I have a growing pile of books to read. I’m in the middle of two that are proving helpful as I work as the pastor of a Midwestern church in small-town America. The two on my desk are Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God by Joshua Harris, and EKG: The Heartbeat of God by Ken Hemphill. Waiting on the shelf are Breakout Churches by Thom Rainer, The Kingdom Focused Church by Gene Mims, Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel, and The Missional Code by Ed Stetzer & David Putnam. Just when I think I’ll get around to doing some of this “light” reading, friends start dumping new titles and authors my way: from Paul—More Ready than You Realize by Brian McLaren and The Great Giveaway by David Fitch; from Andy—Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. So much reading so little time.
Have you read any of these? Can you give me another take? Recommended, not recommended?
The pastor in me began to think of all the ways that I and my church could meet needs that were presented during the summit. I began to make plans to invite a group of our church members to join me for the next summit in November. The purpose of attending another meeting of this nature is to allow them to firsthand catch the vision that God planted in me before I even knew of a place called Mulberry Grove.
The friend in me prayed and thrilled for the one who went with me as he began to wrestle with God's dealing in his heart.
Jesus said: (Luke 10:2) "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Ya’ll have a good time while I’m gone now, ya’ hear. (The summit will be at Salem Baptist Church--click on the logo to see their site.)
I've always been a "B" student, but this is ridiculous.
You Are 82% American |
You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you! |
- I don't have the kind of money to hire someone to conceptualize it for me.
- I'm not a graphic artist--so anything I'd develop would be campy-looking.
- I can't seem to get across the idea to friends. Most of them think in terms of a weaver's loom (good) and spinning wheel (not so good). The trouble is that both of these are part of the weaving industry when only one is supposed to be.
Having tested another site for a couple of weeks, and posting double (once here and once there), I've decided to keep Loom & Wheel here on blogspot. I am keeping the Loom & Wheel Words blog open, but will take a different direction with it. I haven't decided for sure what to do with it, but it will no longer be a mirror/shadow of this space. It will take more of a spiritual nature, reflecting my ministry and my spiritual journey. For those of you who love to read the deeper thoughts that occasionally ooze from my mind, you'll want to link there. I'll still be posting everyday wisdom and enjoyment here. Thanks for reading.
Today is a day of miracles. Easter is the day we celebrate the greatest of all miracles.
Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen!
He is Risen, Indeed!
Our hope now springs eternal because death and sin have been defeated!
On the other hand, when musicians really want to develop a deep, meaningful song that truly expresses the ideas and ideals desired, the music becomes cumbersome and awkward. Still, we should give the song-writer credit for even attempting to express in a small way the faith that has grown so deep within them.
Having said this, one of the great hymn writers of Baptist life was B. B. McKinney. Here’s an example of one of his songs that addresses faith:
Have Faith in God
By B. B. McKinney
Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely.
Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow,
Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Refrain:
Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Христос воскрес! Воистино воскрес!
Христос воскрес! Воистино воскрес!
Three times they proclaim it. Three times they answer.
In celebration of Easter—the Resurrection of Christ—Russian speakers announce the proclamation of the season throughout their country. It matters not whether they are Orthodox or Evangelical, Baptist or Catholic, the greeting is the same. I recall climbing the stairs to my third-floor apartment during Easter week, and one of the old babushkas flashed her gold-toothed smile as she said, “Christ is Risen!” I had only just learned to respond, and did it wrong—instead of “He is risen, indeed!” I replied with, “Yes, Christ is risen!” The thought was right even if the words were not.
With all the trappings of the holiday, let us never forget:
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
You Are Cyclops |
Dedicated and responsible, you will always remain loyal to your cause. You are a commanding leader - after all, you can kill someone just by looking at them. Power: force beams from your eyes |
As I introduced this series last week, I introduced my ultimate hero—Jesus Christ. As I prepare to close this Passion Week study of heroes, I’d like to introduce you to two gentlemen, two mentors, two friends, who were examples, colleagues, and friends all rolled into one.
