Herod the Great

This morning my prayer group met at our house because I had DVR'd a show on the National Geographic Channel about the discover of Herod the Great's tomb.  The show visited several of his engineering marvels (Masada, Caesarea, the Temple in Jerusalem), but centered on Herodium -- where he built a fortress palace, as well as his burial site.

I found these some of the most fascinating places in our trip to Israel.  Herod was a paranoid individual -- always afraid that someone was out to kill him.  So he had his wife and two sons killed, as well as countless others he considered to be threats.  He is perhaps best known for the murder of the babies when he heard that a king had been born in Bethlehem (probably about 30 male children would have been killed).

One fact I find interesting is Herod feared there would be no one to mourn  his death.  So as he lay on his death bed, he had 1,000 people arrested in Nazareth, and gave the order that they be killed upon word of his death.  That way, he felt there would be mourning.  Fortunately the order was not carried out.

For all his lunacy, Herod was an engineering genius.  He still baffles experts today as to how he did what he did.         

Merry Christmas!

News flash:  Oprah announces she has fallen off the diet wagon.  She has again gained back her weight.  This will allow her to co-write another best-selling diet book.  (Forgive me.  I know my cynicism comes out on things like this).

How many times will people follow a story like this?  All the millions that people spend on diet books and diet pills, etc.  It comes down to the "less-more" diet.  Eat less and exercise more.

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Does it bother you to hear a traditional Christmas tune having secular words sung to it?  This morning, I heard a commercial for a kids' movie.  The words?  "We wish you a happy holiday.  We wish you a happy holiday.  We wish you a happy holiday, and a happy new year."  Wow.  They're certainly all about "happy."

Then there was a commercial that was sung to the tune of "Noel."  No more "born is the King of Israel."  No, now it's used to sell some product.

   

I am sad that in my religious tradition, we have been more aligned with the secular world when it comes to Christmas.  We do the Santa Clause thing, but not the Jesus thing -- because we can't know for sure when He was born.  It almost seems like we were proud of knowing that the date of His birth is not known -- and this is how we show it.  Yet, most people who have celebrated Christmas as the birth of Jesus knew that too.

So it seems inconsistent for us to be upset that traditional Christmas songs have been stripped of their religious meaning.  But for the last 20 years or so, that has been different for me. Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation -- God breaking into this world as a man.  And I want to stand with all those who want to recognize that.

What's happening in our country is so interesting.  The Jews can celebrate Hanukkah.  The Moslems can celebrate Ramadan.  Even Kwanza is talked about in schools.  But we Christians are accused of being totally insensitive and intolerant to call this season Christmas.  I'm going to need someone to explain this to me.

I love to go to a store where the employees have been told to say, "Happy Holidays."  I respond with a joyful, "Merry Christmas."  And they smile at me, and say almost undercover, "Merry Christmas to you, too."  Folks, it reminds me of the Russia I was told about when I was a kid!

Am I over-reacting?       

Armchair Quarterbacking

The Cowboys choked big time in Pittsburgh yesterday.  Perhaps the worst play came from Cowboy Kingdom idol, Tony Romo.  Tony is a good guy, and perhaps has exceeded anyone's expectations.  But he has a long way to go to being lumped in with Staubach and Aikman.

And what's with "the Barbarian"?  He can't play in the most crucial game of the season because his little toe hurts?  

I've said it before, and I'll say it again (I know I'm no expert on the subject, but it is my blog:)  This team has TWO Pro-Bowlers -- Jason Whitten and DeMarcus Ware (Romo MIGHT make it as a backup).    

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Once again the BCS took a whippin', as No. 1 Alabama got thumped by Tim Teebo and Florida.  Now I have to make a choice:  Do I root for Big 12 champion OU (which is very distasteful for me) or a team I have never liked -- Florida?  Right now I am leaning toward Florida.  I like Teebo.  I must admit:  Sam Bradford seems like a classy guy, too.  While I admire Bob Stoops for his coaching ability, I don't like him.  I think he takes too many pot shots at Mack Brown.

Sign that things can't be too bad:  People hiring airplanes to fly over arch-rivals' games towing banners.  OU fans hired one to fly over Austin last week,  telling Mack Brown to quit crying.  I wonder if OU would have had that same attitude if the Big 12 had chosen Texas over them for the championship game?  Then last weekend, a Texas fan hired a plane to fly over the Big 12 championship game with a banner that said something like, "Loser Bowl:  Both teams lost to Texas."

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I was hoping to see Texas play Alabama in a BCS bowl game.  Again, this seems fruity to me, but why is Texas (at #3) playing a #10 ranked team, Ohio State?

COME ON, OBAMA!  BRING US A PLAYOFF!  High schools do it.  Other divisions of the NCAA  do it.  America wants it!    

Challenging (Good) Week

This has been a challenging (in a good way) week for me.  This Sunday morning, I am beginning a quarter's study (13 weeks) on how we got the Bible.  This will deal with the history of the text, but also with different English translations.  I've never taught anything remotely similar to this, but I feel like it is something Christians need to be better aware of -- with the skepticism that is within our culture.  People hear about "The DaVinci Code" (a work of fiction) and things like that, and believe it to be true.  

Then there is The Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel.  I like some of the shows on them.  But any time they deal with Christianity, they get the most liberal, fringe scholars they can find to explain things.  They make "The Gospel of Thomas" out to be THE authoritative words of Jesus -- while casting dispersions on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  

So, I am challenged by this study.

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Then, my Sunday morning sermon series will be from the Gospel of Luke.  Again, I have never preached through Luke before.  I have preached the parables -- and most of them are in Luke.  But I love when, as a church, we can journey with Jesus for an extended period of time.  I already anticipate Luke 4 (Jesus' mission statement) -- which has changed my view of Jesus to a large degree.  And of course, my favorite chapter in the Bible -- Luke 15, the story of the Prodigal Son / Loving Father /Elder Brother.

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Add to that:  On Sunday nights we are studying Elisha -- another subject I have never preached before.  And the passage before me this week is really difficult.  

This is part of the reason I love what I do so much!     

Narrative Identities

Yesterday I was reading an article in the latest issue of Christianity Today.  It is entitled, "The Advent of Humility:  Jesus is the Reason to Stop Concentrating on Ourselves," by Tim Keller.  

I have read the following paragraph over and over -- its simple truth drawing me in:

There are two basic narrative identities at work among professing Christians.  The first is what I will call the moral-performance narrative identity.  These are people who in their heart of hearts say, "I obey; therefore I am accepted by God."  The second is what I will call the grace narrative identity.  This basic operating principle is, "I am accepted by God through Christ; therefore I obey."  

For too many years, I operated under the moral-performance narrative.  During those times, my spiritual life was dry, going through the motions and unmotivated.  In more recent years I have accepted the grace narrative identity.  As a result, I believe the fruit in my life to be more genuine, and the peace and presence of God much more obvious.  

Be Careful What You Pray For

The stock market tanked yesterday on news that we have "officially" been in a recession since last fall.  I admit ignorance as to how the market works, but why was this considered news?  I would think that these financial "experts" would have already known that.

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One of my daily prayers is that God will do WHATEVER it takes to make me like Jesus. I ask Him to cut out of my life anything that does not resemble His Son. I know as I pray it that such a prayer can result in pain. Tozer discussed this in today's devo:

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. --Hebrews 12:11

If God has singled you out to be a special object of His grace you may expect Him to honor you with stricter discipline and greater suffering than less favored ones are called upon to endure....

If God sets out to make you an unusual Christian He is not likely to be as gentle as He is usually pictured by the popular teachers. A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful.

To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be. That Incredible Christian, pp. 122-124

So I am reminded today: Be careful what you pray for!  But I will continue to pray for radical transformation in my life.

"Unethical" National Championship and Ethics

A huge thank-you goes out to my daughter-in-law, Kayci, for updating my blog picture.  It has been a joy to Beverly and me to have our family with us for the last week.

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Oklahoma jumps Texas (who beat OU by 10 points) to represent the Big 12 South in next week's conference championship game. So the number 2 (or 3, depending on the poll) team in the country will be snubbed in national championship talk, while 7-4 Missouri plays for a conference championship. Go figure. Why not just take the two top teams in the conference and let them play each other?

IT'S WAY PAST TIME FOR A PLAYOFF!!!

Here is hoping that Colt McCoy wins the Heisman.
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The results of a recent survey on high school aged students' ethics was published over the weekend. The findings show that 30% of students have stolen from a store in the last year. 64% have cheated on a test. 36% have used the internet to plagiarize an assignment. And get this: 93% said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character, with 77% saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."

