Easter!

There is no other day quite like Easter Sunday!

Easter Sunday my wife and I rose early to attend the Sunrise Service at Mulder Church (UMC) in Elmore County. There we heard a forester, our son Tim, deliver the sermon for the 11^th year in a row. The pastor, Craig Carter, has made it a tradition to have Tim deliver the message. Later I preached in two services at our church, Saint James UMC in Montgomery. Like millions of Christians around the world we eagerly celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Easter the Church declares on every continent the greatest of all good news: Christ is risen! Those three words are the most important declaration ever uttered because it gives us hope that the grave is not the end of life. No event in history has impacted the world more than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Since I was a child Easter has been the greatest day of the year for me. Even Christmas is no match for Easter. I owe my love of Easter to my parents. Every Easter morning they got the family up at 4 o’clock and drove from Elmore County to Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Never one to be late for anything, Dad got us to the stadium early. Spreading blankets on those cold concrete seats we waited for the excitement to begin.

          As I recall we sat on the eastern side and on the other side of the football field there was a replica of the sealed tomb. Men dressed as Roman guards marched back and forth in front of it. Soon we watched as three women walked slowly from the south toward the tomb. There was an eerie quietness about the scene before us. There was no music being played. It was like watching one of those old silent movies.

Suddenly the silence was erupted by an explosion. We were all startled as smoke covered the tomb. We could hear a rumbling sound, like the beating of drums, designed evidently to simulate an earthquake. Slowly the smoke drifted away to reveal an angel, in dazzling white, standing at the tomb. The stone sealing the tomb had been rolled away. The frightened guards had fallen to the ground as though they were dead.

          The three women had been startled also. Now they resumed walking toward the tomb and as they arrived the angel began speaking to them. Over the speaker system we heard the shocking words of the biblical story:

          “Do not be afraid; I know why you are here,” the angel said. “You are seeking Jesus who was crucified, but he is not here. He is risen, as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he will meet them in Galilee.”

          We watched the women look quickly inside the empty tomb and leave in a hurry. The women, according to the Bible, were afraid but filled with joy to know that Jesus was alive. As they walked away from the tomb suddenly a man in a robe appeared before them. We realized it was none other than Jesus; he had been raised from the dead. Shocked once again, the women, awestruck, fell down before him.   

          The angel had told the women that Jesus was alive. Now they knew it was true. He was standing before them, alive! Repeating the message of the angel, Jesus calmed their fear. Then he sent them on their way to share the news with the disciples and tell them that he would meet them in Galilee.

          This was the drama I witnessed several times as a child in Cramton Bowl. Though the resurrection seemed incredible I saw no reason to doubt it. It never occurred to me that it might be a myth as some believe today. I believed it. Years later I would begin to wonder. Is it really true?  I struggled with that question for several years.  

          Finally I decided the story could not be a myth for this reason: It is impossible to explain the Christian movement unless Jesus was actually raised from the dead.

Could Jesus’ disciples have stolen his body from the tomb while the guards were sleeping and then convinced people that Jesus was alive? Saying that it was so surely would not convince anyone. Could a lie be perpetuated for two thousand years? Surely not!

          If Jesus had not been resurrected we would have never heard of his apostles. But we did hear about them; they were so convinced that Jesus was alive they were willing to suffer and even die for this new faith.  The evidence is overwhelming. The early Christians were willing to be martyred rather than renounce their faith in the resurrection of Jesus. I am persuaded that few people would be willing to die in defense of a lie.

Christians have no faith to proclaim if the resurrection is not true. Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God; that is the lynchpin of Christianity. The resurrection is the great deed of God in history, the most important event in the history of the world.

          If the resurrection is believed to be a myth there is little else in Christian faith that makes sense. If Jesus was not raised from the dead then Peter’s letters are a pack of lies. Had Jesus not been resurrected, we would have never heard of the Apostle Paul who wrote a great portion of the New Testament. The New Testament would not even exist had not the early disciples believed God had raised Jesus from the dead. 

          Some say there is no need to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. His great moral teachings are what matter; his spirit lives on like that of Socrates or Lincoln. But to believe this one must ignore what Jesus taught about himself. He believed that his death on the cross was God’s plan and that the shedding of his blood was necessary for people to receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Can anything else he taught be true if this teaching is a hoax? Absolutely not!  

          Sunday morning I heard my friend Nathan Hamilton sings “He’s Alive!” My heart said “Yes He is!” I listened as our choir declared that the tomb is empty! Again my heart said “Yes it is!” I asked the congregation to sing with me “Up from the grave He arose” because He did! Then I loudly proclaimed “Christ is Risen!” And the people replied with gusto “He is Risen Indeed!”

          No other day on the calendar can match the excitement of Easter Sunday! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! + + +

You Can Defeat False Teachers by Setting a Good Example

          Shallow teaching is deplorable. False teaching is evil. Sound teaching is imperative if people are to understand God’s truth. It was for this reason that Saint Paul admonished Timothy to “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).

The young church was in grave danger of being destroyed by false teaching before it even got started, and Paul meant for Timothy to oppose it with all his might.

          Paul leaves no doubt as to what sound teaching is. It is truth that came from Jesus. It is the faith that has been handed down from Jesus and which now must be guarded against profane myths and lies. It is teaching that honors Jesus Christ as the Savior of all people.

          For Paul any teaching that was hostile to the Christian movement was demonic. Opponents of the Christian faith were deceitful liars whose false teaching must be strongly rebuked. Paul would have laughed at the idea of compromising the truth for the sake of peace with these false teachers. They were not merely troublemakers; they were evildoers opposed to God.

          We can learn from the Apostle’s stringent attitude. The culture of our time, like that of the first century, is hostile toward Christianity. In the face of this hostility some people counsel Christians to give up their inflexible beliefs. Bend a little for the sake of peace. So we are tempted to water down the gospel to make it more acceptable to those who object to our teaching that salvation is available through Jesus alone.  

          Some false teachers try to persuade us that Christians should be open to a more syncretistic approach, accepting the truth of other major religions. The basic idea of syncretism is unity. The best beliefs of the major religions would be unified to create a new religion that would be more palatable to the human race. Paul would not mince words about such a proposal. He would say, “Have nothing to do with it! Let the demons take it back to hell where it was conceived!”

          Paul was convinced that the church must stay connected to the faith that God had “entrusted to the saints.” To embrace false teachings would be disastrous to the followers of Christ. For Timothy to instruct wisely his brothers and sisters in the faith would make him “a good servant of Christ Jesus.”

