Saturday, February 4, 2012

Reality TV ???

Reality TV?

Reality TV – now there is an oxymoron for you! There is nothing real about it. Well other than the ratings it gathers. It is an entertainment for the bored masses watching television.

This morning I heard on the radio that there is a convention of reality TV producers pitching their ideas for “new” reality shows. One that caught my attention was “Celebrity Wife Swap” and I thought don’t celebrities already swap spouses often enough?   Is there really a need to promote that idea? On the other hand it may be the most real of all of the so called reality TV shows.

How many movie, TV, pop stars and politicians have musical chairs marriages? Some of them have affairs before the ink is dry on the marriage certificate. They make their marriage a sham. Do vows to God rally mean anything to them?  I have known men who believe that it is the wife who must be faithful while they can sow wild oats at will. For every man committing adultery there is a woman doing the same thing.

Life is reality while TV is a production.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Thoughts at Random



Our thoughts are our own and often uncontrolled, they just show up. A random thought will just pop into my head and I am all “where did that come from?” Sometimes it is funny or odd, other times it’s profound or way off the wall. Sometimes it shows up at an odd time like when I am driving and then it goes away never to be remembered again.

We also have contrived thoughts based on our life experience and relationships with other people. We are not always comfortable with what we think others think about what we think. To be truthful when we speak or write what we think other people think about it and respond with their own thoughts. Do we stop expressing thoughts simply because of the response of other people? I hope not.

My thoughts are my own and reflect only on me and not those around me. The only time I may need to be forgiven for them is not the thinking but when I express something that is intentionally hurtful to another.

The freedom to think, speak and write is a precious human right that must be protected. I respect the thoughts of others even when I disagree or don’t like the word choices. A free exchange of thoughts enhances our life experience as long as we take responsibility for our own and respect the rights of others.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Hope For the Future

Hope for the future of the next generation drives our endeavors in the present. Hope for our future in the life after death controls our morals in our present endeavors. Without either of these hopes our present lives are subject to the great evils of corruption, greed and lust.  

The bible teaches us to seek counsel and learn from others who know God and live righteous lives. Our community of faith keeps us accountable to one another as well as to God. In our faith community we share insights, grow in understanding and learn from our shared experiences.

Jesus commissioned the church to benefit us in our faith walk. Our call as followers of Jesus it to share our faith with others by making new disciples, teaching them and sharing the Christian life with them in all of life’s trials and joys. We are not alone in our walk of faith and our hope for the future.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Check That Scripture

How many preachers are misquoting the Scriptures to prove their point?

That process is called “Proof Texting” and I was taught in seminary that it is a false use of the scriptures.

There is a Texas radio preacher who promotes his prayer cloth in this fashion. He will send you one when you send a donation to his worthy ministry. He listed two passages very quickly, Mark 5:41 and 2 Kings 2. He obviously did not expect anyone to remember what scripture he stated because I looked them up. There was not any evidence of the prayer cloth in these passages.

If only people will check the Scriptures other people list as proof for their point of view!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Liberal OR Conservative?


I was recently accused of being a liberal by some one who took issue with a post I made. A short time later I was accused of being ultra conservative in person by another friend who should know me better. Labels like liberal and conservative are often placed on us by people who want to put us in a box of their choosing. Some of us chose our own label to reflect where we think we stand in our community.

It is interesting to watch the current political debate where politicians accuse each other of not being conservative enough. The truth is often not considered in the argument. On both side of the spectrum there are people who get angry with others who do not fit their definition of liberal or conservative. Is there a test we all have to pass on this issue? I hope not.

I am an independent mind and the fact is that on some issues I am very conservative and on others I am very liberal. If you are talking money I am very conservative but if you are talking personal rights and freedom I am very liberal. Politics, religion and relationships are all open to reflection and renewal for me. I don’t change my mind easily but I am willing to look at the evidence and seek the truth. 

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Do You Really Follow Jesus?

The apostles followed Jesus but sometimes they did not fully comprehend what Jesus said or did. In one breath Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah and in the next breath rebuked Jesus for saying that he would have to die. Peter actually walked on water to meet Jesus but then lost faith and began to sink. James and John argued about who should sit at the right and left hand when Jesus ascended the throne. What does it all mean?


Jesus spoke in parables and often defied social convention. We can see in hind sight that everything Jesus did led to the establishment of our salvation through faith and the Grace of God. Yet we too like the apostles forget during the busyness of our living that we too said we would follow Jesus. We forget to do the small acts of kindness. We get so intent on waiting for a great revelation that we don’t actually listen for that still small voice of God.


We have the teachings of Jesus and promised at our baptism that we would obey Jesus but we allow the cares of the world to draw us away from them. It is only in being focused on Jesus that we will live our lives in true faithfulness. John 13:7 – look it up.