This Week In Paradise …

Posted on 2012/05/07 by Shawn Thomas

I know that some church members think that everything must be “perfect” at the pastor’s home (you know, just like his kids!) — that it is some kind of terrestrial paradise.  Others, I am sure, wonder “what really happens inside the preacher’s house?”  This blog post (and those which may or may not follow it) is dedicated to enlightening both sets of people. Continue reading →

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Bonhoeffer on Your Daily Bible Reading

Posted on 2012/05/06 by Shawn Thomas

Last Thursday I shared some insights from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, for the National Day of Prayer.  The same book contain several helps for our daily time in God’s word.  In Life Together he uses the term “meditation,” but he is not referring to “transcendental meditation” or anything of that sort, but of daily personal meditation in the scriptures.  Here are some of his helpful insights: Continue reading →

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Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right

Posted on 2012/05/05 by Shawn Thomas

The words of this old hymn are very pertinent for me right now – in a number of ways – and perhaps they may minister to you, too.  Samuel Rodigast (1649-1708), the son of a Lutheran minister in Germany, wrote this to comfort a sick friend.  It is the only hymn we know that he authored. 

Whate’er my God ordains is right,

His holy will abideth;

I will be still whate’er He doth,

And follow where He guideth.

He is my God,

Though dark my road,

He holds me that I shall not fall,

Wherefore to Him I leave it all. Continue reading →

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Bonhoeffer on Prayer

Posted on 2012/05/03 by Shawn Thomas

As today is the National Day of Prayer, I wanted to share some observations on prayer from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. The book focuses on the importance of fellowship in the church, but includes some helpful observations on the practice of prayer as well: Continue reading →

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“Orotund or Obfuscation?” How many of these 20 Dickens words do YOU Know?!

Posted on 2012/05/02 by Shawn Thomas

At 1083 pages, it took me more than a just few days to read Peter Ackroyd’s epic-length biography, Dickens.  Actually I would have completed it much more quickly had I not stopped to look up so many words!  Some I just wanted to make sure I knew the exact meaning of – but there were several words in Dickens which I am fairly sure I had NEVER laid eyes on before in my entire life!  In many portions of the book, I had to research words at the rate of about one per page.  About a third of the way through, just for fun, I began to highlight each word that I looked up.  Following are some of those.  How many could you precisely define – without looking?!  As Count Rugin in “The Princess Bride” exhorted Wesley: “This is for posterity, so be honest!” Continue reading →

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Fleeting Laughter, Lasting Pain

Posted on 2012/04/30 by Shawn Thomas

Most of us have been guilty at some point of poking fun at someone without thinking of the pain it might be inflicting on them.  In Peter Ackroyd’s Dickens, he tells the story of John Coleman, who lived opposite the famous author.  He writes:

“Coleman always raised his hat when he saw the young novelist, but his civilities were not necessarily returned, and on one occasion, when Macready [George, an actor friend of Dickens] was leaving the house, the actor saw Coleman and whispered something to Dickens.  ‘They both laughed as they drove off, little dreaming of the pain their laughter left behind.’”

     We need to beware using other people’s appearance, mannerisms, or situation as the basis for our jokes — whether a passing stranger, a work or school associate, or especially a family member.   To us it might be nothing more than the “light entertainment” of a passing moment – but for them it may be a wrenching hurt that leaves a lasting scar.  (James 3:5-6, Proverbs 12:18)

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My MRI Experience

Posted on 2012/04/30 by Shawn Thomas

Last Thursday I had my first MRI.  “MRI” is short for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which is the use of nuclear magnetic resonance to produce images of internal body structures that don’t show up well on x-rays.  I have had headaches and lightheadedness, which seem to be immediately attributable to my blood pressure dropping as soon as I stand up, and decreasing even more the longer I stand.  But as a matter of course, since headaches and some light facial numbness were among my symptoms, the doctor scheduled me to have an MRI of the brain, hopefully just to rule out the presence of any tumors or other abnormalities that might be the cause of my problems.  So an MRI was scheduled.  Like many people, I had heard about MRI’s, but had never had occasion to have one.  I write about my experience in hopes that it might help someone else know what to expect, and perhaps to assist somewhat in the choice of MRI machine options. Continue reading →

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“The World” (John 3:16 series)

Posted on 2012/04/22 by Shawn Thomas

     “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world; red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world.”  Many of us have known that song since childhood.  Our children still sing that song to this day.  Where did we get such an idea that “Jesus loves the little children of the world”?  We get it from the verse we are currently studying, John 3:16.

     We have seen with the opening words of this verse (“For God”) the centrality of God, and that salvation originated with God (“For God”).  Then we saw how this God “so loved” – emphasizing that God responded to us with love instead of judgment, and with an intensity of love that is beyond our understanding.  Today, as we come to the third pair of words in this great verse, we see that this love which God has is for “the world.”  “For God so loved THE WORLD …”.  Let’s look together at what that means: Continue reading →

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Charles Dickens on Criticism

Posted on 2012/04/18 by Shawn Thomas

“ … one of the reviewers [of Dickens’ books] suggested that ‘it does not appear certain to us that his books will live …’.  But what did Dickens make of such criticism?  A few weeks later he was walking with Hans Christian Andersen, who had been hurt by the reviews of his latest book (in fact he had been found lying face down, in tears, on the lawn of Gad’s Hill place).  ‘Never allow yourself to be upset by the papers,” he told Andersen, ‘they are forgotten in a week, and your book stands and lives.’  They were walking in the road, and Dickens wrote with his foot in the dirt.  ‘That is criticism,” he said.  Then he wiped the marks with his foot.  ‘Thus it is gone.’”

(From Peter Ackroyd’s Dickens, pp. 779-780)

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Sermon Illustrations from Peter Ackroyd’s “Dickens”

Posted on 2012/04/17 by Shawn Thomas

Preachers find illustrations for sermons from every sphere of life, including their own personal experiences and, of course, the hilarious things their children say.  Many pastors also glean sermon illustrations in the course of their reading as well.  I am currently reading Peter Ackroyd’s lengthy (1083 pages!) biography of Charles Dickens, entitled simply, Dickens.  Ackroyd asserts that he has read every extant piece of personal correspondence available from the pen of Charles Dickens, published and unpublished, and that is obvious from both the length and detail of information presented in book.  It is not dry or pedantic, however, but very insightful and even entertaining reading regarding the life of the beloved author some call the father of Christmas as we know it. 

As is my custom, while reading I have been highlighting and underlining various stories and comments which might be used to illustrate a point in a sermon or devotion.  I know that finding the perfect illustration for the message one is working on for Sunday can be one of the preachers most daunting tasks, so if you find something from my gleaning in Dickens which helps you in that task, I will be most pleased!

I will begin with a few illustrations and hope to add to them over time.  I am currently (4-17-12) still reading Dickens and am “only” on page 753! 😉

The first illustration might be of use to someone for an upcoming Fathers Day sermon: Continue reading →

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