          Right belief affects our conduct. Paul knew it was not enough to believe the truth; we must demonstrate the truth by the way we live. So he calls upon Timothy not only to teach the pure gospel but to back up his teaching by living an exemplary life before believers.

          We cannot overestimate the value of a good example for Christian teachers. We need to “hear” the Spirit imploring us with the plea Paul made to Timothy: “Set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

          The power of our example is extraordinary. Many people are Christians today because of the example of their parents. Drayton Nabors, Jr. is one such Christian. The former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court credits his mother’s example for his faith in Christ.

          In his book, The Case for Character, he praises his mother for her example in teaching her children the faith when they were small. He describes her as a humble, faithful, praying woman, full of patient hope, who modeled in her life the two keys to virtue – self-denial and perseverance.

          His mother read to him and his two sisters every night. She enlisted his dad to read to the children also. The result of this reading is not surprising. Drayton observes, “We heard stories about virtuous people from the Bible and from classic children’s stories and fables. These, too, modeled and engendered a desire for a morally good life.”

          Albert Schweitzer, famous Christian missionary of the 20^th Century, once said: “There is one way and only one way to influence others, and that is by example.”  Would you suppose he was influenced by the character and example of his parents? Consider this: On Sunday afternoons young Albert’s devout parents sat with him on the front porch and read stories of missionaries to the lad!

          Winston Churchill was a man recognized for his strong character and Christian faith.  For decades he influenced nations by his example and decisions. I learned of Sir Winston’s strong Christian principles in a book on his life written by Stephen Mansfield, The Character and Greatness of Winston Churchill.

          Mansfield tells of the influence not so much of Winston’s parents but of his nanny – Elizabeth Everest. Churchill said he loved his mother “at a distance,” but he adored Mrs. Everest. She taught him the Scriptures. She taught him to pray. She taught him to trust God. In times of trouble as an adult, on the battlefield when his life was in danger, he found himself praying prayers he had learned at his nanny’s knee. Throughout his life a picture of Mrs. Everest sat on his desk. When he died her picture lay at his bedside.

          Little wonder that Paul urged Timothy to pay close attention to himself and his teaching. He knew that what we teach, and the way we live, will encourage others to embrace our Savior and become followers of the truth or, God forbid, persuade unbelievers to ignore the faith and our Savior.

          John Wesley abhorred watering down the gospel. He insisted that our primary source of truth is the Bible, not the traditions of the church or the teachings of its finest theologians. We shall be wise, like Wesley, to be people “of one Book, the Bible.” We endanger the church if we stray from its sacred, God-breathed teaching in our conduct or our beliefs. + + +

Prayer changes us so we can change things

 Prayer Changes Things” is a common expression among Christians. It affirms the efficacy of prayer.  That is good. However, the statement seems a bit inadequate. I always feel that more needs to be said.

Actually prayer does not change anything. God changes things when people pray. And what God changes is people, and changed people then affect things or circumstances. So it would seem wiser to say that God changes things when people pray.

I learned this from Oswald Chambers who said “Prayer changes me and I change things.” Authentic prayer, Chambers said, “alters the way in which a man looks at things.”

As we mature in Christ we finally realize that we do not pray in order to get our way but to obtain the grace to accept God’s way. We do not pray so that God will do what we want him to do; we pray so that we may know and embrace what God wants us to do. Otherwise, God is merely a cosmic bellhop to do our bidding – and that he is not.

One cannot read Paul’s letters without observing the importance of prayer to the apostle. Paul prayed for his friends. He prayed, after the example of our Lord, for his enemies. He makes sure that Timothy understands that Christians should pray for everyone – including people we may not like.

It was Chambers who taught me also the importance of praying about everything as well as praying for everyone. There is great wisdom in his advice:

“Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.”

When we swing the door of our lives wide open, we realize the need to pray for those who are antagonistic towards us, those who have hurt us by word or deed, and those terrorists on the nightly news who want to destroy us and our way of life.

Admittedly it is difficult to know how to pray for our personal enemies much less the terrorists who hate America. Only the Holy Spirit can teach us how to pray for these persons. We can be sure that he will for Jesus promised us that the Spirit would teach us “all things.”

Only the Spirit can help us love our enemies as Jesus said we must do. Love and prayer are surely linked together for it is impossible to pray for someone without loving them just as it is impossible to love someone and not pray for them.

We are tempted to limit our praying to our family and friends – the people we feel comfortable being around. Paul insists that we widen the circle by remembering that salvation is for everyone – even the people we do not want in our fellowship.

We need to remember that God does not exclude anyone from his saving grace nor must we. A few years ago I found it difficult to welcome certain men into the church – men who wore ear rings or men with hair in pony tails, for example. The Spirit gave me an attitude adjustment by reminding me that God looks on the heart, not one’s outward appearance.

When we begin praying for people, we begin to experience the power of God at work in our prayers. We begin to have love for people we had not been able to love before. We begin to care for people who are different from ourselves, remembering that Christ died for them too.

Sometimes we are so impressed with ourselves that we pray for God to change other people. Often we need simply to pray for God to change us. This beautiful chorus says it all:

“Change my heart 0h God
Make it ever true
Change my heart 0h God
May I be like You

You are the potter
I am the clay
Mould me and make me
This is what I pray.”

          When God changes our hearts he usually helps us to see others as he sees them. It helps me to pray that the Lord will help me see people through the eyes of Christ. Sometimes I experience his power when he replaces my disgust for someone with compassion and patience. In such moments I am aware that the Lord has given me love that I could not produce in myself; it happens only because Christ is in me.

On occasion I am tempted to pray for “the unlovely.” Then gently the Lord whispers to me, “Does that mean you are lovely? Surely you must realize that to some people you are one of the unlovely.”

When the Lord says that, I ask his forgiveness for my arrogance and to change me and make me more like the Master. He always reminds me that he is more willing to change me than I am willing to be changed.

There is power in prayer because God has the power to change hearts that are willing to be changed. When we become willing to pray for everyone, we truly experience the power of God at work in our prayers. He changes things by changing people – one at a time!                                             

What I learned from a humble college professor in Kansas

We do not become authentic Christians by osmosis. A disciplined spiritual life is necessary to live as a faithful disciple of Jesus.. The serious practice of what the church has called “holy habits” is imperative.

The basic spiritual discipline is that of prayer. All of the other disciplines flow out of this bedrock relationship to God. Daily communion with God gives us both the desire and the power to practice the other disciplines.

