I was celebrating the Lord’s Supper one Sunday about 4 years ago. I said the dismissal, “Now may this Body and Blood strengthen and preserve you in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.” As I said, “Amen,” I heard a visiting communicant say in a loud, affirming voice, “Amen!” I was taken aback. (more…)
I was raised in the era when the Flag touching the ground was an unforgivable sin. My time in the Army reinforced this. When I flew the Flag from the flagpole outside our church the Sunday after 9/11, I was careful not to let it touch the ground.
Among the Greeks and Romans, one of their idols falling over and touching the ground was a big deal, a bad omen, something to be avoided at all costs. Centuries before them, the Philistine’s god, Dagon, was disgraced when the Lord caused that idol to fall “downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord” (I Samuel 5:3
). My favorite apocryphal story about Baby Jesus’ flight to Egypt is that as soon as He crossed into Egypt all the idols crashed to the ground at once. How cool!
But I write not about the Flag touching the ground or false gods touching the ground, I write about the Eucharist, the Holy Communion, touching the ground. (more…)
One of my favorite apocryphal stories about Jesus goes like this: Jesus, Mother Mary, and Joseph are fleeing the wrath of King Herod heading for Egypt. They are all riding on the back of a donkey. Joseph becomes impatient with the slow progress of the beast, and he begins to dig his heels into the animal. This doesn’t do any good, so he resorts to whipping the plodding donkey saying, “You stupid, good for nothing donkey! Don’t you know that you are carrying the Christ-child? Don’t you realize that Herod is out to slay the child? Don’t you know that you must hurry or he will catch us?” Just then the Lord gives the donkey the gift of speech. (more…)
Why do movie studios and NFL football have such majestic musical themes? Why don’t they have happy little ditties, something with rhythm and toe tapping swing? (more…)
Perusing the church ads in the Austin American Statesman I noticed a Pentecostal church advertising, “We’ll give you something to live by.” People resonate to that. (more…)
My Dear Absinthe:
“Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.” That’s a little chuckle we have down here in tribute to your work in the Smith case. Yes, you surely had his heart (and more!) growing fonder for his neighbor. (more…)
This being Reformation it’s time once more to haul out the 95 Theses. Here’s one I’ll bet you haven’t read: Number 7. It says, “God remits guilt to no one unless at the same time he humbles him in all things and makes him (more…)
