Using Humor Effectively

A lady remarked a few months ago how much she enjoyed the pastor’s good humor in the pulpit. I remembered  how someone else in a different place responded to a worship survey: “The pulpit is no place for levity. The pastor should refrain from joking.”

I’m sure there’s truth in both observations. The pulpit is not a place for stand-up comedy. The responsibility of sharing God’s word is a heavy weight indeed. The ancient prophet Malachi called it the “burden” of God’s word. Many of us older pastors, now wiser, have apologized to our families that we’d often been preoccupied on weekends as the task of preaching loomed before us. Pastors are generally more relaxed on Saturday when guest preachers are scheduled on Sunday!

On the other hand, Solomon insisted laughter is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22). Medical professionals agree we need a daily dose of laughter to counter the anxieties of our age.

And we have a notable example.

Theologian Elton Trueblood wrote “The Humor of Christ” in 1975. He insisted many of the sayings of Jesus were actually Aramaic “punch lines” provoking laughter as a teaching tool. Public speakers know that humor and stories, or anecdotes, are what people most often “take away” from presentations; thus linking these to scriptural principles can make a speaker more effective.

But a good lesson to remember about humor is it can be misinterpreted and can be hurtful.

Many of us in public service are expected to be conversational and in good spirit as we meet and greet others during the week. Familiarity means we might have a shared dialogue with those we know well, such as restaurant servers. For example, I know several bank tellers by name. When they ask how they can help me, I sometimes say, “Turn off the cameras and give me all your money.” We laugh, but I wouldn’t dare say this to an employee I don’t know and risk arrest! New people we meet or those we don’t know well may be offended by banter they interpret as rude or insensitive when we’re simply trying to be light-hearted.

Wit to one may be insult to another, so public figures need to be swift to offer apology as needed.

Perhaps the safest kind of humor is self-deprecating, or humor at our own expense. First lady Barbara Bush was masterful at this. When the Bushes came to the White House in 1989, reporters asked Mrs. Bush how she was different from former first lady Nancy Reagan.

“Well,” she said, “Nancy is a size 4 and I’m a size 44!”

Self-deprecating humor is generally safe, and if used wisely, can be appropriate and effective in our presentations and conversations.

On 'Sounding The Trumpet' When We Give

I was called on to help with a funeral in Selma recently, and the visit gave opportunity to remember many experiences and friendships from the years we lived there. I also remembered one of the most interesting telephone calls I ever had.

A pastor’s wife called to ask for advice. She said her family gave so much to their church that they didn’t have much money left for the family’s needs. I admitted this was a unique problem and I’d never know anyone else who gave “too much” to their church. She explained that their church had a particular way of receiving and publicizing offerings.

“At the end of the service one of the officers announces the gifts given that morning and the names of the donors,” she said. “My husband is the pastor and he knows he has to set the example so he most often gives a larger amount than we can really afford.”

I’m not sure I had much wisdom for this nice lady that day, though I tried to be sympathetic. I have reflected on this experience many times over the years.

In my denomination we encourage sacrificial giving, but we try to make giving a private matter.

We had a boyhood pastor who made no secret that he looked over the giving records.

“Some of you don’t pay your share of the power bill!” he thundered.

This pastor did nothing but generate resentment.

One church I served began a fund-raising program for a new children’s building. Our consultant explained that the pastor must announce his financial commitment to the church as the program began. I wrestled with this more than about anything else in my life since I was not accustomed to calling attention to our giving. I finally talked about our commitment obliquely, comparing it to  the price of a premium cup of coffee each day. At the time, this was a sacrificial gift for our young family in addition to our regular gifts to the church.

Jesus taught us not to “sound a trumpet” when we give. He used the well-known exhortation, “Let not your right hand know what the left hand is doing” (Matthew 6:2-4). The point is that giving is a commitment between us and God. We either choose to let him reward us, or we can give in a way that calls attention to ourselves and choose to receive the praise of others as reward. Jesus gave the same warning about prayer and fasting, too.

On the other hand, a mother and father’s giving can be one way to model generosity to their children.

Giving to God’s work through our churches requires careful thought, earnest prayer and a proper attitude.

The Church And Cell Phones

Years ago when home visits were more common, I remember countless visits for the church when I competed with blaring televisions. One training program many of us took in the day suggested trying to sit between the  person and the television, or saying, “I’m interrupting your program—can I come back later?” Now, of course, a viewer can click “pause” or “record” and not miss anything.

 But we have new competition today—the cell phone. Stats say 96 percent of Americans own one. No one is ready to return to the wall phone or the party line, but it’s sad that common courtesy is often elusive.

 Public schools have instituted cell phone policies. For example, one local high school decrees cell phones mustn’t be visible in class unless teachers give permission for research. And for good reason. We’ve seen the diminishing of verbal skills among our youth. It was announced lately that for the first time Americans communicate more online than face-to-face. Research shows people are prone to be more direct, often angrier and less grammatically precise online than in person. In  this way, online communication can be like an anonymous survey.

Another open question is how the present generation will fare in job interviews if unskilled in interpersonal communication and good eye contact.

