Wednesday, February 17, 2010, marked the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. It is that yearly time when those Christians who observe the liturgical year take an intentional and honest look at their hearts and the state of their relationship with God. For some years now, I’ve seen this time as a place to do a thorough cleaning out. Like an old-fashioned “spring cleaning,” it is a splendid and specified period to take a thorough spiritual inventory. With that... Read more
This column is titled, “A Pastor’s Thoughts” and for nearly four years now, I’ve written weekly about some of the things bouncing around in my brain as I live my life as pastor. Today, my thoughts have settled on death and funerals and loss. Last week, Martha Sides died. Martha left her elegant and purposeful mark all over Krum, and all over this church that she loved and served so well. From shrubs planted near the front door to furniture... Read more
“OK, in German, nouns have four cases: nominative, accusative, dative and genitive. Here, let me show you what I mean in this sentence.” I overheard this conversation in a sandwich shop recently as I had settled myself for a late lunch with time to work on a message I needed to prepare. For the next 30 minutes or so, I heard this patient tutor work with a novice student of the German language as he tried to give her a... Read more
Rainy, cold night, perfect for good sleep–until the mobile phone, rarely far from my reach, begins its buzz and tone around 3:30 a.m. Notification about a church member about to go under because of a personal crisis. I appreciated the notification, and both the notifier and I agreed I could take no further action until later that day, so I returned to my bed, my side no longer warm because of the length of the phone call. Sleep, however, had... Read more
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United... Read more
For many reasons, I can’t get the situation in Haiti off my mind right now. I go to bed at night wondering how many more will die there this night. I sleep in comfort, aware that breakfast awaits me in the morning along with good work that I love and find both challenging and fulfilling. From what I can tell about Haiti, long before the earthquake, only the tiny elite enjoyed anything like this. UNICEF estimates that only 2% of... Read more
I suspect about everyone has seen or heard the story now. A preschooler in Mesquite does not want to have his hair cut in order to conform to the Mesquite Independent School District’s dress code, and his parents support him in his refusal. For the time being, he spends his days in the school library, being taught by an aide while isolated from the other students. The civil libertarians shout, “Of course he has the right to wear his hair... Read more
“Fish or Cut Bait”–a common phrase often used when relationships have grown increasingly troubled or have been stuck for a long time. Either fish, and move ahead with it and commit to it, or cut the bait, recognize that it is over, and move on. Quit dabbling, quit pretending, quit making excuses for delaying the decision. Make up your mind. I think Jesus said something like this to people who said they wanted to follow him but that they had... Read more
“Do you not know . . .?” so begins the biblical writer with this reminder: “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.” Our physical selves, these hodgpodges of muscle and bone, blood and fat, brain cells and eyelashes, together constitute a place of holy habitation for the Spirit of God. What simple act would show welcome to this honored guest whose presence generally remains unacknowledged? There’s an old, old song called “Count Your Blessings.” The easy tune bounces... Read more
Christmas Eve, Krum, TX, 2009 The snow was coming down heavily by 1:00 p.m. that day. Trustees appeared at the church, braving the 40 mph winds and stinging snow. They strung a set of Christmas lights along the driveway to guide people into the parking lot and away from the drainage ditches. Others were inside, mopping up melting snow carried in, preparing for the services. Our 4:00 service was intended especially for children, and they were given the opportunity to... Read more
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