Browsing Tag

angry

9/11

Three September 11 messages in church

Father Brian Jordan (L), a Franciscan Priest, blesses The World Trade Center Cross, made of intersecting steel beams found in the rubble of buildings destroyed in the September 11 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, before it is transported and lowered by a crane into an opening in the World Trade Center site below ground level where it will become part of the permanent installation exhibit in the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, in New York, July 23, 2011. REUTERS/Chip East

As we remember September 11, 2001 in our culture, church goers will look to churches and pastors this weekend. Speaking about September 11 in church, a sermon, or prayer will be needed.

With the 14th anniversary of September 11, 2001 here, many Americans are sorting through their minds and hearts.  How have I changed from 14 years ago? What do I feel when I think of September 11, 2001?  Where was I on that fateful day? Why am I still sad? Where can our country go from here?

As we reflect and look back, we have three main messages to the attacks on September 11, 2001:

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blog, Culture, prayer

New York Times gets Senate prayer wrong

bblackprayer

Unless you have been sleeping under a rock, our government is at a budget impasse and everyone is mad as hell. Senate Chaplain Rev. Barry Black, a retired Navy rear admiral, gave a Senate prayer that the  New York Times reported as “scolding”:

The disapproval comes from angry constituents, baffled party elders and colleagues on the other side of the Capitol. But nowhere have senators found criticism more personal or immediate than right inside their own chamber every morning when the chaplain delivers the opening prayer.

The New York Times entitled the article, “Give Us This Day, Our Daily Senate Scolding” – written by Jeremy W. Peters – highlighted Rev. Black’s prayer as some sort of religious finger shaking.  When you read and watch the prayer, one immediately can connect to the honesty of the situation:

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blog, NFL

Tebow Hype a Bust

In a reverse this year, the big game was actually more interesting than the commercials.  New Orleans pulled off a win!  As I watched the Super Bowl commercials, I caught Focus on the Family’s paid ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother.  There was no mention of “abortion”, “the doctors told me”, or even “God.”  If you missed the commercial here it is:

What is so discouraging is the inflated hype around this commercial.  Nobody previewed it, nobody knew what was going to be said, and no one saw a script of the commercial. Yet, anti-religious and anti-abortion pundits were quick to condemn Tebow, Focus on the Family, and CBS.

Though I do not always agree with Focus on the Family’s approach or James Dobson’s sentiments, I do believe this Super Bowl ad was the right approach for their message.  If you want to pay 2.5 million dollars you have the right to proclaim a message, sell a product, or make a statement.  It was a personal story of joy about a mother and son and their life together.

Rowland Martin, CNN political analyst, made some good points when he wrote:

Advent, blog

It’s Black Friday! But, Christmas is Coming!

Well, today is Black Friday!  The craziest shopping day of the year!  Did you go and brave the crowds for all those insane deals?  I could never get up at 4 a.m. and wait in line just to get a better price on a Christmas gift.  Just of thought of the crowds, the lack of order, and crazy moms fighting over the newest toy (this year its some robotic hamster).  Just check out all these people waiting in the cold:

Did you notice the throngs of store employees standing there to keep order?  We have all heard the stories of people getting injured, trampled, and even killed by mobs of angry shoppers.  Crazy!  From the looks of this video, it is an orderly procession of people waiting for that great deal on that perfect gift for Christmas.  From the shouts of joy in the video, I can only imagine the excitement, adrenaline, and hope that people experienced.  They are excited about the deals.  Their adrenaline is pumping because they know they have to run to be the first.  And, they hope that their Xbox or Wii will be there for them to buy.

Why is it so exciting to wait and line at 4 a.m. to get the “best” deal?  Why all the excitement?

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anger

Two Pastors, An Angry Man, and Funeral

Being a pastor, I have always had positive experiences with funeral homes and funeral directors but, one of the first funerals I ever did, as an ordained pastor, was memorable.  A well known hometown gentleman died young, and his family contacted me and a retired minister on staff at my church to officiate the service.  As the two of us are about to begin the funeral, a wife of a pallbearer came up to me and asked if it would be acceptable for her to sit with her husband during the service.  I looked into the sanctuary and saw that all the pallbearers were to sitting on the front row, and I really thought nothing of it for her to sit with her husband (and the other pallbearers) during such an emotional time.  Boy I was wrong.

The funeral director came up to me and asked why I let her do that.  I explained that it is a difficult time for the family and I would want to have my wife with me if I was going through a difficult time.  The funeral director replied quickly,“That messes up the plan.  It doesn’t look right for her to sit with all the other pallbearers.  She isn’t even an immediate family member.”

I apologized and politely said that it might not look right to him, but to the family it means a lot.  “Who do you think is in charge here?” He  said aggressively.  I could immediately sensed that this funeral director was feeling threaten by me, a young whipper-snapper. I thought in my mind of all of the conceivable things to say to this man, who was being a jerk quite frankly.  “I’m sorry you feel that way, but here at this church we are very concerned about people, and not about looks.”  I said.  The funeral director got in my face, real close, about 6 inches away.  His face was bright red.  Like a stop sign.

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