Think About It

We were some of the newcomers to the “livestreaming” crowd.  Due to some limitations we had on our internet, our church hadn’t invested in broadcasting our worship service.  However, right before COVID-19 changed the way we were forced to worship, we were blessed with the chance to have a state of the art internet installed.  Armed with this infrastructure we began to piece together a way to take parts of our worship outside the building and into people’s homes.  For the first few weeks, things were going well – in fact, we were doing things more quickly than I expected and were making great strides.  Then came last Sunday.  Honestly, last Sunday seemed to be ruled by Mr. Murphy, “If anything could go wrong, it did.”.  Technical difficulties prevented us going live when it was time to go live and when we did start steaming, the sound wasn’t good.  We had some new things we were hoping to do that never got done because we couldn’t get the basics a...

Today is Cinco de Mayo – but do we really know what that means?  Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (that is September 16), it is a day celebrated in parts of Mexico in remembrance of the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  While the day has taken on a life of its own in the United States, the story behind the Mexican victory over the French army is kind of inspiring.  Without getting into too much of the history of the battle, suffice it to say it was a time when an army of about 8,000 troops attacked a smaller and less prepared Mexican army half that size, but the Mexicans prevailed and defended their community.  The local victory was a boon to morale and went on to inspire a sense of nationalism and pride. With many of the limitations in place this year, Cinco de Mayo will probably not be as widely celebrated in the United States as in other years, but I would like to take the day to remind us of what can happen with commitment and determination – especially ...

Do you remember where you were 35 years ago today?  Me, I had just finished up my first day as a professional preacher.  Since my dad was a minister most of my life I had grown up presenting lessons and teaching classes, but on the first Sunday of May in 1985 I preached my first sermon as a fulltime minister in Ransom, Kansas.  I am still not sure why they hired me, but to this day I am thankful they did! The last 35 years have been filled with twists and turns – some of which I could have never imagined – but, as I look back on things, I am thankful for the opportunities I have had.  As I reflected on these years, there are a few lessons I have learned, but one that really stands out to me:  Money isn’t the most important thing.  When I graduated college in 1981 I did so with a degree in Business Marketing.  Had I pursued my career path in advertising, I am sure I would have more money than I do today, but I wouldn’t be as rich as I am.  The p...

In 2007 a guy by the name of Christopher Hitchens wrote a book entitled, “God Is Not Great”.   Now, before we go on I want to offer some disclaimers:   first, I have not read his book, second, I am not going to give him the $10.99 to read his book and, third, I am not encouraging you to read his book.   As you might expect I don’t know much about the book, but one of the subtitles got my attention.   In one edition the book is called, “God Is Not Great:   How Religion Poisons Everything” – and that title really got me thinking.   At first blush, I have to admit that this statement raised my hackles (of all the things that are causing problems in today’s world, religion is probably not on the top of my list); but, on the other hand I think this title can be used as is a good reminder to spiritual people.   You see, not all religion is good religion.   False religion, self-serving religion, abusive religion creates harm – not only to the good name ...

Have you ever gotten into the “Prettier Wife Paradox”?   Let me see if I can explain.   Can you imagine two men arguing about which one of their wives is prettier?   Each may have their own facts to support their theory; each may be adamantly convinced that they are correct, but in the end, can the debate of which wife is prettier be objectively determined?   The answer is “No”.   The reason I bring this up is to consider just how many of our arguments fall into this type of category.   It might be as unimportant as “Which football team is better or which is the best restaurant in our town?” or it can be as intense as “What are the priorities for our workplace, who is the best candidate for the position or which outreach opportunity the best one for our church?”.   In all honestly, many of the things we debate are subjective and based on opinions.   We have to remember that in matters of opinion, it doesn’t matter how strong our beliefs are, t...

Harry Truman is an interesting figure in American history.  Some people like him, some people hate him, but most of us find ourselves doing both.  One thing about him, he wasn’t afraid to say what he thought which makes him very quotable.  The other day I came across an interesting observation made by 33 rd president, “ Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”  As I reflected on the comment, a couple of things stood out.  First, leadership is conscious decision.  It is something that must be prepared for, leaders don’t just pop up when times get tough.  Second, circumstances often produce a vacuum that is not necessarily filled by “someone”.  There are times when things get tough and they just keep getting tougher because good people don’t step up.  Finally, leaders ar...

You may have heard this statement a time or two, “God is with us, we are going to be okay”.  Maybe you have even heard words like these, “ I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!  For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.’” (Psalm 91:2-3).  These are pretty common sentiments being bantered around these days – but, are they true?  (Okay, I just heard that screech as people stopped to reread that last question.)  Yes, I really did ask if we believed these statements are true.  I mean let’s face it, people – even good people – are getting sick and some of dying from an unseen disease.  Some people are facing financial setback because of a sagging economy.  There are a lot of people who are dealing with emotional scars that will have an impact on them for a long time to come.  So, I go back to my question, are we really going to be oka...