Praying can lead to problems. It did for Daniel of the Bible. His prayer life got Daniel in trouble. With most Christians it is the lack of prayer that results in difficulty.

Daniel made the mistake of praying to the wrong God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By doing so he violated the law of Persia that prayer should be offered to no one but Darius, the king. The penalty for breaking this law was death (thrown to the lions).

The officials of the king were smart enough to know that Darius was a mortal man, not a god. If nothing else they would have learned as much by observing the behavior of Darius’ predecessors, Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar. But the officials were jealous of Daniel’s popularity with the king; they did not want to share their power with Daniel. So they deceived the king into passing the ordinance forbidding anyone to pray to any god other than King Darius.

The naïve king did not realize that the ordinance was treacherously designed to eliminate Daniel. So, caught praying, Daniel was hauled before the king and thrown to the lions. Even though he expressed to Daniel the hope that his God would save him, the king went on his way, assuming the worst for Daniel.

The next morning the king found that Daniel was alive. God had closed the mouths of the lions. Darius was “exceedingly glad” and immediately decreed that all his people of Persia “should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, enduring forever.” Daniel’s courage and faith in God made a difference for the entire nation.

Daniel’s trust in God was so strong that he did not panic in the face of death. Centuries later the Apostle Paul demonstrated the same confidence in God. He kept the faith despite persecution and threats of death. Both Daniel and Paul were disciplined in prayer. Their confidence sprang from daily communion with God. Their examples inspire us to pray and trust God.

There are special people whose examples motivate us to seek a more disciplined spiritual life. God used the writing and the example of Richard J. Foster to inspire me to take more seriously the holy habits of the spiritual life. Foster is the most highly respected Quaker author of our time.

I met Foster before his books made him the best known Quaker in the world. When I arrived in Wichita, Kansas, to speak to the student body at Friends University, Foster met me at the airport. Then a professor of theology at the university, he had volunteered to serve as my host for the week. We loaded my luggage into his rundown station wagon and headed to the campus.

His casual dress, and his warm and unassuming manner, made me feel welcome and comfortable. His gracious hospitality made me feel at home in a town I had never visited before. I told him how much I had enjoyed his book, Celebration of Discipline. The book had been published about two years before and was becoming quite popular. At the time neither of us had any idea that his book would sell more than a million copies and be named one of the top ten books of the 2oth Century.

I realized later what a beautiful thing had happened to me. Foster made no effort to impress me. He put aside his own work and took the time be my host. Months later it dawned on me that Richard Foster, the most famous man ever to serve as my chauffeur, was simply practicing the simplicity that he describes in his books as one of the basic spiritual disciplines of devout Christians. His book, Freedom of Simplicity, is one of the best I have read.  And I know from personal experience the man practices what he preaches!

Foster divides the holy habits into three groups: the inward disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditation, and study; the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service; and the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.

When I read Foster’s Celebration of Discipline from time to time, I try to guard against heaping shame upon myself for my lack of discipline. Shame seldom propels us into growth. When we examine our spiritual life honestly, most of us come away feeling guilty. We feel we do not measure up very well compared to the zeal of a Daniel or a Paul.

Guilt hinders our spiritual progress if we allow it to hang around and whip us down. But guilt can help us if we let it motivate us to forgive ourselves for past failures and make a fresh start in living a seriously disciplined life for Christ.

The best way to approach spiritual disciplines is to set aside some time and get into them one day at a time. We should make sure we have the right motive – not to become more pious than other believers but to become more useful to our Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest reward of spiritual growth is a deeper friendship with God.

I know a man who runs a hundred miles a week. He wants to become as strong as he can be so he can compete well in his next marathon run. He is disciplined for a purpose. If he can practice discipline in order run well, surely I can practice holy habits in order to please my Lord and become a more effective servant of the One who died for my sins.

It makes sense to do the best we can to become the best that grace can make us. Our growth in grace honors our Lord. That makes it worth any price we must pay.

Where shall we begin? Each of us must decide. As for me, I feel the Spirit nudging me to improve the simplicity of my life. Freedom from the tyranny of things is a reward that will bless me – and make me a blessing.

Begin anywhere the Spirit leads you. Don’t wait for someone to join you. Be a self-starter. Be a Daniel. Be disciplined regardless of what others may think. For most of us the room for improvement is the biggest room in our spiritual house. Get started – now. + + +

I remember nights when the attic fan pulled cool air across my bed

          Everywhere I turn people are asking, “What happened to springtime?” The usual answer is that we had only a few days of spring this year. The sweltering heat of summer is upon us. And the next cool spell may not show up until November.

          These are days when I battle with family members about the setting of the AC thermostat. I keep raising it and they keep lowering it. The 90-degree heat makes some of us want the house to be a cool 72 degrees. My suggested setting of 75 seems too warm. Air conditioning, I fear, has spoiled a lot of us, especially the younger generation.  

          Two things help me to feel comfortable with a higher thermostat setting. Obviously one is the power bill. It costs money to cool a house in the summertime. It makes sense to save a little by raising the thermostat. When the monthly electric bill comes in during the summer, I wish I had set the thermostat on 80 degrees.

          My memory is the other thing that helps me. In my childhood days the windows of our home had screens. We had no heating and cooling system. We endured the heat by opening the windows and the doors. Back then we had screen doors and we never locked them unless we were away from home for a spell.

          Kerosene lamps provided light at night before REA finally reached us with electricity. In the winter we heated the house by burning wood in several fire places. I recall that one of my earliest chores was cutting wood with an ax and bringing it into the house, large pieces for the fireplaces and smaller pieces for the wood-burning stove that Mamma cooked on.

          During the 1940s Dad decided to rent a Propane Gas tank and install “space heaters” in the house. One was positioned in each fire place, thus retiring the fire place and heating with wood. We felt like we were “moving on up” as a family when we began using those space heaters. We had little awareness of how dangerous they were. Fortunately we never experienced an accident with the heaters.

          Years later Dad removed the space heaters and replaced them with much more efficient and less dangerous electric heaters. They did the job until finally they too were replaced by an air conditioning system that used duct work to cool the whole house.

          When electricity became available in the mid-thirties Dad and Mom used small electric fans, usually one in each room. They were helpful but not as nice the larger window fans we secured later. The fans did not cool the air but they did move it. Moving the air provided us a bit of an indoor breeze that helped us endure the heat. They were cheap fans and the coil would burn out frequently. That left us nothing to do but sweat until we could go into town on Saturday and buy a replacement.

