“Daddy, What’s a Viagra?”

On May 9, 1961, Norman Minnow, then chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, addressed the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in what is hailed as one of the top 100 speeches of the 20th century. “When television is good . . . nothing is better,” Minnow said. “But when it is bad, nothing is worse.” He urged his audience to spend a day in front of their television sets just watching what they, themselves, were producing. Then, he said this: “Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will … Read more…

Hope in Ecuador

As I write this week’s post, I have just finished leading a group of about twelve people in a guided reflection on 1 Thessalonians 1:3. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. The participants in this reflection were staff members at Hacienda of Hope, home to over 30 neglected or abused children at the edge of Ecuador’s stunning Mt. Cayambe. Their work here is hard, progress is often imperceptible and set backs are common. The only people who grind … Read more…

In Praise of Peculiar People

A few years ago, a ministry colleague prayed, what was for me, a very convicting prayer. She thanked God for one of our more, shall we say, idiosyncratic members. “God, thank you for entrusting this sweet person to us. Help us to love and care for this precious son/daughter as you would.” If we had sung an invitation song, I would have gone forward after her prayer. I am not always as gracious. I’d say that I don’t know how it is in your church, but as a matter of fact, I do. You have some strange members. Every church does. … Read more…

Because You Say So

A few years ago, our family took a trip to north Georgia to the Chattooga River to go whitewater rafting. We chose the package that included the class 5 rapids because we wanted to make a memory. Class 5 rapids are defined as “extremely difficult, long, and very violent rapids with highly congested routes, which should be scouted from shore. Rescue conditions are difficult, and there is a significant hazard to life in the event of a mishap.” Interestingly, that’s also a description of the Atlanta expressway system. You’d think the most important person to me in that boat was one … Read more…

Jesus Has Baggage

Three things in life are rare. Behold, four are practically inconceivable. Wealth without work. Wisdom without experience. Knowledge without curiosity. Family without forgiveness. There are some things you just can’t order a la carte. Fitness comes with a side of sweat. If you want success, you can’t substitute shortcuts for sacrifice. And the only way to have old friends is to be friendly – for a very long time. In Ephesians 1:15, the Apostle Paul touches on two other things that are inseparable; I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people.  Paul … Read more…

Killer Confessions

Last week, we learned that in order to kill vampires – the secret sins that leach life from our souls – we have to drag them into the light. Not only do they hate the light, they can’t survive in it. The preferred method for vanquishing vampires is confession. But we left an important question unanswered: how do you actually confess? The Bible does not specify a particular way of unburdening your soul. But I have heard quite a few confessions through the years and, being an experienced sinner, have made some mighty big ones myself. Here are some things … Read more…

How To Kill a Vampire

I don’t mean to cause alarm, but you may be host to a parasite – an internal entity that is leaching your life away. I’m not talking about a physical creature like a ten-foot tapeworm (ooh) or a single-celled protozoa. I’m talking about a virtual vampire. A vampire of the soul. A sin you are hiding. A secret you are keeping. You know it’s there. God, of course, knows about it, but you try real hard not to think about that. Then some meddling biblical passage, preacher or blog post shines some truth on it and the vampire slinks into … Read more…

When You Feel Like Quitting

Some years ago, back when there was such a thing as a local, hard-copy newspaper, two death notices ran back to back in the obituaries. The curious thing about these particular notices was that they both had the same last name. A 77-year-old man and his wife of the same age. They had died on the same day, so one might assume they had been killed in a traffic accident. They had not. Another section in the same paper told the rest of the story. The husband suffered from acute leukemia, his wife from debilitating arthritis. Both died from single gunshot … Read more…

The Last Six Funerals

Our church has buried six members since November. We eulogized one brother between Christmas and New Year’s and another on January 4th.  Few things look more out of season than a funeral home tent in a December cemetery. Except for maybe devoting the first blog post of a new year to the topic of death. You’d think this would be a good time to write about how to make and keep resolutions, how to break bad habits and instill good ones. And it is. But as the wise man said, It is better to go to a house of mourning … Read more…

Merry Christmas

We are all somewhere in the Christmas story. Whether you identify more with the humble, hard-working shepherds, the educated Wise Men, or somewhere below, between or beyond them, may you find Jesus today just as they did, and bring to him your gifts of worship, honor and praise. Whether you see yourself in Mary, amazed that God might visit you, or find your face in Joseph’s quiet obedience and faithful care, may you discover your place in the story of Jesus and welcome him into your own. Having remembered his coming, may the New Year find you more ready to … Read more…