Many churches have instituted policies, too, posting announcements in their programs about turning off electronic devices or asking ministers to request this. Funeral directors make this request also before services in their chapels. I conducted a funeral last year in which an attendee’s phone rang three separate times before he got the idea to switch it off.

However, cell phone use is hard to police in churches. Many use cell phones as their scripture, enjoying 30 or more translations and larger font with a single click. But it’s wrong to frivolously text or visit Facebook while hymns of praise are sung, and the word of God proclaimed. Remember the nursery rhyme about the pussycat who “went to London-town to see the queen,” but ended up chasing a mouse instead? Priorities askew.

Recently I visited with a lady recuperating in the hospital from a very serious illness. While she told me about what she’d faced and how God brought her through, one of her adult children never looked up from her phone. As I prepared to offer prayer I wondered if I should, for the first time ever, ask the daughter to put her phone away so we could pray. It reminded me of the times we used to say, “Can we turn the television off so we can pray together?”

Cell phones are wonderful tools, but like other tools, must be used courteously and responsibly.

Welcome 2020

It was so long ago that the principal at the elementary school greeted us at a school program and said, “This is the class of 2000!” All us parents laughed, not having thought of what lay in store 12 years ahead. The graduation year came and went without major incident, despite the Y2K fears. Now we stand on the verge of another momentous year: 2020.

There’s something encouraging about a new year. Maybe the turning of the calendar page or putting a new blotter on the desktop is psychological—we think of new beginnings. We think about aspects of our lives that can be different.

A friend has lost more 40 pounds in the last few months. He told me he realized he’d been a slave to food and got winded when bending to tie his shoes. Now he looks and feels better and sleeps without his sleep apnea machine. All it took was a good and hard look at his alternatives, and he made a new choice.

We do this, too, with money. We can choose the latest fashion, the largest house and the shiniest automobile in the neighborhood, living beyond our means, or we can get realistic with our needs and quit trying to impress.

Another friend told about going to his insurance agent to update information after purchasing a new car. The agent asked who the lien holder was, and he said none—he paid cash. The agent remarked he didn’t hear this much. My friend said he heard the late financial counselor Larry Burkett years ago encouraging listeners to continue making car payments to themselves after their cars were paid off, thus saving for the next purchase. Burkett helped many people get out of debt with this and other practical advice. Dave Ramsey does this today, and most often at a higher decibel level!

Relationships offer fertile ground for change as well. I’ve known sisters and brothers from the same families who grew angry over this and that and ended relationships. The older I get the more puzzled I am over this. Life is short and family is important. Like the prodigal son in Jesus’s story discovered, home and family may be all we have in a time of need.

When seeking restoration it’s normally not helpful to dredge up and analyze the past. It’s more beneficial to be humble, to express heartfelt sorrow for brokenness and to ask permission to start again.

Another relationship that may need attention is with the God who gave us life. We’re assured he stands ready to greet us with mercy in the new year. He wants us to walk the uncharted paths of 2020 in partnership with him.

Do Not Be Afraid

I was a boy in suburban Birmingham when a man pounded on our door one night. We came to learn he was drunk and believed our house was his house. My dad was working overtime in the nearby steel mill, so I was the man of the house. My mother and sister were terrified. The man wouldn’t listen to us asking him to go away. Then he began to walk down the stairs to the basement entrance that I remember I failed to lock that night. I raced down the inside stairs and turned the lock just as he touched the outside doorknob. Then I ran out the front door to the retired police officer next door who came and held him at bay until the police arrived.

This intruder was so tipsy he probably wasn’t much of a threat, but we didn’t know it that frightful night.

I remember another boyhood fear. Pete, the neighborhood bully, somehow got me in his crosshairs. He never touched me, but he kept telling me what he was going to do to me.

My older brother, home from college one weekend, quoted FDR to me: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This may be where my love of presidential history came about!

The state highway department was in the process of buying our neighborhood to expand the interstate highway system, so we soon had to move, and I left Pete behind.

I’ve often wished I could see Pete again after all these years. I’ve watched every episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger” at least twice, and I believe I could defend myself!

Fear often makes its home in our lives. One website, phobialist.com, lists 530 phobias identified by psychology. Though some may sound a bit trivial, they nevertheless affect a percentage of the population.

It’s striking that an oft-repeated admonition of Christmas is “fear not.” An unnamed angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him “Fear not.” The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist, and the angel said, “Fear not.” Gabriel then told Mary, “Fear not.” And yet another unnamed angel came to the shepherds in Bethlehem’s fields to say, “Fear not.”

And in each of these four cases, the individuals heard the command not to be afraid, and they obediently did what God asked them to do.

The message to modern believers is that our creator doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to have faith in and obey the Christ of Christmas—the one whom Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son, John, later called the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Hallelujah, How The Angels Sang?

The book of Acts tells about Aquila and Priscilla who were helpers in the early church. They had the gift of exhortation, or encouragement, and demonstrated this by serving the apostle Paul, and the teacher Apollos. Apollos is virtually unknown except as an itinerant teacher who spent time in Corinth and, some propose, wrote the book of Hebrews. In his early days he had godly zeal but wasn’t schooled in the fundamentals as he should be. Thus, Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and “taught him the word of the Lord more closely” (Acts 18:26).