I am not reporting this to say that the current group of teens is worse than in the past. I don't know what similar polls would have shown from when I was a teenager, for instance.  I would guess cheating was a problem then as well.  And while we didn't plagiarize from the internet (Al Gore hadn't invented it yet), I know that plagiarism was not uncommon.  

However, there is one area that baffles me. In my own experience in recent years with premarital counseling, I have been amazed how many young people think there is nothing immoral about living together before marriage. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since movies and TV present it as the norm.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all of you and your families a happy, peace-filled Thanksgiving.  I count the Decatur Church of Christ, behind Jesus and my family, as my greatest blessing.  

I went to a Mavs' game last night with my three sons (Yes, David is my son, too).  We had a great time!  And the Mavs won!

Today we head to the greens.

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Enjoy this one from A. W. Tozer:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. --Romans 8:1

God knows that sin is a terrible thing-and the devil knows it, too. So he follows us around and as long as we will permit it, he will taunt us about our past sins.

As for myself, I have learned to talk back to him on this score. I say, "Yes, Devil, sin is terrible-but I remind you that I got it from you! And I remind you, Devil, that everything good-- forgiveness and cleansing and blessing-everything that is good I have freely received from Jesus Christ!"

Everything that is bad and that is against me I got from the devil--so why should he have the effrontery and the brass to argue with me about it? Yet he will do it because he is the devil, and he is committed to keeping God's children shut up in a little cage, their wings clipped so that they can never fly! I Talk Back to the Devil, 6.

Pushing 400!

Update:  As of about 1:10, we had given out over 380 turkeys!

W.A.R.M. Up Those Turkeys

Today is a busy day at W.A.R.M.  We will give away 300 turkeys, along with pies.  I plan to go help this afternoon.  I LOVE being involved there.

Also, our church will open a clothes closet for the county -- with a startup date of February 1. Decatur does not currently have one.  The Bridgeport Church of Christ operates one.  We have a number of people here at our church that are excited to be involved in this ministry.

I am SO grateful to be in a place where we are concerned about the poor.  I have been reminded in recent years of just how important this is to God.  The prophets stress this theme over and over again.  Jesus has SO much to say about it, as well.  In fact, in two weeks I am going to begin a series (it may turn into more of an epic) on the Gospel of Luke.  Of the 4 Gospels, this one tells us more about Jesus' emphasis upon ministry to the poor and disenfranchised.

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A sign of tough times:  Buick has dropped Tiger Woods.  He has been receiving $7 million a year for his endorsement (commercials, golf bag logo).  I hope he doesn't have to let his house go back as a result of this financial setback.

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Three finalists for the Davey O'brien Award (given to the top college QB):  Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell and Sam Bradford.  ALL from the Big 12.  What a turnaround for this conference.  It seems like only a couple of years ago that pundits were saying it was one of the weakest conferences.  Now it has 3 teams ranked in the top 10 (Texas, Tech, and OU), and others hanging around (Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma State).      

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This is a late addition to my blog:  I just received word that Prentice Meader, longtime minister at Prestoncrest Church of Christ, passed away this morning in Nashville.  Prentice was a good example to me of how much more positive our influence can be when we emphasize Jesus in our preaching.  Our prayers go out to the family.    

No, It Wasn't Basketball

Do you want to build up your upper body in only three hours?  Go to an ACU football game and follow the Aggie tradition of doing a pushup for every point scored -- after every score.  Last Saturday you would have done several hundred, since the final score was 93-68.

It reminds me of the old Aggie joke.  It seems that A&M bribed the head referee into sounding the final gun to end the game early in the 4rd quarter with Texas leading 7-0.  The Longhorns left the field, thinking the game was over.  Three plays later, A&M scored.  But they lost 7-6 when they went for 2 and didn't make it.

(Aggie fans:  Save your wrath.  I love the Aggies.)     

How do two teams score 161 points in one game?  That's 23 touchdowns!  Nearly 6 every quarter.  A score every 2-1/2 minutes!  The paper said ACU scored every time they had the ball, except once when they missed a field goal.  I'm told that West Texas A&M started kicking on-side kicks after their scores, hoping they might keep the ball out of ACU's hands. 

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Yesterday we had a memorial service at our church for my friend Jerry Nicholas.  His life was an inspiration for many as he battled cancer with such dignity and peace.  I think my favorite story was when he had his leg amputated, the family went home and dressed as pirates for a family picture.  It was his "amputation celebration" picture.  He sat in front as the peg-legged pirate.  What class! 

Football Weekend

I have real mixed feelings about the big game tomorrow between Oklahoma and Tech.  I really want Texas to be in a better position for the BCS, but I love the Tech story this year too.  I really admire Leach and what he is able to do in Lubbock.   And I have NEVER rooted for OU.  So that's my great dilemma for today.

Also, here's a shout-out to ACU, who earned a bye last week in the NCAA II playoffs.  They are playing their 1st playoff game this weekend, ranked #2 in the nation.  GO WILDCATS!  I never thought I would see this day again. 

And the Cowboys?  Pac-Man is back.  Can you believe it?

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

Maybe it's the cynic in me.  If what I am about to say is wrong to you -- or if I am missing something, I welcome your comments.  

Yesterday the CEOs of the Big 3 Automakers appeared before Congress to request a bailout.  The media exposed how these men had flown to Washington on private jets at a cost of $20,000 round trip.  I'm thinking, "Bad PR move, guys."

But here's what got me:  Congress then wanted to beat these guys up over this.  They had them on the hot seat -- continuously questioning them about this.  Was it a big blunder?  Yes.  Should it be addressed?  Yes.  But by Congress -- the greatest wasteful spenders anywhere?  Spare me the utter hypocrisy.

Extra! Extra! The Daily Paper

I grew up in a home in which I would get up and get ready for school, then sit down to a quick breakfast and the sports page.  I would pour over the stats -- be it baseball box scores or football and basketball game stats.  I guess I have begun my days like that for 40+ years.  

As an adult, the order goes like this:  sports page to business page to front page to section B to Lifestyle (and comics) to crossword puzzle.  It throws me into confusion when my kids are at home.  I go for a section -- AND ONE OF THEM HAS IT!  Do you know what that does to someone who borders on obsessive-compulsive? 

Well, I came within days of canceling my daily newspaper this month.  I would not want to be someone that is mid-career in the newspaper business.  I can't see newspapers being around for too many more years.  We have that information too readily available in other places -- and on our electronic devices that we have such an infatuation with.

I had about convinced myself that canceling the paper would free up some time for me each day.  After all, my personality type is such that I can't get a daily paper -- and then not read it.  I had told Beverly that I would buy her a Sudoku book and I would get a crossword puzzle book.  But when push came to shove, I finally caved in.  I renewed my subscription.  So for at least three more months, I will continue my 40-year tradition.     

Obama On Family

I want to share with you some excerpts from an article I found to be interesting as well as encouraging.   Let us be praying for President-elect Obama and his family.

Atlanta Journal Constitution
November 16, 2008
Cynthia Tucker

President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are members of a minority: They are a black married couple.

Wed 16 years in October, the Obamas conceived their two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, after the wedding. While that kind of traditional couplehood is losing popularity in every corner of the country, it has all but disappeared in black America, where more than 70 percent of children are born outside marriage.

BARACK OBAMA'S 2008 FATHER'S DAY SPEECH

Just in case you want to read it again, here are core remarks from the speech President-elect Obama made at The Apostolic Church of God in Chicago this Father's Day, June 15, 2008:

Good morning. It¹s good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord. . .

. . . .Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.

But if we are honest with ourselves, we¹ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing -- missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.

You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled -- doubled -- since we were children. We know the statistics -- that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.

How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?

Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more afterschool programs for our children. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.

But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child -- it's the courage to raise one.

We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves; the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do. So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support. They need another parent. Their children need another parent. That's what keeps their foundation strong. It¹s what keeps the foundation of our country strong. . . .

Al-Queda's "Victory"

I don't usually blog on weekends, but I read an interesting article this morning. It seems that al-Queda is taking credit for ruining the economies of the West, and feels that they are proving victorious in their cowardly acts of terrorism.

Now let me see if I understand this: The West (along with the rest of the world) is going through an economic downturn that is a part of the historical cycle. More severe? Yes. Many will have to curtail purchases and make some cuts in areas.

But al-Queda is hiding in caves -- staying one step ahead of being taken out. Many of their higher-ups already have been. And the price of crude has dropped -- drying up many of their resources. Also, the world seems to be committed to finding alternative fuel sources -- which will hurt al-Queda even more.

