These thoughts are added to each Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
(Scroll down to read previous thoughts)
(Use in your personal or church newsletters)
Love? If I love you and you love me as much as we should, it isn’t that we will never have to say, “I’m sorry.” It is rather that each of us will accept the two word apology with a three word reply, “I forgive you,” said either by word or deed or both.
Love? It is a roof over our head that never leaks no matter how hard the rains of sorrow fall.
Love? It is more than a truce. It is a heavenly transaction with the signatures signed at the cross.
Love? It is humanity with a halo. It is flawed man with his psyche rubbed raw from giving the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians his all.
Love? When it happens, it is the miracle your Lord and mine promises it to be.
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Thursday, January 31, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
HANDS
Starting on my other blog
ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS on Nov 1...a 3 day series on HOW TO LESSEN
ANXIETY.
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++++++ (Continuation of
Hands)
As legend tells it, many years ago in a
certain church, on a very particular day, all the people were asked to bring
great gifts to lay upon the altar. All
had been told that the greatest gift would cause a miracle. That at that moment
a heavenly choir would burst forth with song.
And so they came, bringing boxes of gold, silver, jewels, and
spices. All kind of wealth. A long line of hope and yet nothing
happened. Silence. Unrelenting silence.
Then, slowly there came walking down the
aisle a peasant girl. Her tattered
clothes hung loose. Her pale fingers
almost luminescent as she moved toward the towering piles of magnificent
offerings. Kneeling, she reached forward
and put down…. her hands. . . and left them there. For a long time she moved them not, offering
them to God.
They were all she had, and she gave them. Then softly, at first no louder than a
whisper, came the sound of a celestial chorus, building to a crescendo. The very walls reverberated with angel voices
of acclamation. For yes, her gift was
the greatest, the most wondrous; the gift of self.
Someone once wrote, “God takes a hand
wherever He can find it. Here, the hand
of a mother to guide her child; there, the hand of a neighbor to be a
friend. The hands of those who
believe.”
Why such emphasis on service? Because service is the rent we pay for the
space we occupy.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
VANITY, A CANCER TO THE SOUL
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++++++++++++
Ecclesiastes
2:11 (King James)
Then
I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I
had labored to do: and, behold, all was
vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
If ever there was a time when vanity is a
sin now is that season. The manger
moment is such an outstanding example of humility. Not that vanity is something
new to the 21st century. Way
back in the ancient Garden of Eden where the first woman, Eve, was tempted,
Vanity only whispered in her ear. It
didn’t have to shout to get her attention, nor even speak up to be heard – we
human beings are like that. Being King
on the Hill or Queen of the Realm sits all too easily in the our psyches. So Eve, easily tempted, reached up, helped
herself to the forbidden fruit and relished the idea of being as wise as
God.
Almost 2,000 years ago in Cesarea
Philipi, the 12 Disciples who sat at the feet of the Master lived under the
same bondage. Me better – me best. After
all, they had given up so much to follow Him - wealth, position, time,
community and family ties. They had really given up so much by
earthly standards. And so now vanity
made them pompous in their sacrifices.
Thinking that at
the very least they deserved some reward, they asked, “Who is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?” And then they
waited. Each one hopeful that Jesus
would give him the praise and recognition he felt he truly deserved. They all had delusions of grandeur. It is still an overwhelming fault of most of
humanity.
I can see the disciples now: Peter fidgeting and hanging on to every word out of the mouth of the Lord - being sure
that any minute Jesus would exclaim, “Peter,
you know what I like about you? It is
your fire and enthusiasm. You stand head
and shoulder above all the others.”
Well, maybe not say it so blatantly but certainly implying it. And Peter thinking, How could He do
otherwise?
Matthew? He was no less in need of assurance. Come on, Jesus, he possibly considered, Make
sure all these other disciples know how lucky they are to have me as one of
them. What would they do without my
logical thinking that so clearly makes me superior to other muddled minds? I’m so thankful I’m not as dumb as most
people.
Nor was the disciple Thomas any different. Looking around the room, it is quite likely
he reflected, You clods never ask any penetrating questions, as do I. What’s wrong with you? Were you born without any curiosity at
all? Don’t you have any blanks you’d
like to have filled in? Oh, ye of too
much faith.
Oh, I have no
doubt that each of the 12 suffered from various stages and degrees of
vanity. I have no doubt at all. And neither did Jesus. His faithful followers who were willing to be
fishers of men had just shown they were also fishers for compliments. “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?” And then each one salivating in hopes it would be he.
