West Cocoa Chat

How do you know when you need to take a blog break?

1. When you begin to suffer from "Brett Farve Syndrome" as in retire, un-retire, and then think about retiring again!
2. When you lose to a legally blind guy not once, not twice, ney, how about three times in 3 games of ("billy-ards") Pool!

Our keyboard guy on the Praise Team came over last night and played Steven and me in 4 games of "Rotation." The game of "Rotation" is started by picking a numbered bead out of a container. Each bead has a number on it. The number you choose is "your ball" of which you keep the idenitity to yourself.

Everybody takes turns shooting the balls 1 through 15 in rotation. If you happen to be shooting the 4-ball and you drew the "#4 bead," and you knock in the 4-ball, you win and game over. If someone else knocks you ball in the only other way to win is for you to shoot the 15 ball in if the game goes that far.

Last night the final 3 games went to the 15 ball and despite the fact that Steven and I knocked in the majority of the balls, Vaughn would end up shooting the 15 ball and knocked it in. He took great pride and beating a couple of guys with "normal vision."

So as the computer screens blurs I'll retire once again.

Hi guys:
This old boy will be taking a blog break for the rest of the week. Its been a long couple of (warning - Whining without "cheese" is closer than you think!) weeks with a trip down to beautiful and faraway, Lehigh Acres for a very good and long time friend's father's funeral. Last weekend we were in South Carolina with the same good friend and we had a super time courtesy of he, his wife Shelby, and their son Nathen.

Monday night - well, just read my "Norman" post.
Tuesday night - I didn't get home from school until 8:30pm courtesy of manning the "Math Table" at our "incoming students "Science and Math Safari."
Last night - sorry Randy but I'm going to use the "e" - word, an Elders meeting.

So here I are, dog tired, whining, and forgoing my 5K run after school for an early appointment with my home and bed.
Wife says I'm way overdue for my monthly Vitamin B-12 shot. Could be.

Love you guys and even the ones who read and post some of my posts like fodder for the opposing team - I love you guys too.

As they say on the Jim Rome show - "Short Take" - Out.

I have been known by many names in my lifetime. My Mom and Dad would call me Cecil Jr. My friends referred to me as "Beanie" from the "Beanie and Cecil Show." Any one remember "Cecil, the Sea Sick Sea-Serpent?" In my basketball and softball days some called me "CJ." After 28 years of teaching, "Mr. Walker" has become a standard although when students ask, "What can I call you," I usually answer, "Feel free to call me "Your Excellency, your Highness, or the "Absolute Ruler." Many of our friends' kids call me, "Uncle Cecil" while at Bible Camp most call me "Mr. Cecil." My good friend Steve, of whom we've done Bible Camp together for more than a quarter century, refers to me as his "Junior Director" as he believes himself to be the "Senior Director." I love it when Steven calls me "Pops." I'm sure there are some local "club" guys who refer to me with names I won't even mention. Won't they be surprised to see me and our entire church Heaven with them.

But now family, I have a new name. Just call me Norman! Does that mean when I walk into our auditorium at church everyone in the fashion of an opening scene from "Cheers" yells out, "Hey Norm!" No. What it means is I seem to have develop a new spiritual (all the guys who read the brotherhood rags are thinking, "I told you so, can't wait to put this in my church bulletin.") gift. It is the gift of picking the absolute slowest restaurant in Brevard County to eat at after our Weight Watchers meeting.

Our WW meeting is held at our church building. Afterwards, a number of us like sharks to a feeding frenzy, begin to think about where are we going to eat? A few weeks ago I suggested a local place called, "Normans." Wife and I had eaten there before and we found the food to be good as well as the service. I suggested it to our WW group and we ended up at Normans for 2 and a half hours! Being the imposing, intimidating, and commanding respect kind of guy I am, everyone blamed me for the choice and started calling me, "Norman" after said restaurant.

