I remember when...you COULD take a gun to school and show it to a friend. You didn't hide it from the teacher, not did you take it for a weapon. Used to trade knives, too. Didn't use those as weapons, either.
See, if you did, you were called a sissy...and you did not want to be a sissy. If you got in a tussle or a fight, you didn't use a weapon. If you got whipped, so be it...the other guy gained your respect and you probably became best friends. If you won, that settled it, too.
Side note...Mama and Daddy knew if you took them to school, too, but you also knew IF you used them or even thought about it, neither would have left the house...due to Mama and Daddy.
Boy, when Mama and Daddy ran our lives, it sure was safer...sure wish they were sitting in my office chatting with me and you...from the Wildwood.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Superbowl Sunday and the Spiritual
For the Christian who enjoys watching football the problem is the time of the game. Each year the Super Bowl interrupts the evening worship hour of God’s people.
For some this conflict poses no problem. They don’t come regularly anyway so no one will think anything about their Sunday evening idolatry in front of the television set. Some “churches” will change or even cancel their entire serve to accommodate this secular event as they bring in the big screen television and watch the game in the name of “fellowship” (may I say “funship”). I recall several years ago an article in the Nashville Tennessean where a minister was mulling over whether to attend the Super Bowl or “miss church” because he had won tickets. The congregation where he preached moved its evening worship service from 6:00 to 4:00 PM for a large Super Bowl party. His quote… “We just decided this is a phenomenon we want to embrace.” Physical prioritizing for spiritual compromising…yep, that’s sacrificing, all right. Yes, you can guarantee I wrote that preacher.
I knew of another congregation that would watch the game until halftime, have a “short devotional service” then watch the rest of the game. I wonder what would have happened had someone responded to the invitation to be baptized. Could you imagine?!?! I can hear it now, “Humph, missed two minutes of the third quarter!”
Now, before I continue onward…I am not dealing or discussing the good genuine wisdom of elderships or of “brethren meetings” in deciding the best meeting times for a congregation. For example…
1) Several years ago, an eldership in Tennessee decided to assist the brethren who drove several miles to worship as gas prices eased upwards. So, they selected the first Sunday of each month to meet Sunday morning as usual, have a meal and then a 1:00 service to help. Nothing wrong with that…an honest decision for care and concern (Heb. 13:7, 17). I recall one of the elders telling me, “And, now, they moved the Super Bowl to the first Sunday, but we know why we made this decision and our members know why we made the change and the Super Bowl had nothing to do with it.”
2) There are congregations of the churches of Christ who have always met on Sunday mornings due to the distances some members drive, especially in the Midwest and Northeast. Again, an honest and good decision and they still meet upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
3) There are congregations of the churches of Christ that change their evening worship times to assist with the time change for elderly members. Again, not dealing with that.
4) Not dealing with weather conditions…sometimes it is quite dangerous and again, a conscience decision is made for safety and concern of the flock over which an eldership has the charge to oversee (Acts 20:28ff).
But, the issue for thought is when the decision is made, if you will, to cancel or alter a service solely because of an athletic event. May I ask, where does it stop? Should we then cancel certain nights of VBS because of little Johnny’s ball game? Gospel meeting night for little Suzie’s soccer match? Why not back up the starting times for Sunday morning for the Daytona 500?
I am 50 years of age…I’ve watched the Super Bowl evolve into a HUGE event. It used to never, ever be an issue with the church and it really doesn’t have to become one now.
For Christians the Super Bowl is viewed as nothing more than another test of their faith. Beloved, who do we love more? What is more important? What would Jesus have us to do? For those that “seek first the kingdom of God” and have their “minds on things above and not on the things of the earth” there is no choice. They will meet faithfully Sunday evening and pray, sing and study from the Word of God.
I recall when the Titans made the Super Bowl, one of the guys at the church where I preached had two VCR’s ready at this house. He recorded the game as we all were at worship. When we arrived at his house, he pulled the first tape and popped in the next one and kept recording. We watched the first one, never missed a play and fast forwarded through all the other stuff. Nowadays, DVR’s are perfect…same effect (but no tapes). TiVo is great as well. Have brethren over that night to watch it but don’t lower spiritual standards and place a secular game with only temporary enjoyment before your spiritual obligations that have eternal rewards and consequence. Is the Super Bowl really worth Heaven?
I am thankful to labor at a congregation that our evening attendance is some of the strongest for “Super bowl Sunday” evening. Afterwards, I have had the blessing of joining brethren to watch the game and have a wonderful time together.
Enjoying the Super Bowl can be done without a change in our spiritual priorities. I mean, come on…when you really get down to it, it is nothing but a football game.
And, well, it’s just not “super” unless my Titans are in it...loyal fan I am...from the Wildwood.
Special thanks to my co-author, Rob Whitacre for the article, idea and permission for adaptation.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
What will you be worth after your dead?
(A post from the “Hills” instead of the Wildwood, but anyway…)
Elizabeth Taylor made $210 million in 2012; Elvis Presley,
$55 million; Marilyn Monroe, $10 million…even Steve McQueen, $8 million.
And all of them passed away before 2012.
It was interesting to read this in Forbes, 11/19/12 and to
see how each of these and countless others made this amount in the past 12
months…yes, after their deaths and in some cases many, many years after
their death.
Name power is still strong, of course. Marketing that name is even stronger.
What crossed my mind?
Of course, I thought of Abel. “By
faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he
obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it
he being dead yet speaketh” (Heb. 11:4). After many more years than those listed above,
Abel’s offering by faith still speaks from the dead.
I think of the name power of Christ even to this day from
Acts 4:12, “Neither is their salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”
How are we marketing HIS name in our lives and by our lives?
