Church Blog (Page 22)

I have heard recordings of Question-and-Answer panels from the 1960s. Those old preachers and teachers, including their audiences, really knew their subjects well. By all appearances, everyone knew what was going to be said before it was said. They were simpler days, where right and wrong needed no explanation. However, the years that followed were testament to the fact that following generations will do as they please. The next five decades saw many of the churches of Christ, along with…

My brother, Ray, told me of an incident that occurred in the mid-1970s. He said that he was working on a construction site and sat down in the sun to eat his lunch. As he chatted with one of the other workers on the project, the man opened his lunch box and lifted out a piece of paper. “What’s this?” he said. When he unfolded the paper, it revealed the scribblings of an unsigned five-word letter. It read: “I’m going…

I visited the beautiful town of Devonport, today. It rests at the end of a peninsula on Auckland’s North, and at the foot of Mount Victoria. Devonport is a short ferry trip away from Downtown Auckland, which spreads across the opposite shore of the Waitamata Harbour. It has quaint shops, cafes, a rather expensive looking Public Library, it is home to our modest naval base, has very expensive houses, and generous, but strict, parking laws. But my visit today reminded…

Many a new Christian has gone home to joyously announce their baptism, only to be met with incredulity. Much to the surprise of the brand-new saint, their family members were suddenly claiming deep spiritual affection for the religion of their fathers; even though they had never mentioned such convictions before in their lifetimes. In other words, “Keep your religion to yourself!” It goes without saying that no one becomes a Christian hoping to be ignored or attacked for their faith.…

A preacher’s son was playing in his front yard when a visitor asked him if his dad was home. “He’s upstairs praying,” the little boy said. “What’s he praying about? the visitor enquired. “He’s asking God if he should take a position at a bigger church with a bigger salary.” “Well, where’s your mother, then?” the man asked. “She’s downstairs packing,” the little boy said. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is oft cited when discussing prayers answered in the negative.…

I sat with an old missionary who spoke of the brethren he had left his home to work with years before. He said that they were the most hard working, gracious and godly saints he knew. He told of the brethren’s dedication to the lost, and how they endured persecution within and without the church as they reached out to their neighbours. What the old missionary didn’t tell me was that the brethren of that congregation were inspired by his…

An elder from a local denomination visited Morningside one Sunday. After worship he stayed to chat with me and asked me to consider being the preacher of his church. Of course, I thanked him for his kind offer, but told him that I was happy in my present ministry. The strange thing was that he knew that I had convictions that many in his congregation would not have tolerated being preached. They had long since joined the World Council of…

A university administrator found himself in front of a judge being charged with littering. Apparently, his department had switched over to electronic textbooks and he suddenly had a mountain of hardcopies in his possession. He couldn’t be seen dumping them in the university’s bins, so he began throwing them out of his car window as he drove home. Eventually, someone reported him, and he was arrested. As a (casual) minimalist my goal has never been to have as few things…

You have probably heard people say something like: “Jesus was one of the great teachers.” Of course, this is how they place him among the many religious teachers of the ages. They give him credit for whatever sayings of his they like, but neither he nor his sayings are exalted above the others. Just as every church thinks that they are the most likely way to heaven, every man believes that his spiritual teacher is the most likely guide. Two…

At High School there was a boy well known for having come from a dysfunctional home. One day his parents joined a church, and the affect was immediate and obvious. Rubbish was removed from their yard, the lawn was mowed, and the house cleaned. Also, and most notably, the boy lost his aggressive stance and literally pulled up his socks. Life at that point took a turn for the better. Without a doubt, Christianity will set you on the path…