Last night after several weeks of turning the other cheek, I suggested another place. We went and I wish I could say, "We ate," but I can't. Its more like we went and we waited, and waited, and waited. It ended up being another 2 and a half hour ordeal. We were at a Mexican Restaurant and I believe the poor waiter was just getting started in the business, that is, the business of speaking English. We were nice to him and I just ate and drank anything he brought, no matter how wrong it was.

As the rocks beneath us were beginning to materialize into diamonds, we left the restaurant and there were a chorus of, "Way to go Norman" echoing down the night time sky of U.S.1.

I wonder if my gift will work in Malibu?

I was snagged at the last moment yesterday to help serve Communion. In my early days as a Christian, I didn't "enjoy" serving the Lord's Supper. I never minded saying a prayer or offering some comments as part of the service but the serving part always made me nervous. I would be perplexed over elements such as what look should be on my face? Should I smile, frown, or look like a Drill Sargent looking over his new recruits?

Now days I love and look forward to serving Communion. I love looking over our members, smiling at them, knowing that each one has a testimony on how they got here, what led them to the Lord and our Church. I try to make eye contact with the ones I know are hurting and to somehow convey to them that they are not alone. Like one of my old Principals, I'll tap the shoulder of some 3 times I know just as he use to do the children of our school. Yesterday I had one of our little girls smile at me as I took the plate from one of the adults watching her and say, "Hi Mr. Cecil." It no wonder the Lord loved children. They just warm your heart.

All of those things remind me of how multifaceted the Lord's Supper is. There is it's highest form, each one of us with God, examining ourselves in light of the love Jesus showed all of us on the Cross. Then there is each other for there is something special about all of our stories and the fact that through the blood of Jesus, the stories are holy and eternal.

There is a military adage that says just before a major battle, a commanding officer will walk the decks of his ships, look over his aircraft, or take a walk among the troops to make sure they are prepared for battle. Maybe that is why I love serving Communion for in many ways after our church services, all of us are off to battle.

God's blessing on all of you.

Our home was visited by some "nice boys from the Jehovah Witnesses" yesterday. That "nice boys" line came from a memory I have of a 1970's commercial. The Dallas Cowboys had beaten the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl and Bob Lilly, their Hall of Fame Defensive Tackle who had single handily dismantled the Dolphins Offensive Line, made a commercial. In the commerical, it showed clips of Lilly tackling several different players of the Dolphins as he said, "Here I am "meeting" some nice boys from Miami."

In our case it was my son who met a couple of missionaries from the JW. This visit resulted in another visit between Steven and me. They had given him several Scripture references, all of them pulled out of context, to consider. We spent the next hour in the Word, on the Internet, and in discussion about a myriad of topics related to not only their visit but many aspects of our faith walk with the Lord. It was Holy Ground!

I re-discovered what I think I knew - Steven has his own faith, it is passionate, and it seeks to grow. What more could a parent ask for out of their child? Is he perfect, not even close but neither is his father but he's seeking, studying, learning, and committed to living a life for Christ.

If there's "credit" to be assigned I would give a large part of it to our church. In our striving to be truly non-denominational I think we have created a rare entity - a church that young people want to be a part of or find out there as they grow up and move away.

I went to bed late and tired but with that sometimes rare "peace" that seems so fleeting in these times. Have a good weekend.

First, a "Word Press" shout out to my blog buddy, Brady (http://www.evendays.org/) I have emailed Word Press several times about my failed attempts at commenting on his blog. Everytime I attempt to comment I get a "404 Error" message instead. If anyone out there has pull with Word Press, tell them there is a frustrated guy in Central Florida trying to connnect with his favorite Swiss buddy but to no avail.