          Dad  finally got up the money to buy a large electric attic fan. He installed it in the hall in the center of the house. What a blessing the fan was during the summer!  All of our beds were beside a window. At night we opened the window slightly, about five or six inches. The powerful attic fan would suck the air across your bed and allow you to sleep in heavenly comfort.

That was our first air conditioning “system.” As the temperature dropped at night the air coming across our bed became cooler. By midnight we might have pulled a sheet up over us but never a bedspread. During those attic fan days we felt we were “up town;” we were really living. Never having heard of air conditioning we had no reason to feel deprived.

          In this age of “entitlements” some people may feel they are “entitled” to cool air at someone else’s expense. Those who think like that are badly mistaken. Cool air is a luxury which millions of people cannot afford. We who enjoy it should not take it for granted. Remembering what life was like in “the good old days” can inspire an attitude of gratitude.

          There are more important issues of life than the room temperature. We should not allow minor issues to become major. That I try to remember when I find the thermostat turned down so low that if my Dad were still alive, he would say “It feels like hog-killing time in here!” + + +

         

         

         

Stop whining and smell the fragrance of the broken

          Recently I read again about the accidental death of Maria Sue, the five-year-old daughter of Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman. That tragedy reminded me of a profound idea I had gleaned from an earlier story about this popular Christian singer.

          The idea was capsulated in the phrase, “The fragrance of the broken.” The words came to Chapman during a walk in the woods. He had gone into the woods to pray, desperate for release from a drought in his soul. Pleading with God for a breakthrough, he gathered some rocks, stacked them into a makeshift altar, and began to pray.

While praying he began to smell cedar, so strongly that it distracted him from praying. Opening his eyes he soon spotted a little cedar tree that he had snapped in half by stepping on it. The broken tree was the source of the smell that Chapman felt was a sign from God. Quickly he wrote down the words, "The fragrance of the broken."

God does provide a "fragrance" that we may learn to cherish as we wrestle with our brokenness and that of our loved ones. Like the little cedar tree, it may not be easily recognizable.  We have to look for it as Chapman did. Finding it, we begin to enjoy what may be called the "aroma of grace."

Each of us must learn to handle brokenness of one kind or another. How we deal with it determines whether we live well or merely endure life until it ends. Misfortune can make us better or bitter. The good thing is that we have a choice.

         My friend "Miss Jimmy" was a poet. In retirement she became legally blind. But she declined to complain. Instead she chose to think of her blindness as a blessing. “There is so much I would have missed had my sight not failed,” she said.

 “I had not bothered to read the Bible very much," she told me, "but when I became blind, I began to listen to the Bible on cassette tapes. Only then did I understand why it really is the greatest book every written." My wife and I enjoyed tea with Miss Jimmy many times. While we admired her poetry we admired her spirit even more. She was not a whiner.

Fanny Crosby and George Matheson were blind hymn writers but refused to complain about their blindness. Both composed beautiful songs which millions still enjoy singing. They refused to let their brokenness "blind" them to their opportunity to live useful lives.

Alabama’s famous Helen Keller became blind and deaf as a young child. Her attitude was profoundly inspiring. She regarded her handicaps as “mere impertinences of fate.” She said, “I resolved that they should not crush or dwarf my soul, but rather be made to blossom, like Aaron's rod, with flowers.” Can you say “Wow”?
         A good friend made a trip out west one summer. He and his wife drove their motor home through Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and California to see the sights. He explained why, "I had been diagnosed with an eye disease which could result in blindness in a few years. I wanted to see all that I could see while my vision was still good."

He could have stayed home fretting about the question, "Why is this happeningto me?" Without complaining he began to adjust to the possibility of brokenness. Instead of whining he used his time to design a plan to cope with blindness if it happened.

Brokenness comes soon or late to us all. Whining about it, or asking "Why me?" gets us nowhere. Pain is inevitable but misery is a choice. As we face the pain with honesty and hope, something wonderful can occur. Character can happen. We can become finer people because we have faced our troubles with courage. Courage is contagious. Deal with your brokenness bravely, with a positive spirit, and your example is bound to encourage someone else.

Thankfully you have a choice. You can refuse to whine. You can find a way to smell the "aroma of grace" in your pain. Then the fragrance of your brokenness becomes a sweet perfume to all who savor the essence of your life. + + +

Blogger: Walter Rambling - Create post

Forgive Me but I Do Not Want to Die in a Hospital

          Watching an older person or an older couple break up house-keeping is never easy for me. It hurts to see people uprooted from their home and placed in a nursing home even when that seems the best thing to do.

          Of course something has to be done when people get so old they can no longer take care of themselves. I just wish there was some gentler, kinder way to forcefully remove people from their home and put them in an institution. Only rarely can families find a way to allow aged parents to live in their own home until their death.

          Most of us feel about home like my friend Mary does. I asked her one day if she given any thought to moving into one of the lovely “assisted living” homes in her city. Instantly she replied, “No sir; I will never leave my home until they carry me out with my toes turned up!”

          Like Mary I want to live in my present home until I die. I do not want to die in a hospital. Hospitals are a blessing, especially in America. Nurses and doctors for the most part are wonderful. I love to hear one of them speak of their work as a “calling” from God. Surely it is. But I do not want to die hooked up by needles to four machines whose beeping signals go unnoticed by busy nurses down the hall.  

          Home has always been important to me. I was born in a home my father built with his own hands. I lived in that home until I left for college at age 18. Our son Steve and his family live in that home today; he remodeled it after my parents died. They lived in it until their death.

          Most preachers live in many houses during their ministry. My wife and I lived in more than twenty different homes during our pastoral service. Wanting during those years to have a place called “home,” we built a cabin near my dad’s place in 1960. The cabin finally became our home, and we have been remodeling it now for 52 years.

          Those of us who have a home should not take it for granted. I remind myself often to give thanks for our home. Millions of people have no home. There may be as many as one billion people in the world today who are homeless. There are more than three million homeless people in the United States, although that number is declining.

          Over the years I have visited hundreds of people in nursing homes. Without a doubt the most frequent comment made to me by nursing home residents is simply this, “I want to go home” or “Please take me home.” I would not want to live in a country that did not provide senior housing like nursing homes and assisted living homes. And we have some truly wonderful nursing homes in America. I deeply respect and admire the dedicated people who maintain and serve in our nursing homes.

          But there is evidently an innate desire in the human heart for home.

If we are not at home, we want to go home. The old saying, “There is no place like home,” has been uttered many times by anyone who has ever had a home. Perhaps God planted the desire for home in our hearts. There is a sense in which God Himself is “home.” So the human spirit is restless until it finds its way home to God.