C. T. Perkins was a retired preacher when I met him. He came to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church as Interim Pastor shortly after I became the music director there. C.T. was one of those old-time preachers who believed that the Bible was the place to find the answers to all our questions. He believed in education—as evident in the fact that he met his wife, Mary, when they were both students at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He loved the church—evident in his active participation in his own local church whenever he was not serving as a supply preacher, revivalist, or interim pastor during his 30-something years of retirement (following a lengthy career as a local church pastor). He loved people—exemplified in his down-home humor that found its way into sermons and conversations alike. He loved Jesus. I recall the last visit I had with C.T. before he died. He wore a belt around his chest keeping one arm tied to his side. He told me that it helped keep him from raising that arm and causing problems with the pacemaker that kept his heart going. Then he said, “You know, I did something the other day that I’ve never done before.” In answer when I asked what that was, C.T. replied, “I preached on my 84th birthday!”
W.A. “Bill” Solesbee was the pastor with whom I worked during my seminary days. I have often lamented that Bill was not the finest of orators. His sermon delivery style was more of a stroll down the garden path with many stops and side trips along the way. At the same time, he was one of the most Christian believer I think I have ever had the privilege of encountering—and I got to work closely with him for two years. Bill loved people, he loved the Bible, he loved the Lord, and he loved being the pastor of Edgemont Park Baptist Church. Bro. Bill (as he was affectionately known) had spent many years on the mission field in the Philippines, and then returned to the USA where he spent 20 years in the pulpit of EPBC. Of all the witnesses I know, none has been so natural at sharing Jesus and the Gospel message in a simple conversation as Bill. He saw the world through the eyes of Jesus. He constantly, genuinely opened his faith to a world that needed Jesus in a way that could never be described as pushy or preachy, but presented in sincere love.
These are heroes that I would love to emulate. Who are yours? Share your story.
Today, I would like to honor actually two groups—the temporal and the spiritual.
A heartfelt salute goes out to those men and women who have dedicated their lives to the cause of patriotism. We have military stationed at home and abroad that work daily to protect those “certain unalienable Rights” which were endowed by our Creator. We gladly live in a nation that bases its freedoms on the ideology that men can disagree with governmental decisions and make that disagreement known—broadcasting it venomously to all who will listen. I believe, however, that we ought to offer our heartfelt support to our military personnel wherever they may serve. They are heroes with a capital HEART. We should be thankful to God and to these people that they are on the job protecting our American ideals whenever they serve.
On the other side of the coin, serving around the world are people who take their relationship with Christ so seriously, that they have surrendered their lives, their careers, even their families, to the spread of the gospel. These people are known as missionaries. They carry the message of Jesus Christ to the world around them, whether it is at the corner store in Backwater, North Carolina, or at an outpost in the Zambizi desert. We as a church have romanticized missionary work to the point of placing missionary personnel on a pedestal picturing them as demigods. The reality is that missionaries are simply heroes—ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The difference between missionaries and ordinary believers is that they live to advance the Kingdom of God.
One group protects our Constitutional freedom.
The other advances our freedom in Christ.
You Are Adventurous... Sometimes |
You like an adrenaline rush as much as the next person. You like your thrills in small doses. You're generally pretty calm and level headed. But sometimes you have to go wild and have a crazy adventure. |
When emergencies happen there are those who rise to the occasion. Many are from the medical profession—doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians. A recent incident at our church pointed to another group that often goes unnoticed, unrewarded for professionalism and efficiency. These are the members of the volunteer fire departments that service many of the smaller and more rural communities in our country. Among these brave members of the community are the first responders. Those trained in emergency first aid and beyond to lower the event of death at accidents, fires, and medical emergencies. I salute those who volunteer their time and obtain the training to bridge the gap between 9-1-1 call and ambulance arrival.
Have you been on the receiving end of the expertise and professionalism of one of these stand-out groups? Say thanks here with a comment.
