I grew up in a musical home, sort of. Neither of my parents played any instruments, but music was quite important to them. This came out primarily in their love of hymns and gospel songs. They also had ...
My Musical Career, Such as It Was
My First Sermon, and Welcome to It
My sentiments concerning my first sermon are comparable to the sentiments that the late Patrick McManus had toward his first deer . . . so please allow me to relate to you how it all happened. I ...
Fifty and Climbing
So today marks the occasion of our fiftieth wedding anniversary. Fifty years ago, on New Year's Eve, Nancy and I exchanged vows, and what a good run it has been. Considering this, on a day like ...
Fever in the Bunkhouse Now
Introduction: I will begin by noting that today's installment is going to be more autobiographical than normal, and will consequently be a bit more personal. There is a reason for this, as I hope will ...
Historical Backdrop to Smashmouth Incrementalism
As best as I can recall, abortion first became a real issue for me when New York legalized the practice, three years prior to Roe. That happened in 1970, but my recollection of my anger and dismay is somehow located during my time in the Navy, sometime in 1971 or 1972—so I don’t know what …
Coming Up on Forty Nine
Nancy and I got married on New Year’s Eve, 1975. It took us a few years to figure out why the restaurants were always so crowded on our anniversary dates. But because we got married New Year’s Eve, that being the case, we will be marking our 49th anniversary in just a few weeks. And …
Summers
As I was growing up, my family was a road-tripping family. My father was not yet a pastor, but he was an evangelist and conference speaker, and so we would often accompany him on speaking gigs, and roll a family vacation into it. As I was just a kid at the time, and not yet …
Jim and Bessie
Honor is not an invisible thing. When the Bible tells us to honor the emperor, or to respect all men, or to honor our fathers and mothers, this is not referring to an invisible attitude tucked away somewhere in our hearts. Honor must be expressed and shown, and not some cliched and trite greeting card …
NQN Game Film 2023
Introduction: It has become our custom—and why shouldn't it have become our custom?—to review the month of November once we turn the page of the calendar, and all the pieces have fallen out ...
Remarks at the CREC Council Dinner
The Same Old Things: Introduction: So I have been assigned a topic that delights me. I am the son of a colporteur, an antique word that refers to the peddler of religious books. Not only was my father an avid distributor of literature, he was one who thought about the whole enterprise carefully, and who …