Seems like a hollow victory to me. Am I missing something?

Shalom

It's good to be back home.  We got in late yesterday afternoon, moved around like zombies until 8:30 last night when we both fell asleep.  But after a good night's rest, right now I'm feeling OK.

The trip was everything I had hoped for and more.  Moslems require that all of their faith try to make a trip to Mecca in their lifetime.  I think we Christians would do well to make a trip to the roots of our faith as well.  It is not a vacation; it's a pilgrimage.  But the rewards were life-changing.  

Today I just want to mention how much I was impacted by the idea of "shalom."  Our outstanding tour guide, Anton (an Arabic Christian who grew up near Nazareth) continually asked us to pray for "shalom" (peace) for his land.  He was a brilliant man and we were especially blessed to have him as our guide.

We met Sunday night for worship in our hotel.  Joining us was a preacher for an Arabic Church of Christ just outside of Jerusalem.  He shared with us the struggles he faces every day.  We asked him what he needed from us.  I was moved by his simple unselfish requests:  1.  Shalom for his land, and 2.  He needs money for Arabic bibles.

Join me in praying the blessing of shalom.  Our only hope for that in this world is the Prince of Shalom -- Jesus.         

We're Marching (Well, Flying) to Zion

News flash:  Exxon-Mobil set a record quarterly earnings figure last quarter -- while nearly  every other industry was down.  Trivia question:  Whose record did they break?  Answer at the end.

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This will probably be my last blog for a couple of weeks.  We leave early Monday morning for Israel.  We fly into New York on Monday -- scheduled arrival is about 5 PM.  We leave from there for Tel Aviv at 11:50 -- flying all night.  We lose nearly a day -- arriving in Tel Aviv at about 5PM on Tuesday.  On Wednesday we begin our touring -- from Joppa to Caesarea to Mt. Carmel.  We stay in Tiberias for 2 nights (near the Sea of Galilee).  We will tour Capernaum, Nazareth and take a boat on the Sea of Galilee.

From there we travel along the Jordan River.  We will stay one night near the Dead Sea, and have an opportunity to swim there if we want.  We will view the Qumran community, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  From there, we will go to Jericho.

We spend 4 nights in Jerusalem -- taking a side trip to Bethlehem.  In Jerusalem, we will see SO many things.  David's tomb, the Wailing Wall, the Temple mound, the Jewish Holocaust museum, the traditional site of the Upper Room, the Via Del Rosa, the traditional site of the Garden tomb, the Mt. of Olives, Mt. Calvary, another tomb site -- and much more.

We leave on Wednesday night -- and arrive home on Thursday afternoon.

I have been asked to lead devotional thoughts on Mt. Carmel and at the Garden Tomb.

I CAN'T WAIT!  I never thought I would be able to take this trip.

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Answer (This will shock you.  Sarcasm is dripping here):  Exxon-Mobil.       

Marker Days and Halloween

It's hard to believe that my dad would have been 79 today.  He's been gone now for 13 years.  I can still hear his voice and see his mannerisms.  I wish I could talk to him again to try to find out the pain that was in him that led him to addiction.  And I would like to again hear him talk about his deliverance from it.

Yesterday marked 6 months since Beverly's dad passed away.  What a mark he left on his family!

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I will be out of the office tomorrow.  So -- BOO!

Halloween has changed so much!  When I was a kid, we would set out at about 5:30 and hit neighborhoods steadily until about 8:30 or 9.  We had the old-fashioned paper grocery sacks.  I have no doubt mine would weigh at least 10 pounds by the end of the evening.  

Then I would go home and dump it all on my bed.  My older brother would come in and grab all the Bit-O-Honeys.  My favorites were popcorn balls and Almond Joys, followed by Butterfingers, Mr. Goodbars and Baby Ruths (I can't remember ever getting Heath bars, which are one of my very favorites).  As you can see, I wasn't too picky when it came to chocolate.

It was a dentist's dream.     

My Grandson the Priest

My daughter-in-law Kayci asked my grandson Truitt what he wanted to be for Halloween.  he said he wanted to be "Dad."  Well, she thought about that.  Dad is a preacher, but there is nothing in particular that stands out about that as far as his dress, etc.  So she decided on the next best thing -- and dressed him like a priest.  My guess is that he is extending his blessing in this picture.

What a cute kid!  I guess  you might say he is from a lineage of "priests" now.  

Have I told you -- I have 4 of them now!  Life is good.

Racism: Alive and Well

So two skin heads have made threats of assassinating Barak Obama.  I find it hard to believe that in 2008, racism is still alive and well.  So much for my naivety. 

I must say that I have sensed racism in the unjustified anger some people feel toward Obama.  I TOTALLY understand people opposing his political positions.  But Christians, let me ask again:  Why the hatred for the man?  Some of us need to ask ourselves if it is racially motivated.  And if it is, we need to get down on our knees and ask God to forgive us.

Am I passionate about this?  YES!  I grew up in racially-segregated Mississippi.  I have seen the ugliness of judging a person simply based on the color of his/her skin.  I have heard the cruel and ungodly jokes told and broad generalizations made.  I wish I could say that what I witnessed was outside of church.  But it was as common in church as out.  Even as we claimed to be "the right church."  How "right" is that?

  

The truth of the matter is:  I don't see a HINT of Jesus in it.  And being Jesus to the world is the clearest evidence of being "the right church."     

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

OK, let's talk a little football this morning.

ACU is now ranked #2 in NCAA II.  They beat Tarleton State, who was also ranked, on Saturday at their homecoming 37-17.  They have three players that are projected to make it to the NFL.  They have a running back that must be incredible!  I really did not think I would ever see ACU return to prominence in football again.

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Can you think of a college team that has played a tougher stretch of games than the Texas Longhorns?  Three weeks ago, they beat then-#1 Oklahoma.  The next week, they stomped 4th-ranked Missouri.  Last week, they hung on to beat #7 Oklahoma State.  And this week, they have #7 Texas Tech.

Speaking of that, my opinion of Mack Brown has really changed.  When he 1st came to Texas, he had the reputation of not being able to win the big game.  But did you know that his record speaks differently?  Against top 10 teams, he is something like 26-5!  And Bob Stoops, who was early-on hailed as the guy who could win the big ones?  Well, again -- the record speaks for itself.

Best coach in the country?  I don't know.  But I bet Texas is glad to have him.  They have increased the size of their stadium, and could probably fill it if they doubled the capacity.  

I heard some "experts" talking the other night about who they think the best coach in college football is.  While they put Brown up close to the top, they said they think Mike Leach of Texas Tech and Tom(?) Mangino of Kansas are the best.  Their reason:  Because of their remote locations, they only get category 2 and 3 recruits, and yet have winning programs year after year. 

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For most of my life, I watched every play of every Cowboy game.  I have seen two games this year.  Yesterday I went home after lunch to watch the game.  I was asleep in a few minutes.  Talk about boring!

So Wade and Jerry are celebrating like they won a playoff game.  Wade even got the game ball (why?)  Suddenly the wiz kid Jason Garrett doesn't look so great.  I know, Romo is out.  But they weren't lighting it up his last couple of games.  Their best offense yesterday was the Bucs defensive penalties.  Without the four in one drive before the half, the Cowboys are hung with another loss.

I still say this team is WAY overhyped.  13 Pro Bowlers?  Right.  Give me Whitten and Ware.

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In response to Donny, who replied on Friday's blog:  I thought Tina Fey was hilarious!  I was cracking up.  Will Farrell's George Bush was funny, but not nearly as funny as Fey.     

You Missed It!

I had written a blog for the ages (yeah, right).  Great insights about the Stock Market (sure!), Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin, and the joke of a team called the Cowboys.  But for some reason, my post failed.  So, have a good weekend. 

Message of the Prophets

I have been focused for most of three days in a study of the minor prophets.  Some of them, particularly Amos, spoke words that would be every bit as relevant today if they were spoken on the steps of Wall Street or in the halls of Congress.

Several messages seem to run like a thread throughout the prophets -- even as they spoke to different audiences about differing issues.  One theme is this:  God desires mercy -- not sacrifice.  Our obsession with what we do for one or two hours a week "in church" flies in the face of God's priority -- which is how do you treat people? 

Another theme is justice.  This is similar to the idea of mercy.  God wants us thinking communally.  What is best for the whole -- not just what is best for me and mine.  That's something to consider at election time.

