Too much busyness and not enough listening is like your car getting stuck in the mud. You push on the accelerator and the wheels turn faster. The roar of the engine, the mud flying in all directions and the smoke rising are all signs of frantic activity but the object of all the activity, namely your car, is going nowhere.
“20/20” media treated this as an “Ah Ha” moment suggesting that no one who is Christian and certainly not a minister’s family could ever do something like this. This was news and evidence that proves Ministers are not perfect. Church people are not perfect. I could have told them that.
I saw an ad for a company that will deliver and throw a pie in the face of anyone chosen. Does that sound crazy? Picture this: A well-tailored and arrogant preacher comes to the door. A delivery person is there with a special package just for him. Is it a gift? The delivery person with a big smile on his face, opens the box…
A few years ago, Mell and I moved from a three-story house full of furniture, mementos and stuff to a small condominium less than half the size. So, in addition to the normal stress and strain of moving we also faced a serious dilemma. How do we reduce our possessions by more than 50%?
Prayer doesn’t come easy for me. I tend to be a doer. Even after becoming a pastor, I am more about doing things for the church. I didn’t have an active prayer life. I read the Bible and other spiritual books, but I spent little time in prayer. There always seemed to be something else to do.
This tragedy is one we cannot ignore. If we take James seriously, churches and individuals must respond. But how? What should we do? How can we help?
Then came the invite to join a small group. Not going to lie, I put it off for a year. If you’re still reading this, take my advice and don’t wait as long as I did. I joined a group of people each Sunday and quickly realized they had taken Quinn and I in as one of their own. We became family. God’s timing is so, so good.
My life changed in an instant. May 26th, 2021, started like any other day with a game of pickleball. I felt normal until suddenly, I felt lethargic with 800-pound arms.
Pastor Larry was overheard talking to the Bojangles folks on the phone and saying, “There is a fire, and you are not going to be able to bring anything? Oh no!”
What do secret codes and POW’s have to do with worship? One word: communication. Worship represents one of our best opportunities to communicate with God. Without it, the spiritual part of our being will begin to draw inward, deteriorate and die. More than just a hymn, a sermon and a prayer, worship is the camp code that becomes our lifeline and can at times be our only link with sanity.