Marching Forth!

I was reminded recently of a conversation I had with a Christian brother who grew up in the Midwest and moved to California later in life.  He said one of the things he missed about his culture back home was it was acceptable and expected for friends to just "drop by" for a chat when they were in the area.  Having grown up and lived in California for a large portion of my life, I can affirm some do see it as inconsiderate and intrusive to show up at a friend's house without first calling ahead as a courtesy.  Mobile phones have made this even more expected.  My friend preferred the freedom to offer and receive hospitality at a moment's notice, for people to drop whatever they were doing to open the door and welcome you into their home--or vice versa.  He valued this accessibility and hospitality as a basic courtesy that was foreign to many Californians he met. I had a friend at high school who lived in a gated residence on a prominent hill in the East County of ...

Because God looks at the heart as well as appearances, it is good for us to consider not only words we say but what they imply.  It is common in Christians circles for biblical phrases to become hackneyed, far removed from their original context, or be plain misleading.  As much as we like to think we are circumspect thinkers, the most wise among us can be reduced to parroting what we have heard or follow along with respected Christian leaders without much critical thought.  It is wise to exercise caution when we encounter terms or phrases we do not first observe in scripture. Case in point:  today I saw a post of a Christian ministry that explained people from all over the country gathered to pray over a "fresh vision."  Frankly I am not exactly sure what is meant by this phrase, but I can say what it clearly implies.  What it implies is the original or previous "vision" for ministry has become a bit old or outdated.  Perhaps expectations have not bee...

As we go through life, it is natural for us to become burdened by all manner of things because our understanding is finite, our strength is limited, we soon grow weary and can feel overwhelmed.  Even the most mighty workmen among us need a break in the heat and to sleep, and the cumulative effect of our exertions over time begin to weigh heavily upon us.  Because we are strong and able to do things, we tend to take more upon ourselves than we can carry easily and wear ourselves out.  Even Moses had to learn this lesson by experience.  Seeing the responses from people in the U.S. concerning the recent election, it appears people from all walks of life continue to feel the weight of the world rests upon their shoulders regardless of who is in office.  History has revealed having a majority in government does not ensure those in your own party will be willing work together (much less the opposition!), and this knowledge does nothing to lighten a taxing mental load...

There are many churches that operate well, are spiritually healthy and fruitful without having a permanent place of worship.  It is common in Australia for churches to hire out schools or rooms on Sunday because this is what is available and affordable.  That's how it was for the church I grew up attending, and I faintly remember the services being held in the cafeteria of a local high school.  Whether a church fellowship meets house to house, rents a hall, is in the midst of a renovation, building project, or settled in a permanent location, it is always a good season to serve the LORD in one accord with each another. In a passage I read today, it was instructive on how the service of the Levites changed when the temple was built in Jerusalem.  During decades in the wilderness, one main role of the Levites was to haul the tabernacle and the articles around, to set up and dismantle the tabernacle as the LORD led His people like a flock to the promised land.  A l...