I’ve had a few descendants of this couple over the years who tried to school me, too. Sometimes they were correct, but sometimes they seemed argumentative.

One of the latter type stopped me after a Christmas sermon and insisted I’d been in error when I talked about the angels singing at Jesus’ birth.

“It says ‘said,’ it doesn’t say ‘sang,’” he declared.

I looked at Luke 2:14 and discovered he was exactly right. I consulted the Greek lexicon and found “lego” is the verb for “speak,” and the one used in this passage, but “humneo” is the word for “sing.” This second Greek verb is the root of our word “hymn.”

I discovered that nowhere does the Bible specifically say the angels sang. It might be inferred they sang as they praised the Lord, but we can’t be dogmatic about this. We do know their major function was serving as messengers for the Lord; a “Western Union” kind of calling.

So, angels may not sing. And to further compound our traditional understanding we find that angels are always described as males. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, had “the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). So much for “she sang like an angel.” In fact, any woman claiming to be an angel could be the devil in disguise, as Elvis warned us years ago!

Upon further reflection it occurred to me that human beings are commanded to do something angels may not do; namely, we’re commanded to sing praise to the Lord. One website suggests there are 64 verses in scripture exhorting us to sing praise to the Lord.

I’ve known numbers of people over the years who’ve refused to sing. “I can’t sing,” they say, or, “I can only make a joyful noise and won’t try,” they say. Sometimes I’ll sweetly remind them that we all sing “Happy Birthday” to children and grandchildren and proudly stand at the stadium to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Why would we not want to lift our voices in song and praise God as he commands? As Luther said, “In singing we all become preachers, telling out the good news.”

Voices In My Head

It was agonizing to purchase a new car lately. I shopped for 10 months and finally made a deal a few weeks ago. My old car was faithful for nine years, but now it’s gone and belongs to another. I purchased a vehicle that we used to call “foreign.” That’s when I heard my dad’s voice from heaven in my head.

Dad moved to Birmingham to work and raise a family before he and mom retired and moved back to north Alabama. He was a steelworker all those working years, and American steelworkers told us all to buy American. “Foreign” cars were a no-no. So whereas I heard my dad’s voice after all these years, I also had a comeback: “Dad, this car was built in Kentucky.”

I also have a phrase in my head one of our pastors used a lot when I was a boy. He said, “Israel is God’s chosen people, but we Americans are God’s favorite people!” Of course Romans 10 declares God has no favorites, but our pastor never seemed to notice.

A pastor friend and I conversed lately and agreed we’re thankful our sermons weren’t recorded in those early years because of the foolish things we said (and probably continue to say).

We come from the Baptist tradition in which a young man declares God’s call to preach, and the church says, “Fine. Preach for us next Sunday.” Being 16 or 17 we didn’t know much, so this was always a challenge. I’m grateful for the wonderful people who listened patiently and encouraged me to study and grow.

A lady told me something interesting several years ago. She’d heard a lot of sermons in the years I was in her church, and she remarked that I often talked about the lordship of Christ. She insisted it was a theme I referred to frequently and how it remained in her memory. I’m grateful she told me this, and happy this voice in her head was good and positive.

President Trump pardoned Lt. Clint Lorance on Nov. 15. Lorance had been court-martialed and was serving the sixth year of his 19-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth Military Prison. Evidence at his trial was contradictory, but the military court convicted him of war crimes in Afghanistan. After his release, Lorance appeared on a cable broadcast and was asked what he wanted to say to the president. “I love you, sir—you’re awesome,” he said. “I’d march to the gates of hell for you.”

Whatever the merits of this case, I think Lorance gave a response worthy to be kept in the head and heart of every Christian when we think of our indebtedness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Winning And Losing

It’s been said that football is a religion in Alabama. Sadly, this is often the case.

A pastor I know always gave an exhortation on the Sunday before Alabama’s Iron Bowl game. He told the congregation half of them would be disappointed the next weekend, but they needed to remember it was just a game--it’s supposed to be fun--and they must respect the other side. I was so impressed by this, though I graduated from one of those schools, that I’ve spoken this exhortation most years myself. I’ve seen too many people who enjoy rubbing salt into the wounds of those disappointed over a game.

And since my son played every sport imaginable in high school, I always try to remember that members of the other team are valuable as the children of other parents. Our son wasn’t always on the winning side, but we tried to teach him to be gracious no matter the outcome.

Athletics makes us think about winning and losing.

How often do we see a player having a good game, scoring a touchdown or hitting one out of the park and then thanking God for this victory? Whereas we’re to honor God in all things, does this mean that the losing team experiences God’s disfavor? Is God always on the side of winners? Doesn’t he have compassion for everyone whether we win or lose?

The late New York Yankee, Yogi Berra, coached third base one day when he saw a player kneel before entering the batter’s box, and another player make the sign of the cross on the field.

