The Hardest Day…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 3 Comments

I’m nigh onto 62 years-old. It is not hyperbole when I say that Wednesday, September 3, 2025, was the hardest day of my life.

I will not go into detail (details only matter to criminal investigators and gossips), but September 3rd was the hardest day of my life because we had the funeral for my 22 year-old grandson, Kobyn Adam (read his full obituary here). He died under tragic circumstances on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

I suppose my writing this blog is a way of processing my own grief. Pastors aren’t the greatest at grieving. We often have the mindset that we’re supposed to be strong for those who are grieving, so we put on our game face and go to work (or at least that’s what this pastor has done in the past). I really shouldn’t be so flippant to say that pastors have a “game face.” Rather, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that gives us strength to do the hard work of ministry in difficult times.

I will say that the power of the Holy Spirit gave me the strength to get through the hardest day of my life. I chose to preach the message for Kobyn’s funeral. My friend and colleague, Rev. Lamar Oliver, was gracious enough to make the drive to Morgan City to assist with the service. Rev. Oliver served as pastor of Pharr Chapel Church after I was appointed elsewhere and my son and his family continued to attend there. I don’t know that I could have made it through the entire service alone, so I’m grateful for Rev. Oliver’s help and friendship.

So many people asked me, “Why are you preaching the funeral?” or, “How are you able to do that?” The answer to the first question is because I wouldn’t trust the task to anyone else. That’s probably a result of my own insecurities but I simply didn’t believe there was anyone else who would do the job adequately.

The answer to the second question is because when people don’t know what to do they do what they know. I simply didn’t know what else to do, so I did what I know–I preached. Actually, the real answer to the second question is by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I know I should have taken a step back. I know in my mind that I should have had a few days to just be “Poppy,” and gone through the grieving process with my wife, my son and the rest of the family. I know that in my mind. I just couldn’t convince my heart. In my heart, I had to preach…because, well…when you don’t know what to do…you do what you know…

Unfortunately, I’m feeling a little guilty now because I wasn’t more attentive to my family and I didn’t ask what THEY needed during this time. Should I have taken that step back and just been Poppy to them? Is that what they needed? I suppose even for pastors the default is for self-preservation. I needed to preach for me. I NEEDED to do that for Kobyn.

My bad! It’s not about me and what I need. In my grief, I lost sight of that fact and perhaps I was not as helpful to my family as I should have been. I can only repent and pray the Lord gives me clarity and strength should anything like this ever happen again (God forbid!), to help me focus on the right things and not my own personal need, but on the needs of others (especially those closest to me).

Oh well! What’s done is done and it can’t be undone. My prayer is that I was adequate to the task.

One thing I know for sure: It was providential (no, I’m not Calvinist) that our church (Haughton Methodist Church) was reading through the book of Job during this time. Reading through Job gave me the foundation for the message I preached during the service.

I include the message I preached for Kobyn below for one reason: a person who attended the service reached out to me after the service. She said she had lost her daughter tragically 24 years prior and that my words were the healing she needed after 24 years. I was humbled, honored and blessed by her sentiment, and I took it as affirmation that preaching Kobyn’s service was the correct choice.

No, actually, I’m still not sure it was the correct choice. It could just be that the Good Lord took the lemons I gave Him and made lemonade out of them. He does seem to do that so often. Either way, the words were healing for someone. I include them here so that they might be healing to others who are grieving.

Kobyn’s Funeral Message

I remember the day Kobyn was born. We were standing in the hospital hallway. We could hear all the rustling in the labor and delivery room. Vanessa was so giddy. We heard the first cries of a newborn baby and Vanessa started jumping up and down. She couldn’t wait to see this little guy and to put her arms around him. The smile on her face when they finally brought him out—well, it is indescribable. It was sheer joy! All I saw was a round head—just like mine! That was the first day this guy brought joy to our lives. He’s been bringing joy to us ever since.

The older Kobyn got, the more he looked like me. It wasn’t long until I started calling him “Mini-me” because as an infant and a toddler it was a little uncanny how much he favored my baby pictures. I thought, “Well, he’s going to be a fine- looking young man!” As he grew into adulthood, the similarities faded a bit, but I was still correct—he is a fine-looking young man! Even though he was a young man, I still sometimes referred to him as “Mini-me.”   

I remember Vanessa and me driving, literally all the way across the state of Louisiana to watch his first football game. He was so little. I thought to myself, “He’s gonna’ get killed out there.” Well, he survived, but it didn’t take him too many seasons of football and soccer to realize he wasn’t going to be an athlete. Music became his passion, and just like everything else he ever tried, he excelled at that, too.

I remember the day I baptized this kid. Talk about bringing a Poppy joy. And confirmation, too. I watched as this kiddo gave His musical talents to his local youth group as a member of the praise band. I’d go to youth group on Sunday evenings just to hear he and Kade lead in worship. Oh, the insufferable youth group games one had to endure just to get to worship, but it is one of the ways this guy continued to bring joy into our lives.

I could stand here all day and recount memories I have of Kobyn. You don’t want to be here that long. Besides, you have your own memories that are special. I encourage you to hold those memories close. Those memories are one way the Lord gives us to grieve the loss we feel today and there is great grace and not a little therapy that comes in remembering. 

I will especially remember one very special connection Kobyn and I shared. During a very difficult time in both of our lives, when we were separated by distance and didn’t get to see a lot of each other, we stayed connected through the game of chess. He loved to play chess. He was teaching his cousin Skyler to play chess and checkers…but anyway…he had me download a chess game on my phone, created me an account, and we played chess together online. Games would take weeks at a time. He almost always prevailed—he relished in beating Poppy at chess. It brought me great joy to lose to him over and over again.

For all the joy this kiddo brought me through the years, like you, I’m struggling to find any joy today. I am asking the same question you are asking—“Why?” Honestly, I’m not finding any answers.

I can’t think of the question “Why?’ without thinking of the man named Job in the Old Testament. I’m not going to read a lot of scripture from that Old Testament book because it’s just too long but let me give you the Lynn paraphrase: The Bible says Job was a good and righteous man. He lived with integrity and had a deep reverence for God.

I won’t go deeply into the details—I’ll trust you will read it for yourself—suffice it to say that even though Job was a good, just and upright person, tragedy came his way. Through absolutely no fault of his own he lost every one of his children through tragic circumstances. He was a rich man, too, but tragedy stole his riches, as well. Job’s tragic loss—which he couldn’t understand—caused him to ask the question “Why?”