Another theme is that God wants humble people.  As James wrote:  "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  This was played out in God's dealing with nations in the days of the prophets.

Maybe it boils down to this:  God wants people who reflect His heart.  He wants us to love people the way He loves people.  So there it is.  Summed up by Micah (6:8):  "He has shown you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  

Israel Trip

I haven't even been to Israel yet, but I already find myself thinking about actually being in those places I read and study about.  I can't wait!

I have been asked by John Scott, our tour host, to present devotional thoughts on Mt. Carmel and at the Garden tomb.  I've just finished a study on Sunday nights about Elijah, so Mt. Carmel has been on my mind a lot.  And the Garden tomb?  Wow!  What other person's tomb in the world do people visit where they walk into its emptiness?

     

Football Trivia

Last night, TCU put it on #9 BYU (yeah!).  I find it interesting how a person develops likes and dislikes for different teams.  For most of my life, I have rooted against Notre Dame and BYU -- no matter who they were playing.  I'm glad to see TCU doing so well.

And my alma mater, ACU, is tearing it up!  It has been a long, dry spell for ACU football.  They have their "game of the year" this Saturday.  Go Wildcats! 

Also, here is hoping that UT puts the whoop on Missouri.  Another thing I root against:  Anything Southlake:)  Chase Daniels is a product of that money machine. 

And how about those Church of Christ boys playing quarterback for big-12 schools?  Colt McCoy for Texas, is currently the leading Heisman candidate.  And don't forget Texas Tech's Graham Harrell.  

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While we are on the subject of football, has anybody seen "The Express"?  Beverly and I are thinking about going to see it.  

The Presidential Debates

I kind of doubt that the presidential debates have changed many people's minds, much as most religious debates through the years.  I have watched all three of the presidential debates, plus the vice presidential debate.  I find myself hearing one of the candidates begin to say something on a subject -- hoping they will offer a solution.  But they always seem to stop short.

I grew up in a home that dripped with sarcasm.  And I lived much of my adult life falling back on it myself when I was losing an argument.  I have come to see it (for the most part) as a negative way to deal with conflict.  When I find myself reverting to it, afterwards I don't feel clean.  I realize that even the apostle Paul used it at times, but I have tried to break that in my life.

So as much as I would like McCain to be able to verbalize his message, I have to say his sarcasm and eyerolling (a sign of contempt) probably lost him votes in the debates -- especially last night.  The split screen did him no favors.  Maybe that is just my opinion, but early morning polls seem to support that. 

I would like to know more about Obama's relationship with his former pastor and the former terrorist.  His explanations sound fairly reasonable, but I would like to hear it verified by legitimate to confirm what he is saying.  But please:  Don't send me stuff from radical groups.  They only cloud the picture.  If it can't be verified legitimately, then it is gossip and slander.

Quality or Quantity?

It's been a while since I shared any Tozer with you.  This man spoke so prophetically.  As you read the following, remember he wrote this nearly 50 years ago.  Yet it may be more true now than it was then:

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness-God is witness. --1 Thessalonians 2:4-5

Time may show that one of the greatest weaknesses in our modern civilization has been the acceptance of quantity rather than quality as the goal after which to strive....

Christianity is resting under the blight of degraded values. And it all stems from a too-eager desire to impress, to gain fleeting attention, to appear well in comparison with some world-beater who happens for the time to have the ear or the eye of the public.

This is so foreign to the Scriptures that we wonder how Bible-loving Christians can be deceived by it. The Word of God ignores size and quantity and lays all its stress upon quality. Christ, more than any other man, was followed by the crowds, yet after giving them such help as they were able to receive, He quietly turned from them and deposited His enduring truths in the breasts of His chosen 12....

Pastors and churches in our hectic times are harassed by the temptation to seek size at any cost and to secure by inflation what they cannot gain by legitimate growth. The mixed multitude cries for quantity and will not forgive a minister who insists upon solid values and permanence. Many a man of God is being subjected to cruel pressure by the ill-taught members of his flock who scorn his slow methods and demand quick results and a popular following regardless of quality. The Next Chapter After the Last, 7-8.

While I, too, would love to see great numerical growth in the church I serve, I really hope my legacy will be more about growing and maturing disciples.

Fair Ratings

Yesterday at the Fair was nice.  The weather was pleasant -- and the company ideal.  The crowds were not to my preference, but we got through that.

I tried several foods.  I may have managed to stay within my calorie limit from yesterday's blog. 

So this year's "specialties" are ranked as follows:

Fried cheesecake:  I could have eaten a bucketful.  Crispy on the outside, but moist on the inside.  Delicious.  

Grade:  A+

Chicken-fried bacon:  This has gotten all the attention this year.  Extremely salty.  After a couple of bites, I was craving something to drink.  The 1st strip was OK.  I was ready to stop at that point.  While it was good, it did not live up to its billing.

Grade:  B

Fried avocado chunks:  Just plain nasty.  I took one bite, and it left an aftertaste that I had to find something else to cover it.  Beverly seemed to like it all right.  Jenny and I both had looks on our faces like we had bitten into a green persimmon.

Grade:  F

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Edward Fudge had some frank insights into the current financial crisis.  They are words that may be unsettling for some, but are important for us as we keep our Kingdom perspective:

In the midst of such circumstances, believers do well to remember that God has no special deal with America, and America has no guarantees from God. However, actions do have consequences, and societies cannot plant one crop and harvest another. Whether God still chastens nations directly or simply allows their own moral corruption to take its course, the effect is the same. Godly people often suffer and die alongside the scoffers and scoundrels. Faith does not mean that God will always protect us from evil now. It does enable us to trust him, whatever may come, in the confidence that he will have the final, victorious, eternal word.

What a Missions Sunday!

I am SO proud of our church! The missions' committee had set a goal of $30,000 for our Mission Sunday. This would be used in addition to the $50,000 that is in our budget for missions. I have to admit: I was thinking with the recent financial crisis that we might not meet our goal. But these faithful people proved me wrong. Not only did they meet the goal -- they far exceeded it! $54,000! When it was announced, I began to cry. Talk about priorities and sacrifice! God be praised!
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Today I am doing what I said I would not do. I am going to the State Fair on a holiday when most of the Dallas area schools are out. Why, you ask? Because my three local girls want me to go. It's hard enough to tell your wife "No." But try telling your daughter -- AND GRANDDAUGHTER.

So I will spend some time in prayer for patience -- and go have a good time. My calorie limit for today is 15,000.

Friday Rant

I confess: I am not an economic expert.  Not nearly in the same league as the "experts" who have put the world in the worst financial crisis of many of our lifetimes.  But I must say, if I hear the word "correction" one more time, I'm going to scream.  

I'm wondering, too, about the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.  Wasn't that supposed to help stabilize the markets?  I would hate to think where they would be if they hadn't been "stabilized"! (that is a sarcastic comment, in case you didn't already know).  

And here is another question:  If the markets are going to tank anyway, can't we renege on making tax payers bail out these greedy folks?  Further, I may be showing cold-heartedness here, but I also find it hard to be overly sympathetic about people who bought more house than they could afford with an ARM -- and now get to refinance at taxpayer expense. 

There.  I feel better now.

God is still on His throne.  And this crisis, too, shall pass.  I spent time today in prayer for the poor, who are the forgotten ones in this kind of situation.  Also, I ask you to join me in praying for W.A.R.M (Wise Area Relief Mission).   We want to be able to continue to provide food for those who are in need.  But right now, getting food is difficult.  The food banks are running extremely low.  This week, we had to purchase food at retail from Wal-Mart.  This REALLY stretches our already-limited budget.  So please pray for us.  God has always been faithful to our ministry.  

Theology According to T. O.

I haven't written about T. O. for a long time.  I think it is because I have come to feel sorry for him (a little).  No matter what he says, it gets twisted by the media in a way to make him look bad.

But I want to write about Sunday's game.  I didn't see it live.  I have seen the replays of him crying on the bench.  The media was all over him for that -- saying that he was crying because he only had a couple of balls thrown his way.

Well I was on my way back from a funeral in Garland yesterday, and just happened to hear him on "The Michael Irvin Show."  He said that he was crying because his mother had called him the night before to tell him about a relative who had died.  So he had called his pastor -- who told him that he believed God was going to give him the opportunity on Sunday to bring Him glory. He felt that the touchdown he had scored was from God.  Thus the crying.

