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Good News
Good News from April–June, 2008 Good News from January–March, 2008 Good News from October–December, 2007 Good News from July–September, 2007 Good News from April–June, 2007 Good News from January–March, 2007 Good News from October–December, 2006 Good News from July–September, 2006 Good News from April–June, 2006 Good News from January– March, 2006 Good News from October–December, 2005 Good News from July–September, 2005 Good News from April– June, 2005 Good News from January–March, 2005 Good News from October–December, 2004 Good News from April–June, 2004 Good News from January–March, 2004 Good News from October–December, 2003 Good News from July–September, 2003 Good News from April–June, 2003 Good News from January–March, 2003 Good News from October–December, 2002 Good News from July–September, 2002 Good News from April–June, 2002 Good News from January–March, 2002 Good News from October–December, 2001 Good News from Bob’s cousin’s son in this eye-witness report from New York, September 13, 2001 Good News from July–September, 2001 Good News from April–June, 2001 Good News from January–March, 2001 Good News from November–December, 2000
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September 27, 2004 “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15, NIV) Today I would like to compare several local churches. Three are progressive and evangelical. The other is traditional and conservative. The three have outreach at heart, strong music and forty five minute Sunday messages. Over the last twenty years the three have grown from serving 1000 people a weekend to serving 4-6,000 people each weekend. The one, has dropped from 1,000 to under 500. June and I belong to the one. My former pastor used to say our average parishioner used to invite someone to church every 22 years! Well, it probably is not that bad, but it is not a weekly occurrence. In fact, some pastors believe that the traditional church is on the decline. But the three certainly have found some magic. “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Jesus was clear when he spoke to the disciples. We need to be proud of our faith and offer it to others through invitation and prayer. When we do, the Lord will work with us.
Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, this week we pray for the organizations that have meant so much to us in our lifetimes. Our world seems to be distracting people from you. In politics it seems OK to twist others’ words. There are religious wars through out. Business ethics seem doubtful. Through out these distractions, your word is clear. This week we pray that we can rise above the distractions and do thy will here on earth.
September 5, 2004 This is a third and last in this series- In Public. “Treat others as you want them to treat you... Never criticize or condemn or it will all come back to you. ...If you give you will get. Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more and running over. Whatever measure you use to give, large or small, will be used to measure what is given back to you.” (Luke 6:31,37-38TLB). We are reminded that the measure we use to give, will be used to measure what is given back. Then what do we get back when we are impatient and angry in public. What did the lady who flipped me off on 394 last week teach the children who were riding with her? What did Tiger Woods teach the junior golfers of the world when he smacked the branches of a tree after missing a tee shot? We all have frustrations and bad days. We can choose to be angry; or we can choose to live in God’s image and do his work. It seems that every day we read of some manifestation of a person’s anger against those around them, against society. How do we as Christians avoid getting so far down that we can not control our emotions? We have the tools, then it must be as simple as using them in our lives. That is how “Good News” got it’s start. Several years ago June and I gave up the morning news for a morning meditation and decided to share some of them with you. In my dreams, we hope that we are contributing to your lives. When we think of our life plan, our goals, we think of peace, tranquility and wealth. In Luke we are told that when we share our peace, etc., we will receive more back then we gave. Then when we are down and out, we can cuss, strike out, seek a mentor to discuss things with or simply pray. As Christians we have the tools and an obligation to use them. NIKE, my favorite philosopher, says in it’s slogan, “Just Do It.”
Prayer for The Week- Every January I used this and suggest that we all use it for the year. The serenity prayer:
August 25, 2004 Number two of a series- The Work Place “Treat others as you want them to treat you... Never criticize or condemn or it will all come back to you. ...If you give you will get. Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more and running over. Whatever measure you use to give, large or small, will be used to measure what is given back to you.” Within the work place, there are often stresses that have a negative effect on the overall environment. Deadlines that need to be met, projects that are under funded, professional jealousies that have developed, a lot of issues that are passed on to us that we can not control— It is easy to be negative and act different than a child of God. It is not always easy to to behave the way Luke has suggested. Very early in my career, a very senior engineer at Bell Lab’s advised me that as an employee, I would always receive a percentage of what I was worth, never 100 percent. His explanation was that difference was required to have a profitable company. After 40 years of working, that seems to have been very accurate advice. In the business environment, when thinking dollars and cents, his equation seems to work. However read Luke again. One of the many issues that have always been a challenge to me personally is the people that are sharks in the business environment and Christians on Sunday. What I mean is, those that are opportunistic, somewhat misleading (I won’t say dishonest) and practice ways that are not part of good Christian ethics. My question has always been, “Can you function outside Christian guidelines Monday through Friday from eight to five, and then consider yourself a Christian?” The most successful business people that I know live only by good Christian ethics. They have read Luke. In the real world, giving is rewarded many times over. God has set it up this way. I believe that the business world is part of the real world and that we are to act and follow God’s guidelines there if we are to live to our full potential.
Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord, during our lives we are often tempted to forget your ways and work out problems in a human rather than a Godly manner. This week please give me the strength and foresight to let you work through me when trying to help, both at home and in the work place.