As I’ve read the book of Job over the last week, I counted at least 20 times that Job asked God the “Why?” question. And, each time he asked the question (some would argue it was 25 times—but those were more implied questions than direct questions) he didn’t get an answer. All he got were platitudes from friends. What he got from God? Silence.

That’s how we feel, too. We’ve asked a thousand times over the last five days, “Why?” and we’ve not heard the Lord answer the question once. It makes us angry, and that’s okay. It’s okay to be angry with God. He can handle it. He’s not going to get mad at us for anger in our grief, but He’s still not likely to answer our questions.

What I realized as I read through Job again is that the story of Job in the Bible is not a story about Job’s suffering through the tragic losses in his life, but rather it is a story about Job’s faith through the tragic losses of his life. Even though Job had a lot of questions for God, he never lost his faith IN God. Just as with Job, the story of our lives are meant to be stories of faith. Will our faith bring us through this tragedy? That’s the question for this hour on this day.

No, I haven’t heard any answers to my questions. Job suffered, and for 35 chapters he poured his heart out to God as he listened to the platitudes of family and friends. Finally, all God does is ask Job some very pointed questions: “Where were you when I laid out the foundations of the universe? Can you make it rain?” Like Job, we ask God the hard questions of why, and like Job, God doesn’t answer us in any way that seems reasonable to us.

Why doesn’t He answer? Two reasons I can think of. First, knowing the answer would not make the burden any less hard to bear. Explanations are intellectual, passive and touch only our minds. Suffering is physical, active and God acted by suffering in His Son, Jesus, to deal with the issue of sin, evil and suffering in the world.

Second, God doesn’t answer because we are incapable of comprehending the answer. We simply cannot see how God uses the ordinary (or extraordinary) circumstances of our daily lives to effect redemption, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t doing it. We can’t see the grand sweep of eternity, nor can we see God’s plan for creation or even for our own lives—as long or short as they may be.

Receiving no answer leads us to believe that God is absent. Job certainly thought so (Job 23: 8-9)– “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”

Trust me when I tell you this: God is not absent. He is at work through this. If He seems absent, perhaps He is, as an old Catholic nun told me, so close that we can’t see Him. I believe with all my heart that He was present with Kobyn Saturday morning, holding him and loving him with a love deeper than the deepest sea. And I believe that He is present with us now loving us in the same way—even though in this moment He seems so silent and so distant.

I agree with the Apostle Paul who reminds us in Romans 8 that there is nothing in life or in death that will ever separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ, His Son. Nothing can separate us. If I believed it before Saturday I have to believe it now—that’s what faith is—and our stories, like Job’s, are meant to be stories of faith.

Our stories are meant to be stories of faith because God has chosen us to be participants with Him in the redemption of His creation. Literally, from cover to cover, the Bible is about God restoring His creation, and God chose us to be participants in that restoration. We participate by faith.

God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. God entered the world, limiting Himself to time and space, and when He did, He played by the same rules we play by. He suffered and died. A man as Jesus was, full of grace and compassion, so willing to give Himself in service to the world, it made no sense for the world to kill him. It was in his suffering and death that the world finds its redemption, and it is in his suffering and death that we are called to be participants by faith in God’s eternal plan.

Yes, I know, that doesn’t answer the questions we’re still asking but it’s all I’ve got.

So, what next? Let me offer three brief responses that will hopefully enable us to take another step in redeeming our circumstances. First, grieve—deeply. It’s okay. Grief is as human an emotion as joy. I recall King David in 2 Samuel 18 who lost a son through quite tragic circumstances. In his grief, he wished he could have traded his life for his son’s. We can’t, even though in our grief, we sure would like to. Grieve with deep grief. It’s natural. Don’t wallow in it, but go through it with faith.

That’s the second thing we must do—trust. If I believed God was a good, loving, kind and just God before Saturday, then I have to believe that He is still just as good, loving, kind and just today. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He didn’t change because our circumstances did. Kobyn is in the hands of the God who loves him and who loves us. By faith, I’m trusting in Him to get us through this.

Finally, we need to serve. Remember, the Lord is calling us to participate with Him in the redemption of all creation. There are others who have walked this same journey. There are others who will soon walk this journey. Statistics tell the tale of a rising mental health crisis, especially among young men. If we would find any redemption in this tragedy, let us become advocates for all those who struggle with mental health issues. Let us walk with others through their grief so that they might find hope in Jesus Christ.

God has redeemed and is redeeming the world through suffering—first His Son’s, and now through ours. Will we participate with Him by our faith?

Many friends have reached out to me over the last several days. One word that has been used several times is “remarkable.” They said, “Kobyn was a remarkable young man.” I corrected them, “Kobyn IS a remarkable young man.” Let us never refer to those we love who die in the Lord in the past tense. He is alive, maybe more alive than he’s ever been. I believe that!

So, I’ll miss you, buddy, but I know where you are. I know I’ll see you soon. Fly high, Mini Me, and rest well until that day. Poppy loves you now and always! Amen!

Conclusion

Perhaps someone else will find the words healing. They have helped me along in my own grief as I’ve read over them at least four times in the past week. The answers to the “Why?” question is still not clear and may never be, but I’m trusting the Lord to get us through…perhaps one blog post at a time.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Things, They are a Changin’…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of Cracker Barrel Restaurants rebranding initiative. I must say, we’ve finally found something that everyone can agree on: no one likes the new branding that Cracker Barrel came up with!

Conservatives and Progressives/Liberals alike have lamented the corporate change. There are several reasons I’ve seen over the past week. Those reasons include a loss of nostalgia and identity, The redesigned logo removes the iconic image of a man leaning on a barrel—an emblem of Southern charm and the chain’s heritage—leaving just the words “Cracker Barrel” on a gold background. Critics say this erases the brand’s sentimental value.  

There is also the sense of perceived sterility and blandness. Many called the new logo and updated decor “cold,” “sterile,” or “soulless”—in stark contrast to the warm, cozy atmosphere long associated with Cracker Barrel.  

As with everything else these days, there are those who note the political undertones of the move and the backlash that followed. Conservative figures widely criticized the change as an example of “wokeness,” while others accused the company of abandoning tradition to appeal to diversity, equity, and inclusion agendas. Even California Governor Gavin Newsom mockingly added fuel to the fire, reflecting deep political polarization surrounding what many consider a benign design change.  

