InTheShadow
...now browsing by category
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024
Someone has famously said, “The seven last words of the church are ‘We’ve never done it that way before.'” That, of course, was not a compliment. It was, in fact, another way of saying that a church will die or have zero influence if it does what it has always done; is what it has always been; and sticks to what once was.
Sadly, it is true. Many churches (and organizations) are tied to to their past. Their glory days are long gone but “Doggone it, we’ve always done it this way and we will continue doing it this way.” Let’s start playing TAPS or maybe, just maybe, it started long time ago?
When I first started in ministry it was at the end of my sophomore year in college. I preached on Sundays at a little country church in a little town in KY (No need to mention where). I honestly don’t know if that little church is still in existence. But they used to have 2 week revivals. 2 weeks! In June! Every night! Now, I’m not sure if they still do that…I would hope not. I confess I had no clue what a revival was all about or even what it was, let alone pastor a church that had one 2 weeks long. I see it now as a meeting for the already saved to get together, listen to a sermon they have heard multiple times before, and walk away feeling good they were there. Yeah…that’s cynical. I’m sorry I’m a tad bit jaded.
There is a church in the town where I pastor that has a “Gospel Meeting” i.e. their brand name for “Revival.” For a whole week (I think twice a year), they have meetings each night. I don’t see too many cars in the parking lot. If I did, I wonder how many are unsaved folks? Could it be the time is past?
Whether a church, a company, a local business, or even a local service organization, death comes knocking if there is a failure to change. I’m not talking about the mission or core values. We have enough of that nonsense already. No…I’m talking about the approach. It’s time we stop living in the past or try to relive our glory days by “doing what we have always done” and start making the necessary changes to influence the culture. If not, the culture will influence us.
I heard it put this way one time: Methods change; the message doesn’t. That’s it in a nutshell.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Change, Choices, Christian Living, Church, God's Plan, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Stagnation, Story
Monday, April 1st, 2024
Today is generally known as “Joker’s Day.” It is the day we “approve” of jokes played on other people. The more outrageous the better. April Fools Day is known as a day of nonsense, tricks, jokes, and a general “I-got-you” day. Ironic then that it follows the day after we celebrated the greatest day in history (and no, it is not the day the White House declared it to be). Psalm 14:1 says, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (NLT) The book of Proverbs is filled with references to fools. But let’s move away from that topic to one which is much more positive.
Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday. We had a super fine day as we joined together in one service at another venue. Even then we ran out of chairs. What a great problem to have! 🙂 During my sermon I asked the question: “What if the resurrection never did happen?” Well, the Apostle Paul gives 4 ramifications of that from I Corinthians:
- Our faith is useless. (Verse 17a). The Greek word for useless means “futile, empty, of no value.”
- We are still in our sins. (Verse 17b). Succinctly put: if Jesus is still in the tomb, His death cannot save us. He is no different than any other religious teacher.
- We have no hope of a future. (Verse 18). Without the resurrection a bright future is an empty promise.
- We should be pitied more than anyone. (Verse 19). All we do in this life is for nothing if all we have is this life.
But let’s turn those thoughts around and show what a difference the resurrection makes:
- Instead of our faith being useless, we can say our faith has meaning. Something we believe in is true.
- Instead of still being in our sins, we can say we have forgiveness. The resurrection makes sin forgiven a reality.
- Instead of having no hope for the future, we can know we will see our loved ones who died in Christ. Can there be anything more lonely or lost than no hope, of just being worm food?
- Instead of being pitied more than anyone, we can be certain of our own future. Knowing we have something to live for, to look forward to changed everything.
You may have heard something like this yesterday from your own pastor. But today is Monday, the day we begin to put it all to the test. Live today in the light of His resurrection.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Resurrection, Scripture look
Thursday, March 28th, 2024
“What in the world is Maundy Thursday?” That was my incredulous question to someone when he mentioned Maundy Thursday.