I headed home from our Leadership Meeting last night around 10:30. I called wife to tell her I was in transit and to report that the Expo's external guage was reading 38. In Florida we get all flustered when we see temps with tens digits that are less than 4. In less than 2miles (know it well as its on my 6 mile run route) the temperature dropped to 31. Now, it has been well documented that many of you (Terri, Donna, Judy, Keith, Brady and the like) have no sympathy for a Central Florida boy complainning about "cold" temperatures when those very same temperatures for many of you would be considered the beginnings of Spring. I humbly seek your forgiveness. But here in Central Florida, 31 at 10:30pm is cause to raise the shields and start yelling things like, "Red (Star Trek) Alert," "Emergency (the Hunt for Red October) Blow," or "Where's the (Christmas Vacation) tylonol!"

One of the precautions we Floridians are instructed to take when faced with "orange - chilling" temperatures is to turn on (I can hear the collective "Give me a break-s" out there) our pool filters. I guess ice cubes and pump motors don't mix very well. My dilema was normally on a cold night, freezing temperatures do not occur until after bedtime. I was on my way home and already the temps were below freezing and I hadn't had a chance to turn on the pool filter - rut row!

I arrived home and without changing my cool looking black leather jacket while putting on my cool headlamp I wore on our trip to the Colorado backcountry, I went around to the side of our home to turn on the filter. The filter came on but it was a bit rough. So at 11pm, I took my filter apart to clean it, put it back together, and turned on the filter. The day or rather the night was saved.

Standing in that cold air and being able to see my breath for some reason made me think of the church. I think there are times in the lifestream of a church (or our ourselves for that matter) that like the freezing temperatures and my pool filter, threaten to damage or destroy the church. Prayer and action is requred to keep the church from seizing up. The climate for action may not be conducive for leaders to feel very warm about the idea of stepping out in front of the flock and perhaps being left our in the cold. Nevertheless one thing is certain, like my pool filter, if action isn't taken at times in the church by leaders to restore the fire to a congregation, the result could be permanent damage and loss of an ability to act as God's filter to a lost and dying world.

I was worried last night that I was too late in starting my pool filter. I shutter to think how worried I would be if I had the same concerns about my church and didn't feel bold enough to take it apart, clean the filter, re-lube the gaskets, and hit the restart switch. For those of you in church leadership, it may be cold and threatening outside - don't let it deter you. If you feel the Holy Spirit's leading and you're grounded in the Word - turn the filter on!

A brrrrr update from "warm" Central Florida" - 27 degrees this morning? Come on, I need the warmth of some blog love - how about it blog world?

In this day of economic woes, Presidential inaugurations, and church worries its easy to over look the working of the Holy Spirit in our world. I don't pretend to fully understand how the Holy Spirit indwells us, guides us, and works through us but I do know He is at work. Now some might call what I'm getting ready to share pure coincidence, dumb luck, or someone needing to go buy a lottery ticket. I'll call it the working and the mystery of the power of the Holy Spirit in our world.

Our preacher Don preached a sermon just before Christmas on the concept of "paying it forward." He asked all of us to keep some amount of money on hand and look for a way to bless someone with no strings attached. One of our members took the sermon to heart and here is what happened:

He and his wife were having dinner at Wendy's. A young couple came in, she was pregnant, and sat near them. They overheard the couple talking about someone having just died of pancreatic cancer, their attempt to get to the family that lived 1200 miles away, and their dismay that their last credit card had been denied and they were out of money and "luck." When the couple walked outside, "John and his wife" followed. They walked up to them, introduced themselves, told them they had overheard their conversation, and asked them to wait in the parking lot for a few minutes.

John and his wife drove to the nearest ATM. John estimated how much money they would need for gas, withdrew the money, drove back to the Wendy's, and presented the couple with a wad of twenty's. They told the couple this was their way of paying forward the love God had bestowed upon them. The couple, grateful beyond belief, thanked them and continued their journey. Cool story, yes? But as they say, now for the rest of the story.

