America. This is according to a recent AP article. Chadwell is primarily interested in making this option available to kids in middle school. The article did not say whether he would later like to expand this available choice to elementary or high school. David Chadwell, who has many years of experience in various types of educational settings, believes that girls and boys of a certain age learn more effectively if they have the opportunity forsingle-gender education. Predictably, the head of the National Organization of Women has come out in opposition to Mr. Chadwell's plan. She fears the rise of sexism and certain stereotypes which she believes hold women back. But Chadwell is careful to point out that it is not the type of curriculum that he wants to change, but the method by which children learn. He says that boys and girls are attracted by different types of learning and have different learning skills. In short, he says that they learn differently. Many girls actually seem to be less intimidated in single-gender settings than they are when boys are present. And no doubt, boys and girls both may be less likely to be diverted from their studies by trying to make an impression on members of the opposite sex. Whether or not you agree with David Chadwell, the important point to be made here is that this option is viable and worth pursuing. Remember that it is only a voluntary option. No parents are required to send their kids to single-gender schools. My dad tells me that single-gender public education was more common for kids in his generation. There was a Boys High School and a Girls High School, for example, in Atlanta back in the '30's. And of course, private high schools for girls and boys were everywhere. Nowadays, most of those schools have gone co-ed. Often, when public education seeks to do something experimental or innovative to improve the quality of education, the whole project gets bogged down in politics, social sensitivities, and bureaucratic red tape. I remember when Davidson College's Board of Trustees voted for the college to go co-ed. I was a senior that spring; and I remember thinking that I was glad I wouldn't be around to see the changes take place--not because I don't like women, of course, but because I felt, and still feel, that something significant was being lost. Today, we say we stand for diversity, but we don't appreciate distinctives; we say we want to celebrate pluralism, but we can't abide too much non-conformity or obvious differences in method or objectives. We have too often sacrificed quality for novelty--in education, theology, and so many other aspects of American life. I don't know if David Chadwell is on the right track; but I think that those who believe he is have every right to make that choice.

Sports: Another Great Collapse

2007-10-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

In 1964, it was the Philadelphia Phillies who blew a big lead late in the season and lost the National League pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals, who then went on to win the World Series. This year, it was the New York Mets, who led the National League eastern division by seven games in mid-September, only to lose the regular season division championship to--of all teams--the Philadelphia Phillies. Not only did the Mets lose the division championship, but they didn't even make the play-offs via the wild card route. Tom Glavine lost the last game of the season. The Mets gave up seven runs to Florida in the first inning of yesterday's finale. The sad thing about it, from my perspective, is that the Braves weren't able to cash in on the Mets' misfortune. Even after a late-season trade that seemed likely at least to get us in the play-offs by bringing us a big-time bat, the Braves pitching let us down, as the Braves could manage only slightly better than a .500 record for the season, with 84 wins. So the Braves have missed the post-season for two years in a row now after all those years of winning the division. Next year, TBS will no longer be telecasting the Braves as they have in the past. It will be interesting to see what the financial and ownership structure of the team will be in 2008. I hope the Braves get back in the play-offs next year; but I wonder if I'll be as big a fan of the Braves by then. For now, I have little sense of how the post-season will go this year. I expect either the Yankees or Boston to win the World Series. I just don't think the National League teams are that strong this year.

Freedom and Religion

2007-09-29T06:24:00.000-05:00

It is doubtful whether certain forms of Islam will ever be able to co-exist side by side with our American way of life as we have known and practiced it for the last 200 years. The reason is simple. Islamic extremists do not understand the balance between religion and freedom. And unfortunately, these extremeists are increasingly influential within Islam, not only in the Middle East, but in the daily lives and worship of Islamic adherents everywhere. They are seeking to impose their way of Islam on every aspect of life in western Europe and the United States. Their understanding of Islam does not appreciate freedom; it demands allegiance. Moslems are demanding that businesses be guided by Sharia Islamic law. What's more, they and their Arab allies increasingly have the economic muscle to give these demands teeth. Where money doesn't do the trick, they appeal to sympathy and fear to get an intimidated citizenry on their side. The public applies pressure to business or government leaders, in the mistaken belief that conscience and fairness are on the side of the extremists; and before you know it, western culture, freedom, and civilization are compromised again. Some are asking if Christian evangelicals are not guilty of the same kind of religious arm-twisting. Christian fundamentalism is being equated with Islamic fundamentalism. Most of us realize that this is an absurd comparison. Christian fundamentalists do not strap weapons to themselves and run into crowds as human suicide bombs, or fly planes into buildings. In fact, Christian fundamentalism and Islamic fundamentalism do not even have the same view of God or eternity or truth! But the real difference between Christian and Islamic practice is a distinction that is more subtle and that the Christian evangelicals need to guard vigorously. Christians understand the proper place of religion in a free society. We realize that not everyone is going to agree with us. We wish everybody did. We would like to persuade everyone to accept the Bible as the Word of God; but we don't demand that acceptance. The conservative Christians I know and represent do seek to influence legislation along the lines of traditional western practice; but they do not seek to impose new, strict interpretations of Scripture that would alter the freedoms we have known since the founding of the nation. We do not wish legally to ban rock music, for example, or bring back strict Sunday "Blue laws." We no longer seriously promote national prohibition or demand the enforcement of dress codes on religious grounds. I have been very wary of certain evangelicals who seem to think that if we could just elect the right people, get the right political party in power, all our problems as a nation would be fixed. I believe that involvement by the church in politics, whether of the conservative or liberal stripe, is very dangerous for just this reason: It blurs the line between the practice of religion and the practice of freedom. It is all well and good for Christians to come together to work for certain laws or causes. But when the institutional church tries to display its political muscle, or when evangelical Christians become overly zealous in enforcing their own understanding of a particular religious principle, they border on misunderstanding the balance of religion and freedom. The Christian way of influencing society is by preaching, waiting upon the work of the Holy Spirit, praying for genuine revival, and transforming society as Christians come to understand what their faith means in practical terms. As one becomes more aware of the implications of Christianity, one will desire to put Christian principles into practice in daily life. We do not, however, seek to impose these principles on those who are not yet part of the family of faith. As Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was fond of saying, "A person cannot live like a Christian until he is a Christian." The Islamic fascists are a threat to our way of life, not only because they have the capacity to launch terrorist attacks against us from almost anywhere in the world, but also because they seem to have the will and the ability to intimidate us in the practice of our Constitutional liberties and a total disregard for the freedom of the individual. They have not yet made the distinction between the state and the practice of religion that western civilization finally made with the rise of Christianity. This failure on the part of Islam must be fully understood and appreciated for the threat that it truly is. Christian zealots need not make the same mistake. We dare not allow the Islamic extremists to abuse the religious freedoms of the West in order to promote their own intolerant agenda; and Christians need not become so fixated on politics--whether liberal or conservative-- that they forget the real message of Christ. Salvation comes by grace through faith, not by Congressional legislation or forced conversions!

1 Timothy 6:6-19, September 25-October 1, Year C:

2007-09-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

This passage is primarily a warning against a wrong attitude toward riches. As is often pointed out, Paul does not say here that money is the root of all evil. Rather, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. The desire to grow rich can easily lead people into temptation, causing them to make decisions for primarily materialistic rather than spiritual reasons. As a pastor, Paul tells Timothy to be content with godliness, only having the necessities of life. He should shun the lust for money that is so common among men. This suggests many questions which are relevant in today's church climate. I have known pastors who only desired a salary which would give them the least possible amount they could live on. I understand somewhat, from a spiritual standpoint, why these pastors might feel this way; but it seems to me to be misguided. In fact, it could be a matter of spiritual pride for a pastor to claim that he has voluntarily been willing to accept a low salary. This would be especially wrong-headed in a church where most of the members are relatively affluent and the church can afford to pay a good salary and still maintain a vigorous missions ministry of outreach and evangelism. On the other hand, should judicatories require that local churches pay a certain minimum salary to pastors, or does this make the local presbytery seem too much like a labor union for ministers? And for those in our congregations who are not ministers, does this mean that they should never seek to put themselves in a position to earn more money for fear of seeming ungodly or too materialistic? Clearly, such extreme interpretations of this passage are too legalistic and are unnecessary. The issue here is one of attitude. Our decisions should not be driven primarily by a desire for riches. If opportunities come to the Christian for financial advance, it is not wrong for us to take advantage of these; but the desire for money should not be the driving force of our lives. In addition, those who employ Christians, whether in the secular or spiritual realm, should not take advantage of our humility in order to pay the bare minimum allowable. If a Christian desires to return a goodly proportion of his wealth to the work of the Lord--whether pastor or businessman--he can certainly do that; but churches must still practice sound stewardship principles in their administrative decisions. A final question is the matter of contentment. Paul urges Timothy to be content with food and raiment. (1 Timothy 6:8.) Today, Paul would certainly say that the pastor and other Christians are permitted to have whatever is necessary to do that work to which they are called. So long as we are seeking first the kingdom of God and are truly grateful to Him for those blessings we are given, I think gratitude is a far healthier response to God's bounty than guilt. John Calvin said that we are given the blessings of prosperity that we may better perform the duties of charity. If we can honestly maintain this balance, I think we are being faithful to Paul's words to Timothy. It is a fine line; but it is, as with so many things in the Christian life, a matter of degree, balance, attitude, and integrity of motivation.

Non-Discerning Non-Believers

2007-09-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

We are seeing more and more news items about the supposed disintegration and decline of Christianity and, indeed, of religion in general. I am quite certain that, along with Mark Twain, the report of the demise of Christianity is quite premature! I have no doubt, for that matter, that religion of all types will be around long after its current detractors have left the planet--or, as Rush Limbaugh would say, "assumed room temperature." But what if anything can we learn from the present hysteria about the state of erligion in the world today. For one thing, we can learn a great deal about the non-discerning non-believer. Many of those who are abandoning religion are not coming to a coolly calculated decision that their past beliefs were wrong. C. S. Lewis said in one of his writings that most people are not reasoned out of Christianity; they just drift away. Many of those who are giving up on religion today are doing so based on an emotional reaction to things they see in the world around them. They see suicide bombers blowing themselves up or fanatic zealots carrying out terror attacks by flying into buildings or attacking people in subway stations and they come to the conclusion that they want no part of religion! This is, of course, quite absurd. It would be like someone who has been a music lover all his life going to a concert of heavy metal rock and deciding that if that's what music is all about, they want no part of it! This would go against all reason and past experience. Not all religious groups are made up of Islamic extremists! And if you abandon Christianity because you don't like Christian conservatives, I can assure you that there are plenty of people who profess Christianity who are not conservative at all. It also seems that religion is on the decline for other reasons in places where it was once quite thriving. Christianity was once on the rise in many Third World countries and places where the church was under severe persecution. Now, many of those places are enjoying a degree of affluence; and in other nations, religious persecution is much less severe than it used to be. So the rural folks are moving to the cities. Many who scratched out a living as best they could on rugged farm land are now earning wages in city factories. The sons and daughers of those who came to know Christ through the work of western missionaries decades ago are now turning away from the faith of their parents. This is truly sad. I do not deny that the church needs to be more vigorously engaged in evangelistic and mission work, spreading the Gospel again in nations around the world. Too often, mission efforts seem to have replaced proclamation with public service. Again, however, we are not dealing here with an inherent flaw in Christianity. We are dealing with the age-old problem of worldliness, the sin of self-centeredness. People will find any excuse they can to turn away from godliness. The problem is not our message, but mankind. Let us deal realistically with the non-discerning non-believer and realize that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, the worldly person will be blinded to the glorious gospel and the saving truth of Christ. I hope to have more on the changing impact of religion, especially Christianity, in later posts.

1 Timothy 2:1-7, September 18-24, Year C:

2007-09-18T10:06:00.000-05:00

First of all, Paul tells Timothy that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for all people, for "kings and all who are in high positions." And he gives a very good reason why these prayers should be offered. It is for the purpose of aiding us in leading a quiet and ordered life. It is conducive to the process of evangelization. God desires that all those who are predestined for salvation will come to a knowledge of the truth; but this process is made more difficult when society and nations are in turmoil. In our culture and throughout western civilization, we are more likely to criticize those in authority than we are to pray for them. We act as though we know everything we need to know and can pass judgment on those we don't like. Certainly, we may share our opinions; but the greatest tool we have in our efforts to encourage godliness in life and government is the weapon of prayer. The prayers should not be simply that everybody does what we want; but that all in authority--in church, government, or business--should seek the will of God. In this way, the spread of the Gospel can be facilitated and societal transformation can occur. We will not bring in the kingdom; but we can pray for those who may be seeking to hinder God's purposes. And note that Paul even urges that "thanksgivings" be made for the subjects of our prayers. This gives credence to the idea that even a bad ruler is better than none. All of this is important because, as Paul reminds Timothy here, "there is one Mediator" between God and men; and that Mediator is Christ Jesus. The testimony of this fact was given in God's own time, at the proper time; and it was for this purpose that Paul was made an apostle. Our pluralistic world today resists the notion that there is only one Mediator between God and humanity. This goes against our human pride, our desire for autonomy, and our sense of fairness. However, this is the clear teaching of Scripture that was affirmed throughout the history of the early church. It is presumptuous of modern man to think that we have some understanding that corrects or transcends the apostolic teachings. Let us again consider the context of this chapter. Paul is saying that because there is just this one Mediator, we need to be especially careful to pray for the conditions that will aid in worldwide evangelization. Clearly, this would be to the glory of God and for the good of His creation. Would we not prefer a Christian world to a world of clashing conflict and noisy confusion? It is not arrogant of us to desire those things which God Himself desires. We should pray that all would come to a knowledge of the saving truth of Christ Jesus.

Dinosaurs in the Parsonage?

2007-09-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

I heard of a pastor who writes articles each week for a weekly newspaper--only, he apparently doesn't write them! He confessed to someone who complimented him on his article that he got it from an outside service of some sort! In this blog, we have previously discussed the rethinking that is occurring about the pastor's home visits. A lot of pastors get most or all of their sermon material from sermon books or Internet services. Many pastors do very little counseling because they refer their counseling cases to specialists in various fields. I even know pastors who don't train their own officers, but have someone from the outside come in to do the work. Is the local pastor becoming a dinosaur in the parsonage--or, in the case of Presbyterians, the manse, or the rectory for Episcopalians, or--well, you get the point? I doubt if very many ministers are guilty of all these omissions. And certainly, there is some value in using various "tools of the trade," so to speak. I have used some illustrations from on-line services. And I often follow the lectionary, which means that I don't necessarily have to ponder over choices of Scripture the way I did twenty or more years ago. (I do often vary from the lectionary, however.) But when I think of ministers who don't even put their own sermons together or write their own thoughts, or train their own officers, or do any significant counseling, I wonder what in the world they are doing. but then, I remember. Someone told me of a minister in another Texas city who is fighting for the rights of illegal aliens to get preventive health care! Ministers are increasingly involved mostly in public relations and community service organizations. Many are expected to be their church's youth leader. Many seem to find plenty of time to push their own social or political agenda--be it conservative or liberal. I believe it is a good thing for ministers to be involved in the activities of their denomination. I even think that community involvement, with the right motivation and the best interests of the local congregation at heart, can be a positive thing. It does seem however that the local ministers have drifted farther and farther away from their major responsibility. Didn't Jesus say something about "feeding my sheep?" Do we really think he was talking about soup kitchens? There are areas of ministry that others can do better than I. Certainly, some counseling situations are handled best by professional counselors who are trained in a particular field. For ministers, however, simply to abdicate that whole aspect of ministry would have been inconceivable fifty or 100 years ago. Increasingly today, we even have churches with worship leaders! Can't the minister even lead his own worship service? Obviously, mministers are finding themselves in a self-conscious crisis of confidence and competence. Do we have dinosaurs in the parsonage, or do we just have men and women who need to be renewed in their sense of call and purpose? I truly don't know; but for my part, I don't plan to become a dinosaur yet. My sermons are my own work, hopefully under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If I write an article for a newspaper, it will be my own writing. If someone comes to me with tears streaming down their face in need of counseling, I won't automatically assume that I am totally useless. I will visit as much as I can, seek to facilitate the youth work and encourage the leadership, train my officers, and try to be as good in administration as possible. I have personal interests in many areas outside the church; but those shall remain outside the church. My ministry is not the perfect ministry. I am guilty of many flaws, oversights, and shortcomings; but at least, I won't borrow those flaws and shortcomings from anywhere else. "Out-sourcing" is big today; but I would hope that it would stop at the minister's study!

Ambivalent Christianity

2007-09-15T19:19:00.000-05:00

I received a mailing yesterday announcing the upcoming National Pastors Conference in San Diego. One of the participants, a professor from Baylor, is going to lead a presentation called, "How to be evangelical without being Conservative." And therein lies the ambivalence of Christianity today. We want to be "all things to all people" in the worst possible sense of that phrase. To be evangelical today has, for many people, connotations of the "religious right," in the political sense, of course, and probably some connotations of theological conservatism from which some religious academics would like to distance themselves. It is unfortunate that those beliefs which were considered mainstream Christian orthodoxy 50 years ago have now come into such disrepute that they are considered conservative. The church is largely ambivalent about traditional Christian language and teaching, and largely ambiguous about what it really believes. Ask the average mainline Christian preacher to state beliefs on Christology, the Bible, the attributes of God, or any number of key Christian topics, and you'll get few clear-cut answers. If you ask in what sense certain words are being used such as "salvation," "evangelism," the "Gospel," you may find that the meanings long attached to those words in past decades are not necessarily what is meant by a lot of ministers today. We seem afraid to stand for traditional Christian doctrines. Are we scared of science or technology? Have we been so spooked by pluralism that we are afraid to speak the truth, not wanting to offend anybody? Are we shocked by all the "New Age teachings," and fear our Christianity has run its course? Philosophies come and go. We need not fear worldly systems or skeptical constructs. Even liberal Christianity is not new. And the church has always had to resist heresies and call them by their right name. Whether one desires to be a "conservative" is not important. I will, however, seek to be evangelical and orthodox. Today, that may make me a conservative; but there was a time that it would have just meant that I was a Christian.

The President Speaks--and We Want to Talk Back!

2007-09-14T20:57:00.000-05:00

Last night, the President spoke to the nation about the war in Iraq! Don't worry, this is not going to be about the war in Iraq! After the President's speech, however, there was a response from a member of the opposing party. How times have changed! When I was a boy growing up in the '50's and '60's, that didn't happen. If the President wanted to speak to the nation, he did--on all three major networks--and nothing else was on the radio or TV until he was finished. And nobody talked back! The other party, of course, had their prepared statements and reactions on the news programs; but there was no idea that just because the President was of one party, the other party should expect to be able to give a response to the nation. We clearly do not have the same respect for authority in this country that past generations have had--not for authority at any level, of any type. When the President speaks, we want to talk back! When leaders lead, we're not always so eager to follow. Those wielding authority had better be careful how they use that authority because they may just find they don't have any. This is not altogether bad, of course. Blind, unthinking obedience is not what any President or responsible leader desires or deserves. And many people feel that their government has lied to them too many times about important things. This goes all the way back to Vietnam and Watergate and Iran-Contra, and maybe even weapons of mass destruction. I'm sure there were other times in our country's history when people suspected that in some ways, the government was being less than totally truthful; but it was also often conceded that there may be in fact good reasons for withholding certain information. People at least felt relatively sure that the government had the best interest of the country at heart. All that old-fashioned respect for authority is pretty much a thing of the past now; and it affects the way we relate to government, to the church, to our teachers, to business executives, and to political and civic leaders in the public and private sector, all the way from Main Street to Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. It costs us muchof our sense of national unity and sense of purpose, too. This national division and skepticism can be reversed. Men and women of good faith, from all across the political spectrum could make a commitment to bring our country together. Leaders must take seriously the call for integrity that is coming from so many quarters across the nation. We need to pray that true statesmen will emerge for next year's elections. We need to pray for national revival that will bring our nation back to godly principles in politics at home and abroad. And with all that, we need to pray that God will teach us again the proper and respectful way to relate to those in authority over us; and will put people in authority again who understand their responsibilities to be a sacred trust from the Almighty. Then, and only then, will we be more eager to listen than to respond, to act out of duty rather than in defiance, to rally in support of common goals, rather than talk back to the President!

1 Timothy 1:12-17, September 11-17, Year C:

2007-09-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

In this passage of this first epistle to the young pastor Timothy, Paul gives thanks for the mercy and grace shown to him by God. He is thankful that God put him in the ministry, though he was formerly a blasphemer. But he says that the reason he was enabled by God was because the apostle's persecution of the church and of Christ was done in ignorance. He affirms that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom "I am chief." The apostle believes that he is to show long-suffering, as a pattern for those who will later come to believe in Christ. Then of course, the passage closes with one of the most powerful, beautiful, and all-encompassing verses of benediction in all of Scripture. God's grace relates directly to our weakness, His pardon to our sin. Paul stresses in this chapter that it is not important just to know the gospel, but also to believe it. It is God who enables ministry, but not simply for the purpose of winning arguments. (One commentator reminds us that "argument does not prove spirituality.") God can transform anyone. Though we are unworthy, God still graciously calls us to Christian duty and gives us responsibilities in His service. As we minister and serve God in the 21st century, some are reluctant to use terms such as "God" or "grace." To the apostle, grace is everything; and we represent God's mercy and grace to a lost and dying world. It is God and His grace, and the communication of these concepts, that distinguishes the church from all other institutions. This is our unique contribution to the well-being and "rightness" of the world. God's grace is glorious. We proclaim the wonder of God's grace. We can affirm with Paul by example that "if I can be saved, anyone can be." In an impersonal and intense world, people need relationships--relationships with God through Christ and with other loving and caring people. The church is incarnational in the sense that, for many people, we are the only evidence of God's grace that they will ever see. Some today like to showcase their sin. But the only reason to recount our sin is to show the power of God's mercy and grace toward us. We are to point people to Christ, not to ourselves. This passage also highlights the majesty of God, especially in 1:17. God alone is capable of such grace and of dealing with the incomprehensible brokenness we see throughout His creation. Computer technology, science, physics, and "New Age" philosophy all pose challenges for the believing Christian. When we consider, however, the natural world and the capabilities God has given His creatures, these problems should not concern us. Think about the capacity of your own mind, the homing instincts of certain animal species, and even the design of the universe. The existence of God and the validity of His Scriptures should pose no problem to the Christian. God is truly the Majestic King-- eternal, immortal, invisible, all-wise, who alone is worthy of our worship and praise. How could we even imagine that our modern concepts are any match for an eternal God? We need not fear the new century so long as we worship,through Jesus Christ, the eternal God and King.