          One of my favorite songs is “Going Home.” It touches deep places in my heart. In these days I am profoundly thankful for the home where I hope to live until I die. But the songwriter expresses feelings that I share about the home where I am going when my traveling days are done. You may like it too:

          Going home, going home, I’m just going home. Quiet light, some still day, I’m just going home. It’s not far, just close by, through an open door. Work all done, care laid by, going to fear no more. Mother’s there expecting me, Father’s waiting, too. Lots of folk gathered there, all the friends I knew. Nothing’s lost, all’s gain. No more fret nor pain. No more stumbling on the way. No more longing for the day. Going to roam no more. Morning star lights the way, restless dreams all done. Shadows gone, break of day. Real life begun.

        That is a wonderful thought: Real life begins when we get home! + + + 

         

Forgiveness sets us free from bondage to the past

Cut loose from your past and enjoy being forgiven  

A backward look can be helpful or it can be depressing. It depends on how you view the past. You can recall that in the “good old days” life was lived at a slower pace. People were seldom stressed out from living in “the fast lane.” How nice life was back then.

The danger is that we tend to romanticize the past and paint too rosy a picture of the days of yore. Was life really better in the days of our parents? In many ways life was worse not better for past generations. Some of our parents, for example, used an “outhouse” because there was no toilet in their home. Many of our relatives did not even know a family that had an indoor toilet.

When it comes to our mistakes, a look at our past sometimes can be paralyzing. Some of us feel much guilt about wrong things we did when we were younger. We are ashamed to admit how foolish we once were. A just God will surely not forgive us. What we did was too bad for God to forgive.

To think like this puts us in bondage to the past. This bondage binds us to our mistakes or what the church calls our “sin.” So we are not free to enjoy life today. Guilt blocks us from inhaling the pure joy of knowing that we are alive by the pleasure of the God who not only made us but also loves us.    

Christians have the unique privilege of helping people find forgiveness for the past. Forgiveness frees us from the past and helps us overcome guilt. It puts a song in our hearts and when we start singing we begin to soar, like a kite free to enjoy the wind.

The church calls this forgiveness “good news.” It is indeed good news to discover that your sins are forgiven whether by God or by another person with whom you have been estranged. “I forgive you” are three of the sweetest words any of us can ever hear.

That is the message the church has for the world: God forgives you. Such news is not only good news; it is the best news the human mind can ever embrace. It is so wonderful that people often find it impossible to believe that God has forgiven them. So it helps to hear the amazing words, “Your sins are forgiven,” spoken by a caring friend who has personally experienced this forgiveness. Then hearing and believing that good news can become a liberating moment for the person who accepts it.  

You may be wondering how the Bible fits into all this. Well, the Bible in one sense is the “good news” Book. From Genesis to Revelation there are people much like us who are warning people to stop doing wrong and turn to God. Why? Because God loves them and has forgiven them. The world says, “What is the proof that this is true?” The Bible says, “The proof is God’s gift of his son to die on the cross for our sins.”

The people in the Bible were ordinary people God used in extraordinary ways. Today he wants to use ordinary people like us to help guilt-ridden people understand they are forgiven. We have good news for people in bondage. If they believe they are forgiven, they can be cut loose from the past and enjoy the sheer thrill of being loved and forgiven.

I will bet my last dollar that you know some troubled person who needs to hear this good news. And it might make your day if they heard it from your lips. Sharing it could be like offering a cook drink of water to someone dying of thirst.

After all, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Zechariah – all those guys are gone. They had their turn. Now you and I are up to bat. + + +

Keep Christmas!

Keep Christmas!

Message for Christmas Day, Saint James UM Church, 2011

When l look back in history I think of people I wish I could have known. I wish I had known Walter the Shepherd. One of those shepherds had to be named Walter. Walter is an ordinary name and the shepherds were ordinary, common people like me and you. I would have asked him to tell me again what it was like when that angel suddenly appeared and scared the daylights out of him.

    I wish I had known Luke, the good doctor. It was Luke who took his pen and wrote down the immortal story of those shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. I would have asked Luke if knew Walter the Shepherd. I bet it was Walter who told Luke about that night when the angels inspired them to go to Bethlehem and find the baby boy born in a manger.

    I wish I had known John, the beloved disciple. I would have asked him what it was like to stand near the cross upon which Jesus died and hear him cry, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” I think he would have said, “Walter, I still cannot talk about that moment.” And I would have thanked John for penning what may be the most magnificent 28 words in the New Testament: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14).

    In more recent times I wish I had known Henry Van Dyke, the Presbyterian minister born in Germantown, PA in 1852. You may have read some of Van Dyke’s stories. He wrote The Other Wise Man and The First Christmas Tree.  He also wrote my wife’s favorite hymn that we sing to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. You remember it goes like this, “Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!” What beautiful words! What a beautiful song!

    But what I would really like to thank Henry for is the wonderful piece he wrote titled “Keeping Christmas.” It is only about 100 years old but it has become a Christmas classic. I try to read it every Christmas because it speaks to my heart. You remember he says that keeping Christmas is more important than the observance of Christmas. He says if you can forget what you have done for others and give thanks for what others have done for you, then you can keep Christmas. He says if are willing to stoop down and care about the needs and desires of little children, then you can keep Christmas. And I like this part: if you can remember the loneliness of the people who are growing old, then you can keep Christmas.  

    I am especially touched by Van Dyke’s idea that we need to make a grave for our ugly thoughts and a garden for our kindly feelings. I need to do that. We all need to do that. And if we do it, then we will be keeping Christmas all year long.

    Well, the truth is I have no way of getting to know Walter the Shepherd, or Luke the Doctor, or John the beloved Disciple, or Henry van Dyke the writer. But the good news is I can get to know Jesus! He is alive! He is here! He is Emmanuel, our God who is with us! I know he is here because just this morning I heard him say to me, “Walter, come to me and I will give you rest.” I went to him on bended knees and confessed my sins to him. I heard him say, “Your sins are forgiven, Walter; now rise, and follow me!” That is what I intend to do for the rest of my life. Will you go with me? We can follow Him as a church. We can follow him as families. We can follow him as individuals. And we can enjoy the journey together! Hallelujah! Glory! Amen. + + +

       

Can you imagine how proud I am? Hannah's Dad is my son!