Several weeks later, a man arranged for a needy family to come to John's ranch to give them a time to ride some of their horses, tour their ranch, and to try and get away from some troubles they were facing. John told the man that the rides and the tour would be their treat and they would forgo the usual charge. At the end of the day, the gentleman who had arranged the special day for this troubled family, gave John an envelope. He told John he appreciated their kindness and he wanted him to accept this gift. When John opened the envelope their was a wad of twenties. It was above and beyond what they would have normally charged for rides on their horses and get this, it was in the exact amount they had given the needy couple in Wendy's a few weeks before, the exact same number of 20's.

Coincidence or the workings of an active God in His Kingdom? I know what I think.

I busted out laughing when I read Trey (http://www.treymorgan.net/) Morgan's comment on my last post about "welcome to the real world" on my trip to South Carolina. Yes, there should be no sympathy sent my way when it comes to me and cold weather unless of course, one heads into temps that dip below 10-degrees, right?

We started out on Friday around noon for Gilbert. The more north we drove, the lower the temperature went. That is until I let Steven take a round behind the wheel. There is something to be said about trust when you let your "kid" (18 years old) drive on the interstate. All joking aside he did a great job and his mother and I experienced another one of those "now I know how my parents felt" moment. Our Expo almost had a "Times Square on New Year's Eve" feel as we called out the external temperature readings as they went from the 50's, 40's, 30, and in to the 20's when we arrived in Gilbert. The "19" on the way home made it into the record books as the coldest temperature ever registered by our Expo.

It was great to have Bob with us and I know we gave Steven some comedic moments as he was trying to help me set up my bluetooth while Steven was driving. He was both coaching and laughing at us from the driver's seat. He swore that he could multi-task if we gave him my bluetooth but we told him the old guys were feeling old enough without that happening.

We arrived in Gilbert after 6 and a half hours of driving just missing Bob's son, Nathen's game. After he took a shower, Bob, his wife Shelby, and our family drove to Leesville-Batesburg to eat at Wiz's restaurant. Wiz's has everything from pizza to steak. We were impressed.

We awoke to 9 degree temperatures and no golf. Bob and I took a 5 mile walk across the Lake Murray Dam with temps in the low 30's with Bob while the ladies headed for the Mall. After our walk we did what most folks in that area would do to stay trim, thin, and eat good barbecue - we headed to (apologies to Phillip (http://www.themurphylife.com/) in American Samoa and from that area) Shealy's. Shealy's is a local legend when it comes to good bbq and mass quantities of food. To celebrate our foray to Shealy's, we took the rest of our families to El Chico's Mexican Restaurant in Columbia, the State Capitol, for dinner that night.

We attended services with Bob, Shelby, and Nathen at their church in Gilbert, "The Crossroads Church." They are affiliated with a large Baptist Church in Lexington. Richard, their preacher did a fine job and mentioned Bob and the recent loss of his father.

Ice on the roads prevented us from leaving too soon this morning but we were able to get on the road around 11 and arrived here in beautiful downtown West Cocoa around 5:30pm. The coldest air of the year is headed our way with temps staying in the 50's for the next 2 days. We had a great trip and enjoyed our time with Bob and his family. Now back to the grind tomorrow.

I picked up my friend of 40-something years yesterday in Ft. Pierce. Barb and I took a half day off today so we're headed up to Gilbert, South Carolina hopefully by noon along with Steven. The low temp. tomorrow there is suppose to be 10. 10 isn't "perfect" for golf but nevertheless I'm taking my golf clubs. Perhaps on Sunday after church of course, we might get in a round with temps hovering around 45. Hope all of you have a great weekend.

Anybody feel sorry for the Florida boy heading up to the cold temps?

I know for a few of us in blog world, there are times that we more often than not, post about service from a restaurant or store gone bad. I'd like to balance the blog world with a positive post on the subject. We had gone back to the same ("what did you say?") restaurant to eat breakfast the morning of the funeral. Southwest Florida and indeed all of Florida is now under the annual migration of (as we affectionately call them) of "Snowbirds." The restaurant was full of snowbirds eating breakfast on their way to or from church. Barb and I were seated at the last available table. When our coffee came I began to worry. No, it wasn't the caffeine. My concern was for how much time it was going to take us to get our food under the best of conditions.