August 22, 2004 “Treat others as you want them to treat you... Never criticize or condemn or it will all come back to you... If you give you will get. Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more and running over. Whatever measure you use to give, large or small, will be used to measure what is given back to you.” Luke 6:31, 37-38 (TLB) Every day as people and Christians, we are giving. In the 60s the expression was “giving off vibes” (That probably came from the Beach Boy’s “Cool Vibrations”). What we give has an overwhelming effect on our lives, our social environment and those around us. Whether we are in the work place, the family arena or driving alone down the street, we are participating and giving to those around us. Let’s take a look at the place where being positive is the easiest. The family, where love is the strongest. Certainly, within each of our families, we have always been positive, loving and “real cool.” If you say that, you better take a reality check and be sure your other family members see it the same. Most of us do not meet that standard. Sometimes we are tired, sometimes the career is not working well, sometimes we anger when we should stop and meditate. Perfection is our goal, perhaps not our reality. When we are down, it is important to remember that we are the children of God, and we have His support in both the good and testing times. He wants us to work with Him to bring peace and good while sharing His love with others. Sharing His love instead of “our frustrations” with others is a lofty goal.
Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, through your love, we are truly blessed. We stand before you covered with your love. This week we pray that during tough times, we can reach out to you and feel and share that love.
August 1, 2004 “Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings” Psalm 28:6 (NRSV) Last year a friend called after a twenty year lapse. June would say he was “down on his uppers.” (I think that is English for on the rocks!) He was broke, getting divorced- having a “nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I’m going to eat some worms...” kind of day. In fact he was suicidal. For whatever reason these kind of calls are never convenient. They often trigger the question in my mind, “Why me Lord?” The first conversation lasted around an hour and finished with me refusing to visit him (a good rule to follow) but to call him back. I also committed to pray for him if he would pray with me. We often need another set of ears to hear our problems. Sometimes the listener may be a friend. But we also have another wiser, more faithful listener- God. In Psalm 28, David cries out for help. Like David, when we express our feelings to God, we always find a patient and willing listener. At the end of the Psalm, David is able to express abiding trust and confidence in God. We can too. My friend has been calling for over a year now and is doing a lot better.
Prayer For the Week: Dear Lord, we ask you to hear our prayers and pleadings. We pray for the faith to let go of our stresses and have faith in your solutions rather than our own. Amen
July 25, 2004 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex... Your workmanship is marvelous.” (Psalm 139:13-14, TLB). Was Popeye a philosopher? Cartoonists often are. When Popeye was confronted with difficult situations he would state, “I yam what I yam?” gulp down his spinach and defend right! We are not all Popeyes and we are expected to conform, often to standards below those of our Christian faith. We often face difficulties if we do not. We do need to understand who we are, what we are and keep the Lord in our daily lives. We need our “spinach.” In many ways we are continually fighting an image syndrome. Conformity is the word, and clones are the result. Quite often we get flack because we don’t fit. If there was a right way to be, how would some of the prophets or John the Baptist fit in with the rest of their society? Probably not too well at times. The truth is you are you. You are who God created you to be. He wants you to know who you are and understand your unique characteristics. You were created by God and then the mold was broken. No one else is exactly like you. You are unique. You are special and it is all right to be you. Don’t let others shape you. That is God’s task. He started with you, he will finish with you and he will be with you. He is our spinach. He really does want you to be you.
Prayer for the Week: Heavenly father, as we travel through our weekly chores, we need to see a way to help You. We often lose track of Your plan. Sometimes we are too busy and do not understand it. This week we pray that each of us may find a better way to serve You and make life better for everyone. Amen.
July 17, 2004 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ... You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians (5:1,4,-6, NIV) In our society today we find too many ways to become slaves. Along with our careers we take on the church projects, the youth sports, charity events etc. Then we become aware that we have little time left for meditation and rest. In today’s world we tend to create our own brand of slavery. All in the name of lifestyle? Often our pastors ask us to put down the morning paper, turn off the TV news and pick up the daily meditation book. Start the day with meditation and love! I think at some time we have all tried it and then backed off. That’s how Good News was started. My will power kept going back to the news and sports! Certainly we are better people and have a better life when we keep our faith at the forefront. When we recharge our spiritual batteries. When we are charged with faith, large problems seem to have less impact, it is easier to show others we care and tranquility comes to the surface. As Paul said above, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Let’s take the advice of my favorite philosopher, NIKE, and “Just Do It.”
July 10, 2004 “It is not what you take when you leave this world, It is what you leave behind when you are gone.” (Three Wooden Crosses) Death has surrounded June, me and our extended family since April first. There have been five: David, Kurt, Jack, Beth and Ziggy and a good friend Mike is in a coma with a bad prognosis since Monday. I write this because of the joy in my heart because we have seen the legacy of these individuals and the contributions they have made to their families and friends. They live on. The song “Three Wooden Crosses” just won several music awards in the field of Christian and country music. It talks about four people in a car crash, a farmer, preacher, teacher and a hooker. Three died and left their gifts, including a Bible for the survivor. God has us here for reasons that are often hard to identify. When attending memorial services and visiting the ill, it becomes clear. The real visit is not to the ill, although they are important, it is to the loved ones. The loved ones share the contributions that have been made to their lives. As we walk the walk and talk the talk we are helping develop the next several generations. Our legacy lives on through the ones we touch and through life eternal. “The Lord watches over you
Prayer for the Week: Dear Lord and Father we pray for the knowledge to understand the world around us. There are many stresses involving all phases of our lives. Somehow these are opportunities for us to serve. This week we pray that we recognize these opportunities and the opportunity to serve our faith. We pray that we contribute to the cause of peace and love through our faith in Jesus. Amen.
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