Our son Tim turned 50 last Sunday. As a son he has been a joy to our hearts. His Mom and I are so proud of him. Tears spilled down my cheeks when I read what his daughter Hannah wrote about her Dad in her blog. I had to share it so here it is. May it inspire some reader to pay the price of becoming the kind of Dad his children can love and admire. 

                                         My Dad

                                                       

                                By Hannah Albritton

There are so many things I could write about my dad, I don’t even know where to start! My dad and I have always had a very special relationship. Growing up, my dad and I did many things together. But dad made sure it wasn’t just things he wanted to do. He has always made an effort to show interest in and support the things I love. I have tried to do the same with the things he loves, one of those things being hunting. I remember the first time my dad took me hunting. My mom, being the “worry wart” that she is, did not want me to freeze out in the cold and, in turn, piled on the clothes. I had on more layers than Aunt Sherri’s 7 layer salad! It was all I could do to breathe, much less walk. I couldn’t even talk because of the scarves and hats. Dad walked in the room, ready to go, and I just stood there with tears streaming down my face. Then, mom decided to peel a few layers off so I didn’t look so much like the Michelin man. So, hunting isn’t exactly my thing, but I had, and still have, a great time just being with my dad. The most recent hunting trip my dad and I took last season was also a memorable one. Not because we got a big buck, but rather, a big laugh. It was just dad and me on this occasion. I tried to convince my sister, Sarah, to go but she had already gotten a deer and insisted that it was my turn. So off we went into the woods. Dad and I had been sitting in the shooting house for about an hour. Just sitting, waiting and watching. The sun was setting and it was starting to get a little darker. Everything was quiet when, all of a sudden, this bird flew into the shooting house through the small opening right behind my head. Well, of course, I screamed and commenced to flailing and flapping my arms all around until the bird flew back out. Dad looked over at me like I’d lost my mind, and with an alarmed expression, I replied, “A bird just flew in here!” Well, I didn’t really know if he was going to be mad or not, but when he burst out in laughter, we both just sat there and laughed. Needless to say, after all the commotion, we didn’t see very much wildlife, but Dad didn’t seem to mind. 

One example of Dad making an effort to do things that I enjoy would be our annual trip to the Holiday Market. I can remember Dad checking me out of kindergarten early to take me to the Holiday Market in Montgomery. I thought it was the coolest thing to get out of nap time to go shopping with Dad. My dad is NOT a shopper and isn’t the type to go shopping with mom for clothes or groceries or anything! But when dad took me to the Holiday Market, just us two, it made me feel more special than I’m sure he ever imaged. We have gone to the Holiday Market every year since, and I feel so proud and special walking around a civic center full of ladies with my dad.

Another example is when I started to bake and sell “Hannah Banana Bread.” I was about eleven or twelve years old when I began baking banana bread. My dad helped me print labels to put on them that said, “Hannah Banana Bread” and helped me by selling them to the secretaries at his office. He encouraged my hard work and one time asked me to bake banana bread at church for one of the meetings he was chairing. I brought all my ingredients to the church, mixed everything up and put it in the oven to bake during the first half of the meeting. When I took the bread out, it looked perfect, but I cut into it and it was runny mush. The ovens at the church were much different than mine and it cooked the bread too fast. I was so upset and began crying when dad came into the kitchen to see if the bread was ready (I really don’t cry that often!). He was nothing but compassionate and understanding. I was afraid he would be frustrated that he didn’t have anything to serve at the meeting, but he assured me that it was no big deal. After the meeting, he took me to the mall to a music store and we each bought a CD. I remember buying an Alan Jackson CD. Dad and I deemed “Living on Love” by Alan Jackson our song a long time ago. I’m not sure exactly why or when we decided it would be our song, but every time I hear it, I think of my Dad.

I could go on and on with stories about my dad and me, but there simply isn’t enough room to do so.  It’s so cliché, but it really is the little things that mean the most. The little things that my dad has done, and continues to do, make him a great father and role model. When he shows up at my work to bring me lunch or just to say “hey,” or the little notes he leaves for me, or when he sends me a postcard, even though I live with him, or when he takes the time to talk to me or listen when I need to talk, or when he comes to a midget ballgame to see me coach a bunch of little cheerleaders for twenty minutes, or when he calls me sugar and tells me he loves me every night and I know that he really means it with all of his heart.

Two of my dad’s favorite heroes, I guess you would say, are John Wayne and Robert E. Lee. My dad reminds me of both of these men. Like Robert E. Lee, my dad is wise, courageous, loyal and a true gentleman. Like John Wayne, he is strong, blunt, stern, and he definitely has grit! But the most important trait found in my dad will outlast all the good times, memories and other honorable attributes. He is the godliest man I know. I don’t know many people who can say that about their father, but my dad lives the life of a true follower of Jesus Christ. When someone talks about seeing Jesus lived out in someone’s life, that’s my dad. Of course he has flaws, as does everyone, but in everything he does, he genuinely seeks to follow the Lord. He aims to honor the Lord in everything he says and does. Every morning, when I see his pen, journal and Bible on the table where he had his devotions a few hours before, I am reminded of the great man that I am so privileged to be able to call my dad. - @

God wants us to live like Christ

My good friend Ed Williams, longtime professor of journalism at Auburn University, shared this excellent thought with me:  

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. (Ephesians 2:10 NCV)

There are three things you can do with your life: You can waste it, you can spend it, or you can invest it. The best use of your life is to invest it in something that will last longer than your time on earth.

The worst thing you can do is to live simply for today and to live for yourself. God did not put you on earth to live for yourself. He created you to be like Christ.

Yes, Ed, I believe you are right! Today I resolve again to invest my life in the work of Christ so that I may not live for myself, but for Him! Lord, give me the grace so to live!!

                                                                -- Walter Albritton, sjc

A Voice Like Thunder Brought Peace to My Soul

A voice like thunder brought peace to my soul

          Life is filled with abrupt changes. Boredom is not a permanent condition. The humdrum can be swiftly overturned by the unexpected. For months we wondered if the suffering of our young son would ever end. It did one day in May.

We buried our boy. I lost my job. Two weeks later we moved from Tennessee back to Alabama. Like so many Alabama summers the heat made us seek refuge in the coolness of the mountains. We made our way to Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, a favorite Methodist vacation site.  The popular evangelist Billy Graham was preaching that week.   

          Though our hearts were broken over the death of our son we had not lost our faith. But it had, honestly, been wounded. Hopefully the preaching of Graham would comfort us in our grief.  Our young souls needed a time of healing.

          Graham was as stirring as we had expected. The huge auditorium was packed morning and night as hundreds of people flocked to hear him. We stood in a long line one day and finally got to shake his hand. Like others we were awed by Graham’s persuasive preaching.