That's sweet.  It does at least give a different twist than the media had put on it.  But that got me to thinking about T. O.'s claim.  As I heard Dale Hansen say, if God made the play so that T. O. could catch the pass, doesn't that mean that God had to make the defensive back fail?  When a guy hits a homerun and steps on homeplate and immediately thumps his chest and points to heaven, doesn't that mean that God had to make the pitcher throw a fat one up?

I totally agree that God has given certain people athletic abilities with which they can bring Him glory.  But does it break down to individual plays like that?  If so, who are God's favorite teams?  (I know it was once the Cowboys, but He HAD to have changed teams when Jerry Jones fired His favorite coach, Tom Landry).

I truly think theology like this has only sold in America -- where we are so self-absorbed that we think God is interested in our personal successes more than he is in the Kingdom being advanced.  It will be interesting to see how well this "God wants you to be rich, successful, happy and a winner" is going to weather the economic downturn.  Joel Olsteen is going to have a rough time explaining where God went to many of his flock when they have lost 30% of their investment portfolios.  I KNOW such a distorted gospel doesn't sell today in 3rd world countries.  Or in China or Russia or Islamic nations  -- where Christians are persecuted.          

A Month From Now

One month from today, America will have a new president-elect. I know he wouldn't admit it, but I bet George W. is counting down the days.

Also, one month from today (Lord willing), Beverly and I will be in Israel. We leave on Monday, November 3rd. And I will admit it: I am counting down the days.
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Crude oil prices are now down below $90 a barrel again. I believe that is probably what the true market value is right now. Last time it was running at that amount, the price at the pump was below $3 a gallon. But we consumers are so gullible, we are just thankful it's not $4 anymore. Let's see what kind of obscene record profit the oil companies post this next quarter.

The Call of Preaching

I came across this article by John MacArthur this morning. I think he comes across a bit harshly on a couple of points. But overall, I think he says some things that today's preachers need to consider. So I have left the article uncut. What do you think?:

I have never aspired to be known as a theologian, a polemicist, or an academician. My passion is teaching and preaching the Word of God.

Even though I've dealt with theological questions and doctrinal controversies in some of my books, I have never done so from the perspective of a systematic theologian. It is of little concern to me whether some point of doctrine fits with this tradition or that. I want to know what is biblical. All my concerns are biblical, and my desire is to be biblical in all my teaching.

Preach the Word
That is how I have approached ministry from the beginning. My father was a pastor, and when I first told him years ago that I felt God had called me to a life of ministry, he gave me a Bible in which he had inscribed these words of encouragement: "Preach the Word!" That simple statement became the compelling stimulus in my heart. It is all I have endeavored to do in my ministry--preach the Word.

Pastors today face a tremendous amount of pressure to do everything but preach the Word. Church growth experts tell them they must address people's "felt needs." They are encouraged to be storytellers, comedians, psychologists, and motivational speakers. They are warned to steer clear of topics that people find unpleasant. Many have given up biblical preaching in favor of devotional homilies designed to make people feel good. Some have even replaced preaching with drama and other forms of staged entertainment.

But the pastor whose passion is biblical has only one option: "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2).

When Paul wrote those words to Timothy, he added this prophetic warning: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth" (vv. 3-4).

Clearly there was no room in Paul's philosophy of ministry for the give-people-what-they-want theory that is so prevalent today. He did not urge Timothy to conduct a survey to find out what his people wanted. He commanded him to preach the Word--faithfully, reprovingly, and patiently.

In fact, far from urging Timothy to devise a ministry that would garner accolades from the world, Paul warned the young pastor about suffering and hardship! Paul was not telling Timothy how to be "successful"; he was encouraging him to follow the divine standard. He was not advising him to pursue prosperity, power, prominence, popularity, or any of the otherworldly notions of success. He was urging the young pastor to be biblical--regardless of the consequences.

Preaching the Word is not always easy. The message we are required to proclaim is often offensive. Christ Himself is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:8). The message of the cross is a stumbling block to some (1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 5:11), mere foolishness to others (1 Corinthians 1:23).

But we are never permitted to trim the message or tailor it to people's preferences. Paul made this clear to Timothy at the end of 2 Timothy 3: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (v. 16, emphasis added). This is the Word to be preached: the whole counsel of God (cf. Acts 20:27).

In Chapter 1, Paul had told Timothy, "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me" (v. 13). He was speaking of the revealed words of Scripture--all of it. He urged Timothy to "Guard . . . the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (v. 14). Then in Chapter 2, he told him to study the Word and handle it accurately (2:15). Now he is telling him to proclaim it. So the entire task of the faithful minister revolves around the Word of God--guarding it, studying it, and proclaiming it.

In Colossians 1 the apostle Paul, describing his own ministry philosophy, writes, "Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God" (v. 25). In 1 Corinthians he goes a step further: "When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (2:2). In other words, his goal as a preacher was not to entertain people with his rhetorical style, or to amuse them with cleverness, humor, novel insights, or sophisticated methodology--he simply preached Christ crucified.

Faithfully preaching and teaching the Word must be the very heart of our ministry philosophy. Any other approach replaces the voice of God with human wisdom. Philosophy, politics, humor, psychology, homespun advice, and human opinion can never accomplish what the Word of God does. Those things may be interesting, informative, and entertaining, but they are not the business of the church. The preacher's task is not to be a conduit for human wisdom; he is God's voice to speak to the congregation. No human message comes with the stamp of divine authority--only the Word of God. How dare any preacher substitute another message?

I frankly do not understand preachers who are willing to abdicate this solemn privilege. Why should we proclaim the wisdom of men when we have the privilege of preaching the Word of God?



Be Faithful In and Out of Season
Ours is a never-ending task. Not only are we to preach the Word, we must do it regardless of the climate of opinion around us. We are commanded to be faithful when such preaching is tolerated--but also when it is not.

Let's face it--right now preaching the Word is out of season. The market-driven philosophy currently in vogue says that plainly declaring biblical truth is outmoded. Biblical exposition and theology are seen as antiquated and irrelevant. "Churchgoers don't want to be preached to anymore," this philosophy says. "The baby-boomer generation won't just sit in the pew while someone up front preaches. They are products of a media-driven generation, and they need a church experience that will satisfy them on their own terms."

But Paul says the excellent minister must be faithful to preach the Word even when it is not in fashion. The expression he uses is "be ready." The Greek term (ephistemi) literally means "to stand beside." It has the idea of eagerness. It was often used to describe a military guard, always at his post, prepared for duty. Paul was speaking of an explosive eagerness to preach, like that of Jeremiah, who said that the Word of God was a fire in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9). That's what he was demanding of Timothy. Not reluctance but readiness. Not hesitation but fearlessness. Not motivational talks but the Word of God.



Reprove, Rebuke, and Exhort
Paul also gives Timothy instructions about the tone of his preaching. He uses two words that carry negative connotations and one that is positive: reprove, rebuke, and exhort. All valid ministry must have a balance of positive and negative. The preacher who fails to reprove and rebuke is not fulfilling his commission.

Years ago I listened to a radio interview with a preacher known for his emphasis on positive thinking. This man had stated in print that he assiduously avoids any mention of sin in his preaching because he feels people are burdened with too much guilt anyway. The interviewer asked how he could justify such a policy. The pastor replied that he had made the decision early in his ministry to focus on meeting people's needs, not attacking their sin.

But people's deepest need is to confess and overcome their sin. So preaching that fails to confront and correct sin through the Word of God does not meet people's need. It may make them feel good. And they may respond enthusiastically to the preacher, but that is not the same as having real needs met.

Reproving, rebuking, and exhorting are the same as preaching the Word, for those are the very same ministries Scripture accomplishes: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Notice the same balance of positive and negative tone. Reproof and correction are negative; teaching and training are positive.

The positive tone is crucial, too. The word "exhort" is parakaleo, a word that means "encourage." The excellent preacher confronts sin and then encourages repentant sinners to behave righteously. He is to do this "with great patience and instruction" (4:2). In 1 Thessalonians 2:11, Paul talks about "exhorting and encouraging and imploring . . . as a father would his own children." This often requires great patience and much instruction. But the excellent minister cannot neglect these aspects of his calling.



Don't Compromise in Difficult Times
There is an urgency in Paul's charge to young Timothy: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires" (2 Tim. 4:3). That is a prophecy reminiscent of those found in 2 Timothy 3:1 ("Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come"), and 1 Timothy 4:1 ("The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith"). This, then, is Paul's third prophetic warning to Timothy about the difficult times that were to come.

Note the progression: the first warning said that the time would come when people will depart from the faith. The second one warned Timothy that dangerous times were coming for the church. Now the third one suggests that the time would come when those in the church would not endure sound doctrine, but desire instead to have their ears tickled.

