The 4th of July falls on Sunday this year. The comparisons between our liberty and freedom as Americans and the freedom found in Christ are easy to make, but we need to be careful. I wish to present a sermon that is both patriotic and scriptural, but also fair and truthful. The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 – the Bible was not. Continue reading
Lewis Bunch pics
These pictures go with the post Obituary: Mr. Lewis Bunch. They make more sense if you read the article. Each is a thumbnail, click for full size.
Family Portraits
First picture together, 1958
Basic Training, U.S. Air Force, 1966
Late 70's (baby Clark)
Obituary: Mr. Lewis Bunch
When Michael Spencer was sick, I posted a couple of times asking my readers to pray. I wrote a lengthy tribute to him while he was still able to read and respond to it, and like 10,000 other bloggers quickly reported his passing. This post is much, much harder to write.
(click here for more pictures)
Lewis Bunch was born October 9, 1943. His parents were at times textile workers, and at other times migrant farm workers. His family was in many ways the same types of dysfunctional that all families are to some degree. By his mid-30’s, Lewis Bunch had lived in Atlanta, Chicago, and Fairbanks. James Dean was his idol, and his life seem to mirror his title role Rebel Without a Cause. In 1975, after 14 years of marriage, his first son was born, Clark Joe Bunch. He then began his life as family man. Continue reading
Unusual Father’s Day Text
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. -Matthew 26:30-35
This selection from Matthew’s Gospel is well known, but is most often used during the Easter season. We all know what happened next, right? By the end of v. 56 the scripture says “Then all the disciples left him and fled.” The sad truth is that people are going to let you down. There are some folks we are naturally suspicious of, but most people we would like to think we can trust. My advice to people is trust in God, but lock your car. Sometimes it is the very people we should be able to put our trust in that let us down. In this sinful, fallen and broken world it is sometimes the police, a school teacher, a church leader or a parent that crosses the line and hurts rather than helps. Continue reading
“This Means Something”
“This means something. This is important.” So said Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He was right. But what does this mean?
Anything? Nothing? Some things are still considered acts of God; hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, lightning, etc. It’s all over the Internet, but just in case you’ve been hibernating, your power’s been out, or perhaps you’re a long-haul truck driver that just got in, what you’re looking at is the 62′ statue King of Kings. The statue was completed in 2004 on the site of the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio. It was highly visible even while speeding by on the Interstate. On Monday night the statue, molded styrofoam over a steel frame, was stuck by lightning and quickly burned down. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage was done to the church’s amphitheater, seen behind the statue.
Is this God’s judgement for building a 62′ styrofoam Jesus, or an attack of Satan against the church? Or maybe when you put up anything 60 feet high made of steel in a state as flat as Ohio it is going to be struck by lightning.
I’d Like to Give a Shoutout
It’s always a pleasure to make new friends. Amanda, author of Theologigal, left a comment yesterday and I was introduced to her site for the first time. The religious blogosphere is pretty much a man’s world, but she has just started blogging theology and is off to a fine start.
In Mere Churchianity (haven’t finished reading it yet) Michael Spencer makes a distinction between being a follower of Jesus and following a particular church. There is certainly a church culture, and it can be a distraction at times (or all the time) from what is really important. Daniel is the author of Non Religious Christian, a blog devoted to taking the “religion” out of following the Christ. I checked out his blog and found my button there. Thanks for the link love.
I think these blogs are worth a look into, and in the next couple of days I will take the time to add them to the blog roll. BTW, The Joy of Grace (thank you Sonny) has a Master’s Table button as well. Just wanted to acknowledge I noticed.
Separation of Church, State and Twitter
Read the full story here (CNN). The issue is over Rep John Shimkus (R- IL) posting Bible verses daily on his Twitter account. Political activist Barry Lynn claims that Shimkus tweeting Bible verses is a violation of separation of church and state. My argument is that the only people reading the verses are the 3,000 or so followers who subscribe to receive the tweets. There is no violation here. Hundreds of comments took the same or similar positions, including those of atheists, agnostics, and those simply identifying themselves as non-Christian.
The establishment clause states that Congress shall make no law establishing a religion. Sending personal tweets is not a legislative procedure. Shimkus is also granted the first amendment right to express himself and exercise his religious beliefs freely. Again, he is not quoting the Bible on the floor of Congress but in tweets read by his followers. Does anyone care to weigh in, or is this matter too cut and dried to debate?
The Bible is About Jesus
The Bible is about Jesus. I’m certain I have said this before, but after looking high and low for a post with that title I cannot find one. So let me go on record making this statement: the Bible is about Jesus.
I did find a post titled Old Testament God is the God of the New Testament. To some, there is almost two different Gods in the Bible. In the Old Testament, God is angry, vengeful and scary. He is more like Zeus or Thor than the mild-mannered, pacifist Jesus found in the New Testament. Let me suggest that 1) like the Pharisees, you are not reading the Old Testament correctly. While he is a God of judgement in the Old Testament, he is also patient and longsuffering toward the nation of Israel. 2) Jesus is not just presented in the Gospels as patient, kind and loving towards all. He also raises his voice and drives the money changes out of the temple – with a whip in John’s Gospel! Jesus is present as judge at the end of Revelation. There is one God. Perhaps a re-read of the text is necessary. Continue reading
On the Lighter Side (4)
It’s been a while since we had a post on the lighter side; these are meant to give us a break from things that are too heavy. Enjoy the following comic from Non Sequitur. I think this is the true life story of Michael Spencer.
(click the pic to see full size in high quality)
Instead of a Mother’s Day Sermon…
Last year I read a rant from a woman that refused to listen to one more preacher read Proverbs 31 and tell her how to be a godly woman. Right or wrong, she made a couple of good points. 1) She has a good teaching pastor that opened the Bible each week, delivered a solid scripture-based sermon and shared the Gospel. Mother’s Day each year turns into a one hour Hallmark card. 2) There are those in the church who may have lost a parent, or a child, or perhaps are disappointed they cannot become parents. Honoring mothers can be especially painful for those that have tried and failed. And we personally know what that’s like. So, here is the sermon I preached on Mother’s Day, May 9, 2010.
God is relational. He seeks a relationship with his people, who in a general sense are all his children. Let’s begin with the relationship of marriage. Continue reading
