What would you ask God? If you had the opportunity to ask God anything…and He would definitely answer…what would you ask? What if you could ask Him only one thing…what question would be most important to you? Would it be personal? Why something awful happened to you or someone you love? Would it be scientific?…
Category: Pastoral
Then I Met Marty
A couple weeks back you may have also cringed when you heard, on national news, that a New Hampshire state senator suggested we ship the mentally ill to Siberia to die. I cannot remember if the story stated his party affiliation, but even if it didn't I would have assumed he was Republican and figured…
A Little Creeped Out?
This past week, to make the time on my Concept2 Rower pass more quickly, I listened to talk shows on Internet radio (well, the Internet streams of "real" radio stations). On one show they interviewed the founder of Voyurl, a service which "allows you to share your clickstream and find out who is looking at…
You Can’t Just Pray in Jesus’ Name
Town Meeting While in Rick and Diane's last week, I received a call from our town Moderator, Bob Flanders, asking if I could give the invocation at Thursday's town meeting. I was honored at the request, and said that since Mikey's Pops Concert was the same night I'd have to confirm time coordination with Michelle,…
The End
If you click on the image, you’ll see that the “10-degree Map Centered at 40°N, 140°E” (generated Saturday, March 12, 15:22:22 UTC) says, “255 earthquakes on this map.”1 First, imagine having lived through the original estimated 8.9 magnitude quake—one that appears to have shifted Japan’s main island by 8 feet and the earth’s axis by…
What You Need
Battle of the Bands This week I had a singer named Aloe Blacc playing on my iPod…probably because Augie really likes one of his songs and asked for it earlier. The title is "I Need a Dollar"…but Augie refers to it as the "Hey Hey Song" since he likes doing that phrase in the song…
Embracing a Fate of Fire
Dateline Afghanistan This week the Associated Press reported some positive news from Afghanistan about a Christian named Sayed Mussa: An Afghan man who was jailed for nine months for converting to Christianity has been released after an intense campaign by international diplomatic missions and Christian activists, an official said Friday.1 Sadly, just being released from…
What’s in a Name?
This week I spent a couple days off-the-grid in East Millinocket, Maine with Mike, my father-in-law (a retired truck driver who dabbles in used car sales). During one trip (to plain-old Millinocket) I saw a sign for an oil and propane supplier—one I'd never noticed before: Dead River Company. I told Mike that it seemed…
Not So “Children Stories” in the Bible
I ran into Tim Hawkin’s for the first time last night. It’s great to have another "clean" comedian I can watch and listen to. As I was working on my sermon today, this great bit came to mind. Sadly I won’t be able to work it in. 🙂 Graham Maxwell, a friend of mine (and…
WealthTV?
I can’t help but think there is something wrong with Sky Angel, a Christian TV provider (through Internet streaming) adding this channel to their lineup, even if it is not part of the “Faith Package” (as compared to “Family Package” or “Family Values Package”). I’ve been away from the Internet (mostly) for more than three…
Prayin’ Like a Pagan (Part 2)
Quick Review Before we jump into "Prayin' Like a Pagan (Part 2)" (otherwise known as "Winslow's Sermon on the Lord's Prayer (Part 2)"), let's quickly review the highlights of part 1. Although we are reviewing eleven verses (Matthew 6:5-15), we only made it through three of them two weeks ago when I last preached. I…
A Lesson from Smuggling
One of the first editions of Ruport Murdoch’s new iPad-only newspaper, The Daily, included a story that had all the makings of a great old-fashioned G-Man tale.1 An unmarked truck sneaks out from Pennsylvania before dawn with liquid contraband destined for Manhattan. After arriving, the banned substance is clandestinely slipped into a crowded room of…
Diane’s Miracle
In the "we took way too long to start it" category are the monthly church prayer meetings that began in January (and will repeat every fourth Sunday at 10AM instead of Bible study). Although other items were also brought before the Lord, one request especially stood out—Diane’s need for an operation that might finally stem…
Prayin’ Like a Pagan (Part 1)
A.K.A. Winslow’s Sermon on Prayer (Part 1) I have asked folks to let me know if there is anything they’d like me to preach on, and a few weeks back Winslow delivered by requesting a sermon on the Lord’s Prayer. I postponed doing it because it’s far less simple than it sounds…and although I still…
How Far Would You Go?
The lead article in the most recent Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter is about the exploits of Rolo, a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) who now spends his time leading residents of FARC-controlled areas (and FARC rebels themselves) to Christ. Needless to say, it is a very risky proposition. Not…