D. James Kennedy

2007-09-06T19:13:00.000-05:00

A giant has passed. I did not know about his failing health; so when I heard late last night that D. James Kennedy had died, I was surprised. His only pastorate was that of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He began his ministry there in 1959. Within a few months, the church membership dropped from 45 to 17. But by 1967, it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America; and by the 1970's, it was viewed as one of the first "mega-churches." Of course, Dr. Kennedy was the founder of Evangelism Explosion. He was best known for this worldwide approach to evangelism for most of his ministry. During the 1980's, however, and especially by the 1990's, he had begun to be more and more identified with conservative social and political causes. At one time, I remember my mintor and I discussing Kennedy's involvement in politics and lamenting the fact that he had become more widely known for his political views than for his evangelistic approach. That is probably an unfair criticism. One may disagree with Kennedy's views; but to him, the principles he espoused were so closely connected with his understanding of Christianity that the two could hardly be separated. I personally believe that mmost of his views have intellectual integrity and are grounded in sound biblical scholarship and a proper view of reformed theology. Even his critics, however, could not deny his capability and his intellectual power. His death is significant for many reasons. I am particularly impressed at the moment, however, with the great hole it leaves in the leadership of evangelical and reformed Christianity. So many of the great leaders have fallen in recent years; and Billy Graham is no longer an active force, as his health fails and his life nears its end. God does not need any of us to do His work or accomplish His will. And yet, there is a tremendous responsibility, a great burden, placed upon the shoulders of those of us who have been called to ministry--either as pastors and church leaders or simply as Christian individuals--to carry on the work that is so vital today. The need for leadership within the Christian evangelical movement has never been greater. We must turn to God, praying for Him to raise up new leaders among us. When one man goes down--whether in the field of athletic competition or among the laborers in the kingdom, those who are left must double their efforts, raise their level of commitment, and strive for new heights. We must do that which, humanly speaking, cannot be done. But in Christ's strength, it can be done. We must rededicate ourselves and renew our determination to stand where this man stood. Few of us may think of ourselves as being in positions of leadership or as having great opportunity to affect our communities, nation or world; but that is because we are too prone to think as the world thinks. We must take the eternal view, the divine perspective. I am a minister of a small church in a mostly rural area of Texas; and I have been here but a short time. You may be in a position that seems insignificant and unlikely to change the world. Yet, with our prayers, with the opportunities God gives us, with our conversations and our influence, with this little blog, with whatever resources God gives us, we can carry on and take up the torch that has been passed to us by great men and women of faith. And our churches can explode. And our communities can be renewed. Recently, our congregation sang that old gospel hymn, "Revive us again." I think of the words of the prophet who pleaded with God to "revive thy work in the midst of the years." Dr. Kennedy spoke of reclaiming America for Christ. Maybe that doesn't mean the same thing to you that it meant to him; but one thing is clear. Dr. Kennedy never gave up on revival. Neither should we.

Philemon; September 4-10, Year C:

2007-09-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

This letter was written by Paul to Philemon, a native of Colossae. It was not ecclesiastical or doctrinal in nature, but simply a letter to a friend--thereby making it a unique treasure among the epistles. Paul sends greetings to Philemon's wife and family, even referring to the slaves. This is a rare look into the private lives and correspondence of Paul and the early Christian church. Paul expresses his love and thanksgiving for Philemon. Paul expects soon to be set free from prison and to visit Colossae. We do not know whether these expectations were actually realized. Paul finds himself in the role of a gentleman respecting a friend. He could have commanded that certain things be done by virtue of his apostolic authority; but he did not do that. Paul could even have acted to keep Onesimus, the runaway slave who is the primary subject of this letter; but he did not do that. Onesimus could have been of great use and comfort to Paul during his imprisonment; but Paul respected the situation of his friend, Onesimus. He chooses to make an appeal to Onesimus, based on love. He respects the legal rights of Onesimus, his friend and fellow Christian. This is a request from one dedicated Christian to another. The position of the latter was quite vulnerable at the moment. This was not an apostolic command, but an appeal, based on Christian service. Paul is a Christian gentleman who respects the laws of his day. He seeks action by Philemon in harmony with the Christian position on slavery. Onesimus, the runaway slave, is now a changed man. He too has become a Christian. So Philemon is urged to receive Onesimus not as a slave--even less as a runaway slave--but as a brother in the Lord. This gives us some great insight into the basis of our relationships with other Christians. We need to be careful how we try to make our influence for Christ felt in our communities, churches, and the world at large. The gospel is Christ-centered. It's more than just theoretical ideas about the rights of man. It is also based on Scripture, not just the authority of our own opinions. Paul makes no request that Philemon set Onesimus free. He does make an appeal to Philemon, based on the transformation and conversion of one who had broken the law. Based on his friendships with Philemon and now with Onesimus, Paul indicates clearly what he expects and hopes will happen. This is not a protest letter; but it is an appeal to Christian integrity. We don't know how all this turned out. Certainly, we have no warrant from this letter to think that Paul or the church of his day approved or ignored the wrongs of that culture. We should, however, ponder several meaningful insights as to how Paul and the early church dealt most effectively with the institutions of their day. We can learn a lot from studying the context out of which the early church sought to bear its witness. In our day, Christians can come together as individuals and are free to make their views known. As we do this, however, we must realize that even among Christians, viewpoints will differ. We must speak our truth and express our understanding of Scripture with integrity, but also in love and patience and forbearance, genuinely seeking to show respect and appreciation of other Christians who have opposing views. We also have to try to discern when it is helpful or necessary to respect the institutions of our day and when it is necessary to reject and even confront those institutions and certain elements of our culture. These are not issues that can always be easily resolved. It is vital that we consider these issues with a balanced perspective, remembering that Paul was a true gentleman as he worked his way through the mine field of conflict with the culture of his day.

Appalachian State, and Other Sports Notables

2007-09-03T17:49:00.000-05:00

"It's football time in Tennessee," as John Ward used to say. I was pleased to hear the current Tennessee announcer keep that phrase alive the other night at the beginning of the broadcast of the Tennessee--California game, even though Tennessee lost the game! And it's football time everywhere else, too--especially in Boone, North Carolina! The folks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, probably had never heard of Boone, North Carolina a few days ago; but they have now! Appalachian State, the defending Division I-AA champion in college football, went up to Ann Arbor and came away Saturday with perhaps the biggest upset in college football history! Michigan had been touted as the probable Big Ten champion for 2007 by a lot of folks, and a likely contender for the BCS national championship. But Appalachian State stayed with the Michigan guys stride for stride throughout the first half, and then pulled away to an eleven-point lead before Michigan threatened to shatter the dream. Michigan scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter which made the score 31--26 in favor of the Mountaineers. Michigan went for two points and missed. But with under two minutes to go, Michigan scored another touchdown to pull ahead 32--31. They went for the two-point conversion again, but again, failed to make it. With just over a minute to go, Appalachian got the ball again, but with no time-outs left. Still, they drove down the field, and kicked a field goal. Michigan had one more shot, but had their attempt at a game-winning field goal blocked. And Appalachian State won the game 34--32! This was a football fairytale ending, if ever there was one! Of course, Division I-AA teams have beaten the bigger schools before; but never has a Division I-AA team defeated such a highly-ranked major college football power. I've heard the last few seconds of the play-by-play from the Boone, North Carolina, radio station! It was great; but just like the Boise State win over Oklahoma, I'd love to have the whole thing on cassette or at least hear a recording or see it on ESPN Classic! The kids in Boone tore their own goal post down and carried it to the chancelor's house after the game! What a great thing for college football! You gotta love it, if you're a real fan of the game! ******** I heard today that this will be the last year that the Braves will be telecast on WTBS, in the form we've come to know. (I guess that means they'll still carry some Braves games in the future, but not as Braves announcers, or in the present format. So 31 years of Braves fun on the "super station" come to an end. That's kind of sad for a lot of us who live outside the Atlanta area. Some of the changes that have come about in media coverage of major league baseball teams in recent years have not been good for the fans or the game! I may have more to say about this in later blog entries.

A New Take on the Pastoral Visit

2007-08-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

A recent "Dear Abby" column presented a different take on the pastoral visit. Apparently, many church members consider the traditional pastoral visit to be an unwelcome intrusion. They would rather see the pastor at church; and the pastor who wants to get acquainted with church members is advised to do it at church gatherings and fellowship activities. I don't know how accurate this is; but it does reflect changes in our culture over the last fifty years or so. I have actually been criticized in a couple of instances for not making enough pastoral calls in non-crisis situations--even though I have always believed that the best way to get to know the members of my congregation is to see them in their natural habitat. (A few members seem to have thought I should visit them every few weeks, whether they actually needed a visit or not.) The traditional pastoral visit is more difficult now because of more two-income households, more activities in which the kids are expected to participate, and, in some cases, just the distances required to travel between and among our various spheres of interest. Yet, Christians are expected to practice hospitality. This is mentioned throughout Scripture. Pastors are expected to love and guide their flocks. I have had situations where church members definitely did not encourage a visit by the pastor. Times are definitely changing. What this tells us about the future of the relationship between the pastor and the church member, I am not sure; but I do know that as I begin this new pastorate, I will have to be very diligent and discerning as I seek to determine how best to minister to each member and each prospective member of my church, not to mention ministering to the wider community.

Hebrews 13:1-7, 15-16; August 27-September 3, Year C:

2007-08-29T14:53:00.000-05:00

For the most part, this passage consists of general exhortations--a common method of concluding New Testament epistles. Most of these do not strike us as particularly controversial; but they do take on additional meaning when we remember the context in which they were written. These Hebrew Christians were encouraged to show brotherly love and to extend hospitality even to strangers. This was quite a lot for these people to take in. For one thing, most of these were Jewish converts to Christianity who were not used to being friendly to Gentiles. For another, showing hospitality, especially to fellow Christians, could be a matter of risking one's life or livelihood. The Christians, it must be remembered, were often persecuted--and for nothing other than worshipping Jesus Christ. Most of us are not inhospitable to anybody; but sometimes, we get so caught up in our own schedules or personal concerns that we forget that by showing hospitality to strangers, we could be "entertaining angels unawares"--a clear reference to the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18. The writer then reminds these Christians to remember those who are in prison or ill-treated, an obvious reference to those who are being imprisoned for their faith, since he goes on to say that "you also are in the body." I wonder if most of us pay enough attention to the plight of the persecuted church around the world. The writer goes on to speak of such vices as sexual immorality and the love of money. We sometimes do not like to remember that the early church, though very conscious of God's grace, was also very conscious of the other aspects of God's character. They knew that no sin was acceptable to God. These Christians were urged to remember that God was their Provider and their Teacher. Scriptures are quoted to remind them of their heritage in God. This was a powerful way to affirm the communal nature of Christianity, pulling together the truth from every culture and generation. The most precious sacrifice to God may well be the sacrifice of praise and the willingness to do good, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:18-29, August 21-27, Year C:

2007-08-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

I hope to begin publishing these comments on the lectionary epistle readings again on a regular basis. I realize this one is a little late for use this Sunday; but I wanted to get a little practice first--kind of like pre-season or spring training! (Grin.) The real reason I wanted to comment on this reading is because of its companion reading from the Gospels. The Gospel reading today from the lectionary is Luke 13:10-17, the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The linkage in the Revised Common Lectionary between these two readings reminds us of the many attributes of God and encourages us to adopt what I called in my sermon this morning a "balanced Christianity." Whenever any one theological doctrine or attribute of God gains such a dominance in the church that other biblical concepts are virtually abandoned or omitted, the result is a Christianity that is out of balance, and therefore a congregation or denomination that is at a great disadvantage. In times past, the wrath of God has no doubt been emphasized almost to the exclusion of His grace and mercy. At other times in churchhistory, the doctrine of the Second Coming, or the person and work of the Holy Spirit, or some other aspect of the faith has been preached and taught to such an extent that the church truly suffered. Today, we are eager to speak of the love and the grace of God. The principle message of the Gospel surely is liberation in Christ. But God's law and His holiness and justice must not be neglected; for as Hebrews 12:29 points out, "....Our God is a consuming fire." Of course, some will claim that these are simply contradictory concepts of God and that the New Testament God of love and compassion is at odds with, and an advance beyond, the God of the Old Testament with His wrath and anger and fire! But Jesus Himself speaks of fire and wrath. Our Westminster Confession of Faith lists over 30 attributes of God. Just as we know people who have many complex sides to their personality, so we worship a God who is perfect in all His ways and infinite in all His attributes. Emphasize the God of wrath without teaching the God of love and grace, and you are teaching something other than Christianity; but teach God's mercy and compassion without including His holiness and glory and justice, and you make Christianity and its Gospel message unnecessary.

A Last Visit With Jeff

2007-08-22T01:21:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading this blog for a while or if you're a member of my dog discussion group on Ecunet, you probably remember Jeff. Jeff is a Labrador retriever I met during my first weeks in Jackson, Alabama, in November, 2003. He was my first and one of my best friends in Jackson. The first day we moved into the manse there, he saw me and came running across the boxes still in the front yard to let me pet him. In those first months, I saw him often. He had the run of the neighborhood. It was not at all uncommon for him to come running on to my front porch when he saw me sitting out there. The leash laws and the animal control officers finally caught up with him, though. A neighbor or two had complained about garbage being turned over or other real or imagined transgressions, and Jeff's owners had to keep him limited in their back yard. His roaming days were seldom. Actually, it turned out that most of the spilled garbage and other transgressions were not Jeff's doing at all. Another dog was the culprit--a much smaller and less friendly dog. But some people were not kindly disposed to my canine friend, largely because of his size. Lydia and I liked Jeff's humans, though we never got to know them very well. As the days and months went on, I saw Jeff less and less. I was always excited whenever Lydia told me that Jeff was out. I'd try to get to the front porch or the back deck in hopes that he would come and let me pet him. I would even call him by name. If he was out with his family, I'd sometimes go over to their yard. Lydia and I would talk to the people; but they loved Jeff, too. They knew that he was our real friend. It may seem silly to some that during that last week of our residence in Jackson, I wanted to have one last visit with Jeff. I hadn't seen him for several weeks. It had been a very distressing spring for Lydia and me--one with a lot of concerns and not much enjoyment. But one night during that last week, as we were contemplating our future and anticipating the packing and loading and chaos that would follow, Lydia and I made our way to the Walkers' home and asked about Jeff. Jeff was always glad to see me, even though we hadn't been together as much in these last months. I petted that big, furry back and patted his head. This dog, still in the prime of life, was a reminder that even amid the darkest of times, there can always be at least one memory that brings joy and hope. He was unusually frisky on this night, running back and forth from me to his family, and finally running off down the street, taking one of his rare opportunities for freedom. The wife seemed alarmed. "He'll be fine," Ken said confidently of the big, faithful dog. Personally, after I got my chance to spend quite a bit of time greeting Jeff and telling him what a great dog he was, I kind of liked the fact that he was getting a chance to roam a bit. He deserved his freedom, even if that freedom were short-lived. And as a matter of fact, we also had one of the best visits with the Walkers that we had during our entire stay in the neighborhood. They are fine Christian people and have two wonderful sons. It was a very enjoyable evening. We saw Jeff later that night, back in his own yard. I like to think of Jeff and dogs like him--and families like the Walkers. He provided a continuing bit of playfulness and welcome while we were living through a somewhat difficult period of our ministry--and he gave us some of the happiest memories of our days on West Pearl Street in Jackson, Alabama! Good night, old boy!

Looking Forward to a Trip

2007-08-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

Some day, I'm going on a trip. It's going to be a wonderful trip. I'm going to see lots of new things and meet some special people I've always wanted to know. I'm anticipating this trip with genuine enthusiasm and joy; but I hope I'm as excited about it when the actual day approaches. You se, this is that final and ultimate trip the world calls death! I was thinking about this just a day or two ago. How excited we get when we start packing for a long-awaited vacation, a special cruise, a visit to see family or friends we haven't seen in many years! We look forward to going to places we've never before been! This is the way we are when it comes to trips on this earth--vacations and travel plans that will come and go in no time at all! Yet, when it comes to the most glorious trip of all for us who are Christian, we are reluctant even to think about it--let alone plan for it or anticipate it with joyful longing! Yes, I know, the instinct for self-preservation is strong; and we fear the pain or the discomfort of those final days or weeks leading up to the glorious day of embarkation on the ship that leads us to our eternal home! We think of those who will be left behind, and we will be sorry to leave them. But is there possibly even another element at work? Do we have doubts lingering about the glory that awaits us? Are we afraid that maybe what we've believed about the glorious eternal life in heaven with Christ and His saints may not be quite true? I don't look forward to the suffering; but the Bible reminds us that the suffering we encounter in this life is as nothing compared to the glory and the joy and the beauty that awaits us in eternity! As a pastor for these last 32 years, I have spent many hours with grieving families. I have witnessed the death of my own mother and other friends and family members. I am not at all making light of death. I also remember however that the apostle Paul said in Philippians that to live is Christ, and to die is gain. I hope that when it comes my time to take this glorious trip to my eternal home, I can be genuinely excited and joyous about it. I pray that when it comes time to take that glorious journey, I'll be ready to pack my suitcase as it were, to feed on the presence and the Word of God--that I'll be prepared to rejoice with all the saints who have preceded me! I hope I'll be excited! As good as life is on our best days here on earth, it'll never compare with the glory that awaits us. The time of our departure is in God's hands. I'll patiently wait on the call from my heavenly Father; but by His grace, I'll be happy to be homeward bound, looking forward to a trip!

Watching CNN While Remembering God's Sovereignty

2007-08-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

Some people say that they just can't watch the news, that it's too depressing. I must confess that it's hard for me to relate to this attitude or understand this reaction. Personally, I want to know what's going on in the world. I know that some of the news can be distressing, but some of it is also very good. I find the news interesting and often fascinating. Yes, many of the things we read and hear are disgusting, outrageous, and heartbreaking. Some of the news reports make us mad. We are shocked by developments at home and abroad; and our hearts go out to the victims of natural disasters, wars, and tragic accidents. We're amazed by the incompetence, poor judgment, or dishonesty we see every day. Still, I can't say that keeping up with the news depresses me. It's all part of life, the human condition, but only a part. If I refuse to watch the news, I'm simply turning away from reality. I'm living in my own self-centered world, pretending that the events around me do not concern me or have any effect on me. I'm assuming that there's nothing I can do about them, anyway, so I just won't get involved. God has given me some responsibilities, though, as a participant in His world. I can pray about the events going on around me. I can perhaps reach out in support of those in need or a divine principle under attack. I can at least act responsibly as a Christian. But whatever the news is that we see on CNN, it's only a part of the story! I watch and listen to the news from the perspective of my belief about the sovereignty of God. Evil is nothing new. Catastrophes and terrorism have been around almost from the very beginning of time. If we properly understand our Christian faith and the God we serve, however, we need not be overwhelmed or thrown into despair by watching the news. I'm going to be entering the pulpit in a few minutes to proclaim that whatever the news on TV says, we worship a God who is bigger than man's inhumanity to man! We serve a risen Saviour who has conquered sin and death forever! We who are Christian can rejoice with genuine optimism, even in the face of human misery because we know that misery is not the final outcome. We recognize human sin for what it is; but we are not thereby made disconsolate. We know that the natural inclination of man is toward sin and self. In the words of one wag, "I am not disillusioned, because I never had any illusions in the first place." Our faith is not in man, but in God. Ultimately, God's will for His creation cannot be defeated. I'll continue to watch the news and read the newspapers. I'll always know what the news is; but some day, as Paul Harvey would say, I'll know "the rest of the story." I'll understand how the sovereignty of God will be displayed in glorious triumph! And oh, what a day that will be!

"Down Time"

2007-08-18T06:59:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have thought that the lack of new entries on my blog recently has been because I've been busy building up my new church here in Schulenburg, Texas. I wish that were the case. Actually, the reduced activity on the blog is more the product of "down time." Ever since the first of the month, Lydia and I have been "down" with a persistent cough. We've had few other major symptoms, and have actually felt pretty good during those rare moments when were weren't coughing ourselves into exhaustion! We're under a doctor's care now, and have been on antibiotics, steroids, cough medicine, and are now scheduled to see a lung specialist near Houston in the next few days. Our doctor assures us that this isn't going to kill us; but there have been times when I almost wished it would. I'm still carrying on with my preaching responsibilities; but visitation and other projects I had planned to start have been significantly slowed. Of course, this will pass; and I fully expect that when everybody else gets back into the normal post-vacation schedule, we'll be getting into our work rhythm and establishing a normal way of doing things in a new call. One minister I knew several years ago said that it always took him several months really to get his new pattern of work and routine established whenever he accepted a new call. That's even more true when you're hampered by any kind of sickness--no matter how seemingly minor--during those first few months. Now, I realize that during such interludes, many people come to new and great insights about life, work, God, and other mysteries and philosophical truths of the universe. Unfortunately, I have come to very few such insights since July 31 when this all started. However, since you have read this much of the present entry, and since many of you are faithful readers of this blog, I will distill what wisdom I have for you in a few sentences! First, I can't wait for college football season to start in a couple of weeks. And second, sometimes, it can be liberating simply to acknowledge that you're sick and not try to pretend otherwise. As I have been lying in bed, too exhausted to pursue any additional work on many of these afternoons and have had my XM Satellite radio to keep me company, it has been rather liberating to find myself listening to a rather inconsequential major league baseball game, admitting that was about all I had the energy to do at that moment. Sometimes, we just have to admit that not every day is meant to be a day of great achievement. As we renew ourselves and recover our health--be it physical, emotional or spiritual--it's good to realize that some days are meant simply as opportunities to be renewed and prepare for other days and other adventures--now and in the world to come!