Jesus?
Perhaps He sighed a little before He made His point in His own
inimitable way. Hit at the core of the
thing, as only He could do. A little child was standing nearby and the
Lord simply called him over. Called over
this comely, dark-eyed youngster still with a heart pure and clear, not yet old
enough to be permanently scarred by petty jealousies, hurts and imagined
wrongs. And cradling this little one in
His arms, He looked at His disciples and said, “Verily I say unto you, except
you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of God
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in
so many words, “If you work only for your reward on earth, don’t look for it
the second time around in heaven.”
Too much vanity makes fools of men. It puts a chip on their shoulders, holes in
their heads, and becomes a thorn in their sides. They want praise, and will not accept
criticism. There are those so vain in
their faith that even when they pray, they probably remind God of their
credentials. “Just remember, Lord, I’ve done Thy will, read Thy book, been a
Christian not to be easily overlooked.
Indeed, if You will take the time to look closely You’ll find that my
name must be written in gold on Your pages of heaven.”
“No,” you say. “No one would
actually pray like that.” Probably not,
but many when they pray have that kind of attitude, and the tragedy is that
sometimes they don’t even know it.
And we in church leadership have to be
especially careful not to become flagrant fools, for the church is full of
titles and degrees; preachers with their BD’s, PhD’s, ThD’S and DD’s; Bishops,
laymen elected Elders, Chairman's of the Board, Clerks of the Session,
Moderators of Presbytery, Deacons, the list goes on and one and on. What again was it Jesus said? “If you work
only for your reward on earth, don’t look for it the second time around in
heaven.”
I tell you
this. The devil makes Vanity for
everyone but he keeps the largest doses for the hardest workers. In church he takes those who give the most
time, share the best talent, sacrifice the greatest dollar, and he tries to
make them vain. He constantly reminds
them of what they have done. He builds
vanity on the foundation of their accomplishments, whispering in their ear,
“You are the greatest in this church.
This church could not survive without you.”
You know, and of course this is pure
supposition, there are going to be a lot of people in the church, all churches
of all denominations, who on that appointed day when they walk through the
pearly gates are going to be terribly disappointed. They will have spent years in the church
working – not for God – but for praise.
And at that golden moment Gabriel isn’t going to step forward to blow
his horn in a special salute. No one of
official heavenly status, even perhaps from the lower ranks, is going to
enthusiastically shake their hands, or offer them a key to special places in
the heavenly city.
They will have
done a host of good deeds, performed a multitude of kindly acts, given energy
and sacrifice in copious amounts….all for the praise of men and women. And since that is what they only worked for,
they got it and kept it and embraced it and were burdened by it, and therefore
swept the gates free of any welcoming committee because time and time again
they asked, “Who is the greatest…”
All of us like praise. There is nothing wrong in the liking of it –
but there is everything wrong if we cannot be satisfied or happy without
it. To demand praise, to quit if we
don’t get it, to give up on a task if we feel unappreciated, is to one day find
out that “pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
(to be continued next Thursday)
++++++++
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
THE WHY AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT SUFFERING (Continuation)
Starting on my other blog ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS on Nov
1...a 3 day series on HOW TO LESSEN ANXIETY.
click on
the link below
A different sermon is begun on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
If you
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BELOW
+++++++++++++++++
Hebrews
10:31 “fall into the hands of the living
God. ” (check new translation)
(A
CONTINUATION FROM LAST TUESDAY)
I called
someone, to give some solace in her time of sickness. She ended up uplifting me. She was
quite sick and what lay ahead would not be easy and yet she said to me, “I have
learned more of God in my sickness than I ever did in my wellness. ”
His name
was Cardinal Mercier and shells had destroyed his cathedral and all his
precious library had gone up in smoke. He stood amidst the ruins and said to someone
standing by his side, “Suffering accepted and vanquished. . . will
give you a serenity which may well prove the most exquisite fruit of your life. ”
Accept some of the
rules of life even if you do not understand. Stand before the throne of grace and simply
say, “Thy will be done” and mean it and “the peace that passeth understanding”
comes. I do not completely understand how or why,
but it comes.
In
1982 when my left arm hung limp and useless from my shoulder, paralyzed and
futile, I was not a happy camper. Indeed I could have worn myself weary by
berating my foolishness in taking up hang gliding. Instead I prayed, “Lord, make my arm well, or
let me learn a lesson from this accident. But most of all, thy will be done. ” He chose
to heal my arm. But even more he did wonderful things for my
psyche.
