The poet, playwright, and author, Oscar Wilde, struggled with religion throughout his adult life. While he acknowledged belief in Catholicism, he lived a decadent, epicurean life as a pagan.
In his commentary on Ephesians, William Barclay quotes Wilde as saying, “The gods had given me almost everything. But I let myself be lured into long spells of senseless and sensual ease…”
Wilde then continues with this somber introspective reflection about his life. Continue reading
Filed under Sowing Seeds for Spiritual Growth
Recently I read a story about a 78 year old lady, Aleida Huissen, from Rotterdam, Netherlands, who had been smoking for 50 years.
And for 50 years she’s been trying to quit. Every attempt failed, until…
Until Leo Jansen entered the picture. The 79 year old proposed marriage with one condition. Aleida had to quit smoking. Continue reading
Filed under Renew in '22, Word of the Week
Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb to the peak and conquer Mount Everest was once asked by an interviewer about his passion for mountain climbing. To which he offered this insightful reply. “It’s not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.”
Hillary’s response is reminiscent of a quote by the 17th-century Russian monarch Peter the Great who once lamented, “I have been able to conquer an empire, but I have not been able to conquer myself.” Continue reading
Filed under Renew in '22, Word of the Week
The late, great Hall of Fame New York Yankee catcher, Yogi Berra, was famous not only for his on the field heroics, but his funny off the field quips, which came to be known as Yogi-isms.
He once responded about his witticisms, “I never said most of the things I said.”
After a game, when he was asked about going to a certain restaurant, Yogi responded, “Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore — it’s too crowded.”
Here are a few more. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship, Reaching Forward Series
“Joy” is a word often heard during this holiday season.
Google “Christmas joy” and you will get 624,000,000 hits. You will learn that there is a movie, a novel, and a project all entitled “Christmas joy.”
Hallmark bills its many holiday movies as spreading “the joy of Christmas.” You will receive Christmas cards with a cheerful message of “joy.” Then, of course, there is the popular 18th-century song by Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World.”
Joy, however, should not to be relegated to one season, one month, or one day of the year. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
“To mask or not to mask,” that is the question of our time. Not just in society in general, but among Christians and church attendees.
In the past 8 months, we’ve worshiped with 14 different congregations in 9 different states. Each one has approached wearing masks in worship differently. Some churches requested everyone wear a mask. Others didn’t, and very few wore masks. In some places, it was suggested, but not required. In one church there were masks and no masks sections.
To all Christians everywhere we suggest, “Take off your masks.” Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship
“Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul,” wrote, Frances E. Willard, a 19th-century American educator and president of the Women’s Temperance Union.
In Willard’s time, the concept of temperance was often linked to the total abstinence of alcoholic beverages. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
John Piper once wrote that sin (lust for example) “gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”
Piper’s observation reminds me of a true story that occurred several years ago. To protect the innocent, as well as the guilty, I will refer to the two married couples as Jason and Judy and Matt and Jen. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Investor and philanthropist Eugene Lang, who died in 2017 at the age of 98 gave away $150 million and assisted 16,000 students to attend college over the course of his lifetime.
Once Lang was speaking to a class of 59 sixth graders in East Harlem. He wanted to inspire these predominantly black and Puerto Rican kids to get a good education. But the children seem disconnected and disinterested Continue reading
Filed under 20/20 Vision Series, Hope
“Anybody can look at a pretty girl and see a pretty girl. An artist can look at a pretty girl and see the old woman she will become. A better artist can look at an old woman and see the pretty girl that she used to be” wrote American author Robert A. Heinlein. Continue reading
Filed under compassion, Vision
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