Learning
Growth
Unity
Moving Forward
The church, at large, has been through a very difficult couple of years. Church attendance is down across the board, people are frustrated at levels that have rarely been seen, and solid answers to legitimate questions seem hard to come by. Foundry has not been immune to the problem.
Put Down the Glass, But That’s Not All
Every generation faces stress and battles stressors. I remember my folks talking about being young and scared and relatively poor during the Depression and WWII. I grew up living near two Air Force bases and did routine "duck and cover" drills in school and being told we may very well face a nuclear attack (and to take heart that our elementary desk would protect us). Today, we have our share of stressors everywhere we look, and I don't need to rehearse them for you since they seem to come running in packs, each barking for attention.
Beware of Destination Addiction
On our way home from serving at Family Kitchen, the thought came to me: I’m looking forward to going to Hawaii [Dan and I are scheduled for a week in the sunny islands], but take Hawaii out of the picture and I’m deeply content where I am. Here. Now.
It hasn’t always been this way, though.
Brain Games
I don’t know about you but the older I get the more I ask myself, “Why did I walk into this room?
As we grow older, we need to exercise our bodies AND our brains!
Kedar
We went to a different church one Sunday so we missed the sermon in our own church on Song of Solomon. And our pastor had even promised that it would be rated PG-13! But the church we visited was also talking about love. Just so I wouldn’t miss out, I spent the announcement time reading the first chapter of Song of Solomon.
I got as far as verse five: “Dark am I, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar”. So, being curious I looked up Kedar.
Misery Loves Company
The last year so far has sort of felt like a Bizarro Aladdin and His Magic Lamp. “Tell me your three wishes, and I’ll give you the exact opposite!”
I wished for business to get back to normal, for everyone to come back to church, and for baseball season to come soon.
In-Person Matters
Online church was necessary for a while (and for a few is still necessary). But online church is not church. We cannot love and worship with heart, soul, mind and strength online. The cost of being apart from one another is steeper than we realize. We need physical interaction. Connecting with each other includes looking into someone’s eyes, hearing their voice, sharing their space, their presence.
Stay In Your Own Dog Dish
Take a listen to Proverbs 26:17:
"Like a fool who grabs a mad dog by the ears is the one who meddles in someone else's business."
Get a grip on that picture: A guy has a tight hold on a dog by the ears who is now quite angry. He can't hold on and can't let go. Now, he's stuck. The proverb says we can get just as stuck in a no-win situation when we wade in on a matter we aren't involved in. Stuck.
Women of The Hymnal
I have this old hymnal that I took from church several years back. It says First Baptist Church on the cover and sticking out the side is a mess of color-coded tabs leading to all my favorite hymns. I like to use my hymnal as part my regular morning devotionals, but lately it has become more of a distraction.
Testimony: How People Can See Jesus in Our Stories
I became a Christian my freshman year in college. Naturally, it was my life's most changing experience. And early on in my life with Jesus, I was discipled by a campus ministry to tell others about what Jesus had done in me.
What (or Who) Is Your Obsession? (Part 3)
In Part 2, we looked at five questions that could help us define our true obsession. Now we finish by considering how obsession is worship and how that defines your mission.
Late to Class
A short while back, Claudia forwarded on to me a brief video. Award winning and in a language I don't know, the short captured my heart. I've watched it more than a couple of times. If you will, watch it yourself before you read on. It runs for 4 minutes.
People Don’t Grow Where They’re Planted
During the time it set under our Christmas tree, an Amaryllis stalk sprouted in the small box. No water, no light, no nutrition. A squashed, bent-over stalk.
My Secret Sister left an anonymous gift for me a couple weeks before the December holiday. Since I love the anticipation of opening gifts on Christmas Day almost as much as actually opening gifts on Christmas Day, I set it under our tree for a couple weeks.
And then I opened the gift to the damage I had inadvertently done.
Christian Jihad
In church one morning the message was from Ephesians 6:10 to 18. So in keeping with the message we began with the rousing old hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers”. I’ve sung this great 19th-century English hymn many times.
But how is the message of this hymn perceived by a Muslim?…
What (or Who) Is Your Obsession? (Part 2)
Cartoon Calvin is obsessed. So are you. He has a purpose. So do you. He’s known for something. You are, too. What is it? Here are five questions that could help you discover your obsession.
Our Hope
What gets us through this life? What gets us through the anxiety, sadness, peril, stumbling, stress, and all the unknowns that plague our thoughts? What gets us through the battles and hardships that seem to be our constant companions? Just when we think we have it worse than just about anyone we run across someone who has it worse even still. What gets them through their situations?
Finding a Way Home
As a young boy I loved maps. Still do. For me, African maps were the best and seemed all the things my suburban surroundings were not: exotic, mysterious, dangerous and enticing. I imagined central Africa as nothing but jungle and filled with head-hunters, snakes and wild beasts. Little did I know how varied and wonderful the land and the peoples are in the region.
Sumo Wrestlers
Several dark mornings a week, I woke up with a rather large sumo wrestler standing over me, pulling my stomach into a tight knot of anxiety at the thought of widowhood and how I could afford to stay in this small rental on solely my salary.
Who (or What) Is Your Obsession? (Part 1)
For years I’ve used insight from Calvin-and-Hobbesian theology to illustrate points I’m trying to make in my teachings. This particular brand of Calvin-ism (as contrasted with John’s) is the quintessential representation of the world’s exciting-but-oh-so-bankrupt philosophy of life. Calvin’s obsessions, like ours, defines his purpose.
A Secular Creed (Part 4)
In my fourth and final post in this Secular Creed series, I conclude with three more practical ways to effectively share the gospel in your daily life. Remember to start with prayer and an honest self-assessment of the gospel’s importance in your own life. Review Part 2, which explained how to make small talk and pay attention to where God is working. The last three strategies follow…