In an earlier Manna I wrote, requesting prayer for 800 missionaries who have been asked by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board to take early retirement and return home by December of this year. Every missionary over the age of fifty received this Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI). I’ve received several interesting E-mails, Facebook private messages,…
I was suffering from what a minister-friend called, “intestinal uncertainty” but it was certain enough that I did what I almost never do – cancelled a nearby speaking engagement, and then cancelled an out-of-country trip. When I saw the doctor I told him, half in jest, “I need to retire one of these days” to…
“Sending prayers your way.” Please don’t! There is little to nothing I can do with prayers sent my way. If you want to pray for me, please send your prayers to God, who can not only hear them, but is able to respond. I know I’ve written about this before, but I keep seeing it…
Many of us grew up in churches that taught us to pray for missionaries. Now is the time to intensify that prayer. Through tear-stained eyes, I have been reading communications from missionary friends this past week, many of whom are former students of mine. They received a Voluntary Retirement Incentive from their sending agency (Southern…
Preceding the kick-off of a recent Monday Night Football game the announcer asked the fans to stand for a “thirty-second moment of silence.” There had been a tragedy in the area and a silent observance was appropriate, but a “thirty-second moment” was a bit confusing. Having thought about it for a few days, I think…
I’ve always loved stories. Loved them as a child sitting on my grandfather’s front porch and listing to him tell of his earlier days. Loved hearing my 6th grade teacher read the stories of William Green Hill. Only natural that I would develop a teaching/preaching/writing style heavy with story telling. Seemed to always work well….
I’ve been around a lot of pastor-less churches as they conducted their search for a new pastor. Interesting the questions they ask. Can he preach? How well does he relate to people? Can he appeal to the younger generation? How about the senior adults? Can he manage a staff? Is he good at organization? What…
I know very few people who enjoy waiting. We are an impatient people. A split-second is the time that elapses between the traffic light turning green and the vehicle behind you honking. We fidget at the microwave oven and get anxious at the revolving door. But God is not in a hurry. In “Knowing God”…
There are a variety of “don’t likes” in the world, and I suppose some are universal. One universal “don’t like” would be rejection. In fact I don’t think I know anyone who likes rejection. Rejection comes in many forms – rejection of an application; rejection after an interview; rejection by a person; rejection by an…
We are four men, sometimes five, from different backgrounds, each with a unique life story. We drink coffee together about once a month, sometimes more often. Three of us are retired, so we have to work coffee times into our busy schedules. In order to be in this group you have to have had at…