Musings

  • Preachers And Pay - A preacher friend and I were talking about church finance. He told me of an experience that left me shaking my head in wonder. The context is that this brother has faithfully served in the same congregation for well over 20 years. The church never has provided a living wage so he’s had to supplement … Continue reading
  • Pastor, Pastor! - Have you ever had the experience of talking to someone without being able to communicate? Neither of you used any esoteric words or complex sentences yet, somehow, you seemed to be talking right past each other. There was no mutual understanding. Sometimes when this occurs, it turns out that you are defining the meaning of … Continue reading
  • Misplaced Guilt - Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets. One reason is that I can relate to his reluctance when God called him. Jeremiah’s response was, “I do not know how to speak; I’m only a child.” Like Jeremiah I, too, felt unqualified to speak. I am a shy introvert who prefers to stay in the background. … Continue reading
  • Is It Possible To Be Too Truthful? - It was Winston Churchill who said, “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” There is an unfortunate tendency in the culture in which I grew up, to treat truth that way not only in wartime, but all the time. Another cultural tendency is to tell … Continue reading
  • Leadership Training (Part 3) - What Should We Teach? It’s been several years since I wrote the first two parts of this series. In the first part I discussed the dearth of leaders in the church and why we cannot depend on the Bible Colleges and Seminaries to train the people we need. In the second of these essays I … Continue reading
  • What’s Music For, Anyway? - Have you taken a look around at the congregation during the music portion of your worship assemblies? Perhaps it is different where you are, but recently I’ve noticed a trend. In several places I’ve been, very few people in the congregation were singing. I’ve wondered why. One reason why so few people sing these days … Continue reading
  • God Sings - Someone once asked me whether the people in a certain religion sing during their worship services. I had to stop and think about it. Music and song certainly does exist in the cultures where this religion is prevalent. In fact, they enjoy a rich heritage of religious music. Nor, is their musical tradition obscure. It … Continue reading
  • Hook-ups, Marriage and Polygamy - The other day I re-read one of those dystopian stories written at the height of the “Cold War” when everyone half expected the major powers to annihilate each other by means of a nuclear bombardment. In the story a couple managed to anticipate the destruction of their city and escape to a remote ranch house … Continue reading
  • Fallen Beauty - My wife and I recently had the opportunity to spend a week at one of our National Parks. We reveled in being outdoors, surrounded by majestic landscapes. The scenery was breathtaking. Rugged peaks, sheer cliffs, alpine meadows, blue lakes, white glaciers and misting waterfalls met our delighted gaze on every hand. There seemed no end … Continue reading
  • Credibility - I normally don’t mention current events or politics on this blog. It’s my intention to foster contemplation about the church and other spiritual concerns, not partisan or party ideologies. However, I’m going to make an exception this time. The events transpiring in Afghanistan have hit me hard. You see, I lived there for six months … Continue reading

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