And let’s not forget the financial consequences of the rebrand. Cracker Barrel’s stock plunged nearly 15% in one day, erasing an estimated $100 million to $195 million in market value. 

I’d say someone didn’t really think that decision all the way through.

Let me say that my family used to love Cracker Barrel. We came to love it when we moved to Kentucky for seminary. Cracker Barrel was a welcome stop on the 12-hour drive between seminary and our home in Louisiana that we would make several times each year.

The biscuits and the cornbread muffins were always warm. The hospitality was always cordial. The atmosphere was inviting and the food quality was consistent. We always knew what we were going to get when we stopped at a Cracker Barrel.

We don’t go to Cracker Barrel anymore, though. We stopped going before the rebrand. We stopped going because the last three times we went to Cracker Barrel, the food simply wasn’t very good. And, they started serving alcohol, too! Not that the alcohol really matters. We go to restaurants all the time that sell alcohol, but there was something that stung me when they made that move. It’s probably more my issue than Cracker Barrel’s, but still…

So? Why such the pushback on Cracker Barrel? I think it’s because Cracker Barrel represents a memory. It was Grandma’s kitchen with biscuits and gravy, and rocking chairs on the front porch. The rebrand stripped away everything the company represented to its customers, all in the name of “relevance” and “modernization.”

I’m not so sure it’s not the same struggle the Church/church faces, too. We want to reach the next generation. We want to be relevant. But sometimes, in the process, we risk losing the very soul of who we are.

Some churches throw out every hymn, every tradition, every symbol of the faith, hoping that a sleek, modern design will attract people. But what happens? People walk in and say: ‘This doesn’t feel like church anymore. It feels soulless.’

Now, don’t get me wrong—change is necessary. We must preach the Gospel in the language of our day, but the Gospel is still the Gospel. The method of the message may change, but the message must never change. Or, just like Cracker Barrel discovered, we can’t throw away our heritage and expect people to follow. People are hungry for warmth, for story, for authenticity. People are hungry for Jesus!

Are we giving them Jesus, or are we giving them some warmed over, feel-good-get-your-God-moment and sending them back out into the world? The Church/church just needs to give the people Jesus every time they come.

Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:15: ‘So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you.’

Notice, Paul isn’t saying never change. He traveled culture to culture, adapting his methods to reach people, but he never threw away the core. He held fast to the Gospel, even as he adjusted his approach.

So here’s the lesson for us as a Church/church:

  • Change is fine—but it must not be an erasure.
  • We can add new songs, new ministries, new outreach—but not at the cost of losing the warmth of fellowship, the truth of Scripture, and the centrality of Jesus Christ.
  • People don’t come to church for flash and logos. They come because they’re looking for a family, for hope, for soul, for salvation.

So the next time you drive past a Cracker Barrel (or hear someone complaining about the new logo) remember this: What the world is truly longing for is not sleeker branding, but something real, something rooted, something alive. And friends, that’s exactly what the church can offer, if we hold fast to Jesus Christ while speaking His love in a way this generation can understand.

I sure do wish we could all agree on that!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Nine Things For a Church in Transition…

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So, I’m pastoring a small congregation these days. As I reflect on my past leadership as a vocational minister, and I think about where God is calling me to lead as a bi-vocational pastor, I’ve sought to define the necessary actions that will help our congregation be faithful to God’s calling for this stage in our life.

What stage is that? I can’t actually answer that question, but if I attempted to provide an answer, it would be the transitional stage. We are a congregation that is in transition. We’re meeting in a storefront. I would define that as transitional. The storefront can’t be our permanent home unless we are content to be who we are where we are, and I don’t believe the Lord ever wants us to be content with who we are where we are, so we’ll see how that plays out.

We’re also transitional in our mission. As a congregation that was displaced from its property, there is a time of defining who God is calling us to reach with the Gospel. Our “target” now is not who the “target” was a year ago, because our storefront is located in a different part of the community. We’re in transition in figuring this out.

We’re also transitional in our worship style. The Lord has provided us with some amazing musicians to lead us in worship, and working to their strengths has made us adapt from a more traditional worship style to a more “contemporary” worship style. It is definitely a transitional time for the congregation.

One other transition the congregation is facing is in leadership. No, not in finding new leadership, but in understanding what it means to have a truly bi-vocational pastor. How does the congregation provide leadership in tandem with a bi-vocational pastor? Certainly a transitional aspect of life for the congregation.

These transitional aspect of congregational life have forced me to consider this question: What are nine things we MUST do to be faithful as a congregation in this time of transition? In no particular order, here are the nine things I’ve defined as necessary to navigate the transitions:

1. Biblical Teaching/Preaching

This almost goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Let me clarify what I mean: I mean keeping the message simple without all the smoke and mirrors, sounds and light shows and video driven illustrations. It’s not about flash, it’s about truth and the Gospel message is a simple message for everyone. Keep it simple. Preach the Bible. Preach truth. The fluff is a distraction from the truth.

Technology is great, and it can really bring a “Wow” factor to worship, but in this transitional time, we need to let God wow us, not the technology.

2. Participatory Worship

Traditional worship (and by traditional I mean pretty much every church worship service these days) has become more of an observation exercise than anything else. Folks show up, sit in rows, listen to singers perform and preachers preach. Worship has become more performance than anything else.

Nope! Worship is meant to be a participatory experience. From music, to prayers, to preaching and teaching, to communion. All of the body of Christ is meant to participate in worship. Participatory worship will be another way that we encounter God, and we need to encounter Him over and over again during this period of transition.

3. Holy Spirit Led

One of my old mentors used to pray before he entered worship, “Lord, let something happen today that is not in the bulletin!” During this time of transition, we have to leave room for the Holy Spirit to move. We’re looking for flexibility not rigidity, allowing room for the Holy Spirit to move, even in our corporate worship.

That scares a lot of people, and it kind of scares me, too. It’s also a little bit counter to the argument that the Spirit works in our preparation for worship. Well, yes He does, but He can also lead in the present and we have to attune ourselves to His presence and moving.

4. More Fellowship Time

One of the reasons we have divisions is because we don’t spend enough time sharing meals together and doing activities outside the worship setting. No, I’m not talking about Sunday school or small group time. I’m talking about playing together. I’m talking about having fun together.

What does that look like? That’s yet to be determined, but it is necessary to navigating transitions in a healthy way. It will also help us define who God is calling us to be as a congregation.

