We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
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A friend was explaining some basic Christian ideas to a very new Christian. Up to now, the new learner of the faith would probably have checked “none” on a form asking for religious affiliation. Our friend quoted Psalm 111 to her, verse 10 of which says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” I thought, well, yes, it is, but this might be a bit heavy for someone coming to faith a matter of a few weeks ago. Some fruitful ideas of what the fear of the Lord is can be found in some basic reference books, together with hundreds of refere...
A few days ago, I found myself in the midst of a discussion about the widespread greed “nowadays.” One person said, “Everyone wants benefits but no one wants to work.” Much agreement with this lamentable observation followed. This was a casual moment, not an evening’s serious pooling of knowledge and sober appraisal of the current state of our national situation, so I didn’t jump in with facts or points of view to the contrary. Afterward I was thinking about the reality that, yes, we do hear of a few people who want to receive public fund...
The meanings of Holy Communion for Christians are many and various. To many believers, the aspect of inclusion is very important. Undoubtedly there are many people for whom inclusion of all people overshadows all other meanings. So if any human being bars another human being from taking Communion, for them there is no meaning in it; what Christ meant to be a uniting sacrament has become a dividing wall. For other believers, the aspect that in offering Communion and accepting it we are obeying the command and invitation of Jesus Christ himself...
The leader of the adult Lenten study course asked the class, “Who wants to read Luke 9: 57 to 62?” “I will,” one woman said, and read aloud, ”Someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but [I] have nowhere to lay [my] head.’ “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ “But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ “Another said, ‘I will foll...
Have you had the experience that you hear a song once or twice and it runs through your head for days, or weeks? It is not a rare occurrence, yet I have never heard or read an explanation for it. The hymn, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” has been my constant companion for over a year. It doesn’t leave me alone. Actually, I am not sure I want it to. The melody is beautiful and the words are loaded with poetry and Christian meaning. They were written by John Newton who also wrote “Amazing Grace.” Perhaps it is the mental images the words...
At the end of the annual meeting, just before the prayer of dismissal, the pastor turned to Jeremiah 29 and read to the congregation: “Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” I wonder how many times in the past 2600 years this passage has thrilled and inspired God’s people. People are often reminded that God has a plan. He has a plan for each individual life and he has a plan for the people collectively, as a whole, as a Church. In this case, most of the peopl...