That is happening in the church today. Evangelicalism has lost its tolerance for confrontive preaching. Churches ignore the biblical teaching on women's roles, homosexuality, and other politically charged issues. The human medium has overtaken the divine message. That's evidence of serious doctrinal compromise. If the church does not repent, those errors and others like them will become epidemic.

Note that Paul does not suggest that the way to reach such a society is to soften the message so that its people will be comfortable with it. Just the opposite is true. Such ear-tickling is abominable. Paul urges Timothy to be willing to suffer for the truth's sake, and keep preaching the Word faithfully.

An appetite for ear-tickling preaching has a terrible end. Second Timothy 4:4 says these people will ultimately "turn away their ears from the truth and will be turned aside to myths." They become the victims of their own refusal to hear the truth. "They will turn away" is in the active voice. The people willfully choose this action. "Will be turned aside to myths" is in the passive voice. It describes what happens to them. Having turned from the truth, they become victims of deception. As soon as they turn away from the truth, they become pawns of Satan.

The truth of God does not tickle our ears, it boxes them. It burns them. It reproves, rebukes, convicts--then it exhorts and encourages. Preachers of the Word must be careful to maintain that balance.

There have always been men in the pulpit who gathered crowds because they were gifted orators, interesting storytellers, entertaining speakers, dynamic personalities, shrewd crowd-manipulators, rousing speech-makers, popular politicians, or erudite scholars. Such preaching may be popular, but it is not necessarily powerful. No one can preach with power who does not preach the Word. And no faithful preacher will water down or neglect the whole counsel of God. Proclaiming the Word--all of it--is the pastor's calling.

Marriage Research

Interesting marriage research results from the UK as reported by John Bingham:

Couples who described themselves as 'happy' recommended regular romantic gestures and time spent without the children. 

A poll of 4,000 couples found that spending at least 22 periods of "quality time" together every month, such as going for a walk or sharing a romantic meal, were also key to maintaining a healthy relationship.

Researchers asked couples who described themselves as "happy" or "very happy" to estimate how much time they spend together in an effort to work out the secret of their success.

Analysis of their responses suggested that couples looking for happiness should aim to spend at least seven evenings in together every month with two proper dinner dates.

Other important elements included two romantic walks a month and at least one visit to a pub or cinema without the children or other friends.

Educational Psychologist Dr Ludwig F.Lowenstein said: "Affection, cuddles and romantic gestures are part of a whole romantic scene which is desired by those entering a relationship.

"They are the safe gestures which say 'I like you, I am glad to be with you, I like and appreciate your support and care.'

"In this busy world we often take our partners for granted whilst we get on with our daily struggles of work and rearing a family.

Looking for Weeds but Missing the Flowers

A story from Yancey's book, Prayer, has stayed in my mind.  I don't know if I will use it in my prayer series, but wanted to share it with you.

When I moved to Colorado I soon learned about noxious weeds.  Unwelcome species such as dandelion, oxeye daisy, Russian thistle, and toadflax are spreading like botanical viruses in my part of the state, threatening the survival of native species.  Wanting to be a good citizen, I bought a hardy weed-puller and began a routine I have kept up through each spring and summer.  I take an afternoon walk on the hill behind my home in search of the noxious invaders.  As it happens, that walk presents an ideal opportunity for prayer.  For a few minutes in the middle of the day I am alone in the beauty of nature, and away from the distractions of my home office.

One day when my wife accompanied me I had an epiphany about my weed walks and also my prayers.  Her keen eyes helped in the process of spotting weeds, yes, but more importantly she changed the entire nature of the walk by pointing out more than twenty species of wildflowers.  I had been so intent on finding the weeds that my eyes had skipped right past the wildflowers adorning the hills -- the very flowers my weed-pulling endeavored to protect!

It occurred to me that I do something similar in my prayer practice.  I tend to bring a tangled mess of problems to God, not unlike the snarl of weeds I carry home in my collection bag, while overlooking opportunities for praise and thanksgiving.  My prayers are essentially selfish, an effort to employ God to help me accomplish my ends.  I look on God as a problem-solver (a weed-puller) while overlooking the striking evidence of God's work all around me.  And when nothing much seems to happen, I grow impatient.

Thanks for the great illustration, Philip.  I do not want to be the type person that is so focused on the weeds that I overlook "the striking evidence of God's work all around me."    

Wednesday Night Church

THIS is my weather!  What an invigorating morning!  I will enjoy all two or three weeks of it (in Texas we call that Fall) and then the two or three weeks we have in March (we call that Spring).  Just kidding.  But it is SO nice after 4 months of 95+.

I can't wait for church tonight.  I LOVE our men's class.  And I hear such good things about Beverly's ladies' class, too.  There is just something special about getting together with the people I love on Wednesday nights.

I think it is because I am a person of habit.  On Wednesdays, Beverly and I go out to eat together before church, and then we treat ourselves to a Brahm's yogurt after church.  And sandwiched in between is great fellowship!  THAT makes for a good evening.     

Start From Scratch

Some days I sit here to write, and nothing seems to come to me.  But here goes anyway.

I am a little surprised at my reaction as we find ourselves in this current economic crisis.  Usually I get antsy and fret.  But at least currently I am totally at peace.  I have no idea what the future holds, but I know that the One who holds it is faithful.

I do wish that there were some way to begin a national movement to vote for anyone running against an incumbent.  I used to enjoy politics.  I even considered going into it at one point.  Now it nauseates me.  I can't remember when there has been more rhetoric and less action than by the current crop of public "servants."  (Since when did servants make the kind of money these folks do?)  I would LOVE to be able to vote them all out -- and start from scratch.  You're probably saying, "But they're not experienced."  Experienced at what?  Politics as usual?

Maybe I should have gone with my gut and just not written anything today.    

Hollywood Talk

Every believer has to go see "Fireproof"!  Beverly and I LOVED it.  The acting is not THE best, but the story is so powerful.  Beverly is thinking about getting some copies and making it required watching for some of her clients.  

And to think:  A great movie that gets down to where people REALLY live -- and not ONE cuss word or questionable scene.  Hollywood would have us believe that can't be done.

PLEASE:  Go see the movie.  

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Speaking of Hollywood:  We lost one of my all-time favorite actors over the weekend.  Paul Newman died of cancer at the age of 83.

I loved movies he was in:  Hudd, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (in my top 5 movies all time), The Sting, Absence of Malice, The Color of Money.  He had a charm about him -- even when he was playing a bad guy.

But I also loved the way he didn't get caught up in Hollywood.  He and his wife of over 50 years, Joann Woodward, lived in Connecticut, far from the limelight.  And he was an extremely benevolent man.  The proceeds of his "Paul Newman Salad Dressing", Spaghetti sauce, etc all went to charity.  Over $175 million!  

Beverly and I were talking about this after his death:  Who is my favorite actor/actress.  Newman was in my top 5.  My list would be as follows:

1.  Denzel Washington

2.  Paul Newman

3.  Harrison Ford

4.  Mel Gibson

5.  Tommy Lee Jones / Sydney Poitier

Sorry, but no women make my top 5.    

Marriage, Football, the Economy, and "Fireproof"

The following is from an article by Sharon Jayson, of USA TODAY:

   Around the house, women rule. And men aren't putting up a fight about it, according to a study from the Pew Research Center that examines how gender and power play out at home and in the community.
   Of 1,260 individuals surveyed this summer— either married or living together — women wield more decision-making power at home. In 43% of couples, women made more decisions — almost twice as many as men — in the four areas Pew surveyed: planning weekend activities, household finances, major home purchases and TV watching.

   The survey also found 43% of men don't have the final say in any of those decisions; they either share decision-making or defer to their partners.

What do you think?  A partnership arrangement has worked well for Beverly and me.  Well, at least she TOLD me it did:)

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What a stunner of a game last night.  Oregon State beat USC!

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I find it interesting that our elected officials can't solve the Social Security problem, but seem to have no trouble coming up with $700 billion to bail out the fat cats on Wall Street. Something tells me that amount of money would make Social Security solvent for a long, long time.  But we the taxpayers are going to be burdened with this debt because of the excessive greed of a handful of powerbrokers.

It just doesn't pay to be poor (I guess that is somewhat of a paradoxical statement).  Read Amos and see what you think God might have to say to a nation with such upside down priorities when it comes to our distribution of wealth.   

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There is a new movie coming out today called "Fireproof."  It is made by a group of Christians who also made "Facing the Giants."  They are hoping for people of faith to make this opening weekend a big one.  Beverly and I are going to the 4 PM matinee today.  