“Hey, why don’t you guys leave God alone and let him watch the game?” he shouted.

Berra’s word was a bit over-the-top, but maybe there’s a grain of wisdom therein.

President Trump famously said his administration would win so much we’d get tired of winning. But no one wins all the time. I’m convinced we need a theology of losing, for sometimes everyone will lose. People of faith don’t always win, and people of character don’t always excel. And sometimes we learn valuable lessons by losing.

We should respect all who subject themselves to the rigors of competition.

President Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is better to try great things, even at the risk of failure, then to know neither victory nor defeat.” TR knew defeat when his party denied him a second nomination and his independent party lost, but he’s remembered as a great American. Athletics, and life, should teach us how to reach beyond our limits, how to work as a team and how to contribute to a greater society.

God, the master teacher, has lessons for us in winning and losing.

Empty Chairs At The Table

Thanksgiving is, indeed, a wonderful time for families and friends to get together and enjoy themselves around a table of good food.

I’ve been thinking lately about other memories from the holidays. I remember my boyhood pastor saying once that Christmas always had a tinge of sadness since it was the time his father died. Little did I realize for Donna and me the same kind of memories would materialize.

It was Thanksgiving, 1992, and we sat at the table with my in-laws in Birmingham. My father-in-law, Robert Bell, always a good-humored man, joked that afternoon about his getting older. He’d been forgetting things and laughed that a few days before he’d missed his cup while trying to pour coffee. A few weeks later the medical tests came back and revealed a brain tumor. He died that summer. 

The next Thanksgiving, my mother talked about her medical ailments. She’d not felt well for some time. Still not feeling well at Christmas, she had to go lie down in the middle of our dinner. Family members insisted on taking her to the emergency room. The doctor found a spot in her lungs, and suggested she go to a hospital as soon as possible. The good doctors at St. Vincent’s in Birmingham found the cancer that started in her right kidney had moved to other parts of her body. She died in only seven weeks.

The older I get the more convinced I am that what my boyhood pastor said is often true. Part of the mix could be that Thanksgiving and Christmas are more easily-remembered benchmarks for family losses. I’m not sure. But I do know that for many of us there are feelings of sadness and loss tucked away in the pleasantries of the holiday season.

But, maybe these aren’t entirely unpleasant memories. Despite their premature deaths, in our estimation, my family can look back with gratitude to the years we had with our parents. Mr. Bell was the gentlest and most generous man I’ve ever known. He worked hard for what he had, but was always willing to give of himself to help others. And what can I say about my mother other than she was a sweet and loving woman who was always my advocate, no matter what. The older I get the more I see her as a role model for what a mother ought to be.

Many of us think about those who won’t be with us on Thanksgiving. But we’re grateful that God loaned us some special people and enriched our lives through them. As Paul wrote to his Philippian friends, “I thank God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3).

Note: This column was first used in 2014.

Thank God It's Friday? Not So Much

I found a volume in a used book story a few years back on the life and death of President William McKinley. It was interesting to learn more about our 25th president. McKinley has the infamy of being our third assassinated president. The writer noted "a singular coincidence" that all presidential assassinations had been on Friday: Lincoln - Friday, April 14, 1865; Garfield - Friday, July 2, 1881 and McKinley - Friday, Sept. 6, 1901.

It struck me that 60 years after this book was written we had a fourth presidential assassination on Friday, Nov. 22, 1963.

I'm not sure what to make of this strange coincidence, but I often think of the Kennedy assassination when the Nov. 22 anniversary comes around.

My generation remembers being in grade school that fateful Friday when hearing the news. We also remember the somber weekend following and the funeral on Monday. And we feel inexplicably drawn in pilgrimage to Dealey Plaza in Dallas and the Kennedy gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery, just like Richard Dreyfus was drawn to the alien landing strip in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

I visited Dealey Plaza several years ago while studying for a few days at the Baptist seminary in nearby Ft. Worth. It was surreal to see first-hand those sites so emblazoned on my mind--the sixth-floor window, the triple overpass and the grassy knoll.

Americans are grateful that our government is one of law and the transfer of power normally takes place peacefully. We're not a country of mob rule as we see in other parts of the world with the loss of lives and property when people protest. Our citizens are generally respectful of government, as we're exhorted to be in Romans 13, and we live as responsible people.

But we also lament the fact that angry people have freedom to effect violence. Our democracy isn't a police state and we normally travel about and do as we wish. Accordingly citizens can abuse privilege, make some regrettable choices and do some terrible things from time-to-time, as we see in much too many episodes of gun violence.

Somehow we try to find equilibrium between responsibility and freedom.

Currently our nation is fractured between red and blue, the MAGAs and the Resistance. We have to find a way to go forward. Our county has too many overpowering needs that we can’t ignore due to partisanship.

Going forward won't be easy, but we have no better option.

As President Reagan noted in his first inaugural address, ". . . we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And, after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans."

Something Old, Something New

“Something old, something blue, something borrowed and something new” is an old rhyme repeated at weddings. I’ve known many brides through the years who’ve been creative in order to include these items in their bridal attire.