Our waitress, Joyce, came over to our table and I immediately told her of our intentions to pay for the coffee and leave. I assured her we weren't mad but just in a hurry. Joyce looked at me as if I was alien which seems to be an epidemic lately with me and women. But this time it wasn't a misunderstanding of what I had said but rather I didn't know how good Joyce was. She told me with confidence, "Give me your order and I'll have your food out with plenty of time for you to get where you're going. Looking at almost every seat in the restaurant filled, I wondered if she was genuine or desperate. Going against my best judgement Barb and I gave Joyce our order.

Within 10 minutes are food was on our table and my jaw was on the floor. Joyce was amazing. I thanked her for her service, asked her if she came up toward Cocoa, and invited her to church and a meal on us.

I think its important for Christians to be as pleasant and understanding as possible when encountering the world. Most folks in the service industry will tell you the rudest and cheapest crowd to server is the Sunday morning - going to church folks. It shouldn't be that way and especially for folks like Joyce.

Southwest Florida - some call it the "Old Florida." When you run Highways 70 and 78 from Ft. Pierce inland and then around Lake Okeechobee you pass vast stretches of farmland, sugarcane, cattle ranches, and "Snowbird (as in retirement) Communities." We ignored our "Tom-Tom" and went with the "Bob-Bob" as in my friend of over 40 years, Bob, who gave us "un-Tom-Tom like" directions to get to Lehigh Acres, just outside Ft. Myers.

Although we were well away from blog land and our computer, we felt your prayers and well wishes as we said good-bye to Mr. Defren. As all of you know, the one blessing of a funeral is family and friends coming together to remember old times. Being with Bob and his Mom, as well as his Aunt Dorthy who "barely" flew down from Michigan with her son and retired middle school teacher, Norman, allowed me to go to a place in both memory and stories that I seldom visit with both my Mother and Father having passed away years ago.

Bob's brother, Garth, and his wife, Naomi, also came in for the Funeral. I had not seen them since Steven was a baby. Instead of flying they had decided to drive the 14 hours through the night so they were a little punchy when we ate dinner together or ate least I hope they were. You see, it was the occasion of me sitting next to Naomi that the title of today's post ("Starters) originates.

The restaurant was crowded and loud and we had just been seated. I turned to Naomi who except for the very brief hug and re-introduction, I hadn't spoken to for some 16 years. Where do you start a conversation under these circumstances? My brain reminded me of their circumstances in that they had driven through the night, they were tired, and they had taken a nap before dinner. Ah, my brain said, the perfect starter to conversation - I asked Naomi, "So, did you catch up on your rest?" My brilliant and delicate conversation starter was met with silence and a blank stare.

Thinking the restaurant must have been too loud or perhaps I had committed the rare mispronunciation, I restated my conversation starter, "Well, did you catch up on your rest?" Now the blank stare transformed to a wrinkling of the brow and more silence. I then said, "Naomi, what do you think I just said?"

Naomi looked to her left, right, and then around the room as if she was about to serve communion in a Church of Christ and said, "I thought you said, "Did I put ketchup on my breast." At this point I thought I was "E.F. Hutton" for it seemed that time stopped and half the restaurant was now interested in my conversation starter.

It was at that point that I assured Naomi that I didn't usually start my conversations with the words "ketchup" and breast." I think it was at that point that half the restaurant was covering their ears as all of us broke up into laughter and I'm sure relief that this knucklehead from Cocoa didn't actually use the words ketchup and breast to start his conversation.

After we all settled down Naomi told me she loves ketchup but not that much. I'm sure somewhere my Dad and Bob's Dad, were arm in arm laughing along with us.