Keeping Fear Alive

2007-08-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

A decade or so ago, one popular "buzz phrase" was, "Keep hope alive!" Apparently, we now have a new phrase--or, if not a new phrase, a new method of doing business in the news media. The idea is to "keep fear alibe." The technique seems to be working, even if it is selectively applied. Not long ago, a bridge over an interstate highway in Minnesota partially gave way. Tragically, there was loss of life. This morning on a Houston radio station, the question was asked, by way of headline, "How many bridges in Texas would you feel good about crossing?" There have been some incidents lately within the space program concerning a couple of astronauts. So a polling question was asked recently on a news program, "Do you still trust NASA?" And when the economic news is good, there are still plenty of pundits whose mission in life seems to be to paint the worst possible picture of the economic prospects and find some way to put a negative spin on even the most positive news. I could point out many more examples. The pattern seems to be pretty clear. There are those in media, politics, and other segments of American life who have an agenda. Their desire is to create fear, cynicism, and negative images of life in America and our American institutions. When they have a chance to tear down the military, the space program, or any of the institutions most of us hold dear, they are all too willing to do it. And if there's a way to make us feel skeptical about the intentions of our local and state officials or question the competence of those in places of responsibility, these fear-mongers will stop at nothing to make us feel uneasy. Some call it "investigative journalism." But is it really journalism at all? One person who steps across the line should not bring intoquestion an entire institution. One person's activities who some may call into question certainly should not bring disgrace upon an entire organization. Genuine and legitimate accountability is certainly necessary in a free society; but what will happen to that society when the critics are not accountable or have no sense of responsibility or integrity?

Invested in Your Community?

2007-08-08T21:42:00.000-05:00

I believe I have pointed out elsewhere on this blog that, with few exceptions, it is important for us to think of "home" as the place where we now live, not the place where we grew up or the place where other people may be living. We need to form our own traditions and bond in our own way with our immediate family and our immediate community. We need to be invested in our community. Of course, some of us still live where we grew up. We've been living perhaps in the same neighborhood or on the same piece of land for decades, and have a huge family circle around us. If that is the case, then we have lots of motivation to be invested in our community; but some people in such circumstances have another problem. They realize where home is; but they get so caught up in family or personal security, comfort, and enjoyment that they forget to be truly invested in the wider community. So how do we get invested in the community? I felt a deeper sense of community involvement when Lydia and I bought our first house. To me, this decision to buy rather than rent a house was a way of saying that I really considered myself part of the city. It was a way of laying down some kind of roots, settling in for a while. People invest in their community when they become actively involved with the school system. This is particularly appropriate, of course, for those who have children. Lydia and I do not have children; but I have participated in school activities, talking to kids' classes about blindness, becoming involved at one point in a Boy Scout troop, trying to stay aware of school events, etc. People become invested in their community in a very direct way when they start a business, contribute financially in a significant amount to volunteer organizations, churches, or major causes; and if major financial contributions are not practical, a significant gift of one's time or experties to these areas of community life can often be just as important. We can become significantly invested in our community by joining civic, business, trade, or service organizations that take part in community affairs. As a minister, I have often participated in local clergy associations. I've been involved in the Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations where I felt my abilities and interests could be most useful and appreciated. All of these things are important and we should give serious consideration to becoming invested in our community in ways that are suitable to our particular situation in life. We may even decide to get directly involved in the political process by running for office or working in a political campaign. I did something on Monday, however, that is probably as important as any of these already mentioned. I registered to vote! We were at the county courthouse so that we could get license plates for the car. It just seemed to me that it was such an obvious opportunity to register. I couldn't let it pass. Of course, Lydia registered, too. It was very simple; and we'll get our voter registration cards in a couple of weeks. There are elections here in November of this year. When we vote, it's important that we take part, not only in the national and state elections, but in the local elections, and even the most seemingly unexciting offices. Often, it's the people who hold the least noticed offices who may affect our daily lives and dealings with government the most. We need to try to familiarize ourselves with the candidates and the issues. It's relatively easy to be aware of the national issues that are making news; but being invested in your community means that you also become aware of the issues that make a difference in your town or city. From a reformed Christian perspective, this has sound theological principles behind it. As Christians, we are to operate in the world. We live in the context of community--neighborhoods, towns and cities, counties and states. While our main task as Christians may be evangelism, we are also seeking to bring Christian principles to bear on every aspect of life. We are to do this with integrity, clear thinking, a positive attitude, and good humor. Ultimately, when we bring Christian principles to bear on the life of a community, the effect will be to raise the quality of life for everyone. We can do all this without being "wet blankets," or "killjoys." We don't have to be eccentric or fanatics. We just need to be true to our calling as a free people, saved by grace. So are you invested in your community--its daily life, its prospeirty, its general welfare, and its future strength and vitality. There are many aspects to developing a healthy community? Are you making it happen where you are?

"Days of Our Lives"

2007-08-04T06:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, Lydia and I are now settling in at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, in Schulenburg, Texas! This was a difficult move--in some ways, even more difficult than the one from Virginia to Maine; and we did suffer some damaged and apparently lost articles in this process. We're both dealing with a persistent cough, too, probably brought on by coming to a new place with new things in the air to which we're not accustomed. (We'll address those concerns, if necessary, with the help of a doctor.) The people are wonderful, though, and the church is enthusiastic, with definite possibilities to renew its strength and its position in the community. There are no guarantees in any endeavor, of course; but I feel really good about the prospects. I don't know what universal life principles or spiritual truths I have learned over these past few months; but a few personal observations do come to mind as I finish my third week in a new ministry! First, I think that many people give up on their life purpose too easily. They come to a conclusion that they can no longer continue along their chosen path; so they settle for something else. Often, the truth of the matter is quite different. It isn't that they can no longer continue along a certain path, but that they have made the decision that to do so isn't worth the price they'll have to pay--and that's an entirely different matter. They find that the conditions they would have to meet or the hardships they would face are unacceptable; so they turn in another direction. Perhaps this is a reasonable thing to do; but it seems to me that many people make the decision, in the emotional periods of frustration and disappointment, that the effort required to achieve their goals is more than they want to put forth. Years later, they have to live with the regret of not fulfilling the possible dream, having convinced themselves that it couldn't be done. I have come to this kind of crossroads several times in my life. Each time, God has given me the strength, the opportunity, and the discernment, to see the open doors that still remained, and has led me through those doors to a deeper faith and a new ministry. Second, I think we must be willing to "think outside the probable." This is difficult. We often have expectations for what the next phase of our lives will be like. We make assumptions about where we will go or what we will do. Whether consciously or otherwise, we almost write these expectations in stone in our minds, or we allow ourselves to be influenced by other people or circumstances. Six years ago, I never thought I'd be moving to Maine. Six months ago, coming to Texas seemed the most unlikely thing in the world. Still, I remained open to the improbable because I saw no reason to rule out anything. What mattered most to me was to try to be true to my calling and my responsibilities. When it actually came time to make decisions, moving to Maine and, later, to Texas, seemed like the most natural and logical thing in the world. I am aware of many mistakes I have made in my life, as I'm sure we all are when considering our own individual paths. I do not second-guess myself for one minute, however, for pursuing every possible opportunity to continue in my calling or for being open to the improbable twists and turns of life, no matter where they lead me. I don't know any other way that a person could live as a Christian, and still claim to have faith inGod. I want more and more to trust God completely. His ways are surely wiser and better than mine. And I still desire to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in the way that He has ordained that it should be done. We are not all called to be full-time ministers of the Christian Gospel; but we all have a purpose to pursue, and we all need encouragement to think beyond that which is most probable or most comfortable.

"Something that Helps People"

2007-07-30T12:48:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was talking about career choices with someone who said, "I wanted to do something that helps people." I've heard that phrase a lot over the years. I used to accept it uncritically, assuming that I knew what was meant. It sounded admirable, selfless, giving. Actually, I've now come to realize that the phrase "something that helps people," when applied to career choices is a pretty meaningless phrase and can actually have a rather sinister motive--regardless of the intentions of the speaker. Are we to assume that certain professions, like teaching, nursing, or social work, actually help people, and other professions somehow do not help people? If a person goes into business and actually makes a profit, is that somehow not as helpful to people as the person who is working for a nonprofit agency? Are certain businesses less helpful to the populace than other businesses? This whole idea of "doing something that helps people" is highly subjective. If a guy sells life insurance or paves parking lots, aren't those things helping people? If somebody sells cars or owns a restaurant, isn't that person helping people? In fact, isn't just about any job a way of helping somebody accomplish something worthwhile? Otherwise, you probably wouldn't get paid to do the job! The person who talks about wanting to "do something that helps people" may be hiding a kind of prejudice against certain businesses or professions, or suggesting--even if very subtly and almost unconsciously--that his motives are somehow superior to those of the construction worker or the banker or the owner of the grocery store who is doing honest work for a profit, or the developer who is planning a community in which people can live a certain pleasant kind of life. I think that the next time I hear somebody say that they want to do something that "helps people," i'll be tempted to ask, "And just what kind of career would be one that does *not help people?" I'd be interested to see what they would say!

Convictions and Compromise:

2007-06-27T04:27:00.000-05:00

This is another bonus entry, so to speak, but will certainly be my last entry to this blog until we get settled in our new place of ministry. There was a key vote in the U.S. Senate Tuesday regarding immigration reform. The pending legislation moved forward on a procedural motion after failing on a similar vote just a few days ago. Yes, the issue this time was immigration reform; but it could have been anything. My point here is not to argue for or against this particular piece of legislation. Rather, I want to consider how easy it is for people to waiver in their convictions and succumb to compromise. How can something that seemed so bad two weeks ago suddenly become good? Of course, the answer to that question is easy. Egoes are massaged. Promises are made, and pressure is applied. People who change their minds on basic matters so easily from one week to the next have all kinds of rationalizations and excuses. They may make lofty statements for the press; but usually, we can see right through the deception. Would we really want lawmakers who can be so easily swayed? Well, think about the rest of us. What about the average American when it comes to matters of conscience, morality, integrity, and compromise? Are we a people of conviction, or are we more political animals? Are we a people of principle, or primarily a people of pragmatism and expedience? I think we tend toward pragmatism; and worse, I think most of us are proud of it! We fear people of principle more than the results of pragmatism. Now, consider this from a spiritual perspective. Think about the changes in church doctrine over the past half century. Consider how most mainline denominations have changed their views on abortion, homosexuality, the Bible, sexual morality, truth and falsehood, and a host of other basic issues. These changes have not come about primarily because of new information, but because of politics, pressure, cultural adaptation, and the like. Sometimes, we don't even admire people who have strong convictions any more. I was once derided as a "non-conformist" by a minister who was examining me in a certain presbytery. I suppose he was right. I still admire conviction and tend to be suspicious of those who, on a regular basis, prefer compromise. How about you?

Paris Hilton and Other Strnage Obsessions:

2007-06-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

I have the unexpected opportunity to make one last entry before the movers pack us up. Everything was pushed back a day, which suited us fine. And it gives me the chance to comment on Paris Hilton, and other strange obsessions many Americans entertain. Paris Hilton is, of course, a very rich potential heiress to the Hilton fortune. Supposedly, she also has some acting talent, maybe a career in modeling. Who knows? She's young and rich and beautiful--and she was released from a Los Angeles jail very early this morning after serving a little time for driving with a suspended license after a DUI conviction. Of course, there's not much news in that--unless you're Paris Hilton, and young, and rich, and beautiful, and famous! I understand that we can be fascinated by people who actually achieve something--even if it isn't something of any particular moral virtue. But what we've increasingly seen over the years is an obsession with people just because they're famous. They haven't necessarily done anything. They've just been. Even when these people do really bad stuff, we want to watch. Are the lives of many people really that boring? Do we really long so fervently to be in the shoes of the rich and famous--even when they're getting released from jail, or when they're on trial for murder? I guess it's kind of like the obsession some people have about "keeping up with the Joneses. I've never quite understood that one, either. Have we become so uninterested in our own individuality that we have to find excitement vicariously through the trials, fame, or successes of others--even others we don't necessarily know or who don't have anything necessarily admirable to recommend them? Surely, there aren't that many people who really want to pattern their lives after that of Paris Hilton! If we're going to obsess over something, why can't it be something noble--like excellence, the will of God, liberty under God, or even the Bible or the Christ! Wouldn't it be great if we became as interested in the progress of Christian world missions as we currently seem to be in the lives and legends of celebrities of questionable character?

"I'm Moving On"

2007-06-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

That was the title of a hit country song a couple of years ago; and indeed, it expresses my thoughts this morning. Lydia and I are moving on. We're tired, but excited, apprehensive and yet holding on to our faith, a bit battered and bruised from our recent experiences, yet eager for the opportunity to continue to do what God has called us to do. Life seldom turns out as people believe that it will. Certainly, my life has developed in very different ways from what I would have imagined when I was a senior in high school, or a junior at Davidson College, or even as a young seminarian or minister. Yet, we put our faith in a sovereign God, and continue to try to seek, know, and obey His will. As my friend Sid Leak says, quoting a seminary professor he had years ago, "It's not like God is going to run off and leave you!" Well, praise God for that! Sometimes, that's just about the only comfort we have. I'm filled with all kinds of emotions as I come to the end of my time in Alabama. One thing we know for sure is that the only constant reality in the worldly, temporal realm is change. Just when we think we understand the pattern of our lives, things are likely to change. People change. Circumstances can change in a heartbeat. Attitudes change. Relationships change. An uncle of mine died on Saturday morning, pointing out once again the fragile nature of life and the lasting effects of sin on fallen humanity. We still struggle with grief, following the death of my mother in December. Often, our inner resources seem to have reached the breaking point. Still, I'm moving on. It's tempting to retreat, to escape into the past, to be dependent on situations that seem more comfortable, more certain. But just what would those situations be? Where would we find the peace of mind and security we crave? Where can we really find home base? We can only find those things in a faith that is founded on thepermanent, the eternal, the perfect. I do not understand the ways of God; but I am willing, though imperfectly, to trust Him. What is the alternative? As Peter said to Jesus in the gospel of John, "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." And at this time in my Christian pilgrimage, He is leading me, guiding me, calling me; and so, I'm moving on. The next time I speak to you, faithful readers, I will probably be somewhere in Texas! But it's more than the eyes of Texas that are upon you!

Fresh Perspective?

2007-06-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

Lydia does not have computer skills. The only thing she can do to help me with the computer is read the screen for me on those occasions when something has gone wrong, and perhaps use the mouse to help me get things right again. Her entertainment and information-gathering sources are more traditional and low-tech. So today, she was able to give me a fresh perspective that made us both howl with laughter, but which was also probably a worthwhile reminder of the way things still can be for a lot of people. I had been here in my study enjoying the radio stations I can hear on the computer. I had just successfully linked to WCBS News Radio 88 in New York! This was a real treat, since I used to listen to that station all the time when we lived in Virginia and Maine, and when I was a student in college and seminary. To say the least, I was excited! I came out into the living room fairly bursting with my find. I told her what I had managed to do and then continued enthusiastically, "What on earth do people do who don't have computers?" "They work crossword puzzles," Lydia dead-panned, as she continued her hobby without missing a beat! Of course, we both cracked up in hysterical laughter at that point! I hadn't expected such a quick response. But you know, she had a point!

Misguided Expectations Lead to Unhappy People

2007-06-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

In my continuing journey today through my desk drawers as we prepare for our upcoming move, I was still reading through some items we had managed to collect over these past few years. I ran across an article by George Will that had been sent to me in 2006, and had been published in the "Daily Press" newspaper in Hampton in February of that year and, no doubt, in many other markets as well. He was talking about polls that are designed to determine who the happiest people are. Most of the findings did not surprise me. I was well-acquainted with the data. Religious people are, on the whole, happier than non-religious. Married people are, as a rule, happier than single. Conservatives usually turn out to be happier than liberals. The question that comes to mind, of course, is why are certain groups generally happier than others. Will had an interesting answer to that question, and I think he got it right. He essentially said that those groups of people are happier who have a healthy kind of pessimism about the human race. Let me give my own adapted and modified and slightly expanded version of why I think some people are happier than others. I think back to what Scott Peck said in the opening sentence of his book, "The Road Less Traveled." "Life is difficult." As soon as we understand that, it makes things a lot easier to bear. The reason some people are happier than others is often because their expectations are very different from those of other people. If you really believe that people are inherently and basically good, you're going to be disappointed. As a biblical Christian, I already know that people are inherently evil. The doctrine of original sin, of total depravity, is alive and well. This does not make me a cynic, since my ultimate faith is in God and the assurance that all will work to His glory. But it does keep me from having unrealistic and false expectations about my fellow man. If you really believe that most of the answers to the serious problems confronting the nation and the world are going to be found through government, you are destined to be disappointed and disillusioned. Governments have proven time and time again that they are either incapable or unwilling to solve the most pressing problems facing humanity. If you really believe that pragmatism is always the best route, then you will always have a society which is superficial and materialistic. Pragmatism, as a driving force in society, will never rise to the heights of great causes and mighty principles. In short, the sectarian, the statist, and the utilitarian, will all be disappointed in the end. They cannot possibly be truly happy in any meaningful, permanent way. The Christian, on the other hand, has all the reason in the world to be truly happy. It is as the Bible says, that Jesus did not "commit himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man." (John 2:24-25.) A proper understanding and appreciation for the true nature of man will go a long way toward making a person truly happy.

Family Ministry

2007-06-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, Lydia and I were going through some things that I had managed to collect and save over the years, cleaning out files, rummaging through a desk drawer, throwing away some old articles. In the process, we ran across several items related to families and social breakdown in America. The contexts of these items were different and varied; but in several places, we read the same statistic--and it shocked me. It is fairly widely understood now that 35% of births in America today are illegitimate. Of course, the percentages are much higher in certain racial and economic groups; but such instances are increasing in all strata of American society. For a number of years, I have had it in the back of my mind to become more intentionally involved in family ministry. Children are increasingly coming into homes without fathers; marriages are becoming less stable; the stress of job and financial pressures is becoming more than many families can bear. Add to that the changing role of women, the constant discussions in the media and elsewhere regarding homosexuality, and some of the disturbing trends in education, and you have a recipe for the destruction of the American family as we know it. The church is largely to blame for much of thedissolution of families in America today. Mainline denominations have not given the clear guidance or upheld the conventional standards of the biblical family. Many of us who are ministers have abrogated our responsibilities in this area for fear of offending church members or seeming too old-fashioned or judgmental. The ministry to families does not have to be carried out in a condemning or unloving fashion. Where people have made serious mistakes, those mistakes need to be recognized; but the power and presence of God's love and grace also need to be strongly affirmed. ADults need to be encouraged to take their responsibilities seriously. The church can once again be the nurturing institution that Christ ordained it to be. I've dreamed of having a Family Ministry Center to help with family counseling, financial matters, and perhaps even job skills and other areas of family life. Whether that ever comes to fruition as part of my ministry, now or in later years, of course, remains to be seen. Of one thing I am certain, however: The church needs to be more involved in guarding the future of the traditional family unit, or the future of the institutional church itself will be in doubt.

On Calling a Pastor

2007-06-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

It looks as though I am about to come to the end of the process of seeking a pastoral call. I will say more about that when everything becomes official. Apparently, most major denominations do a very conscientious and methodical job in helping pastors get relocated. I have commended the ladies in our PC(USA) Call Referral Service with whom I have spoken on many occasions; and our Internet tool, the Church Leadership Connection, is very effective in pointing pastors to opportunities and information. Still, there are aspects of the call process that trouble me. While I am writing this from the perspective of a PC(USA) pastor, I think many of my observations will apply to all of the main-line denominations and some of the smaller assemblies as well. Several months ago, I mentioned in earlier blog entries some of my concerns about the plight of rural and small churches. I believe that these churches need greater support and ahigher priority within our denomination. A certain percentage of our churches are always without a pastor. To some extent, this is inevitable, given the procedures necessary for a search process. But sometimes, this process seems to be unnecessarily lengthy. Branches of a corporation are not long without a branch manager; and it seems to me that the search and call process in many cases does undue harm to the ongoing ministry, especially of smaller churches. Of course, we do have interim pastors; and they go a long way toward addressing this problem in many cases. We also have commissioned lay pastors in the Presbyterian Church. I believe that in certain situations, these can be very helpful. On the other hand, I want the professionals who serve me to be fully trained. I want my lawyer to be a law school graduate, and my doctor to be a medical school graduate; so why shouldn't the pastor, even in a small church, be a fully trained seminary graduate? My main concerns are with the secrecy of the process. When a pastor believes that it is time to seek relocation, there is no vehicle to let the Session know about those feelings. Even in a troubled church, the pastor is reluctant to let the leadership know that rlocation is being sought. Churches sometimes lose members because people are unhappy with the pastor; but often, the pastor is just as unhappy with the church. If the congregation, or at least the Session, could have some way of knowing that the pastor has reached the conclusion that a change is needed and that he/she is seeking relocation, a lot of church strife could probably be avoided, and the pastor would not have to be so fearful of being asked to resign. What actually happens is that the pastor embarks on the relocation process, goes off on secret trips, claiming to be on vacation, while the church continues to experience unrest and turmoil! (I should know; I've had to do it a few times myself.) It's tremendously taxing emotionally, and frankly borders on being deceptive. I know that in some districts and conferences of the Methodist Church, steps are often taken to allow pastor and congregation to have a more open understanding about whether they desire to keep a certain relationship going--subject, of course, to the District Superintendent and the bishop. This seems to be a step in the right direction. And then, there's this practice of preaching in a "neutral" pulpit when the pastor nominating committee is nearing its decision on calling a particular person to a pastorate. The PNC goes off secretly to a neighboring church to hear the candidate preach to a congregation who is asked to allow this intrusion into its own routine. I've never understood why the candidate couldn't just preach to the congregation who will be asked to consider that candidate to be its next pastor. (That does happen, but not very often.) Usually, the calling congregation has to vote on a candidate sight unseen, sermon unheard. I know there are reasons for this practice; and some of those reasons may be quite valid. I wonder, however, if those considerations outweigh the advantages that might be gained by a congregation being somewhat more familiar with a potential future pastor. I know that some pastors will always try to fool a committee; and some churches will tend to misrepresent themselves in various ways. These tendencies cannot be completely corrected, given the sinful nature of humanity. But perhaps there are some very practical ways that our call processes in the major denominations could be improved, thus leading to happier, more productive, and more spiritually satisfying pastorates in our churches.