What makes a president worthy of the honor of hero consideration? I believe it has to do with character traits that are worthy of emulation—traits such as honesty, integrity, and statesmanship. With this in mind, I reach back to our country’s origins for a hero. George Washington, also known as the Father of our Country, is one I esteem as a hero. His leadership ability, his idealism, his strength of character, all contribute to this selection. I especially like some of the legend that follows his memory. Honesty even in the face of punishment is something that I try to lead my children to. The ability to coax from desperate men their best in dire circumstances is something that I try to apply in my own life.
As a hero, Washington commanded the loyalty of a nation, at her birth and her early growth. He is a hero in my book.
Do you have a presidential hero? Who is it? Why do you choose them?
Note: This week is known as Passion Week. It is the week we pause to focus specifically on the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. It culminates in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It seems appropriate that we should look at heroes this week. I introduced the topic in my last post, and hope that you will be able to find some heroes of your own or think of those who have inspired you in the past. Христос воскрес! Воистино воскрес!
With the ever-growing number of comic book heroes around us, and the modern practice of turning them into more human than hero, it is difficult to find a good comic book hero to fill the shoes of “my hero.” At one point I go back to the definition of a hero – someone who goes beyond the ordinary. In that case you can’t choose Superman who is in reality an alien, nor Spider-man or the Hulk who received their powers as the result of a radioactive accident. The only hero who fills the bill is the Batman. Turning to vigilante justice to clean up the crime in Gotham City, the Batman gets his superpowers as a result of the estate to which he is heir. He develops himself and takes advantage of gizmos and technology, all carried around on his trusty utility belt. If I return to my childhood, I find there men like Aquaman and Green Lantern. I think I enjoyed Green Lantern most because he had the cool ring which held his power.
So many heroes, no way to choose. So I decided to speak about what makes comic book heroes really heroes. With the help of Stan Lee, I learned that a hero is a hero because of their desire to save lives, right wrongs, and live uprightly. A true superhero is honest, trustworthy, determined, and caring. He looks for ways to right wrongs without even harming the enemy (the super villain) if it can be helped. As the old Superman television program put it, he stands for “truth, justice, and the American way!” What do we learn from comic book heroes?
- To stand up for what is right—no matter what.
- To always take the best road.
- To use our strengths for the betterment of our world.
- To always leave the world a better place than we found it.
I like to think that the heroes of my childhood don’t belong in the darkside comic books that have developed since the 1980s. Instead, the search for truth and goodness wins out always—and so I give you Green Lantern.
Now, whose your comic book hero? And why?
Total Pageviews
About Me
- Benjie
- . . . is a former English teacher, a former youth minister, a former missionary, and a current pastor. He is married with three children.
My Podcast Sites
My Facebook Page
My Blog List
-
Your Breath Stinks8 hours ago
-
-
Beverly’s Messy Plate4 months ago
-
-
-
-
Trinity Sunday Bible Study1 year ago
-
-
The Difference a Year Makes4 years ago
-
A Response to “5 Myths About Calvinism”6 years ago
-
-
Blog Hiatus7 years ago
-
-
審査がシビアだという印象がある銀行カードローンではありますが…?8 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Moving To A New Site10 years ago
-
Your Pain Isn't About You11 years ago
-
Holding the Key11 years ago
-
Steffanie's Shoes12 years ago
-
Fall in Wisconsin12 years ago
-
The First Date (I)12 years ago
-
-
Happy Valentine's Day Charley!!!13 years ago
-
New Blog14 years ago
-
-
Section 10.Mileena14 years ago
-
Publishing Topics15 years ago
-
Books15 years ago
-
Compassion and Comfort15 years ago
-
-
-
Snippets of Life From Thanksgiving Till Now16 years ago
-
Welcome!16 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Live Traffic Feed
Search This Blog
Popular Posts
-
I've just finished reading a very challenging book. The ideas and information, coupled with the conclusions drawn by the research, prese...