What's Important to God?

Beverly and I returned yesterday afternoon from Abilene where we attended Summit (once known as Lectureship).  It was really good this year -- with the keynotes all from Romans.  Of course, Beverly his a homerun with her class, and my daughter-in-law, Kayci, taught an excellent class as well. 

I went to a class on Amos that was outstanding.  I am only now becoming convicted as to how important justice is in Scripture.  As was pointed out in the class, when Scripture speaks about justice, it is not in the sense of punishment for crime.  Rather it is about concern for the plight of our "neighbor."  It is about concern for the poor and fair treatment of the "have-nots" as well as the "haves."   

How have we missed that emphasis?  "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  "You should tithe, but what is more important is justice, mercy and faithfulness."  "Away with your religious rituals . . . let justice roll like the rivers."    

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Jeff Jones sent me the following:

Subject: TOP 10 PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed teaching
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CONTROL?!!!!

Religious Beliefs

The Tigerless Ryder Cup begins today.  On paper, it doesn't look good for team USA.  But maybe Tiger's absence will inspire the others to play better.  I don't know if I can take another Sergio Garcia strut and gloat session.

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Baylor University conducted a religious survey in 2007 and the results have just been published.  Among their findings:

55 percent of respondents said they have been protected from harm by a guardian angel.

16 percent said they have received a miraculous physical healing.

Over the past six decades, the percentage of atheists has stayed at about 4 percent.  Recent books by atheists became best sellers because there are more than 12 million atheists who are potential buyers of such books.

82 percent said they are "absolutely sure" or "pretty sure" that heaven exists.

Traditional Christian religion decreases belief in such things as UFOs, the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot -- while education has relatively little effect.  

The State of Marriage

Let's see:  Crude oil has dropped from $140+ to under $100.  That's a drop of over 40%.  Prices at the pump have dropped about 30 cents.  That's about 7%.  The free-market system is alive and well.  NOT!

And what's with the stock market?  I'm thinking about moving my mutual funds to a passbook savings account.  I could be doing much better.

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According to new findings of a national poll commissioned by PARADE, marriage seems to be working quite well for most.  About 88% say they are happy or reasonably content in their marriages.  Only 12% ranked their marriages at the bottom of the scale, in the range between "It's miserable" and "I wish I could get out."

Those responding also gave positive reasons for why they stayed married, with 71% choosing "deep love" and 73% citing "companionship."  

Compare this to the kind of information being imparted by Oprah: (paste in this link:  http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articleoprah.aspx?cp-documentid=10274156&page=4).

Jury Duty

I have had a last minute call to jury duty this morning, so don't have much time.  

I would greatly appreciate you praying for me through this series I am preaching on prayer.  I want clarity to know what directions to go with it.  I want to challenge myself and others to take prayer to a deeper level.

Thank you so much. 

The Blessing of Kids

Beverly and I had a wonderful trip to Memphis last week.  We were blessed to get to see Josh and Kayci and Truitt in their house and new "environment."  The church facility where they serve is incredible!

Friday night they took us downtown, where we saw the site (made famous in pictures from 1968) where Martin Luther King, Jr was gunned down.  It was moving to me, because I believe he was one of the GREATEST Americans.  Wow!  What an orator.  What a visionary.

We ate supper downtown at a place that is known for its pork ribs.  Lots of famous people have eaten there.  Of course, Beverly and I added two more to that list:)

We feel blessed that our Memphis family has found such a great place to minister for the Lord.

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The trip home was a different story.  Ike was centered over Texarkana at 5 PM on Saturday.  Guess where we were at 5 PM?  And then, we had a flat tire just east of Dallas.  So I changed a tire in the rain, and put on the donut tire.  It went flat about 2 miles from our house.

Still, we are thankful to be home safely.  We are currently enjoying having Jonathan, Jennifer, Jed and Jocelyn staying with us, along with some of their friends from Houston.  They will stay until power is restored.  We even had Jenny and Malaya with us for supper last night.  This is like Christmas!

Would it be wrong for me to pray that it takes a while for them to restore it?  I think most grandparents would understand such a prayer.  Obviously, I am really praying that things will get back to "normal" soon for those displaced by Ike.          

Remembering Both Cowardice and Bravery

Yesterday I mentioned that sermons from the Decatur Church of Christ are now available on line at www.decaturchurchofchrist.com.  The reason I am writing this is:  If you went online and subscribed (which is free), you need to do it again.  There was another tweak made last night that will block your ability to access the site unless you resubscribe.

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It's hard to believe that 7 years have passed since one of the most cowardly acts in the history of the world.  May we never forget that there are people out there who hate us so much they will murder thousands of innocent people -- for what?  So they can hide in caves the rest of their lives?

In the midst of that most cowardly act, we saw the greatness of the American spirit.  Heroic feats of bravery were evidenced in each situation.    

Something tells me we will find Osama Ben Laden -- and fairly soon.  Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.  What the U.S. has to consider is:  When we find him, what do we do with him?  What is the RIGHT thing to do with him -- politically and morally?   

Sermons On Line

Recently I have been asked with more frequency if my sermons are on line.  I can now say yes -- thanks to Mark Archer and Heather Baker.  If you go to our church website (www.decaturchurchofchrist.com) and click on the link on the left that says "media downloads" -- you can then either listen directly on line or you can download to Itunes.  Thanks to Mark and Heather for working to make this possible.

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From the way the weather forecasters are talking, we may be in for some severe weather on Saturday as Ike makes its way through north Texas.  Beverly and I will be headed back from Memphis at that time.  Please pray for safe travel for us.

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Did you hear about the lady who left her camera at a restaurant, and when she went back to get it -- it was gone?  The report was on GMA on Tuesday morning.  Someone had stolen the camera.  

Well, it just so happened that her camera had a feature where it periodically downloads to her computer any pictures that have been taken.  So a couple of days later, her pictures downloaded.  There were all her pictures of her kids, etc.  And there were pictures of the person who had stolen the camera.

She decided to take a stab at finding him.  So she called the restaurant and sent them the picture to see if anyone might recognize the person.  It was the Head Waiter at the restaurant!

She got her camera back, and decided to not press charges.  However, Mr. Head Waiter-Thief was fired.        

Getting Nostalgic

It is a beautiful Tuesday morning!  Temperature about 70 and it is raining.  I like that!

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Does anybody know a shortcut to Memphis, Tennessee?  Beverly and I are going to see our Tennessee family Thursday afternoon.  We have to come back on Saturday afternoon.  I hear it's about a 9 hour drive.  That used to not bother me at all.  When I was in school at ACU, Beverly and I would often drive to La Marque (near Galveston) on the weekend to see her parents.  But that sure seems like a long drive now.

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When Beverly and I were in San Francisco, we wondered why "The Streets of San Francisco" was never shown in reruns.  I remembered it as a great detective show of the 70s.  It starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas.  Well, when we got back -- guess what?  It is on one of the local independent stations.  So I started DVRing it, and we have watched several episodes.  The plots are pretty good, but other than Malden and Douglas, the acting seems to be poor.  

And the clothes!  Did we really used to dress like that?

It's funny watching shows from that era.  Typewriters on the desks.  Large, bulky phones.  19" TVs.  HUGE cars.  PAY PHONES!  Telex machines.

The episodes we are watching right now are from the '75 season.  That's the year Beverly and I started dating, so I'm sure we never saw them before.  

There used to be some great detective shows during that time:  "Barnaby Jones," "Kojak," "Columbo."

The genre I am waiting for a return to, however, is westerns.  It seems like 80% of the shows from the late 50s and 60s were westerns.  I still like to see them, too.  "Bonanza," "Rawhide," "The Big Valley," "The Rifleman," "High Chaparral."  And of course my favorite -- "Gunsmoke."  

Prayer

I begin this week with my mind focused on prayer.  I pray regularly -- several times a day.  And yet, I feel weak in this spiritual discipline.  I desire the kind of prayer life I read about in the lives of others who have authored books, etc.  

I feel such a connectedness with Philip Yancey.  He is a man who is on the road of faith -- but doesn't claim to have arrived.  He doesn't have all the "answers" -- but he is brave enough to share his struggles, and admit that he has them.  In books like Disappointment with God and Prayer, he is very honest as he seeks answers.  His struggles are similar to the ones I have.

He shares the following story in his book on prayer.  It is the story of Ben Patterson, a preacher who had ruptured a disc and was ordered to 6 weeks of total bed rest.  Reading was virtually impossible.  While in that condition, he learned some important lessons about prayer.  