Thoughts on Flying in the Post 9:11 World:

2007-06-19T23:37:00.000-05:00

We returned late last night from Texas where Lydia and I had been to look at a church pastoral position. We flew from Mobile to San Antonio by way of Dallas. We've been on plane flights several times since the terrorist attacks of 9:11; but it has been a few years since we've traveled anywhere by air. This plane trip brought several thoughts to mind. First, I can remember when it was fun to fly. There were certain amenities that came with flying, even for those of us who were sitting in the "economy" class. And on the big jets that made the longer runs, it could seem almost luxurious, even for the "common man." But those days are long gone. Maybe that's a good thing; but every time I fly in the cramped quarters of today's carriers, it makes me a little wistful for the past. (Of course, if I lost a little weight, the quarters wouldn't be quite so cramped; but let's not go there.) Second, we didn't even get any food at the airport or on the plane Friday. I'm not sure whether the advertised snack boxes were for sale on our flight from Mobile, or whether the weather may have precluded making those available. We had plenty of time to make our connection in Dallas, but not plenty of time to get anything to eat. Any way you cut it, air travel can be something of a physical endurance test if you have to make a connection en route. And third, I'm not mad at the government for all the airport security measures; but I'm mad because all of us have to be so careful on the off chance that there will be a nut case who might want to blow up a plane! So our luggage is examined--and in some cases ruined--our pockets and purses are checked, and we have to take our shoes off because of that microscopic probability that a terrorist walks among us. I also have the lingering suspicion that we could handle our airport security better; but not being an expert in the field, I don't know how it would be done. (I also know that some of my ideas would probably meet with howls of protest from civil libertarians and the "politically correct" crowd.) I realize that certain measures must be taken to protect us from threats to our safety. But how far do you go to protect the populace from these threats? Apparently, the Israeli system is even more intrusive, but also more efficient and effective. (I'd be interested to know more about that.) In short, how far can an open society go in policing its citizens before it is no longer a truly open society? I don't know the answer to that; but it's a question we're going to have to answer in the years to come.

Home

2007-06-15T04:16:00.000-05:00

Home is where we live--or is it? I used to laugh at people who said that they were going "home" for the holidays, or "home" on vacation. I knew what they meant, of course. They meant that they were going back to where they had spent their childhood, back to where their parents lived. But how could that really be "home?" I wondered. After all, most of these people had families of their own now--spouses, children, jobs, pets. For most of the first part of my ministry, though, I guess I really thought of Nashville, Tennessee, as home. After all, my parents bought a house there in 1962. I had lived in that house all through high school, and considered it my official residence through college and seminary. My first pastorates had been relatively short, and I had not really established any other roots. Lydia and I didn't have children. We hadn't bought a home of our own. So Nashville, Tennessee, seemed about as good a place for me to call home as anywhere. Lydia's parents had lived in New Jersey when Lydia and I got married; but then, they moved to the Dallas area. Then in 1988, Lydia and I accepted a call to Northampton Presbyterian Church, in Hampton, Virginia. We rented a house. We were very compatible with the people. We liked the area. I remember coming back to Nashville in the summer of 1989, sitting out on my parents' front porch, and realizing, with a new sense of contentment, that I really finally had a new home. I knew I would always love Nashville, and would always enjoy coming back to that front porch; but I also knew that at last, Nashville was not home in any meaningful sense. My new home was in Hampton, Virginia. That was a liberating, joyous feeling. In 1994, Lydia and I bought our first house in Newport News. We had many happy years in Hampton. But it all ended in December, 2001. The church wanted to go in new directions. I just couldn't follow them. I knew I would always have a special feeling for those people and for that special period in my life; but I couldn't go along with their new course of worship and mission. Since then, we've been to Maine, to Jackson, Alabama, and now to somewhere else. I'm not sure where "home" is any more. I'm not sure I have one. My prayer is that this next ministry, wherever it is, will be our new home for many years to come--maybe for the rest of our lives. Everybody needs a real home--in that deep and abiding sense of the word. Of course, as Christians, we understand that ultimately our home is not in this world. We're heaven-bound. Yet, I long to have one more place here on earth that I can truly call home one more time--one more ministry, just one more!

There's Speaking English, and Then There's .....

2007-06-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I needed to make a reservation for a rental car. I decided to do it by phone. That wouldn't have been a bad idea, except that the customer service guy could barely speak comprehensible English, had a hard time understanding what I said, and could not answer my questions! He may have been Hispanic, or he may have been the result of out-sourcing to India. It's hard to say. One thing I can say is that it would be nice if companies would put people on their customer service jobs who can actually speak and understand the English language! This guy said that if we put the rental car on our debit card, there would be a "$300 hold." "What does that mean?" I asked. (Seemed like a logical question to me.) "It means," he bravely began, "that there will be a $300 hold." Thank you! I would have never guessed. I remember back in the mid-'90's, I called the toll-free number for buying tickets to a Colorado Rockies baseball game when Lydia and I were heading out to Denver for an EPC General Assembly. When I got home that afternoon and told Lydia that I had bought the tickets, she asked me if they were good seats. "I don't know," I told her. "I had so much trouble understanding the lady who was talking to me that I'm just glad I was able to buy tickets at all!" (Actually, they did turn out to be pretty good seats.) These conversations with people who are barely able to speak comprehensible English take place all the time--with tech support for computers, service requests for appliances, and any number of telephone dealings with large companies. Maybe they figure that most people are doing business on-line, anyway; so the telephone personnel are not chosen very carefully. And of course, the labor is much cheaper if you can channel calls to some guy living in a thatch--roofed hut in India or Pakistan! Still, it would be nice if American companies would give a thought now and again to genuine customer service by making sure that the customer service representatives really did provide some old-fashioned customer service--and do it in the language most of us in America actually understand--genuine, clear, properly enunciated, English! Is that asking too much? By the way, the $300 hold meant that if I put the cost of the rental car on my debit card, $300 of my bank account would be frozen for fourteen days after I turned in the car. I think we'll just go with the good old credit card instead!

College Baseball

2007-06-05T07:58:00.000-05:00

College baseball is gaining in popularity. It's always been fairly big in places like Southern California, Florida, Texas, and South Carolina; but now, it's becoming more popular in the major and some of the mid-major conferences all across the country. Fan interest is growing. And now, when a colege baseball coach is fired or hired, it's actually considered big sports news. This year, Vanderbilt won the regular season SEC baseball championship and the SEC tournament. Vandy was ranked Number One in the country virtually all year. Unfortunately, they were knocked out of the NCAA tournament last night by Michigan by the score of 4--3 in ten innings in a regional final in Nashville; so they won't be in the College World Series. Still, it was a great season for the black and gold. I believe college baseball will continue to grow in fan support and over-all popularity. The college game still has a ways to go, though. Even though Vanderbilt was the top-ranked team in the country, you couldn't find their game with Michigan on radio or TV last night--unless you lived in Nashville or perhaps near Ann Arbor! There was a college regional tournament game on Fox Sports; but it didn't feature Vandy. That was a little strange. Still, I look forward to the increased visibility of the college game--even if they do use those funny-sounding bats!

Thoughts About the Effects of Stress and Other Emotions

2007-06-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

I have told some of you about the episode that occurred on December 4, 2006, when I first began to realize the seriousness of my mother's condition. This was only thirteen days before she died. All of a sudden, while attending a meeting of our church deacons that evening, my mind "shorted out." Names of people and places that I usually identified with ease simply meant nothing to me. I couldn't even remember the name of the town where we lived. I had kept all my emotions tightly contained in those early days of December, upon hearing the possible prognosis for my mother. Finally, when I began to let those emotions go, mymental faculties returned; but what a scary hour or so it was. I didn't know what was happening to me. In recent weeks, Lydia and I have been experiencing a different kind of stress. The effects are devastating, though different from those which I experienced last December. Yesterday when we went to church in Mobile, the minister's wife, who happens to be a friend of ours, went out of her way to let us know she was glad to see us. Her warm and genuine greeting almost brought tears to my eyes. This afternoon, I was in touch with a moving business that specializes in clergy situations. The lady who took my call was so kind and reassuring that my relief was indescribable and emotionally overwhelming! We know that stress affects people in many different ways. Physical manifestations of the impact of stress are real and varied. We also are beginning to realize that other powerful emotions also affect conditions in our body. Whenever we have the opportunity to show someone genuine love, to give a heartfelt hug--especially when someone is crying or is going through tremendous personal difficulties--or whenever we have the opportunity to give someone genuine encouragement and support, we should do it! We may very well be contributing to that person's emotional and physical health. Society has become so impersonal today that even the church is often a source of pressure, disappointment, and strife instead of a place of healing and redemption. What we say and how we act does make a difference. Plant seeds of emotional and physical health in those with whom you interact whenever possible--especially in those people about whom you care the very most.

Real Christian Love

2007-05-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

Love is often trivialized, politicized, and scandalized today. For years, I was reluctant to say much about love, either in my sermons or in my writings. In recent years, however, as I have come into contact more and more with the lonely, the broken, and the struggling, I have had to think more deeply about love. Perhaps some of my own recent experiences have led to a new awareness of the universal need for love. I wrote down some thoughts about love some time ago. I submit them here for the consideration of the readers of this blog, with some revision. If you think they have merit, I would be pleased for you to comment, distribute, and use in any way that seems helpful. Real Christian love is that which loves in spite of anything it might ever discover about the object of the love. No matter what we may find out about another person we love, we continue in our love. That doesn't mean that we agree with everything that person has ever done or that we excuse everything that person mayhave done; but still, we love. It means that we also allow ourselves to be vulnerable. There will be times when real Christian love demands that we reveal more of ourselves than is comfortable for us, more than we anticipated. It will require trusting someone and allowing for the possibility of being hurt. Real Christian love does not require us to arrive at easy compromises with those with whom we disagree just to preserve an appearance of unity. Rather, real Christian love requires us to face our disagreements honestly, be open to change, but stand by our principles if we remain unconvinced, allow the other person the freedom to do the same, and leave the discussion or decision with a sense of genuine love for the one with whom we have differences. Real Christian love requires reaching out to those who are different, not with pity or condescension, but with genuine love and compassion. We are eager to perform acts of kindness and show real love to those with disabilities and those from different racial, educational, or economic groups and classes. Real Christian love requires genuine intimacy in the highest sense. It means that we will share a meaningful fellowship and truly get to know one another. We will share in pain and sorrow; and we will often share at the very deepest levels of human need and emotion. There will be lots of hugs, lots of tears, lots of laughter, lots of friendly, warm chatter that will say to one another, "You are family." Real Christian love will give us the power and the courage to say to others, even beyond spouse or relatives, "I love you." It is no burden to answer a call in the middle of the night to give comfort or consolation to someone when it is done in real Christian love. It is a privilege to weep with someone about whom you care deeply, when it is done in real Christian love. It is also a delight to rejoice and laugh together when real Christian love is at the center of the relationship. Issues of life and death, of spiritual well-being, and of the most intense and personal struggles can be discussed and our greatest fears verbalized with that dear friend. Everyone needs to know the cherished joy and manifold blessings of real Christian love, though very few will admit the emptiness, desperation, and loneliness that come with a life without love. Real Christian love is not just that experience we share with wife or husband, or parent, or child. It should be that kind of relationship we experience with more and more of those we know in our churches and in our world. I would challenge anyone reading this to reach out to someone and extend a warm embrace of real Christian love. Be open to the leading of God as you seek to show the love of Christ to a human being in need of your caring.

Gasoline Prices and Misguided Critics

2007-05-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

We are now facing gasoline prices that are over $3 a gallon for self-service regular almost everywhere in the U.S. In many places, the price is $4 a gallon and rising. As with any price rise, some people are convinced that this is "outrageous," or "ridiculous." Of course, the reason they think it's outrageous or ridiculous is because the price is higher than it used to be, and they don't want to pay it. So they have to have somebody to blame. Depending on their point of view, they'll blame and criticize one of the following: They'll criticize the oil companies because they read about the millions of dollars in company profits or the percentage amount of increase in those profits. Of course, those figures don't reflect the percent of profit when compared to the cost of doing business, or what is commonly referred to as the "profit margin." Some will criticize the government for not monitoring and somehow controlling the price of gas. Some of these folks are also convinced that we should make available to the motoring public some of our strategic national reserves of gasoline. Never mind that any kind of law regulating the price seldom works very well--certainly not in the long run--and that releasing national reserves could significantly imperil national security in the event of a global crisis. In addition, such domestic measures would have little impact on the price of crude oil overseas which is a major factor in determining the price we pay at the pump here in the U.S. But the most misguided critics of all are those who criticize the rest of us for driving our cars and thus using the gasoline. I've heard people criticize those who use sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles for the amount of gas they consume. I've heard people criticize average Americans who drive their cars great distances to work or on long trips. I've heard people criticize almost all of us for continuing to pay the high prices for gasoline--and on and on it goes. If somebody has the money to pay for gas to go in their SUV or RV, more power to them! Why should I be critical of them? And if we stop driving our cars, who will that hurt? Most people do not wish or cannot realistically plan to change their way of life so radically as to stop driving. Some no doubt may have to alter their place of residence or change jobs if the costs are prohibitive. Adjustments may have to be made, just as adjustments are sometimes necessary for all of us. The reasons for the rise in gas prices are many and complex. Previously undeveloped countries are finally coming into the modern world of technology and industrialization. As such, they require more energy usage. Simple economics of supply and demand, along with questions about the stability of the supply, are increasingly coming into sharp focus. Perhaps most significant of all is the fact that we have huge untapped reserves of oil in our own country and off the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico which we are prevented from exploring or exploiting by various special-inteest groups and politicians. Criticizing those who use the resources is hardly the right approach to this situation. We have been spoiled by unrealistically low gas prices in this country for generations. And in terms of real costs, accounting for inflation and other factors, transportation in America is still probably a pretty good deal. Perhaps the cost of transportation will reach a point, however, where enough people will put pressure on the politicians, bureaucrats, and special-interest environmentalists that the oil companies will be permitted to utilize the resources already available to us in the western United States and off the coasts of America so that we will no longer be held hostage by the Arabs and other foreign governments, nor have our freedom to travel restricted by those who would undermine our entire way of life.

Evangelical and Reformed

2007-05-23T19:17:00.000-05:00

There once was a Christian denomination in the United States called the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Its roots were largely German, and it merged with the Congregationalists to form the United Church of Christ in the 1950's. I have no idea whether it was truly evangelical or reformed; but I would suggest that those are two characteristics that must again be evident in the Presbyterian Church if we are to have a lively, relevant, biblically sound, and theologically accurate witness in the world today. Of course, we need to be evangelical. We need to be going out into the world making disciples, teaching the commands of Christ, bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the only way of salvation. We need to realize that without Jesus, men and women are eternally lost. In other words, we need to be evangelical in the traditional sense of the word. We must recapture the true meaning and the true passion of evangelical Christianity. We also, however, need to be reformed. I do not simply mean that we need to be always open to change, to reforming our institutions in the light of Scripture, though we certainly must be willing to submit to Scripture as we consider our practices and our ideas. When I say that we need to be reformed, however, I mean that we need again to emphasize the doctrines of the reformed faith, as expressed in those great confessional documents of the Protestant Reformation. If we are Presbyterian, we need to teach and expound again the doctrines of the Westminster Confession and Larger and Shorter Catechism. Let's become familiar with the confessions of Dort, the Belgic Confession, and the other great statements which serve as the backbone of the Presbyterian and reformed faith. And while we're at it, we would do well to learn a bit about how these documents came into being as other teachings were put forth, studied, and then prayerfully rejected by the newly-emerging Protestant churches. By so doing, our evangelism will reflect our commitment to the sovereignty of God in all things. We will reaffirm those Calvinist convictions that made for generations of strong Christians and gave rise to the greatest nation in the world. But more than anything, we will be affirming our reformed heritage, educating our children and future generations of new believers, and refueling our passion to spread the truth of Christ and the good news of salvation by grace alone through faithalone. Until we as Presbyterians become both reformed and evangelical, we will continue to see losses in membership and influence. I would also suggest to those who read this blog who are not Presbyterian that you should see if your own denomination or congregation is giving proper attention to its evangelical mission and its foundational beliefs.

Anger and Apathy

2007-05-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

Thomas Sowell had a column today in which he made some comments about the "angry Left." For many on the left wing, difference of opinion leads not only to passionate debate, but to downright hostility. Sowell sees a kind of furor on the part of some liberals that could almost be classified as hatred--hatred of politicians they don't like, of views with which they disagree, of traditions and concepts they find distasteful. I think Sowell is largely correct. Tolerance and respect for those ideas and spokesmen of varying opinions seems largely missing on the radical left. On the other hand, however, those of us of more traditional or conservative views seem largely to be basking in apathy. Oh, we talk to each other about our misgivings concerning immigration reform, terrorism, and other issues. And in the church, we are concerned about deviations from theological orthodoxy. But we really don't do much about any of this. True, conservatives have turned out in large numbers during recent elections; but as soon as the elected officials seem unwilling or unable to deliver on their campaign promises, we crouch back into our little holes, whisper to our friends, and essentially behave ourselves. This isn't all necessarily bad. Traditionalists and conservatives are, by our very nature, non-activists. We don't demonstrate or stage civil disobedience. We don't make noisy protests. For the most part, we don't even walk out of our existing organizations or institutions and form revolutionary new political parties or church groups. We pay our taxes, obey the law, and try to adjust to the things we don't like--pretty much the way mature adults are supposed to behave. But there comes a time when apathy must be replaced by decisive, principled action. We don't have to get angry. We don't have to "make demands." We just have to be willing to do and say what's right, no matter what happens. As we used to say in the Presbyterian Church, we have to be willing to defend that which is true and virtuous and godly, "whatever persecution ... may arise" on that account. There will come a time when we who hold traditional views of law and politics and Christianity will have to pay a price. I'm not talking about being fanatics or extremists, or eccentrics. I'm just talking about standing for those principles, values, truths, and ideals of law and order that have been commonly understood during most of American and western civilization. Many of us who are now considered out of step with our culture used to be in the mainstream. I believe it's time we take back the mainstream, the high ground, the American and Christian culture our ancestors fought and worked so hard to establish. The "Angry Left" cannot be allowed to let their anger rule the day.

Economic Development and Church Inertia:

2007-05-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

I attended my Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting today. I'll only be attending one more of those before my pastorate here officially ends. My association with the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce has been the most interesting thing I've done while in Jackson, Alabama; and the people on the Board of Directors are some of the most impressive folks in town. It is truly exciting to be present as the new opportunities for economic development in our area are being discussed. Marketing strategies are being designed for the towns and cities near Mobile which will be most directly affected by the new steel plant. Other retailing and assorted businesses are being actively recruited and anticipated. Membership at the Chamber is increasing. In addition, new and creative revenue streams for the Chamber are being actively considered. The next few months and years will be tremendously interesting in the cities, towns, and counties of southwest Alabama. In one sense, this is a bad time to have to leave. I'd love to be around to see the changes and be a part of the development. Contrast this air of expectancy with the attitude found in most mainline churches. I have heard people express a lack of interest in church activities because it never seems to them that the churches ever really did anything. While I think many people have wrong or unrealistic expectations of churches, we do have to deal honestly with the fact and the perception that churches are institutions full of inertia. We talk a lot, and we argue a lot; but what do we really do? What goes on in the average church that could really get the active person very excited? The church has a great responsibility and a vital mission; but the vision and the dreams that are cast by most ministers and church leaders frankly do not fire the imagination most of the time. We should pay attention to those churches and those ministries that are successful and exciting. I'm not quite sure how to solve the problem of inertia in the average church; but I do know it is a concern that must be addressed.

Economic Development and Winds of Change

2007-05-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

The German steel corporation Thyssenkrupp is coming to Alabama. The announcement was made on Friday morning. This is big--the kind of thing that can transform an entire region of the state, and I'm excited about it! Lydia doesn't quite understand why I'm so excited about this. After all, we won't even be here. And I ask myself: Does economic development guarantee an improved spiritual climate in an area? As a minister, shouldn't I be more interested in promoting Jesus than in developing jobs? Thyssenkrupp is prepared to invest $3.7 billion to develop a manufacturing facility in northern Mobile County, very close to the Washington County line. Tu build the facility, 29,000 temporary construction jobs will be available. Once the facility is built, 2700 permanent jobs, paying between $50,000 and $65,000 a year will be provided. Over 50,000 peripheral jobs will also result as a direct or indirect benefit of the plant. While Mobile and Mobile County will benefit most directly, all the counties in southwest Alabama will feel the effects. In addition, other economic development projects may be about to transform Mobile and southwest Alabama from a sleepy, mostly rural culture into a truly bustling 21st-century hotbed of economic activity in several areas. No, economic development does not guarantee spiritual development; but the two don't have to be mutually exclusive, either. I am currently facing the prospect of perhaps having to leave the ministry because my church is unable to continue paying my salary. Clearly, the economic well-being of any area is important for the establishment and perpetuation of strong, mission-minded churches. Affluence can definitely undermine a sense of dependence on the Lord; but vigorous evangelism and church growth is not likely to flourish in areas that are thinly populated and where economic survival is difficult. There is always a "down" side to economic development. A way of life will be gone forever in parts of Mobile and Washington County. There will be growing pains and dislocation. But no community, neighborhood, church, region, or nation can stand still. I'm excited because it is all too obvious that southwest Alabama desperately needs transformation and economic development. The young people need to know that jobs will be available. The rural areas need to grow in order to have access to better roads and other advances and technology of the 21st century. With more population and income, medical facilities, education, and recreational opportunities will improve. Will the spiritual climate improve? Will the churches become more vigorous? That, of course, is an open question. But the opportunity for church growth will exist as never before. Will the Presbyterian and reformed faith gain new adherents? That remains to be seen; but at least, there will be plenty of newcomers and additional resources to make it happen. The Presbyterian churches and the denominational leadership should be preparing now to make the future as exciting for the church as it will be for the newly hired workers at Thyssenkrupp! Are we up to the task?

Excellence, Philippians 4:8-9

2007-05-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

Today, I preached on Philippians 4:8-9. "If there be any excellence, ..... think on these things." I have referred to this passage before in relating how God used a sermon I preached on this text during my senminary years in building my friendship with Lydia. I thought it would be appropriate to preach this text today in Jackson. I departed from the lectionary. I had apparently almost preached this text some time during 2006. I reminded the congregation of our need to stop meditating on the negative. The apostle Paul urges us to consider that which is true, honorable, pure, lovely, just, praiseworthy. In order to do that, of course, we have to decide what represents excellence, and then act on our decisions. We have to make judgments. Our society is not comfortable with those who make judgments today. Of course, excellence extends into the way we conduct our affairs, the way we utilize our talents, spiritual gifts, abilities, and resources. It affects the choices we make regarding moral integrity, the influence we have over our young, and the way we conduct our affairs and ministry in our churches. Our society and our churches are much more comfortable with mediocrity; but God demands no less than our best!