And, how much will we be worth after we are gone? Will our faith live onward? And, what will it be worth?
Just a thought on a quick Saturday…from the “Hills.”
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Which are you?
Can’t take original credit for this…got it some time ago from a church bulletin titled Words of Life, vol.3, # 3, Hickory , KY.
A CARROT, AN EGG, AND A CUP OF COFFEE!
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen.
She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity. Boiling water and each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
“Which are you" she asked her daughter? "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?" Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or, am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity. Boiling water and each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
“Which are you" she asked her daughter? "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?" Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or, am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
Thanks for coming by and pilling up a chair for our visit...from the Wildwood.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Getting it done...time, time, time
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a stickler for scheduling and planning. From my days in the business realm while I preached on weekends (“part-time,” so-to-speak) to now in “full-time” preaching, I utilize “flex” planning in scheduling to the “ten-second rule” (take ten seconds and address something right then—you’ll be amazed how much you can get done).
Recently, I was reading Forbes magazine (Nov. 2012) about Jack Dorsey. He is the CEO of Square, which makes the device that turns a smart phone into a credit/debit card machine. An overview of his schedule was presented, so I thought, hmmm, how can I learn a little something?
Of course, I am going to keep my “flex” planning within. “Flex” planning might have only one thing on the schedule, but there is “flex” time for whatever arises. Still get the daily plan done…and a few other things as well, or of the daily plan doesn’t get done, I’ve got some flex coming up in the next two days to complete it.
Now, back to Dorsey…initial reaction, I thought how it could be profitable for a minister of the gospel?
Sunday, Dorsey thinks about strategy and conducts job interviews. Sunday, allow our preaching to present the spiritual strategy we need to press onward and accept responses (‘interview”) to help bring one closer to Christ. Be certain to meet (“interview,” so-to-speak) our guests and welcome them. “Interview” the members you’ve been missing with a quick greeting; check on the folks who have been ill.
Monday, Dorsey says, is for addressing management issues. Great opportunity to evaluate Sunday, the notes you’ve made from above; review plans to be made and refresh and organize the week. Plan your visits or make one or two; some outside correspondence. Just a general day to really implement the “ten-second rule” and address other opportunities.
Tuesday, Dorsey focuses on product engineering and design. Yep, sermons. “Hunker in the bunker” of the “war room” and go at it. Of course, to do both sermons on one day is pressing a bit too much, but remember the “flex” of your schedule on the other days.
Wednesday Dorsey zeros in on marketing and communications, and growth. Yep, correspondence, bulletin articles and concluding some sermon work.
Thursday he holds meetings with outside partners and developers. Yep, Bible Studies with prospects; some good visitation with members. And, might be some “flex” time for some off time in developing self with a little rest or developing one’s health with some exercise or hobby time. Never know when you might run into that one person with some interest in the Lord.
Friday is about “company and culture” and recruiting. Yep, Bible class preparation; some invitations others; a few things to “promote” the “company” (the church) and to develop and enhance our “Biblical culture” even more of knowing the word and growing in His grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).
Saturday, Dorsey takes off; in particular he likes to hike. Yep, rest….time for family and “getting away from it all,” crossing ourLake Gennesaret
All of us as ministers are always looking how we can more efficiently serve and effectively use our time. Maybe there is something here for that “little extra” one is looking for. Have at it…and thanks for joining me...in the Wildwood.
Recently, I was reading Forbes magazine (Nov. 2012) about Jack Dorsey. He is the CEO of Square, which makes the device that turns a smart phone into a credit/debit card machine. An overview of his schedule was presented, so I thought, hmmm, how can I learn a little something?
Of course, I am going to keep my “flex” planning within. “Flex” planning might have only one thing on the schedule, but there is “flex” time for whatever arises. Still get the daily plan done…and a few other things as well, or of the daily plan doesn’t get done, I’ve got some flex coming up in the next two days to complete it.
Now, back to Dorsey…initial reaction, I thought how it could be profitable for a minister of the gospel?
Sunday, Dorsey thinks about strategy and conducts job interviews. Sunday, allow our preaching to present the spiritual strategy we need to press onward and accept responses (‘interview”) to help bring one closer to Christ. Be certain to meet (“interview,” so-to-speak) our guests and welcome them. “Interview” the members you’ve been missing with a quick greeting; check on the folks who have been ill.
Monday, Dorsey says, is for addressing management issues. Great opportunity to evaluate Sunday, the notes you’ve made from above; review plans to be made and refresh and organize the week. Plan your visits or make one or two; some outside correspondence. Just a general day to really implement the “ten-second rule” and address other opportunities.
Tuesday, Dorsey focuses on product engineering and design. Yep, sermons. “Hunker in the bunker” of the “war room” and go at it. Of course, to do both sermons on one day is pressing a bit too much, but remember the “flex” of your schedule on the other days.
Wednesday Dorsey zeros in on marketing and communications, and growth. Yep, correspondence, bulletin articles and concluding some sermon work.
Thursday he holds meetings with outside partners and developers. Yep, Bible Studies with prospects; some good visitation with members. And, might be some “flex” time for some off time in developing self with a little rest or developing one’s health with some exercise or hobby time. Never know when you might run into that one person with some interest in the Lord.
Friday is about “company and culture” and recruiting. Yep, Bible class preparation; some invitations others; a few things to “promote” the “company” (the church) and to develop and enhance our “Biblical culture” even more of knowing the word and growing in His grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).
Saturday, Dorsey takes off; in particular he likes to hike. Yep, rest….time for family and “getting away from it all,” crossing our
All of us as ministers are always looking how we can more efficiently serve and effectively use our time. Maybe there is something here for that “little extra” one is looking for. Have at it…and thanks for joining me...in the Wildwood.
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