Backstory: I grew up and subsequently preached in a church tradition that was not a denomination (least they said they weren’t). We didn’t and still don’t celebrate special days (except Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holidays) or saints or creeds. All I knew growing up was my Catholic friends ate fish, not meat, on Friday, but I had no clue why. I never knew about Lent, saints, creeds, and certainly not Maundy Thursday.
Until a few years ago. I was looking into the history of Lent and church practices when I heard about this thing called Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum or “command.” The command being commemorated was the one Jesus gave His followers the night before He died: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (Jn.13:34 NLT)
I have also learned that the royal family began giving gifts to people in need as far back as the 13th century on Maundy Thursday. Do they still carry on that tradition? I don’t know. (Maybe you do?)
Maundy Thursday is today in the Christian world. The day before Good Friday. Think about this for a moment. Jesus gave the command to His followers to love as He loved. A day later in an act of pure love and selflessness, He showed His love by dying on a cross for sins He never committed. “There is no great love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15:13 NLT). So He spoke; so He lived loved.
I’m still not too sure about this thing called Maundy Thursday. I’m still not convinced about the need to make a special day of it. But it does beg the question: How are you going to show love this Easter season? One went to a cross. We are not/may not be asked to go to that extreme, but are you willing to give yourself away in service to another?
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Church, Easter, God's Plan, Humility, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Wednesday, March 27th, 2024
I read an interesting verse this morning that I have to admit, got me thinking some. Proverbs 27:21 says, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.” (NLT)
The fire testing the purity of silver and gold part I get. Peter uses that same imagery in I Peter 1:7 where he writes, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (NLT) So having our faith tested by going through fire is to be expected.
It is the latter part that has me curious. “A person is tested by being praised.” But then I started thinking: How many people do I know who have changed once they started being praised? The accolades started rolling in. The words of praise were said, conveyed, and maybe even printed. And it is like a switch is flipped. The person changes. The man in the mirror is no longer recognizable. Gone is humility. Gone is sympathy and empathy. Gone is a wonder at life. And, even more tragic, gone is a softness and yieldedness to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Decisions are made, not so much by what does God think? but what will please my followers? The praise of man overrides the praise and approval of God. It think it would be correct to say that the genuineness of a person’s faith is tested by fire, but so is the humility of that person’s faith.
Be careful-be very careful-of the applause of men. If you receive it, don’t allow it to go to your heard or to change you. Stay humble. Stay grateful. Stay alert to the enemy’s schemes.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, Humility, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Tuesday, March 26th, 2024
I had someone say to me the other day, “Getting old s**ks.” (I can’t stand that word hence the astericks. However, it is a quote so…). While I hate the way he said it, I can’t totally disagree.
At age 71 I’m getting older. Well, so are you, but let’s think about this for a moment. As we age, lines develop on our face. We call them crow’s feet. Some develop “wisdom wrinkles” which become more prominent as one ages. Depending on your body fat, skin will hang and wiggle. Skin will get crepe-y. Bruises (blood) will show up in the arms and forearms or skin nicks will show up when you can’t even remember bumping or scraping them. Your stamina is not what it once was. For example, I used to ride 20-30 miles a day. If I do that today, I need a day or two between rides to recover. I might do 20 miles for 2-3 days in a row, but then I have to give myself a day or two off the bike.
Getting old is an adjustment, that’s for sure. That’s why I have issues with the “preacher” i.e. self-help guru who tries to tell me my best life is now. No, Joel, no it is not.
My best life is yet to come. I recently held the funeral service of a man whose last 2-3 years were spent fighting the effects of diabetes, a nasty bed sore caused by neglect of a rehab facility, the amputation of a leg at the knee, and a couple of strokes which affected his right hand strength and his communication (he could communicate but was slow in responding and putting sentences together). His best life was not now, laying in a bed. Not here. He is enjoying his best life NOW, living in the presence of the Savior he loved so much.
Do not look at your present or even your past life, as the pinnacle..as your best life. It’s not. For the follower of Jesus, the best is yet to come! That, by the way, is what the story of “Easter” is all about.
Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Future life, God's Plan, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Resurrection, Story
Monday, March 25th, 2024
This week is called Holy Week because it is the last week Jesus spent on earth. Palm Sunday was celebrated yesterday. It is tied to Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem riding on a donkey while the people waved palm branches and even laid them on the ground, all the while yelling, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
All of what took place that last week ultimately had its sights set on the crucifixion and resurrection. With that in mind, I want to share with you something I read this past weekend and shared with the church on Sunday morning. It comes from a new devotional book called Overflowing Mercies by Craig Allen Cooper. I leave it with you to ponder:
Christ sacrificed His perfect life to secure our eternal life. Jesus’ love is everlasting, eternal, unceasing, unchanging, steadfast, and unrelenting (Jer.31:3), and it has nothing to do with your own performance, your own good works, or your own achievements. It has everything to do with His one great love, wholly and completely unmerited, unearned, and unalterable, laid down for you. (p.20-21)
Sounds a whole lot like grace. Just sayin’. 🙂
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Jesus, Opinion, Palm Sunday, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Worship
Thursday, March 21st, 2024
Let’s consider a word this morning which is often overlooked in our culture today. The word is M.O.T.I.V.E. Why do we do what we do?
There is no question that many of us tend to have a guard up when it comes to a relationship with people. While it’s true there are some people who are naturally skeptical of others and they already have their guard up, there are those who are suckers for every dog and pony show that comes down the pike. I’m talking both religious and non-religious. While it is easy to take potshots at every fly-by-night wheeler dealer who pitches something when that person makes no profession of faith (except maybe in getting rich), it gets even more troublesome when that person claims to be “working or speaking for God.” Honestly? It curls my insides. Sadly, hucksterism is alive and well in the religious world.
That begs the question we must ask: what is the motive? Why is that person doing or saying what they are? That is really an important question to ask and it calls for discernment. It goes without saying that all that glitters is not gold. For the naturally skeptical people or the ones who are willing to practice discernment, they can recognize the shadiness behind actions. But for those who want to be more trusting and “see the good in people” they fail to see the sketchiness of someone doing something. Truthfully, the hucksters rely on that mentality. They rely on folks who don’t take the time to investigate and analyze the “why.” Therefore, they will find themselves used as pawns in a big game…and they come out on the short end of that stick.
In Proverbs 21:2 it says, “People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their hearts.” (NLT) Right there is the key to the whole thing. While some people may be able to fool others, there is ONE who cannot and will not be fooled. We need to be discerning, but ultimately the judgement for their motives will be made by God. And I don’t want to be standing close to that person when judgment comes and all is revealed. Jesus consistently, i.e. more than once, condemned the religious leaders because they did what they did in order to be seen by men. He took them to task for their hypocrisy.
So now is a good time and place to ask the question: Why do you do what you do? Why do you help out at that shelter? Why did you reach out to the homeless person? Why did you give a note of encouragement to a co-worker? Why did you compliment someone today? Remember: people may see you and praise you, but as the proverbs tells us, God knows the heart.
Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Humility, Hypocrisy, Leadership, Ministry, Motives, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Wednesday, March 20th, 2024
Have you ever played the “what if?” game? You know how it works. You might make a statement and say, “What if I hadn’t…?” Or you might look back on something you have done, slapped your forehead and said, “I could have had a V-8.” Just kidding. 🙂 You might, however, say, “What if I had or had not done…?”
As an athlete (in my younger, former days) there have been times I was tempted to quit, to give up. to say the pain to continue was too great. I now look back and see that extra practice effort; that extra game effort; that push to get that rebound was worth it. I would have missed out on the prize-whatever it was. What if I had quit a tad bit earlier?