Choices

2007-05-12T20:29:00.000-05:00

I hear some people say that there are too many choices today. Too many choices? Isn't that part of the appeal of living in a free, economically advanced country? How can there be too many choices? I understand the difficulties of people who have trouble getting through the mega-supermarkets, who may have difficulty reading and comprehending all the product labels, trying to decide among product descriptions and ingredients they may not understand. I also realize that some people who may be unfamiliar with grocery shopping, and who are now faced with the necessity of going to the grocery store, for example, find all the choices and product information bewildering. And of course, great choice is not just the order of the day in the grocery store. We have huge varieties of product types in hardware stores, department stores, building supply stores, every kind of store. And what about car dealerships? I've even heard people try to make the case that having so much choice is immoral. After all, the people in the poor countries of the world are grateful just for the simple things of life! That may be true; but I am not guilt-ridden because I have more choices than the people of, say, Bangladesh! Further, I do not think that restricting choices in the grocery store or the department store is the way to take care of the problems of those who have difficulty shopping. If they so desire, they can go to stores where there are fewer choices. Personally, I like being able to choose my products just the way I want them. I think that is a very practical illustration of the fruits of freedom and economic competition and innovation. I know that some of the choices are simply made available because they're judged "politically correct" from a health perspective. That's ok. I can pass those choices by if I want to, and still enjoy my unhealthy junk food as long as there are enough folks like me so that the manufacturers can make a profit on junk food. (Somehow, I don't think I have much to worry about.) Choice is a function of service, of giving the customer what the customer wants, of creating a market for a new product. The last time I checked, those are sort of the heart and soul of free enterprise--and I'm all for it!

Sixth and Seventh Sundays of Easter, Year C; Revelation 21:10-22:21.

2007-05-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

For the sixth Sunday of Easter, we deal primarily with three verses--Revelation 21:10, 21:22, and 22:5. These verses, and the passage containing them, deal with the magnificent realities of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The most striking aspects of the city that are elaborated here involve the absence of any temple, the total lack of darkness, and the absence of the sun. There is no need for the sun. The light of Christ and the glory of God are perfectly radiating all the time. The saints need no temple; for they are constantly in the presence of God and the Christ, and engaged in the act of worship. The Jewish worship had become so corrupt by this time and so hostile to Christ that it was important to point out to the readers of this epistle that worship could not be contained in a building or by a temple or a religious system. For the seventh Sunday of Easter, we deal with Revelation 22:12-21, emphasizing the Second Coming of Christ. This certain reality and important doctrine of the Christian church may have been over-emphasized almost to the point of trivialization in past decades; but today, it is all but forgotten--much to our peril. This is a passage of comfort and also of warning. Jesus Christ will come quickly, as God counts quickness. We must remember that God views these things from an eternal perspective. To Him, time is "like an ever-rolling stream." But that Great Day will dawn. For those of us who believe, it will be a great day. But the text is also clear that outside the Holy Gate are the idolaters, the whoremongers, and all others who willfully refuse the gift of life. The promise is real; but it is not universalism that is taught here. God's election is unconditional; but the atonement of Christ is definite and particular. It does not extend to all humanity. It is extremely important that we reclaim, in our churches, the message of hope that is brought to us in Revelation. Revelation should not be considered a scary or esoteric letter whose meaning can never be distilled. It is a message of hope for us today just as it was for those in the church 2000 years ago. We dare not make it so spiritual that we rob it of its practical value and real hope.

Masks

2007-05-12T04:06:00.000-05:00

One church advertises itself as the church "where no one wears masks." Apparently, we are increasingly assuming today that everybody is "wearing a mask." That used to be called "hypocrisy," and people would have avoided it like the plague! Now, we seem to be proud of it, or at least, resigned to it. Why do we assume that everybody is wearing a mask, implying that everybody is phony at least part of the time. I don't consider myself being phony when I try to make a good impression on somebody so long as I don't do or say something that is dishonest. I don't consider that I'm wearing a mask when I restrain myself from showing certain very personal emotions to people with whom I want to do business. Now, of course, if I say things I don't really mean, or try to show myself to be somebody I'm not, that could be interpreted, I suppose, as wearing a mask; but that's hardly a requirement of inter-personal relationships in the 21st century! Society does not force you to wear a mask, or to be someone different from who you really are. If you feel that you have to wear a mask, that's nobody's fault but yours.

The New Blogger

2007-05-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

We are using a new blogger system. I'm going to try it and see how we get along. I want to continue my blog; but I have heard this system is almost impossible for a blind person to use. We shall see.

Third Sunday in Lent, Year C, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

2007-03-09T13:14:00.001-06:00

Privilege does not guarantee success. It only assures us of greater responsibility. This Scripture is a wonderful complement to Luke 13:6-9, the last half of this week's gospel reading. The epistle lesson is warning the Corinthians not to take their spirituality or their inheritance in Christ for granted. Grace does not give license to immorality, as Paul illustrates using many examples in this passage.

Paul also reminds the Corinthians that with every temptation, God will provide a way of escape. Therein lies a tricky challenge. Sometimes, we do not want the way of escape. We'd rather "live on the edge," and see how close we can get to fire without being burned!

Just as those ancient Jews abused their place of special privilege before God, so we too can abuse our Christian liberty. Lent is a good time to reflect on the fact that our freedom in Christ was bought at a steep price. Sometimes, we, like those ancient Israelites, want more than what God is willing to provide. God gives us freedom from some things that we may be free *for other things--for service to Him and ministry to others. By boasting, hypocrisy, going against our conscience without faith, and in various other ways, Scripture reminds us of ways we can abuse our Christian faith and freedom. We will not lose our salvation if we have truly put our trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour; but we can lose many of salvation's blessings. Just as the same earthly family can produce some children that are well-behaved, obedient, and pleasing and other children that are disobedient, disrespectful, and very unpleasant to be around, so it is with the family of God. Not all who profess the faith honor God or are sincere; and even among those who are truly part of His household of faith, some are far more mature and obedient than others.

Frank Sinatra sang a song years ago called, "My Way." You can live life your own way if you wish; but there's no guarantee that God will be pleased with that decision, or that He will bless it. Being one of Abraham's seed did not guarantee safety or preservation in ancient Israel. God looks upon the heart, not the church rolls.

Our gospel reminds us in Luke 13:1-9 to be converted, to repent and be quick about it. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 reminds us of the fate that awaits those who do not heed this advice!

Straight ahead! See my blog at: www.noblindbluff.blogspot.com

Philippians 3:13-4:1, Second Sunday in Lent, Year C

2007-02-26T22:28:00.000-06:00

Paul's great desire here is to know Christ. He presses on toward that goal, rejecting or leaving behind what is in the past and moving toward the knowledge of Christ;. Paul's approach to spiritual growth is realistic, but single-minded. His life story is a powerful reminder that no matter what we have done or how bad we are, we must press ahead toward the goal of knowing Christ. This attitude is in sharp contrast to the libertinism and Sensuality of some who claim to be preaching in the name of Christ. Paul is not claiming perfection when he desires other Christians to imitate him; but he would urge them--and us--at least to take note of the "good guys," the ones who put Christ ahead of self. Know which ones are more interested in their own gain than in the advance of the kingdom. Take note of those who use grace as license. Many pastors today truly love the flock; but others may be enemies of the cross, even though they profess belief. If we set our minds on the things of Christ, we are truly citizens of heaven. We can be expecting the Saviour, and rejoicing in that hope. Today, we talk a lot about commitment--to church, to denomination, to family, to all sorts of things. It is good to remember that Paul's commitment was to Christ--the Christ as revealed to him on the Damascus Road and through Scriptures of the Old Testament and in his own personal encounters and instruction from those first disciples.

Daylight Savings Time

2007-02-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadStarting this year, Daylight Savings Time will begin three weeks sooner and extend one week later throughout most of the U.S. than it has in the past. It will begin the second Sunday in March and extent to the first Sunday in November. For 2007, Daylight Savings Time, throughout most of the United States, will begin at 2:00 A.M., on Sunday, March 11, and will end at 2:00 A.M., on Sunday, November 4. This was made possible because of legislation passed a couple of years ago by Congress. I like the change. I have always thought that if you're going to have Daylight Savings Time, it should extend through Halloween to the first Sunday in November. Aside from the more obvious benefits of Daylight Savings Time in terms of sunlight and saving energy, I thought that extending it through Halloween would be great for the trick-or-treaters; and now, Congress has done something quite simple and logical that benefits the country. This helps the candy industry, the children of America, and probably even will aid law enforcement on a night when pranks are prone to get out of hand. As a side note, we're leaving in a little while for Nashville, returning Saturday. It will be great to be able to come back from Nashville in a few weeks without having to worry quite so much about getting home before dark. We won't have to push it quite so much perhaps on the Saturdays when we leave Nashville. I hasten to add,however, that I don't think we'll be going up there quite as much as we have this winter. Still, Daylight Savings Time will make the trips a little less hectic.

Of Baseball and Spring

2007-02-21T18:19:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadIf God wanted me to leave the South, I'd do it; but this time of the year is what we live for in the South. It's late February, but not a moment too soon to think of baseball and spring if you're in Dixie. This is the time of the year when all the northern college baseball teams come down South to get ready to play baseball on their frozen fields up North come April and May when they start playing in their own conferences. High school and college baseball are going strong down here. Spring training games for the major league teams will start in a couple of weeks in Florida and Arizona. It's nice to be down South this time of year when spring actually starts in late February. We're strarting to have warm days and less frigid nights. In Maine, it wasn't spring until it was almost summer--and neither one lasted very long! Down here, the flowers and the flowering trees have started blooming. The azaleas and dogwoods will be showing forth their full splendor in no time. Some of the birds that left the North last winter never got much farther south than Alabama! Spring has always been my favorite season of the year; and baseball is one of my two favorite sports seasons--the other, of course, being football, and for totally different reasons. Yes, the fresh, warm air of spring will soon be a daily event. Bring it on! I didn't really mind the cold of Maine. And in Maine, when the daily temperature begins consistently to stay above freezing, it's a kind of spring in its own right. I'll never forget the excitement of the ice cream stand in Bucksport opening in mid-April, and all of us standing around eating ice cream, wearing our heavy coats and sweaters, in the open air with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees! We thought it was great! It was spring--in an unusual sort of way! But standing out in the sun, enjoying the warmth of springtime in Dixie, knowing that baseball games are being played at the high school, and knowing that you can even go outside at night without having to wear three layers of clothing, that's the kind of freedom you just don't take for granted after you've lived anywhere else. And if God chooses to move me somewhere else, that's fine. I'll have some wonderful memories of opening the back door on the first warm day many years ago, being surprised by the realization that a warm front had just come through and raised the temperature overnight, by twenty degrees--and being surprised. That was one year spring came early; and in the South, that happens with wonderful regularity.

Romans 10:8-13, First Sunday in Lent, Year C

2007-02-18T17:45:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadWords have power and they have meaning. The "word of faith" is very powerful. It is able to save our souls if we confess our sins and "believe in your heart that God has raised" Christ from the dead. In our hearts, we believe unto righteousness, and with our mouths, we confess unto salvation. When we speak of the "word of faith," we are not talking about the "word of faith" movement that is so popular among some charismatic and fundamentalist Christians. We are talking about the word that is preached, the word of God which is grounded in Scripture and submits to God's will. When we read the epistles, we need to remember to whom they are written. They are written to Christians, to people who go to church, just as most of us do. In other words, they are not written to people who are formally trained in theology or philosophy. This is very important because often, someone will say that these doctrinal passages are so profound or complex that most Christians cannot be expected to understand what the apostle is teaching. Some people would rather skip the doctrinal passages of the epistles entirely and simply read the New Testament gospels. The epistles, however, provide the needed apostolic exposition of doctrine on which Christ established the early church. The words of the epistles have power; and the content of Paul's epistle to the Romans is among the most vital and vibrant writings of the great apostle. In this passage, Paul is defining true righteousness. He is reminding his readers of what the ultimate goal is in the Christian life--namely a growing faith in Christ. He is saying that this goal is nearer than they may realize. It is not a remote word, or a difficult truth to discover. There are seekers and searchers today who often travel a very convoluted and difficult path, trying to find the real meaning of life. Understand that the only objective worth seeking is to be right with God! There was always an element of faith, even in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophets, priests, and children of Israel were saved the same way we are being saved today--by faith in God's promise of a Messiah. Even though they had the Old Testament law of God, that's not what saved them. They were justified by faith as we are. The only difference is that the Promised Messiah had not yet appeared on the scene. But those who believed in God's promised One were saved by faith, and not by the works of the law. The covenant of grace was in effect, almost from the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. At that moment, the covenant of works was no longer valid. Some people today believe that faith is sufficient to make us right with whatever gods may be; but they don't clarify the object of the faith or the God in whom they believe. That is not saving faith. Some today have faith in science, in education, in the values of the secular culture. This kind of faith, too, will prove ineffectual in the end. Faith must be placed in Christ alone--for fulfillment now, and for eternal life in the world to come. The faith of which Paul speaks must be placed in a very particular God and a very specific Saviour. Public confession of that faith in Christ is also important. For Christ warns us elsewhere in Scripture that if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before His heavenly Father. I certainly cannot say what will happen to the souls of all those secret Christians who, for fear of their lives, have been reluctant to proclaim their faith in Christ in places where the church has been under persecution throughout history; but I would not want to put my soul in peril by willfully denying Christ, should the occasion arise when Christians come under persecution--perhaps even where we currently reside. Yet even so, our salvation does not depend so much on our faith in God, as His faithfulness toward us; for it is His Holy Spirit that makes it possible for His children to come to Him in love and enables His church to continue to bear a faithful witness. One writer comments that we need to sing "less of our pitiful love for God, and more in praise of His great love for us. God will not mock our faith or embarrass us or put us to shame who believe in Christ alone. As someone else has said: "We cannot be trusted to do right; but God can be trusted to forgive our sins through Christ. I remember a lady who said once in a Sunday school class: "Well, if I can brag about anything, it's my humility." I tell you, this lady did not yet fully appreciate her desperate condition. We can't compare ourselves to others, or play one god against another. It has to be all or nothing of faith by grace. We cannot take pride in our faith. God will not compliment us when we do something that turns out for His glory. Even then, we are but unprofitable servants. This is a very appropriate epistle lesson for Lent. It invites us to put aside all pride, all dependence on ourselves in the matter of our own righteousness. We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God, no matter what we do. We cannot improve our status with the Almighty. If you want to give up something for Lent as a spiritual discipline, I have no argument with you; but if you think that such a sacrifice somehow makes you more holy, more righteous, or more deserving of salvation or God's approval, you misunderstand the nature of the cross. The only sacrifice that saves the soul is the sacrifice made once and for all by Christ at Calvary. His blood atoned for our sins and our sinfulness. In the words of the gospel song, "Jesus paid it all."

Prejudice

2007-02-17T22:56:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadDo you really believe that you are without prejudice? If you truly believe that, you are sadly mistaken. Everyone has prejudice. What's more, it's probably inevitable; and if we didn't have some prejudices, we wouldn't be able to function very well in our daily lives. Are you shocked that I would make such a statement? Are you perhaps even wondering how a Christian minister could say such things? Well, I've been saying such things for many years. If you think about it with me for a minute, you may come away with some surprising conclusions! What is prejudice? It is a prejudgment, or a preconceived notion about something or somebody, perhaps some group of people or ideas. A prejudice can be either good or bad, either for or against its object. Some people are prejudiced against certain racial, national, or ethnic groups. Most of us would agree that such prejudices are unwarranted, and worse. But people have prejudices against all kinds of things. You may have a prejudice against certain vocations or occupations. Some people are prejudiced against the rich. Some people are prejudiced against the poor. People have prejudices against the blind, the deaf, the Southerners, the Northerners, the evangelical Christians, the Catholics, the Jews; but people also can have a favorable bias toward their family, their friends, their lovers, their spouses, their school, their sports teams, their make of car--and on and on it goes. Many of these prejudices, whether for or against their object, may be relatively harmless; but many are quite unreasonable and can turn dangerous. You may not even be aware of your prejudices. They may be very subtle, even sub-conscious, responses to the world around you; but they are still influencing the decisions you make. A person may have a prejudice against a certain group. Let's say you are prejudiced against blind people. I suppose I would be unhappy about that. But you may have only met three or four blind people in your life. Perhaps the blind people you met were rude, obnoxious, stumgling, incompetent, or otherwise unpleasant. If all the blind people you met were like that, and you only met a few blind people, wouldn't it be reasonable for you to assume that most blind people acted like the ones you had met? At the very least, if you had to make a decision about something to do with a blind person, you would be likely to rely on your past experiences--limited though they might be--in making that decision. Would that be fair? Perhaps not. But would it be reasonable. It quite possibly would be. If I were ever on a committee judging candidates for a position and was confronted by a blind candidate, I would very likely be harder on the blind person than the sighted people on the committee. Of course, many prejudices are not based so much on any kind of personal experience, but on fear or mistrust of something or someone who is different. While this kind of prejudice is certainly less reasonable, it can be exploited by opportunists and made to appear reasonable to certain types of people within a community. These are the kinds of prejudices that may not have initially been malicious, but were used by politicians or others to achieve power and dominance over a particular group in society. Segregationists in the South used this tactic to whip up a frenzy against blacks for 80 years. The tactic is still used today by opportunistic politicians and others to encourage prejudice and fear by new sets of victims. People think nothing of prejudices against politicians, doctors, businessmen, lawyers, car dealers, or whatever occupation, vocation, or class of people doesn't appeal to them; but those kinds of prejudices are taken in stride and assumed by many to be quite understandable and even normal. I always say that if you took a survey of all the occupations and vocations in the world, you'd find about the same percentage of good and bad, honest and dishonest, in all of them--including ministers. Some religions even teach that God has a bias in favor of the poor; and biblical texts are often dragged out of context in support of this notion which I admit to finding rather strange. The fact of the matter is that we all have preconceived notions or prejudgments about something or other--and we use those prejudgments every day to make decisions because we can't possibly have enough information about everything we need to know in order to make all the decisions, large and small, that face us during our lives. We will either respond favorably or unfavorably in certain situations toward certain individuals or groups; but to argue that our responses and actions are always based on rational and logical grounds is folly. We all have our own set of criteria which will determine those groups or individuals toward whom we will respond favorably and those to whom we will respond negatively; and your criteria may be very different from mine; but in any case, we all have our own set of positive and negative prejudices. The key is that we must not allow these prejudices to drive us to violent or hateful behavior. We must be willing to give up those prejudices which prove truly destructive or totally unfair and wrong. We must not allow our displeasure over the actions of one person to color our attitude toward an entire group; and we must allow for the possibility that even that one person can be forgiven and may change their conduct. We must also realize that our perceptions of certain actions may have been incorrect and be prepared to change our opinions when we see our own mistake in judgment. We can deplore the actions of a person without condemning that person. This is the way of Christianity. Even Christianity, however, does not demand that we disavow all prejudgments or preconceived notions. It simply demands that we be open to the truth, no matter where the truth may lead us; and that we allow love to conquer our fears and prejudices. Nobody is completely without prejudice, nor indeed can be!

Three Perspectives on Blindness

2007-02-16T21:53:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadI was reading an article in a magazine this week that made me consider various perspectives on blindness. It was a magazine published by an organization for the blind. The article was actually a reprint of a newspaper item about a man who is totally blind. His perspective on blindness was a bit odd to me; but it reflects the view of this particular organization--the National Federation of the Blind. He said that blindness "is neither good nor bad; it just is." This organization also has the habit of saying things like, "It's respectable to be blind." These kinds of comments make no sense to me. Certainly, I don't think that blind people are, by definition, inferior to other people just because they're blind. (I could hardly take that stance, since I myself am totally blind and am seeking to live and work daily among sighted people." To say however that it's "respectable to be blind," or, even worse, that "blindness is neither good nor bad," seems illogical. Blindness, looking purely from the physical and natural perspective, is a limitation. It is a handicap. Surely, we are not to assume that it isn't preferable to be sighted! If this man had the opportunity to have 20/20 vision tomorrow morning, would he not jump at the opportunity? To say, as this organization does, that blindness is no more important than the color of one's hair or one's body build is hardly a realistic way to look at such a physical limitation. It's hard to take people or organizations seriously when they seem to think that blindness is just a neutral characteristic in a person's life! Of course, another way to look at blindness would be to say that it's a total tragedy, that it takes away all hope of happiness or productive and meaningful activity. Of course, that isn't true, either. Many families are overly protective of their blind children or other blind friends or family members, not wanting them to be hurt and fearing that they will inevitably fail in the competitive environment of the sighted world. And of course, when we expect to fail, or when we expect others to fail, and do nothing to prepare for any other outcome, failure wil usually be the result. But the failure will probably not be because of the blindness. It will be because of the other factors that went into the whole life story. Blindness requires that we find other ways of doing things, creative and resourceful strategies to work around the problems blindness poses. The visual limitation does not, however, prevent us from taking part in most normal activities of daily life; and it need not prevent us from being successful in most work or home environments. There is a third perspective from which to consider blindness. That of course is the Christian perspective. From this perspective, and only from this perspective, we can view blindness as a positive good, as actually being a gift from God. My blindness was given to me by God in order to glorify His name and accomplish His particular purposes for my life and, through my life, to be a blessing to others. This viewpoint takes seriously the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God and allows us to realize that God assumes the ultimate responsibility for the outcome of His plans. To say that blindness is neither good nor bad as a physical characteristic is truly bizarre and incomprehensible to me; but to say that blindness is an unmitigated disaster, extinguishing all hope and joy is unnecessary and a denial of the good purposes of God for one who is a Christian. The only acceptable way to think about my blindness as a Christian, difficult though this often is, can only be an affirmation and thanksgiving that God has given me this blindness as a gift and then has called me into the ministry to share this gift with the worshippers whom I serve as pastor, teacher and preacher. I am very thankful to a very dear friend who is an ordained minister of the Episcopal Church for helping me to see this third perspective in the past few months. In the natural world, I don't know whether it's respectable to be blind. I'm not even sure what that would mean. As a Christian, however, it is my delight to seek to do the will of my heavenly Father. If that includes being blind, it's more than respectable!