I suppose “something new” is the theme song of our age.

Those of us who have lived a few years now remember how things used to be, along with the exhilaration of new experiences.

My generation remembers the “party line” and the tolls for long distance calls. At one time telephone companies offered free long distance after 9 p.m., and I remember friends calling at that magic hour. As a boy in mission groups I wrote letters to missionaries around the world and think about the thrill of getting a letter in return with an exotic stamp on the envelope. I also remember the first time I communicated with a gentlemen in India by Internet. I hit “send” and the message traveled through cyberspace immediately. I told about this in a college class once and the students weren’t impressed! But one day they’ll share “change” stories of their own.

When Paul went to Greece in obedience to his Macedonian vision, he traveled to the intellectual capital of the world: Athens. Luke records an interesting commentary: “For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21).

Research says we have a lot of Athenians in America today who constantly search for the newest things in worship. People frequently flock to new churches in new places where the people do new things. Spiritual tradition is sometimes thought to be unwanted and out of date.

Of course most churches, even if they consider themselves traditional, now find themselves doing some new things. I spend time with PowerPoint these days, as well as Bible commentaries, when I search for images to enforce the sermon. I’m grateful for this modern tool, all the while thinking about some places I’ve preached in over the years that were so far out in the woods we were happy to have electricity!

New things are beneficial if they help us communicate, which is the main idea.

But something old shouldn’t be jettisoned just because it’s old. Old doesn’t automatically mean “bad.” Old things can be “tried and true” if they honor the Lord and present the message of the gospel. Old churches have a track record of integrity and visible results from what they’ve done over the years.

Old churches and young churches have the same message. The message is 2000 years old and it yet speaks of the power of God unto salvation.

Keep On Keeping On

Science debates the concept of perpetual motion; that is, once an object is set in motion, is it possible to continue motion forever? Whether this is physically possible is debatable, but that it should happen spiritually is non debatable. The inspired apostle Paul wrote, "Continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast" (Colossians 1:23).

What Paul meant is that if we stop moving forward in our Christian lives, we lose ground. Perseverance is the key to victorious living. Perseverance is much better than a good start and a bad ending.

Jesus taught about a sower whose seed fell in various locales. One group of seeds quickly germinated and sprang up, but withered in the sun. Another group likewise sprung up but had no rootage to sustain them. The point is obvious. A good start isn't enough! I've known some people who seemed to make a good start in their Christian commitment, but who weren't committed for the long term and withered.

Another analogy the scripture uses is infancy. New Christians are called babies, but mustn't remain babies. I don't think I've known anyone whose body remained infantile through adulthood, but I've known several cases in which cognitive skills remained infantile; thus grown men and women had the minds of little children. Both of these cases are tragic, and it's also tragic when believers fail to grow beyond spiritual infancy and remain spiritual infants.

Aesop made famous the story of the tortoise and the hare. What a foolish contest that was since the hare was much faster. But after a good start, the hare took a break. The tortoise made steady progress and won the race. As Aesop said, "Slow and steady wins the race."

We cannot afford to "take a break" from the path of Christian growth. When we stop we actually go backward.

And it's true that many people along the faith highway have taken the exit ramp.

Jeff Foxworthy makes us laugh with his redneck jokes. For example, "You know you're a redneck if your life has been changed by an episode of 'Walker Texas Ranger.'" He also gave us the redneck dictionary. One of his Southern verbs is "usedtuhcould," as in "Can you dance?" And the response is "I usedtuhcould!"

Their number is legion in Christendom--those who used to be committed to the faith. They used to attend Sunday School, or teach, or give or be a deacon or sing in the choir or have a joyful faith. But now all of this is past tense.

Going forward doesn't mean we don't mess up, for we all do. But it means we get up when we fall and press on to the glory of God.

Secular Vs. Sacred

I told Alexa to play “oldies” for me while doing some menial work last week, and soon she played a familiar song: “The House Of The Rising Sun.” This was never among my personal favorites, but it did bring back memories of a disruption at a Birmingham church because of it.

One Sunday morning the young music minister strummed his guitar to this melody while singing the lyrics to “Amazing Grace.” As I recall it fit pretty well. But he was accosted after the service by an angry church member. The man told him gospel should never be sung to the tune of a song about a New Orleans house of ill repute!

For many years it was alleged Martin Luther borrowed a German beer hall melody for “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” but it’s now believed Luther wrote the melody himself. But what if the reformer did borrow a beer hall song, or a young guitarist borrowed a popular song of his day to convey a spiritual message? Would this be so wrong?

I think the church has borrowed a lot of “secular” things and baptized them for God’s work.

Radio and television weren’t invented for the church, but there are many channels devoted to gospel broadcasting now. And Bible teaching podcasts are readily available. We were exhorted years ago that telephone book yellow pages was the best advertising for our churches, but who has a telephone book anymore? Now we’re told people visit our websites for service and ministry information.

And certainly we’ve relegated typewriters and spirit-master duplicators to the storage closet while we use the most modern computers and photocopiers for communication. Many church newsletters today aren’t printed but sent through cyber-space to be read on electronic devices.