“I walked
a mile with Pleasure,
She
chattered all the way,
But left
me none the wiser
For all
she had to say.
I walked
a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’re
a word said she;
But, oh,
the things I learned from her
When
Sorrow walked with me!”
We all
know pain. Piercing, dull, steady. We all know pain.
We all face losses,
Death, broken relationships, shattered health, . . . the
list is endless. We grieve for what
has happened and some grieve in advance.
And
trying to make sense of it is one of the most difficult task any of us
undertake.
There are solutions,
such as our ability to accept permanent change. Not what we want, but what is. Not that
life will be worse, it may even be better. . . but
that it will be different. On the whole, we human beings don’t like
change, so this is easier said than done.
There are solutions, such as whether
we say “Woe is me,” or “What can I do to make this terrible time better?”
+++++++++++++
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·
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·
Spring
(May 2012)
·
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (April 2012)
·
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
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PURCHASE Neil's best selling book"THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN" that
is still receiving rave reviews 8 years after it's publication.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understaning and appreciation of Lincoln Asbury
College
"Wyrick has
authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of
American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and readable
book that has a rich depth of information.
(Maynard Pittendreigh, Presbyterian Minister)
"THE
SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN is an extremely well written book...it is both
scholarly and very readable. I came away
impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of that President with an altered and
enlarged vision of the man. (William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer,
author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn.)
GO TO SPEAKER.NEIL TO SEE
NEIL'S ONE MAN
AWARD WINNING DRAMATIZATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
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to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE
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LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES
WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER
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LINCOLN and is available at
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4 get 1 free and free shipping
Phone
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Sunday, January 20, 2013
HANDS
Starting on my other blog
ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS on Nov 1...a 3 day series on HOW TO LESSEN
ANXIETY.
Click on link below to
go to One A Day blog
A different sermon is begun on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF these comments AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.
The sermons found on this blog are selected sermons preached by
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This syndicated columnist/minister thanks you for visiting.
To Visit neil's other blog One A Day Your
Spiritual Vitamins click on the following
++++++++
The lesson from this story told by Jesus is crystal clear. Faith is not an academic exercise. Which is why at this point I would ask of you
what I call congregational participation.
Look
down at your hands. Now raise them
up. Now ball them in a fist and we all
know what fists can do. Now put them
together in prayer. Now extend one of
your hands to your neighbor in an act of fellowship. Now hold your hands in your lap as if you
reading a book.
Eight fingers and two thumbs: so describes your hands, which are
really history books on review. Look at
them and let them remind you of all that they have done in your lifetime or
left undone. For yes, they have been
servants of your thoughts and beliefs translated into action.
Now, still looking, ask yourself,
how many have they helped? How many have they hurt? When, and where and why? When you have extended them in acts of fellowship
they were a blessing. When they have
been extended in acts of major or minor violence they have been a curse.
Have they been giving hands? Or stealing hands? Hands that have held books of inspiration or
books of filth? Have they written notes
of thanksgiving to give joy or poison pen letters to destroy? A surgeon’s hand holds a knife to heal. A murderer’s hand holding a knife to
kill.
Hands
tell us so much about a person. Clasping and unclasping, not at ease. Lying quietly, at peace with the world and
God. Blasting a horn, giving a finger,
sometimes much too angry.
There is a tinge of paint on the hands –
an artist and the world is seen as a place of beauty.
He
washes his hands over and over and over again.
His name is Pilate and he cannot seem to ever wash them enough. For him, the world is a place of overwhelming
guilt.
His hands are steady, persistent,
patient, as he holds the sextant. Look
closely for these are the hands of Christopher Columbus.
This
hand pens a large, bold signature; large enough for fat King Charles to read
without his glasses on. It is John
Hancock’s hand signing the Declaration of Independence, and then passing on
this great document for other hands to sign.
During World War II, Sir Winston
Churchill raised two fingers to form a V for victory. And on the battlefields of that war, as done
by countless generations before, so many hands were placed together in the
sacred act of prayer.
Hands, they are our gift from God. We must make them a gift to God.
+++++++++++++++
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+++++++++++++
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and then on the list of authors click on Neil Wyrick
Recent articles Rev.
Wyrick has written for this web site are: REFLECTIONS
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
Spring
(May 2012)
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (April 2012)
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN
HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER
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