Cal Thomas, related in a recent post watching BBC and the Sky News coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death. Thomas admitted he was surprised by two things.
“The first is that so many people interviewed were shocked at the Queen’s death.”
“Why should they be shocked?” Thomas wondered. “She was 96 years old and in failing health.” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
Some words or phrases don’t seem to go together. For example.
Icy hot.
Jumbo shrimp.
New antiques.
Sorta married.
Kinda pregnant.
Open secret. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
“Ash Wednesday rituals tweaked for Coronavirus as Christians are reminded of death,” read a February 16th headline in the religious section of the Washington Post.
Apparently one of the changes involved people not drinking from the same cup when communion was served. (Personally, I like that idea all the time.) Continue reading
Filed under Death
The late Dr. W. A Criswell once related an occasion on an airplane when he was seated beside a well-known theologian whose son had recently died.
The man told the story of how the child had come home from school with a fever. They didn’t think it was serious. However, it was a very fatal form of meningitis. The doctor said we cannot save your little boy.
The professor related to Dr. Criswell how he sat by his son’s bedside while he died. Continue reading
Filed under Death
Thomas Fuller once wrote, “We’re born crying, live complaining and die disappointed.”
The famous author O’Henry said that “life is made of sobs, sniffles, and smiles; with sniffles predominating.
Janis Joplin, the folk singer of my generation, once lamented, “Life is something you do while waiting to die.” Continue reading
Filed under Death
C. R. Nichol was one of the great preachers, teachers and religious writers of the late 19th and early 20th century. He was known, not only for his scholarly work but for his wisdom and quick wit.
One morning, while taking a walk, a friend cheerily greeted him, “Good morning, Bro. Nichol, I see that you’re still in the land of the living.” Continue reading
49 years ago in May 1970, Norma Jean and I moved to Hillsboro, Ohio, where I began preaching full time on a located basis. It was there we would meet and become life long friends with Dave and Nancy Wyckoff.
This past Wednesday we drove back to Hillsboro to be with Dave and share in his sorrow on Nancy’s passing, and join with him and the family to celebrate her life. On Thursday evening we gathered at the Northside Church of Christ where she has been a member almost all of her adult life for an incredible celebration. Continue reading
In the book “Children’s Letters to God”, a little boy named Mike wrote, “Dear God. What happens when you die? Nobody will talk to me about it. I don’t want to do it. I just want to know.”
A lot of folks are like Mike. They’re not ready to die. But they do have questions about it. Lots of questions. Continue reading
Filed under Death
In the past month I have learned of several of my friends, family and brethren who are dealing with the dreaded disease of cancer. I have some idea how the families feel.
I have lost so many friends and family members to this ugly enemy called cancer. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins. Grandparents. And my own mother. I have seen it ravage the bodies of the young and old alike. Continue reading
Filed under Hope
The Englishman John Donne was one of the great Metaphysical poets of the 17th century. His most famous sonnet “Death Be Not Proud” is part of a sequence of poems called “The Holy Sonnets.”
The poet personifies death and says you are not as tough as you think you are. Continue reading
Filed under Death
ThePreachersWord 