5. Hear the Bible Again

I have to confess that I’ve been guilty of listening more to what other people say about what the Bible says than simply reading the Bible and letting the Bible say what it says.

Do you know what I mean? I mean I want to listen to what Billy Abraham says the Bible says than what the Bible says it says. Don’t get me wrong. Biblical scholars are great, and we shouldn’t be anti-scholarship, but often we hear 90% of what someone thinks what the Bible says and 10 of what the Bible actually says.

How about we start with hearing the Word and start with the Word we just heard?

6. Less Clock, More Connection

How did we ever come to believe that church/worship needed to be limited to one hour? Yes, I know the adage “The mind can absorb only what the seat can endure.” And, yes, I know there is the one guy always sitting in the back of the congregation checking his watch.

Seriously, we have to move past that mentality if we’re going to encounter the living God. Just when the Holy Spirit starts to move the preacher says, “Well, we’re out of time, so I’ll close.” I’ve said it many times. I wonder how often I quenched the Holy Spirit by making that statement?

Yup, I get hungry, too, but we can’t let our need to finish in an hour cause us to miss the Spirit.

7. Talk About Sin

I’m not talking about making every worship encounter fire and brimstone. I’m talking about acknowledging the reality of sin and acknowledging the destructive nature of sin. Sin has become unpopular topic in many churches these days. That’s unfortunate because unless we realize the destructive nature of sin, how can we know the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Who needs salvation when there is no sin?

8. Engage the Community Spiritually

We love giving backpacks and school supplies to kids. We love feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. We love, love, love meeting physical needs and we love to pat ourselves on the back when we do so. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. We are supposed to minister to the needs of others (read Matthew 25), but people’s greatest needs are more often spiritual.

What are we doing to engage our community on a spiritual level? What are we doing to address their spiritual needs? Those are questions we must ask during this transitional period of our congregational life.

9. Develop a Kingdom Vision

For too many congregations in transition, the vision is to simply stay afloat–to keep the doors open, to keep the bills paid, to hang on to the status quo. Transitional congregations must be intentional in developing a Kingdom vision–a vision for the future and for growth. It is about a vision for expanding the Kingdom of God, not about keeping people inside the walls of the church.

Developing a Kingdom vision takes time and intentionality. It takes patience and it takes relying on the Holy Spirit to move among us. Don’t rush it.

Conclusion

One would think I could come up with one more thing for the congregation to do in this transition. We like top ten lists, right? Honestly, though, anything I might add to the list above would really just dovetail off one of these nine, so I’ll leave the list at nine.

We could also spend more time unpacking each of the nine, but I offer them hear as conversation starters. I’d love to hear your feedback, and I’d also love to hear if you have any you would add to the list. Add them in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.

Until next time, keep looking up…

The Message of the Cross…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Here’s the verse I’ve been contemplating all week:

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 18 NIV)

Here’s the question I’ve also been contemplating all week:

Is the Church of Jesus Christ losing the message of the cross, and thus the power of God unto salvation?

Why do I ask?

No Crosses

It’s simple: there are some “Christian” bodies that no longer display the cross. I’m not going to name names. Why heavens! That would seem divisive, but you know what? Division in the body of Jesus Christ is exactly what the Apostle Paul was addressing when he introduced the message of the cross to the young church at Corinth.

So, yeah, let me name names.

Lakewood Church–that bastion of evangelical (?) Christianity in Houston, Texas–doesn’t display the cross prominently in its worship space.

They’re not the only one. Traditionally, Quakers do not display the cross (or any religious symbols) in their meeting houses. Additionally, many non-denominational churches have chosen to remove the cross from their worship spaces.

Why would they do that? They will tell you there are several reasons:

  • Some would say they focus on the resurrected Christ rather than the crucified Christ (this would distinguish them from the Roman Catholics),
  • Some would say that a focus on the cross is a form of idolatry and violates the second commandment,
  • Some argue that the cross wasn’t used broadly as a Christian symbol until 300 years after the time of Jesus, so why use it now,
  • Some say the cross is offensive to non-Christians, so to make non-religious people feel more comfortable, crosses should be removed.

It’s this last reason that gets me, and I’m wondering if it was what Paul was addressing as the first issue (among many) in their divisions of the Corinthian church.

The Offensive Cross

Look at what Paul says in verse 23:

23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

In the first century, crucifixion was the most shameful death imaginable — reserved for slaves and criminals. Romans themselves would never endure it.

So, telling people their Savior died on a cross was scandalous to Jews and nonsense to Greeks.

I fear that today people want a faith without a cross. We want inspiration without repentance, blessing without sacrifice. We want Christ without the crown of thorns. If that is what we want, that is what we’ll get, but we’ll miss the power of God unto salvation.

Paul says “the message of the cross…is the power of God.” Why is the cross God’s power? Because at the cross:

  • The penalty of sin was paid.
  • The power of sin was broken.
  • The holy love of God was displayed.

We should never be ashamed of the cross. It is where justice and mercy meet perfectly. The message of the cross changes lives.

Smarter than the Cross

Rev. Shane Bishop had a Facebook post earlier in the week wherein he identified four viruses affecting the contemporary church. The third virus is that “we are suddenly smarter than everyone else who has ever read the Bible.”

Our propensity is to read the Bible in light of current cultural trends and bend the Bible to fit the current cultural climate instead of allowing the Bible to form us in light of the current culture. Culture will always change. Always has. Always will. The Word of God never changes. It is the enduring truth of the ages. I believe this is what the Apostle Paul is saying to the young church.

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1: 20 NIV)

We’ll never be able to outsmart God. Paul mocks our human arrogance. All our knowledge can’t help us find God. Our learning can make us clever, but it cannot make us right with God. Only the cross can do that! Education, without the power of the cross, just makes smarter sinners.

God’s plan of salvation was designed so that no one could claim special “knowledge” that led to salvation. It can’t be earned through human achievement. It is available to anyone and everyone who receives it by faith…it is God’s gift.

Look folks, everything we have comes from God through Jesus Christ. Paul evens ends his initial plea for unity with that truth:

30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV)

Paul says Jesus is the source of any wisdom we attain. Paul says Jesus is the One who places us in right standing with God. Paul says Jesus is the One who sanctifies us, and that He has purchased our pardon. It all happened on the cross.

