Lizard Leaps

While preparing for the sermon Sunday, June 13th, on Christian families, I decided to begin with the Tower of Babel. I traversed from there to Jesus' parable about the men who built houses on sand and on The Rock. In studying I found out some curious things about Nimrod and Ayn Rand. In several scholarly sources, I found comparisons between the two, with several scholars expounding on the philosiphies of both. It was interesting to note that the similarities between their philosophies were extremely close. It is also interesting to note that both Nimrod and Rand held similar ideas about the primacy of The Human Spirit versus ideas about God. While I have my questions about the comparisons made by those scholars, it is interesting to note that Nimrod's arrogant belief that he would lead humans to become "like gods," and Rand's belief that humans, not God, are the primary force in the universe are so similar. And...both easily lead humans to unhealthy patterns of li...

This summer we're focusing the first part of the season on the Christian family. This past Sunday we began that journey with the sermon which took its beginning in the Shema. Beginning with Moses' desire to leave the Children of Israel with a new legacy in the Promised Land, we opened our study with Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 in which Moses instructs the Israelites to center their homes and their lives in their belief in God. Starting with that ancient call: "Hear O Israel, The Lord your God, the Lord is One..," we began our journey toward an understanding of the Christian Home and its difference from other homes. We found that Moses hoped to help the Children of Israel understand who and what they were. We also found that Moses understood that, to be fully human, people have to understand who they are. The Shema starts us on that journey which finds its fullness in I Peter 2: 9-10 when Peter posits: "Once you were no people, now you are God's people." Moses...

Summer is here, and our ministries for the summer are accelerating rapidly. Today we had nearly 100 at lunch where we feed children, youth, and adults. This program is a real challenge and a blessing. It is a great thing to watch little ones have a nutritious meal and know that your church is the reason they do so. It is a blessing to watch whole families sit down to eat, knowing that your church is the reason they can eat. Just as Jesus fed the multitudes, The Church today has an increasing need to "Feed the Sheep." We're doing just that. Our kids from the After School Program will enjoy activities all summer, with programs to help them enjoy the summer, and programs to help them keep their academic edge during the vacation season. And, yes, I will be helping kids make their own cherry bombs with black power they make themselves. Living dangerously, that's part of what we do here at Douglas Street UMC. We have a number of family events this summer, to include...