Call it age-a-vu. When my generation were kids, we had hard-bound sets of encyclopedias. They cost a small fortune, but they allowed our parents to answer any question we posed to them with three simple words – Look it up. We used that same line on our kids, except the encyclopedia was on a CD. Nowadays, you need Wikipedia to find out what a CD is. But the real irony is that today, when we face a challenge, it’s our… Read More »Instruction in Godly Parenting
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only infected people but conversations and interactions as well. It has even clouded the discussion of Thanksgiving. Some see the holiday as a threat to public safety while others see it as an opportunity to exert their rights. As we approach Thanksgiving in the pandemic, we should call to mind that first celebratory feast. It was not merely a milestone but a cornerstone for a Christian community. The Deadly Venture According to the records kept… Read More »Thanksgiving in the Pandemic
Our society is big on self-promotion. We see it not only in sports, entertainment, and the corporate ladder, but also on the factory floor, the cafeteria, and social media. Even those who shun the attention of others still may conceal a laser-like focus on themselves. All this glory seeking for ourselves robs us of the joy we were intended to experience. We will know ultimate joy and fulfillment when we are celebrating God’s glory with all our being. Glory Defined… Read More »Celebrating God’s Glory
One of the greatest hinderances to the gospel is the professing Christian who mistreats his fellowman. Psalm 15 describes a life that is in harmony with the worship of God. O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? (v. 1) To the Israelites, these questions would call to mind the journey up the ascent to Jerusalem where God’s sanctuary was located. That was the center of Israel’s formal worship. They had to make preparations… Read More »Psalm 15: A Life in Harmony with Worship
My workshop has a scrap bin. Each new project adds to it and sometimes draws from it. Yet, inevitably it grows disproportionately larger than the project deserves when I fail to take into account the big picture. Nowhere is the big picture perspective more important than in worship. Determined Worship In Psalm 9, the psalmist begins enthusiastically with four “I will” statements: I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.I will be glad… Read More »Big Picture Worship
As a grandpa, I experience the joys of infant and toddler grandchildren with only a fraction of the mess I had as a parent. Considering their mother, father, aunts, and grandma, there is a multi-level firewall between me and a dirty diaper. In addition, I enjoy seeing the wonder and excitement that is so easily stirred within small children. I often feign those same emotions as I interact with my grandsons, and I envy them for not having to pretend.… Read More »Made to Wonder