If the Church of Jesus Christ would find its unity, it must do so, Paul says, in the message of the cross.

We can’t replace the Gospel message with clever ideas or popular cultural trends.

We can’t water down the “offense” of the cross. The message of the cross will always confront our pride.

We must remember that we are nothing and we have nothing apart from the cross of Jesus. If we boast, let our boasting be in Him.

The cross of Jesus is the power of God. Let us never lose His power. Let us never lose the cross.

Until next time, keep looking up…

A Stroll Down Memory Lane…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Vanessa and I took a flying trip to Morgan City, LA on Saturday. Morgan City’s Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church was the first congregation we served after I graduated from seminary in 1998. The unexpected trip became a stroll down memory lane for both of us as we rode around town reminding ourselves of our time there.

As best I recall, I haven’t been back to Morgan City since August 2013–almost exactly 12 years ago. I returned then for the funeral of a prominent member of the congregation who passed away. His name was “Boogie” Hamilton.

“Boogie” was a great guy. He was a local pharmacist who owned the Standard Drug Co., of Morgan City. As best I can remember, Standard Drugs was a family business that Boogie took over from his dad.

We drove by Standard Drugs yesterday (it was at the end of 8th St. right in front of Morgan City High School. It looked like it was no longer Standard Drugs. I know he sold the business to a fellow pharmacist when he decided it was time to retire, but that was what seems like a long time ago.

Boogie was faithful to Pharr Chapel. He was the “head usher” at the 8:30 a.m., worship service. He was always there on time to get things ready for the service and to line up those who would assist him with ushering for the day.

Better still, Boogie was a guy who took care of his pastor. Well, I can’t speak for all his pastors through the years, but I can certainly speak for this one. At least once a month, Boogie would call me up and treat me to lunch at one of the popular seafood restaurants. Knowing my love for catfish, also about once a month, he would show up at the church or the parsonage with five pounds of fresh catfish filets caught right out of the Atchafalaya River.

I know they were fresh caught catfish because I know where he got them. He got them (most of the time) from Lester Duvall, who was also a member of the congregation. Lester was a commercial fisherman. Lester, on several occasions, took me with him down the Atchafalaya to run his fish traps. I suppose he wanted me to see the lifestyle of the fishermen of the region. I never left a trip with Lester without some fresh catfish.

Boogie was also the guy who kept his ear to the ground for me. Boogie was such a long-time, prominent member of the congregation that if something was afoot, or if someone was upset, or if something needed to be addressed, he was the first to know. He was also (generally) the first to let the pastor know. He would always pass along that information quickly and without judgment on the situation. He just needed the pastor to know, so he made sure I did.

We drove by the church at 517 Federal Avenue. The congregation has cared for the facility very well. The “old” parsonage, that sat directly in front of the educational building on Federal Avenue is gone. It served as a rent house when I was pastor there. I never thought it was a good idea for a congregation to be in the rental business, but I was a young pastor fresh out of seminary, so I can honestly confess I wasn’t savvy enough to know how to approach that battle. It’s good to see one of my subsequent colleagues was savvy enough to accomplish that task.

We drove by the “new” parsonage (which is now actually the “old” parsonage) at 3013 Carrol Drive. We spent three years in that home. I’ll say it was one of the finest parsonages we have lived in through our years of vocational ministry.

The parsonage was a block off Lake Palourde, and a half a block from the levee of the swamp. We remembered the golden lab we rescued from the local pound. Shadow would jump the fence in our back yard and make his way to the swamp. We were forever looking for him. No matter what I did to the fence, he was able to jump over it or climb it to get out. Animal Control even picked him up a few times before we could find him. We ended up rehoming him before we left Morgan City.

Pharr Chapel was/is a great congregation. We had fruitful ministry there. Morgan City is/was a great place to call home. Unfortunately, it is also the only appointment that we requested a move from. It absolutely has nothing to do with the congregation or the community. We loved both. It had to do with family.

We were raising four children, and without going into detail, suffice it to say we were being challenged in our parenting skills. We thought a move closer to family might be helpful to our situation and better for our family. As it turns out, that wasn’t exactly the case, and our move from Morgan City remains one of the biggest regrets of my time in vocational ministry.

For all the good memories this stroll down memory lane evoked, there are a few regrets that surfaced, too. First, there is the regret of leaving fruitful ministry. The congregation was growing. Our faith community was thriving and reaching out into the community.

I was deeply involved in the community, as well. I served on the hospital ethics board and I was the go-to pastor for the two local funeral homes when they had a death and the family had no church connection. By my count, I officiated 37 funerals in the 36 months I pastored in Morgan City. It was in Morgan City that I developed a deep appreciation for the liturgy for funerals. When one performs more funerals for people you didn’t know than for ones you did, the liturgy becomes your friend.

In addition, the local radio station was located directly across the alley behind the church. I became friends with the owner, and through that friendship, became the color analyst for the Morgan City High School football games. Who knows? I could have been the next Vin Scully or Pat Summerall.

Next, I regret leaving (and subsequently not maintaining) the strong friendships we developed in our three short years there. I’ve already mentioned two that were meaningful to me, but there were others that were meaningful to both Vanessa and me together. There were several couples in the congregation who were at the same life stage as us. Our friendship just clicked. We shared Sunday school together. We shared meals together. We shared social functions together. We shared birthdays together. Vanessa even shared work together with two of them. We were, by my account, great friends.

I don’t know why those friendships diminished so through the years. Well, of course I do. First, time does that to all our relationships. We can add distance to that equation, too. We moved five hours away. Five hours is a long way when we were at the life stage (all of us) we were in. Of course, not long after we moved, Morgan City received an evacuation notice for an incoming hurricane. A group of those friends landed with us for two days in our new appointment. It was a fantastic time. Good friends, indeed!

I also want to lay part of the blame on the “system” of the United Methodist Church. It used to be (I don’t know if it still is) that it was drilled into pastors that when you leave a congregation, you leave a congregation. You don’t go back for any reason. You give the new pastor an opportunity to become the congregation’s pastor. Being the good company man I was, I sought to fulfill that expectation to the fullest extent.

I refused calls to officiate both weddings and funerals. I didn’t engage myself in conversations with former church members when they were upset that the new pastor didn’t do things the same way I did. Oh yes, there were the occasional calls back to friends, and the Christmas cards and what not, but the friendships withered. I know I wasn’t intentional in maintaining them.

