Season of Surprise
Luke 1:5-17
Matthew 1:18-23
Unexpected surprises often have a way of interfering with our Christmas expectations.
77 years ago Friday, people across this great land were preparing for Christmas in all the familiar and expected ways when suddenly something very unexpected happened. Many people were disappointed with Christmas of 1941. My own father was 14 years old on that ‘day of […]
Face to Face
Jeremiah 31:31-33
Luke 1:26-38
Galatians 4:4-7
An online dating service interviewed 3,000 of its members to find out what the most annoying clichés are that people put in their profiles. The winners were, Biggest Clichés Women Use in Profiles: “No liars or game players!” “This isn’t enough space to sum up my life” followed by a long summation. Biggest Clichés Men Use in Profiles: […]
Being Thankful Revisited
Luke 17:11-19
I Thessalonians 5:14-18
In Making Grateful Kids, psychologist Jeffey Froh summarizes his team’s research on the benefits of gratitude among adolescents:
We’ve found that grateful young adolescents (ages 11-13), compared to their less grateful counterparts, are happier; are more optimistic; have better social support from friends and family; are more satisfied with their school, family, community, friends, and themselves; and give more emotional support to others. They’re also […]
I Thank God for You
Ephesians 1:15-23
1 Corinthians 1:4-5
Asked to write a composition entitled, What I am thankful for on Thanksgiving, little Johnny wrote, “I am thankful that I’m not a turkey.”
Shawn Achor, a psychologist who teaches at Harvard, suggests that we can train our brains to become more grateful by setting aside just five minutes a day for practicing gratitude. He cites a study in which […]
Not As They Should Be
Genesis 1:1, 31
Romans 8:18-24
Revelation 21:1-7
Things are not always as they should be.
A young couple had been experiencing what they thought were major problems with their
All the Saints Salute You!
II Corinthians 1:1-2, 13:11-14
Hebrews 11 (selected)
Hebrews 12:1-2
How many saints are with us today?
One of the great 19th century preachers was a Scottish Presbyterian, Alexander Whyte, a much loved and respected pastor but who had a good sense of who he was. One day a lovely lady in his congregation came to his office and said, “Dr. Whyte, I just love being […]
The Great Wager
Job 1:6-12, 2:1-10, 42:1-6
Hebrews 10:32-39
Sometimes it’s all about perspective.
A woman was exploring the waiting room at her first appointment with a new dentist when she noticed his full name on his diploma. Suddenly she remembered a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high school class so many years ago. Could this be the same guy I […]
Discerning Disappointment
Psalm 13
Disappointment occurs when experience falls short of our expectation.
Jim Bridgewater had every expectation of depositing a paper bag full of cash at his local bank. But when he pulled up to the drive-through window, instead of picking up the bag of money laying next to him on the seat, he picked up a bag of grass; and I’m not talking fescue or […]
The Wine of Staggering
Psalm 60
Luke 22:14-20
Romans 5:1-11
When was the last time you were astonished, astounded or stunned?
According to Paul Harvey, if you had been in Swan Quarter, NC in September of 1876, you would have been. A small group of Methodist Christians had been meeting in homes and desired to build a church building. As Swan Quarter is located near the Outer Banks, they […]
The Tarnished Planet
Genesis 3:1-19
Job (selected)
According to Oxford Dictionaries, the word ‘tarnish’ means, ‘lose or cause to lose luster, especially as a result of exposure to air or moisture.’ Synonyms listed are: corrode, discolor, oxidize and/or rust. 1
In his book, Rust: The Longest War, Jonathan Waldman takes us chapter by chapter into the world of oxidation and the problem of rust. He tells the story of how America almost lost the Statue of Liberty to corrosion, the constant struggle needed to maintain oil
Expire-ment Planning
Luke 12:13-21
Galatians 5:22-23
Retirees have taken to texting with gusto; they even have their own shorthand:
BFF Best Friend Fainted
CBM Covered By Medicare
FWB Friend With Beta-blockers
LMDO Laughing My Dentures Out
GGPBL Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
BYOT Bring Your Own Teeth
You don’t have to be a retiree to be familiar with IRA’s and 401K’s, which have what in common? And the answer […]
Blessing of the Children
Mark 10:13-16
There are many reasons we love children. Here are two of them:
For weeks a six-year-old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother that was expected at his house. One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed, but also looked a little uncertain. And after that day, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event. The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, “Tommy, whatever became of that baby brother […]