Total Depravity

2007-02-15T22:50:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadTotal depravity is a key doctrine of reformed theology. Unfortunately, many Christians, even many who call themselves reformed, are not very clear on what it means or very sure they want to claim it as their own. Currently, I am showing a video series to our Wednesday night study group by R. C. Sproul which deals with the key doctrines of reformed theology. Last night, we began a two-part presentation concerning the doctrine of total depravity. As I reflected upon Sproul's comments and my own understanding, I realized that some gleanings on this concept would be a worthy entry for this blog. So what is total depravity? It is the belief that by man's first sin, every aspect of our being became infected with sin. We sin, therefore, because we are, by nature, sinners. It is not the individual sin itself that makes us sinners. We sin because we already are sinners. We do not have the moral capacity to choose spiritual good because we have experienced what Sproul calls a "radical corruption" of our very nature. Without the regenerating power of God's Holy Spirit, we cannot possibly do anything that is spiritually or morally virtuous. Most people, even among professing Christians or evangelicals, seem to believe that mankind is basically good. It may come as a shock therefore to some who read this blog that the exact opposite is true. The Bible makes it clear that man is basically evil to his very core. This is what the doctrine of original sin explains. Original sin does not just refer to the first sin, but to its results, to the condition into which each of us are born. Once a person grasps these truths, the rest of the system of reformed theology that is propounded in the historical documents of the Reformation becomes much clearer and much less intimidating. It is these doctrines of the Reformation, from the historic creeds and confessions of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, to which the church must return if it is ever to regain its vitality and its biblically transformational power in our own day.

Transfiguration Lectionary Epistle Reading for Year C, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2:

2007-02-14T17:09:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadLet me at least make a few brief comments about this epistle reading. The veil that kept the Jew from seeing the true identity of Christ and the glorious possibilities of grace should have been lifted for all time when the veil of the tabernacle was rent in twain. The liberty or freedom of the Spirit, however, was resisted and is still being resisted to this day by some--within and without the church. First, some still believe that in keeping of laws and rules, there is great reward leading to eternal salvation. Clearly, this could not possibly be true. If it were true, then the entire life and ministry of Christ would be to no purpose. There are also, however, those who still persist in practicing rituals and ceremonies in the belief that such [practices will make them worthy to gain eternal life. These things were but a shadow of the reality. They no longer profit. The Transfiguration was to give evidence of the present reality of Christ and His all-surpassing glory. It was to indicate the sense in which Christ superseded the law of Moses--not making that law of none effect, but freeing the believer from the hopelessness and the burdensome rituals of pre-Christian religion. We are now under grace, not condemned by the letter of the law. For where the Spirit is, there is liberty. This is also a very Trinitarian passage, linking the persons of the Trinity inextricably together frequently. This passage certainly does not free us from the moral law of God, but only points us to the Saviour, by whose grace we are freed to live as a holy people. It does, however, free us from the rigors of man's traditions. These are only preliminary observations. Clearly, however, we can see that Paul considered those as blind, with a veil over their eyes, who could not understand the significance of the new situation in the world, since the coming of Christ. God, for His own glory and purposes, has blinded their eyes. This is a very important conviction of the apostle which we would do well to remember. The work we cannot complete in ourselves has been completed by One who hung on the cross at Calvary. How glorious it is to be given a new heart, and see with new spiritual eyes!

1 Corinthians 15:35-50, February 18-24, Year C:

2007-02-13T16:37:00.000-06:00

I realize that many of you will be using the text this week for Transfiguration Sunday preceding Lent; but I'm preaching on the Old Testament text for this date in Year C; so I'll go ahead and give you this lesson now and then perhaps the Transfiguration epistle lesson later this week.

For those of you who may be new readers of my blog or who may have missed this explanation earlier, these lectionary epistle notes are included here because I also have a group on a faith-based discussion service, Ecunet, where I submit my notes on each week's lectionary epistle readings. It was suggested some time ago that I also put the notes on my blog as a way to get people from that group to encourage others to read, and link to, my blog. So herewith are notes for the reading which some will use this week.

Christ's resurrection body was most probably in a very different form than His physical body while on earth during his natural life. (This would explain why He was not readily recognized by the women in the garden on the morning He arose.) The whole point of this passage seems to be that the spiritual is far more important than the physical; but that the physical is also quite real. Again, we are brought back to the principle of dying to live. A seed dies, and much fruit is produced. In some ways, our future body will be like our present body; but we do not understand the process or the nature of that body. It isn't important to understand it, but to teach and affirm the bodily resurrection of Christ for Christians in every age.

One German theologian has said that 90% of people who come to church on Easter are simply coming to see if it's really true. They're not looking for some new or fresh way to say it, but simply to be convinced that it's real. This could be true. George Barna has said that his polling data suggest that even 20% of people who call themselves "born-again" Christians deny the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ!

We must constantly affirm our belief in the resurrection of Christ and make clear to people--especially other Christians--that it does make a difference! The history of the church and the faith, consistency, and testimony of the martyrs all give ample evidence that the resurrection was understood as a real event in the apostolic era. As the song says, That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!" We have no sound intellectual reason to do otherwise.

The resurrection of Christ was the ultimate challenge to the kingdom of Satan. The resurrection is how Christ overcame sin and death; but ultimately, and even more important, sets the course for the restoration of creation. The physical reality of the resurrection is what makes its spiritual aspects real and powerful! It also makes our own resurrection and transformation for all eternity a definite reality.

We shall all be changed! Our future body, whatever form it takes, will be complete, perfect, without disease, blemish, or limitations of disability or disfigurement. We shall be made like Christ in order that we may reign with Christ.

Deny the resurrection therefore and you make the hope of eternity a hoax. Fortunately, intellectual integrity neither requires nor encourages such a dismissive attitude. Faith is alive! Christ is real! The empty tomb means just what those early disciples understood it to mean! He is risen!

Straight ahead! See my blog at: www.noblindbluff.blogspot.com

Ask Jesus to do What?

2007-02-12T20:43:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadWhile making a hospital call in Mobile today, we saw this sign in front of the Spring Hill Baptist Church: Ask Jesus to be your valentine and He will say yes! My first thought was: "Ask Jesus to do what?" I've seen nativity scenes made up as chocolate candy--not to mention crosses and figures of the Last Supper! And now, we see a sign that suggests we ask Jesus to be our valentine! I would say that this takes Christianity to a whole new level--but unfortunately, it's a level lower, not higher. Of course, there are always the well-meaning children's directors and others in ministry who celebrate Christmas with "Happy Birthday, Jesus," which to my mind is almost as unfortunate as these other misusages of the Christ. All of these seem to cheapen Christianity and trivialize the great message of the Gospel. I also hear people sometimes say things like, "I'm falling in love with Jesus," which again seems to sensualize and trivialize a relationship that is very sacred and profound. I often wonder whether, in an attempt to get people's attention, Christians may just as often make God and His church look ridiculous--for all the wrong reasons. The world doesn't need another valentine! It needs a Saviour!

Called to Preach

2007-02-11T18:41:00.000-06:00

It was in the summer of 1970. My life was at a crossroads. I had finished my first two years of college and knew that I wanted to transfer. Every time I tried to convince myself that things were really going well, I was reminded that such was not the case.

During that summer, I had been reading my Bible. In fact, I probably read my Bible more in the first half of that summer than I read it in the past two or three years! I was being drawn back to the Lord in my search for direction in life. I had also attended several of the services held by the Billy Graham organization in Knoxville that spring, in the football stadium used by the University of Tennessee. I cannot deny or dismiss the influence these services of the Billy Graham Crusade had in my life at this particular time.

One day that summer, I took a ride with the husband of a cousin. They were visiting us; and he was driving down to Murfreesboro for a job interview at a law office. He would be getting out of the Army JAG Corps and was preparing to settle down and start a family. I liked being with John; so when he offered me the chance to ride along, I was delighted. I knew the job interview would take some time; so I took my Bible along.

While he was having his job interview inside, I had a very different kind of encounter while sitting in the car.

I had been reading in the Book of Psalms. On that particular day, I came to Psalm 19:7-9: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

At this point in my life, I was very interested in many things. (In fact, I still am.) It seemed, however, that my two greatest interests were theology on the one hand and law and politics on the other. As I read this psalm, I knew that no law of man was perfect; no judgments of any court are true and righteous altogether. I knew I would stake my life on God's law, and not the laws of men.

Two years before, while attending a summer preparatory course for blind students who were going to college, I had told one of the trainers that I thought it might be possible that God was calling me to the ministry. He was very skeptical and proceeded to enumerate all the problems I would face as a blind minister. I commented to him that he was probably quite correct, and that I would surely encounter many problems. I concluded, however, by saying, "If it is true that God calls me to the ministry, He and I can work out the problems." And God and I have been doing that now for almost 32 years.

I may have given part of this account elsewhere in this blog; but I give it now in the context of a call to ministry. From that memorable day to this, I have seen my ministry primarily as a call to preach--or, more broadly speaking, a call to proclamation--whether preaching, teaching, training, or even counseling in certain instances. I spend at least one sermon in every church of which I am pastor to tell the story of my call to ministry because I believe my congregations have a right to know that their minister was truly called, and didn't just take up the ministry as an interesting idea or, even worse, an after-thought.

When candidates come under care of a presbytery, such as we had here in our presbytery on Thursday, I believe they ought to be expected to speak clearly about their sense of call to the ministry. When a minister is received from another presbytery or church body, I believe that minister should expect to make a statement concerning the call to the ministry. Too often, we are left with the impression that the ministers of our day are simply taking up the ministry as a way to help people or advocate on behalf of the poor, rather than as a call to preach or to bring people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I do not mean that the only legitimate form of Christian ministry is preaching; but certainly, if a minister does not have a true sense of call, then whatever that person does can hardly be expected to have much of an impact for the cause of Christ.

I hear ministers say that they only wanted to accept calls in certain states, or within so many miles of their home. When I hear things like this, I wonder what kind of call to ministry they think they have. How can we say that we are called to the ministry, and then put limits on where God might send us? Is a minister a servant of God, or a servant of other people? Are we going to serve God, or are we going to serve friends, family, and ourselves?

The call to ministry is a call to serve God, to follow Christ--first, last, and always. Our own preferences can be stated; but they must not be determinative, if we are truly following Christ. And in a sense, I'd say that this is true for any Christian who truly desires to do God's will. We are not our own. We truly were bought with a price.

The call to preach, to minister full-time in Christian service, is an unconditional call--subject only to the leading of God's Spirit and the command of the heavenly Father. It may lead us to be a pastor, a missionary, a Christian educator, or to any of hundreds of fields of ministry; but it must not be half-hearted, and it cannot be conditional. It must be all or nothing, in obedient response to a gracious God.

Unfortunately, I don't hear enough of this kind of thing in our churches and church meetings today.

Conflict

2007-02-10T19:40:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadTo read much of the mainline religious press or attend meetings of mainline governing bodies and worship events, you would come away with the impression that all conflict is, in and of itself, bad--and all unity, no matter upon what basis, is good. Too often when I leave meetings of my own presbytery, I am convinced that the whole idea is to avoid conflict at all cost and promote unity of the body regardless of the issues which may be put profitably on the table for honest debate. Of course, Peter had his conflict with Paul, Luther had his conflict with the whole of Christendom, Wesley had his conflict with Whitefield; but never mind all that. Today, we must avoid conflict altogether. Certainly, I do not advocate conflict simply for the sake of a good show. It would be far better to unite around the basic teachings of Scripture and, where Presbyterians are concerned, the main doctrines of the reformed faith. The fact of the matter however, is that such unity is very difficult because of the great diversity of conviction and interpretation of essential theological points. Without essential agreement on key points of theology and biblical interpretation, conflict is inevitable--and resolution of that conflict is absolutely necessary. I even read of churches who revel in their theological diversity. I must confess that I wonder how such a church can say anything meanigful to a lost and dying world. The issues that have been brought to the fore lately by actions of mainline denominations cannot simply be allowed to sit there, festering, begging for resolution. Decisions must be made which will disappoint many people--whichever side on these various discussions prevails when the final votes are taken. For too long, both sides have talked of compromise, couching their timidity in phrases which sound very spiritual and conciliatory. Eventually, however, issues have to be faced squarely in matters of faith and practice. Out of conflict will come stronger churches, a more robust faith, a more purposeful ministry, and a clarity of belief currently impossible. Yes, it may also be that out of conflict, greater divisions within Protestantism will arise. Is that necessarily bad? May it not be that the eventual unity which can come out of genuine conflict will be a more meaningful unity? How can people be drawn to a church that doesn't really know what it believes? Whatever position we take on the theological and social issues facing our church, let us as individuals serve our risen Lord with integrity, that we may hold fast our clarity of conscience. And may Christ's church resolve that as it seeks to glorify Almighty God and witness to His grace through Jesus Christ, we will, as His body, reclaim a clarity of confession.

Words

2007-02-08T05:38:00.000-06:00

I deal in words--every day. I love words; but sometimes, words overshadow everything else--to the point that I'm overwhelmed with words.

Information comes to us in words. Of course, a sighted person can also receive information visually, through pictures or through actually seeing something occur. Even for the sighted person, however, words become more and more important in this age of information. Even graphic displays are full of words.

Words and verbiage play such an important role in my life that I sometimes lose touch with other aspects of life which can also be rewarding. I play the piano; but lately, I find that I'm not playing the piano very much. In fact, I don't spend nearly as much time as I used to enjoying music in any form.

We can't open the windows in this house. I enjoy hearing the sounds that come from outside; but I'm not able to do that either. You might say that I've exchanged the sounds of the birds for the sounds of more words. The TV and radio, my computer, telephone services, all of it is driven by words.

I was thinking of all of this several days ago and wondering if perhaps things were a little bit out of balance. I'm not sure that it's really a bad thing. Certainly, as a blind man, I rejoice in the ability to read by means of a voice synthesizer. I'm thankful that I can dial a telephone number and hear hundreds of newspapers read to me from anywhere in the country. I've always enjoyed the radio. I know that sighted people have much the same problem as I do. The information we absorb, particularly if we're "professionals," comes to us increasingly through words. But I wonder about the impact of this "Age of Information" on others, especially the younger generation. I know that they see hundreds of thousands of images. Some people worry that because of all the visual images, the process of linear and logical thinking may be adversely affected in young people. On the other hand, when we are given so much information--whether through words or images or a combination of both--we reach a point of saturation. Marva Dawn comments that one of the problems in our day is that we are given so much information over which we have no control that we become desensitized, even to some of those things over which we could have some influence. I suspect that culture suffers through this glut of information and the surplus of words.

Are there people who are taking time to enjoy or create great art today? What is the status of the classics? Are people taking time to cultivate culture and the appreciation for it? Where are the great symphonic composers of our day? Can one even find great musical recordings any more--whether classical or religious? How often do any of us take time to sit and enjoy the quietness of the words, the sounds of birds and crickets, the wind in the trees, the murmur of a brook, or even the sounds of the neighborhood, the small town, the city?

Today, I have a meeting. It will be virtually an all-day affair. I've read the agenda. There will be recommendations, discussion, more words--most of them rather insignificant. I find myself at odds with much of what will be proposed. More words, more talk, but no real decisions will be made, no real principles enunciated. It's all just words. Maybe that's one of the things that bothers me. Most of the words we hear today do not challenge us to take great stands or great risks for things in which we believe.

I think I need to hear more music, to be moved by great thoughts, to open the windows or sit out on my porch and hear life teeming all around me--without this never-ending cacophony of words! Do you feel the same way?

A Special Reward of Preaching

2007-02-07T08:03:00.000-06:00

I recently mentioned the need for preachers to be candid with their congregations. Someone posted a comment about times when we seem to be doing what we do in worship mainly for the purpose of making a good impression, and what a sham that makes of the whole procedure--whether it's the choir, the preacher, or even the congregants. I couldn't agree more. Reading that comment on this blog, however, reminded me of something I think I should relate--not only for the readers of this blog, but for my own encouragement as well.

When I reached my senior year in seminary, I was asked to lead some chapel services. Most of the seniors got this opportunity during their final year. The first time I led chapel was in November, 1974. I led a chapel service on a Friday morning and gave a concert that night in the Campus Center with a friend of mine who was a drummer. (I played the piano.) There was a girl in the seminary I was trying to impress. I just knew that between the chapel service and the concert, I couldn't miss. But alas, she barely noticed. I'm not even sure she attended the concert.

Move forward to February 7, 1975. I had been asked to lead chapel again. I wasn't thinking about girls or concerts. I was preaching on Philippians 4:8-9: "If there be any excellence, ..... think on these things." That text had come to mean a lot to me. I preached with sincerity and conviction. In the congregation that day was Lydia. She and I already knew each other; but we were just friends. That sermon helped change our relationship forever. She still says that when she heard me preach, she knew that I really believed what I was preaching! God used that message truly to bring me a special reward of preaching--and I wasn't trying to impress anybody!

I have always believed that there was a special significance in the fact that the relationship between Lydia and me was never based primarily on a physical attraction, but on a spiritual foundation and a genuine friendship, both of which preceded any physical attraction or romantic interest. I like to remember this event in my life, for many and obvious reasons. I also think, however, that it tells us something about being who God made us to be, about integrity in our worship, and about candor and conviction in preaching.

God has given me many wonderful gifts; but He gave me one of the best as I was seeking to honor His call and His claim on my life. I must never forget that!

Pain

2007-02-06T08:28:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadMy left shoulder hurts this morning. I think I must have done something to it in the past couple of days. I certainly don't expect the pain to be permanent or debilitating. I'll probably take a couple of Tylenol, and in the next few days, the problem will probably straighten out, and I'll be fine. For some reason, however, this made me think of people who are always in some kind of pain--perhaps because I am getting older, and there is always the possibility that any pain is the beginning of arthritis or some condition that requires more than passing consideration. Of course, I already have a permanent condition that is more than an inconvenience in that I am totally blind. My blindness, however, doesn't hurt. What about people who suffer chronic pain? They are actually restricted in what they can do; and this restriction is something with which they have not had to cope all their lives, unlike me with my blindness. Pain forces us to adjust the way we do things. I have always marveled at the attitude of some people I've known who suffered chronic arthritis or other debilitating conditions. Lydia has arthritis, and her knee bothers her quite a bit sometimes. She is usually able to reduce or eliminate the pain with Tylenol. She has a prescription pain medication available to her, but she rarely has to take it. Some people are unable to reduce or manage their pain very much at all. How do they cope? It just reminds me that our attitude plays such an important part in how we cope with life--whether we're talking about physical pain or emotional pain, disappointment and loss, or any aspect of the human condition. And to the person who is a convinced and serious Christian, the challenges of dealing with any kind of adversity can be met with so much more confidence than for the person whose spiritual commitments are vague or nonexistent. That does not mean that Christians always deal with pain or any other adversity in a gracious, cheerful spirit; but at least, the possibility for the Christian to meet adversity in a positive spirit is always there. The Christian understanding of life gives us a hope and confidence that is simply not possible for the non-believer. From the human standpoint, I cannot imagine having to deal with intense physical pain on a daily basis; and I hope I never have to do it. I don't know how some people with whom I come into contact live with their physical ailments, pains, and afflictions with such determination and good cheer. I do know, however, that having a grasp on your Christian faith surely does improve the opportunity to overcome the pain and live life from a different perspective. Now, maybe it's time for me to go get that Tylenol for my shoulder.

I Corinthians 15:12-20, February 11-17, Year C:

2007-02-05T22:28:00.000-06:00

Several groups of people in Paul's day did not believe in the resurrection of Christ. There were, of course, the Sadducees among the Jews, who did not believe in any form of resurrection from the dead. Even among many who considered themselves Christian, however, there were those who did not believe that Christ had been raised from the dead. These were various groups of Gnostics within the church who could not accept that God came to earth in bodily form or who had some other misgivings about the message Paul was preaching concerning the resurrection of Christ or the general resurrection of believers at the last day. Paul was endeavoring to show the logical implausibility of their positions.

Paul says that if there is no resurrection of the dead at all, then Christ is not risen; but if Christ is not risen, then his preaching and the faith of the believers is in vain. If their faith is in vain, then all the believers are still in their sins. If that is true, then all who have already died who were part of the church are lost. In short, if we only have hope in this life, then we of all men are most to be pitied, because we have staked everything on Christ. Paul assures his readers, and us as well, that such is not the case. Christ is in fact risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits "of them that sleep."

It is not a matter of whether the resurrection of Christ is "true for you." In fact, from one standpoint, it really doesn't matter whether you believe in the resurrection of Christ or not; your belief in His resurrection has absolutely nothing to do with whether it actually occurred. If it did occur, then Christ has won the victory for all believers over sin and death. If it did not occur, then we are all terribly deluded; and I, as a preacher of the Gospel, would be far better off to brush up on my jazz piano skills!

Paul does not believe himself to be speaking in metaphors here. He means exactly what he says. Too often these days, I have the feeling that preachers are somewhat less candid with their congregations than was the apostle Paul as he spoke to the church in Corinth. Does anyone else share my suspicions?

Learning Experiences, turning 57 Today:

2007-02-04T14:31:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadToday I turn 57. How neat that the Super Bowl will be played later today. I'll definitely enjoy that as a birthday treat. I'm hoping that the Indianapolis Colts, with Peyton Manning, will beat the Chicago Bears. As I reflect on my birthday, there are many things to think about. I enjoy reflecting and looking back on special days like New Year's, birthdays, and occasionally on other memorable dates. Of course, in many ways, this has been a difficult year. Mother's death was very hard--so sudden, so unexpected. There have been other disappointments and situations that didn't turn out as expected. Of course, there was also the wonderful experience of preaching special services at the First ARP in Gastonia, North Carolina--probably the highlight of the year in many ways. As hard as this year has been, I know that the experiences, sorrows, rejections, and disappointments will make me a better pastor in the next area of ministry to which God calls me. My father used to say, regarding disappointments and setbacks, that we just need to look at such things as learning experiences. Once when I was about 40, I told him that I was tired of having to look at so many things as "learning experiences." I thought I ought to start getting some pay-off for all these learning experiences. I still feel that way sometimes; but now I realize that learning experiences never really end. So although I'm praying and believing that this year will show me more clearly the path God has laid for me in my final years of ministry, I also know that the learning experiences will continue; and that because of them, I'll be a better pastor, a better Christian, a better man. Cultivating a quality of life does not come without a cost.