-
My Valentine's wish to you (whoever and wherever you are): May your day be filled with the One who loves you--even when you are not all ...
-
You are a young man, recently married. Your culture requires you to live faithfully to your new bride (and her to you) for an extended perio...
-
If you haven't seen it on Facebook, or heard it from somewhere else, we have dived into the arena of Adoption once again. As you know...
-
I will admit it. I love me some music. I like all kinds. I don't really care for rap or hip-hop, but I must admit that every once in awh...
-
I am admittedly eclectic, if not eccentric, in my taste in music. Consequently, when I build my Pandora Radio I add a little bit of everyt...
-
Christmas Is . . . (for Christmas Eve 2015) Christmas is a time for stories; Christmas is a time of thought; Christmas is a ...
-
I finally got to read the latest in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes murder mystery series. This is novel number 14 in the series for veteran award-wi...
-
I'm often skeptical at the "updating" of some of my favorites from the past. And there are some inconsistencies from what I re...
Twitter Me This
Followers
Plaxo Presence
Categories
- 12 Days
- 1960s
- 1980s
- 4Him
- Abraham Lincoln
- Absence
- Action
- Actors
- Adoption
- Adoption Awareness
- ads
- Advent
- Adverbs
- Advertising
- airlines
- Alligators
- Amazon
- Amy Grant
- Ancestors
- Andrae Crouch
- Andrew Wyeth
- Andrews Sisters
- Andy Griffith
- Angel Food
- Angels
- animals
- Anniversary
- Announcements
- Annoyance
- Apostrophe
- Appreciation
- Arch
- Armed Forces
- Art
- Art Linkletter
- Aslan
- Auctions
- Author Tree
- Author Websites
- Authors
- Avery Willis
- Awards
- Awards Shows
- B. B. McKinney
- Babies
- backlog
- Badges
- Ballet
- Band
- bandages
- Baptism
- Baptist History
- Baptists
- Barb Orlowski
- Baseball
- BBC
- BCHFS
- Beards
- Beatles
- Bible
- Bikes
- Bill Crider
- Bill Solesbee
- Bing Crosby
- Birthday gifts
- Birthdays
- Bitterness
- Blog Action Day
- Blog things
- Blogger
- blogging
- Blogs
- blook tour
- Bluebonnets
- Blushing Bride
- Bond
- Book Fair
- Book Sales
- Book tie-in
- Books
- Boston Pops
- Brass
- Bread
- British Comedy
- Brothers
- Buckner
- Buddy Greene
- Bunkbeds
- Burgers
- Burt Lahr
- C. T. Perkins
- Call to prayer
- Calvin Miller
- Camera
- Camp
- Campaigning
- Capital Punishment
- Cardinals
- Carl Sandburg
- Cartoons
- Causes
- CCM
- Celebrations
- Challenge
- change
- Charles Dickens
- Charlton Heston
- Chazown
- Chicago
- Children
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Chris Rice
- Christ
- Christian life
- Christian Living
- Christian Music
- Christianity
- Christina Rossetti
- Christmas
- Christmas Carols
- Christmas Day
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Movies
- Christmas Music
- Christmas Prophecy
- Christmas Shows
- Christmas Songs
- Church
- Church Members
- Cities
- Clark Griswold
- Claymation
- Clocks
- Clothing
- Clowns
- Coffee
- Coke
- College
- Columbo
- Comic Books
- Comics
- Comments
- Commercials
- Communication
- Community
- compassion
- Computer Sadness
- Computers
- Contests
- Core Values
- Coupons
- Crichton
- Crime Fiction
- Culture
- Culture Education
- Dan Rhodes
- Daylight Savings Time
- Decorations
- Devotions
- Different Strokes.
