Disappointment With the Shepherd
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Thursday, June 13, 2013 | |
This week I met a real shepherd in a real field near the real Bible town of Bethlehem. But I must admit the experience was off-putting—even a bit disappointing. Climbing the hillside (camera, tripod, audio recorder in hand), I expected to peer into the face of a weather beaten wrinkled old soul. I envisioned my shepherd wearing thread bare robes hanging off his frame as his deep furrowed brow expressed concern for wandering sheep in the field. But instead of a wrinkled old man, my shepherd was middle aged—good looking, to boot. And while he wore a sort of robe, underneath was the clearly visible collar of his blue polo shirt! Instead of a deep furrowed brow, I saw constant smiles. Having read that sheep were stubborn, I asked him to elaborate on the animals' strong will. He told me that the sheep were usually quite responsive to the shepherd's voice. Regardless of my questioning, the shepherd simply had nothing negative to say about the sheep. Frankly, this shepherd encounter was a bit of a disappointment. But then it hit me. Maybe this shepherd was more like the Good Shepherd than I really knew! Wouldn't it be just like Jesus to know all the faults of His sheep...yet still have nothing but nice things to say about us? And rather than a furrowed brow, wouldn't it be like Jesus to have a smile on his face? Prior to this interview, I envisioned a peaceful grassy valley dotted with dozens of sheep. But here were only a handful—yet they commanded the shepherd's full attention. By the way, scrap that idea of a lush green valley. We were balanced rather precariously on a steep rocky hillside. Nearly touching one leg of my tripod: the skeletal remains of what was once a sheep. A visceral reminder that life for a sheep—in Bible times OR our times—is an uncertain proposition. And wolves are still out there killing. It's enough to make one suddenly—and thoroughly—grateful for the Good Shepherd. |
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Does Prayer Work?
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Thursday, June 06, 2013 | |
The back cover of a new book on prayer caught my eye. The question is asked, “Does Prayer Work?” The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it made me. “Does prayer work?” The question seems problematic on several fronts. |
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New Weapon--Same Evil
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Thursday, May 30, 2013 | |
A working gun...created by a 3D printer. By now, of course, it's old news.
A pill, a pressure cooker, a blade, a bomb…or a gun. In a world of evil, a darksome thought in the mind…is as good as a weapon in the hand. |
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Reach Out (Ur...but do we really have to?)
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Thursday, May 23, 2013 | |
Time out for some buzzkilll. As in, I'd like to kill a buzz word...or at least reduce its heavy usage. Call me a skeptic or cynic if you will, but I strongly reject the stampede toward bizz babble. You know—expressions like.... “Paradigm shift” “Tee it up” “Over the Wall” “grabbing the low hanging fruit” or... “get together and blue sky” “getting the right people in the right seats on the bus.” Now some of those are older expressions, for sure. But one I've been seeing a lot of lately is “reach out.” America is now practically daily overdosing on “reach out.” Internal emails invite us to “reach out” with any questions about corporate policies. Public service announcements on TV implore us to “reach out” and express our compassion. Junk mail is full of offers imploring us to “reach out” and get the help or goods we need (ur...for a price, that is). With all the “reaching out” that's going on, it's a wonder we all don't bang arms merely moving down the hallway, as we “reach out”--whether at work or at home. And don’t forget about church—where board meetings and committees now invite us to “reach out” with our thoughts. Now is it just me or are more and more people sucked into the expanding world of meaningless corporate speak? Even in churches and ministries? I suspect the answer is yes. People are so desperate to “fit in” they'll happily take up the language of biz-babble. But why must we be like a herd of mindless elephants ….? Why must we all use the same trendy talk? Why can't we learn to express ourselves uniquely? You almost pick up on a “Hey, bro—I really get you” kind of look that passes between brethren and sistern who insist on speaking biz-babble. In a world of wars and woes, I suppose my complaint is a small one. Yet...please...could we all just STOP reaching out....and simply say what we mean? I wouldn't try to build a theology on it, but I can't help wondering if Jesus' advice in Matthew 5:37 is something we ought to consider in our corporate—and ministry-- dialogue: “Let your yes be yes…and your no be no.” Thanks for letting me...ur...reach out ...with that thought! :-) |
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Our Tower Has Gone Wobbly!
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Thursday, May 16, 2013 | |
If you've never played Jenga, you ought to give it a shot. This challenging game starts you off with a tower of wooden planks. Each layer is made up of three planks that lay right against each other. So it's a loose—but solid—tower to start with. Plenty strong. |
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