At our church have a monthly printed newsletter, but we’ve discussed using text messaging in addition to our weekly e-newsletter we provide for members and guests. The younger generation is in a hurry, we’re told, and doesn’t have time to read e-mail!

Who knows what methodologies churches will use 10 or 20 years from now?

The late Oral Roberts was criticized when he moved his tent crusades to Sunday morning television and periodic weeknight “specials.” But he said, “I’ve never married a method. What works best is what I want to use.”

I showed a picture of  brothers “Larry, Darryl and Darryl” to a group of high school students lately and they had no clue who these characters from the old “Newhart” show were! I suppose a guitarist could use a tune from the 60s now as a vehicle for spiritual lyrics and only us seniors would know. But maybe we’d hear God’s truth in a fresh way.

Confession Is Good For The Soul

I thought it best to confess before some enterprising journalist dug it up and doomed any political nomination I might have in the future.

We’re studying the book of Acts in our church, and lately highlighted the seven servants chosen in chapter six. We Baptists traditionally espouse this to be the genesis of the deacon office, though the men aren’t called deacons in this context. Their task was to solve a disruptive issue in the fellowship and free the apostles to do their unique mission. Five of the seven aren’t mentioned again, but two have some notoriety. Steven became the first Christian to die for his faith, and the author points out several parallels to how Jesus died.

Philip is the other of the seven we hear from again. He found himself in Samaria in a revival campaign with scores coming to Christ. This is different since the early church had some difficulty coming to terms with God including the hated Samaritans in his church. But, inexplicably, God took Philip from the revival to the desert where one man was seeking God.

An Ethiopian nobleman was reading the scripture and found himself perplexed. Philip sat with him, explained the passage and baptized him into the church.

As we dealt with this story, I told our congregation about my acting debut. I attended a church-sponsored kindergarten and was chosen to play the part of the Ethiopian in a Parents Night. I remember one of the leaders scorching a piece of cork and coloring my face. Then another student, portraying Philip, baptized me. This was blackface before anyone talked about it much, though today this is seen as dishonorable. So I publicly confessed to our church and told everyone I disavowed this now. Of course, I was five years old at the time and simply did as I was told!

I suppose this is one of more innocent things I saw as a child. I remember other incidents more disturbing. I grew up in Birmingham during the lunch counter protests and the bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963. I also remember the “white” and “colored” signs at my dad’s union hall when I went with him as a boy to the steelworker meetings. My generation has witnessed a lot of healing in our society.

 Though I told the story of my kindergarten play with some levity, the story of Philip is a great story. The fact that God took him from a revival to the solitary desert to encourage one traveler means that God is concerned about every individual.

Numbers are important, but we must always remember numbers represent people, and every person is significant in the kingdom of God.

Our Refuge In Time Of Trouble

David’s experience in the Valley of Elah is a story familiar to even the smallest child. The shepherd-boy of Israel faced down the Philistine giant, Goliath, who was nearly 10 feet tall.

A Sunday School worker taught her boys and girls about this story one morning and asked them what they’d do if they faced a giant like David did.

“I’d call 9-1-1!” replied one little girl.

We probably won’t face a giant warrior in our lives, but we face giant problems every week. Though some proclaimers in media seem to imply that Christians never have burdens, the Bible teaches otherwise. The Apostle Paul didn’t teach a “prosperity” gospel when he wrote about the God who “comforts us in all our tribulations” (2 Corinthians 1:4). Christians are liberated from the burden of sin, but we’re not liberated from the burdens of life. I know Christians who have loved ones in prison, and others who have families with dreaded illnesses.

God is good to have provided a number of refuges for us in times of trouble.

One is the home. It’s often been said that before the government or the church, God established the home. Husbands and wives love one another and provide a nurturing environment for their children. I’ve seen a motto embroidered or framed in Christian homes: “Christ is the head of this house, the unseen guest at every meal, and the silent listener to every conversation.” A home like this is a sanctuary in a troubled world.

God has also given the church as a refuge. Welton Gaddy in his book, “A Soul Under Siege,” proposed an analogy I’ve found helpful. God instructed Moses to establish six cities of refuge in Canaan where people pursued for crimes might find safety until cooler heads prevailed. Gaddy suggested this is what the church ought to be: a city of refuge. We go to church not to find harsh judgment, but to find encouragement and prayer. After all, the church is composed of the same kind of people: sinners in need of God’s mercy.

But God himself is our ultimate refuge. He is our refuge in times of trouble because he promised to be with us. “Thou art with me” David wrote in Psalm 23. He’s not a fair-weather deity but one who offers comfort in times of testing and forgiveness in times of failure.

Jesus’ story in Luke 15--the story we call the “prodigal son”--really isn’t. William Barclay argued for years it’s more accurately the story of the loving father. Someone called the elder brother the prodigal who stayed home. The older was prideful, and the younger was broken, but the loving father welcomed both to his celebration.

Your Speech Betrays You

The lady behind the counter listened to my request, and then made a simple statement, "You're not from around her, are you?"