There’s an interesting story in the OT which has always captured my fancy. You can find it in 2 Kings 5. It’s the story of Naaman, the leprous, Gentile, military leader. He had a little Jewish girl as a servant who recommended he go see the prophet Elisha to be healed of his leprosy. Long story short: Naaman gets a letter from his king requesting safe passage for Naaman and an audience with Elisha. Elisha sends his servant to tell Naaman to wash 7 times in the Jordan River. He protests because the Jordan is muddy and, he thinks, inferior to the rivers in his home land. His soldiers basically tell him, “What could it hurt to do what the prophet says?” So he does. Seven times and he comes up clean! No more leprosy!!
Here is your list of “what ifs?”
- What if he had refused to dip in the Jordan?
- What if he had stopped at #6 out of frustration or disbelief?
- What if he had thought this was effort in futility?
- What if he had blown off the servant girl’s suggestion? You know…kids don’t know squat.
We are often hamstrung by the “what ifs” in our life, missing out on blessings God wants to give us by being paralyzed by the “what ifs.” So we short-change ourselves.
Take it from Naaman. The what ifs can be crippling. Break through them and see what God has on the other side.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look, Trials, Trust
Tuesday, March 19th, 2024
I think we have all used or heard a variation of “Who you hang around with is who you become.” There are, of course, all kinds of people.
Some build us up; some tear us down.
Some lift us to keep going; some drag and hinder us.
Some push us to excel and not quit; some pull us back withholding progress.
Some are genuine shoulders to cry on; some are hard as stone and move away from us.
Proverbs 18:24 says, “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” (NLT)
Jo and I experienced that last night. After a tough past couple of weeks (which I wrote about here), we spent the evening with friends. By the time we made it to their house, my tough couple of weeks had another brick piled on top. They were a welcome shade tree. After the initial bl-a-a-a-ch of what was going on, we moved on. Went out to eat. Laughed (even raised an eyebrow when Jo ordered something totally different than her normal fare). Went back to their house. Laughed some more. Chuckled at the antics of their dog. Laughed some more. A welcome balm for a scratchy soul. Hugs and “I love you’s” were given and Jo and I were on our way. Richer. Better. Refreshed. And, in some small way, healed. Every time I leave them I tell Jo, “I say it every time but I sure do miss them.” (They used to attend the church I pastor but moved to another city where they attend another fortunate church). I said it again last night…less than a block away.
They know what it’s like to be a friend. A sheltering tree. A shade tree (not the negative use of shade 🙂 ). We love you guys…more than you know. And thanks for the meal at Chili’s. Maybe Jo won’t surprise us all the next time. 🙂 🙂
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Friendship, Kindness, Love, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Reflection, Shade Tree, Story
Monday, March 18th, 2024
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head that just won’t go away? That has been me the past week to two weeks.
First, a little backstory. For over 30 years I have had a friendship that started out with riding bikes together at least once a week. Over the 30+ years countless miles have gone under our bicycle tires and plenty of meals have been eaten. Not even distance could put a damper on our friendship. His prostate cancer changed all that.
Another man was one of the leaders in the church. When I was threatened and encouraged with termination he stood in front of me. When the church was embezzled, he stood strong. But diabetes and a downturn physically hit him hard. So did some lies that caused a rift between us. But being bed-bound gave me the opportunity to visit him almost weekly, take communion, and repair the tear in our relationship.
My cyclist friend has been told he has 3-6 months to live. That was over a month ago. His cancer is everywhere, in spite of every effort with chemo and experimental stuff. When Jo and I got back from AZ on the 27th I went to visit my former leader on Thursday at the rehab center. He died that Saturday. The following week I went to visit my cycling friend and that visit hit me hard. There are also some other daily issues that are weighing on me.
The song that has been my go-to, the one that has not left my mind, my bulwark, the one that has pointed me to the ONE has been Morning by Morning by Pat Barrett. You can listen to it here. With lyrics like “Morning by morning great is your faithfulness to me,” I am reminded I’m not in this alone. Psalm 62:6-7 says, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor comes from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.” Psalm 63 follows it up with the following: “Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” (verse 7-8).
I’m not alone. Neither are you. You can put a nail through that promise.
{Note: All Scripture is from the New Living Translation}
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God, God's promise, Mercy, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Surrender
