Think About It

Okay ... whoever has been praying for patience can stop ... I think we get it!  I have never prided myself on my patience.  Sure, I come from the first generation of instant gratification, but my problem seems to stem more from a desire to plan.  I think I am pretty good about adjusting to new things – even crises – but I want the information as quickly as possible so I can start making my plans.  I want good, quick and reliable information so I can plan my future.  What I have found during the recent weeks is that information is limited at best and when it comes to being quick and reliable – well, let’s just say that isn’t necessarily the norm.  On one hand I could blame those feeding us the information, but I believe that people like me share the blame.  In an effort to get ahead of the curve, we want to know what to expect as quickly as possible and, often, accurate information isn’t known, much less disseminated.  At this point, about the...

The New Testament is full of encouragement about following those in positions of authority.  Whether it is Jesus’ command to “Render unto Caesar those things that are Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21), Paul’s order to submit to governmental authorities (Romans 13:1-7) or this more generic statement, “ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17) we have been told that we have an obligation to support those who are responsible for us.  While there is no argument that we should submit to those in authority, we also have a responsibility to be wise in choosing the ones whose example we choose to follow.  There are some people in positions of authority who are good leaders while there are others who have a title, but shouldn’t have the influence.  So how do we know which people to follow?  On...

Have you noticed how easy it is to let other people think for us?   I think if we were honest, most of us would claim that we are independent thinkers (I mean, isn’t that the essence of the American way).   We would probably be adamant that we not lemmings who follow what we are told to think, but are we?   When it comes right down to it, are we too trusting of what others tell us to believe?   I hope the preceding paragraph is not offensive ... well, come to think of it, I am not sure that I am sorry if that was offensive because our ability to think for ourselves is something that we must protect if we are going to be successful.   Sure, there is nothing wrong with listening to and agreeing with the opinions of others; but when we blindly follow what someone else tells us, that’s when the danger begins.   As you read this you might be thinking that I am referring to politics – and, in a way I guess I am, but I am more concerned about two other areas of...

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 ...