Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- Cockeyed with Gratitude - Cockeyed with Gratitude: Have you ever been cockeyed with gratitude? You know, when thankfulness fills your eyes with tears, and your heart is so full that it fair will burst, and all of your words are adjectives of grace and joy. Have you ever been that cockeyed with gratitude? You know in a very real sense, I think that deep feeling of God’s presence produces all of that, so that even the smallest things in your life take on a shine, a glistening polish of newness even though it’s old, as old as you are, yet its new. It’s when you know that life is good. Continue reading
- The Way of the Wicked - The Way of the Wicked: Our Bible study discussion was on Daniel chapter 6, and as was typical, our discussion led us on a tangent, as we reflected on the way of the wicked in our society. The news has given us mental pictures of vast areas of discrimination, graphic images that are hard to get our civilized minds around, and left us with the unanswered question, Why? We draw on a base of Christianity throughout our lives. The variety of our life experiences has informed us in the past, but never to the degree to understand what we hear and see on our television screens. We are simply not prepared for the senseless, deep and broad acts of hatred. Too often, it is the lions of hatred and discrimination that lead us into darkness and discouragement. Let us remain true to our Creator, and pray that God will send his angels to shut the mouths of those lions so they cause no harm and their roars are just so much noise, signifying nothing at all. Continue reading
- Surely the Presence - Surely the Presence: Friday, October 20, 1983, my friend Mac and I walked into an old school in Columbus Ohio and began a weekend which deepened our relationship with Jesus Christ. By the time we walked out on Sunday afternoon we had an experience so profound it truly shaped our Christian walk the rest of our lives. Cursillo, Via Di Christo, Brethren Way of Christ, Emmas Walk, the name you give the three-day retreat matters little, it’s the content that is so powerful: An uninterrupted, New Testament focused time with Jesus. Continue reading
- Re Formation - Re Formation: We associate the reformation with Martin Luther’s rebellion against the rigidness of the Catholic Church, as reflected in his ’95 Theses’ posted in 1517. But there were any number of Reformers in that era, names we recognize. Turin, Waldo, Calvin, Tyndale, Knox, Cromwell, and many more. Let’s be clear, our lives, our character, our behaviors are shaped by what we believe, and what we believe in. Our faith is born in God’s love, and His promises, not by the rules that man has made, in the name of religion. When we accept Christ, we are ‘re-formed’ into God’s love, we are changed, into a new creature in Christ. Continue reading
- What Belongs to God? - What Belongs to God? Good question. What does belong to God? How am I to understand this? Jesus told the rich young ruler to ‘sell all you have, and give to the poor’. That was confusing to him and to us. Why impoverished that young man? It’s not easy to accept the premise that everything we are, everything we have, everything we do is the Lords. We are the Lord's, which means we have our marching orders and they’re pretty simple: Love God and love others. We are to make no exceptions, for any reason. Which explains why it’s not easy. So, if everything we claim belongs to God, then we give back to Him the graces and the gifts, physical, spiritual, emotional…all. Continue reading
- Your Story, My Story - Your Story, My Story: You were baptized, you accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and you do your best to follow the Will of God. You have story. I’m a preacher’s kid. I grew up in the church. I thought I was a Christian, that is, until the circumstances of my life crashed and I found out what Jesus meant when He told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” Since then I have done my best to follow Jesus as Lord. I have story. Continue reading
- Message of Hope - Message of Hope: I suppose I could have titled this ‘the triumph of love over fear’, because that’s my closing argument. It’s easy to find ourselves grappling with fear -- fear of the unknown, of failure, even fear of each other. There exists a powerful force that has the ability to dispel the darkness and bring forth profound transformation: Love. Love is a beacon of light that has the capacity to overcome the darkness of our most daunting fears. This is not a minor sentiment; it’s a courageous and transformative power that can heal and unite. Continue reading
