A Texas Preacher Goes to Washington

We walked down the surprisingly narrow hallway, the deep carpet cushioning our steps, as our secret service agent friend led us toward an open door.  “No way.  That can’t be what I think it is…can it?”  Yes, it was.

Who would have ever imagined that a South Texas preacher who grew up in the tiny town of Alamo, Texas, and his bride from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, would be inside the West Wing of the White House, looking through the door of the Oval Office of the President of the United States?  What a country!

Dear Mr. President; I’m Disappointed…

I watched the news, today, and noticed that you decided not to have a public time of prayer at the White House during today’s National Day of Prayer.

I’m disappointed, Mr. President, and, frankly, a little surprised.

I was there last February in Brownsville, Texas, where you told a group of clergy how much Jesus Christ and prayer means to you.

Thank You, President Bush

Dear President Bush,

I know you are all packed up and are ready to spend one last night in the White House before returning to Texas. It has been fashionable, of late, to attack and demean you, and diminish some of the great things you did over the last eight years. For my part, I am deeply grateful to God for your service as our President during these difficult years.

Barack Obama – My President

On January 3, after Senator Obama’s unlikely win over Hillary Clinton in the Iowa primary, I watched, with the rest of the country, as he spoke to his Iowan supporters.  What I heard was a soaring speech, that appealed to all of us as Americans to come together and be one people again.  His speech was so moving, that it literally brought tears to my eyes.  “You came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents to stand up and say that we are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come.”

Real Preachers of Genius…We Salute You – Mr. Really, Really, Really Bad Preacher

Sadly, we’ve all been there, seen that and gotten the t-shirt.

“What’s Going On, Chief?”

As I sat in the carport of Chase Bank, waiting for my deposit slip to come shooting out in an air tube, my Ford’s engine began to make chugging, gasping noises. “Oh no”, I thought, “I ran out of gas”. Sure enough, the gas guage read “E”; the car coughed twice, then was quiet.

A Child Shall Lead Them

Ok, my daughter’s 4th birthday was celebrated last week, and, at a time when most kids are thinking about cake, presents and goody bags, Rachel took time out of her day to strike a blow at that most hideous of all of Calvin’s constructs, the wretched doctrine of limited atonement. 

The miracle is that I caught it all on video.  Enjoy…

“Suing” in the Spirit?

If you’ve been around the charismatic movement, or even old-school Pentecostalism before, you are aware that a common feature of altar calls in some churches is the ritual falling of people “under the power” of the Holy Spirit.  The falling usually takes place after a minister lays his hand on the head of the seeker, however some preachers have been known to push hard and “help” the Holy Spirit knock folks to the ground.  In some churches, this practice is so common that “catchers” and “coverers” are trained to catch the seeker when he falls backward, and, in the case of women, “cover” their legs with a blanket.

But what happens when the catcher misses, and somebody bangs his head on the ground?  A 2.5 million dollar lawsuit, that’s what!

Calvinists Dancing in Church?

As you know, most of our Reformed brethren frown on the more expressive forms of worship in church, clinging to something called the “Regulative Principle“, of which I am clearly no fan, which limits, in my view, the believers’ liberty to worship God like King David (all through the Psalms), and to enjoy the full array and variety of worship expression.  Which brings me to an article I read in Christianity Today yesterday by James K.A. Smith titled, “Teaching a Calvinist to Dance“.  Is it really possible to be a Reformed Calvinist AND worship like a pentecostal or a charismatic?

Can My Cell Phone Crash a Plane? Really?

Yesterday afternoon, sitting on an American Airlines airplane, I listened to the flight attendant command us to turn off all cell phones and portable electronic devices right before takeoff.  We have all heard and obeyed this command for years, believing that somehow our cell phones and ipods could somehow bring down a jet. 

But could my cell phone crash a plane?  Really?