I was on a trip at the time above the Mason-Dixon Line and I suppose it was clear I was from the deep South! We Southerners don't really notice our speech patterns but we do notice those from other regions. And sometimes our nativity is revealed through the truisms we speak.

Vivian, from Ohio, was a fellow officer in a political collectors club. The group customarily has a Saturday evening banquet with former president Jimmy Carter. Our meeting is late September and the president's birthday is October 1, so we've celebrated a few significant birthdays with him--85, 90 and more recently, his 95th. Vivian was our secretary at the time and called to ask my blessings on her plans for presenting the cake. She told me what kind of cake she'd ordered and when she thought the cutting should be in the banquet program.

She'd only just begun when I said, "Vivian, I don't have a dog in that fight. Do what you think best."

"A dog?" she said. "What does that mean?"

What I meant was I trusted Vivian to do the right thing and she always did a beautiful job without my input. I learned this is a Southern idiom apparently unknown north of the Ohio River!

The scripture tells a familiar story in all four gospels. Peter "followed afar off" when Jesus was arrested and brought to trial. He got close enough to see what was happening and to listen for information. Peter also got close enough to warm himself at a fire someone had started. Ministers a generation ago used to preach about Peter "warming by the devil's fire." But at least he was close by. The other disciples had run for cover.

Peter had minimal conversation with his compatriots around the fire, but enough conversation for them to know he wasn't native to Judea.

"You're with Jesus," one said to him. "We can tell you're not from here. Your speech betrays you" (Matthew 26:73).

Peter denied knowing Jesus to save his own neck and confirmed these denials by cursing like he once did. At that moment the rooster crowed, and Peter wept his heart out knowing he'd denied the savior.

Our speech betrays us, too. It's relatively insignificant which section of the country we're from, but it's very significant that our speech is pleasing to the Lord.

Not only are we to speak words of truth and kindness, but we're enjoined to speak words of witness to those who don't know the savior. Christ must be lord of all, including our tongues.

Christians AWOL

It was a disturbing call I received several years ago. His mother phoned to say Gary was in jail. Gary had grown up in our church and joined the U.S. Army. On a weekend leave, he decided he wasn’t going back. So the Army and the rental car agency pressed charges and he was in jail. Of course I went to see him and offered what comfort and counsel I could. Gary is the only person I’ve known personally who went AWOL—absent without leave.

The “poster child” for going AWOL in the New Testament is John Mark. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey as far as the Roman province of Asia Minor, then decided to go home. Luke, the chronicler, doesn’t tell us whether Mark was sick, homesick, angry, discouraged or in love. But for whatever reason he abandoned the journey of a lifetime.

Mark missed a great adventure. Christians often speculate about spending an afternoon or a day with the Apostle Paul to seek spiritual understanding. Mark had opportunity to spend several days with this Christian leader but chose something of lesser importance to occupy his time.

Mark missed a  great decision. It was on this journey that Paul decided he’d stop preaching first to the Jews and become the apostle to the Gentiles. After he and Barnabas returned home, they were instrumental in bringing the mother church in Jerusalem together to hear this issue. Peter, too, offered his own insight into how God was working among those formerly considered pagans. The church finally “got it.” They realized one didn’t have to become a Jew before trusting Christ as the messiah.

Mark didn’t miss the grace of God. He later reconciled with Paul in a way we don’t know. Paul asked the Colossians to “receive him as you would me,” and asked  Timothy to bring Mark to visit him in prison before he died. And Peter called Mark “my son” in the faith. Christian tradition is that Mark served as Peter’s interpreter and wrote down the things Peter preached after the apostle died; thus the Gospel of Mark is the story of Jesus from a primary source.

 Christians who quit in their walk can learn a lesson from Mark. No one is beyond the grace and forgiveness of God. The Lord invites us back and welcomes us back. Luke described this in his gospel as a God who runs. The loving father didn’t wait for his son to find him; he ran to meet him and to restore him. Aristotle said a proper man never runs in public. What a concept to think of a God who runs to us when we come home.

Cleansing The Temple

Rick Stanley died in January at age 65. His life changed dramatically in 1960 when his mother married the widowed Vernon Presley. Rick and his two brothers became step-brothers to the King of Rock and Roll. Later he married the young lady who brought him to Christ, and Rick began to tell his story throughout the nation.

A friend insisted Rick was the most effective communicator of his day, and we had him in our church many years ago. He was a great communicator and I found him very approachable and people-centered. His testimony was so applicable: adopted by the king and invited to live in a place called Graceland!

We brought young adults together during the Sunday morning Bible study hour for a session with Rick. He told me previously the number one question he was always asked, and “right out of the chute” a person asked, “Was Elvis a Christian?” Rick took about 30 minutes to respond.  When he was done our music minister leaned over to me and asked, “So, was Elvis a Christian?” In other words, I don’t think he gave a good answer.  I suppose we have to leave this judgment in God’s hands.

It was during this event that I remember hearing a criticism for the first time. We had a table with Rick’s books and  tapes, and someone complained to a deacon that we were like the moneychangers in the temple whom Jesus drove out (Mark 11).