- Free Will - Free Will: Nearly two years ago I wrote an essay entitled ‘Small Minds’ and posted it on my website. I pointed out that the conflict I see between our personal opinions of things, the free will that God has given us, and simple, clear facts that are there before our eyes, and minds, have caused stress and divisions that have taken away from the building up of our nation and our own spiritual growth. God makes it clear that He did NOT create any religion! Not one! Not yours, not mine. He made it clear that each of those man-made “slants” on His Word has a purpose. He implies that we make complex that which is actually very simple – Love others as He has loved us. Period. Continue reading
- Self-Sufficiency - Self-Sufficiency: I think it’s hard to admit that there are times when we are often mired in evil thoughts, impulsive thoughts at the moment, thoughts that if we had a moment to think about we would not have had them. Often thoughts lead to action. While self-sufficiency can be a positive trait, too often we judge others behavior, by our excellent life skills, as if our self-sufficiency is the stuff that others should aspire to. Continue reading
- Perfect Imperfections - Perfect Imperfections: My body is a broken toy. The words of Angie Ebba, disabled, artist, writer and teacher. In an article on the website Healthline, she started with this statement: “I am broken..." It is her reality. Her story is inspiring and offers encouragement for all of us who age, become infirm, forgetful, or acquire debilitating illnesses. We think of another broken body, and we hear those words, “This is my body broken for you…” those words should resonate with us. Each word has meaning. This is my body... What about you and your encounter with Jesus, there on Calvary? Where are our thoughts when we hear His words, “This my body being broken for you”? Continue reading
- Favorites? - Favorites: Favorite passages from the Bible. We all have them. Maybe it was a passage that we memorized when we were a child and it stuck with us, taking on real meaning when we became adults and we drew closer to our Lord. What Bible passages do you favor? When do you call to mind the Words of God? Is it for comfort? For strength? For direction? Is it in times of severe pain, heart attack, a diagnosis where hope is thin and you wonder where to turn? So, what is your favorite passage? What is there about that passage that has drawn you? Does it bring you closer to God? When you consider those words, it is a prayer, it is calling on your Father, the King of the Universe, your Lord and Savior, Amen. Continue reading
- Unforgiveness? - Unforgiveness: ‘One cannot have peace and love and harbor unforgiveness.' I’m assuming that the meaning of unforgiveness relates to a person who finds it hard, even impossible, to love someone who has treated them badly, in their own estimation. Maybe that person has promised one thing and never delivered. Maybe something was said and never apologized for. Whatever the reason, in unforgiveness, we run counter to what Jesus has taught us when he gave us the Great Commandment. You remember that one, don’t you? Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your mind and your soul and love others as I have loved you. Here is the thing about unforgiveness, even a small one, it begins to stink and has that strange characteristic of getting heavier and heavier the longer you carry it. Continue reading
- Hope and Encouragement - Hope and Encouragement: This morning the Lord ‘Loaded me up’ (pardon the expression) with His inspiration. Yes, it was filtered through part Allen Jackson, part Steven Furtick, part Holy Bible and 100% my Lord. Furtick was preaching that we are to go in the strength that we have for it is more than enough to accomplish what the Lord had placed on our hearts. That lead to a thought about Graham and the alter calls, with the song ‘Just as I am, without one plea. Then Allen Jackson stepped into my thoughts and prayers, speaking about the fact that we are in the midst of ‘Spiritual Warfare’ with legions of angels on our side fighting along with us, and giving us Hope and Encouragement. Jackson closed his message with a proclamation drawn from God’s Word. Continue reading
- Foot-In-Mouth Cure - Foot-In-Mouth Cure: Sometime ago I was reading a version of a Jesus Calling devotional from a few years ago and the Lord spoke to me and my occasional tendency to speak before I think. I know that I’m not alone in blurting out words and thoughts that I immediately regret. I sometimes speak in humor, clever little quips, and the listener hears nothing to smile about, and may even argue. I can see the blessed ideal in what the Apostle James has said about being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to take offense or become angry. That’s very wise counsel but I’m wondering how many of us intentionally follow that advice? Sometimes it's hard to grasp that the help we want and need is readily available through a simple prayer: Help Me, Holy Spirit, or Help Me, Jesus. In those words is more power then we can imagine. Continue reading