Thoughts from Tomorrow's Sermon, Luke 5:1-11.

2007-02-03T21:37:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadWilliam Carey said: "Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God." The trouble with today's church is that we neither attempt nor expect very much. What are we willing to risk for the cause of Christ? How much are we willing to change our lives in order to be faithful to His call? Do we place a higher priority on serving Jesus or on convenience for ourselves and our families? Is Jesus Christ first, or isn't He? These are difficult questions. When I ask them, I challenge myself as well as others who may hear or read these comments. Of course, not everyone is called to adopt a full-time Christian vocation; but all Christians are called to place a high priority on their walk with Christ. Biblical evidence suggests that Peter might have once followed Jesus, and then gone back to fishing. After this episode in Luke 5, however, Peter was transformed and truly left everything to follow Christ. That didn't mean that he never sinned again, or that he was "the perfect disciple." But his life was rearranged by Jesus. Have our lives truly been reordered, rearranged, by the Son of Man, the One who was called, in a popular song of a few years ago, the "man from Galilee?" Half-hearted discipleship is no discipleship! Either Christ is Lord of our lives, or He isn't. I sometimes wish it weren't quite that stark and clear-cut; but it is, my friend. It is!

Common Sense Along the Coast:

2007-02-02T14:36:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadSeveral major insurance companies have been announcing plans to reduce or eliminate their coverage for home-owners who live along the Gulf Coast. The latest was State Farm, who made an announcement today. Whether you view this from an environmental or a business standpoint, it looks as though common sense may finally prevail along the coast. Property owners who live within 1000ft. of the Atlantic Ocean of the Gulf of Mexico should expect, after all, that eventually, their property will be destroyed by a hurricane. Insurance companies realize this, too, and cannot continue to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in claims and expect to stay in business, or keep doing business in high-risk areas. Insurance premiums will have to rise. In some cases, the cost will be prohibitive for property owners. In many cases, it simply will not make sense to insure these high-risk properties. Environmentalists have been concerned for years about the implications of "over-building" along the coast. Weather forecasters have been warming that there is a strong probability of an impending catastrophic loss of life, just waiting to happen along our heavily populated Atlantic and Gulf coasts. I'm not an avid environmentalist. Even less am I a weather expert. You don't have to be either, however, to realize the risks that people are taking to live on a beach--especially in the middle of hurricane season. An added factor is that sometimes, these property owners expect the tax-payers to bail them out by fixing up their beaches, repairing the few public amenities that may exist, and rebuilding their roads. Being mad at the insurance companies for wanting to remain financially stable doesn't make much sense. This reminds me of the lady who was present at a clergy meeting I attended a few years ago. She was unhappy that a grocery store chain had closed one of its stores in a neighborhood of predominantly poor and elderly residents, even though the chain was losing money on that particular store! Wonder what that lady would do if she were in the insurance business!

Human Pity, God's Love:

2007-02-01T06:07:00.000-06:00

Remember in Genesis 50, when Joseph is talking to his brothers and says, in essence, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good?" )Genesis 50:20.) That's such an important passage for us to keep in mind in various situations!

If we are handicapped or grieving, or struggling in any difficult situation, we may say that we don't want pity. We may even resent the way some people treat us. Many times, someone may do something for us, but give the impression that it's really an inconvenience. People are in such a hurry today that they sometimes act like they really don't want to be bothered, even though they may be performing a kindness. This is not a good attitude; and obviously, people should perform their acts of helpfulness joyfully and in a spirit of good will.

Consider this, though. God loves His children. Sometimes, His children need help; and God sends it--even when in the form of others whose assistance may not be given with wholehearted good cheer. When we are in difficulty, when we feel alone in the world, we want and need the love that other human beings have to offer; but God is giving us something else--possibly even something more instructive. He's showing us the love of a heavenly Father!

It may even be that the person who starts out helping us through pity may learn how to show the love of Christ. The person who first gives assistance to us grudgingly or hurriedly may come to appreciate the role they fill in the lives of those they help. If not, we have the comfort of knowing that God is still making provision for our needs.

So the next time you feel all alone and people have made you feel like an inconvenience or a burden, the next time someone has come to your aid only reluctantly or belatedly, at least you can take comfort in this: That person may have meant it in pity, but God meant it in love. I think if more of us who are disabled, lonely, grieving, or who need any kind of assistance from others could keep this in mind, we would probably be much happier--and that attitude of seeing God at work would radiate in our dealings with some of God's difficult people.

Implications of Changing Theology

2007-01-31T17:53:00.000-06:00

I am speaking here as a Presbyterian minister; but many of the same types of changes and difficulties are afflicting most of the other mainline denominations; so if you are Methodist, Lutheran, UCC, or a member of the Episcopal Church, or some other mainline denomination, these reflections may be of interest to you. As new Christians come into our fellowship, or as congregations and ministers depart the major bodies in the United States, it is interesting to reflect on why some are drawn to our congregations and why so many others are leaving.

First, consider the change that has taken place in our view of Scripture in the PC(USA.) In previous decades, we affirmed that the Bible is "the word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice." Today, we can only muster the confidence to say that it is "the unique and authoritative witness" to Jesus Christ. The Westminster Confession of Faith asserted that "God is the author" of Scripture, that the Bible is "the final authority" in church controversies, and that the best rule for interpreting the Bible is to let Scripture interpret Scripture wherever possible. In the Confession of '67, however, we are warned that although the Bible is a "witness without parallel," and given under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is, "nevertheless the words of men" conditioned by various factors. Why and how did this change take place?

Consider our view of reformed doctrine. In former days, ruling and teaching elders in the Presbyterian Church, in assuming their ordination vows, affirmed that the reformed faith, as understood by the Westminster Confession, is "the system of doctrine" taught in Scripture. Today, the essential tenets of the reformed faith are viewed only as "reliable and authentic." Many today dismiss altogether the idea of a "system of doctrine" being taught in the Scriptures. Christ is now assumed to be "above" the Bible as the revelation of truth.

What about Christology? Our Westminster Confession of Faith affirmed that Christ is "the only mediator" between God and man, as the Scriptures aver. But today, even those new Christians who profess their faith are not required specifically to affirm that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, or that they are dependent on Him alone for eternal life. No longer do we proclaim that He was born of a virgin. The Confession of '67, the most recent confession of faith in the PC(USA) Book of Confession states that Christ is "the one sufficient revelation of God." It speaks of "one universal family," but nowhere affirms that He is the Way, the truth, and the life, as Scripture teaches.

Finally, what about today's church in matters of corporate and social witness? In our Westminster Confession of Faith, which served as the Presbyterian creedal statement for more than 300 years, the church is to be engaged in "no intermeddling" in affairs of state. In the Confession of '67, however, the church is to be actively involved in issues such as housing, education, poverty, racial discrimination, employment, and a host of other issues by implication or explicit expression. We are to commend peace, "even at the risk" of national security. There is no mention of church officers being "subject to your brethren" in the Lord; and there is no requirement that ordained officers inform their governing body if their views have changed since the ordination vows were taken.

These are all changes which have taken place in mainline Presbyterianism in my adult lifetime--most of them during my ministry. It is not difficult to see why most Presbyterians have no idea what Presbyterians believe; and while I am not an advocate of churches leaving mainline Presbyterianism, it should not be hard to understand why many congregations are defecting to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and other bodies. Have we taken a moment to consider the implications of our changing theology?

Jeff:

2007-01-29T05:52:00.000-06:00

Jeff was my first best and close friend here in Jackson; and in the future, long after we've left here, I think it will be great to be able to look back over the years and through the writing in this blog and remember him. Why, even on those first days when we were still getting settled, Jeff would walk over the boxes still lying in the front yard and come and talk to me. Later, when I would be sitting on my front porch, Jeff would come up there with me and enjoy the sunshine.

I guess I should mention that Jeff isn't a person. He's a black Lab who belongs to the people who live diagonally across the street from us. We live on Pearl Street on a corner lot; their house faces Kimball, and is to the left of our house as you're standing in our front yard.

Jeff's humans are the Walkers. They're very nice people, although we've never gotten to be really good friends for some reason. But for the first several months we lived here, Jeff would come over to see me whenever I was outside. And if Lydia saw Jeff out in the yard, she'd tell me, "Jeff's out here," and I'd quit whatever I was doing and come out on the front porch to see if Jeff would come to be petted. He usually did.

I don't see Jeff as much as I used to. His roaming days are over now. The "leash laws" around here have been more strictly enforced recently. He spends most of his time in the Walkers' back yard. I go over there to see him when his humans are taking him for walks sometimes. Occasionally, he still gets out on his own somehow; and when he does, I try to make sure to talk to him. He's always glad to see me, and he always enjoys it when I pet him.

When the weather turns warm again, I'll look forward to those happy occasions when I get to spend a little time with Jeff!

house faces

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, February 4-10, Year C:

2007-01-28T09:08:00.000-06:00

We might wonder why this epistle lesson is found in the lectionary at this particular point in the Christian year, near the end of Epiphany. This is one instance, however, when I think perhaps the connections between the lessons is actually helpful and rather easy to see.

The Old Testament is the vision in Isaiah 6, a second commissioning of Isaiah, if you will, to the prophetic role. Luke 5:1-11 has Jesus telling Peter that from here on, he will be fishing for men--another preparation for a greater work. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul is rehearsing the actual evidence of grace which came in the form of Jesus Christ. It is a kind of epiphany passage, a manifestation of the Son. It is the reality that gives real substance to the shadow or vision in Isaiah 6 and the commissioning in Luke 5.

Even most liberal scholars agree that to Paul, the resurrection of Christ was not metaphor. Paul took this evidence of God's grace quite seriously and quite literally. He understood that belief in the facts and the reality of Christ's resurrection was essential to a proper understanding and presentation of the gospel. He believed that there were real consequences of Christ's resurrection; so if that resurrection did not occur, those consequences would be null and void. Why do we therefore find ourselves in more of a questioning stance today? Is not God still God--supernatural, able to do whatsoever He wills?

A lot of churches say that their mission is to share the "good news" of God's love, or the "good news" of Jesus Christ. A pertinent question would be: Just what is the good news you want to share? Is it real? Does it bring genuine salvation? Is it fact or fancy, message or metaphor?

Some Thoughts About Worship:

2007-01-27T20:11:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadI believe it is very important to preserve our heritage of Christian hymnody and worship that is part of mainline Christianity. That does not mean that I oppose any and all forms of contemporary worship; and I know that it is important to be open to new forms of instrumentation and musical expression. If however we do not preserve the heritage of Christian hymns that have come down to us during the last several centuries, we make our theology less accessible to future generations and we lose much of our history. Someone in a worship discussion group I moderate on Ecunet has asked the question, though, of how to train new Christians and those who are returning to church after years of absence in the worship practices that many of us cherish. Some Christians have turned almost entirely to contemporary worship, seeing the old forms and patterns as irrelevant. Other Christians who did not have the advantage of growing up in church know nothing of the old and cherished ways. So how do we keep traditional worship alive while, at the same time, perhaps blending in some of the best of the newer styles of music and expression? Marva Dawn addresses this in some of her writing. The best way I know to inform and introduce people to traditional worship is simply to educate them. We have to make sure that people understand why we do the things we do in worship. We have to make sure that people realize that there are theological reasons for the forms we use in worship, for the words we use, for the hymns we sing, and even for the style of music we employ for these purposes. We do not carry out certain worship practices merely because of cultural norms or personal preference. Our worship must be grounded in biblical principles and solid theology. It should be an exciting challenge in the years ahead to introduce new generations to traditional worship. For many of us as well as for new or returning Christians, it can be a time when the old becomes new--all over again.

Family Ministry:

2007-01-26T08:38:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadA great need in our churches today is family ministry. As I observe families in varying degrees of crisis, I become aware of the deterioration of the family unit--even among Christians. As I watch people dealing with all kinds of transitions, from grief to marriage, to all sorts of unique situations, I see the break-down of family systems and the inability or unwillingness of families to communicate with one another, to express their feelings, to share their concerns, to confide in each other. It's been in the back of my mind for a long time to establish a Family Ministry Center in a church where I have been pastor. I have never been in a church where that was feasible--though the church I served in southwest Virginia back in the early '80's could probably do that now. Churches spend a lot of time ministering to various groups--singles, children, youth, the elderly, even young adults. This kind of ministry can be very good; but it can also overlook one of the great needs of thecongregation. We need to minister to the family as a whole. We can help fix families that are broken, and help keep families healthy. I actually have some ideas on how to do it. By God's grace, perhaps this can be a vital part of my ministry in future years. *** Please don't forget to go back into the archives of this blog if you haven't read it in a while, or if you're a new reader. Over 110 entries have been written now, extending back to July, 2006. I hope you'll find something to interest, amuse, inform, inspire, or just something to make you think.

Fun First?

2007-01-25T06:57:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadAccording to a news report, a new poll suggests that Americans value having fun at work more than they value making money! I guess that shouldn't surprise me. We started telling ourselves that school should be fun for kids. Then, we started trying to make sure people have fun in church. Now, adults want to have fun at work. Fun comes first! It's instant self-gratification. I've always said that if someone is doing a job they positively despise, they ought to change jobs. But having fun at work? That's not exactly what I meant! I enjoy most aspects of ministry; but I wouldn't necessarily say that ministry is fun! I didn't despise school when I was a kid. I viewed it as my job, like my father going to work; but I wouldn't say that I thought school was fun--except at recess. And church was never presented to me as something that should be fun. It was worshipful and reverent. It was God's house--but not fun! Whatever happened to the satisfaction that comes from accomplishment? What about the knowledge that you're taking part in the free enterprise system, contributing to the American economy? Some people are inspired, knowing that their job helps others--though the contempt some of these people have for profit and achievement is almost as disconcerting to me as the desire of others to have fun! And then, we come back to money. You can always have fun with the money--after you make it! Providing for our needs and those of our family, working so that over a period of time we can have a certain lifestyle--these things aren't fun, but they're important, long-term results of a life lived with responsible forethought. I'm preaching Sunday on 1 Corinthians 13. Near the end of that famous chapter on love, Paul says that when he was a child, he reasoned and spoke and thought as a child; but now that he is a man, he has put away childish things. I sometimes wonder if our society is simply in rebellion against adulthood and maturity. If enough people are putting fun first, I guess maybe the answer is obvious.

What Would Victory Look Like?

2007-01-25T04:43:00.000-06:00

Monday, I suggested that we win the war in Iraq. We need to ask the question, however, what that victory would look like.

Many in our country believe this military engagement was unnecessary in the first place. Others believe that it was poorly planned and poorly executed. Still others believe that it has been joined using halfway measures or with goals and objectives that have been ambiguous.

Whatever happens in the war in Iraq, it is highly doubtful that terrorism will be eradicated by this one effort. We still must contend with Iran, various Palestinian cell groups, Syria, and North Korea. And these enemies aren't just going to go away, even if we are successful in establishing a stable and largely democratic government in Iraq.

So what would victory in Iraq look like? That's a question that nobody has yet clarified for the American people.

Straight ahead! See my blog at: www.noblindbluff.blogspot.com

Pastors as Leaders:

2007-01-24T18:17:00.000-06:00

A survey I saw some years ago indicated that only %4 of pastors see themselves as leaders! That explains a lot of what's wrong with our churches today. If pastors don't see themselves as leaders, it makes me wonder how in heaven's name they do see themselves! I believe that most congregations do see the pastor as a leader, in some sense, though perhaps not in any sense that would traditionally be recognized in leadership models!

I hear a lot today about the pastor as "servant leader." What's that supposed to mean? Is the pastor to be the servant of God, or the servant of the congregation?

The pastor of a congregation is its leader. Several leadership models could apply without being unbiblical. The pastor is the shepherd. The pastor is certainly a servant, provided we understand that servanthood as being accountable to God. (We dare not make the pastor simply an errand boy for whatever jobs are left undone by the congregation.) Other biblical models could probably be cited.

The pastor is also the chief administrative officer of the church. The pastor is, in a sense, the CEO--in many cases, the only full-time staff person there is who has the responsibility of running the operation on a daily basis.

The pastor is also the leader in the sense of formulating a vision, a direction in which the church should go. I once met a pastor who said that he never put forward any ideas of his own to his main governing body within the church. All the ideas came from his congregation. I don't entirely believe him. I think he planted seeds, made informal suggestions in casual situations, dropped hints. He may not have formally dropped many new ideas for the first time when his board was in formal session; but his church was fairly successful; and I think he had something to do with setting the tone for that success. If he didn't, he wasn't totally doing his job.

Too many pastors cannot effectively exercise leadership because they're not fully honest with their congregations about their beliefs and what they really want to do as pastor of that particular church. This is deceptive and condescending; but it's also up to the officers, pastor nominating committee, and other church leaders to make sure they know what a pastor is thinking. A pastor should accept a call to a church where the church officers and the pastor have a common vision, theological direction, and goals for the future--or where one or the other are open to modify those views and goals. Otherwise, you have a recipe for a battle ground between congregational leaders and the pastor for the whole term of the pastorate.

The pastor of a congregation is the leader in a very real sense--not an authoritarian leader, but a co-operative, facilitating leader. Still, at times, the pastor is required to set a firm direction, based on conviction and training. The people who serve as pastors and pastoral staff of a church should be up-front about theological direction and their own priorities and abilities from the very beginning. When the pastor is transparent from the start, the leadership that pastor brings to a church has a much better chance of being effective, positive, and respected. That pastor will be a trusted leader. I think that these same principles should be kept in mind by all denominational leaders at every level of every judicatory as well.

Straight ahead! See my blog at: www.noblindbluff.blogspot.com

Love and Life:

2007-01-23T17:23:00.000-06:00

This is just a follow-up to what I wrote Sunday on 1 Corinthians 13. As I was reading material and thinking through this coming Sunday's sermon, I was considering some of the characteristics of Christian love--kindness, patience, selflessness, trust, and others.

It occurred to me that many people who resist the Christian way of life do so not necessarily because they're opposed to that way of living, but because it has never been demonstrated to them in a loving way, with a loving spirit, by loving people. Many churches seem judgmental. Many parents were harsh in their discipline. Many Christians were inconsiderate, cruel, or dismissive.

I realize that many people do oppose right living because we are, at bottom, sinners. I readily, if unhappily, must affirm the total depravity of man. Neither do I wish to paint all churches or parents who encourage righteous living with a broad brush of criticism. I have, however, come to realize, through email contacts I've made and observations over a lifetime of ministry, that many people who are living outside the faith have not so much rejected Christian teachings as they have rejected those who claim to be Christian teachers.

We who are Christians don't necessarily all share in this guilt; but before we form negative opinions of others or become hopelessly discouraged about some of those who are wavering in our midst, we need to realize that a lifetime of experiences cannot be swept away by a single conversation or one pleasant evening of "seeker-sensitive" worship!

Why not Try Winning the War?

2007-01-22T15:47:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadIn the '50's, it was Korea. In the '60's and '70's, it was Vietnam. Now, it's Iraq. What do these military conflicts have in common? They were all conflicts in which Americans were asked to give their lives for less than total victory. Why not try winning the war? Sincere and patriotic people can disagree on the question of whether our current involvement in Iraq was the best policy President Bush could have pursued. We may also be critical of the way in which the engagement has been carried out since the new government in Iraq has been in place. Mistakes were made. The President said as much himself. I personally am not sure that Iraq was the best place to fight terrorism on a grand scale. All that having been said, we now are faced with the unthinkable specter of a nation being torn apart by civil war among Islamic extremists which threatens to turn that entire region into another breeding ground of discontent, violence and poverty. Should we commit another 20,000 troops to the current involvement in Iraq? We should commit ten times that many if that's what it takes to bring stability to the region. Perhaps our objectives need to change along the lines suggested by some Democrats in Congress; but one thing is certain. The objectives need to be clear and the result needs to be one that favors the development of freedom and moderation in a new Iraq. When limited wars are fought with limited means and limited objectives, the results are almost never satisfactory. Gen. McArthur turned out to be right about the Korean peninsula. In Vietnam, 55,000 American soldiers died for a war our government was unwilling to win but afraid to lose. In Iraq, the cost in American lives has not yet been nearly so high as it was in Korea or Vietnam; but the loss of U.S. credibility could be irreversible. Let's also hope that our nation learns a lesson, and that we never again commit our troops to a war we're not prepared to win. The total commitment given by those men and women who have lost their lives in these limited military engagements must be matched by nothing less than a commitment to total victory by those who send them in harm's way. I favored the Vietnam war at a time when most of my friends opposed it. I was also in favor of the involvement in Iraq. Before I endorse or support another military engagement proposed by any Administration of either party, however, I will have to be convinced that the commitment of our government will honor the commitment they're asking our service personnel to make. Our nation has not yet been challenged to make the kinds of sacrifices that will inevitably be required if we are going to triumph over the terrorists of the 21st century.

1 Corinthians 13, January 28-February 3, Year C:

2007-01-21T21:32:00.000-06:00

This chapter must be viewed in its proper context to be understood in all its richness and biblical significance. It is set in the midst of a section of 1 Corinthians in which the apostle Paul is talking about the conduct and relationship of church members to one another. It is not just a love poem, a political romance, or a piece of abstract idealism. It has concrete application, especially within and among the church.

It describes what holy and perfect love should be. It is essential for us to understand the kind of love for which we are to strive within the church. This kind of love is not in conflict with God's character, His laws, or His truth. It is the kind of love which only begins to exist as a Christian and a church grow toward spiritual maturity in Christ.

The kind of love mentioned here does not require Christians to condone wrongdoing in those they love; but it does require us to believe the best possible about those within the church until proven otherwise.

I have been in church situations where church members would believe the gossip of a non-Christian before they'd believe the statements of someone in their own congregation when a dispute arose. This is not a demonstration of genuine Christian love in the fashion of 1 Corinthians 13.

This passage does require us to put the interests of those we love ahead of our own. It does suggest that a church can have all the advantages of wealth, reputation, activities, doctrine, and prominence in the community and still be a failure because it doesn't have love.