   I was helpless.

   I was also terrified.  What was this all going to mean?  How was I to take care of my family?  What about the church?  I was the only pastor it  had, and I could do nothing for it.  Out of sheer desperation I decided to pray for the church.  I opened the church directory and prayed for each member of the congregation, daily.  It took nearly two hours, but since there was nothing else I could do for the church, I figured I might as well pray for it.  It was not piety that made me do it, it was boredom and frustration.  But over the weeks the prayer times grew sweet.  One day near the end of my convalescence, I was praying and I told the Lord, "You know, it's been wonderful, these prolonged times we've spent together.  It's too bad I don't  have time to do this when I'm well."

   God's answer came swift and blunt.  He said to me, "Ben, you have just as much time when you're well as when you're sick.  It's the same twenty-four hours in either case.  The trouble with you is that when you're well, you think you're in charge.  When you're sick, you know you're not."   

Maybe our problem is that we are too WELL-off?

Taking The President-Speaking Vote

Watching John McCain deliver his speech last night, I couldn't help but think about how different his speaking style is from what we heard from Barack Obama a week earlier.  As I look back over my life, I have seen some presidents who were gifted orators (Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton) and some who were not (LBJ, Ford, Bush III).  I'll beat some of you to the punch (Jeff):  I never heard Lincoln speak, but I bet he was good.  Being a professional speaker myself, I am inspired by good orators.  However, it doesn't necessarily mean that their policies / ideas are better.

Who would you rank as the BEST speaker-President? 

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I keep thinking about McCain being in a prison camp for 5-1/2 years.  I cannot get my mind around that.  That's a LONG time!  I can't imagine the post-traumatic stress he must still deal with.  And bless his heart, he can't even lift his arms above parallel to the ground.  Yet he led the fight to reestablish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam.  Go figure.  I hope that I would be that big a man. 

My Attack on the PAC

"A government of the people, by the people and for the people."  Those are great words.  They have been quoted in great speeches by Lincoln and King.  But is it just a dream?

I was listening to a report this morning on PACs ("political action committees").  You probably already know how I feel about them.  Last week, they invaded the Democratic Convention, and now they are at the Republican Convention.  ACLU, NRA, the pharmaceutical companies, defense contractors, big oil, and I could go on and on.  They court the politicians and give their campaigns megabucks -- in effect buying their votes.  Thus, the politicians' loyalties are not to the people, but to the PACs.  It is legal bribery, and it is SO opposed to the idea of "of the people, by the people, and for the people." 

The report was telling about new rules as to the parties PACs can throw for politicians.  They are not to serve foods that require a fork and knife.  The intent is to not allow them to throw a sit-down banquet -- but only serve "finger foods."  So at the Democratic Convention, they served things that could be eaten with a spoon.  At the Republican Convention, they are serving the food in Martini glasses.  Any way to skirt the rules.

I am of the opinion that PACs are THE leading cause of corruption and partisanship in American politics.  Even if I believe in the causes of the PACs, I think they are ethically wrong.  One person, one vote -- THAT is a democracy.  

 

Good morning, Class

Happy Labor Day!

Observations about the upcoming Presidential election:
There will be a number of 1st for me in this election no matter who wins. For one, this is the first time that the winning ticket will have someone on it that is younger than I am. Both Obama and Palin fit that bill.

For another, this is the first time in American history that the winning ticket will have an African-American or a woman on it -- regardless of who wins.

This isn't a first in history, but it will be a first for many of you: There has not been a senator elected as president since LBJ. We tend to go for governors more than senators. Gerald Ford was a Representative and Bush, Sr. had been an ambassador and held other appointed offices. Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush, Jr. -- all Governors.

So that is your political science lesson for today. Class dismissed.

My Kids

I just dropped my son Josh off at the airport.  He flew in yesterday and spoke at our church last night.  I told him he hit a grand slam.  He had some really sweet things to say about the Decatur Church in his own blog today -- which you will find linked here.  What a blessing it has been this summer to have my sons speak this year on our summer series.

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Beverly has taken my daughter and her best friend to San Antonio for the weekend to celebrate Jenny's 30th birthday.  My daughter-in-law Jennifer will meet them there, along with my granddaughter Jocelyn.

30!  I remember when I got to that age, I thought I was getting old.  Now I have a child that old!

They are going to some of our favorite places we used to go when the kids were little.  They will eat at the Market Square several times, I am sure.  I LOVE to eat there.  But Dad wasn't invited on the trip.  So, I went to Taco Bell for lunch today. 

Seek 1st HIS Kingdom!

As a minister of the gospel and a promoter of the Kingdom of God, I hope that no one knows what political party I vote for.  For the last 10-15 years, it has been assumed by many that if you are a faithful Christian you must vote Republican.  Truth be known:  I am so sick of American politics that I have become a member of the Cynic Party.

I am amazed that Christian people get involved in spreading lies about a candidate they disagree with -- and even convince themselves that it is their Christian duty!  Some of the emails I have received about Barack Obama are things the National Enquirer would not even print.  It's fine if you want to disagree with one's political views.  It is a SIN to spread gossip and slander.

But last night I was watching some of the Democratic convention, and I became equally disgusted with what I heard.  Many of the Democratic party have decided to paint John McCain as someone who cannot relate to the average American because he has seven houses.  They are beating this to pieces.

As I was watching this, I was thinking:  Every one of you are millionaires.  You have, for the most part, become millionaires through family money or by taking PAC contributions.  I don't know of a national politician who does not leave office as less than a millionaire.  And you are going to point the finger at John McCain?  He is known to be less accepting of PAC money than most any politician.  He is rich, yes.  His wife inherited multi-millions of dollars.  Why he has seven houses, I don't know.  But I doubt those pointing the fingers live in the projects and drive 12 year old cars.  Bill and Hillary Clinton have become extremely wealthy.  How?  By being "public servants."  (How ironic is that statement?)  It is the height of hypocrisy. 

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Here are some more words from Countdown to Sunday, in a chapter on preaching during an election season:   

   Preaching should help us place our hope in Jesus Christ amid all the vain promises and endless words of campaign ads and convention hoopla . . . the best way to be involved, the best way to serve America (or any nation) is by being the church.  Disciples first.  Americans and Democrats and Republicans and whatever else, a distant second.

   It is terribly easy for preachers to unwittingly allow the Word of God to be domesticated and nationalized . . . it's a sin against Jesus Christ and his church; it puts the church in danger, and if the church is in danger, then so is the nation.  For what the nation most needs is the church, God's new nation among the nations, herald of hope for the world.  

      

Sermon Illustrations

I am actually reading three books right now -- two are spiritually related and one is for relaxation.  On our trip to Canada I picked up a Louis L'Amour book and really liked it.  So I will be reading his stuff for a year or so in my leisure (he was a prolific writer, and his books now sell in paperback for $3.99.  That's right up this tightwad's alley!)

But I am reading a book on preaching entitled Countdown to Sunday, by Chris Erdman.  He has a chapter on Illustration.  I have often struggled with the use of illustrations.  Obviously, Jesus and Paul both used them extensively.  But there are also inherent dangers.

Here's what Erdman (who is a post-modern preacher, by the way) says:  This business of sermon illustration, though so common, actually obscures the text of scripture we hoped to bring to the light of day (emphasis mine).  Sermons preached this way may draw the masses, but I can't be persuaded that this is preaching.  Speech-making, maybe.  Entertainment, yes.  But not preaching. 

   I used to illustrate my sermons this way too.  There were too many Sundays for too many years when folks shook my hand or wrote me notes after worship and said things like, "You're a great storyteller," or, "That story today really moved me."  For too long I liked those responses-- loved them even.  I got to the point where I preached for those responses and stewed in my frustration for a while after a sermon if I didn't get them.  

   But over time the frequent compliments grew thin, and something began to gnaw at my preacher's conscience.  I began to realize that people loved the stories I told, the illustrations that populated my well-crafted sermons, but showed little evidence that they were growing in their love for THE Story.  They were increasingly dependent on my words, but not on the Word.  That troubled me.  I began to long for someone to come out of worship, shake my hand, and say, "Preacher, the text came alive for me today, and I don't think I'll be able to shake it off.  It's disturbed something inside me, and it may well take the week to make some kind of sense about what it wants to do to us as a church."  I began to figure that if I could get that kind of response, then we as a church might really be on our way to being the people of God.  

Oh, how I want that to be the result of my preaching as well!