“I have some bad news”. I have come to loathe those words. It’s not so much the actual bad news that I disdain as much as the infinitesimal pause before the bomb drops. In that second, which seems to last a millennium, my mind races to predict what darkness—once hidden in the unknown—will now be birthed into light. This time the “bad news” was about our hopes of being able to feel a little more settled. My wife and I had been given great hope that we would be able to look for a house and live in something we could call “ours” for less money than we are currently throwing away in our … [Read more...] about Bad News Good
Ten Commandments for Christmas (by David Brumbelow)
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. -Galatians 4:4-5 10 Commandments For Christmas I. Thou shalt not leave "Christ" out of "Christmas" nor refuse to use the word Christmas during this season. II. Thou shalt demonstrate joy to the world, for the Lord is come. III. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus take the place of the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. IV. Thou shalt remember that the value of gifts we give … [Read more...] about Ten Commandments for Christmas (by David Brumbelow)
Christmas on a Sunday? What to do?
I thought I would bring this up to let the whole lot of us discuss what your church's specific plans are and why. This year, Christmas falls on the 25th. The 25th also falls on a Sunday. So, who is changing their church schedule because a normal Sunday schedule and Christmas Day do not seem to mix? For us in Duckland: Christmas Eve Service the night before at 630 PM. Christmas Day: Sunday Morning at 10 AM instead of 11, no Sunday School, and no evening service. We did this because: 1. I like Christmas Eve services. I like them any year Christmas Eve is on a … [Read more...] about Christmas on a Sunday? What to do?
Wait for the Whisper
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. -- Isaiah 40:30-31 The man slept. Finally. His body had pleaded; his mind had relented; his spirit was depleted and his heart had retreated, so he slept. It was restless, not restful, and the dreams were not sweet, but instead added to the eventual misery of awakening, leaving him already tired upon rising. The few things he did not constantly replay while … [Read more...] about Wait for the Whisper
Don’t Forget to Send Out Your Christmas Cards
By some accounts, Christmas cards account for, well, a lot of money. That’s a less than honest way of saying I was too lazy to do the research because I’m already past deadline to get this column to Dave Miller. Anyway, it’s a lot. And so is postage. This is a topic that we need to talk about. I’m feeling particularly soap-boxy today, so let’s get right to it. The first Christmas cards were sent by the ancient Babylonians…OK, again, not really, but look, I’ve got at least 400 more words to get to Dave, so bear with me, this may get better. I do wonder about the origin of Christmas … [Read more...] about Don’t Forget to Send Out Your Christmas Cards
Is It Wrong to Cremate?
I get this question often. Is it wrong to use cremation as a means of disposing of a loved-one's remains? I read another article this morning that said that cremation (a cheaper alternative than burial) is growing rapidly in this difficult economy. That is buttressed by my own conversations with local funeral directors who have observed essentially the same thing. Cremation is becoming more common and we must answer the question whether it was wrong. I would make the following two points: 1) The Bible does not mandate any single way of handling bodies. The Jews did not practice … [Read more...] about Is It Wrong to Cremate?
Celebrating Christmas: Getting to the Root of the Season
Celebration of Christmas at the Miller house has not yet officially begun this year. For me, the celebration really begins when the tree goes up. I have two strong convictions about the Christmas tree. 1) The Christmas tree must be real. For some reason, people get offended when I say this, but "artificial trees are for artificial people." Why would that offend? I can't imagine. But I want Fraser Fur needles dropping on the floor and the smell of pine throughout the house. So what if it triggers allergies? Sacrifices have to be made! 2) The Christmas tree must have so many lights … [Read more...] about Celebrating Christmas: Getting to the Root of the Season
Get to the Right Road Soonest! (by Paul Thompson)
(Paul Thompson blogs at theBridge and offered this take on recent Lifeway research. Thank you, Paul.) On December 7, 2011, LifeWay Research released results of a recent survey on the Perceptions of Faith Groups. I would like to express concerns about some of the underlying assumptions behind the survey. I realize any fool can throw a rock. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, "asking questions are as easy as kissing the back of your hand; to answer them is as hard as fattening a greyhound." It is my attempt here, to fatten the greyhound. It does not surprise me that the findings of Ed … [Read more...] about Get to the Right Road Soonest! (by Paul Thompson)
If you rearrange the letters in Santa you get…
Poor ol’ Saint Nick—sometimes I feel he gets a bad rap. You want to talk about Christmas and wars, don’t forget the old Santa Clause. It reads something like this… Families, Sunday Schools, coffee table, it doesn’t matter. We evangelicals are quite opinionated with our opinions thinking that we hold the mystery of the key of David. What we open no one will shut and what we shut no one will open. After all if it is something we have an opinion on, we must be right! Hence you have those families who see Santa as a fun part of Christmas and family traditions—a jolly ol’ guy in a red … [Read more...] about If you rearrange the letters in Santa you get…
Review of For the City
Churches can be IN the city, AGAINST the city, OF the city, or FOR the city. It is the latter approach that Darrin Patrick and Matt Carter encourage churches to adopt. Actually the word “city” could be replaced with culture. Whether it be a rural farming community, a ghetto, a wealthy suburban area, or a gathering of mountain men in the hills of Kentucky the church has these four options in regards to her response to the culture. The church in the city is primarily focused with bringing outsiders into the church. The church against the city has adopted a defensive posture that considers … [Read more...] about Review of For the City