Sears’ Bankruptcy: an Analogy of Church Stagnancy
100 years ago, Sears-Roebuck and Co. was second to none. They defined the term cutting edge by placing their colorful mail-order catalogs in nearly every home across America. Little children giggled over the huge toy section. Moms coveted the latest Kenmore kitchen appliances. Dads stashed away their pennies to buy lifetime-guaranteed Craftsman tools. But now the former industry leader, once perched on the lofty heights of Chicago’s Sears Tower, is seeing all those warm, fuzzy feelings vanish like a bullfrog atop quicksand.
Change is essential to survival.
Making wrong, maladaptive changes = death.
Making right, adaptive changes = health.
Share this:
One Team. One Goal.
With each paddle dipping into the water in perfect rhythm, so God calls us to “contend side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.” Each of us is wired and gifted in different ways by our amazingly creative God. No two rowers are alike. The same goes for church members in the body of Christ. So we must exercise humility, which is the Spirit-directed source of unity. . . .
Share this:
Pulling Back the Curtains
May I pull back the curtains of our home and let you see in for just a moment? Today, my wife and I are reeling with the news of our sixth miscarriage. We hoped and prayed that God would grant us a fun and exciting pregnancy announcement, and the delight of a fourth child. But now those ideas have completely unraveled in tears and agony. . . .
Share this:
No “Yes and No”
…Yet we live in a world full of non-answers, “yes and no,” and “I’m not sure.” One very well-known politician recently said, “truth isn’t truth!” A seasoned lawyer once told me, “Justice happens by accident and the best liar usually wins.” Everything seems up for grabs lately….
Share this:
A Place of Refuge
…I silently slid into the back pew with Hudson and hoped today he would be calm during the worship service. I quietly whispered a prayer that he would not run off like a wild goose or blurt out, “Don’t touch me!”
But like so many Sundays, his composure quickly unraveled. As he flopped onto the floor and rolled over, my heart sank. Yet again, it would be a struggle for us…
Share this:
Freedom Called My Name
Years ago, in my mid-twenties (shortly before I met my amazing husband, Michael) I was incredibly entrenched in the swamp of legalism. I heard the wise-sounding lies everywhere… from many places. My life was led by fear and worry that I would never measure up to the expectations of people.
The slime of law-based, performance-oriented religion came from all sorts of directions. All kinds of well-meaning people told me what I must add to my life (and add on to the Bible) in order to become better and more pleasing to God. Looking back, I believe this environment was rooted in fear, pride, and nice people generally wanting to control the outcome of my life….