Of course, the same can be said for every congregation we’ve served. Looking back over our years in vocational ministry, I regret not maintaining the relationships better after we departed. That’s on me. I’ve learned through the years that my wanting to “leave” a congregation well stemmed from my own insecurities about being perceived as a good “company man.”

This stroll down memory lane has taught me that relationships are more important than that. To have friends, we have to be a friend. I don’t think I’ve been a very good friend through the years. Oh, I have lots and lots of acquaintances, but very few friends. That, too, is on me.

We’ve never served a bad appointment in vocational ministry. I say that without equivocation. We’ve been blessed by every congregation…every last one. Each of them has been great in its own way, and I am proud (if a follower of Jesus can be proud) to have served each one. With that qualifier, I’ll say Morgan City/Pharr Chapel is absolutely at the top of the list.

Yeah, I’m probably getting myself in trouble with this blog, so I’ll just go ahead and beg forgiveness from all the other congregations I’ve served. This stroll down memory lane has challenged me to be more direct in building and maintaining friendships.

I’ve also come to realize that we pastors don’t need to be quite so insecure. You don’t want to return for fear of interfering with the new pastor? Get over yourself. Go back. Be in ministry to your friends. In the big picture, they won’t remember you for the friendship you developed. They’ll remember you didn’t minister to them in their time of need.

You don’t want a former pastor returning to the congregation you’re now pastoring? Ha! Get over yourself. You’re not the end all and be all of pastors. Give it time and extend the invitation to former pastors when requested. It’s the greatest ministry you can offer someone in their time of need–to affirm the relationship of a trusted friend. Besides, you’ll develop your own relationships that you won’t want to leave behind. It’ll be okay.

A lot of people will disagree with the two previous statements, but that’s okay. I’m old enough and secure enough now to not care. I’m going to be intentional in building friendships and maintaining relationships in the years I have left.

I’m grateful for the stroll down memory lane that Vanessa and I enjoyed yesterday.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Am I Doing it All Wrong?

/ pastorlynnmalone / 2 Comments

I haven’t written for a couple of weeks. I’ve either been busy or lazy (or a bit of both), so the words getting on the page have been slow to come. The respite from writing has given me time to think, though, and that can be a dangerous thing.

What have I been thinking about? I’ve been thinking about my role as a “pastor.” Actually, not my particular role as pastor, but the “pastor” model of the church of church leadership.

I was a “pastor” vocationally for 28 years. I’ve been a “pastor” bi-vocationally off and on since 2019. That gives me a total of 34 years experience, so maybe I have some insight into the role. Then again, maybe not.

Let me preface this blog with the statement that I think most pastors do a fantastic job and fill their role with integrity, character, diligence and faithfulness. The question I’m about to posit isn’t a reflection on anyone’s service in ministry, nor is it a reflection on God’s calling on anyone’s life. After all, ministry has been my calling since the age of 27 (perhaps longer, but I was deaf to the call), so the question has shaken me to my core.

Pastor vs. Pastor-Model

What is it that has shaken me to my core? Drum roll, please! Is the “pastor” model of leadership as we know it even a biblical concept?

What has prompted the question in this season of my life? Well, I “pastor” a small local church. They call me pastor and I call myself their pastor, but what I really am is their Sunday preacher. I don’t mind being their Sunday preacher. They need a Sunday preacher and I like to preach, so it seems to be a good fit. The folks are wonderful, faithful people who love Jesus, and I’m blessed to be their Sunday preacher, but, they need a pastor, too (or someone who fills the role that is traditionally called the “pastor”)

Perhaps they don’t need a “pastor” as traditionally defined. What they need is leadership. And, here might be a good place to clarify that I’m not really talking about the “pastor,” but more the “pastor model” that the Church has developed through the years. Yes, the “pastor” is a biblical calling:

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the PASTORS (emphasis mine) and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT)

As certain as I am that “pastor” is biblical, I’m not equally certain that the “pastor model” of church leadership is biblical. The Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, certainly seems to indicate that there is some sort of plurality of leadership in the body of Christ (the local church), not one person who is the “pastor,” or the “senior pastor,” or the “founding pastor” who makes all the decisions in the church, or does most of the leadership work in the congregation.

Actually, Paul makes the case that the local church is to be led by “overseers” and “deacons” who would shepherd (pastor?) the church:

3 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task…, and

8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain…

(1 Timothy 3: 1, 8 NIV)

Likewise, in Titus 1, Paul instructed Titus to appoint “elders” who would serve as “overseers” of the local congregation:

5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. (Titus 1:5-7 NIV)

I think the Bible is relatively clear that there is to be a plurality of leadership in the local congregation, with each one fulfilling the gifts given to the Church by Christ Himself. It is Jesus Christ who is the head of the Church/church. The plurality of leaders sit under His headship/Lordship. He is the One to whom we look for guidance. He is the One whom we follow.

Priesthood of All Believers

I also don’t see any biblical evidence for the distinction between clergy and laity in that plurality of leadership. Actually, I don’t see any distinction between clergy and laity at all. Sure, there were priests in the Old Testament, but I distinctly recall the passage in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross and “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27: 51 NIV). Since the death of Jesus, anyone (I repeat-anyone!) could enter the holiest of places. The separation no longer exists.

Likewise, the Apostle Peter affirms that fact:

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2: 4-5 NIV)

This would be an excellent place to talk about men and women in leadership, and qualifications for elders, overseers and deacons, but I’m not perplexed by those questions, so I won’t chase those rabbits. I’m perplexed by the whole “pastor model” of church leadership, and I just wonder (as one who tries to live biblically) if I’ve been doing it wrong all these years?

I may not have been doing it wrong, but I certainly don’t believe I’ve been doing it biblically. I’ve been doing it the way I’ve been trained to do it, so it’s not necessarily the “wrong” way, it’s just not the biblical way. There’s nothing sinful about the way the pastor model has been/is being done, it’s just got me wondering if the pastor model has run its course and it’s time to get back to doing it the biblical way.

Perhaps all I’m doing is trying to justify my own inability to lead the congregation in a healthy, effective way these days. That, or the Lord is prompting me to dig more deeply into His calling upon my life and how He wants me to live that out. I pray it’s the latter. I fear it’s the former.