"The Phantom ." That was one of several monikers my Dad hung on one of my best friend's father, Edwin Defren. Ed left this world last night in South Florida. Ed is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and 3 adult children, my good friend Bob, his brother Garth, and his sister Vicky. Out of all my friends I've know Bob the longest. I was 8 years old going into the third grade when we moved to Cocoa, Florida. My Dad was discharged from the Army and working at the Space Center around the time of the Apollo 1 disaster when we moved a few houses down from the Defren's.

Bob was the first kid I met in my new neighborhood and we quickly became friends. As happens so often when kids become friends our parents became friends as well. As I'm sure Bob's Mother, Marilyn would tell you, our parents were such good friends that when Bob and I drove Mrs. Defren crazy at her house, she would yell (that's back when yelling at kids wasn't a crime punishable by hanging) at us and say something like, "O.K. you two, I've had enough! Go over to Cecil's house and drive his Mother crazy!" We would by the way.

I don't remember Ed being around much when we were playing as kids but then most Dads were "away" at work. Ed however had a habit of disappearing for a few days of which my Dad immediately noticed. My Dad as I've chronicled in past posts, being a Sargent in the Army as well as being from (and I say this with much pride) Alabama, was the King of hanging nicknames and sayings that described folks in our sphere of influence, hence the name, "The Phantom."

As we got older and entered High School, I began to appreciate my Dad's enjoyment at teasing Ed when he saw him by asking, "Hey Phantom, where have you been disappearing to lately?" Ed would just smile and give an almost "John Madden" type chuckle and grumble," Well, you know.." and then grumble some more.

Ed in those days was a large man kind of like John Madden. In fact, I remember being at Bob's one day for dinner. We were seated around the table, someone said a prayer, and we were about ready to eat when Bob says to me, "Cecil, grab your plates!" When I asked why Bob said, "Because "Big Eddie" is fixing to eat and the suction sound might be the food coming off your plate!" I don't think Ed was too happy about Bob's portrayal but it made a memory.

The memory of Ed I'll leave you with came at my Dad's viewing when he died in 1988. Most people had left the funeral home but Ed and Marilyn had hung around. Ed walked up to my Dad's casket holding a Cross. In a tender moment that still brings tears to my eyes some 20 years later, I saw Ed look at his good friend, my father, he held his Cross and he said a prayer for my Dad. The "Phantom" was saying goodbye to his good friend as we will now say goodbye to him.

My son Steven and his 2 friends, Matthew and Kyle have been friend since they were toddlers. Steven is now a freshman in College while Matt and Kyle are both seniors in high school. I guess I can say at ages 18 and 17 they're boys on the threshold of manhood. All 3 of these young men are on our Church's Praise Team and Praise Band. They love to have fun together. I have some really good memories from this past Summer of climbing 13,700ft. Mount Tweeto in Colorado with these guys as well as hanging out in the Colorado backcountry for 4 days.

I've seen these boys grow up at Bible Camp going from making that break of sleeping in a cabin without a parent to being Cabin Counselors for us last year. Time as I know all of us know, is flying by at warp speed. But it slowed down for a moment tonight at our house. The "3 Amigos" if you will, came over after Praise Team Practice. We took advantage of this rare opportunity to get in some serious Bible Study. Actually we played several games of "Rotation" on our pool table. It was great to hear the boys laugh as well as compete. I'll brag a little and say that I won the first 2 games. How about that, a (as Jeb Clampett might say from the Beverly Hill Billies) 50 year old "billy-ard" shooting elder.

At one point Matthew decided to practice what I call the "Big Bang Theory" of Pool or in other words, smack the balls as hard as you can and if one goes in, try to make it look like it was your intention rather than "junk." Matt came up with his own title for such a shot. He called it, "Wapple-jack time." As time flies by and these boys become young men I'll take all the wapple jack time I can get.

