The woman was invisible.
She was the server waiting on a group of business people (mostly men). She served them well by keeping glasses filled, taking care of special requests, and serving the various courses of the meal.
But no one saw her. No one said thank you or acknowledged her presence. The most that anyone said to her was, “…more coffee over here,” or “That’s not what I wanted.” Continue reading I’m the greatest!
A few years ago I was sitting in a coffee shop not far from a 30-something friend of mine.
“Hey Bruce, how long have you and your wife been married?”
“Forty years.”
“Wow. That’s a long time.”
The brief conversation ended, and I went back to what I was doing. But not without reflecting on what had made it possible to live with the same person for that long. And now in the year of our upcoming 45th anniversary I’d like to suggest 5 of the secrets to that longevity. Continue reading 5 Secrets to a Healthy Marriage
Foreign accents invite questions.
What events brought you here? Are you a resident of America, on a business trip, or just on vacation?
What is your occupation? How many family members do you have, and are they with you? If you are here as a permanent resident, what do you miss about your homeland?
Bev and I were in a hotel in Berkeley, California enjoying a little R & R. While Bev was getting ready for the day, I headed down to the restaurant for my morning coffee and daily news. As I was about to press the down button on the elevator a lady walked up. Continue reading Two Human Beings Standing Side-by-Side
“You must be religious.”
She breezed by my table on her way to sit with a 70-ish friend for coffee. She didn’t fit-in with the 20-somethings all around her.
Acting like she had spotted an almost extinct bird species, she stopped at my table and motioned toward my open Bible. “You must be religious.” Then she touched the “National Pastors’ Convention” patch on my shirt. She muttered “pastor” as she turned toward the table where she was sitting. Continue reading I am not religious.
In 1569 during the rise of the Dutch republic, an Anabaptist named Dirk Willems was being held in jail because of his association with an unapproved religious group. He was able to escape from his captors but the guard closely pursued him across a frozen pond.
It was late in the winter, and the ice had thinned, making it unsafe. Fortunately Willems was able to make it across the lake in safety. But the guard was not so fortunate, and the ice gave way beneath him, plunging the pursuer into the icy water. Continue reading Dirk Willems and Forgiveness
Grace is an important Biblical word that is expressed in a variety of ways throughout the Bible. It generally conveys the idea of favour or good-will.
The fundamental idea is, that the blessings that are graciously bestowed on us are freely given, and not in consideration of any claim or merit. In a world obsessed with justice, penalty, and “fairness,” the idea of grace is down right heretical.
Here are the top five reasons grace is often rejected. Continue reading The Top 5 Reasons that Grace is a Threatening Idea
Fear sells books. Like the one a man was reading in a local coffee shop about how to stock your pantry for the coming apocalypse.
Fear sells magazines. Like the Newsweek cover that recently declared, “Apocalypse Now.” In that article, writer Simon Winchester declared that recent quakes in New Zealand and Chile, has ratcheted up the chances of a catastrophic seismic event striking in California.
Fear sells medical quackery like it did when thousands of people bought potassium iodine to protect them from the radiation cloud they feared was coming from Japan. Continue reading Fear sells!
On Sunday, April 17 Curt will be visiting in Merced at LifeSpring Church. Rather than having our usual sermon on that day, Curt will be our “sermon” as he performs his Red Letter Edition. This particular show is based on the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Curt puts them in contemporary language and makes his audiences think.
For more information about Curt, you may go to his website at this link. Take a look at some of the video clips, and you will get a good idea about the quality and content of his work. The public is cordially invited to attend.
Worship starts at 10:00 at Playhouse Merced. Parking and entrance are from the 16th Street side of the theatre.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it was with food.
When the floods receded and Noah left the Ark, he offered a sacrifice to God and had a celebratory picnic.
When the Israelites commemorated their delivery from Egyptian slavery, they had a meal.
One of the great miracles in the Gospels is the feeding of 5000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Continue reading Banquet
When Harvey got on the treadmill at the gym, he placed his head within a couple of inches of the control panel, and he cocked his head slightly. Harvey’s world was donut shaped. The center of everything he looked at had a big blind spot in it.
Harvey could no longer drive. He loved to read but could only do so with great effort. When he got on the treadmill at our gym, he had to put his face really close to the controls in order to change the settings. Continue reading Blindness
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