          However, Graham shared the pulpit with another preacher, W. E. Sangster from England. And it was Sangster whom God used that week to bring healing to my wounded heart. The man floored me from the moment he began to speak. He spoke with unusual authority, intensity, and conviction.

          Every word he spoke had the ring of truth about it. It was as if God was speaking directly to me and answering questions I had not even asked. Never had I been more convinced that God himself was speaking to me. And I listened intently, eager to drink in what sounded to me like eternal truth.

          I had many questions. Why had God, if he is love, allowed our son to die? Why had he not healed him in answer to our prayers? Why should a little child have to suffer when he had done no wrong? Why had God given him to us if he was going to take him from us before he could grow up? Was his death punishment for my own sins? Is God really “out there” and if he is, why doesn’t he say something when I beg him for help? Why won’t he tell me why the innocent must suffer?

          Finally God did reply. He was silent when David was suffering. Now, two months after our son’s burial, God spoke. He spoke through Sangster. How do I know? I know. I was there. Though it happened 55 years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. God answered me through the voice of his servant, W. E. Sangster.

          At first I felt pity for Sangster. He would be no match for Billy Graham as a presence in the pulpit. But I was wrong. Sangster was older and wiser than Graham. And though his style was quite different, the man could preach. As the week went on, many of us realized we were listening to two of the world’s greatest preachers.

          What did I hear from God? Not what I wanted to hear, believe me. I wanted something soothing; what I got was shocking.

          Sangster said, “You must stop dealing with your problems. You must deal with God! You get nowhere by grappling with cancer or some tragedy.  You must wrestle with God for God is the sovereign God of the universe and he allows whatever happens to you. He does not will evil but he allows it. The world is not out of control; God is in control and he allows bad things to happen.”

          He went on to insist that God has a purpose in allowing tragedy even though we may never understand why he allows it. We can find peace only by accepting God’s sovereignty in our lives and believing that in all things he is always working for our good. God is not accountable to us for his actions; on the contrary, we are accountable to God for our actions and reactions. And God loves us even when he allows bad things to happen in our lives.

          As much as I was able I surrendered my stubborn, agnostic questioning to God that week. I began to rethink our son’s death in a new way, a way that helped me see suffering in a new light. Slowly I tried to embrace the message God gave me through an English preacher I would never hear again. After 55 years I am still embracing his message for it is strong medicine.

          A few years later word came from England that Sangster was dying, having lost his voice to a muscular disease that was paralyzing his nervous system. The great pulpit voice would soon be silent in the grave. But before his death, he wrote a simple message to his new friend Billy Graham: “Tell people that the gospel works when a man is dying.”

Since that memorable summer I have journeyed to Lake Junaluska many times, heard many inspiring speakers, and enjoyed the beauty of those North Carolina hills. But seldom have I been as deeply moved by the words of a preacher.  

On a clear day I can close my eyes and still hear the thundering voice of Sangster reverberating within the walls of Stuart Auditorium bringing peace to my troubled soul. God spoke through the voice of a man and I heard him. I have never been the same.  + + +

You decide: Has this young man lost his mind?

Would you invest in this young man's vision?

       The deadline nears. A small group of friends and I are trying to raise thirty thousand dollars to help a young man spend a year in Africa. You may wonder if the poor fellow has lost his mind.

          He has quit a good job with a television station in Montgomery. Why? He says God has given him a vision. To fulfill that vision he must use his skill as a videographer to link 50 churches to 50 villages in Zambia that have no source of clean water. Each church would have its own village and assume responsibility for drilling a well in their village. Each well costs about $7,500.

          Ambitious? Yes, and truthfully quite overwhelming. So far he has two pastors and two churches committed to help. He needs only 48 more churches to reach his goal.

          Had the young man saved up enough money to pay his way to Africa? No, he is like most of us; he has very little money in savings. But our little group of his friends decided to help him anyway. A month or so ago we set out to raise thirty thousand dollars to fund the cost of cameras, video equipment, airline tickets and living expenses.

          How are we doing? So far we have raised about $19,000, so we need only $11,000 more. We don’t have much time left. The young man has secured airline reservations to fly out of Atlanta on September 21.

So how do you raise $11,000 in a month? You trust God and pray hard. And you ask your friends to consider helping. That is what I am doing by writing this piece. Fortunately our church has agreed to accept donations to fund this ministry. The address of Saint James UMC is 9045 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, AL 36117.

I see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to partner with a young man who has a remarkable vision. I will understand if by now you decide to stop reading. You may be thinking, “The last thing I need is one more bleeding-heart appeal for charitable giving!” If so, move on and have a great day.

If you are still interested, you could check out the young man’s website. It is water@water282.org.  His name is Jacob Eubanks. Jacob describes his mission very simply:

Water282 is tackling the world's leading health problem one well at a time, by connecting a local church to an African village in extreme poverty to supply clean drinking water and overflowing joy from the living water of the Gospel.

Jacob gets the “282” from the Bible – 2 Corinthians 8:2 – “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”

          Jacob has been to Zambia once, journeying their last fall with his pastor and others.  This is how he describes what happened:

“In November 2010 a small team from our church (Saint James United Methodist in Montgomery) went to Zambia to do some scouting to see what our church could do to help the church there.  Little did we know that what we saw would change our lives forever.  

“We knew that there was a need for clean, safe water wells, but we had no clue what the scope of the need was.  We saw people getting water from the most unimaginable sources, from the filthiest, opaque water from hand dug wells, to crocodile-infested rivers or holes beside a Black Mamba den where every bucket is a gamble, to water sources miles away from people’s huts that they retrieved 5 gallons at a time.  And we knew that this was just the start of the problem, as the water they spent so much time getting and often risked their lives to get, was full of bacteria, parasites, and diseases.  You can hear about it all day, but when you see it first-hand, it messes with your world.

“On the plane ride back from Zambia, I heard God’s call more clearly than I ever have and probably ever will, telling me that He had placed everything I needed to do something about this problem in my hands already, and all I would have to do to make it happen is sell everything I own and pack up and move to Zambia.  Well, since you put it like that….. I’ll go.”

