Retired & Thinking

Christmas Teaching for the 12 days of Christmas... Christmas story reboot sort of ... Hat tip to Quotidian Grace and Rev. Santucci Peace and Merry Christmas Alan

Told the congregation I'd put this on the blog so here it is. Worth the watch and I give you permission not to rise. The HD version is on YouTube. Peace, Alan

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” So what if: We realized and celebrated God welcoming us? We welcomed one another and the stranger in such a way? We realized the difference a little attention makes? Would the Church be seen as different? Would God's people be known by their Love? Would we find people wanting to join with us? What do you think? Peace Alan

How many pastors have told their members, either in a sermon or individually, that the best message to share about Christ is their own. Now we have scientific proof, of a kind . Two physicists discovered a simple, one atom thick, piece of graphite [graphene]is more powerful than they ever thought. Their method of discovery was unique too. They didn't use "multibillion-dollar particle accelerators and orbiting telescopes" but "Andre Geim, 51, and Konstantin Novoselov, 36, both of the University of Manchester, laid the foundation for their discovery with an ordinary piece of Scotch tape" The simple stories are the powerful ones. Our stories may not sound like something from the 700 Club , Guidepost or Decision but, assuming the presence of the Holy Spirit working, they have the ability to share what God has done for us to those in our world. A few fish [John 6, Matthew 15, Mark 8], a couple of coins [Mark and Luke 12] or being faithful in the little things...

Leonard Sweet makes us of the model of immigrant and native in describing two approaches to the digital and post-modern age in which we are living. In an interview Leonard says, "I find that it is especially helpful for getting some people to think in a new way. I say this first, and then I backtrack from it. I am just going to make a generalization here. If you are over 30, you are an immigrant. If you are under 30, you are a native." Read the whole interview to see it in context Part of the application of this principle is how one connects with the world in which they live. How does an unchurched person look, act, talk and behave. In addition, what are they "into". This all leads into something I heard today on a Portland, "Family Friendly", the new watchword for Christian radio station. The morning team were talking about how many families have DVR's and were using them to record the new shows that are premiering this week. Then they show a...

LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. Hab. 3:2 NIV I want to take a few moments to process how God has been at work since my mom's death May 23. Besides the usual emotions, I've noticed that God has touched my life with a variety and interesting group of people. Some of them are old friends. Some of them are relatives both known to me and new. Some are [were] youth that I worked with when I was a volunteer. Some were people that I sort of remember. This probably won't make a lot of sense to you but that's my issue not yours. I've just been burned with the need to share what has been happening the last two months. Family: I met Jerry, a cousin from the Wilkerson family that I met when I was 3 or 4 years old. We got to visit over coffee and share some things about family and our genealogy hobby. Sadly, my mom never knew he lived less than 15 minutes from her...

Check out Rob Harrison's comments on the video below for he does a very good job of asking the difficult questions about it's content and purpose. My comments after the video. In light of the Gospel of John which they are handing out should this surprise any follower of Jesus. 18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the One who sent me. Are there other cities with such restrictions? Heck yeah! From Boston's recent protest of a church training event with Exodus International to confrontation of Gideons handing out New Testament...