It was in a tiny church in a tiny German town. Thirty-five tourists happened upon a small group of German Christians rehearsing their Christmas music. Seated on hard wood pews, in a chapel that seated maybe fifty worshippers, we listened, few of us understanding the words, but all of us recognizing the tunes. Christmas tunes…
Listening to a so-called “football commentator” describe an explosive running back, I was surprised to hear a new word – “explosivity.” Actually, it was not a real word, but an attempt to find a new way of describing a powerful running back. It reminded me of a Greek word – dunamis (from dunamai). It refers…
While not a biblical word, “travail” is a biblical idea. The first known usage of the word was in the 13th century and it described work of a painful or laborious nature. Synonyms were agony, torment, distress, tribulation, woe. Some modern translations of Gal.4:19 and Rom 8:22 describe “the pains of childbirth” by using the…
Have you been to a progressive dinner lately? You remember – appetizers are at the first house, salad at the second house, the main course at the third house, and desert at the fourth house. For the believer the progressive dinner began in the Upper Room when Jesus, “Took bread, gave thanks and broke it,…
“Your sermons have meant so much to my husband since he lost his mind.” Those words were shared with a former Seminary student of mine from one of his church members. In my laughter, I remembered a statement shared with me in the early days of my ministry. Following the morning worship service, I was…
It was one of those weeks. Early morning to late night for five days. A four hour flight on Saturday that turned into six hours due to storms. Three sermons preached on Sunday plus a break-out session lead. I was physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually exhausted. In an attempt to ease the pain of my…
The coming week contains a very special day and it is not Halloween. October 30 is National Forgiveness Day. Begun in 1998, some attempts were made to change the name to Global Forgiveness Day and there are those who refer to it as that. The stated purpose of the day is: “To create an awareness…
Trapped in darkness! Unsure if anyone knows; if anyone cares. Hopeless. Needing outside assistance. Then a voice, a sound, a light. Friends offer assistance, encouragement. Then an opening. Outside help. Hope. Finally someone comes to offer encouragement, instructions, assistance – a way out, a way up, a way to new possibilities. Out of the darkness,…
By the time I was eighteen I had crossed the Red River from Texas into Oklahoma and considered myself “well-traveled.” My eighteen year old granddaughter has been to Mexico, Kenya and Guatemala (twice) and does not considered herself “well-traveled” yet. After age eighteen, my travels intensified. As of today, I have been in all fifty…
If you’ve missed reading “Dr. Dan’s Monday Morning Memo” the last two Mondays it’s because our web site was attacked and we’ve been down for awhile. We are back until the next attack. Unfortunately we live in a society where some people take great pleasure in attacking others. A friend recently endured a rumor motivated…