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?

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!

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.

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.

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?