Most of the concrete applications and principles taught here are easy to discern. This love is not just a fleeting passion or temporary emotion; it is an attitude, and an act of the will. It is a state of mind and a force which masters the believer. While this chapter is talking primarily about the love within and among the church members, it assumes first and foremost the love for God that is part of the Christian life. We love those within the church whom we may not like in the natural sense. A careful reading of the chapter will provide ample food for reflection as you seek to give clarity and exposition of the passage in you own words and your own situation. Just remember that love is a fruit of the Spirit.

Proactive Presbyteries Enforcing the Constitution:

2007-01-21T13:57:00.000-06:00

A number of presbyteries in the PC(USA) have passed resolutions stating their intent to enforce the Constitution of our denomination by refusing to ordain or receive anyone into the presbytery who cannot affirm the "Fidelity and chastity" clause in the Form of Government of the Book of Order. Other presbyteries are still considering taking such a stand.

When the General Assembly approved the PUP report from the Task force last year, we were assured that nothing has really changed, that the General Assembly was simply giving back to the presbyteries the responsibility they should rightfully exercise. However, now that some presbyteries are choosing to exercise this responsibility in a way not to the liking of some within the denomination, challenges are taking place.

The presbyteries simply want to state that they intend to abide by the Constitution and deny ordination to any who cannot affirm a requirement that is part of the Book of Order. Of course, this does not promote the gay agenda, and it does not require a case-by-case analysis; so it doesn't sit too well with certain elements of the denomination.

So here we have the rather odd spectacle of the General Assembly encouraging presbyteries to enforce the Constitution on the one hand and yet being challenged when they try to do it on the other. The General Assembly may have permitted presbyteries to grant more leeway to homosexuals and others not living in accord with the Book of Order; but they didn't require it.

Radio Nuggets:

2007-01-21T07:17:00.000-06:00

As we were leaving Nashville yesterday morning after our brief weekend trip, I heard something on the radio that struck me as pleasantly odd. A British girl was playing country music on WSM--FM, one of Nashville's leading country music stations. Her name is Karen, and she was absolutely delightful. Nothing like giving a little culture to the country. I hope she likes country music. She was quite charming.

I've also noticed quite a surge in Hispanic radio stations as we've been traveling around the South. You can now receive Hispanic radio stations in Nashville, Atlanta, and other large cities in Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, etc. Several things about this trend bother me; but somebody is seeing the chance to make some money. You can't argue with that!

1 Corinthians 12:12-31, January 21-27; Year C:

2007-01-16T20:28:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadThe major points of this passage are not difficult to discover. The church in Corinth was torn by jealousy, spiritual pride, greed, and a host of other sinful behaviors and infractions. Paul is laying down here principles for church life. First, he is saying that there should be no social or economic distinctions in the church. It is the same Holy Spirit who baptizes all believers. Consequently, whether bond or free, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, all are alike in being a part of the household of faith. This was a major departure from cultural norms of that day--not only among Jews, but in the world at large. Second, every Christian has been given some spiritual gift; and all gifts are to be valued. The entire body suffers if one part is lacking. Every Christian has a role to play if the whole church is to fulfill its ministry. The list of spiritual gifts given here is not exhaustive, but suggestive. It is also significant to consider how this applies to those skills and abilities that may not be considered spiritual gifts, but which definitely are significant in the life of a church. Even the seemingly mundane and practical abilities and talents that we bring to our Christian experience are to be available for the good of the whole. And since it is the same Holy Spirit in-dwelling all Christians, no Christian can take pride in having reached some esoteric height of enlightenment that cannot be attained by the body at large. All Christians have access to the same Spirit, the same guidance, the same illumination of God's truth. None of this is to be construed, however, as to diminish the honor and respect that Christians are to exhibit toward those who have spiritual oversight. This principle is made abundantly clear in many New Testament passages. Of course, those with spiritual authority are also charged with the responsibility of being faithful servants. These are the major principles expressed in this passage. They challenge us to ask serious questions about our own churches. Do we raise artificial barriers of race and class that hinder true Christian fellowship? Do we value some skills and spiritual gifts in the church to the point that those with other skills or spiritual gifts feel inferior or less valued? What can we do in our individual congregations and denominational assemblies to make sure that all Christians know they are valued, cherished, and truly loved by the body of Christ?

Days Off, Sick Days, and Vacations for Ministers--Conscientious to a Fault?

2007-01-14T22:05:00.000-06:00

I know some ministers who impose schedules on themselves that nobody in their right mind would accept if compelled to do so by an employer. They refuse to take days off. They're extremely reluctant to take sick days, and they practically have to be forced to take vacations. Of course, not all ministers are like this; but some are. Some ministers would have you believe that their churches force them to such extremes. Personally, I think they probably didn't insist on days off and sick days when they accepted the call. I've never had any trouble with any of these things. And I use all my vacation each year!

Ministers just need to let the officers of their church know from the very beginning that they intend to take a day off each week. If they're sick, they need to stay home and get somebody else to preach. I've even known ministers who didn't insist on a church taking responsibility for moving them on to the field when accepting a new call. I think some ministers believe they're being very conscientious or pious when they conduct their affairs this way; but I think it's being conscientious to a fault. Allowing a church to take advantage of a minister to this extent simply cheapens the office and does nothing to improve the stewardship, commitment, or general spiritual tone of the church.

I remember that at one General Assembly of the EPC, we practically had to pass a resolution to force the denomination's stated clerk to take his vacation. One of my church officers at the time commented that it was so encouraging and refreshing to see a man with such dedication. I commented to someone that it was neither encouraging or refreshing, and that I thought the man was badly mistaken to refuse to take his vacation. I said that in my opinion, it didn't indicate dedication, but stupidity! It was bad for the executive, for the denomination, for the man's family, and for the rest of us ministers who some might expect to follow his example.

Straight ahead! See my blog at: www.noblindbluff.blogspot.com

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, January 14-20, Year C:

2007-01-13T16:06:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadThe Gospel text for this Sunday is John 2:1-11, the account of Jesus changing water into wine at a wedding feast. This represents the beginning of signs, something new in the life of God's people. It will be the subject of my sermon tomorrow. As I was writing the outline for that sermon, I was sitting on my deck, enjoying temperatures well above 70 degrees. Needless to say, it reminded me of another beginning--the beginning of spring, a newness of life. Our epistle text also represents a new beginning of sorts as gifts of the Holy Spirit are evident in the church at Corinth. If all of this seems a bit whimsical, perhaps it's the result of my own new beginning with this series of essays in a new year after what has been a very difficult Christmas season. Or, perhaps it's just the spring weather! Take it for what it is! At one time or another, I have probably held just about every theological position one can hold regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or the "charismata," as expounded in 1 Corinthians 12. I do believe that every Christian is given some spiritual gifts; but in order to have a more complete understanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how they are applied in the church, it is important to read Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 as well as our current passage. I cannot bring myself to take the position of some nineteenth-century Presbyterians that the gifts of the Spirit expounded here completely died out at the end of the Apostolic Age. I see no Scriptural grounds for such a view. When the next chapter of 1 Corinthians speaks of certain things "passing away," I take that to mean that these things will pass at the end of the age. Nor can I take the position of some Pentecostals and neo-Pentecostals that such gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be thought of as normal, or are requirements for a truly spiritual Christian life. Even in New Testament times, we have no reason to think that this was the case. So what are we to do with the spiritual gifts? First, remember that the list given here is not an exhaustive list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Second, remember that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are far more important than any particular manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Third, be ware of seeking an experience of God without being grounded in the doctrine or the biblical truth of God. (Our experiences must be judged by the Holy Bible, not the other way around.) Fourth, be discerning. If someone makes a fantastic claim for themselves or regarding something they've seen or heard, be careful to test the evidence as well as "testing the spirits." (There is such a thing as counterfeit spiritual experience that is not Christian.) The power of the Holy Spirit is necessary for any genuine Christian work to be performed; and that power is available to all believers. In special circumstances, we may experience an extraordinary filling of the Holy Spirit, or an enabling empowerment for a special task or crisis. The Spirit also leads us to understand the Scriptures and guides us toward Christian maturity. These aspects of the Holy Spirit are far more important than any particular gift or manifestation of the Spirit. It must not be forgotten that the Holy Spirit is a part of the Trinity--co-equal with the Father and the Son. The Spirit was involved in creation. It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates the heart which was previously dead in sin and leads a person to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. The Holy Spirit in-dwells all believers. These are some of the more typical acts of the Holy Spirit. Having said that, we must be aware that the HolySpirit dispenses His gifts to whomever He will. He is sovereign over the distribution and types of gifts. As individuals and the churchhave need of spiritual gifts, such gifts are freely given. Nobody should take pride in the spiritual gifts they may have been given. Such treasures are given only by God's grace. Finally, just as we are not to be overly eager for the sensational or the spectacular, so are we not to be overly fearful of what God may choose to do in our lives, our churches, or the larger community. God may choose to bestow His spiritual gifts in unexpected ways, at seemingly unlikely times, on unsuspecting individuals. Such outpourings of the Holy Spirit could indeed be prelude to revival--in a community, a nation, a church, or even the world! We dare notsay what God can or cannot do, or assume what He will or will not do! We must always ask ourselves this question: Are we truly open to the empowering gifts of the Holy Spirit, or are we afraid and hesitant to allow God's transforming power completely into our lives?

Jesus Really Is the Answer!

2007-01-11T20:50:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadI remember the old saying about the cost of a luxury item. If you have to ask how much it costs, you probably can't afford one. A skeptical theologian once remarked upon the slogan, "Jesus is the answer," by saying, "What is the question." And my response to that is simple. If you don't know the question, you probably wouldn't understand the answer! But let me try to add some light to the heat, as they say. Increasingly, we hear of professing Christian people, ministries, and organizations who sincerely want to deal with problems in the world; but they want to do it with one hand tied behind their backs. They want to give solutions to serious problems, give comfort to hurting people, give hope to the hopeless and direction to the lost, and life to the dying--but they want to do all these wonderful things without mentioning the name of Jesus Christ, without affirming His claims, without any meaningful evangelism. Many of these are sponsored by Christian ministers and churches. I have heard of groups of churches coming together to form counseling ministries who wanted to be careful not to emphasize the Bible or overtly Christian principles. Biblical references were not to be a vital part of their approach in aiding their clients. Many people who want to aid those going through the various stages and processes of grief or involved in other specific emotional problems want to steer clear of Christian assertions or faith claims. Talk of "the resurrection and the life" is deemed too sensitive by some to bring into discussions of co-dependence. We may talk of coping with the adversities of life by using psychological terms; but whatever you do, don't dare run the risk of offending anyone by seeking to lead them to Christ or by encouraging them to join a church or become active in church activities. Theological answers to psychological and behavioral questions are taboo--seen by many as too naive and immature. I remember when I first began studying philosophy in college and again in seminary. The great questions of life were discussed in purely speculative terms and often from a highly secular perspective. The idea of God, the doctrines of Christianity, were often brushed aside as being of little interest to the serious scholar. Such notions were all right, of course, for the uneducated, but hardly suitable for the intellectual seeker or serious student. My reaction to such philosophical suggestions is the same as it is to those who would deal with the great social problems of our day by dismissing Christianity. To those who think Christianity can only be a helpful sidelight in the emotional struggles of real people, and to those who think we must be careful not to offend the non-Christian by suggesting a personal relationship to Christ, I extend my utmost sympathy and my sincere prayers. I am not a fundamentalist. I understand that we must meet people where they are, and at the point of their hurt, before we can show them the source of their real problem and satisfy their genuine need. Still, I cannot help but think back to those days in seminary when I first heard Andre Crouch sing, "Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above Him, there's no other, Jesus is the way." Andre Crouch was right! Jesus is the answer! And if you don't know the question, you probably wouldn't understand Jesus Christ, the Answer!

Favorite Moments in Sports:

2007-01-07T07:31:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadTomorrow night, Florida will play Ohio State for the college football national championship; but for most of us, that game will be anti-climactic and almost irrelevant because of one of the favorite moments in sports that took place last Monday night. Of course, for most of us, our favorite moments in sports revolve around our favorite teams. For me, those would include the national football championships won by Alabama, the 1992 pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth inning by Francisco Cabrera that drove in two runs and gave the Atlanta Braves a 3--2 win in the seventh game of the NLCS over the Pittsburgh Pirates; the "Music City Miracle" in the January, 2000, wild card game that gave the Tennessee Titans a victory in the final seconds over the Buffalo Bills as the Titans moved toward the Super Bowl; the Braves 1995 World Series championship over Cleveland. But the favorite moment in sports on Monday night, January 1, 2007--the great moment in sports--wasn't about any of my favorite teams. It was in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State, a team that hasn't even been playing big-time football for all that many years--was playing perennial power Oklahoma. Most of us didn't give Boise State much of a chance. We were surprised and pleased that they could even stay on the field against the Sooners. Actually, at one time in the third quarter, Boise State led Oklahoma 28--10. But Oklahoma came back; and with about ninety seconds left in the fourth quarter, intercepted a Boise State pass and went ahead 35--28. At that point, I turned off my radio. I figured Boise State was done. But how wrong I was! On a fourth down and eighteen play, with just seconds left, Boise State pulled a miracle of its own out of the hat, scored a touchdown, and tied the game. Then, after Oklahoma scored on its first play from scrimmage in overtime, Boise State faced another fourth down situation--and did it again, scoring a touchdown. But instead of kicking the extra point for another tie, they went for two points on a mis-direction play--and won the game--43--42. In these days of arrogant athletes, big-money, high-powered sports programs at almost every level, and questions about drug and steroid use by players, I just thought we should take a minute, before we get too far away from this year's college football bowl season, and recognize one of the really great stories that took place on the field this year. The Boise State coaching staff is one of the youngest in big-time college football--and their players are some of the hungriest. They got tired of being told they had no chance--and they simply refused to lose! Good for you, Boise State!

Anniversary:

2007-01-03T07:21:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadI can't think of a better way to begin a new year of entries in my blog than to start by celebrating my 31st wedding anniversary. On January 3, 1976, Lydia and I were married in her home church in New Jersey. A cold mist was falling as we left her church in Hightstown for our honeymoon. We were able to stay in the Regency-Hyatt in Knoxville for $25 a day that next week! I met Lydia during my final year of seminary. She was beginning her first year. She didn't immediately decide to marry me, even though she had strong feelings for me. She had to work through God's call for her life. I had to be patient; but I respected her for this. And I think it was an indication that God was directing this relationship. God told me to wait, and I did. One member of our present church who is 40 and still single says that when he thinks of getting married, he looks to his own parents and of Lydia and me as examples of marriage he'd like to emulate. He thinks we really understand what marriage is all about better than anybody else he knows. Lydia seems to sense when I need a kick in the pants or a comforting hug, an encouraging word, or permission to slow down. She understands that as Christians and as a minister of the Gospel, we go where God leads us--not necessarily where we, or our friends and family, think we ought to go! She supports me in my decisions without blindly affirming everything I say. Her opinions and reflections often give me the impetus I need to resist unnecessary pressures brought by those who think they should be able to manipulate or control what we do. She's not necessarily the typical preacher's wife; but then, I've been told more than once that I'm not the typical preacher! Lydia and I have a co-operation with each other that is truly a comfort to us both. We seem to be only too eager to try to relieve stress and make things easier for us both; but Lydia had this spirit long before I did. In fact, I think she finally taught me how it should work. And another thing that makes our marriage succeed so beautifully is the mutual respect we have for each other. She helps me whenever necessary; but she certainly isn't condescending to me because of my blindness. Then, there's the playfulness we share together. I hope other married couples can be as playful with each other as we are. It surely has avoided or short-circuited a lot of fights. We usually find it easy to apologize to each other, too. I have made plenty of mistakes during my life, and some decisions I wish I could reverse. But one thing I got right, by the grace of God, was the decision to marry my wonderful Lydia. God certainly knew what He was doing when He put us together. Lydia reminds me that marriage is work; but she also reminds me that our marriage succeeds largely because it is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ! She's absolutely right. I tell every couple I counsel how important it is to build your marriage on a Christian foundation and to communicate with each other in honesty and love. People are often amazed nowadays when they find out that Lydia and I have been married for so long. They think it's wonderful--and it is. I only wish it weren't so rare.

Reflections Upon theDeath of My Mother:

2006-12-31T13:08:00.000-06:00

Straight AheadI intend this material to be not so much a journal of my life as a journal of my thoughts. The events of the past few weeks, however, cannot beseparated from the thoughts they bring to mind. I often use the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one as a time for reflection; but how does one reflect upon the death of his mother? It could even be argued that somethingso serious, so traumatic, is not appropriate material for a mere blog. And yet, since my writing and my time in cyber-space is so much a part of my life now, it would really be quite strange if such a significant happening, with all the accompanying ruminations, did not find its way into my blog. My mother died peacefully in a Nashville, Tennessee, nursing home on Sunday morning, December 17, just one day after the car accident I mentioned in my last entry. Her decline was very swift and rather sudden. A month before her death, blood tests had shown no indications of the impending crisis. On Thanksgiving night, she had watched the full three-hour video of "The Sound of Music" with my wife Lydia, and thoroughly enjoyed it. She had been weak, and Lydia prepared Thanksgiving dinner--steak, not turkey! On November 29, my mother went into the hospital to find out why she continued to be weak. Her breathing problems had not eased. A few days later, it was discovered that she had an aggressive, leukemia-like cancer. Less than two weeks after that grim discovery, she was gone. I still can't quite believe it! But as a long-time friend of the family said, "There's no tragedy in this. There's sadness, but no tragedy. She lived a great life!" He was quite right. As a Christian, we know that my mother is now in heaven. As a practical matter, we know that she lived a rich and full life while on earth. Yet, we cannot help but miss her, and grieve, and shed some tears. I'm thankful for the times she scolded and nagged me. I'm sure there were instances when she thought I had bitten off more than I could chew---times she wondered if I knew what I was doing. Those aren't the things I remember now, though. Now, I remember the good times, the laughing, the playfulness. I always teased my mother unmercifully about the time she stepped off a ladder on to my plastic dog and broke it all to pieces. Never mind that I had carelessly left it in the middle of the floor in my bedroom while she was painting that room. I must have been five or six years old. (The dog even had a little yiping bark when you pushed his head down.) My mother learned Braille so that I could have my Latin, German, and Spanish books in accessible formats. She sat in the living room quietly with me one day after I had done poorly on a biology test in high school. She knew I had worked hard and done my best, and that I was extremely disappointed. I remember the graduation dinner my parents and I had when I finished my years at Davidson College. When my mother realized how serious I was about Lydia during my final year in seminary, she asked, "What would happen if you gave Lydia a big kiss when she meets you at the airport?" Today, I think of the practical jokes she occasionally played on me, and the inside private jokes and understandings we had that nobody else shared. Those are the little things that bring the tears. Those are the things I'll miss the most. And I'll miss her pound cake, and all those dinners of roast beef with rice and gravy! When someone dies, we tend to want to make the person out to be almost super-human. I don't need to do that for my mother. I want to remember her as she truly was. She turned 80 years old in the hospital on December 9. As part of the natural process of life, most of us will lose our parents, and many of us will lose a spouse. Life must go on. I remember my mother for her playfulness, her compassion, her social graces, and for the amazing task she and my father had of raising a blind son to live a normal life. I pray that my mother was not disappointed with me. I certainly was not disappointed with her. I thank God for a mother who, with the help and support of my father, did everything possible to instill courage, confidence, and the Christian faith in their son. I remember, even as a little boy, my mother reading Bible stories to me. In the stories, there was always a little boy named Bobby and his mother who learned about Jesus and God. Of course, after Mother read those stories to me, we got to the "Tawny, Scrawny, Lion" or my other favorites. I was always impatient to get to the "fun stuff." But I'm glad she read to me about the little boy and his mother who shared the Christian faith. I guess that pretty well says all that's really important about my mother. Now, while we look forward to 2007, she can look forward to an eternity in the presence of the God she loved.

It's Good to Remember that Life Isn't Fair, as We Define Fairness:

2006-12-31T07:01:00.000-06:00

On December 16, while in Nashville, Lydia and I were involved in a car wreck that wiped out our car. We have a newer one now, a nicer one, as it turns out. Nobody was hurt, and it wasn't Lydia's fault. But now, we have payments to make over a three-year period.

We have worked to get to a position where we had no debts, no payments. Finally, this year, we were in the best financial situation we'd enjoyed in some time--and now this! Life isn't fair, as we define fairness! We didn't willfully start out to get a newer, nicer, bigger car. We tried to find one we could pay for entirely; but it was not to be.

God knows the financial question marks surrounding the future of this church. He knows that full-time ministry here probably cannot long be sustained. He knows where He wants me in future months. I can only trust His sovereign wisdom, His good purposes, His plan. Life isn't fair, as we define fairness; but we're not the ones to define or determine what is ultimately fair, or what is best! We must be satisfied to be in the hands of an Almighty God! Give me faith and patience.

On My Front Porch--in Shirt Sleeves--in December:

2006-12-11T18:25:00.001-06:00

Yeah, that's part of what I like about living in the Deep South. It was about 70 degrees this afternoon here in Jackson, Alabama. I was out on my front porch in my shirt sleeves--on December 11! What's not to like about that? It certainly deserves at least one comment on my blog!

I don't really mind cold weather. Last Friday morning, it was about 12 degrees outside my parents' home in Nashville, according to their thermometer. In Maine, winter temperatures were frequently in the single digits--and we didn't leave there because of the cold weather! Cold weather can be invigorating, energizing.

But there's something about being able to go outside on any number of days in December or January without a heavy coat that's so soothing, so pleasant, so relaxing. Of course, in Maine, you can go out on your front porch in the summer--something I rarely can do here unless I'm in the mood for some serious perspiration. But then, we have air conditioning. I love that, too! I don't like southern or coastal humidity; but I love to hear the sounds of spring and summer in the South at dusk and at nighttime.

I guess I just love Southern weather. What better day to reflect on that topic than a day in December when it's 70 degrees? On another day and another time and place, I can enjoy the bracing cold of New England or the Mid-West, or even the Mid-South; but I like knowing that there's always the possibility of 70 degrees on an afternoon in December! That's real hope. Show me somebody in Maine sitting out on their front porch this afternoon in December in shirt sleeves--and I'll show you a person who either has some severe medical problems or who needs to see a psychiatrist!