Well, there you have it. Has the young man lost his mind? I don’t think so. Every time I turn on the water in my home I think about the children in Zambia who are dying from waterborn diseases. That’s why I am doing what I can to help a young man with a vision provide clean water for thousands of poor people in those African villages. Thank you for listening to an old man’s appeal. + + +

Grandson Josh Albritton at Auburn Baseball Camp this week

Our grandson Josh Albritton is 16 and hopes to play college baseball. He is attending the Auburn University Elite Baseball Camp this week on the Plains. The campus has changed quite a bit since I walked those trails during 1950-54. I love that place! So many precious memories! Josh is a good left-handed pitcher and can play first base and the outfield, usually right field. He is a good athlete but even more he is a splendid young man with a good head on his shoulders. We delight in seeing him succeed! Josh will be in the 11th grade this fall at Macon East Montgomery Academy and attends Saint James United Methodist Church with us. Grandchildren like Josh make old age so enjoyable!

Exciting Renewal of Baptism Vows

Last Sunday I experienced a truly exciting moment in worship. Klaus and Brigitte Gunzel, and their daughter Katharina, come to the altar to renew their baptismal vows. They had all been baptized earlier. They had entered the Church through the Baptism Door. They had begun their journey with Christ. But like many of us, along the way they felt a deep inward need to renew the vows made when God gave them new life through the water and the Spirit. So, with loving friends surrounding them, and with tears wetting faces and the altar, they knelt to confess their sins and seek a fresh anointing of the Spirit's power. They asked our dear Savior to give them the grace to continue to grow spiritually and to help them witness to others about the transforming power of Jesus Christ. I sprinkled water on their heads to remind them and our church family of the power of the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. God made His Presence known in a powerful way. I renewed my own vows. I am sure many others did also. It was a moment in worship that I shall not soon forget! Glory to God forever and ever!

The Remarkable Story of a Young Man Who Heard God Calling!

Jacob Eubanks is packing to return to Africa! The folks in his church, Saint James UMC, are working hard to raise the funds to support Jacob in his mission to provide clean water for 50 villages in Zambia. Here is Jacob's account of his call and his mission:

In November 2010, a small team from our church went to Zambia to do some scouting to see what our church could do to help the church there. Little did we know that what we saw would change our lives forever. We knew that there was a need for clean, safe water wells, but we had no clue what the scope of the need was. We saw people getting water from the most unimaginable sources, from the filthiest, opaque water from hand dug wells, to crocodile-infested rivers or holes beside a Black Mamba den where every bucket is a gamble, to water sources miles away from people’s huts that they retrieved 5 gallons at a time. And we knew that this was just the start of the problem, as the water they spent so much time getting and often risked their lives to get, was full of bacteria, parasites, and diseases. You can hear about it all day, but when you see it first-hand, it messes with your world.
On the plane ride back from Zambia, I heard God’s call more clearly than I ever have and probably ever will, telling me that He had placed everything I needed to do something about this problem in my hands already, and all I would have to do to make it happen is sell everything I own and pack up and move to Zambia. Well, since you put it like that….. I’ll go.
Through the prayerful guidance of an awesome advisory board, the ministry that is Water282 was formed. A ministry that is poised to continue long after my initial trip to Zambia.

To learn more about how you can support Jacob with prayer and donations, go online to www.water282.org

Encourage Jacob by sending him a message that you will pray for him! I have the joy of being one of his pastors!

Walter Albritton, sjc

Easter!

Why is Easter such a powerful experience for Christians? Because it gives us the opportunity to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus! In the first Century a small group of Jews spent time with another Jew named Jesus. They chose to become his disciples, to learn from him. They followed him from one town to another, watching as he taught, healed, and delivered people from the power of the Evil One, Satan. Then they watched him be taken prisoner, beaten, and finally crucified between two common criminals. They saw him die. They saw his body buried in a borrowed tomb. Then they heard he had been raised from the dead, and they saw him in his resurrected body. They were convinced that he had been resurrected from the dead by God. They were so convinced that they began preaching the Resurrection; that is what they preached -- the Resurrection of Jesus! They were not trying to persuade people to accept the beliefs he had taught them; they were trying to persuade that he had been resurrected. The Resurrection was the chief theme of their preaching. They were persecuted for their preaching and each of them, except for John, died a violent death. But they were willing to suffer and die rather than renounce their conviction that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Belief in the Resurrection was the lynchpin of the Christian faith. If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, there would have been no stories of Jesus, no Christian Church, no New Testament, no mighty Christian movement. Had there been no resurrection we would never have heard of Jesus. But because the Resurrection actually happened, millions have come to God through faith in the shed blood of Jesus. Easter Sunday gives us a chance once a year to celebrate the truth of the Resurrection! And because He lives, we can face tomorrow and anything else we must face! Glory!

Peace through Superior Fire Power

The Amazing Story of a Rifle
One of the best books ever written was Undaunted Courage, the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by historian Stephen Ambrose. Recently I came across a video which explains how Lewis and Clark made it through to the Pacific despite encountering many Indian tribes that greatly outnumbered their small group of 38 people. This is a truly remarkable story about a truly remarkable rifle. Enjoy!

"Ever wonder how Lewis and Clarks 36-38 man force spent 3 years safely among the savages? Here is how. Peace through superior fire power."

Subject: Fw: Lewis And Clark Air Rifle


http://www.network54.com/Forum/451309/thread/1296928404/This+is+just+to+cool+not+to+spread+around

The Scandal of Preaching in a Digital Age

My good friend Matt O'Reilly is becoming a good writer. His stuff is worth reading for all who take the Christian faith seriously. The new issue of The Princeton Theological Review is now available online and contains an article by Matt titled "Faith Comes from Hearing: The Scandal of Preaching in a Digital Age." The article considers whether contemporary proposals for new homiletic forms is faithful to a biblical understanding of preaching. With young men like Matt coming along, the United Methodist Church will be in good hands. Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

Not only is Christian preaching to be content specific, it is also often counter-intuitive. Our discussion of the factions in Corinth demonstrated just this point. The gospel itself is counter-intuitive because it is powerful despite its lack of adornment with worldly wisdom and eloquence. The division of the Corinthian church into a Paul party and an Apollos party was, for Paul, a great source of discontent. It is most likely the case that Apollos gained a following because of his eloquence and education. He was a leader whose skill in oratory would provide a source of boasting for the Corinthian Christians. This is what bothered Paul so deeply. The Corinthians were following their culture. The assurance that came through the gospel came paired with the fact that it was foolishness when considered in light of the wisdom of the day. Convention required that orations be adorned with special techniques, and the most successful orators were masters of these techniques. Paul did not want his missionary success to depend on his own skill or eloquence but on the power of God at work in the gospel alone. This was clearly counter-intuitive, but Paul insisted on it regardless.