I suppose time will tell, but today is Sunday, and the folks need a Sunday preacher. So, until the Lord (or the congregation) tells me different, I’ll go be a Sunday preacher. That’s all I know to do right now. If you’ve got any clarity for me, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear it.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Reflections, Course-Corrections and Deep Gratitude…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

It is early Sunday morning. I love the early morning hours. They are the best time for me to pray, reflect, read and give thanks. Sometimes I write. Sometimes I don’t. Trust me. Coffee is better at 4:00 a.m., than at 8:00 a.m.

This morning is different than most mornings. It is different, first, because I’m breathing different air than usual. Vanessa and I were able to slip away to Hot Springs, AR for a little R & R over the holiday weekend.

I’m drinking coffee in a rented house. I tell you, this Vrbo thing is nice. You can actually rent someone’s home when you’re on vacation! As nice as it is, I’m not sure I could rent my home to perfect strangers. Seriously, someone you don’t know poking around in your personal space? A bit frightening to me, but here I am doing it in someone else’s home. Go figure?

As I reflect this Sunday morning, I am reflecting again on how fleeting life is. Even these moments of reflection seem to be fleeting, too.

It is different, secondly, because I am holding a tension between sorrow and joy this morning. Not that there isn’t always some sorrow and some joy resident in our lives, but this morning the contrast is particularly striking.

The Paradox of Life and Death

The news is filled with reports from the hill country of Texas and the flash flooding from the Guadalupe River. The sudden loss of life. The tragedy of families searching for loved ones. The tales of heroism. The heart-break to hear of little girls missing in the midst of it all. My heart is broken for those little girls and their families, and also for the Camp Mystic staff who was responsible for their safety. These past two mornings have beef filled with prayer for all of them. Those prayers continue this morning.

In the midst of the deep sorrow, I am also experiencing deep joy at having a few hours to connect (re-connect) with our daughters. Kelsey and her husband, Matt, spent a couple of nights with us here in Hot Springs, and Brittney and our grandson, Lincoln spent yesterday and last night with us. They are our little girls, and I am grateful (eternally so) that we’ve not experienced the horror of losing one of them. While my heart sinks at what I sense those families in Texas are experiencing, I give thanks to the good Lord for our children and the blessings He has poured out on our family.

The devil wants to make me feel guilty for being so grateful, but I refuse to succumb to his tactics. We hold life and death in tension constantly, and this morning is no different. As the Book of Common Prayer (and the Methodist funeral liturgy) reminds us:

In the midst of life, we are in death; From whom can we seek our help?

The answer, of course, is that we find our help in the name of the Lord. As challenging as it sometimes is to do, I hold the tension between life and death by grace and with gratitude, trusting that the Lord will give us strength to face whatever life brings our way.

Missing Annual Conference

I’m also reflecting this morning on Annual Conference. Yeah, I know right? But I must be missing Annual Conference. I’ve had two dreams this week that I was Annual Conference. It’s probably because my Facebook newsfeed has been filled with former colleagues who were attending Annual Conference, and who have been sharing their “new appointments” on their Facebook pages. That reality has brought both good and bad memories. Again, with the paradox (irony?) that is life.

I must say that I haven’t missed Annual Conference very much since I surrendered my credentials in the United Methodist Church. I’ll admit that first June in 2020 was different, but it would have been different anyway because of a little thing called Covid. Beginning in 2021, though, I connected with the Evangelical Methodist Church, and have attended their iteration of Annual Conference since then…until this year.

Due to circumstances beyond my control (that whole life and death thing again), I was unable to attend this year’s “Journey” session. I missed Annual Conference, literally. I suppose, through my subconscious, I’m missing it figuratively, too.

What do I miss? I miss the collegiality. I miss the friendships. I miss the fellowship. I miss the laughter over meals shared. I miss the worship. I miss the singing. I miss the work of Annual Conference. I miss the slipping away to the book store (or to the mall, or the coffee shop, or the golf course, or wherever) when there was a boring report session. Yes, there is much I miss about Annual Conference. The quiet mornings of this weekend have been moments of reflection on that loss.

The quiet mornings of this weekend have also brought me joy as I’ve reflected on the goodness of God since I left the United Methodist Church in 2019. It was a pain-staking decision to surrender my credentials that year, but let’s just say there are many actions the denomination has taken since that time that have affirmed our decision.

There were other options open to me in 2019, one of which was the path of “retirement.” Honestly, if I’m asked by someone now about my situation, and I don’t want to get involved in a whole conversation, I will simply say, “I retired.” It’s easier than having to go through a long explanation about “surrendering orders,” and all that.

Choosing to Quit

Yup! I quit! Call me a quitter if you want, but the reality is I didn’t quit ministry. I simply quit the United Methodist Church. (If we’re being honest, the UMC left me long before I left it.) I had no idea if it was the right decision then, but time has proven that it was a course-correction in my faith journey, and for that course-correction, I give thanks.

Had I chosen to “retire” in the UMC, I would now be limited by the same Annual Conference (that I loved so dearly) as to where I could preach the Gospel, or even attend as a worshipper. If a family member passed away, and that person’s funeral was in a congregation that disaffiliated from the UMC, I couldn’t (with integrity) participate in their funeral without fear of punishment (financially held hostage would be a better characterization). I’m not always sure what Jesus would do, but in that case, I’m pretty sure.

Yeah, I know…sour grapes and all that. I shouldn’t be chewing gum that I’ve chewed before, but the reflections of this weekend have been a reminder of the tensions in life. I’ve been both filled with sorrow and filled with joy…filled with grief and filled with anticipation…filled with heartache and filled with gratitude. In the midst of it all, there is grace–God’s grace. It is only by His grace that the tension is bearable.

So, I’m just going to hold on to Him. Won’t you join me?

Until next time, keep looking up…

Some Days Just be that Way…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Did you ever have one of those days? You know? One of those days when you’re afraid to ask, “What can happen next?” Yeah! Friday was one of those days for me. I won’t bore you with all the details. Suffice it to say, I was glad when Friday was over. I swear, I thought it had to be Friday, the 13th!

Paul’s Bad Day

The Apostle Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, had one of those days, too. Actually, according to the Book of Acts and Paul’s own epistles, he had many of those days, but so do we. I’m thinking of one day in particular, though. It’s found in Acts 16.

Paul and Silas were minding their own business just preaching the Gospel headed to a prayer meeting in a town called Philippi when a demon-possessed slave girl begins following them shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved” (Acts 16:17). I’d say that makes for a bad day.