Is your church better than mine? Is my church better than yours? Is there something about our fellowship / denomination that makes us better or if you will, closer to the church God had in mind than yours. Does God have a (I hope not) “BCS” of churches? I do know one thing – whether we want to admit it or not there are folks who measure their church or their group against others.

I still remember some 30 years ago, having a conversation along these lines. Ironically it was at the Bible Camp that would eventually practice the unfortunate church of Christ practice of the “un-invitation” on yours truly. Our church was participating in a “Work Day” at this Camp. I was in the Canteen helping to hang the folding front cover. The brother I was working with asked me my church background. I told him I had grown up in the Baptist Church. He looked at me as a frown came upon his face and then he said, “Yeah, they’re close.” I took that comment to mean, “If anyone besides the folks in the church of Christ are going to be in Heaven, the Baptist might make it,” in his humble opinion.

I think in our Christian Colleges and many of our churches, the art of comparing churches for the most part, isn’t encouraged. But is that true in the hearts and minds of many of our church members? What does the Bible say about comparing churches? Jesus repeatedly condemns the Pharisees and those who fall into the “goat category” of Matthew 25.

You do have the Berean Jews of Acts 17:11 – 12 who Peter says are of “more noble character” than those questionable Jews of Thessalonica. Notice also that this is a multi-ethnic church being made up of Greek women and men.

¹¹ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹² Many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Here the “better” label if you will seems to do with:

1. Their voracious appetite for the Word.

2. Their studiousness.

3. Being accepting of other ethnicities.

Now I’ll claim “50-year old brain disease” on this one because the only other place that comes to mind of a comparison of churches being made is in 2^nd Corinthians 8:1 - 5.

¹ And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. ⁵ And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a “this church is better” statement but Paul is taking the time in his second corrective letter to Corinth to spotlight these Macedonian churches that all seem to be in dire straights yet:

1. They were very generous.

2. They gave beyond their ability.

3. They did it without having to be pestered.

4. They saw giving as a privilege.

5. They had their priorities straight focusing on God and His will first.

Isn’t it interesting in these 2 examples that there’s nothing about the “better church’s” worship mentioned. So, I guess you might be able to say your church is “better” if:

1. Your church loves and studies The Word.

2. Is accepting of all races.

3. Loves to give, even beyond their means.

4. Always goes to God first to seek His will.

Any thing else to add to the “my church may be “better” than yours if we ------------?

Have a good one.

Setting your priorities by thinking, “First things first,” has been a phrase I’ve often used with my students. One of the best Principals I worked for use to ask us as teachers, to set our “first things first” by thinking, “The Instructional Program should come first.” With the present College Bowl season in play (apologies to you Bama fans – wow – what about them Utes) along with the NFL Playoffs, teams will often make a commitment defensively to stop the run first and force the offense to pass or vice versa.

Paul in I Corinthians is dealing with a church whose priorities to say the least are out of balance. With all of the issues, disputes, and priorities out of balance going on in Corinth, you almost expect to see Paul whip out a “Bill Murray / Dr. Peter Venkman / in the Mayor’s Office in the movie, “Ghostbusters” when the Mayor asks, “What do you mean, “Biblical,” and Bill / Dr. Venkman answers with a, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria,” tirade.

And less we crack on those yo-yo Corinthians too much I some how believe Paul saw all of us here in the 21^st Century, getting things out of whack with what happens inside our church buildings and neglecting the things that are of “first importance.” Remember I Corinthians 15:1 – 5

¹ Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of (emphasis mine) first importance ^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, ^[b] and then to the Twelve.

Most of you know of the changes that have taken place at our church with respect to our worship services. These changes have been a blessing to our church but they will be all for naught if we, as individual Christians do not allow The Gospel as Paul describes it in I Cor. 15, to be the driving force in our lives 7 days a week.

I also challenge myself and all church leaders to filter everything that we have to deal with through what Paul said was of “first importance.”