I was surprised and told the deacon these were  ministry tools that would be a blessing to those who purchased them. Furthermore Jesus called the temple moneychangers “thieves,” and we weren’t stealing anything. The event was underwritten by our members, the community was invited and nobody was charged admission. Also I was sure if someone said they wanted an item and couldn’t afford it, our church would take care of the cost.

I read lately a better modern illustration of the anger Jesus expressed that day. He’s called the richest evangelist in America with personal wealth estimated between $330 - $770 million. He owns multiple homes and private jets. When asked by “Inside Edition” to justify his wealth he cited Galatians 3:29. “We’re descendants of Abraham and he was rich,” he said.

Some people are well-versed in scripture, and some are well reversed!

It’s clear in Galatians that Paul assured Gentile believers they weren’t second-class in God’s kingdom. Jew and Greek alike share in the spiritual heritage of Abraham as people of faith.

It’s sad that sincere people give their money to enrich a man rather than to support local churches who help people in need. Surely the Lord of the church is displeased with this.

A God Who Carries You

One of the most interesting questions in the Bible is one the Hebrews asked of the ancient prophet Isaiah about 500 years before Christ. They returned to their dismal homeland after a time of captivity and asked, “Since Babylon overpowered us, does this mean the gods of Babylon are greater than the God of Judah?”

The northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Assyria in 722 B.C. Judah survived about 150 years longer before King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army came in fury in 586 B.C. Jerusalem, the city of David, lay desolate. The temple of Solomon was no more and the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets from God disappeared. The prophet Jeremiah was an eye-witness as he walked through the smoldering ruins and recorded his thoughts in The Lamentations. Jeremiah explained clearly that this was God’s punishment for Judah’s rebellion.

Many survivors were taken to Babylon and remained for some 70 years. In the strange land the people encountered a different culture and different worship. Naturally they were curious about the Babylonian deities.

Isaiah responded to their questions with a story. A forester planted a tree, and a woodsman felled it. The woodsman took some of the wood to warm himself, and some to cook his food. With the remainder, he made a god and fell down before it (Isaiah 44: 14-19).

Isaiah evidently referred to the annual Festival of Marduk, the chief Babylonian deity, when lesser gods were carted into the temple to be with Marduk. The prophet continued his analysis: “they lift it to their shoulders and carry it . . . ” (Isaiah 46:7).

In other words, the writer insisted the gods of Babylon were made of scrap lumber and had to be carried in for worship. In contrast, the God of Judah says, “Listen to me, O house of Jacob . . . even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you!” (Isaiah 46: 3-4).

The God of Judah carries us through all life decisions from choosing faith to career and marriage. And the writer of Hebrews insisted he further partners with us in our suffering and in some unique way, he suffers with us (Hebrews 4:15). He promises to be with us even to the time of “gray hair.” Gray hair can be disguised today, but the promise is that God will carry us to our senior years, too.

The greatest crisis we face is death, and God promises to carry us there safely. As David wrote so long ago, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,  for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4).

How To Ruin Your Life

Conference leaders brought CDs, books and curriculum materials for the “free” table at our denominational retreat center last month. A lady whom I’d not met and I found ourselves looking at a book with an interesting title: “How To Ruin Your Life.” She said to me what I was thinking, “I don’t need to read that book. I could’ve written it!”

I did take the book, after her right of first refusal, and have since read it. Author Eric Geiger used the story of King David as his theme. David’s is a familiar story to most Bible readers, and one overflowing with irony. David, described as a man close to God’s heart, fell into grievous sin. The lesson is that no one is above failure, even the sweet singer of Israel, the giant-killer and the man who drew blueprints for the Ark of the Covenant’s permanent home. The Holy Spirit of God inspired the story to be recorded so that we might walk more carefully in a world bent toward evil.

Commentators for years have insisted David shouldn’t have been at home, but on the battlefield with his troops. Possibly. Geiger insisted David was bored when he walked on the palace rooftop that fateful night. I’m not sure since a lot of people have trouble sleeping and may get up and walk about. And the king lived in Palestine where the cool air might offer relief on a sweltering evening.

Another thing we assume is that David was a predator. He “loafed, looked and lusted” is the old outline preachers use. A guest lecturer at a Christian college referred to this account when she visited one of my classes, and suggested Bathsheba was the predator. Her argument was that if you lived next door to the palace, you’d know the comings and goings of the king. Bathsheba may’ve planned her midnight bath at the time the king would see her.

The Alabama governor’s mansion is in a Montgomery neighborhood, unlike the White House that is protected by vast acreage, and I can image the people living on her street might know something about the comings and goings of Gov. Ivey.

I suppose we all take the stories of scripture and think about the “backstories”—what else was happening or what people were thinking.

John Bisagno used to say that David was a great sinner, but also a great repenter. When Nathan the prophet confronted him, David immediately said, “I have sinned.” This is the second major lesson we learn from David: it’s foolish to deny wrong rather than owning up to it. We can find God’s forgiveness. His mercy means life doesn’t have to be ruined when we mess up.