Now, that wouldn’t generally be problematic except that the slave girl was persistent in her proclamation (day after day, the text says) until Paul finally tired of hearing her. He rebuked the evil spirit and commanded it to come out of the girl (Acts 16: 18).

Now, here’s the rub: the slave-girl was the property of a couple of guys who were making money off her ability to divine the future. Paul’s exorcism cost them money, so they went to the leaders of Philippi and brought charges against Paul and Silas. I’d say that makes for a bad day.

From Bad to Worse

It was a day that would get worse. The city officials ordered Paul and Silas stripped, beaten and thrown in prison. So, it goes from bad to worse–once in prison, they were ordered to be put in the inner dungeon and their feet be clamped in stocks (Acts 16: 22 – 24). Didn’t want these guys to escape.

But wait! The day gets even worse! Around midnight (v. 25), there was an earthquake (not unusual for the city of Philippi, but still–today? Really?). Don’t ask, “What else could go wrong?” You might just find out! The day, for Paul and Silas, was definitely “one of those days” you’d as soon forget.

Actually, though, it was an unforgettable day, but for reasons other than all that made it a bad day. It became a day of transformation, and perhaps the best day in the life of a family in Philippi–the jailer who was tasked with guarding Paul and Silas in prison.

A Transformative Day

What made it a transformative day in the jailer’s life? I think it started with Paul’s and Silas’s faith. Paul and Silas had a faithful attitude in their lives. On a day when adversity slapped them hard in the face, Paul and Silas chose to go to church. Well, they didn’t actually “go” to church. They chose to “have” church in prison. They chose to pray and sing hymns in the face of their adversity (Acts 16: 25).

Paul and Silas chose to live in the hope they had in Jesus Christ. I guess they lived what Zig Ziglar would subsequently teach–“Attitude determines altitude.” When faced with adversity, we can exhibit hope, or we can exhibit hopelessness. Paul and Silas chose hope.

Now, by adversity, I’m not talking about the kind of adversity football and baseball coaches talk about. When you’re down by a touchdown, or when you’re a couple of runs down in the bottom of the ninth inning, that’s not adversity. It’s a game. Yes, you can show spunk and exhibit grit and determination, but a win or a loss is not generally going to impact the course of history. Pulling out a win is not overcoming adversity, Coach.

Adversity is hearing the news, “You’ve got cancer.” Or worse, “Your child has cancer.” That’s adversity!

Adversity is hearing the news, “You’re position is being phased out. We won’t need you anymore.”

Adversity is hearing, “I want a divorce.”

Adversity is losing a child.

Adversity is losing a home.

Adversity is being wrongfully accused.

Adversity is…well, you get the idea.

Here’s the thing, though. Adversity is a fact of life. Though we seek to avoid it desperately, it always rears its ugly head, and usually at the least convenient times. That’s because life isn’t fair, nor is life certain. Unexpected circumstances can bring adversity into our lives, or our own bad choices can bring adversity into our lives. Even the actions of others can (intentionally or unintentionally) cause us to face adversity.

Certainly, Paul and Silas did nothing to warrant their place in prison. The actions of others placed them there. Yet, they chose the hope of their faith over the hopelessness and injustice of their circumstances.

My friends, I’ve said all that to say this–May our first reaction in the face of adversity be to sing the Doxology:

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him about ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

Praise is transformative. For us…and, for others.

Yup! Some days just be that way. Friday was one for me. You know what, though. It’s Sunday! I survived.

Whatever we’re going through, we will make it through. Paul and Silas did. So will we!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Random Randomness Randomly Recorded…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 3 Comments

First, Happy Father’s Day! I hope all the fathers who read my blog have the best day ever. As a father myself, I can honestly say we don’t need a gift from our children today. Please realize that YOU are the gift. Your presence, your hug. your love, your wellness are all that matters to your dad. Give him those gifts and you’ll make his day.

I hit upon an amazing idea this week: ban all drive-thru windows. As I was sitting in a drive-thru (for an insufferably long time), I thought about how much fuel is wasted every day by us waiting in drive-thru lines. Not only that, but actually having to get out and go in to an establishment would help all of us with our personal interaction skills. If we want to save the planet, let’s start here.

All the world’s problems cannot be summarized by a meme. Meme’s simply reflect the shallow thinking most of our leaders utilize to make decisions. Just as our problems can’t be summarized by memes, neither can they be solved by them.

Solving the world’s problems takes hard work. No one wants to work hard anymore. Heck! No one wants to work, period. Everyone wants success, but everyone wants success handed to them. 98% of success is just showing up everyday.

Speaking of hard work: Moving is hard work. I don’t care if you’re moving from one room to another, it’s still moving and I hate it. I’m grateful I have the opportunity to do it, but I still hate it. Talk about cognitive dissonance!

I think it’s perfectly okay to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U. S. Army, even if the planned celebration happens to fall on a certain terribly despised person’s birthday. I am grateful for the U. S. Army, and for the men and women who have sacrificed for our nation. Why not celebrate such a momentous occasion?

I’m also reminded that the terribly despised person mentioned above is only despised by less than half the country. That means that more than half the country doesn’t despise him. We can’t live our lives mad at half the nation.

My statement of the above probably just angered some of you who read this blog. It’s okay to be angry with me. What’s not okay is for you to vilify me or demonize me. That’s what is wrong with our culture today.

Democrats and Republicans appear to be living on two different planets. What’s worse is there is no communication capability between the two planets.

Social media is the anti-Christ!

Why don’t we turn off social media and sit down over a cup of coffee and talk to each other about our hopes and dreams, our families, our future, our faith? We might make a little progress toward a better future.

I was reminded by social media that it is Annual Conference season. I miss Annual Conference (oh! how I make myself laugh sometimes!)! What I miss is the relationships that Annual Conference fosters. I didn’t get to attend a “Journey” session (Annual Conference) for my own denomination this year. I need some good, old-fashioned collegiality right now.

I might have more collegiality if I were a bit more collegial myself.

I’ve determined that I need saving everyday. Preaching on Paul’s conversion this week reminds me that even good, righteous holy people need Jesus. I’m the chief among them. I’m also reminded that I can be so busy doing God’s work that I fail to realize that doing God’s work and doing God’s will are not always the same thing.

Folks, we need to pray for Israel and Iran. People dying is never a good thing.

I suppose that’s enough randomness for one day. Happy Father’s Day! Oh, wait! I said that already.

Until next time, keep looking up…