- Nine Is Not Enough - Nine Is Not Enough: It was late and almost dark. He heard the sound as he approached his car, the insistent cry of a baby animal. He looked around, but saw nothing. When he unlocked his car, and opened the door, the light illuminated a tiny kitten, standing on trembling legs near his front tire. He reached down, scooped it up, and, sliding into his car, he examined it. He knew what to look for: eyes were barely open, legs not fully developed – three weeks old, tops. It’s cries told him the poor thing was hungry. The timing was perfect, the need acute, for both kitty and man. Over the next two decades, beginning with bottle-feeding bonding, Chloe maintained her status as the center of the family, the protector, the provider of endless entertaining activities. My friend found, as we all do, that there is a down-side to pet adoption. In Chloe’s case, nine lives was not enough, when the time came where quality of life trumps the wish that our loved one would never leave us. We take some comfort in what Dr. David Jeremiah has to say about the importance of loving pets in our lives. He points out that what we think about heaven determines how we live each day, and how the pain of loss is softened. Continue reading
- I Surrender All? - I Surrender All? "I surrender all / All to Thee / My blessed Savior / I surrender all" Do we sing that? Do we say that? Do we mean that? The words of this hymn are loaded. Phrases like “I will ever love and trust Him”. Can we check that one off? Do you place your trust there, with Him? How about “in His presence daily live.” Do you meet that standard, every moment of every day? Got that one? Okay, then we come to the crusher, “My blessed Savior, I surrender all”. All, everything, not a scrap that we can call our own. It is ALL His. Think long and hard about that one. It is not an easy road we travel with Jesus. It is not easy to surrender it all. Continue reading
- Empathy, Compassion, Love - Empathy, Compassion, Love: I am convinced, that a good part of empathy and compassion lies within each one of us, for, at its core, what we have gone through, and our present state, is personal. It is how we each grow from it. I believe Love is the source of all compassion, it is the opposite of fear. To me, there is a positive counter-transition that goes like this -- Fear can breed anger. Anger, recognized, can encourage sympathy. Awareness of our sympathetic response can engender empathy. Empathy opens the door to compassion, and compassion is love. That may sound complicated, but it happened in the blink of an eye. May the power of God’s love within us, always move us to acts of compassion, sometimes beyond our human willingness to act. Continue reading
- Fear Is Not Peace - Peace Is Not Fear: “We are humans, we all experience fear in some form or another; for our own safety, sometimes the fear is of the unknown, or comes out of our worry about tomorrow. We hear plenty of scripture passages that say to us do not fear, and certainly do not worry about tomorrow… What about holy fear? The kind of fear that God implants in us that guides us closer to him?” That thought, or Holy Fear, stayed with me through the week and informed my reading of Acts 2:1-4, where we read about Pentecost. It was a fearful, violent wind and tongues of fire that filled the temple. All that would be fearful enough, but then they were filled with the holy spirit. Which was God’s purpose, God’s plan. Continue reading
- Uncommon Sense - Uncommon Sense: Trusting God is sometimes difficult. That is especially true when we are called to do something that we resist. Sometimes our faith is in conflict with our common sense, or our comfort levels. You hear the Apostle Paul telling you that “all things work together for good…” and you wonder. Jesus tells you to “sell all you have and give to the poor” and you think, that can’t be right. That would make me one of the poor. Let’s face it, common sense and faith are as different from each other as today’s news is from the Good News. When we trust him, and have faith in him, we immediately have something that is real, and our faith it is limitless. Continue reading
- Rules of Worship? - Rules of Worship? New York City painter Archie Rand likes to work on big art projects, big themes, like jazz in American culture and the history of the Jews. He paints very large pieces, murals on buildings and other broad surfaces. One collection of 54 paintings represents each division of the Hebrew Torah. For the ancient Jew, the Laws were important guide rails for living a sacred life. What would pharisees and teachers of the law make of the "commandments", or laws, that modern Christian denominations have thrown up to give guidance to our idea of worship? It would be interesting to see Rand’s artistic interpretation of some of our “Rules of Worship”. How about the sanctity of “Pew Reservations”. Continue reading