- Dillon
- Dinosaurs
- Discipleship
- Disney
- Dobson
- Doctors
- Dr Seuss
- Dr Who
- Drawing
- Drifters
- Drummer Boy
- Earthquake
- Easter
- Eastern
- eBay
- Edgemont Park Baptist Church
- Education
- Elections
- Elisabeth Elliot
- Elves
- Elvis
- Encouragement
- English
- Entertainment news
- Essays
- Estelle Getty
- Ethics
- Evan O'Dorney
- Evangelism
- Evie
- Experience
- Extra Jesus
- Fads
- Faith
- Family
- Family Time
- Fashion
- Fast Food
- Father's Day
- Feelings
- First Responders
- Flash Mobs
- Food
- Friends
- Friendship
- Frustration
- Fun
- Fundraising
- Funny
- Games
- Gary Coleman
- gators
- Generosity
- Genre Fiction
- George Beverly Shea
- George Washington
- Gift Ideas
- Gifts
- Giveaways
- Giving
- Glen Campbell
- Gluttony
- God
- God's Will
- Golden Girls
- Golf
- Good Friday
- Gospel
- Grade School
- Graduation
- Grammar Issues
- Grammies
- Grandparents
- Greenville IL
- Greenville Regional Hospital Aux.
- Grinch
- Griping
- Groundhog Day
- Hair Band Idol
- Haiti
- Hallelujah Chorus
- Halloween
- Handel
- Hannah
- Happiness
- Harmony Baptist Church
- Hawaii Five-0
- Headlines
- Health
- Heroes
- History
- Hoaxes
- Holidays
- Homeschooling
- Hope
- Hose Feliciano
- Hospitals
- Hostess
- Hotels
- Howard Payne
- Huckabee
- Humor
- Hunting
- Hymns
- Ian Fleming
- Ides
- Illinois
- Illness
- Independence Day
- Inspiration
- Instrumental
- iPrayz
- IQ
- Irish
- Issues
- Jealousy
- Jeremy
- Jesus
- Jim Elliot
- Joanna
- John Denver
- John Lennon
- Jonah
- Joseph
- Journaling
- Joy
- Keith Green
- Kids
- KMOV
- Labor Day
- Language
- Larry Norman
- Last Minute
- Latin
- Leap Day
- Letter Writing Challenge
- letters
- Librarians
- Libraries
- Life
- Limericks
- Lionel Richie
- Lions
- Lipton
- List
- Lists
- Logo
- Loom and Wheel
- Loom and Wheel Words
- Love
- Love Letters
- Love Poems
- Love Songs
- Lulu.com
- Lyrics
- Made up holidays
- Magnificat
- Mannheim Steamroller
- Mark Lowry
- Mark Twain
- Marriage
- Mary
- Mathematics
- Matthew West
- Maunday Thursday
- Meditation
- Memes
- Memorial Day
- Memorials
- Memories
- Memory
- Mentors
- Mesquite High School
- Messiah
- Mexican Food
- MGMA
- Michael W. Smith
- Military
- Mini-series
- Ministry
- Mission Summit
- Mission trip
- Missional Press
- Missionaries
- missions
- Moms
- Monergism Books
- Monkees
- Morfx Press
- Mother's Choice
- Mother's Day
- Movies
- Mt. Everest
- Mulberry Grove
- Muppets
- Music
- Musical
- My Stories
- mysteries
- Names
- National Poetry Month
- National Spelling Bee
- National Teacher Day
- Nativity
- Nature
- Netflix
- New Year
- News
- News media
- Next
- Norman Greenbaum
- North Carolina
- Obits
- OBU
- OBU Academy
- Olivia Newton-John
- Olympics
- Online communities
- Online quizzes
- Online Travel Service
- Opinion
- Outings
- Packing
- Painful Experiences
- Pandora
- Parenting
- Parents
- Patriotism
- Paul Harvey
- Paul McCartney
- Peace
- Peanuts
- Pearl Harbor
- Personal
- Personality
- Pet Peeves
- Phenomena
- Pirates
- Pizza
- Planning
- plants
- Podcast
- Poems
- Poetry
- Police Drama
- Police Procedural
- Polish
- Politics
