A visiting pastor was attending a men’s prayer breakfast in a Mississippi Farm County. He asked one of the impressive older farmers in attendance to say grace that morning. After all were seated, the older farmer began: “Lord, I hate buttermilk.” The pastor opened one eye and wondered to himself where […]
1582) Saying Grace Read More »
By Joshua Rogers at: http://www.joshuarogers.com/2010/12/07 I have a confession to make: it’s been about three or four weeks since I’ve read my Bible for more than 15 minutes. Believe it or not, I actually like to read my Bible. But unfortunately, it doesn’t come naturally for me to sit down and
1512) Time for God? Read More »
By Mindy Belz, in World magazine, May 27, 2017, page 28 (www.wng.org). ————————- An Iraqi boy prays inside St. George’s Church in Baghdad ————————————– Months into the invasion of Iraq by ISIS, I emailed a friend in Baghdad to check on his family and his church. Islamic State militants by that time controlled one-third
1505) How the Church Moves the World Read More »
In the final petition of the Lord’s prayer we ask God to deliver us from evil. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism also refers to such protection from evil in Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed where he says God, “defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all
1482) Deliver Us From Evil Read More »
The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer (after the introduction) is perhaps the most difficult to understand. We know what the other petitions mean when they ask for things like daily bread or forgiveness or help in times of temptation. These are things we might pray for on our own anyway. But what
1481) Hallowed Be Thy Name Read More »
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) (and death mask) ————————- The Constitutional Convention of 1787 held its meetings in secret, and its members were expected to keep the details of their discussions and debates confidential. The official papers of the Convention sat in the State Department offices, untouched, until 1818. When finally released to the public,
1444) Ben Franklin’s Request for Prayer Read More »
By Fred Craddock, Craddock Stories, ed. by Mike graves and Richard F. Ward, Chalice Press, 2001, pages 110-111. I met a desperate woman the other day. I had gone to the hospital in Fannin County to visit someone else. I did not know this lady, and I didn’t know I would encounter
1428) A Desperate Prayer Read More »
The Unjust Judge, Eugene Burnand (1850-1921) —————————— By Walter Sundberg, The Rose magazine, page 26, Spring 1999. ——————– Luke 18:1-8 — Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor
1427) Prayer as Nagging Read More »
My wife and I got acquainted in Chautauqua, New York, with a minister who had no arms. He was telling us one day there at Chautauqua the experience of learning to put on his own clothes without any arms. He said his mother always dressed him, and he’d gotten to be a pretty
1425) Figure it Out Read More »
———– “We should devote 364 days a year to being thankful and set aside only one day for grumbling and complaining.” ———————— Fulton Ousler (1893-1952) was a journalist, author of many novels (including The Greatest Story Ever Told), and editor of the Reader’s Digest. He wrote in one of his books about Anna, born into
1323) ‘Much Obliged, Dear Lord’ Read More »