- Polls
- Pop Culture
- Poverty
- Prayer
- Prayers
- preachers
- President
- President's Day
- Presidential Race
- Presidents
- Prizes
- Professionalism
- Providence
- Psalms
- Publicity
- Publishing
- Punctuation
- Punxsutawney Phil
- Quilts
- Quotations
- Quotes
- Radio
- Rainbows
- Random Facts
- Rants
- Reading
- Ready
- Recommendations
- Relationship
- Religious
- Remedies
- Remembrance
- Research
- Resolutions
- resources
- Rest
- Resurrection
- Reviews
- Revival
- Revival poster
- Ricardo Montalban
- Rockets
- Rules
- Running
- Russian
- Salvation
- Sandwiches
- Santa Claus
- SBC
- School
- Scripture
- Scrooge
- Self Publishing
- Senses
- Separated at Birth
- Sermon Notes
- Sermon Previews
- Shakespeare
- Shameless self-promotion
- Sherman Hemsley
- Sherwood Pictures
- Short Stories
- Sin
- Sir Edmund Hillary
- Sisters
- Sitcoms
- Site Rating
- Six Flags
- Slavery
- Slush Mug
- Snacks
- SNC
- Snow
- Social Networking
- Something Special
- Songs
- Sonnets
- Southern Gospel
- Spanish
- Specials
- Spelling
- Spiderman
- Spiritual Gifts
- Spirituals
- Sports
- Spring
- St. Jude's Hospital
- St. Patrick's Day
- Standard Time
- Star Wars
- Steve Harris
- Steven Curtis Chapman
- Steven Hunt
- story songs
- Stress
- stupidity
- Subway
- Summer
- Summer Reading
- Summer Reading Challenge #2
- Sunshine
- Super Heroes
- Superman
- Superstition
- Surgeries
- surgery
- Surprises
- SWBTS
- Swing
- T.W. Hunt
- Tacos
- Tag
- Tchaikovsky
- Tea
- Teachers
- Technology
- Teddy Bears
- Telephones
- Television
- Tests
- Texas
- Texting
- Thanksgiving
- Thanksvember
- The Message
- The Nativity
- The Proclaimers
- The Rap Sheet
- Theology
- Thomas Kinkade
- TikkaBilla
- Time Change
- Tolkien
- Tommy Carter
- Tony Bennett
- Tool Time reference
- Tragedy
- Trains
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- Travel
- Traveling
- Trio
- Tryptophan
- Twila Paris
- Twinkies
- Ukrainian
- Uncle Jay
- US HIstory
- USA
- Utah
- Vacation
- Vacation Bible School
- Valentine's Day
- Van Halen
- VeggieTales
- Veteran's Day
- Veterans
- Videos
- Vision
- Volunteers
- Vote
- Weather
- web links
- Website
- Wedding Songs
- Weddings
- Weekends
- Welcome Back Kotter
- Wendy's
- Whitney Houston
- wife
- Williams Baptist College
- Winner
- Witnessing
- Wizard of Oz
- Word Pictures
- Word Police
- WordClay
- Worship
- Writers
- Writing
- www
- X-men
- Yellow Label
- YouTube
Archives
-
▼
2007
(164)
-
▼
April
(21)
- Books ‘n’ Books ‘n’ Books
- The Heart of a Missionary
- Happy, Happy Birthday
- Travel(ocity) Gripe of the Day
- Fun for Me
- Pretty Picture Anyway
- Sorry, readers, I needed a photo to be parked here...
- Today's Quiz
- Testing Out Logo Representations
- End of the Mirror
- Another Easter Miracle
- Easter Morning
- Music and the Message
- Christ Is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!
- Another Quiz -- Including Heroes
- Heroes – The Personal Answer
- Heroes – The International Answer
- It's Been Awhile, So Here's a Fun Quiz
- Heroes – The Local Answer
- Heroes – The Presidential Answer
- Heroes – The Comic Book Answer
-
▼
April
(21)